BriareosGAF
Member
Let me tell you about our helmet laws...
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2 wheel GAF UNITE!
- Thread starter Flo_Evans
- Start date
Let me tell you about our helmet laws...
Land of the free :us_flag:
I agree, I wish we had EU training and regulations. I'm definitely not ready to take some proper avenues, I'm making sure to take everything slow and learn things right. It's funny because I'm into sim racing and I feel like motorcycling so far is me doing the same approach: learn the car/moto, feel comfortable driving it around, learn my limits around curves/stops, do loops around the block until I feel my clutching/braking/balancing is spot on (not there yet), try a little faster next time. I'm used to repetition until learning, can spend hours doing this. Of course moto is a lot more complicated.
And I'll for sure take other classes, I just need something that can be practiced on the road, and not a parking lot. Good thing is that I can get to the supermarket now (it's like 0.3 miles from where I live) through neighborhood roads. Work is a mere 1.7 miles away but I need to take an avenue to get there, for sure not ready yet.
Awesome pictures by the way!
Fallout-NL
Member
Hehe, my girlfriend was like 'strike a pose!', so I did. But it's the bike that does it really
Hehe, my girlfriend was like 'strike a pose!', so I did. But it's the bike that does it really
My missus wanted to know if you did modelling! Obviously you just get that wistful look when thinking about Buells...
Then here in Europe they go almost too far in the other direction, IMO. Bike licensing here in the UK is insane if you're under 25 these days
Fallout-NL
Member
I actually did get offered a modelling assignment a couple of years ago, but I declined because I had just gotten a real job after nearly two years of unemployment and didn't want to risk anything by taking a day off.
Still wonder sometimes whether it could have lead to anything.
Haha, mostly you're wondering whether that sound you just heard was anything serious or not.
Thanks
HellforLeather
Member
I cant seem to figure this GPS system out. I create my route but how do you get the thing to actually start tracking? I saw there is no turn-by-turn directions but I cant even get it to follow my gps signal. I just ride right off tthe screen and it still stays at my start point. I really feel like this basic function should be a bit more obvious.
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah there's a bit of fiddling involved, but I usually get it to work after I've made sure my phone's GPS is actually on (if it's off it'll say 'location unknown) and I've pressed the little symbol with the arrow pointing right in the lower right corner of the screen (this actually starts the navigation). After that it should start. Also make sure your route has both a start and an end, otherwise it'll say 'there is no route' or something like that.
Let me know if you can get it to work.
HellforLeather
Member
Ive set both a start and end point and my GPS is working (like I said, I can watch myself ride off the screen in the app. I dont see any sort of arrow besides the compass at the top, which Ive fiddled around with and there is no option to start the route. BTW this is the free version (Im assuming this function exists though because its pretty much useless without it.)
Fallout-NL
Member
It's this button, marked by the red arrow:
Should definitely also be in the free version...
HellforLeather
Member
It's this button, marked by the red arrow:
Should definitely also be in the free version...
Yeah thats not there. Maybe I didnt set the route correctly. I held and set an end point, then held and set my start point but that arrow definitely did not show up.
EDIT: just attempted again, cleared off my previous route, set a start and end. I go to route and it lists all the turns on the route but there is no arrow to start the trip.
Fallout-NL
Member
That's really strange. I'll try and see if I can replicate it somehow. Sounds like a bug almost.
maxheadwound
Member
Very true that quick shifter is a great addition. I went from two bikes with one and now I dont have it and now I miss it. I am looking for a smaller bike as the next bike so far. But that is going to change a few times before I buy again. As much as I like the scrambler I think I am done with bikes without protection from the wind and elements. Getting old (lol) and missing the comforts.
maxheadwound
Member
And more Buell:
[/QUOTE]
Awesome photos and it looks like you had some really nice sunny weather.
Awesome photos and it looks like you had some really nice sunny weather.
What are you looking at? There's not much in the BMW stable except the 800s which I'm personally not too fond of. MT Tracer?
Just buy another 1200GS, you know it makes sense...
Fallout-NL
Member
Thanks, and yeah, the weather was great. Just one or two days of rain in two weeks. It was a lot colder than last year. Actually dropped to 13 degrees celcius on the last day we were there. But it was mostly around 20 / 25 degrees. Much better for riding than the 30 degrees we had last year.
Cheers buddy.
maxheadwound
Member
You are probably right there. The 800cc bikes are a bit unexcited. But when my PCP deal is up they might have the new 900cc bikes out. But we will have to see.
maxheadwound
Member
Fallout-NL
Member
Thanks, too kind Max
rockinreelin
Member
Sport bikes all have a forward leaning seating position and it can be jarring to someone who has never ridden in that position . They feel like they are going to fall off or are not sitting properly. Did you complete your MC safety course on an eliminator or cruister type bike? I remember when I lent my KTM to my brother who has only ridden cruisers and dirt bikes, he could not get over the fact that he felt like he was about to fall forward due to the outstretched position of the bike.
Dual sport.
I've ridden the bike more and now feel pretty comfortable when riding. I even put my feet properly on the pegs now. I've slowly increased my distance from home and opened to roads with more traffic. I also refuelled my bike for the first time lol.
I still lose my balance at stops sometimes and I have yet to go above 35~. Need to spend some hours doing slow maneavures, and some curves I sometimes feel I went a little wider than I wanted. Practice, practice, practice (I guess?).
maxheadwound
Member
Enjoy the ride. A guy that started here has the 1200s and he loves it. So it would be great to find out what you think.
Don't worry about slow maneuvers right now, IMO. Just focus on getting into the flow of traffic. Make sure you maintain smooth or smoothly increase throttle when taking a turn/curve and look where you want to go. Don't get fixated. Those are the most important things! Don't be afraid to use your engine (not in the sense to go fast, but in the beginning, I always made the mistake of shifting too early each gear and would "lug" my bike). You can upshift whenever you want.
BTW how tall are you? Can you put both feet flat on the ground?
I can (6'1, 1.86m). My balance issue happens mostly when I come to a stop. Instructor told us it's best practice to land with left foot first (keep the other on the brake). I sometimes get it right, I sometimes don't. Once I'm stopped it's fine.
Hmmm. I see. I never thought about it. I usually just put both feet out. I've got the front brake anyway.
Maedre
Banned
for it always feels like I have more Controll with my right foot on the brake. But after all the years of experience I still loose my baöance from time to time. Don't think about it that much.
If you're tall enough to comfortably get your entire left foot down it's best to just do that, and scrub the last tiny bit of speed with your rear brake. If you brake exclusively with the front then the forks can dive a little and you end up with a stop that's not as smooth which can cause stability issues
Of course for shorties like me, sometimes we have no choice but to stop with both feet or whichever works for the camber of the road!
Of course for shorties like me, sometimes we have no choice but to stop with both feet or whichever works for the camber of the road!
So... my experience with the Multistrada 950
The Good
- It handles like a Ducati. Oh, it's "only" the 950 but for me, it had more than enough power for the road. Roll-on at motorway speeds was more than adequate, and in true Ducati fashion 6th gear is useless unless you plan to exceed the top 70mph speed limit in England. Corners like a dream too
- Very comfortable seating position with easy reach to all the controls
- You can actually adjust the screen while riding unlike the R1200RS
- Switchgear is not as good as BMWs but it's by far the least terrible of any Ducati I've ridden. It was almost good.
- Euro4 may have quietened it down but even with the stock exhaust it sounds lovely when you open it up
- Suspension is very nice for a "budget" bike and was just the right mix of plush and road-feel for me
The Bad
- Unlike the MTS1200 there are no fancy gadgets here. B/W screen, no keyless, standard ABS/TC, no cruise control or heated grips (though the latter is an option)
- Handles like a dog under 15mph which tallies with every Ducati I've ever ridden, bar the scrambler
- I actually stalled a bike for the first time in two years. I don't know if you just need to give it a lot of gas from a standing start or if the throttle response is setup really weirdly, but it was hard to get used to
- It was a tiny bit on the tall side for me at a towering 5'7", though I could still get the balls of my feet down so I didn't have too many problems.
- Despite being comfortable as anything it is a bit vibey at motorway speeds. I know it's a Ducati but maybe I was a bit spoilt by how smooth the R1200RS was on monday.
The Ugly
- Mate it says Ducati on the tank, this section is never going to apply. It may be missing the single-sided swingarm and matching-coloured nose of the big Multi, but this is still a thoroughly beautiful bike.
Now... which of the two do I prefer? The answer is I don't really know... damn.
The Good
- It handles like a Ducati. Oh, it's "only" the 950 but for me, it had more than enough power for the road. Roll-on at motorway speeds was more than adequate, and in true Ducati fashion 6th gear is useless unless you plan to exceed the top 70mph speed limit in England. Corners like a dream too
- Very comfortable seating position with easy reach to all the controls
- You can actually adjust the screen while riding unlike the R1200RS
- Switchgear is not as good as BMWs but it's by far the least terrible of any Ducati I've ridden. It was almost good.
- Euro4 may have quietened it down but even with the stock exhaust it sounds lovely when you open it up
- Suspension is very nice for a "budget" bike and was just the right mix of plush and road-feel for me
The Bad
- Unlike the MTS1200 there are no fancy gadgets here. B/W screen, no keyless, standard ABS/TC, no cruise control or heated grips (though the latter is an option)
- Handles like a dog under 15mph which tallies with every Ducati I've ever ridden, bar the scrambler
- I actually stalled a bike for the first time in two years. I don't know if you just need to give it a lot of gas from a standing start or if the throttle response is setup really weirdly, but it was hard to get used to
- It was a tiny bit on the tall side for me at a towering 5'7", though I could still get the balls of my feet down so I didn't have too many problems.
- Despite being comfortable as anything it is a bit vibey at motorway speeds. I know it's a Ducati but maybe I was a bit spoilt by how smooth the R1200RS was on monday.
The Ugly
- Mate it says Ducati on the tank, this section is never going to apply. It may be missing the single-sided swingarm and matching-coloured nose of the big Multi, but this is still a thoroughly beautiful bike.
Now... which of the two do I prefer? The answer is I don't really know... damn.
maxheadwound
Member
Why not go and try the s1000r with the touring screen. Or why not go to the new KTM dealer near Oxford and go and try a few of them. You have the best chance now to try as much as you can.
For me how it sound there are too many not so nice bits that would drive me nuts on the Multi 950 to put my money there.
What about a
Yamaha tracer 900
BMW s1000r - if you like a sliky smooth 4
BMW GS Black or rallye - looks great and they do good deals with luggage
KTM 1090 Adventure
KTM - 1290
Honda - Africa Twin
Triumph Tiger 800
Have a great time test riding all the bikes
For me how it sound there are too many not so nice bits that would drive me nuts on the Multi 950 to put my money there.
What about a
Yamaha tracer 900
BMW s1000r - if you like a sliky smooth 4
BMW GS Black or rallye - looks great and they do good deals with luggage
KTM 1090 Adventure
KTM - 1290
Honda - Africa Twin
Triumph Tiger 800
Have a great time test riding all the bikes
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah, I did a short test ride on the KTM 1090 and it was pretty damn amazing. Definitely give that (and a Ulysses) a try before you make any decisions.
Maedre
Banned
The problem with the Ulysses is that there is practicly no Buell anymore.
The problem with KTM is I'm a little too vertically challenged for their stuff. I swear some of their seats are nipple-height on me.
I think out of the two I'd currently lean towards the BMW just because the dealership is far more convenient. I'm not too bothered about features on a tourer beyond heated grips and luggage, but of course it is nice to have. Still gotta try that Honda and maybe some other bikes.
The Birmingham motorcycle show is in November so I'll probably go down there too. It's a great opportunity to pretty much see everything that's out now and coming on 2018.
I think out of the two I'd currently lean towards the BMW just because the dealership is far more convenient. I'm not too bothered about features on a tourer beyond heated grips and luggage, but of course it is nice to have. Still gotta try that Honda and maybe some other bikes.
The Birmingham motorcycle show is in November so I'll probably go down there too. It's a great opportunity to pretty much see everything that's out now and coming on 2018.
Fallout-NL
Member
Not that much of a problem, really. Plenty of parts to keep one going.
Also, I'm kinda kidding, but I'm also not when I recommend the Ulysses. It costs a fraction of all those other bikes and it handles better than most of them. Only area where you could argue it's lacking, is power. But who cares about that? How much faster than 160 km/h do you need to go? And it does get there in a hurry.
Though I suppose there's a reason why I'm always reminded of that famous scene in They Live when I try to sing the XB12X's praises.
Unfortunately as much as I do like the look of the Ulysses, I do worry about buying what is essentially a dead brand too much to go for it, sorry Fallout!
I think I have discounted the Ducati in my mind. Doesn't help that I'd have to ride down to Winchester to get to the nearest dealer I get a good feeling about. Time to get that Africa Twin test-ride sorted..
I think I have discounted the Ducati in my mind. Doesn't help that I'd have to ride down to Winchester to get to the nearest dealer I get a good feeling about. Time to get that Africa Twin test-ride sorted..
Fallout-NL
Member
You make a good argument, but still, I'm not sure I'd be confident enough putting 2000 miles on one in a few days....
I'm back from my visit to the bathroom showroom and I think I've managed to play it right so that I can still afford to replace the Monster next year. But I won't say anything yet because we still haven't been to the tile showroom...
Oh and I'm totally going back to the BMW garage on Saturday if I can swing it. They must have given May a nice deal on a new bike to get him to show up
I'm back from my visit to the bathroom showroom and I think I've managed to play it right so that I can still afford to replace the Monster next year. But I won't say anything yet because we still haven't been to the tile showroom...
Oh and I'm totally going back to the BMW garage on Saturday if I can swing it. They must have given May a nice deal on a new bike to get him to show up
HellforLeather
Member
Nice write up. I have a similar issue since I just bought my Versys. Ive always ridden twins which needed hardly any gas to get going so Ive dumped the clutch on the Versys a handful of times forgetting that the 4-banger needs a bit more gas to get off the line.
maxheadwound
Member
Oh and I'm totally going back to the BMW garage on Saturday if I can swing it. They must have given May a nice deal on a new bike to get him to show up[/QUOTE]
I might make it too for a short bit. Would also like to see old May.
I might make it too for a short bit. Would also like to see old May.
Fallout-NL
Member
Finally the decal made it from the us over the Atlantic to me! Now the Bike is final. The weather looks good the next days. Praise the sun!
Holy shit, that's great!
I've thought about adorning one of my bikes with similar graphics.
Nice little touch. I've always wanted some Fallout vinyls. Something nice and subtle.I mark all my bikes with the sun bro
Maedre
Banned
There are some good ones to buy. I had one on my old CB500F. Im still looking for a good one for the other side of the tank.
Even my wife urged me to put the decal on.
In Love it to be a consultant. I can drive nearly every day with my bike to a new customer with new streets to ride.
Fallout-NL
Member
Yeah I saw a video of that, good looking bike.
So yesterday after work I took the bike for a spin and rode to work after traffic quieted down to familiarize myself with the distance and ride (it's 1.7 miles aka very close).
Today I finally rode on the bike to work! Every day I feel more confident stopping, shifting, maneuvering, etc, the bike. I've also felt more comfortable in traffic (but never enough to stop looking at everything all the time).
One question about parking etiquette tho. We have some motorcycle only parking spots, it's pretty much a regular parking spot in depth but split in two. I've seen people park 3-4 bikes in there. I parked behind one fellow as far away as I could and a little bit to the side so he could have some space to move it out. Is this okay? I should take a picture and post it. I really don't want to inconvenience someone.
Edit: picture, mine is the blue vstrom
Oh and I've got a new Givi box otw today, the Trekker Dolomiti 46L. I didn't like the old plastic one.
Today I finally rode on the bike to work! Every day I feel more confident stopping, shifting, maneuvering, etc, the bike. I've also felt more comfortable in traffic (but never enough to stop looking at everything all the time).
One question about parking etiquette tho. We have some motorcycle only parking spots, it's pretty much a regular parking spot in depth but split in two. I've seen people park 3-4 bikes in there. I parked behind one fellow as far away as I could and a little bit to the side so he could have some space to move it out. Is this okay? I should take a picture and post it. I really don't want to inconvenience someone.
Edit: picture, mine is the blue vstrom
Oh and I've got a new Givi box otw today, the Trekker Dolomiti 46L. I didn't like the old plastic one.
