Starting to get warmer... any other motorcyclists gearing up on here?

[RichShortland]

Thanks Rich. No the shock is just a Triumph lookalike. There is a local chap here, however, who not only worked with Ohlins on the MotoGP circuit for some years, but also has a 675 race bike. He revalves the internals to make them slightly more track-suitable - or will happily sell bona fide Ohlins units for those with an appropriate boys-toys slush-fund budget. I think it's fair to say the bike in standard form is a helluva lot more capable than I am, so not planning budget for any major upgrades just yet

Sounds good. In my experience damping is more important than getting the sag spot on, and you're often better being on the softer side initially than firmer/stiffer. But having fun is the most important thing. Oh, and relax... it's worth at least 2 seconds a lap

 

[RichShortland]

Its the best bike I have ever had, and I have had quite a few, no exotica, mainly Honda superbikes. Its also great doing your full ride out wearing a massive grin knowing that you are free of any risk of inteference from plod.

Also Rich, theres no polite way to ask this, are you massively fat?? I just wonder what sort of head the ball tweeks a blackbird? Like its not fast enough?

I was 21 stone when I had mine (thats massively fat, as a guide) and the front end would still leave the ground off the throttle, mine was a fuel injected one - the variant escapes me, I had to sell it to buy a kitchen, which I am still bitter about to this day.

Also if you happen to be short, and massively fat I have some leathers I need to move on, (5xxl jacket, 42 waist shorts leg pants, full zip or half zip)

S

I do love the look of the Thruxton. I think it's the only modern retro I've seen that I could see myself actually riding.
Whilst I was in the Triumph dealer last I sat on one of those big Explorer things too which was more tempting than I thought !

I'm 6'3" and 16 stone so not massive but I do get your point! It's not exactly slow as standard. Most of the mods I've done are to make it lighter, stop or handle better. Only the exhaust cans (which were more about the nice noise and saving about 10kg) and air filter are about extra bhp...
The other changes are lightweight rear wheel/sprocket, nice Nitron rear shock, a few bits of carbon, and delinking the brakes so I can have more control over front / rear balance. I like going round corners

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Sounds good. In my experience damping is more important than getting the sag spot on, and you're often better being on the softer side initially than firmer/stiffer. But having fun is the most important thing. Oh, and relax... it's worth at least 2 seconds a lap

Better with some good slippery lube? .... on the chain!

 

[Arkless Electronics]

I do love the look of the Thruxton. I think it's the only modern retro I've seen that I could see myself actually riding.
Whilst I was in the Triumph dealer last I sat on one of those big Explorer things too which was more tempting than I thought !

I'm 6'3" and 16 stone so not massive but I do get your point! It's not exactly slow as standard. Most of the mods I've done are to make it lighter, stop or handle better. Only the exhaust cans (which were more about the nice noise and saving about 10kg) and air filter are about extra bhp...
The other changes are lightweight rear wheel/sprocket, nice Nitron rear shock, a few bits of carbon, and delinking the brakes so I can have more control over front / rear balance. I like going round corners

Love the linked brakes here! Apart from it doesn't help with the laundry bill when riding over a wet slippery muddy bike rally field and you REALLY only want to use the rear brake....

 

[RichShortland]

Love the linked brakes here! Apart from it doesn't help with the laundry bill when riding over a wet slippery muddy bike rally field and you REALLY only want to use the rear brake....

Yeah that’s what I didn’t like... had a few near misses on gravel/wet tarmac. Plus it makes you lazy. You just tug on the front and it sorts it all out.
I like dragging the rear on turn-in if I’m really pressing on, and you really don’t want any unaccounted-for front brake at that point.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Yeah that’s what I didn’t like... had a few near misses on gravel/wet tarmac. Plus it makes you lazy. You just tug on the front and it sorts it all out.
I like dragging the rear on turn-in if I’m really pressing on, and you really don’t want any unaccounted-for front brake at that point.

A couple of sheep that appeared out of nowhere on a country road had an early appointment with the mince sauce narrowly cancelled! I had so little time to react I that I wonder if it could have gone much worse without the linked brakes....
Couple of times I borrowed bikes during last few years I had to make a conscious effort to remember that most other bikes don't have this!

They both shift in a serious way and handle though... as a few 900 fireplaces and an Aprillia RSV1000R, on country roads not motorways, found out

 

[stevec67]

I take it linked brakes are the Moto Guzzi style ones where the footbrake operates the rear disc and one of the front discs, and the right hand handlebar lever operates other front disc?

I can see the appeal. However I understand dragging the back a little, I do the same on a bicycle in greasy conditions. It plants the front and if things start sliding we all know that a rear wheel slide is easier to fix and gives you more time than a front wheel washout that just dumps you on your face before you have time to even swear.

 

[RichShortland]

A couple of sheep that appeared out of nowhere on a country road had an early appointment with the mince sauce narrowly cancelled! I had so little time to react I that I wonder if it could have gone much worse without the linked brakes....
Couple of times I borrowed bikes during last few years I had to make a conscious effort to remember that most other bikes don't have this!

They both shift in a serious way and handle though... as a few 900 fireplaces and an Aprillia RSV1000R, on country roads not motorways, found out

Yes in a panic mode it could be useful. I found hopping off it and onto the track bike I didn’t want to have to adapt either way...

And agreed, the bird is a great bike for real UK roads. The weight actually becomes an advantage, along with the slightly lazy steering - so stable over even bumpy tarmac.

 

[awkwardbydesign]

I take it linked brakes are the Moto Guzzi style ones where the footbrake operates the rear disc and one of the front discs, and the right hand handlebar lever operates other front disc?

The only time I had a problem with the linked brakes was downhill, on a bend, and trying to stop to turn right. On snow! I had to continue to the bottom of the hill, stop, do a U-turn and come back up at it. Several trips to Italy, one each to Spain and Brittany, plus endless miles in the UK. On 4 different Guzzis, in all conditions. But I wouldn't have wanted it on track! Getting the front chirping on the way into corners on the SV was what I did like though, with GSXR brakes and a Brembo radial master cylinder. Although I did discover that on many bends (Gerrards or Paddock Hill), just knocking down one gear, no brakes, and accelerating would embarrass some bigger bikes.

 

[RichShortland]

I take it linked brakes are the Moto Guzzi style ones where the footbrake operates the rear disc and one of the front discs, and the right hand handlebar lever operates other front disc?

I can see the appeal. However I understand dragging the back a little, I do the same on a bicycle in greasy conditions. It plants the front and if things start sliding we all know that a rear wheel slide is easier to fix and gives you more time than a front wheel washout that just dumps you on your face before you have time to even swear.

it’s kind of like you describe... each end has three pistons in each calliper, two callipers up front and one at the back.
The front lever gets you two pistons each front calliper and one of the rear. The rear lever gets the single remaining front pistons and two of the rears.
Means a lot of hydraulic hoses going front to back of the bike plus proportion valves and a slave master cylinder on the front fork. It works really well, but there’s a lot of weight, complexity and some potentially old rubber hoses you can ditch by stripping it all out to a conventional setup.

And I do the same on my road bicycle too!

 

[-alan-]

Oh, and relax... it's worth at least 2 seconds a lap

Will do. The bike's loaded with CFT (carbon fibre tat) that the previous owner assured me is worth at least another couple of seconds a lap - so that'll put me 4 seconds to the good already

Really looking forward to it actually. I did a track-training day on a VRod of all things, which felt a bit like riding around on a Rhinocerous and trying to steer it by the ears. The 675 must surely be an improvement on that thing..

 

[Arkless Electronics]

I take it linked brakes are the Moto Guzzi style ones where the footbrake operates the rear disc and one of the front discs, and the right hand handlebar lever operates other front disc?

I can see the appeal. However I understand dragging the back a little, I do the same on a bicycle in greasy conditions. It plants the front and if things start sliding we all know that a rear wheel slide is easier to fix and gives you more time than a front wheel washout that just dumps you on your face before you have time to even swear.

Similar but much higher tech and based on a pile of hydraulic thingymygigs with loads of pipework that's mounted to the top of the fork stanchions/under the headlight behind the fairing and looks like it would be a complete 'mare if it ever went wrong.... IIRC some sort of "hydraulic servo" system gauges how much rear to apply from the load on the front brakes plus applying only the rear brake applies some front brake but I don't think the servo-ing bit works that way round. In practice, under anything but "trying to be Rossi" conditions, you just use the front brake and it does it all for you...

 

[RichShortland]

The only time I had a problem with the linked brakes was downhill, on a bend, and trying to stop to turn right. On snow! I had to continue to the bottom of the hill, stop, do a U-turn and come back up at it. Several trips to Italy, one each to Spain and Brittany, plus endless miles in the UK. On 4 different Guzzis, in all conditions. But I wouldn't have wanted it on track! Getting the front chirping on the way into corners on the SV was what I did like though, with GSXR brakes and a Brembo radial master cylinder. Although I did discover that on many bends (Gerrards or Paddock Hill), just knocking down one gear, no brakes, and accelerating would embarrass some bigger bikes.

Nice!! That’s a great setup on the SV. My Gixxer track bike had R6 mono blocs and a Brembo cylinder - was ace.

And you’re right about Gerrards. Takes some big jubblies to just knock back one and sling it in! If you’re not a little bit scared on entry you’re not trying hard enough.

I never managed the turn in without braking there, but I might have been moving a little faster at the end of the straight!! (It was a 1000k4...).

 

[wow&flutter]

I guess the longest I’ve been off the bike this year has been around two weeks due to snow as it’s my only mode of transport these days. Don’t mind rain really but the GSX with it’s fairing and fitted top box does act a bit like a sail when hit by a cross wind. Interestingly although I’m definitely riding slower than I was 20 years ago on days when it is windy the bike feels better if you attack the wind, sounds wrong I know but using its grunt helps it’s stability.

Great to see that blue CBR1100XX, I test drove one of the injection models when it first came out. Loved the black frame,I really was a quality bit of kit. Much nicer than the original silver framed version. I loved the torque ( not dissimilar to the torque my 1250 has now) but at the time it felt just to big, actually it felt long. Now I’ll admit I was a pretty inexperienced rider at the time however after trying the CBR900rrx Fireblade which was a bit of a weapon but a bit flighty for a new rider the Yamaha Thunderace was absolutely perfect. Over 140 brake but around 200kg so a lovely mid point between the above bikes.
I think it was Performance Bikes that used to take a bike to the track every month for a suspension set up guide for various sizes of riders. I tweaked mine using around 90% of the settings and it became an absolute joy, much more usable on the road than my cousins new R1.

As I rapidly head towards 60 my GSX1250 isn’t getting any lighter and as I’ve mentioned before pulling it out the garage and manoeuvring it in and out of sloped parking spaces is starting to get a bit scary so it may well go this year but grunt is difficult to give up. The decision would be easier if I bought a car as well I guess, I’ve mentioned before that I loved that SV650 I borrowed last year. It was an absolute blast, decent bottom end and light. Really light!
When I jumped back on mine I thought my tyres were flat

 

[Arkless Electronics]

/\ Great post glad I'm not the only one daft enough to have always had bikes and no car.... so if I HAD to go from Newcastle to Essex in February....

Keep it up guys and get me inspired to get back on the road.. you're getting there

Was just thinking about which bike I most miss and would want back from all the machines I've had and it's a bit weird really... are you sitting down...? good. MZ TS250 Supa 5

I'll get my coat

 

[-alan-]

MZ you say...

I'd be up for one too

 

[richardg]

Mine, without seat during tail tidy upgrade and Power Commander installation yesterday:

Decat, tail tidy, pillion kit off, lithium battery, got rid of spoked wheels for alloys means dry weight is down from 157kg to 142kg. 140 when the titanium silencer arrives.

It is a single and has 75bhp at the wheel after my decat and power commander. Standard it is 75 at the crank, the most powerful single cylinder engine ever, Husqvarna claims. It doesn't even vibrate any more than a twin.

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Like the bottom one!

 

[Arkless Electronics]

Mine, without seat during tail tidy upgrade yesterday:

Decat, tail tidy, pillion kit off, lithium battery, got rid of spoked wheels for alloys means dry weight is down from 157kg to 140kg.

Lovely! But not a "proper" MZ...... It's a 4 stroke... and is that not a Rotax or Yam motor....
and the tool kit is not a lump hammer under the pillion seat... and you don't have the pleasure of "tickling" the Jikov carb before starting it.... with your right leg whilst stood next to but not on the machine.... do not try to start it in the normal manor whilst astride it! I know

 

[richardg]

Lovely! But not a "proper" MZ...... It's a 4 stroke... and is that not a Rotax or Yam motor....
and the tool kit is not a lump hammer under the pillion seat... and you don't have the pleasure of "tickling" the Jikov carb before starting it.... with your right leg whilst stood next to but not on the machine.... do not try to start it in the normal manor whilst astride it! I know

defo a ktm motor, not a rotax or yamaha. it's a 4 stroke but the bike is as light feeling and nimble handling as a 250 two stroke. but quite a bit faster. it has a slipper clutch so when you roll off the power there is not much engine braking. So it does feel again a bit like a 2 stroke. its why i bought it. i have not really been able to get on with big bikes.