Breezin

Most definitely the Interceptor. I'm very biased though.

For starters, the Interceptor is underpriced for what it is...

I'm fantasising about a new (or newish) bike. Opinions please? I don't think the Honda or the Yamaha are actually retro, but they are sort of in the same bracket, and often come up in the comparisons. I understand that the prices are different, and that probably would rule of the BMW, but apart from that...

I have a non-confirmed favourite but won't say it yet.

Edit: I've added pictures of the bikes (Tiggie)

Interesting experiment. I've been using various types of spare bits engine oil but haven't looked at the rating.

I get a bit of fling from the Gibidi but nothing terribly worrying. Stops the bike being too clean and shiny. Never liked that!

10 hours ago, onesea said:

It’s called Beeline

Yes, but priced differently.

I'm withdrawing my +1 in favour of Calimoto. I just found that they don't know about the longest bridge in Ireland and its associated national route, more than a year after it opened.

When I pointed this out, they came up with a bunch of hilarious excuses before effectively telling me to piss off.

Saw that. It'd be handy if they offered it as an add-on for earlier bikes.

Assume that they are all out to kill you, and behave accordingly. (Because they actually are.)

On 30/03/2021 at 07:32, dynax said:

Calimoto is a brilliant satnav app, yes it's mainly designed for the twisties but can be used as a regular A to B satnav, routes can be saved and planned and the free version has most of the features generally needed

+1.

Please excuse the level of triviality of this topic, which has been encouraged by the 'where to wash my bike' thread.

My question: are hand guards on a road motorbike too naff? (I know they are naff, but it's a question of degree.)

I am too old to be taking this seriously, and to be concerned with naffness in general, but I can't help it. I can see the huge practical benefits, but for me they are in with those  hand muff thingeys.

An added complication: the hand guards I'm looking at have integrated dlr lights. Again, a big plus, as I was thinking of getting bullet dlrs anyway, but maybe another massive step toward ultimate naffness?

Never thought about it much with Japanese bikes, but the RE manual stipulates two minutes... time to put on gloves and an awkward backing out through a narrow gate.

I'm no engineer, but it makes sense to let the oil thin a bit and get around the engine with minimum load and stress. Why would you not?

I wonder if it's the angle of the levers. I saw a video by one of those bike setup gurus recently, and he made the point that no one ever checks the angle, which of course is set to some average that will be wrong for many. Been riding for yonks, but never realised that...

A 2-minute job to check, and change them so they match your forearm position. Mine were ok, so no adjustment needed. 

Probably not relevant,  but I got really painful tendinitis after getting back on a bike following some years away. Solved with regular wrist exercise... ooh, er missus. 

3 hours ago, Copycat73 said:

then you should try one .. then maybe you`d be in a position to comment... but briefly .. the durability and usability of a phone is crap as a sat-nav fitted to a vehicle .. because it was never designed for that function..

 

I understand the durability argument,   though I have a usb power supply for that.

What are the usability benefits over a decent phone app? As advertised above  not entirely compelling. 

On the downside, I see not only cost but also more handlebar clutter and additional faff factor.

I've never had a satnav, and don't understand the need for one  over a decent phone  either on earbuds only or in a decent holder.

I use Waze, G Maps and sometimes Calimoto on the phone and never had an issue.

I like that, and I'm not biased at all! 

Scientific or not, the outcome will be a bit of a shock for some.

3 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

This isn't a Scottoiler and the set up is designed to sit just above the chain. Once the flow is primed I'll drop the tube to be a couple of mm above the chain. I had a Scottoiler on a previous bike and never got on with it. It either didn't provide enough oil or covered it so much that it went everywhere, and putting it onto the sprocket meant one side of the chain was too dry. I know some people get on with them, I didn't

 

The advantage of this system is it's more controllable so I'll activate it when I'm not belting along at high speeds. I've set it to drip onto the middle of the chain which hopefully with lubricate both sides equally and also ensure oil is distributed via the rear sprocket across the entire length.  No doubt some fettling will be needed.

Interesting.  I thought it was meant to go on the sprocket! And I have surface rust on the outside chain plates.

On 15/02/2021 at 17:58, Ian Frog said:

I personally would not want to carry some of that gloop/snot as it is at best less than 100% and at worst will make a real mess of your rims.

You should hear tyre fitters on the subject !

I have tubes on the HD and will be actively investigating a way of going tubeless at the earliest opportunity.

Cheers

Ian

Yes, I'd heard that about it making a real mess.

  There was some mention somewhere of a more advanced product that gives a cleaner solution,  but I've lost track of it. 

Saw that FortNine vid. Nice to see him take the p*ss out of those shameless influencers, of whom there are so many around motorbikes.

I have tubed tyres, though, thanks to the oh-so-cool spokes on my wheels. I keep thinking I should start carrying some of that gloop stuff but always forget.

#11 is for real.

4 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

I buy paraffin from B and Q in their garden section, for greenhouse heaters.

 

I've tried gear oil applied with a brush. Riding in a rural area with flooded roads covered in grit it turned out to be the worst at protection. But it depends where you live and what kind of roads you ride on. If I used enough to prevent rust it attracted grit and was messy. If I put less on to prevent fling the chain rusted within a few days.

 

I've stuck with dry wax and in very bad weather a wipe with lighter oil. When the Gidibi arrives in going to try it with engine oil applied very sparingly. 

I was too sparing with the Gidibi and got surface rust, so I've upped the dose.

But I don't think anything works on fully automatic,  so I've given it a good direct dose of gear oil and will do so occasionally from now.

Fortnine did a comparison of all chain lube varieties a while back, and concluded gear oil worked best.

On 27/01/2021 at 10:08, Steve_M said:

Surely the whole point of the modern world, with a vast array of offerings, is that we can cherry pick. I choose to use a map to identify a suitable route, Google street view to check features of the route, and input it into the satnav to act as my guide giving directions. It also means the map can be my backup.
 

I have a phone with a camera but actually use a camera for photos when I’m on holiday, though I may use my phone if I want to send an image to family or friends immediately. 
 

I could look at those photos on my technology devices, but I also have hard copy photo albums and framed pictures scattered around the house.

 

I have a kindle which I use for reading, but I also have paper books and magazines (my son tells me that kindles are the devil’s spawn and proper paper books are the only true medium. Luddite!).

 

As the thread title said, “Too many gadgets”...

 

 

 

I was with you until Kindle.

3 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

Would a Y connector for car windscreen washer pipe work?

Hadn't heard of that, but sounds promising! Might pop down to the motor factors!

On 01/02/2021 at 19:12, onesea said:

I have the cheap Chinese version:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264529655666
And I like it, only thing is it could do with dual nozzles.
 

Same here. And agree re the need for dual nozzles. Wonder if anyone will come up with a solution. As it is, I tend to put on more oil to compensate.

Yeah, prob would look at smaller mounts. Maybe even just  cable ties. Would be hardly visible.

These look just the job for my Interceptor. By coincidence I found this vid just the other day ...

https://youtu.be/YuBhOBI7rR8

What's the world coming to? All this discussion of 4-wheelers on a motorbike forum and ne'er a mention of cagers! Much too maturecand reasonable.