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[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Dealer finally called me back about my bike...

$900 to get it up and running

It's like $400 for carbs which I totally expected but the brakes are sticking and say they need to replace the master cylinder and rebuild the calipers...

They said everything else looks great though so I'm hoping this is finally the end of it. Just need to do an oil change when I get home because they wanted too much money and I should be good to go. Depressing phone conversation though

 

[King Gilga]

Anyone read this and have any thoughts?

tbh as someone who's had their bike stolen in london, yeah. something has got to give.

It was eventually recovered (in a ditch, possibly because I made it hot on social media, useless coppers never even told me, insurance had to call me and tell me like I already knew) but it still deflated all my energy for the hobby, I've only ridden a handful of times since fixing it up and haven't even Hell, I didn't even bother reattaching my number-plate because after that I knew cops don't give a fuck and I was right, I never even got looked sideways on my commute after that.

The words in there 'it's not a good time to own a bike in london', the copper dealing with my case basically said the same thing to me and mentioned that it was very unlikely I'd ever see it again.

I was just like 50% man fuck you man it's your job to do something about that and 50% yeah it's not your fault your higher ups and bureaucrats holding you back.

But still, I'll have 0 respect for the law in this city until they do something about it. I haven't renewed my insurance since October, not sure I ever will.

 

[Dougald]

Anyone read this and have any thoughts?

tbh as someone who's had their bike stolen in london, yeah. something has got to give.

It was eventually recovered (in a ditch, possibly because I made it hot on social media, useless coppers never even told me, insurance had to call me and tell me like I already knew) but it still deflated all my energy for the hobby, I've only ridden a handful of times since fixing it up and haven't even Hell, I didn't even bother reattaching my number-plate because after that I knew cops don't give a fuck and I was right, I never even got looked sideways on my commute after that.

The words in there 'it's not a good time to own a bike in london', the copper dealing with my case basically said the same thing to me and mentioned that it was very unlikely I'd ever see it again.

I was just like 50% man fuck you man it's your job to do something about that and 50% yeah it's not your fault your higher ups and bureaucrats holding you back.

But still, I'll have 0 respect for the law in this city until they do something about it. I haven't renewed my insurance since October, not sure I ever will.

Stories like yours are what makes me so angry about bike theft in London.

It's not so much that people are losing bikes. It's not so much that I now can't ride up to the London office any more for fear of my bike getting nicked. No, it's the fact that people are leaving the hobby because of it. It's making the motorcycle community worse

 

[maxheadwound]

I think bike theft is always a bit of a problem for big cities as there are so many things happening all the time and the law needs to cover such a large amount. Not that I am coming up for them but if you are snowed under with what to deal with the ones that makes the most noise gets the most attention.

I had my bike stolen in right in front of me in South Africa, not insured so lost all the money I was trying to get with selling the bike on. Then 3 weeks later my bike gets used in a court b0m1ng. Not a great feeling but have to keep on going. This is the world we live in.

 

[King Gilga]

Stories like yours are what makes me so angry about bike theft in London.

It's not so much that people are losing bikes. It's not so much that I now can't ride up to the London office any more for fear of my bike getting nicked. No, it's the fact that people are leaving the hobby because of it. It's making the motorcycle community worse

Cheers, I don't think I'll be getting rid of my bike anytime, I like it to too much even as just something to look at. And I'm definitely not permanently out just until it goes far enough where they start cracking down on it or I leave London. As soon as I'm someplace where I don't have the annoying feeling of 'I wonder if my motorcycle will be there when I come back' if I have to park it somewhere where there's nothing to chain it to I'll 100% be back. Riding is too fun to give up on 100%.

I think bike theft is always a bit of a problem for big cities as there are so many things happening all the time and the law needs to cover such a large amount. Not that I am coming up for them but if you are snowed under with what to deal with the ones that makes the most noise gets the most attention.

I had my bike stolen in right in front of me in South Africa, not insured so lost all the money I was trying to get with selling the bike on. Then 3 weeks later my bike gets used in a court b0m1ng. Not a great feeling but have to keep on going. This is the world we live in.

I've ridden in a few big cities and it seems like a particular epidemic specifically in london in the west at least. In london at least it seams like a cycle, the police aren't given the resources, have constant budget cuts and aren't allowed to chase so they can't stop thieves. Other thieves see this and join in. Police are even more swamped in it and even less effective. Other thieves see this. Honestly if I was a thief stealing bikes would seem like a no brainier, it's basically repercussion free theft. It's not going to stop until they add some deterrents or people it'll keep going up.

That's horrible what happened to your bike and what they used it for, hope that's not common there but I have no idea about the situation in SA. I had a friend who's bike got stolen and found it burnt to a crisp, horrible.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Definitely one of my worst fears as an owner of bikes that can't really be replaced.

 

[Gritesh]

In lighter news a few pages back I was talking about needing to find a new helmet for use with my superduke and yesterday I made the decision to go with a Shoei gt-air

Hoping the 900 dollars spent is the last I have to spend on a helmet in a long time.

 

[Dougald]

I hope you'll be happy with the GT Air. Mine has served me well, it's a great lid. I liked it so much, I bought my wife one as a present for passing her A license test

 

[Gritesh]

I hope you'll be happy with the GT Air. Mine has served me well, it's a great lid. I liked it so much, I bought my wife one as a present for passing her A license test

I hope so too man from all the helmets I have tried this one just "felt" the most premium and comfortable and from all the reviews people seem to be super happy with it so I figured what the he'll I'll drop the extra funds.

 

[Dougald]

The problem is, once you've owned a Shoei or Arai, you'll never go back. That level of comfort is hard to forget

 

[Fallout-NL]

In lighter news a few pages back I was talking about needing to find a new helmet for use with my superduke and yesterday I made the decision to go with a Shoei gt-air

Hoping the 900 dollars spent is the last I have to spend on a helmet in a long time.

900? Not just for the helmet though right?

The problem is, once you've owned a Shoei or Arai, you'll never go back. That level of comfort is hard to forget

I do hear that. For sure.

 

[Gritesh]

900? Not just for the helmet though right?

The helmet is 899.99 in canada

 

[Dougald]

That sounds like about what I paid for mine, at exchange rates before the pound tanked anyway

 

[clockworkinyou]

I love my GT-Air!

 

[LeroyPantwether]

Okay I'll be the dumb one... So what's the difference between expencive helmet and cheap helmet (assuming they're all DOT certified)? Just better wind resistance and noise ratings?

 

[Dougald]

Safety is... debatable when you have standardised ratings, though I'm sure you are probably getting a little more. A good fitting cheap helmet will beat a poor fitting Arai any day though

The big one for me is comfort. Putting on a cheaper helmet feels like sticking my head in a vice now I'm used to it. If they weren't so much more comfortable I doubt I'd be paying the premium

 

[OraleeWey]

@Fallout-NL
This Buell will totally go great in your garage next to your Porsche.

Okay I'll be the dumb one... So what's the difference between expencive helmet and cheap helmet (assuming they're all DOT certified)? Just better wind resistance and noise ratings?

More comfortable features. Like you say, better aerodynamics and quieter. Also, I couldn't find anything that fit my head other than the Arai intermediate oval shape.

 

[HellforLeather]

Okay I'll be the dumb one... So what's the difference between expencive helmet and cheap helmet (assuming they're all DOT certified)? Just better wind resistance and noise ratings?

More niceties, less weight usually, aerodynamics is a big one. A lot of cheap helmets feel like they're going to rip your head off at high speed.

 

[Gritesh]

For me it was the combination of noise level reduction reduced weight and long distance comfort.

Some of my rides are 10-12 hours long and with all my other helmets my ears feel like falling off at the end of a solid day.....I am hoping this is better...

 

[maxheadwound]

Oh those copper looking pipes are awesome.

 

[Stevey]

That Buell looked sweet until I saw the headlight.

Not a fan of the 999 style

 

[Fallout-NL]

@Fallout-NL
This Buell will totally go great in your garage next to your Porsche.

Ha, pretty cool. Yeah saw it doing the rounds the other day. I dig it. Though I will always dig the original designs the most.

More niceties, less weight usually, aerodynamics is a big one. A lot of cheap helmets feel like they're going to rip your head off at high speed.

Less weight is also safer though. Less leverage for that thing to snap your neck.

The helmet is 899.99 in canada

Damn, that's almost as much as I paid for my X-Spirit 3 over here in the NL.

 

[Wolfe]

@Leroy: Build quality going from an HJC whatever to a Shoei RF1100 was a huge difference, less wind noise, more comfort. Also I can't believe I owned helmets without removeable liners before

 

[LeroyPantwether]

Thanks for the replies. I'm for sure in the market for a new helmet. Currently I'm using a cheapo 3/4 helmet with a mirrored snap on bubble shield. I look like an astronaut which is cool but it kills my neck on the highway (and feels like it's gonna fly off at +70mph.) I should post a pic so you all could lol. Def cant spring for a 900 dollar helmet, but that shoei rf1100 seems nice and falls in my budget.

For me it was the combination of noise level reduction reduced weight and long distance comfort.

Some of my rides are 10-12 hours long and with all my other helmets my ears feel like falling off at the end of a solid day.....I am hoping this is better...

God damn, 10-12 hour rides are insane. Can't imagine.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

MONDAY #SyncRIDE with Moto Lady, Alicia Mariah Elfving

 

[BriareosGAF]

God damn, 10-12 hour rides are insane. Can't imagine.

One assumes this is with earplugs? For me the biggest difference in my HJC vs Shoei RF1200 is the quality of the visor plastics. The HJC visor would flex when I would turn my head at freeway speeds. The Shoei does not, plus I have the light-responsive visor that auto-dims which is quite nice.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Some of my rides are 10-12 hours long and with all my other helmets my ears feel like falling off at the end of a solid day.....I am hoping this is better...

10-12 hours? Yeah a nice helmet isn't a luxury in that case, it's a necessity.

 

[Gritesh]

10-12 hours? Yeah a nice helmet isn't a luxury in that case, it's a necessity.

I like to tour through the Rockies alot in the summer and can put some long hours in the saddle.

This summer I'm planning a ride from Alberta down to California which should take 3 days of solid 8-10 hour saddle days to get there and then the same to get back. Those are the types of rides I don't want to sacrifice comfort on.

 

[OraleeWey]

I like to tour through the Rockies alot in the summer and can put some long hours in the saddle.

This summer I'm planning a ride from Alberta down to California which should take 3 days of solid 8-10 hour saddle days to get there and then the same to get back. Those are the types of rides I don't want to sacrifice comfort on.

Much respect for doing those types of rides. I have a route setup for myself (doable in a day, 8+ hours depending on how much sightseeing I want to do) that I wish to do. I just have to prepare myself and wait for the right time. My biggest fear is having to do some maintenance on the bike which I'm not all that good at.

 

[StuffRuff]

Finally swapped my VFR750 for something a bit gruntier and picked up this lovely blackbird :

I had set my target sights on a Fazer 1000 but I found the blackbird for a bargain price. Should do me for a while until I can stomach the costs of a MTS 1200.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Lovely color! Nice seat as well, looks comfortable. Should make for a very nice tourer.

 

[Dougald]

Oh I do like a nice CBR1100XX, lovely bikes. Unusual colour too, I always see them in Black. I am partial to a red Honda.

In standard news, my insurer wants to put my yearly premium up by £150 for the Ducati. Don't know what they're smoking if they think I'll pay that

 

[BriareosGAF]

In standard news, my insurer wants to put my yearly premium up by £150 for the Ducati. Don't know what they're smoking if they think I'll pay that

Geez. I think I pay about $550/yr for all three of my bikes combined.

 

[Fallout-NL]

€960 per year for a total of 4 bikes here. Not all risk, just liability and theft.

Kind of a lot of money when I look at it like that...

 

[Dougald]

£470 for just the Ducati was what I was quoted. Should be able to get it for £350 elsewhere I think

I used to pay £225 for the Triumph. Thats the price I pay for a bike which would probably be written off in case of any damage

 

[StuffRuff]

Oh I do like a nice CBR1100XX, lovely bikes. Unusual colour too, I always see them in Black. I am partial to a red Honda.

In standard news, my insurer wants to put my yearly premium up by £150 for the Ducati. Don't know what they're smoking if they think I'll pay that

Thanks very much! I'm a believer that red is best for a Honda lol that premium increase is criminal! I think a lot of the time they hope people will just bother auto renewing and not look at the price.

Lovely color! Nice seat as well, looks comfortable. Should make for a very nice tourer.

Thanks, seat is brilliant! Not sure its a particular make, corbin etc but its done a few 2-300 mile days without issue since I've had it now.

 

[Dougald]

My friend has a very similar looking seat on his ST1100, it's super comfortable

 

[Scarecrow]

So, I'm trying to learn more about how to fix my bike. A repair shop is letting me hang around to observe and I can work on my own bike. I'm figuring out how to tinker with various parts, like taking off the wheels and such. But, I'm largely directionless on what I want to do. Can't talk to the dudes at the shop, as I don't speak the local language. Though they help me out, double checking my work.

I want to be as knowledgeable as novice can get at repairing a motorcycle. I want to be able to handle maintenance tasks on my own.

Are there any good online resources ya'll can recommend to give me some direction as I increase my mechanical fluency?

 

[Dougald]

DansMC is a very old site, but still a good read

That, a good workshop manual (Haynes) and YouTube is what got me started

 

[thesoapster]

Sigh.

Someone broke into the garage next to mine. They couldn't get into mine because it's got an ABUS dimple lock on it. They broke through some wall panel and were able to grab my tool kit through the hole in the wall. Already did the police report business. Going to have to have a chat with the landlord about locking up the garages when not in use. I don't feel particularly safe keeping stuff in there.

This will delay repairs a little...

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Has anyone here ever moved a bike in a 10 foot uhaul or similar truck?

How did you tie it down? What straps/equipment did you use?

I've got a midsize cruiser.

 

[Wolfe]

Has anyone here ever moved a bike in a 10 foot uhaul or similar truck?

How did you tie it down? What straps/equipment did you use?

I've got a midsize cruiser.

I threw my R6 into a 10ft uhaul when I moved from CA bay area to Seattle. Getting it into the back with the pull out ramp was easy, as was getting it out (just make sure you park the truck on a nice flat area or with the front end going slightly downhill lol). Inside I put it down on the kickstand in the middle of the cargo area (after preloading a bit of my stuff into the truck) and then used ratcheting straps from each handlebar down to a wall on the inside and then loaded more stuff into the truck to "box" it into place. Worked out fine for what I was doing.

 

[blackprophesy]

Glad I waited a good while after i got a green light this morning. Couldn't see around the truck on my right side and this intersection is notoriously bad.


https://youtu.be/r6GW6MSy62E

 

[HellforLeather]

I've been super delinquent on this but heres my bike. My 1098 in the back and my dad's (my old bike) 748. Only mods I have on it are: Woodcraft rearsets, Termignoni slip on system, vented clutch, and a few other minor things correcting stupid shit the factory put on it.

Also finally pulled the trigger on the new lid, HJC RPHA 11. Rode it this morning but couldnt get higher than about 40mph. Its very light, I can tell you that. It doesnt vent as well as you might expect with the gigantic intake vents but Ill have to do a more thorough ride to really get a good feel for it. My old lid is a Shoei X-11

 

[Dougald]

^I love that lid, I was really tempted to buy it but I just can't justify the expense when I have a perfectly good Shoei

Managed to get my insurance for £305 in the end, cheaper than last year.

 

[Stevey]

I pay £143 fully comp for the Buell a year.
Just MOT'd it today, no problems

 

[Fallout-NL]

I've been super delinquent on this but heres my bike. My 1098 in the back and my dad's (my old bike) 748. Only mods I have on it are: Woodcraft rearsets, Termignoni slip on system, vented clutch, and a few other minor things correcting stupid shit the factory put on it.
[/IMG]

Oh very nice. Awesome to ride with your dad on matching bikes.

 

[OraleeWey]

So, no one ever told me this amazing beautiful bike existed! Yamaha Super Tenere


I'm very partial to the yellow one

I don't know what I'd choose. This or the Africa Twin. Most likely the Super Tenere though.

Anyone know anything about it? There's not really much out there about the bike.


So far, my favorite review, this is for a 2014 model though. I really do like it.

https://youtu.be/mVdXEXS3yVk

 

[QualityPixel]

I don't know what I'd choose. This or the Africa Twin. Most likely the Super Tenere though

If riding dual-sport/offroad get the Honda, it's significantly lighter. The version with dual clutch and ABS is a little heavier, but still lighter.

I really like the idea of the Honda AT. If I ever get a motorcycle again there is a good chance it will be a Honda AT.

 

[blackprophesy]

The Africa Twin is a lovely bike. I test rode it but was just too tall for my short legs so not practical for me. Only thing missing on it for touring was cruise control.