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[TCRS]

MOT expiring in <2 months which means tax will be expiring too. That's another 50 quid. Ask the dealer to do the MOT for you without you having to pay anything. Negotiate and stuff. Tax should be around £15.

It says service book is included, but you want to know what's in the service book. Has it been serviced regularly etc. I'm not sure if those are scratches or dirt on the wing mirror. Could be scratches due to a low-speed drop. Otherwise it looks fine. The emphasis is on 'looks' based on shitty low res pics!

And it does seem a bit pricey tbh, for 200 quids more you could get a brand new CBF125. Which you will have to take to the Honda dealership for servicing if you want to keep your manufacturers warranty, remember that. But in my experience they are not much more expensive than private garages.

The other thing is 'sporty' bikes are frowned upon by insurance brokers. They are more likely to be stolen, they might inspire the new inexperienced rider to ride recklessly etc.

edit:
oh it took me a while to write this reply, Dougalds suggestion is another plausible route. You could still get a 125cc bike after DA until you have learned the basics, but you will then be able to move up quickly.

 

[Dougald]

That's a good point, check the insurance for anything before you buy...

Prices seem to have gone through the roof recently, I just renewed the policy on my Bonneville and I couldn't find anything from a reputable broker cheaper than my renewal quote. Bear in mind that insurers in the UK require you to declare *any* modifications, right down to heated grips!

Edit:

oh it took me a while to write this reply, Dougalds suggestion is another plausible route. You could still get a 125cc bike after DA until you have learned the basics, but you will then be able to move up quickly.

Yep nothing wrong with a 125, but it's always worth getting the full license first if you're old enough & can afford it! In fact, I found a small bike much harder to get to grips with as they just feel less stable to me.


Double Edit:

I also love the CBF, in fact, even though I have two much more powerful bikes, I wouldn't mind owning one...

 

[Onikaan]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. You make alot of sense about the "sporty" insurance deal, I'd rather not get slapped there. I'll have another look at Direct Access and see what's what.

I've really warmed to the CBF and I'm considering brand new if I can't find a decent 2nd hand bike.

Never had to do the insurance dance before. Just looking now.

This might kill it for me, in all honesty. It's too expensive. £700? Hope I'm doing something wrong

 

[Dougald]

Used will be a *lot* cheaper for insurance than new

If you're buying a cheap bike (£1000 or less), then I wouldn't even bother with fully comp insurance, as you'll probably have a massive excess on the policy anyway

I have 3rd party insurance on my ST1100 as it's worth £2000 and the excess is £900 - hardly worth the extra £200 a year for something I only use when it's cold or for long journeys.

Saying that, always check both. Sometimes insurers charge almost the same for comprehensive insurance on bikes...



Edit: For comparison I am 25 and I pay ~£300 fully comp for my Triumph (£3500 value) and ~£180 3rd party for the ST1100. Keeping the bike in a garage helps, and having an approved alarm or disc lock also reduces the premium

 

[Onikaan]

Used will be a *lot* cheaper for insurance than new

If you're buying a cheap bike (£1000 or less), then I wouldn't even bother with fully comp insurance, as you'll probably have a massive excess on the policy anyway

I have 3rd party insurance on my ST1100 as it's worth £2000 and the excess is £900 - hardly worth the extra £200 a year for something I only use when it's cold or for long journeys.

Saying that, always check both. Sometimes insurers charge almost the same for comprehensive insurance on bikes...



Edit: For comparison I am 25 and I pay ~£300 fully comp for my Triumph (£3500 value) and ~£180 3rd party for the ST1100. Keeping the bike in a garage helps, and having an approved alarm or disc lock also reduces the premium

You're right. Looking at Third party, £200ish. Phew.

I guess going 2nd hand is the thing to do then. Might be a bit of a waiting game but that's fine.

 

[Dougald]

Yeah I'd look at getting a cheap 125 or if you do direct access, 500ish at the £1000ish mark, there's a lot out there if you don't mind them not being in perfect condition.

You'll find after you have a year or two no claims, the price will come down, which if you bought a 125, will be when you're thinking about trading up.

 

[TCRS]

Edit: For comparison I am 25 and I pay ~£300 fully comp for my Triumph (£3500 value) and ~£180 3rd party for the ST1100. Keeping the bike in a garage helps, and having an approved alarm or disc lock also reduces the premium

That can sometimes be a trap though. If you tell them that you are using certain security equipment they will expect you to use it everytime you park the bike. I have read stories of how insurers refused to pay out because the bike was parked without any of the secuirty equipment (disc lock etc.) and was then stolen. Play around with the insurance search engines, most of them have that option to declare equipment. If it doesn't make a huge difference, I would leave it out.

 

[Dougald]

Yep definitely, I had a disc lock down on my bike but was fed up of carrying it about and had an alarm installed this year instead

Generally the theme with bike insurers in the UK seems to be if they can avoid paying out, they will - hence you should declare all modifications up front

 

[opticalmace]

Any recommended (parking lot?) exercises to practice?

Main things I need to work on:
- slow-speed control (U turns, etc)
- leaning more (my chicken strips are hilariously large)

Only been riding about a week now so I know it'll come with more miles, but figured it might be worth asking.

 

[Watevaman]

Any recommended (parking lot?) exercises to practice?

Main things I need to work on:
- slow-speed control (U turns, etc)
- leaning more (my chicken strips are hilariously large)

Only been riding about a week now so I know it'll come with more miles, but figured it might be worth asking.

Don't worry too much about the chicken strips. Proper position in a corner is more important than if you're on the edge of your tire, which might be hard unless you're doing a lot hairpins.

I'd say mostly slow stuff in parking lots. Also progressively grab your brakes at speed and see how quick you can stop. In general you can do a lot of MSF stuff in parking lots. Throw down a 2x4 and practice riding over it and swerving.

Edit: But let someone else chime in as well. I only just passed 3k miles of riding earlier today so I'm pretty nooby myself.

 

[Router]

Sold my 883 Iron. I will miss her but I needed the cash Was tempted to buy a Ruckus after trying one out over the weekend. Decided against it due to the insane starting price in Australia.

Going to build my first ever bike. Never done that before. I have always bought them either new or how I wanted them. Should be a great learning experience!

Going for something like this I think... Just not as rough.

You guys seen the new Yamaha Bolt? Sweet bike:

http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/yamaha-bolt-revealed/22467.html

Damn, that's actually nice. Very tempting.

 

[thesoapster]

Got the wheels off and new tires on (Michelin Pilot Power 3)...hope these are good. I'm saying fuck Pirelli. The Diablo Rosso Corsas are overpriced bullshit tires. They have about 1400 less miles on the rear than a Q2 for me, with worse handling and grip characteristics. Oh, and they're usually about $60-$70 more per set. Almost got a set of Q2s since I've rocked them before and have done well, but the new Michelins looked nice and the Power Pures (which are replaced by these) are good tires as I've run a couple sets of them.

Also replaced my spark plugs. I forgot what a joy (hah!) it is to dig down in there and remove the airbox and all that crap. 22,500 miles...didn't necessarily think I'd have the bike this long ... in no hurry to get rid of it. Brake bleed and oil change tomorrow, then tearin' it up!

Any recommended (parking lot?) exercises to practice?

Main things I need to work on:
- slow-speed control (U turns, etc)
- leaning more (my chicken strips are hilariously large)

Only been riding about a week now so I know it'll come with more miles, but figured it might be worth asking.

In empty parking lots I would practice stopping (especially more sudden emergency-style stops) and low speed cornering. Counter-weighting (leaning to the outside of a turn) at low speed when you cannot counter-steer is worth practicing a little bit, but don't get too crazy...you could drop it! If practicing really slow stuff I'd often keep my feet out ready to keep it from falling. That said, don't do this if you're moving as you can break an ankle...fine line...

The main thing is getting used to your bike and how it behaves handling-wise, throttle response, etc. This takes time. Put 10,000 miles on it...that'll help! As someone else said, don't worry about chicken strips too much. I usually have a little bit of chicken strip on the rear tires...normal when mostly riding street. Body position (hanging your upper half into a corner a little as if you were getting ready to kiss the inside mirror) is a big thing in corners.

I used to be obsessed with having no chicken strips and getting a knee down. You want to know how I eventually succeeded? By not trying to get my knee down. How much you have to lean very much depends on the road (surface, visibility, the lane, etc.), your speed, and the line that you pick through the corner. If you're on the street, the amount of maneuvering room you have is far less than on a track. That means you have arguably fewer lines to pick from and much less room for error. I say focus first on your cornering technique. Check out Twist of the Wrist 2. Basically, don't target fixate - scan the path ahead as you ride and form reference points that will tell you where you are. It sounds kind of dumb to think about it that way, but your mind really handles everything better if you do this. You will feel like you're going slower than if you stare straight ahead the whole time. If the corner is unfamiliar, don't push it. Read as much of the corner as you can before entry so you have a decent idea of where the apex is. Get your braking done as much as you can before you tip into the turn. Pick your line based on where you make the apex mentally. Since you are likely not on a one lane road where traffic all goes one way, you may not be able to hit the road's actual apex whilst staying in your own lane. So pick the apex based on your lane and where you can safely travel. Once the bike is tipped in headed towards the apex, slowly start adding throttle. As you pass the apex the turn should start straightening up. As you add throttle, it steers you through the turn and if done right (takes practice) you should be able to stay mostly in the same relative position of the lane compared to where you started.

Getting more lean angle is only necessary if you start taking the corners faster. Entering faster, exiting faster...all these are possible. It's not always smart. Some corners can be taken very quickly on the street. Others I still feel like a grandma going through because they have any number of unfavorable characteristics. I do not try and go much faster through corners that require me to significantly increase my turn in speed, for example. These are usually roads with small lanes, tight corners, and poor visibility throughout many of the turns. What you should be doing is trying to execute the steps of cornering smoothly and consistently. As you develop more perfect technique, you will start to naturally feel better going faster. Smoothness is everything.

 

[opticalmace]

Got the wheels off and new tires on (Michelin Pilot Power 3)...hope these are good. I'm saying fuck Pirelli. The Diablo Rosso Corsas are overpriced bullshit tires. They have about 1400 less miles on the rear than a Q2 for me, with worse handling and grip characteristics. Oh, and they're usually about $60-$70 more per set. Almost got a set of Q2s since I've rocked them before and have done well, but the new Michelins looked nice and the Power Pures (which are replaced by these) are good tires as I've run a couple sets of them.

Also replaced my spark plugs. I forgot what a joy (hah!) it is to dig down in there and remove the airbox and all that crap. 22,500 miles...didn't necessarily think I'd have the bike this long ... in no hurry to get rid of it. Brake bleed and oil change tomorrow, then tearin' it up!



In empty parking lots I would practice stopping (especially more sudden emergency-style stops) and low speed cornering. Counter-weighting (leaning to the outside of a turn) at low speed when you cannot counter-steer is worth practicing a little bit, but don't get too crazy...you could drop it! If practicing really slow stuff I'd often keep my feet out ready to keep it from falling. That said, don't do this if you're moving as you can break an ankle...fine line...

The main thing is getting used to your bike and how it behaves handling-wise, throttle response, etc. This takes time. Put 10,000 miles on it...that'll help! As someone else said, don't worry about chicken strips too much. I usually have a little bit of chicken strip on the rear tires...normal when mostly riding street. Body position (hanging your upper half into a corner a little as if you were getting ready to kiss the inside mirror) is a big thing in corners.

I used to be obsessed with having no chicken strips and getting a knee down. You want to know how I eventually succeeded? By not trying to get my knee down. How much you have to lean very much depends on the road (surface, visibility, the lane, etc.), your speed, and the line that you pick through the corner. If you're on the street, the amount of maneuvering room you have is far less than on a track. That means you have arguably fewer lines to pick from and much less room for error. I say focus first on your cornering technique. Check out Twist of the Wrist 2. Basically, don't target fixate - scan the path ahead as you ride and form reference points that will tell you where you are. It sounds kind of dumb to think about it that way, but your mind really handles everything better if you do this. You will feel like you're going slower than if you stare straight ahead the whole time. If the corner is unfamiliar, don't push it. Read as much of the corner as you can before entry so you have a decent idea of where the apex is. Get your braking done as much as you can before you tip into the turn. Pick your line based on where you make the apex mentally. Since you are likely not on a one lane road where traffic all goes one way, you may not be able to hit the road's actual apex whilst staying in your own lane. So pick the apex based on your lane and where you can safely travel. Once the bike is tipped in headed towards the apex, slowly start adding throttle. As you pass the apex the turn should start straightening up. As you add throttle, it steers you through the turn and if done right (takes practice) you should be able to stay mostly in the same relative position of the lane compared to where you started.

Getting more lean angle is only necessary if you start taking the corners faster. Entering faster, exiting faster...all these are possible. It's not always smart. Some corners can be taken very quickly on the street. Others I still feel like a grandma going through because they have any number of unfavorable characteristics. I do not try and go much faster through corners that require me to significantly increase my turn in speed, for example. These are usually roads with small lanes, tight corners, and poor visibility throughout many of the turns. What you should be doing is trying to execute the steps of cornering smoothly and consistently. As you develop more perfect technique, you will start to naturally feel better going faster. Smoothness is everything.

Thanks a lot, this helps a ton. I've been trying to be as smooth as I can, especially when I got caught out in a light drizzle the other day. The cornering thing is only a bit of an issue when I come to 90-degree turns off of major roads. I feel like I have to brake/turn in quickly because of traffic behind me but I'm not very comfortable yet with that type of transition. Normal road bends are easy in comparison because I can scrub speed without worrying about getting rear-ended (I would hope).

There's a track about 50 minutes away from me, I'm thinking about maybe trying out a track day. Not sure if they take noobs (they have a intro to track course, but I assume it's not for *new* riders), but it might be worth trying out. I've always enjoyed precision driving and would probably have a blast.

Oh yeah, saw it tick over 500.0 km today. Woohoo!

 

[thesoapster]

Thanks a lot, this helps a ton. I've been trying to be as smooth as I can, especially when I got caught out in a light drizzle the other day. The cornering thing is only a bit of an issue when I come to 90-degree turns off of major roads. I feel like I have to brake/turn in quickly because of traffic behind me but I'm not very comfortable yet with that type of transition. Normal road bends are easy in comparison because I can scrub speed without worrying about getting rear-ended (I would hope).

There's a track about 50 minutes away from me, I'm thinking about maybe trying out a track day. Not sure if they take noobs (they have a intro to track course, but I assume it's not for *new* riders), but it might be worth trying out. I've always enjoyed precision driving and would probably have a blast.

Oh yeah, saw it tick over 500.0 km today. Woohoo!

Ride a bit more maybe, but then check out the track. If it's like other track days I've been to, you'll still probably be better than at least one other person there

 

[Sarcasm]

I am going to assume chicken strips is when you put your leg out?

 

[Watevaman]

I am going to assume chicken strips is when you put your leg out?

Chicken strips are the unused portion of your tire on the side that isn't scrubbed rough because you don't lean.

 

[Sarcasm]

hahaha! Well I never got that -.-


I drive a scooter though so leaning on a 125cc is very easy.

 

[daw840]

hahaha! Well I never got that -.-


I drive a scooter though so leaning on a 125cc is very easy.

You could probably get rid of the chicken strips in your garage on a little scooter!

lol

 

[Stinkles]

Being old sometimes is a good thing. Insurance on my bike is $80 per year.

 

[opticalmace]

Being old sometimes is a good thing. Insurance on my bike is $80 per year.

Americans have it so good for bike insurance. We pay out the ass in Canada.

 

[Sarcasm]

Yea should see some of the wicked leans I can do though lol.

 

[Watevaman]

I think I'm paying like 600 USD/yr for my GS500 whereas my friend is paying something like 150 for his Hornet. I need to look into other insurance carriers and see what similar coverage gets me.

 

[Dougald]

I could get cheaper insurance, but I've heard some pretty bad stories about some of the cheap carriers in the UK refusing to pay out. I figure for the £50 or so that I pay over, it's not so bad. For £320 I do get legal cover (on any bike) and medical cover on my Triumph, so I can't really complain too much.



I re-soldered the power connection for the Autocom on the Honda yesterday, then gave it a thorough test run on a 4 hour ride. While I would never use the phone while riding, being able to hook my ipod up and play spotify playlists is awesome. Because it's is the police-spec ST1100, I have the old Police radio button on on the right-hand switchgear for turning it on/off, so I can mute the audio at junctions etc.

 

[Onikaan]

What do you guys think about the dangers of riding a motorcycle?

I've been weighing the idea of a bike up as I can't afford a car at the moment, but people wince when I tell them I'm thinking of getting a bike. I enjoy my health, and I wouldn't ever want to put it in jeopardy for the sake of getting from A to B faster. I ride bicycles on and off-road all the time and I've never had a serious injury. I like to think I'm cautious around traffic and always have the safety gear on. But I guess you can never account for the mistake of another road user.

Any thoughts? Ever had an accident that's put you off/almost put you off?

Is it worth it?

 

[Dougald]

You know, the first thing I get from nearly everyone when they find out I ride is that it's dangerous.

Yes, it is dangerous, but the way I figure I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, I'd rather do something that I enjoy, even if there is a risk, than never do anything. All you can really do is wear proper gear, and ride defensively to mitigate that risk any way you can. I'm normally a pretty cautious person by nature, but in the end I enjoy riding a lot and it's no longer a factor for me.

The best piece of advice I ever got is to ride like you're invisible, because a lot of drivers won't spot you - that's where the danger on the road comes from.

 

[thesoapster]

What do you guys think about the dangers of riding a motorcycle?

I've been weighing the idea of a bike up as I can't afford a car at the moment, but people wince when I tell them I'm thinking of getting a bike. I enjoy my health, and I wouldn't ever want to put it in jeopardy for the sake of getting from A to B faster. I ride bicycles on and off-road all the time and I've never had a serious injury. I like to think I'm cautious around traffic and always have the safety gear on. But I guess you can never account for the mistake of another road user.

Any thoughts? Ever had an accident that's put you off/almost put you off?

Is it worth it?

Sure, it's dangerous. The question of it being worth it or not can only be answered by each individual. It's not worth it for a lot of people. I've been hit by a car (destroyed my last bike) and had to spend four days in the hospital, and I also high sided (low speed) at the track. The latter incident was really just hurting my wallet, though. I've kept coming back because there's a feeling/sensation I get from riding that I haven't found elsewhere.

You know, the first thing I get from nearly everyone when they find out I ride is that it's dangerous.

Yes, it is dangerous, but the way I figure I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, I'd rather do something that I enjoy, even if there is a risk, than never do anything. All you can really do is wear proper gear, and ride defensively to mitigate that risk any way you can. I'm normally a pretty cautious person by nature, but in the end I enjoy riding a lot and it's no longer a factor for me.

The best piece of advice I ever got is to ride like you're invisible, because a lot of drivers won't spot you - that's where the danger on the road comes from.

It's very true that you have to pretend that drivers will not see you. Always be as prepared as you can be. My routes take me into very low traffic areas so I can focus on other things. As bad as cars can be, in the U.S. the main cause of rider fatality is still the rider. Corners are the big one. That and alcohol. Don't ride under the influence. Ever.

 

[Dougald]

I don't ride ever, if I've had a drink the same day, even if I'd be under the limit to drive. You need as much balance as you can get.

In the UK most motorcycle accidents occur at junctions involving another vehicle, and then loss of rider control follows. If you ride sensibly you can eliminate #2, and careful observation mitigates #1.


MAG UK did a great report on the causes of SMIDSY (Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You) accidents in the UK, and how you can avoid/evade this. I read this when I first starting riding and it was a great help: http://www.network.mag-uk.org/smidsy/How%20Close%20is%20Too%20Close.pdf

 

[thesoapster]

Urghghgh

Bad case of target fixation - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNFaAqS2f18

Poor cyclist

The guy had so much maneuvering room and way more lean available...so many things could have prevented that from happening. Reportedly everyone made it out OK.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Some people have no business being on a motorcycle.

Scary shit.

Got the wheels off and new tires on (Michelin Pilot Power 3)...hope these are good. I'm saying fuck Pirelli. The Diablo Rosso Corsas are overpriced bullshit tires. They have about 1400 less miles on the rear than a Q2 for me, with worse handling and grip characteristics. Oh, and they're usually about $60-$70 more per set. Almost got a set of Q2s since I've rocked them before and have done well, but the new Michelins looked nice and the Power Pures (which are replaced by these) are good tires as I've run a couple sets of them.

Interesting, I got a new rear tire for the Buell and since the bike already had Michelin's I stuck with that. Pilot Power. And they're awesome, really.

I've got Pirelli's on my Monster, but I much prefer the feel of the Michelin's. They inspire a lot of confidence. (And speaking of chicken strips, on the left side of the tire I've barely got anything left. Heh.)

Went out riding with a friend today, beautiful day:

And this is me enjoying the sun:

 

[RapidCancel]

What do you guys think about the dangers of riding a motorcycle?

I've been weighing the idea of a bike up as I can't afford a car at the moment, but people wince when I tell them I'm thinking of getting a bike. I enjoy my health, and I wouldn't ever want to put it in jeopardy for the sake of getting from A to B faster. I ride bicycles on and off-road all the time and I've never had a serious injury. I like to think I'm cautious around traffic and always have the safety gear on. But I guess you can never account for the mistake of another road user.

Any thoughts? Ever had an accident that's put you off/almost put you off?

Is it worth it?

Almost the same thing happens to everyone when they tell others that they want to ride. People start telling you that you're stupid, it's dangerous, you'll die, etc. A lot of times though, its usually people that have never even been on a bike before to even understand why all of us do it and they'll never try to either.

Go take a class and try it out for yourself. It'll give you a pretty good idea if you'll end up liking it or not. A lot of riding a motorcycle is just being more aware of everything that's happening around you. Watching out for other cars, looking out for gravel, water, oil, etc. You aren't given the same leeway that you get if you don't pay attention in a car. Everyone decides to ride for their own reason, even if it's just for the enjoyment of it. Try it out and see if it's worth it for you.

 

[thesoapster]

Looks good! How is the bike to ride, live with, etc.?

 

[daw840]

LOL....this is why you don't grab the brake in a turn! Even if there is a cop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qSPP95zdCQ

 

[RapidCancel]

LOL....this is why you don't grab the brake in a turn! Even if there is a cop!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qSPP95zdCQ

Did he actually grab it? I tried looking closely at his right hand multiple times, but it doesn't look like the lever gets pulled in at all.

Edit: Ouch, some frame sliders might have saved that damage from happening.

 

[daw840]

Did he actually grab it? I tried looking closely at his right hand multiple times, but it doesn't look like the lever gets pulled in at all.

I thought I saw him grab it right when the bike low sided.....maybe I was wrong. IDK.

edit: Maybe the cop just startled him and he wiggled the bars....

 

[RapidCancel]

I thought I saw him grab it right when the bike low sided.....maybe I was wrong. IDK.

edit: Maybe the cop just startled him and he wiggled the bars....

Re-watching the slow motion some more, it looks like his peg scraped the ground and for some reason he pulls his left arm in a bit more, causing the front end to collapse. He probably freaked out when the peg hit the ground.

 

[thesoapster]

That corner reportedly has a bizarre characteristic around that point (either uneven or decreasing radius...or both) that throws off many riders and causes them to break their line enough so that they lose traction. It doesn't help that many of them are carrying enough speed through the corner to get a knee down.

I see no braking...looks like he chopped the gas, maybe. He may have gotten some shoe (lol) down as well which spooked him and made him jerk a bit, jerking the throttle a little...

 

[opticalmace]

How long did you guys keep your first bike? What did you replace it with?

I hear a lot of talk about "upgrading". Have you ever regretted moving up in cc? I intend to spend at least a season on my 250 and I'm a bit curious.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Looks good! How is the bike to ride, live with, etc.?

Pretty good actually. Very similar to the Monster in terms of handling, though the riding position is a little bit more upright (not a bad thing necessarily). Theoretically the Monster should handle a lot better, but maybe the suspension on the Ducati still isn't set up right for my weight. Could be that I prefer the Buell right now cause the suspension settings just happen to be more in my ideal range, don't know.

You'd think 11 years of progress, 30kilograms less weight, and all Ohlins would give the Monster the upper hand, hehe.

The power is nice as well. Ideal for road use. Lots of torque. A little less linear than the Monster's power delivery. It pulls nicely between 2 and 3.5k but really comes alive once you go past 4 and up to 6-6.5k. However, I don't go there often. I'm addicted to the shuddery grunt you get at the low end, feels awesome .

I had it serviced a couple a weeks ago. There's a Buell specialist in Waddinxveen (somewhere near Rotterdam). They cleaned the air filter, changed the plugs, changed both the engine and transmission oil, changed the front brake pad, braking fluid, the rear tire, the oil filter and some other stuff. Set me back around 600 euro (parts and labor). Not too bad. It's going back at the end of may though. The rear cylinder's gasket is damaged and it sweats a little oil. So I'm going to have that fixed. The guy said it would be wise to go in and change the oil pump drive gear at the same time if the engine's opened up anyway. Those things tend to fail and grind to bits after a while. Don't want that. I think that's going to be another 700 euro. But after that it should be fine for a while.

Worth it though, there's something about the way it looks and feels. Totally in love with it.

/edit: It's also incredibly fuel efficient. I get almost 24 kilometers for every liter of fuel. Hadn't expected that.

How long did you guys keep your first bike? What did you replace it with?

I hear a lot of talk about "upgrading". Have you ever regretted moving up in cc? I intend to spend at least a season on my 250 and I'm a bit curious.

I had my first bike (Monster 620 i.e.) for 4 years. Moved up to a Ducati 998 (it was fun but I went back to a Monster pretty quickly, the 1100 I own now). Don't really regret moving up in cc's, but I found that I preferred a naked bike for road use. On an open road with long, fast turns the 998 was unbeatable though. Even if it was a bit of a pain in the neck.

I do regret selling that first Monster. Would love to have another go on it. Sadly you need the money invested in it if you want to upgrade.

 

[Dougald]

Plucked up the courage to look at the Swingarm on the Pan European yesterday and it wasn't pretty - the thing has only been on there 6 months and all that British Salt hasn't made it look great, I can see why they have a reputation for rotting to pieces on this bike. This is at least the 3rd Swingarm the bike has seen in 17 years, I don't want to make it four.

Looks like I have a weekend with a wire brush, spray paint and ACF-50 coming up soon then. I highly recommend ACF-50, works wonders at preventing corrosion (the only spots I have on the swingarm are where I didn't lay down as much of it back in October when I treated the bike for winter).

 

[Flo_Evans]

Helped my brother put a 1-tooth smaller front sprocket on this weekend on his te449... holy hell this thing is a wheelie monster now.

Bike is kind of goofy, you have to remove the swing arm to change the sprocket. Wasn't too bad though only took us a half hour.

He could have at least cleaned it 1st tho...

 

[Dougald]

At least he obviously uses the bike off-road...!

 

[Flo_Evans]

At least he obviously uses the bike off-road...!

Well I think with the new gear ratio on road (at least highway) use is going to be limited. I didn't do a top speed test but it was already hitting the rev limiter on the highway at like 80mph.

ugg and it seems gas station gawker season has started. How come everyone needs to know how fast your motorcycle goes? Does it look like my enduro with 1" knobs on it and 12" of suspension travel is made for top speed? Yes it can pop a wheelie, no I am not going to do one right here for your amusement. I only do them for my own amusement, or clearing logs

I think I am just going to start making absurd answers up for stupid questions. My bike has a gyroscope in it that prevents wheelies, had to get it installed after too many tickets. It goes 500 mph. Hard to hang on at that speed. No I don't go off-road, I like these tires because they make extra noise on the road.

 

[thesoapster]

How long did you guys keep your first bike? What did you replace it with?

I hear a lot of talk about "upgrading". Have you ever regretted moving up in cc? I intend to spend at least a season on my 250 and I'm a bit curious.

My first bike (used semi beat 04 CBR600RR) I kept for only one season. I replaced it with an 07 GSX-R750, which was then destroyed in November of 2008. R1 is the current bike, so I've gone 600 -> 750 -> 1000. I haven't regretted moving up at all. After you've spent a season on your 250, it wouldn't hurt to look around. Provided you have the necessary experience/technique, extra power (mainly torque) makes riding a bit nicer.

 

[Dougald]

Went on a ride out to bike night at a nearby (ish) cafe last night. Nothing like cruising through the British countryside on a parallel twin..

Next time I'll have to take some pictures, must have been 100-200 bikes crammed into a tiny car park, everything from custom choppers to sportbikes. Looks like the season has finally started over here, as 90% of them looked like it was the first time they'd been out of the garage this year!

 

[Flo_Evans]

Spring cleaning: check
Little helper: adorable
New brake pads: installed
State safety inspection: passed

Woohoo legit for 2 more years.

 

[opticalmace]

What do you guys think of braking with 2 fingers versus 4?

- when I rode mountain bikes I would only ever use 1 finger because the disks were very sensitive.
- I don't think I can get the braking power of 4 when only using 2, though this is likely because my levers aren't set up for just braking with 2? (maybe move the lever inwards, or go to a short lever?)

I like two because I can rev-match while slowing for a corner, but the time or two when I wanted to stop ASAP I used all four. Any tips? Thanks and sorry for the barrage of questions!

 

[Flo_Evans]

What do you guys think of braking with 2 fingers versus 4?

- when I rode mountain bikes I would only ever use 1 finger because the disks were very sensitive.
- I don't think I can get the braking power of 4 when only using 2, though this is likely because my levers aren't set up for just braking with 2? (maybe move the lever inwards, or go to a short lever?)

I like two because I can rev-match while slowing for a corner, but the time or two when I wanted to stop ASAP I used all four. Any tips? Thanks and sorry for the barrage of questions!

I always use 2.

I would avoid using 4 because you can easily lock the front wheel if you are not used to braking that way. If you want to use it as an option for emergency stopping at least practice with 4 so you can feel the difference. In a panic situation you will tend to overbrake, it is pretty easy if you have good brakes to lock the front up with only 2 fingers.

 

[RapidCancel]

What do you guys think of braking with 2 fingers versus 4?

- when I rode mountain bikes I would only ever use 1 finger because the disks were very sensitive.
- I don't think I can get the braking power of 4 when only using 2, though this is likely because my levers aren't set up for just braking with 2? (maybe move the lever inwards, or go to a short lever?)

I like two because I can rev-match while slowing for a corner, but the time or two when I wanted to stop ASAP I used all four. Any tips? Thanks and sorry for the barrage of questions!

Always been using 2 and it's worked well for me. I would suggest trying out some shorty levers, they've def been one of the best things I've done for comfort. I can pull the lever pretty hard whenever I need to as well without having to use 4 fingers.

 

[thesoapster]

Hard to say how it would feel on a bike I haven't ridden, but I almost exclusively brake with one finger. Lines have been upgraded to braided SS, EBC organic pads for rear, EBC Extreme Pro up front.

 

[Dougald]

Hmm I'll go against everyone else and say I always use four fingers!

The brakes on the Triumph aren't too powerful and neither are my hands, so it's good to have the option to easily brake harder should something happen / I misjudged the slowing speed of the car in front. I just find it safer - not worried about locking the front as progressive braking was drilled into my by my instructor.



But then when I sheared off half my brake lever in France (not the best way to install shorty levers) I used two fingers and never had any problems, even when I had to slam on the brakes to avoid some continental traffic... so I'd say just go with whatever works for you best.