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The Bikeshite Thread


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6 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

follow up on this: BF9326 is now showing on the 3rd party tools and its DTP Make code is VC which I checked is the make code for Tomos (I checked by just finding a random genuine tomos registration and shoving it in there and seeing what the make code came back as) so yeah go figure! maybe on the DVLA things are laid out a bit differently and the data entry clerk did miss click? LOL

(and for those curious BF9321 aint showing up yet sadly)

Interesting, so all theories are back on the table, any idea what the code for Triumph is?

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5 hours ago, martc said:

Interesting, so all theories are back on the table, any idea what the code for Triumph is?

the Triumph motorbikes I look up comeback T7 and interestingly the cars I look up come back as B5

so looks like someone at the DVLA did differentiate between the 2, in that they are different makes despite the same name 

 

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25 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

the Triumph motorbikes I look up comeback T7 and interestingly the cars I look up come back as B5

so looks like someone at the DVLA did differentiate between the 2, in that they are different makes despite the same name 

 

So it's unlikely that VC (Tomos) was selected by mistake. Thinking about bikes from the 20's I suppose, if the scribe was trying to interpret poor handwriting, could SOS be misinterpreted as Tomos?

SOS's are one of the many now forgotten about makers who were lost in the 30's/40's. Phun phact SOS stands for 'Super Onslow Special' but, at the time, was also translated as 'So Obviously Superior' as they were indeed a cut above the average.

SOS Motorcycles

How many SOS puns can you see?

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Fed up of working on my garden, so took the Street Triple out for a ride on my favourite route for the first time.

On well surfaced roads it is great, really sharp handling. Having to get used to riding something with a 13,000 rpm red line again, but it is surprising in that it picks up really well at low revs in any gear.

Suspension at the rear is a bit hard over less than smooth roads, so I'll have a look at that

 But overall I'm pleased with the bike, and with the  route I took.

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8 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

Fed up of working on my garden, so took the Street Triple out for a ride on my favourite route for the first time.

On well surfaced roads it is great, really sharp handling. Having to get used to riding something with a 13,000 rpm red line again, but it is surprising in that it picks up really well at low revs in any gear.

Suspension at the rear is a bit hard over less than smooth roads, so I'll have a look at that

 But overall I'm pleased with the bike, and with the  route I took.

20200927_133525.thumb.jpg.ee72fa4a7ccf16ac3026ad21c7fd5a96.jpg

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20200927_133455.thumb.jpg.6372cb2c024deb85d475c174cc8e0fe4.jpg

That looks dreadful, bet you’re missing the A12 on a rainy morning. 

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Just bought this... "shitehawk?" been thinking about a return to two wheels and have fancied a honda twin of some sort for a while. This turned up local, fairly cheap and with a big box of bits. Not sure about the customisation but it seems reasonably well cared for.

Haven't actually got it yet. Or ridden it! Arriving Thursday fingers crossed.

Got stuck in a 2 1/2 hour traffic jam today in the van which I'm taking as a sign that I made the right choice. Was thinking about a bigger bike for the 36 mile commute I'm currently doing but given the state of the M5 today perhaps a smaller bike on the back roads is a better way to do it.

Will need some decent weather gear. And a top box...

AD769CE5-C524-4036-A7EC-436B7CFF510B.png

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254715205150

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5 hours ago, marm said:

Just bought this... "shitehawk?" been thinking about a return to two wheels and have fancied a honda twin of some sort for a while. This turned up local, fairly cheap and with a big box of bits. Not sure about the customisation but it seems reasonably well cared for.

Haven't actually got it yet. Or ridden it! Arriving Thursday fingers crossed.

Got stuck in a 2 1/2 hour traffic jam today in the van which I'm taking as a sign that I made the right choice. Was thinking about a bigger bike for the 36 mile commute I'm currently doing but given the state of the M5 today perhaps a smaller bike on the back roads is a better way to do it.

Will need some decent weather gear. And a top box...

AD769CE5-C524-4036-A7EC-436B7CFF510B.png

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254715205150

As long as you don't want to go too quickly they are great. I bought one from this parish. Comfy and as reliable as hondas should be. 

Nighthawk is the American version with drum brakes and spoked wheels and no rev counter. Ours is simply the CB Two Fifty😁

I did see this one on the Bay, a good selection of parts with it. 

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On 9/27/2020 at 11:28 PM, Jerzy Woking said:

Fed up of working on my garden, so took the Street Triple out for a ride on my favourite route for the first time.

On well surfaced roads it is great, really sharp handling. Having to get used to riding something with a 13,000 rpm red line again, but it is surprising in that it picks up really well at low revs in any gear.

Suspension at the rear is a bit hard over less than smooth roads, so I'll have a look at that

 But overall I'm pleased with the bike, and with the  route I took.

20200927_133525.thumb.jpg.ee72fa4a7ccf16ac3026ad21c7fd5a96.jpg

20200927_133538.thumb.jpg.c5ce8f88b40deb8cb858410808a8f67a.jpg

20200927_133455.thumb.jpg.6372cb2c024deb85d475c174cc8e0fe4.jpg

%^*^$(*$£"""???@@@!!!!!!!!!

 

ETC.

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Just seen an original CB250 'SuperDream' ride past while I was out with the dogs. Looked just like they did in 1980 but the bloke riding it looked like he was born in 1880! Oh and his 'Power to weight' ratio on that poor little Honda must have been about 0. 1 HP per stone!!

 

Still, good to see one out and about.

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I had a 10 year old XT500 back in 1988 (WMF 5T) which I paid a couple of hundred quid for. It's all I would pay for one now, as I can't see the intervening 32 years making it any better.

Brakes dreadful, carburation no good, kickstarter and decompressor never in synch no matter how many times I set it up. It was fitted with electronic ignition (Boyer I think), but was still a pig to kick start. According to DVLA it's on a SORN. Probably because the current owner can't start it.

I can see that a Superdream would out pace the 24bhp XT500.

 

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Superdreams seem to get a bad press in some quarters (not AS) but as long as you didn't think they were sporty, they were the perfect commuter. Easy to flick through traffic, enough speed to get by, good on fuel plus comfortable and reliable. 

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Apparently the CB Two Fifty / Nighthawk is descended from the Benly etc. rather than the Superdream. Still, same kind of thing I suppose. It's what I was after, something forgiving, quiet, reliable, and sort of conservatively engineered. Hope it's not too slow compared to the two strokes i used to ride.

Can't wait to get on it,

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37 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

The Benley was another ace little bike.  Think you might find the Shitehawk isn't as fast as your old 2T, assuming you had a half decent 250 or something.

Mostly MZ 250s. Also had a souped up Vespa T5 Classic fairly recently. Weirdly I've never had a 4 stroke motorcycle, a Japanese motorcycle, or one with an electric starter for that matter. Should be well luxurious I reckon and hopefully easy to keep.

It doesn't need to be fast. Just fast enough.

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8 hours ago, marm said:

Mostly MZ 250s. Also had a souped up Vespa T5 Classic fairly recently. Weirdly I've never had a 4 stroke motorcycle, a Japanese motorcycle, or one with an electric starter for that matter. Should be well luxurious I reckon and hopefully easy to keep.

It doesn't need to be fast. Just fast enough.

I'm happy pottering along at anything between 45-60 on mine, seems happiest around 50-55. Max speed is somewhere around 70ish possible a touch more. Will beat most cars off the lights  in town if that's what you want. For rural roads where I live its ideal. I have ridden it to Andover to see my kids a couple of times and it copes really well. That's about 60 miles each way, stay off dual carriage ways and you will be fine. Oh and they literally sip petrol, I'm getting 70+ mpg. Mind I don't rev the nuts off it, them days are gone for me. As I said to just get from A to B in good comfort they are ace.  A bit like the Astra of the bike world, just an bike. But I wouldn't get rid of mine, for me it's perfect. 

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It's here. I've ridden it up and down the street and I like it lots. All seems OK so far.

As a rider I'm rusty though and not used to the Devon terrain. The end of my road is a 25% gradient... not easy for doing slow speed manoeuvres on a new to me bike! Will be fine but I need to get some practice in... Fingers crossed for some dry weather... Forecast says otherwise.

66FA0E60-70C5-4CE0-A9ED-6E6C1C628AE8.jpeg

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On 9/29/2020 at 8:34 AM, hairnet said:

Oh.

It's not what you think

It's been an adventure

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Story is after at least fifteen years of parking there or under the bit that used to have metal loops in the floor that's now staff only and has 1/3 the bike in it - maybe it should be pay - I wouldn't still mind but not when they want 44 quid for 3 days in the car park - they've finally started enforcing tow aways

Mine got towed on Friday - I got bummed but I don't care

Good thing is they chopped the lock in such a way only one link died so I can still use it and not have to buy 150 quids worth of another

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1 hour ago, andyberg said:

Nowt wrong with a maxi scooter, I do fancy a big Burgman or something. They are big sellers in Europe, I can see why. Just out of my price range right now. 

After 30 years on bikes I still can't get on with the feet down and oh theres 3 feet of floorboard there

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3 hours ago, Sir Chocolate Teapot said:

Having tried a new one recently and after 35 years on bikes i do think for me a 300cc scooter is the future,  wish i tried one years ago. Having lived 15 years in italy in hot weather a big fast scooter is sooooo much more comfortable in and out of town.

I had a Piaggio 400cc scooter in UK which had fantastic weather protection. Bought it mainly to commute through the winter, but used it for all year round, as economical and loads of storage space.

Sold it to a mate at work. He rang me today to ask how to manually open the seat,as the battery is flat. It's been parked up at the office since beginning of March.

Riding here in Spain, I see ten times (at least) more scooters than bikes. I've no need for one, much as I'd like to have one, as my two bikes do all I want..

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