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[Dougald]

I really, really do like that MV as a Street Triple alternative..

I would think working from home would make you ride more. Wanting to get out of the house and all that..

It did at first... then I got a dog, so my lunch hour is spent walking, not riding!

I only really ride during the working day for office run emergencies, which are few and far between... hence dropping my "practical" Fazer and getting the far more impractical Street Triple, as I do mostly leisure runs these days. When I had my office job I would ride to work 5 days a week in the summer, and at least once a week in the winter, so the miles really did pile up just from doing that.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Suddenly found myself looking at BMW GSs. Odd.

Maybe it's because winter is coming.

 

[maxheadwound]

I am starting to love the look of the naked bike more and more. As I am not doing so much miles it might be an option for the next bike. Till the little one is much older its going to be shorter rides for me. I would go for the bigger engine bikes.

 

[freakzilla149]

I've had my little Honda for 2 months and I've done 1500 miles. I'm getting a bored tbh, probably only gonna do another 2500 cos I don't know what to do with it other than commute, which can be fun in London.

What kind of stuff do you guys do to freshen things up? I've been to Brighton once and ditchling beacon was awesome but even that felt like too long a ride for this bike.

 

[thesoapster]

I've had my little Honda for 2 months and I've done 1500 miles. I'm getting a bored tbh, probably only gonna do another 2500 cos I don't know what to do with it other than commute, which can be fun in London.

What kind of stuff do you guys do to freshen things up? I've been to Brighton once and ditchling beacon was awesome but even that felt like too long a ride for this bike.

Do you know any other riders? Ride recreationally instead of just to work. If you do not know any fun roads to ride, see if you can find more experienced riders that do. Take the bike on a trip!

 

[Drinky Crow]

So... that averages to be what? 1,000k per bike, right?

DAMMIT :dead:

 

[monchi-kun]

Do you know any other riders? Ride recreationally instead of just to work. If you do not know any fun roads to ride, see if you can find more experienced riders that do. Take the bike on a trip!

This.

When i'm in my car I take the shortest route possible, not the case on my bike. I've been avoiding freeways when I ride. Bay Area 2 Wheel Gaf might recognize the San Pablo Dam route going through Tilden Park. I love riding there on a saturday morning, no cars

Going to try this recommended ride soon http://www.sundaymorningrides.com/road/6845589/

 

[senahorse]

Next round of upgrades incoming for the little WR250r. An IMS 3 gallon tank, no-toil vented tank cap (I use a tank bag), no-toil super flo air filter, FMF Q4 muffler, FMF megabomb header, FMF fuel programmer, speedodrd speedo calibrator (just recently put on a supersprox rear sprocket and did x-ring chain, which changed the gearing from 13/43 to 13/47 and my speedo is way out now), exup eliminator (lets me remove the exhaust servo and the computer doesn't have a whinge), AIS removal kit (just a couple of caps and plate so I can remove all the choking air induction system). Think that's about it, now to wait for it all to arrive

 

[Dougald]

I've had my little Honda for 2 months and I've done 1500 miles. I'm getting a bored tbh, probably only gonna do another 2500 cos I don't know what to do with it other than commute, which can be fun in London.

What kind of stuff do you guys do to freshen things up? I've been to Brighton once and ditchling beacon was awesome but even that felt like too long a ride for this bike.

In the UK? Find a caf, ride to it, chat with other bikers, ride home... Check out your local bike nights

Maybe next spring we should do a UK 2wheelGAF meetup, there should be enough of us in the South to make it viable now..

 

[maxheadwound]

In the UK? Find a caf, ride to it, chat with other bikers, ride home... Check out your local bike nights

Maybe next spring we should do a UK 2wheelGAF meetup, there should be enough of us in the South to make it viable now..

That sounds like a great plan

 

[maxheadwound]

Have a good Halloween Weekend guys

 

[Fallout-NL]

Thanks man, you 2!

 

[freakzilla149]

Ty for the tips guys. I've found something I want to do.

In goings do a tour of the royal parks of London. There are pretty relaxing and pretty sights that ive never bothered to visit in so my time here.

 

[Dougald]

Now you have no excuse not to ride in the rain

 

[Fallout-NL]

Hehe, looks kinda hazardous.

Spoiler

Does that girl stealthily relieve herself about 2 minutes in?

 

[Dougald]

Hehe, looks kinda hazardous.

Spoiler

Does that girl stealthily relieve herself about 2 minutes in?

What else would you use a pop-up tent with arms for?

 

[opticalmace]

What else would you use a pop-up tent with arms for?

 

[Fallout-NL]

Haha, didn't want to say it.

 

[Dougald]

I'm surprised I didn't see one of those when I was in China frankly. I did see a dude balancing about 10 window frames on his lap while riding a scooter though

 

[Letterbomb]

Got $1,000 saved up. Figure by the end of November I should have enough to get a cheap bike, buy the gear, and take the course.


Progress.

 

[monchi-kun]

The new Multi from Ducati

http://www.ducati.com/bikes/multistrada/index.do

 

[Jackson]

The new Multi from Ducati

http://www.ducati.com/bikes/multistrada/index.do

Nice! There's a Multistrada D|Air version!

I think they have the first factory installed D|Air on any bike. That's the future of bikes I believe. In the next 5-10 years all new bikes will have a D|Air like system (from other manufactures). I'm sure governments will require it at some point like airbags in cars.

For those that don't know... It's basically sensors built into the bike that sync up wirelessly with a special jacket that has a built in airbag. Once the bike goes into a crash scenario either through lowside, highside or direct impact your jacket instantly inflates like it would in a car.

For those skeptical of it going off prematurely or not at all... Dainese has been working on it for like 10+ years and the system has already see use in MotoGP races (and MotoGP crashes) Rossi had a highside on it actually that saved some fractures. It will easily save broken bones and injured internal organs and probably save lives. But right now it's super clunky to custom integrate it into a bike yourself.

I'm excited for this future.

Oh also new Panigale 1299 and 1299 S!

 

[Watevaman]

Took the ZRX to the shop, got the axle nut off, changed the tires, rode it:

 

[thesoapster]

Guess I'll re-post what I've written for the R1 reveal....

Here it is...

There is a standard model and an "M" model now. The latter has carbon fiber bits and Ohlins electronic suspension (not sure if any of the electronics differ). Despite its higher price tag ($22k vs $16.5k for the standard) it weighs in 3lbs heavier! And that's with its carbon bodywork...suspicious...

The wet weight figure for the standard model is 14lbs lighter than the outgoing R1. While I will say that is welcome, I cannot help but feel a bit let down. It seems like a decent chunk of that savings came from the exhaust change. As I said in my OP, that is not the right direction - they needed to make the engine lighter. Maybe they have by a little.

No power figure can be believed until it's on a dyno (and really, no weight number should be trusted until a functional model with a full tank of gas is put on a scale). Plenty of speculation is being thrown around about power gains, and Yamaha has bumped up some engine internals.

Aesthetically the exhaust looks like a turd and would be the first cosmetic mod I'd do (plus to hear more crossplane). I kind of miss the light profile of the past bikes. However, I do actually like the way this looks - the front is basically the YZR-M1 with lights and mirrors.

We'll have to wait for the shootout this spring/summer, but I predict the refreshed S1000RR will still be king (unless Aprilia still has something up its sleeve).

OH and I have to post this...kind of creepy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWod24WB3VE

 

[Dougald]

Nice write up, thanks. That R1 does look nice, seems we are starting to pull away from the insect-style headlight look..

Took the ZRX to the shop, got the axle nut off, changed the tires, rode it:

Congrats! What got it off in the end?

 

[Dougald]

Here's the road version of the Ninja H2

Pics are on the Kawasaki site, it seems to be continuing the current Kawasaki trend of taking a beautiful bike and slapping a monstrously ugly exhaust on the side

 

[Damaged]

Here's the road version of the Ninja H2

Pics are on the Kawasaki site, it seems to be continuing the current Kawasaki trend of taking a beautiful bike and slapping a monstrously ugly exhaust on the side

Personally I think the whole damn thing is ugly, great engineering exercise but pig ugly bike

 

[thesoapster]

Personally I think the whole damn thing is ugly, great engineering exercise but pig ugly bike

YEP!

I want to see how well it functions vs the other bikes. One early tester of the H2R said it's a bit much to manage and it's certainly different than a regular race bike to ride. I don't know if that translates to better lap times or manageability.

 

[Dougald]

I like the front half of the bike.. Though probably wouldn't own it. It's certainly an "acquired" taste though. And that plastic-covered exhaust is just terrible.

Still rather have a BMW S1000RR if I was getting a litre bike.



Had the fairing off the CBR600F on Sunday for an oil/coolant change. For an 18 year old bike in Britain there were only 2 tiny spots of rust which is pretty damn good. Same place on either side of the bike, on the frame at the front where the fairing attaches (and all the English weather drips down onto). Bit of wire brushing and some paint and it's good for years. The radiator is in worse condition than I thought (some chipped paint and a few broken fins), but no leaks and the bike never gets particularly hot. Other than that the engine was surprisingly clean.

 

[Watevaman]

Congrats! What got it off in the end?

According to the guy that did it: just hand tools. They dragged it into the garage, I went next door to get some food, came back and it was done. I was so happy they didn't have trouble with it.

 

[Dougald]

According to the guy that did it: just hand tools. They dragged it into the garage, I went next door to get some food, came back and it was done. I was so happy they didn't have trouble with it.

Bet they had some quality snap-on stuff and some breaker bars. Sometimes home-quality tools just won't cut it

 

[Jackson]

Personally I think the whole damn thing is ugly, great engineering exercise but pig ugly bike

This.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Good to see you riding that ZRX, Watevaman. Must feel pretty good I bet . How does it compare to the old GS? What does it make you feel?

 

[Minto]

Yeah not a fan of the new Kawasaki H2 myself, that exhaust is savage.

The new R1 though is just lovely.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Don't know how much of it is doctored, but that noise is something else though:

http://youtu.be/BFs47iBWwek

and

http://youtu.be/770ZkZhGy6A

 

[Watevaman]

Good to see you riding that ZRX, Watevaman. Must feel pretty good I bet . How does it compare to the old GS? What does it make you feel?

Oh man, it just feels good to be back on 2 wheels. A month or so of being limited to less than 3 mile travel on that old tire had me forgetting what twisty roads (and there's a bunch of great ones around me) felt like.

First impressions: bike is awesomely comfortable. The upright seating position on the rex makes the GS with its clubman handlebars and stiff/upgraded suspension feel like a stagecoach with how bumpy it was. However, it will take some getting used to for the sportier stuff. The increased power combined with the upright position compared to the more forward-lean position and "child-proof" throttle of the GS means that I'm taking it really careful in sweepers I would go all out on before. Of course, I know this isn't a purebred sportbike, so I'm not expecting it to ever give me that full supersport experience, which I'm ok with. I'm also going to ease into it even more carefully now that it's getting colder and the roads are covered in leaves and grit.

I'm also in love with the power. I'm trying not to make a habit of it, but I find myself wanting to wring it out every time I get on the highway. It's amazing how easily it trumps the GS500's top speed and how quickly it gets there. Even around town and on smaller roads, I enjoy being able to confidently pass people within the dotted line sections. So satisfying.

Unfortunately, longer rides are going to be more and more scarce as the weather is getting colder and I don't have proper cold weather gear. I've been thinking about possibly asking for some electric heated liners for Christmas, but that all depends on if I have a car by then.

 

[opticalmace]

Don't know how much of it is doctored, but that noise is something else though:

http://youtu.be/BFs47iBWwek

and

http://youtu.be/770ZkZhGy6A

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMLuMHlqlic&feature=player_detailpage#t=105

 

[thesoapster]

That does sound pretty damn cool.

 

[maxheadwound]

Don't know how much of it is doctored, but that noise is something else though:

http://youtu.be/BFs47iBWwek

and

http://youtu.be/770ZkZhGy6A

Nice vids, but that first one sound like the perfect motor sound.. not to high and just a great note.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMLuMHlqlic&feature=player_detailpage#t=105

Video was removed, got any other links to it?

Nice vids, but that first one sound like the perfect motor sound.. not to high and just a great note.

That does sound pretty damn cool.

Yeah, it's got this deeper, lower pitch to it. Makes it sound ominous in a way. Love it.

Oh man, it just feels good to be back on 2 wheels. A month or so of being limited to less than 3 mile travel on that old tire had me forgetting what twisty roads (and there's a bunch of great ones around me) felt like.

First impressions: bike is awesomely comfortable. The upright seating position on the rex makes the GS with its clubman handlebars and stiff/upgraded suspension feel like a stagecoach with how bumpy it was. However, it will take some getting used to for the sportier stuff. The increased power combined with the upright position compared to the more forward-lean position and "child-proof" throttle of the GS means that I'm taking it really careful in sweepers I would go all out on before. Of course, I know this isn't a purebred sportbike, so I'm not expecting it to ever give me that full supersport experience, which I'm ok with. I'm also going to ease into it even more carefully now that it's getting colder and the roads are covered in leaves and grit.

Yes, I can imagine you're not too eager for a repeat of that little mishap earlier this year.

In terms of confidence it's probably a matter of familiarizing yourself with the bike, proper setting up of the suspension (which can be quite hard if it's fully adjustable, is it?) and tires. If the tires look a little old or eh, more touring than sports oriented, investing in some kick ass Michelin Pilot Power or Pirelli Corsa tires will provide a miraculous improvement. Can't wait till the rear tire on my M2 is worn enough to justify replacing it with a PP tire.

I'm also in love with the power. I'm trying not to make a habit of it, but I find myself wanting to wring it out every time I get on the highway. It's amazing how easily it trumps the GS500's top speed and how quickly it gets there. Even around town and on smaller roads, I enjoy being able to confidently pass people within the dotted line sections. So satisfying.

Unfortunately, longer rides are going to be more and more scarce as the weather is getting colder and I don't have proper cold weather gear. I've been thinking about possibly asking for some electric heated liners for Christmas, but that all depends on if I have a car by then.

Make sure you get some of that stuff Dougald recommended to protect it from road salt (and go around corners like a very very old man) if you plan on riding in the winter.

Was driving around with my friend Scotch last weekend and there was this one corner that had been in the shade and not properly dried up like the rest of the roads, but even that little amount of dampness and lower temperatures caused my bike to step out quite a bit. Not sure if it was the front or the rear tire, or both? But I was thankful for that little bit of fade instead of being chucked immediately.

 

[maxheadwound]

The new BMW F 800 R

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/glob...lId=6&id=T0195136EN&left_menu_item=node__4099

The new features of the BMW F 800 R:
• Higher output than its predecessor – 66 kW (90 hp) at 8,000 rpm (previously: 64 kW (87 hp) at 8,000 rpm).
• Modified ratios for first and second gear.
• New body features with an even more dynamic design.
• New colours.
• Symmetrical main headlight arrangement.
• Upside-down fork.
• Radial front brake callipers.
• Lighter wheels with dynamic design.
• Rider foot pegs.
• Seat height reduced to 790 mm (previously 800 mm).
• New tapered aluminium handlebars.
• ASC (Automatic Stability Control) – optional / special accessory.
• ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) – optional.
• Output reduced to 35 kW (48 hp) – special accessory / optional.

 

[Dougald]

Looks really nice, but I prefer the old-style "GS" type lights they used to have on the older model. Not that it's bad, it's more like when the Street Triple lost the round lights

 

[Watevaman]

Video was removed, got any other links to it?





Yeah, it's got this deeper, lower pitch to it. Makes it sound ominous in a way. Love it.



Yes, I can imagine you're not too eager for a repeat of that little mishap earlier this year.

In terms of confidence it's probably a matter of familiarizing yourself with the bike, proper setting up of the suspension (which can be quite hard if it's fully adjustable, is it?) and tires. If the tires look a little old or eh, more touring than sports oriented, investing in some kick ass Michelin Pilot Power or Pirelli Corsa tires will provide a miraculous improvement. Can't wait till the rear tire on my M2 is worn enough to justify replacing it with a PP tire.



Make sure you get some of that stuff Dougald recommended to protect it from road salt (and go around corners like a very very old man) if you plan on riding in the winter.

Was driving around with my friend Scotch last weekend and there was this one corner that had been in the shade and not properly dried up like the rest of the roads, but even that little amount of dampness and lower temperatures caused my bike to step out quite a bit. Not sure if it was the front or the rear tire, or both? But I was thankful for that little bit of fade instead of being chucked immediately.

Yep, I actually just put the Pilot Powers on this weekend, so I'm good on the tire front. I might actually try that spray stuff if I find myself riding on the salted roads. They're calling for a harsh winter this year so I might as well protect the bike if it's my only mode of transportation.

And yeah, I think the suspension is fully adjustable. I don't know if the PO had it set up, but he was about the same size as me and to be honest, the bike feels pretty nice for a stock suspension.

 

[Dougald]

Just taxed my bike, gone up to £80 a year ($130 for you Americans) now for large cc bikes. Robbery, at least I don't have to display the disc any more.

 

[maxheadwound]

Just taxed my bike, gone up to £80 a year ($130 for you Americans) now for large cc bikes. Robbery, at least I don't have to display the disc any more.

Damn I got my insurance quote... 380 pounds for the year. I will have to phone them again and make some noise.

 

[opticalmace]

Video was removed, got any other links to it?

Look up "Ninja H2R Suzuka" (in case more get removed).

 

[maxheadwound]

Oh yes... Duc competition

BMW's all new S 1000 XR

XR: a cross between an enduro and a sports bike.
Here's the perfect BMW motorcycle for all those who want the dynamic performance of a sports motorcycle, the versatility of an enduro and the comfort of a touring bike. The new S 1000 XR combines the very best of these worlds to create something completely new: the first ever adventure sports bike made by BMW Motorrad; perfect for everyone in search of sporty flair that knows no bounds.

 

[Minto]

Damn I got my insurance quote... 380 pounds for the year. I will have to phone them again and make some noise.

How many years have you been riding dude? I was shocked to get my RR insurance for £330 and I have just passed my test. Suppose being over 30 helps as well.

 

[maxheadwound]

How many years have you been riding dude? I was shocked to get my RR insurance for £330 and I have just passed my test. Suppose being over 30 helps as well.

I have been riding since 18 and I am 38 now... Every year is increase and I have to phone them and shout at them to get a better price. Its pretty standard for me at least.

 

[monchi-kun]

Oh yes... Duc competition

BMW's all new S 1000 XR

Geez, it's like BMW didn't even try changing the design, looks like the Multi