Throttled

You are not alone. I have to negotiate cars to get to my lock up. I have to do a 90-degree turn and then walk the bike backwards into the garage. There is a slope, but it does not sound as steep as yours and I don't have to bump over a pavement. That sounds the hardest part and would a bit of wood in the gutter help? You clearly can physically do it, and it sounds like hating to have to do it, is the real problem. When you go back on the bike, do you sit on it and paddle backwards, or do you get off and walk it backwards? I feel more confident sitting on the bike and paddling backwards.

And now I have got the bike, I cannot ride it, as a disc in my lower back has ruptured, pressing against a nerve, so total rest for me.

It is what the maker calls it. I would have called it a backrest. My son is the main user.

Happy birthday.

Fitted a sissy bar.

I saw a demo of the bootlifts at the Scottish motorcycle show. For them to work, as in stay securely on your shoes, you need a shoe with a solid sole, toe and heel. They need structure to clamp onto, and would crush a soft shoe. They would not work with Skechers sneakers, for example.

Rode it 101 miles, to scrub in the tyres;

The saga is over.

I prefer quieter bikes and think very loud exhaust, not just on bikes, are anti-social.

Could lighter be substituted with a lower centre of gravity? I find manoeuvrability is easier, the lower the centre of gravity. I also think I will eventually get a scooter, which is both light and has a low centre of gravity.

Problem with the heated grips snagging on the extra wide handlebars, so a version with a longer cable is being couriered, and that means another day's delay. Mine is quite possibly the first to be fitted with heated grips. The grips come from Ultimateaddons, who are apparently based in Ullapool of all places. At least they have a long cable version in stock.

It is in the workshop getting its PDI and accessories fitted and I get it after work. Then straight up Loch Lomond for a ride.

That is the part when I can fault the dealer. I had no idea it got so busy, but they will have, so they should have made space to prepare the bike as soon as I ordered it.

They were advertising for two mechanics last month. Their workshop has lost space, after they stopped being a dealer for Royal Enfield, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia. What was a workshop is now a showroom/office. Victor Devine Honda is the only bike dealer in the Glasgow area that has not changed premises and the make of bikes they sell, since I started biking in 2010.

A mechanic has phoned in sick, so no longer getting the bike today. Hopefully tomorrow, but I am not going to be the only person they have had to cancel. I had no idea dealers get so busy this time of year, or is it just the one I use?

Took the Benelli TRK702 loan bike I have out for a spin. It reminds me of the Kawaskai KLE500 I had, light, fun, eager, but not ideal for long distances.

Went in today to pay and there is still no workshop space, so it is a week today to get the bike. I was told about someone who recently bought a Vogue and did 600 miles in a week, phoned to arrange the first service and was given a date 5 weeks away! He was furious when he told he would invalidate the warranty if he kept on riding it before it could be serviced. I will book the first service for mine when I collect it and 5 weeks will be easily enough to do 600 miles.

No, I do not think that is unreasonable to complain about.

There are some motorcycle ergonomics sites so get an idea about riding position. This one has the Africa twin as; https://motonomics.com/simulator.php "Knee Angle:90° Hip Angle:118° Body Tilt:0° Calculated Seat Height:868 mm" and the Versys 1000 as; "Knee Angle:85° Hip Angle:115° Body Tilt:5° Calculated Seat Height:850 mm" That suggests the Africa twin has even more leg room. I have sat on one and it felt as spacious as the Versys 1000.

Do you mean it got rattly and things were literally coming loose?

I watched some review videos and it is not really a cruiser, as the foot pegs are below the rider.

The Versys is now with the dealers and I have a loan bike till I get the new one in two weeks time, unless a space frees up in their workshop. I have a Benelli TRK702 which is rather nice. It feels much more nimble and lighter than the big Versys, but obviously down on power and not as smooth. I see Benelli now do a larger engined version of the 502C cruiser, called the 752S. The Chinese owned brands are slowly getting bigger engines.

The only bike I have owned or ridden that I never felt the need to lower the pegs, is the Kawasaki Versys 1000. It is still possible to get fittings to lower the pegs.

What is a reefing handle?

I watched a YouTuber review, who said that shipments of the bikes are months apart and selling out on arrival. It maybe they are victims of their own success and cannot keep up. Bar some name changes, the exact same bike, down to the Metzeler tyres, is being sold in China, India and everywhere in between. It has only recently come to Europe. Maybe it has also been affected by the semi-conductor shortage that has affected so much manufacturing?