Gerontious

I’ve always used the optimate. But only ever as a charger. I’ve never seen the point of keeping it constantly connected. Now using a lithium charger as that’s the battery type my bike has. If yours is lithium you must use the correct charger type. A standard charger will destroy a lithium battery. Bought one, but not needed to use it yet aside from testing it worked.

The wheels were an extravagance. but, when I bought the bike something unexpected happened. I got a loan for the full amount and then on the day they reduced the price - significantly. (this was in November)

At the time there were 3 options. SM-Pro. which have the bartubeless treatment. essentially a solid rubber band is bonded to the inside of the wheel and fully covers the spoke ends. Or Alpina, which relies on Orings to seal the spokes. Or Kineo. I had the cash for the first two and really ummed and aahed. then just went for the Kineo - this was over Christmas so I was doing a shedload of overtime and ordered them in January. they arrived after a 9 week wait. The rims are solid and the spokes are held on the inner track of the wheel. I knew about them, mostly because they had been an order upgrade for some MV-Agusta specials. and other Special builds/customs. Once again black everything to make cleaning a breeze.

I thought the black exhaust would look alright, it has an outer ceramic coating so it doesn't take much effort at all to keep it looking good. a wipe and done. Im quite lazy about cleaning to be honest. Again I was lucky and had a 20% eBay voucher and used it.

I really wanted the Termignoni, but couldn't justify that kind of money for what was really just an aesthetic change. Changing just for looks rather than any kind of performance benefit.

How to ruin any potential buyers day, in Italy. Park absolutely any triumph next to it. Age and condition is unimportant. Then stand back and watch the fans arrive, crowd around the trumpet and completely ignore the Panigale!!

You can buy stick-on blind spot mirrors that go on your.. err.. mirrors. few quid the pair from Ebay.

just get into the hang of using them.

alternatively at a standstill work out exactly where your blind spot is.. and see if you can see it. it could be that you are overdoing it. maybe.

6 hours ago, RideWithStyles said:

No Gero it wasnt missed, suitable reply mentioned it about 15 posts in by myself and two others.

Oh.  I could only read so far…  I got distracted when a chair was thrown at me. Followed by a sock. (And I’m not sure which was worse)

fixed.

Same as ever. Still got the Africa Twin DCT. Which is now paid for. Go away on it twice a year. Same old stuff.

11 minutes ago, Mawsley said:

Sat in awful weather and awful roads to go get a remap.

 

But it was on the AT so it was an awesome morning.

 

 

Oddly enough I was only thinking about you the other day and wondering how you were getting on. been a long time.

On 07/11/2023 at 11:48, AK2DAY said:

Manual or automatic - I don't know, probably automatic for ease (I prefer auto cars)

Commuting or pleasure - pleasure 

City or rural - both but mainly city probably 

Height - 6ft

Weight - lump... 19st

I am thinking more of a cruiser type than a sports bike. I like the idea of it being a more chilled ride around with space for some luggage/essentials.

Price - first bike I would say up to £3k with the thought of potentially upgrading once I have found my feet

Firstly, its rare to find an affordable cruiser and (more importantly) a cruiser that is suitable for someone of your height. but, there are exceptions.

If you want an automatic there is really only one bike that might possibly fall within your budget and be ideal for city riding with luggage available. and thats the Honda NC700 or the more recent NC750 either with DCT (as an option)

its only automatic if you want it to be. it can be ridden manually too. you don't get a clutch lever.. and its amazing how quickly you stop missing one of them. gear changes are with the press of a button and always perfect. no crunching or pogoing here.

fairly modern so you get ABS and so on. its not a super sports. (but then neither are cruisers) but, its a Honda and so a reliable bike that will be easy enough to service. And will not scare you to death.. but, would make for an ideal first bike that will not crash in value and so would be fine to trade in or sell if you decide to move onwards (and upwards) A fair few people tour on these bikes so they are fairly long legged. bit of a jack of all trades.  The fuel tank is actually under the seat so you get storage in the 'fake' petrol tank. which is quite nifty. With the fuel under the seat this gives you a low centre of gravity - which is always a good thing.

Seat height might be a bit low.. but nowhere near as low as a cruiser. and is easily fixable if necessary. 

here is a review. https://www.motorcyclenews.com/bike-reviews/honda/nc700x/2012/

13 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Troyes at least the old part isn't bad, nor is Rheims for that matter. Epernay is a bit meh but I've eaten well there.

Ive never seen it in daylight. first time staying there was just for the sake of convenience. there is a very good municipal campsite there which is a fairly pleasant walk to the the town centre. we found the Blue Fish as a lubricant to make it all the more smiley. then the kebab place. and the walk back to the campsite. A McDonalds next door to the site made for an easier start with a coffee and bite to eat for breakfast, then its a nice run over to the A26 for the dash back to the Tunnel. I think its probably the largest town Ive ever stayed at. I don't bother with towns normally and do my utmost to avoid cities. but this is our penultimate stop so it hardly matters.

33 minutes ago, AK2DAY said:

I'm doing the CBT and DAS and I'm 37.

 

Everything is booked, and if I pass, I should have the license by the start of Feb next year

Excellent. I would start with buying the protective gear/clothing you need in the sales that are underway and will peak after Christmas.

The bike you use to do your DAS on might be a good jumping off point. it will at least give you some idea of what you do and do not want when time comes to buy for yourself.

I would never suggest anyone start with a 125 if they are doing the DAS in short order. 

On 06/11/2023 at 15:12, AK2DAY said:

Hello all!

 

So I have just started the process of getting my motorbike license which has obviously meant I have spent the last 2 hours looking at bikes online. 

 

I am coming here for some advice on starter bikes. Where do I start? What should I be looking for? Excuse my ignorance, I am a complete novice.

I wouldn't even worry about 'what bike' at this stage. you say you have started the process of getting your license. so would this be getting ready for lessons and then eventually the test. or even just the CBT because you just want a 125cc or smaller.

What age are you? this is relevant to what course you can go on and what exact license you can get in the short term. and thus what bikes are appropriate going forward to that happy moment that you pass.

Its usually down to them being badly aimed as @manxie49 says. I just looked at the website and couldn't find any information, but often lights that are for both daytime and nighttime use will run at two power levels. 50% during the day and 100% at night. Also you might be able to buy coloured lenses for them that clip on. Not very commonly used here in the UK, though the usage is increasing - for example Honda now have 'always on' front indicators on a lot of their bikes that run at 50% and jump up to 100% when being used to flash a turning. So lenses, if available might be the answer. They definitely make the bike more noticeable.

When I had LEDs on my previous bike I was careful to adjust the aim so that they would satisfy the MOT. even though they were not part of the MOT. So they would mostly increase the dip massively and in the process would really help main beam at night. close and far distance both covered.

8 minutes ago, goat said:

f**k me, get over yourself. 

I never thought of you as being the over sensitive type. you make a valid point. I answer it.

I'll turn off notifications for this thread. ive said all I need to say.

1 minute ago, goat said:

This depends greatly on the bike and bike set up. On the GS the peak had no turbulence at any speed but it was really quite good at keeping sun out of the eyes. On the tdm it's horrible but on the mx-9 it can be removed in less than two minutes and leaves a very comfortable helmet with a nice wide view. 

Which is why I began by saying "before you buy do read up on what other owners have said"

I should have said.. and will now edit accordingly.  "before you buy do read up on what other owners of your bike have said."

23 hours ago, Merseyrider201 said:

Can’t wait for this 

I need new kit !! Need new helmet want and adventure style any recommendations 

think it over very carefully before buying a crash helmet with a peak. they can and often do have some unfortunate and unforeseen consequences. before you buy do read up on what other owners of your particular bike,  have said. Personally.. Ive been riding this style of bike for 30 years and have never been tempted to buy one of these. And reading the experiences of other owners of my particular bike Im rather glad I haven't.

Do bear in mind that this style of helmet was originally designed for off roaders, who tend to ride (off road) at very modest speeds. They were never intended for road use.. in fact in the early days they were illegal on the road. Now they are really just a fashion accessory. Though im sure there are some that might bridle at that description. They can and often do result in severe turbulence at higher speeds as the forward airflow is captured by the peak. Ive seen posts where people have (im not kidding) spent £100s trying to fix this. multiple £100s and for what? so they can look the part. while the vast majority couldn't care less.

I wear a standard flip helmet. no peak.

On 03/11/2023 at 21:36, Steve_M said:

Just the reason we tend to determine the following day’s route each evening then book the hotels as we go along. It does make for some strange tour routes - 2022 in particular.

 

This year saw us in the champagne region briefly in temperatures well into the 30’s C. Even when we reached the French Alps it was very sauna like. 

We tend to stop at Eperney on the way back, from wherever. there is an epic kebab place in the town centre and there used to be a truly wonderful bar with the unlikely name of the blue fish. memories of @bonio weilding a very pointy knife while chopping up a rather large sausage. why have crisps to make you thirsty when you can have sausage!! sadly the bar is no more.

17 hours ago, curlylegend said:

The smoking or the slapping ?

is smoking a fetish? I wouldn't know, and im not about to investigate as the sorts of sites that could possibly answer that kind of question are (im told) full of nasty malware that could ruin my day.

I didn't enjoy the slapping.. I've never been much of a masochist, though I did own the same BMW bike for 20 years so some people might point at that. Actually people did point at it and laugh back in the day. it was a GS - long before Adventure bikes were a thing and it caused much confusion amongst some bikers who couldn't understand what it was for. and did I know that ABS was dangerous on bikes? Dangerous to my wallet. yes. it was an £800 option in 1997. Can you believe I didn't know that until after I bought it!! silly me.

In other news the young lad I work with turned up on his silly little 125 last night and immediately started to complain about his bad back. I just looked at him in the sort of way one might slow down to look at a car crash on the other side of the motorway. He passed his full test last year and yet still.. there he is on that silly bike. folding himself in 3 to get on it and having to bend his arms in a totally unnatural way just to hold on. but its in Repsol colours so its cool. innit. sadly I didn't have enough time to say anything as he was called away to deal with one of the residents who needed help cutting a loaf. he's not allowed sharp knives (or pens). for reasons im not at liberty to divulge.

A nice photo to take my mind off it.

Rukka trousers with the code number C3 are what I go for. And they have proven to be a worthy investment. Mine are now more than 10 years old. And still going strong. Just.. don’t mention that they use Goretex as this tends to overexcite the hoi polloi.

im 6’7 in my boots and go for trousers with a 35” inside leg. And have found it a bit of a struggle finding gear to fit.

sportsbikeshop allow you to search based on leg length with these being the results for “long leg”.  https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_cat/317/(5;product_rating;DESC;0-0;all;157;131;421)

6 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

Beware  Maybe hes suffering the effects of buying a mac and having to tax his bike?? 

why have two when you can have three?

though admittedly one of them is running Linux. And the other is only being kept alive to run a game from 1996 that runs in DOS and I enjoy the perversion of playing old DOS games on a Mac. That really upsets Apple fanboys.

Trouble is I’ve turned into an Apple fanboy myself. But only because it gives me so little to fret about. And doesn’t sound like a jet that’s taxiing down a runway. Or act as a space heater.

This weekend I shall be fending off the attentions of rampaging schizophrenics and a new resident with a particularly interesting personality disorder and exciting behaviours

and trying to resist buying a new Mac, no doubt successfully, now that I’ve paid off my new phone.

apparently I’m risking death destruction and the end of the world as we know it by using a Mac that’s 11 years old. (They tell me)

I did tax the bike today which caused a crisis. I was forced to lie down in a darkened room and listen to Enya (on repeat) to deal with the trauma. £111 the robbing swines!!

It’s not easy. And it’s only Friday.

It’s always weather dependent. Main reason I always have a plan B ready to roll. I’ve too often seen people who pre-book everything and then do nothing but complain that it’s raining or there’s low cloud and they can’t see a thing - or both and they’re stuck. Or choose to be stuck.

Saw that a lot this year. The horror of spending the best part of £1000 on a ferry and then a week of summer storms and trying to ignore the fact that the bad weather is only where you are.

only exception for us is the yearly week in the Eifel, where we have been lucky year after year and have never lost a day to rain. Rain going. Sometimes. Rain returning, maybe. But never once a full day of rain there, bad enough to force a day off.

lately the biggest problem seems to be heatstroke!!

1 hour ago, RideWithStyles said:

Compatible but you ignore prolonged use / exposure to E10 shortens service life. Its a serviceable and consumable part even when new so with age the higher chance of failure.

you need to tell Yamaha. Email them asap.

1 minute ago, S-Westerly said:

I really like rum, still do and probably always will but it has given me some of the worst hangovers ever. But then getting absolutely hammered tends to do that. Haven't done it for a while either. Maybe I'm finally growing up?

Obviously there’s nothing wrong with a sailor liking rum. In fact I’m sure there are rules wherein it is written down in tiny letters that you must. Or risk being keelhawled. Or walk the plank. Or something equally exciting.

shiver me err timbers. 

14 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

Are you having a nervous breakdown? Who said owt about water?

do you mind. I’ve not eaten yet!! And you’ve put me right off my stroganoff!!