Considering upgrading the horn on the GS.
Are the Denali Soundbombs really that much louder than say the twin hi/lo tone horn jobbies found on cars?
Perhaps I should fit a Denali horn to the Speedmaster.
My mate dropped his KTM off for me to fit some heated grips, so I let him borrow my Speedy to go home on. 1 mile from his house an idiot in a Mazda pulled out of a junction and took his front wheel away🙁
Luckily he got away with a bruised ankle and was a bit shook up..
Minimal damage to the bike…
Damn, sounds like it could have been a lot worse but upsetting all the same for your mate and you.
On Sunday I rode the Blade to our new house (the vendor has kindly let us bring exterior stuff ahead of move day this Friday).
Even in the cold damp murky conditions of the ride I loved it. Really smitten with this bike. There's so much value to be had in bikes of this vintage that are modern enough to ride well and be reliable, but are relatively inexpensive.
Good info here on the new Tiger 1200...
Definitely a contender when the time comes to replace my GS. I really like the look of the Tiger GT Explorer - a GSA competitor without any real off-road features.
Does anyone have any recommendations for one, that can be left on all the time and fit a full face helmet?
thanks
Agreed - I have a full HID conversion (from H7) and 2 x Denali at the bottom of the front forks and as well as being able to see in the dark much better I have certainly noticed far more cars moving aside when lane splitting etc. Of course the onus is still on me to watch out for other traffic, and I get the issues around additional lights (riding in the late 80s I heard the horror stories of people seeing a twin headlight FZR/GSXR and belieiving it was a car at further distance).
Very short Motorcycle Live review:-
Quieter than I'd expected - not quite as packed as it has been in previous years
Most of the major manufacturers were displaying except for Yamaha who haven't got any 2022 stock in the country yet.
Even though they don't seem to get much footfall, the lower cost far eastern manufacturers are definitely getting there in larger numbers.
The electric bike market was well represented too, though the range they can cover at the moment means they are still only really likely going to appeal to town commuters - quite why Zero have produced a fully faired "tourer" with luggage but a range of 72 miles and a charge time of 90 minutes minimum but typically 300 minutes is a mystery.
Bikes that stood out for me (good, bad and ugly):-
Royal Enfield Meteor 350 - seriously good value transport. It may only be 20bhp, but with a comfortable riding position, ABS and GPS for under £4k can't be argued with.
BSA Gold Star - I only heard that BSA were starting up again (under Indian ownership), but the bikes looked pretty well put together and definitely ticked the retro boxes (though the radiator was a bit on the bulky side)
BMW CE 04 - very "Tron", but nowhere near enough range and still rather pricey
Triumph Rocket 3 & GT - lovely attention to detail
Norton V4SC - much prettier in the metal than it is in pictured but too expensive for me
Honda NT1100 - I had high hopes for this but less pretty in the metal than in pictures. I'd still have the Africa Twin over the NT because of the looks
Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT - like the Honda NT, I was really keen to see it but disappointed when I did.
Tiger 1200 - still huge. I think a lot of people will go in to the showroom after one of these and, unless they are desperate for a shaft, come out with the 900
I'm sure there was far more that I noticed and will no doubt remember over time, but I suppose the real stand out thing for me is the breadth of what's available, with basic transport built very much to a budget from a couple of thousand pounds, to exquisite hand-build exotica at twenty times that and more. It's definitely not getting cheaper though, unless you're wiling to sacrifice build quality somewhat.
Oh, and sad to say that motorcycling seems very much to attract those with hidden illnesses and disabilities, as I reckon 40% or so of those there deemed themselves unable to wear a face covering. Such a shame.
Guess this is bike related.
Quite long.
https://youtu.be/4GEStca5lXc
Went to the Sammy Miller museum at the weekend. What a great bikers dream!
The old stuff is not really my thing but you really do have to marvel at the engineering.
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Last edited by manganr; 13th December 2021 at 16:32.
Now you tell me! Next time Goat. Will definitely visit again. Particularly great to see the Triumph Tiger. My dad had the very same bike. From a photo on my wall......
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We visited in Feb 2020 , the extension was still being built. The range and quality of bikes was outstanding. At the time of visiting there were two non runners , every other bike was started up and run for various events. They explained they have a rota wherby each bike is cleaned eg dusted every four weeks. Furthermore each bike is deep cleaned regularly. Whilst we were there the builders were knocking down walls ,yet the bikes were spotless.
He has some early prototypes too, I photographed a Triumph Bandit SS , what looks to be a twin cam twin. Apparently canned by the visionary mgt of Triumph in the day
Then of course the man himself was working on a project in one of the side garages. He popped out at lunchtime to fill his flask from the cafe. His wall of trophies is worth a visit just to see on its own.
Highly recommended.
Yes, the 'wall of trophies'. I thought he was a trials champion. He's done everything! Truly a legend.
Brilliant evening at M4 Karting on the pitbike with some pals who race. So much fun and applicable to riding the big bike - hopefully keep me sharp ready for next year's track days!
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The Centenario before heading home on the back roads last night. Sweet Jesus but they were muchy. Now it needs a mega wash!!
I had to go to Stoke earlier this afternoon so obviously went via the Cat&Fiddle and Leek...
Glad to read that Enoch, Christmas should help put a few KG on you, not just a few K on the bikes !
Great to hear you are back in the saddle Enoch
As some might say .....
Last edited by DibbleCorse; 23rd December 2021 at 16:34.
I'm sure it's practical but if ever a bike didn’t suit a topbox the Hypermotard is it! I imagine it's an abs blast though!
Thats fantastic to hear Andy. I wish I had your liking for riding all seasons but you know me, fair weather only. Anyway, I’m sure our paths will cross next year round Wales somewhere, and it’’ will be good to catch up.
Stuart
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As someone who doesn't change bikes too often I've changed twice now in the last two years so i thought it would be interesting to have see what people have moved on and bought in 2021.
So for me, this went:
Bought it new and loved it but decided I didn't use it enough to justify it.
Lasted about two weeks until I bought this somewhat by accident on eBay:
I love it and every time I fire it up over the winter to keep it ticking over can't wait to ride it again. As I posted on here I moved a few weeks ago and really enjoyed riding it to the new house in spite of the weather so am going to bite the bullet in the new year and get out on it (as long as it's not raining...!).
So what were your ins and outs this year?
That was a turn-up, Simon... looks like the right decision, anyway.
I had something of a revelation this year, in that i realised that the bikes I love to drool over aren't necessarily the right bikes for the riding I want to do. Consequently...
Out
In
I'd love to have kept them both, but I'm so delighted with the Tiger that I've not spent more than a fleeting moment thinking about the TTR. I would also say that - on here, at least - it's a greatly underestimated bike. It really is a hugely capable package for anyone who wants to get into adventure bikes without going all-in on the likes of a GSA. It's so rideable, and such a great (i.e. sensible, whilst by no means being small) size in comparison.