veracocha

I recently bought a new bike (BMW F900 XR) and the journey from Brighton to Birmingham was excruciating. I might well have sat on an oak beam. So disappointed I tried Apex shorts and that provided mildly better comfort but after an hour I was defeated and ready to sell the bike. Then I read about Wunderlich aftermarket seats so another £400 for one of these. Although an improvement over the oak beam it still didn't offer the comfort my now sold Yamaha Tracer 7GT provided (all day comfort). Then I came across a seat on ebay that had been to C&C seats in Leicester that I took a punt on for £150. This seat is a gamechanger. Gel insert, woven fabric and a delight to tour on. Remarkably, it's four years old and still holding well but should I need another seat for any bike I'll be paying them a visit.

Binoculars. For 25 years I have bought only the very best binoculars available, Swarovski. Latest purchase close to the price of a low mileage Royal Enfield Meteor. I forgot to take them on my latest trip to Scotland so I had no choice but to buy a pair of Chinese binoculars in Penrith. I have owned every alpha binocular there is and I can honestly say that most people wouldn't be able to tell the optical difference between the Austrian offering and the Chinese one. Hours of viewing tell me they are within 2% of the quality I see through the Austrian glass. They are catching up make no mistake.

I did some shooting at 600 yards and could not clearly see the impact on the target board even with a decent telescope. It used to bother me to have to bag the rifle up and trot down to the target to see where I was hitting. After two or three times it becomes tiresome so I now simply send the drone down-range and view it on my phone. I see a lot of motorcycle travel video's on youtube where the addition of some drone shots makes for good viewing.

I have thought about fitting a Touratech lowering kit (front & rear) springs for £250 which will get me flat footed however the weight is a consideration also. 196kg vs 220Kg might not sound much but lugging the bike around the yard you feel the difference. I might go back to a Tracer 7GT; I really liked that bike and without doubt, a comfier ride than the BMW.

Returned it to showroom condition. Six hours of washing/scrubbing/detailing ready for selling. I realise that it's just too big a bike for me and I don't feel confident when coming to stops. In Scotland last week I took a tumble whist stationary and that helped secured my decision to sell. I had a Tracer 7GT before moving onto the F900 XR and I was sure footed with that being a much smaller, lighter bike. Shame as I like the bike very much.

My Helite was deployed today albeit at a stationary drop. Side-stand wasn't properly down and gravity did the rest. That vest inflated well before I hit the deck and boy did it cosset me on the fall. My initial reaction was please deflate a bit quicker so I can asses the damage to the bike but it was a good three-4 minutes before I could pick the bike up (no damage at all). Here's the biggest lesson I learnt today (I already know about the stand). It's worthless having a spare canister with you for such an event if you haven't got a piggin allen key to wind the plunger back out. The trip over the Applecross Pass wasn't as enjoyable as the many times I have done it in recent years. Luckily a garage had a set which got my mind-set back on the journey through Scotland. Bravo Helite.

Setting off for the highlands in the morning. All packed up and promising weather ahead

Yes, but most unlikely to meet those conditions on a GS

Similarly it becomes second nature to un-hook when getting off the bike. A few times in the early days I got a yank back but it takes quite a bit of force to set it off from what I have seen on youtube vids. I fancy testing it but £20 a canister I think I'll hang fire so to speak.

I have the Helite Turtle 2 (tethered). It goes on whether I have my mesh jacket or heavier textile jacket. I like the idea I can change the canister wherever I might be should it inflate. luckily I haven't had to in the two years of ownership. Some say they forget to attach the tether to the bike but in the time of ownership it's become as instinctive as putting my seatbelt on. It's loose fitting so not restrictive at all and it does give me some confidence that I might reduce injury as much as is possible with an airbag vest. I hear so many stories about rib injuries I would hope to fair better in the event. As for weight, I hardly notice it's there when on the torso, not as much as when I get it off the hanger.

I fitted handlebar risers on my BMW F900XR. Ordered from ebay for £18.00 I was expecting them to go in the bin after watching a few youtube videos but I am most surprised. I ran a vernier over them and I admit that they are well matched in every sense. The accompanying bolts were iffy but that was easily solved with spares of my own. To think I nearly forked out £100 for Wunderlich stuff.

For £1580 a throw I'd like it to look a bit less "workwear" than that in the picture.

As a newish rider my experience of getting back into motorcycles has been interesting. I too started in 1979 on a DT50 moving onto a DT175 shortly after, that's where it ended. Fast forward to 2022 and the hurdles getting through my full licence was in itself off-putting. Not financially, but just seemed so many ways to fail which seemed like the objective of the establishment. It never seemed like they wanted me to get there. Obviously I did and out I went buying new bikes. Zontes 125 as a starter. CF moto MT650 (I loved that bike) then a Tracer 7GT. Only a month ago I moved onto a new F900XR. So, four new bikes in two years means I'm doing my bit for the cause. In my learning though I'm cynical about the way manufacturers see the motorcyclist. Take KTM for instance and their subscription policy. There is nothing more that would put me off buying a motorcycle than one that I was expected to continually fund the manufacturer during ownership having paid my money up-front. They deserve to go down the pan.

Seems it helped this gentleman.

Just came home from Brighton today and I have to say my backside is really sore battered in fact to the point I am taking aspirin for the pain. You don't expect that when buying a new bike and the seat is made of solid oak. BMW F900 XR has the worst seat I have ever tried. It just doesn't make sense when it's a known issue that they continue to chuck out sub-standard crap like this. Luckily I am picking up an aftermarket seat tomorrow to replace the standard plank. Fortunately I will collect it in my car if my rear gets me through the night.