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Dougald

Member
Hope everyone is looking forward to a great new year of biking ahead. I am anxious for spring to begin but there is a lot of money to be spent before the new season - first MOT, service, and checking out a whine that's driving me mad, then I'm on holiday

Come April I'll be back on the Ducati and making the most of it before I inevitably decide I want to trade it for <<insert bike here>> in 2018.
 

UMGAWA

Member
Scored a pair of AlpineStar GP Air gloves for Christmas.

34 degree (Celsius) days here and they are super light and comfortable.
I don't envy you guys that have to put your bikes in hibernation for a handful of months!
 
I just need a new back tire then the Firebolt is ready to go.

Nice.

Already had a new tire for the Uly, but I need to switch it back to the rim that is now actually on the bike cause the fitment on the other wheel was ruined due to a bearing mishap of the previous owner.

X1, need to have a look at the voltage regulator, doesn't seem to be charging atm.

First the FireUly project though, work should begin this Friday.
 
About a 1.5 years ago you all in this thread helped me, directly and indirectly, get my first beginner bike - Honda CBR250. The thread was so much help so I decided to get help for bike number 2.

I'm really drawn to classic or somewhat classic bikes like the Triumph street scrambler. I also like naked bikes like the Triumph street twin and the Yamaha fz07. I would love to get the triumph but it seems I can't find one anywhere under $5k. Are they supposed to be that expensive?

If they are, can you guys recommend any similarly styled naked or classic bikes that are under $5k?

This is for commuting 30 miles round trip in perfect weather all year round on suburban roads.
 
Hmmm, good to hear we could be of help. For your next bike I'm thinking maybe a used Monster 796 and certainly Ducati Scramblers can be had for 5k. 796 is a little bit better equipped than the Scrambler (in terms of suspension and finish).

BMW's bikes in that category are still a little bit too expensive.

The Street Twin (Triumph) is still a very new bike, so there probably aren't any good used prices for those just yet.
 

Dougald

Member
Triumphs aren't cheap, and the classic models hold their value unfortunately. Have you considered an older Bonneville 800? They've been making that model since around 2001 so you should be able to find one in your price range. They may be 800cc but they don't make much power.

They made 4 models with that engine, the Bonneville, Bonneville T100 (rev counter and more bling), the Scrambler and the Thruxton. The first two would probably be the most common to find as they were made from the start. Before 2015-16 they then made them with a newer 865cc engine which is better in the cold as it isn't carb'd
 
Today's ride to work was a cold one. Got down to -2 according to the bike. Riding through the fog and my visor was actually icing up on the outside as I was riding!

Super quiet on the roads which was nice!
 

Dougald

Member
Haha, it isn't really like you though.

Do you take your wife's BMW out at all?

That's been my winter workhorse, but I've only taken the bike out a couple of times in December. You're right it's not like me, I do think my next ride may have to be a bit more practical
 
This morning here in Reading is also way to icy. I have the bike on the Optimate 4 to keep the battery warm and conditioned. Its so nice to be able to just plug the charger in and the can-bus sorts out the rest.
 

Damaged

Member
I get away without an optimate most of the time, biggest help is bags of rock salt to keep the path to the road clear in the mornings. I'm slowly turning into the old guy from home alone at the moment
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Yeah I've only got one optimate. The BMW seems to be fine for a week or so without it but I need to swap it between the Harley and the Triumph every couple of days. Just to keep them topped up. Simple plug swap so not an issue.

Definitely need to get the cleaning done this weekend. Don't want any salt on the bike longer than necessary although it's slathered in ACF-50.

At least I have the option to work from home otherwise it's about £40 a day to get to work (hence the bike in the first place)
 

Emptied a couple of cans of brake cleaner and engine de-greaser on this thing to clean it up a little. Forgot to take an after pic, but it looks a lot better now. Will do so next time we work on it. Also cleaned up front forks, XB9S rear light and license plate bracket thingie and the lower triple.

And I've finally managed to order the shorter XB9s seat rails on Ebay. Pretty impossible to find, but that should look a lot better than the longer Uly rails we had.

Only thing left to decide is whether we're using the Uly nose or ordering some of these.
 

Stevey

Member
Emptied a couple of cans of brake cleaner and engine de-greaser on this thing to clean it up a little. Forgot to take an after pic, but it looks a lot better now. Will do so next time we work on it. Also cleaned up front forks, XB9S rear light and license plate bracket thingie and the lower triple.

And I've finally managed to order the shorter XB9s seat rails on Ebay. Pretty impossible to find, but that should look a lot better than the longer Uly rails we had.

Only thing left to decide is whether we're using the Uly nose or ordering some of these.

Nice.
Keep us updated
 
sold my tiger 800xc to a friend who is doing the baja 100 this year. was reluctant since i love the bike, but his heavily modified bonnie wasn't gonna cut it, and i figure i'll wind up with another one at some point anyhow -- his enthusiasm was pretty infectuous.

since I plan to do some cross-country touring this year, i figured i'd jump back into cruisers for a bit with this, a 2016 moto guzzi eldorado. definitely a lively bike for a 700 lb. pig, and i love the guzzi feel. pretty sure i'm a fanboy of mandello now -- i still ride the piss out of my v7 ii.

anyway, here's the new beast in the garage. (the v7 ii and the thrux 1200 keep it company)

DpRjy3s.jpg
 
New Drinky post, new bike. I love it.

1400cc huh? Yeah I bet that's lively.

I made a switch myself as well, *dun dun*, will provide update as soon as I shoot some good pics.
 

Dougald

Member
God damn Drinky I am a jealous man, I would love LOVE one of those guzzi cruisers, but the price has always kept me away

I hope you enjoy the hell out of it
 
striple handles better -- the thrux weighs a good 50-60 lbs more, and requires a little more body english to tip over into tight corners at good speeds. it compensates by having an unending supply of beefy torque right up to the 7.5kish redline, which it hits with a vengeance.
 
my original plan after selling the tiger to my pal was to wait for the street triple 800 and get the half-fairing model. i had the cash in the bank and was settled down for the winter until i had a chance to ride a friend's guzzi california and i couldn't get it outta my head. this is why i am never riding friends' or dealership test bikes ever again, he says, knowing he's full of shit...
 

Dougald

Member
this is why i am never riding friends' or dealership test bikes ever again, he says, knowing he's full of shit...

I look forward to your next "new bike" post!

It's nice to know I'm not the only person who is never satisfied with just what I have in the garage..
 

Watevaman

Member
Haven't ridden in more than a month. Sucks living down here in the winter. I have been riding a virtual Rex though.

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Got some SS brake lines and a shim kit for xmas. Gonna be putting those to use in a bit after I order a caliper rebuild kit and some gaskets.
 
Oh i finally got around to installing ride2. Love the variety of motorcycles and they got the sounds down pretty well. Just wish there was a free riding mode that is not on a closed track.
 
Like Drinky, I too haven't made it far into winter without making a change. However, it's not an addition this time, but a trade. The M2 Cyclone had to go (which was hard). In a way, it has been the most reliable of the Buells I have, but it did have its problems. Incredibly stiff and clunky transmission for one, and I noticed the base gaskets were starting to leak a couple of weeks ago. So yeah, some expensive work was coming up and I preferred to spend that money on a substantial upgrade: a 2009 XB12S Lightning, an SCG to be precise. Stands for 'center of gravity' as it's a bit lower than most Buells. Don't think I'm too tall for it, but we'll see. Bought it from a dealer without a test drive (do have warranty). But the bike looks new, so in terms of technical problems, I don't expect any trouble. And if it is a bit too low, you can switch out the seat for a higher one, or go to work on the springs. Doesn't really matter, if I want to be comfortable, I have my Ulysses.

Anyway, here it is though. It's completely stock, which I like. Even came with the manual and service records. It has just 6000 miles on the ODO and I'm the third person to own it, not bad. First thing is to get another exhaust and a proper mapping as these are completely starved (and run way too hot) to comply with emission standards.

Looks good though, right?

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Got a pretty good price for the M2: 2800 euro. And I kept the performance exhaust and rear shock, which makes up for some of the 'trade in deficit'.
 

Dougald

Member
Hot damn that is a great looking bike, looks like a great find

You all are giving me the itch. I saw that BMW rNineT scrambler in an article again earlier and almost thought about it, before I realised I've only managed to put 900 miles on the Ducati. Maybe next year...

It's completely stock, which I like.

Ahh a man after my own heart
 
Thanks guys!


You all are giving me the itch. I saw that BMW rNineT scrambler in an article again earlier and almost thought about it, before I realised I've only managed to put 900 miles on the Ducati. Maybe next year...

Well, the good thing about BMW's is that they're still making 'em. So there's no rush.

Ahh a man after my own heart

Yeah, not that I don't like some tasteful changes on a bike. But now at least I can do them myself and I can always return it to stock because I have all the original parts. Though I might leave it completely stock save for the exhaust/mapping matter... and maybe some mirrors.
 

UMGAWA

Member
Always loved the outside brake disc on the Beull, just the mechanical aesthetic it gives.
And as the others have said, that blue is crazy nice.
 
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