M620

Know what you mean about the screws I stupidly thought replacing the battery on my 1100s wouldn’t be a problem - big mistake. I imagine fitting the horns was a breeze in comparison.

+ 1 for Oxford products customer service Last year the zip on my old x30 tank bag failed and I noticed that it was marked “lifetime luggage”, more out of amusement than expectations I rang their customer services department. Not expecting too much from them as I didn’t have a receipt and it must have been 10 years old, but they asked me to return it to them and they would have a look at it to see if could be repaired. About a week later I got a call - “yes we can see you haven abused it, pick a colour and we will post a new one to you”.

Love the flared jeans XT I had red one just the same, at the same time (including the baby). Swapped it in for a Z1R (dick extension) that I never really got on with. That’s when I started to go Italian

Best advice yet - go for it

You could do that but agree with what fastbob said, my advice would be take a friend who has some experience of recommissioning old motor vehicles with you.

Spot on advice. The kind of things that suffer from storage of that duration (providing it was dry?) can be easily sorted and still give you a great first bike and a potential profit if you decide after a year it`s not for you. Cheers Ian Hornets are not a bad buy but if only 950 miles it’s true, and it’s not been used for years there could be a lot of expense to factor in to recommission it (unless that’s already been done and included in the price). Some years ago I was practically given a CBF 1000 that had been “stored” in similar circumstances. Just as a guide it needed the carburettors removed, ultrasonic cleaning and rebuilding and a new battery just to get it to run. Professional set up and balance of the refurbished carbs and oil service just to get it fit for taking for an mot. The tyres had deteriorated with the prolonged storage and also required two new tyres for the mot.

Have a look at this https://adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=45039&sid=a9a48a2155387dc3c3e35e7d8af241c9&start=10 If you are after a large single cylinder dual sport the older Aprilia Pegaso are quite good value for money. Took mine on the Trans European Trail in the Pyrenees in October and it handled all but the roughest sections ok.

Not going to try and sell you anything Advice is READ ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS regardless of who you go with . Most euro cover policies have the clause that if they deem recovering your vehicle costs more than the market value of your vehicle it will not be recovered ( you and passengers will have transport arranged for your return but your vehicle stays ) Very good advice Tim, I know times have changed over the years but has anybody on here actually had a bike recovered back from Europe back to their home address in the U.K., and I wonder how things will change after the Brexit implementation period expires in less than a year. Pre EU there were restrictions on the bringing vehicles into the U.K. unaccompanied by the owner. The one time I did was in 1981. My bike was a 2 year old BMW R100 which was covered by AA 5* all inclusive warranty through the supplying BMW main dealer. It suffered a gearbox problem (ended in no drive at all in any gear), just in Spain. Due to the isolated location no local local garage or bike shop would touch it and just suggested it should go to Paris. The AA collected the bike two days later and I was provided with a Renault 5 hire car to use to get me home. After I got back I enquired as to where my bike was and was told it was being held by customs pending the submission of the correct import forms. To cut a long story short it was a right pain in the and took nearly 2 weeks of “discussions” to get it released and the bike was in a right state.

Steering head bearing play - I had my VFR 750 fail on that and a grumbling rear hub bearing on the single side swinging arm model. VFR’s are generally good well made bikes with few problems though

Thanks for the birthday greetings boys, yes I am still about live and kicking planing my next trip down to Morocco in April Ride safe

Have you considered something like this https://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk/holidays/car-motorcycle-tours

Good product used it for years

In response to your original post as to mileage discrepancies I have personally experienced this a few times. One was a Morini 1200 Corsaro that had a digital display speedometer that could be switched between MPH & KPH and had a variation of both on mots and service records. The bike was well known and nothing untoward. My current monster was the subject of clock change very early in its life and is displaying approx 8,000 miles less than its true mileage. This was pointed out to me when I purchased the bike and the price paid reflected the discrepancy. With cars however it is seen as much more of a problem. I purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee that had been on a “personal” plate. The previous owner replaced it with an identical jeep - just 2 years newer. The Jeep dealers who at which he was a good customer mixed up the two cars (as they both displayed the same number when they serviced them), and when they MoT’d the new one, recorded the details against their service records and my vin number, consequently gave my car a mileage discrepancy. VOSA refused to change the details and the garage said they would not change their records as I was not their customer. I didn’t think it would be much of a problem until I tried to part ex the Jeep. No reputable dealer would touch it - one drew a comparison with it being similar status as an insurance marker and everyone I approached seriously de-valued it. You certainly did the right thing in checking it out and are now aware of the “markers” recorded against it. So if the FJR is a good price and you are happy with it no problem, but be aware that you may be disadvantaged price wise and may have problems when you eventually want to move on from it.

Not wishing to turn this post into another Brexit rant but how right you are XTreme. I am in the same position in France - who by the way as far as I am aware was the only EU country that did not enforce the residency permit regulation after 90 days in their country. Not so after Brexit though. My problem will be with the health insurance required after Brexit if we do not negotiate “full reciprocal citizens rights” it appears to me that although “we” the U.K. are prepared to give French EU citizens full free access to the NHS, as it stands the French are treating us as third country status and will insist on full comprehensive medical insurance cover. I think you are ok in Spain and they have agreed reciprocal cover. It’s not an EU policy it’s up to each individual country to agree what third county status citizens are entitled to in their respective countries. Just as a guide when I went into the local AXA insurance office to renew my French registered bike insurance the lady asked me about what I intended to do regarding health insurance, and would I like some quotes before the dreaded Brexit day. Apparently she has lost 3 expat - retired customers in the last 2 months who just couldn’t afford the cost. She said they just put their houses on the market for whatever they could get for a quick sale and have moved back to the UK.

When I worked in Alps for the ski season I had a 5.7ltr V8 4x4 that was totally addicted to “easy start”, only stuff that would make it wake up up at -30c in the morning

I have used “mirrored NCD” with a few car insurers but personally found it more difficult with motorcycle insurance. They seem to want to push you towards a multi bike policy, which for me appear more expensive than separate policies The last multi bike one I had with Ebike was good but they stooped it a few years ago.

As above but be aware of the advice given on https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france , and have a good time.

Has anyone done this? I am planning to start around the 10th October on the eastern end and riding west towards Santander and probably get the ferry back to Portsmouth. I have sourced an Aprilia 650 Pegaso - the original GA model (more off road focused), given it a service, and equipped it with a new set of Bridgestone Ax41. Don’t plan on any camping this time of the year so will be travelling light with minimal luggage, staying in inexpensive (cheap) little hotels / B&B. Your personal experiences of actually doing this route would be welcome.

Well done finding the current owner If it helps having had a few Ducati’s over the years the most common problems have been electrical ones. The S4 is basically the same as all the monsters of that year - just has a 916 sourced engine as opposed to the lower CC air / oil cooled ones. The only real pain / expensive part of ownership is the timing belt changes, if you can not do them yourself. Regarding value, as you quite rightly say it’s all down to general condition, but you want that bike for personal reasons so I would say it could be priceless to you. Be aware the seller could play on that. That aside common things like flaking engine paint can make a well serviced bike look terrible and knock the value. After market exhaust’s can mean a mot fail with some testers now, and standard cans are not cheep - even on eBay If the belts have not been done “very” recently it’s potentially £300 - £400 bill depending on who you take it to. Oil service is a cheep DIY task but values can take a real hit without a good dealer or independent service history. They are definitely an acquired taste and as a guide one of my current bikes, a 2002 monster 620s IE (thought I would keep it cheap & simple), only just last week the starter motor failed whilst on a “break” in Brittany. Tried to get a pattern one €175 but it was down in Toulouse and would take nearly a week to get to me. The nearest Ducati dealership could also order one but it was over €400 !! That was only the start - you need to remove the whole of the alternator side engine cover to get to, 2 of the bolts holding the starter motor on. All the Ducati’s up to about 2010 use the same starter - located in the same place. So check it doesn’t have a lazy starter - that’s how my problem first appeared about 4,000 miles / 18 months ago. With that bike only you know how much you are willing to part with, nice bike to own - good luck with the negotiations

The carbs- every 1970’s BMW R100 I have had has Bing carbs fitted. If it’s running too rich that is where I would start. Anybody’s guess what jets Should be. The only other options were on the 90s - very similar to the Guzzi ones but not exactly the same. If you park it on the side stand they always smoke from one of the exhausts. Apparently oil pools in the rocker covers and seeps down the vale stems - a recognised “character” of the old airheads. MotoWorks BMW might be able to help. Also has the exhaust been changed - they are a bit sensitive to that as well.

Congratulations, best book the ferry or tunnel, and get on the bike then - good weather forecast for France next week

But you need to produce your full valid UK licence at the post office to obtain a IDP - which I think he is saying he does not have yet ? Also I think you will find that you need the full licence with the IDP, which is only an approved translation of your licence and not a licence on its own. Check the below website- FAQ “Can I drive in my destination country with just an IDP ?” https://www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/international-driving-permit

And in France you will have the bike impounded until they actually physically see your valid full licence for that class of vehicle. A friend found this out very recently due to a minor speeding incident. Luckily he had only left his documents in his accommodation, but he was still fined for not carrying all originals of them (v5, insurance certificate, & full driving licence for that vehicle). It’s your choice but potentially a very inconvenient & expensive experience for the sake of a short wait

I have had 2 Oxford X30’s and can throughly recommend them having used it for numerous European tours. They have the ability to expand if you need to carry more and their “ lifetime warranty” actually meant that for me when I returned one with a faulty zip and probably 10 years old. It was replaced within a week with a brand new one - well done Oxford products

Just renewed my insurance as I have just moved and had similar experience with the location description of where the bike is “regularly kept”. I live in a block of flats with remote controlled electric gates & CCTV, to the “luxury development” and the bike is kept in the additionally gated underground garage below the flats - also accessed by remote control fob different to the main gates. When checked the insurance companies definition of garage it is described as “a brick or concrete structure solely accessible to the policy holder”. I rang the company and said that where it was stored now was in my opinion more secure than the 25 year old garage in a row with an up and over door where the bike has been kept for the last year. Oh no sorry but as it’s a communal garage we will have to class it as “on road”. What about “driveway” as it’s an allocated parking space just for my use ? Again no doesn’t fit. Ok have it your way, what’s the implications/ cost difference then - we will put your excess up from £350 to £575, but the premium is the same