Lateralus

10 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I think not. Greater depravity was demonstrated on our ride last week when some guys put tomato sauce on their bacon butty. All right thinking people know it's meant to be brown sauce. 

I generally prefer BBQ sauce on a bacon buttie. At least it's brown!

It's even got a cup holder!

22 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

The charging system 

 

It's an engine out job to change that stator. There has been a fair few failures on it. It's not something that would worry me but I would do the work myself. 

 

At first I thought you was still talking about shaft problems 

 

What's your budget if you don't mind me asking 

Pretty much anything beyond fuel and air and the bike goes to a mechanic for me!

It needs to be as close to cost neutral as possible, so basically whatever I can get for my current bike, plus a modest bit extra. Been quoted £4,750 trade in, in the expectation the dealer could sell on for £6k. However I reckon it would go for maybe £5,500 private, for someone who knows about them. 24k miles, very clean, full service history and plenty of very desirable extras. 

So, that gives an upper budget of about £6k. 

Plus it's in red, which we all know is the fastest colour. 

Apparently it's the alternator. 

47 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

For what reason to avoid them? 

Without wishing to embarrass you all with my mechanical expertise, something about a part in the centre of the engine which can fail and is £2k+ to fix, but was sorted on later models. 

I'll ask him!

I took my K1300S to Rainbow Workshop for its 24 service. Always feel like Steve services every bike as he would his own. 

On 20/07/2023 at 00:21, Fiddlesticks said:

Looking at your choices I'd be tempted to suggest a Pan European - if you can find a good one? Comfortable, good weather protection, bomb proof engine...

 I tested one of those 4 years ago when I first got the RT. Liked the engine, couldn't get on with the styling! I'm clearly a fickle creature. 

On 20/07/2023 at 08:56, Stu said:

Get the bmw! 

 

 

 

What was the question

 

There is some cracking deals out there for the R1200rt lc 

 

Don't be put off by high mileage either as I have seen a lot with well over 200k on the clocks! They get cheap after about 35k as people think that's high mileage

 

The RT is a better bike than the K16 in terms of nimbleness the K16 is a great motorway bike and the engine is silky smooth. 

 

I have seen some RT's as low as 6k and it's a lot of bike for the money 

So the strong advice I've had from Steve at Rainbow Workshop is to avoid the 2013 and 2014 LC RTs, which means they're still a bit beyond budget. 

Test rode a Trophy today, bit just didn't like it, much as I wanted to! Everything felt a bit vague compared to the K1300S, but after 3 years with an RT I'd expected to feel instantly at home!

Think a test of a K1300GT might be in order...

Hi all. I need some advice about a potential bike swap, and remembered you fine folk at TMBF!

I ride all year round, commuting fairly often, and also need something capable of weekend fun and long tours. I therefore need a shaft drive, decent luggage (especially top box), and good weather protection. I also need something reliable, and not too expensive to maintain (I can't do any of my own servicing). 

My last three bikes have been a Tiger Sport 1050 (loved, but no shaft drive and not enough weather protection), 2010 R1200RT (very capable, but bought with the head rather than the heart. That said, at 3 years it was the longest I've owned any one bike!) and I'm now riding the K1300S (phenomenal engine, but beginning to find the compromises on practicality not ideally suited to most of my riding). Any swap would need to be close to cost neutral, which gives a maximum budget of up to £6k; less would be better.

I would be tempted by the K1600GT, despite the weight, but it's the servicing costs which have really put me off, and I can't afford the LC versions of the R1200RT. I've ridden the FJR as a blood bike and didn't love it, and for some reason the GTR1400 doesn't grab me, although I've not actually ridden one. 

I'm also discounting the GS or Explorer, as they seem much more expensive than the non-adventure equivalents, and on principle I don't want another twin-cam RT. 

At the end of all that, I am currently torn between the K1300GT and the Triumph Trophy SE. The GT is rather fugly, but otherwise appears to tick all the boxes, and I have a test ride booked on a Trophy on Friday. 

Anyone have experience of these two bikes? Anything else I should be considering? All views welcome!

Hello everyone. Been a while!

Now I bet that exciting topic grabbed your attention!

I'm wanting to get the garage in our new house in a somewhat nicer condition, including painting the walls and floor. The floor is bare concrete at the moment, so should I just slap some masonry paint on it, or go for an epoxy option (which seems to require rather more prep). 

I'm also going to have to paint it in stages as I move the stuff around, since I can't shift it all out at once, so would that cause an issue with an epoxy finish?

For some reason this whole project is far from top of the other half's agenda, but I'm keen to try and get it sorted!

I second the calls for something like the i2i courses. I did them last year and they've made me think about my riding and control of the bike in a very different way. I have more confidence in what it can do, and fully intend to revisit the first two courses again as soon as time allows. 

I have the Oxford Rainseal over jacket and trousers, which have never let me down through several long days of riding in horrendous conditions. Combined with goretex boots and gloves and I've stayed dry throughout. 

However, I am increasingly tempted with good quality textile gear, potentially goretex, to not have to worry about what happens if it rains. My 5yr old RST Paragon V kit is shower proof, but I wouldn't trust it fully in a downpour, no matter how many times I've treated it with Nikwax. 

On 14/10/2021 at 08:01, husoi said:

About time

Found this about it.

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/new-bikes/honda-nt1100-confirmed/

Think I'm hoping for something a bit more touring orientated to be honest!

Looks like Honda have a new tourer coming out. Not much in the video, but appears to be proper upright touring and full 3 piece luggage. Hopefully a shaft drive too, for those of us who are in to such things!

https://youtu.be/jml_HFfWlcY

On 05/10/2021 at 21:59, Steve_M said:

I zip my trousers and jacket together less for the draft problem, more to prevent the jacket riding up in the event of a slide down the road. I attended a talk by Dr Roderick Woods where he talked about riding kit… this was one of the many areas of motorcycle clothing design that he discussed that stuck with me. 

That was very much my understanding of things too - so much so that I bought a belt thing that lets me zip my chino-style motorbike trousers to my daily RST Paragon V jacket. 

The RST jacket is 5 years old and looking a little worse for wear though, so I have been beginning to consider investing in a goretex one for the winter (and hopefully many winters to follow too!).

6 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

Add my edit to the list too  

I've already made a similar point, which was grudgingly accepted! 

3 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

Cheaper on tyres and fuel and tax and wear and tear and servicing..............

*adds to list*

3 minutes ago, Bianco2564 said:

I use mine totally for the commute 27 miles each way, done over 15000miles on it in the 2.5 years I've owned it.

It's narrow enough to squeeze through traffic and enough power to see off most normal cars from standing, dead easy to ride thru traffic.

The leg guards and screen offer good weather protection, I use it all year except during ice or snow.

Only criticism is its not very economical for its power output, a mere 50hp and it only does around 50mpg at best.

If my commute was shorter or in more urban areas I'd go for a 400cc.

 

It makes sense to me to own a workhorse like this, all my other bikes and car fall into the classic Sunday toy status so don't really get used to go to work except on the odd dry day. I only paid £700 for it, insurance and tax are negligible.

Not fussed if it gets damaged, dirty or rained on and relaxed about its security at home and work.  

Sounds ideal. I'm tempted at looking at the 300-400cc range, but only if they'd offer similar protection from the elements. I do have a 7 mile dual carriageway bit on the 21 mile commute, but if I knew I was doing a longer journey on bigger roads I'd just take the RT. 

What age/mileage was yours for £700?! 

7 minutes ago, Bianco2564 said:

Like this ?

 

Yes, very much like that. 

Doesn't address the "debate" which would be needed about both the cost and the principle of a second bike, but I think it would make the commuting better? Is that right, or just wishful thinking?

So having flirted with a VFR1200F as a potential replacement for my 2010 R1200RT, I've bailed on making the switch. This may in part be due to my wife not wanting to discuss it when raised as a topic, because she "didn't want to spoil our anniversary with an argument"!

Ultimately though, although I wasn't able to test ride it, I also wasn't sure it would be a significant enough difference to ease me through the congested filtering which is now my daily commute. I was also reminded of one of the main things I like about the RT, when riding on the motorway in torrential rain and getting home basically dry. There's a lot to be said for that when riding all year. 

Nevertheless, I groan inside every time the queuing traffic tightens up too much for the boat-sized RT to get through, and find myself having to stop, often to let another smaller bike carry happily on! I'm therefore thinking the solution might be a second bike for just shuttling to the office and back, and keeping the RT for the longer trips. I'll say it quietly, but...

... I'm thinking about getting a large(ish) capacity scooter. 

On 30/09/2021 at 18:47, Stu said:

 

Better than I thought for the service 

 

 £139.12 of which is £69.27 in parts and £46.66 in labour plus VAT at £23.19 

I definitely need to call the dealer then - currently booked in with Rainbow for a month's time. 

Oh, that is not the outcome I had expected!

I'm booked with him for an annual plus 54k service in a couple of weeks - assuming I haven't P/X'd the bike before then!

6 hours ago, Stu said:

 

I wish! once the 2 year warranty is up then I will do it myself  

You need to get yourself over to see Steve:

https://rainbowworkshop.co.uk/service/page-7/

Brilliant BMW mechanic and much cheaper than the dealers. Has all the computer stuff needed for BMWs too. 

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Hi @Lateralus welcome back and good to see you about again 

 

If you are finding the RT boring you're doing it wrong  

 

I have recently got a 2016 RT and find it pretty entertaining  

 

I am with you on the filtering lark though! not the best choice of bike for commuting through traffic 

I gather the later LC versions are something of a different beast to my DOHC one, and boring is perhaps the wrong word. However, it definitely doesn't give you an exhilarating rush as it quietly but quickly gets you up to speed!

Did you give up on the FJR, or did it give up on you?