The Bikeshite Thread

3,600 · July 26

15 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Always thought 'adventure bikes' were just for those whistle-stop bikers who ride 297 miles to take a selfie with a cup of fair trade ethically sourced lambs wool lentil coffee and then come home again.

These, however...

...seem quite appealing, in a shite way. They're only 411cc but seem quite well priced, even new they are probably only about the cost of a Japanese 125.

Anyone tried one?

As stated somewhere up this thread, i wasnt a fan of these, but they are growing on me. If only they just had a little bit more go from the engine they might actually be a pretty perfect all rounder

124,389 · July 26

3 hours ago, Rustybullethole said:

Not an adventure bike? Lick a dick.

Have just returned from a 300 odd mile camping adventure on my Honda Melody so there's a strong argument to say i am a twat.

However that there is my 411 packed with my camping gear. Used it as such more times than i care to remember including many a trip with mates on their typical type adventure machines.

Admittedly I bought it cos to me it seemed the best i could afford. Wanted a new (6 year old) bike after my gs repeatedly letting me down in unfixable at the roadside ways.

Yeah its shite. As mentioned brakes ain't great. The weight of a 500 and power of a 125. Clearly built to price. That said it handles well, frame designed by Harris don't ya know. Looks like a proper bike and is easy to work on.

Done a few bits to mine to improve/ruin it depending on your point of veiw and must admit I fucking love it.

I'm not too arsed about performance (it's clearly not a sports bike) but do they accelerate well enough for modern traffic and sit at 75-80 easily enough?

3,860 · July 26

Any bike marketed as an adventure bike is overdoing it. Most are too expensive to feel comfortable dropping, too big to feel comfortable in traffic, and too complicated for anyone to feel comfortable swapping the modes around and then feel safe. The Himalayan is the perfect tool for any job, particularly the new one with more power, according to reviews.

Or the KLR 650.

But NOT anything made by BMW, unless you want people to know you have more money than adventure.

6,316 · July 26

4 hours ago, Stinkwheel said:

As stated somewhere up this thread, i wasnt a fan of these, but they are growing on me. If only they just had a little bit more go from the engine they might actually be a pretty perfect all rounder

Inclined to agree indeed they seem to have taken the feedback for the new model though in my humble opinion it don't look at nice.

1 hour ago, Cavcraft said:

I'm not too arsed about performance (it's clearly not a sports bike) but do they accelerate well enough for modern traffic and sit at 75-80 easily enough?

If you like being engaged in the process and use all the power all the time as I do then yes. Maybe 65/75 is more realistic. My speedo is broke am going on info from other bikes in the pack.

I honestly thought id done a wrongun when i bought it as is up there with slowest machines i've owned. As i learnt the bike more it's become one of my favourite machines. Took a fair few weeks to make that change.

More power would always be nice though id opt for less weight first.

Welcome to have a go if ever you're in London or near the Cotswolds.

124,389 · July 26

3 minutes ago, Rustybullethole said:

Inclined to agree indeed they seem to have taken the feedback for the new model though in my humble opinion it don't look at nice.

If you like being engaged in the process and use all the power all the time as I do then yes. Maybe 65/75 is more realistic. My speedo is broke am going on info from other bikes in the pack.

I honestly thought id done a wrongun when i bought it as is up there with slowest machines i've owned. As i learnt the bike more it's become one of my favourite machines. Took a fair few weeks to make that change.

More power would always be nice though id opt for less weight first.

Welcome to have a go if ever you're in London or near the Cotswolds.

Thank you.

Bit off buying some big fancy 1000cc tourer/adventure bike as not planning on going too far and the weight of them would end up being a drag. Being engaged is part of the fun, but as long as it'd hold top on not too hilly roads would be ok. There is a dealer not far away, I'll have to try and get a test ride.

6,316 · July 26

6 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Thank you.

Bit off buying some big fancy 1000cc tourer/adventure bike as not planning on going too far and the weight of them would end up being a drag. Being engaged is part of the fun, but as long as it'd hold top on not too hilly roads would be ok. There is a dealer not far away, I'll have to try and get a test ride.

Rock up on your slowest moped and prepare to be amazed.

18,418 · July 26

Are we nearly there yet

18,418 · July 26

Burp

1,244 · July 26

Out and about a couple of weeks ago with a mate on his GSX1400 me on the Z650, did not get photos but took a ride out earlier with another friend on his Royal Enfield 350.

2,778 · July 26

Just picked up this for £50.

Needs an overhaul but wasn't refusing it for half a century

3,600 · July 27

13 hours ago, pilninggas said:

Just picked up this for £50.

Needs an overhaul but wasn't refusing it for half a century

Solid bikes these along with the bigger 750. Always made me laugh how kawasakis of this age had a choke that allowed the bike to idle at 3000rpm until warmed up, well bought

2,778 · July 27

8 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said:

Solid bikes these along with the bigger 750. Always made me laugh how kawasakis of this age had a choke that allowed the bike to idle at 3000rpm until warmed up, well bought

Anything, cars included, that have an air leak and are idling at stupid-rpms we always call a Kawasaki coldstart.

4,061 · July 28

Some BMW R100's spotted at Sammy Miller's museum this morning, I now kind of want one, they're quite handsome.

3,600 · July 28

41 minutes ago, Fat_Pirate said:

Some BMW R100's spotted at Sammy Miller's museum this morning, I now kind of want one, they're quite handsome.

I was in the showroom floor, selling parts and accessories for these when the last models were being sold in 94/95 , as a 17 yr old who had a tdr250 and 600 bandit and didn’t really like the old man bmw image of the time. I grudgingly (and secretly) liked them to ride even then, now I’d love one

July 28

On 27/07/2024 at 09:12, Stinkwheel said:

Solid bikes these along with the bigger 750. Always made me laugh how kawasakis of this age had a choke that allowed the bike to idle at 3000rpm until warmed up, well bought

I have an '81 Z750 and can agree 😆

6,316 · July 30

'Cos race bike;

Yes a centre stand is bloody useful. I shall keep it in the garage to be held in place with a couple of bolts as it does aid maintenance and general tinkering. It also however is Gr8 for reducing ground clearance off road and occasionally scraps on the tarmac too when large rider goes in a little too hot. Not only but also the more bits I can bin off the lighter and faster it gets.

Snapped my biggest zip tie and grazed knuckles before employing spring puller mk2

Just waiting for some raising links to turn up in the post for more clearance and to get the geometry back in shape then shall be hitting the road west.

20,489 · July 30

24 minutes ago, Rustybullethole said:

Safety flip flops

6,316 · July 30

1 hour ago, UltraWomble said:

Safety flip flops

Man dem won wars in flip flops.

Fueled up, jacked up and packed up. Wash the grease of my hands have a piss then ready to roll.

5,422 · July 30

Until recently I had a 411 Himalayan, which introduced me back into riding on unpaved roads. There are hundreds of kilometers of them around me so a shame not to use them. Never used it on muddy lanes, as a lack of rain here means they don't exist. And when it does rain, the mud dries out rapidly.

The 411 is great as a green lanes starter bike as it gives confidence from the off. Not too fast, not too powerful, but with decent suspension and decent handling on road too. I did 5000kms round trip through Spain and Portugal, never missed a beat, and acheived an average of 85mpg (no motorways used). Could have done with a few more bhp, but I said the same of my 190bhp KTM RC8-R.

Now I have a 452, an entirely different kettle of fish. Not one component is carried over from the 411, but it dtill has that Enfield "feel". Faster (it will cruise at 130 kph, with a little more to spare), has nearly double the power (23bhp v 40bhp) and in my opinion, far far superior build quality, (and the 411 was fine). Road handling is superb, the Ceat tyres are well grippy on hot tarmac, and it just floats over road imperfections, the Showa suspension front and rear is a real step up. I've now set the rear shock up to suit me, and it's a bit firmer but still comfortable on 300km rides.

It's a bit trickier riding off road onto gtavel and rutted tracks, but having had the introduction to them on the 411, it is a great stepping stone upwards. Or just to stick with it and get better.

Looks are subjective, but I like it now. Downside is the engine vibration over that on the 411, but its either lessening as I cover more kms on it, or I am dialing it out. But then, vibration is inherrent in big singles. The Yamaha XT500 (like the 411, only 24 bhp) I had was horrendous and gave me white knuckle on rides of more than 20 miles.

Very happy with both the 411 and the 452, would never have considered buying an Enfield before.

I've since ridden the 350 Meteor, the 350 Hunter, and the 650 Shotgun, and all are far better than I thought they would be.

6,316 · July 30

Great review there @Jerzy Woking Thanks for taking the time.

Looks great in that shot too.

18,418 · July 30

1 hour ago, Jerzy Woking said:

as a lack of rain here

BASTARD!!!

an entirely different kettle of fish. OOER MISSIS

1 hour ago, Jerzy Woking said:

and it just floats

FNARR

5,422 · July 30

1 hour ago, Rustybullethole said:

Great review there @Jerzy Woking Thanks for taking the time.

Looks great in that shot too.

Cheers. Both are great bikes, enjoying my 452 nearly as much as I did my 411, but every ride it gets that little bit more familiar and better.

6,316 · July 30

Nice. Its good to hear both sides. Nothing beats seat time hey.

Talking of which i can see a few inchs more foam on my purchase list. Stopped for a smoke at Pamgbourne.

5,422 · July 30

1 hour ago, Rustybullethole said:

Nice. Its good to hear both sides. Nothing beats seat time hey.

Talking of which i can see a few inchs more foam on my purchase list. Stopped for a smoke at Pamgbourne.

TKC80's? Had them on my 411, but a bit of overkill with no mud!

Is that a Lidl stuffa bag? This was taken in Portugal on 2019, and everywhere we rode there were bikes with the same bag on the seat.

I use a sheepskin cover with a slab of 2cm thick gel between it and the seat. No longer need the gel pad on my NC750 or Street Triple, but it will be on the 452 for another 1000kms until the seat softens a bit. I hope🫤

18,418 · July 30

i think everyones got one of them

8 quid i think they were??

only used mine once still have it somewhere i think

15,677 · July 30

Needed to step off the world for a few days, so couple of mates ,beer, fire and some of the best roads I've ever ridden on..

6,316 · July 31

11 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

TKC80's? Had them on my 411, but a bit of overkill with no mud!

Is that a Lidl stuffa bag? This was taken in Portugal on 2019, and everywhere we rode there were bikes with the same bag on the seat.

I use a sheepskin cover with a slab of 2cm thick gel between it and the seat. No longer need the gel pad on my NC750 or Street Triple, but it will be on the 452 for another 1000kms until the seat softens a bit. I hope🫤

Currently has a Borelli medium enduro on the front. I bought it new as there was a half price deal and I was racing* it a couple of days after christmas. Went for the medium as knew id leave it on has lasted well though cracked up pretty bad now and did so pretty soon from new. Ain't buying another. Rears a Mitas stone king. Big savage knobby bastard when new. This ones third hand and squared off big time. Had loads of these over the years will buy again if my mates ain't got a cast off going spare.

Do like the Tkc's, pretty good all rounder though wear quick. Like all 50/50 tyres they're not really up to British slop. I prefer to have the right tyre for the shit conditions and suck up the road manners.

That yellow bags a Lomo i was given with the bike. Yellow lidl one fell off the back of my gs on a rock section in Northern Spain melting itself and my swimming trunks to the exhaust. Still have a blue lidl one, think thats the only true dry sack I have left i.e not holes.

Need a bit of experimentation with the seat. Flatter and taller would be a good start. Am taken with the coolmax cover. Keeps the ball sweat at bay and never needs the rain wiping off either.

Edited July 31 by Rustybullethole
Rubber hoop hot pics!

6,316 · July 31

4 hours ago, Barry Cade said:

Needed to step off the world for a few days, so couple of mates ,beer, fire and some of the best roads I've ever ridden on..

Nice. Where abouts in the world are you?

15,677 · July 31

Just now, Rustybullethole said:

Nice. Where abouts in the world are you?

Scotland. I went to the empty bit.

23,077 · July 31

Had a fantastic weekend of trail riding , eating and drinking at the Dirty Weekend on the South Downs

Even better that the missis bought me a new enduro bike while I was away !

Id been wibbling on about one since about 2018 and now they were down to 5895 brand spankers so had to be done

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