The Bikeshite Thread

[808 Estate]

The Doomsday Scooter.

[UltraWomble]

It's here.... 

[Iamgroot]

You got it in then!

[UltraWomble]

25 minutes ago, Iamgroot said:

You got it in then!

Took the big car rather than the 107

[Iamgroot]

Nice one, Hope you enjoy it mate.

[Cavcraft]

Good to see you again, M. You've done well buying that scooter.

As it hasn't been pissing down all day as per, got the FS1 out for a spin, met some local scooter clubs at a boozer then went to the river where this turned up...

Not a big sports bike fan, but that's one hell of a nice-looking bike.

Came home and the lad fixing my Lambretta had finished it, so a couple of utterly glorious miles later it was home again. Can't believe what a difference a new carb and a Clubman exhaust has made. It's never pulled as well, as clean or as fast as it does now...

  

As shit as it might look (and sometimes be) it's absolutely ace to own and ride.

[andyberg]

8 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

Good to see you again, M. You've done well buying that scooter.

As it hasn't been pissing down all day as per, got the FS1 out for a spin, met some local scooter clubs at a boozer then went to the river where this turned up...

Not a big sports bike fan, but that's one hell of a nice-looking bike.

Came home and the lad fixing my Lambretta had finished it, so a couple of utterly glorious miles later it was home again. Can't believe what a difference a new carb and a Clubman exhaust has made. It's never pulled as well, as clean or as fast as it does now...

  

As shit as it might look (and sometimes be) it's absolutely ace to own and ride.

Give me the RVF400 in the background any day over a modern sports bike

[andyberg]

Nice day so why not, dry run to my new job. Getting timings for the commute. Bloody lovely.

[Jerzy Woking]

On 11/27/2022 at 6:06 PM, andyberg said:

Give me the RVF400 in the background any day over a modern sports bike

KTM hardly modern, my RC8's are now 14 and 12 years old. Fantastic bikes, gutted I could get neither registered here without major work.

[Rustybullethole]

/\ sexy 

Have just made inquiries about something old and smokey. If stars align it will be in the back of the van pretty soon after I get back into the uk. 

[UltraWomble]

Brilliant little ped this. 

 

[Iamgroot]

Glad you are happy with it

[Cavcraft]

These seem to be available now.  Obvs. some of the moaning old school who've never been near the modern ones are up in arms, but they look class imho.

[andyberg]

50 minutes ago, Cavcraft said:

These seem to be available now.  Obvs. some of the moaning old school who've never been near the modern ones are up in arms, but they look class imho.

I like these, and the RE interceptor. To be honest I quite like the whole RE range. May see about test rides. Good bikes reasonably priced IMO. Not keen on Norton's take on a 'modern retro' though, never mind the cost!

 

[Cavcraft]

What do you do if you have one blue Honda SS50 4 speed that doesn't work?

Buy another blue Honda SS50 that doesn't work, of course.

 

[twosmoke300]

@Cavcraftif you need any bits back off that c70 motor let me know and I could post them back to you .

[Cavcraft]

17 hours ago, twosmoke300 said:

@Cavcraftif you need any bits back off that c70 motor let me know and I could post them back to you .

Thanks, chief, will have a go at this one and see what happens.

[UltraWomble]

Went to work... Cold arse. 

Came home... Cold arse

[Iamgroot]

There's room under the seat for a greenhouse heater!

[hairnet]

On 11/29/2022 at 7:12 PM, Jerzy Woking said:

itv man is a philistine

so. much. tart.

[hairnet]

annoyed got up - snowing

had to go to docs then thought need to poke bike as something not quite right

0 deg and its gonna be melting = not sitting on the ground

ffs

[Blunderguts]

On 12/3/2022 at 9:32 PM, Cavcraft said:

These seem to be available now.  Obvs. some of the moaning old school who've never been near the modern ones are up in arms, but they look class imho.

Wonder if the specs include oil leaks are in the right places?

I also don't see a kickstart. This is cheating! How is one meant to slam their knee into the handlebars at warp eight when it decides to kick back????

[808 Estate]

On 12/3/2022 at 10:26 PM, andyberg said:

I like these, and the RE interceptor. To be honest I quite like the whole RE range. May see about test rides. Good bikes reasonably priced IMO. Not keen on Norton's take on a 'modern retro' though, never mind the cost!

 

Indeed. The RE anniversary editions look properly lush.

[Fabergé Greggs]

I quite fancy trying a big beemer for my 75 mile commute- something like the R1150RT. Did @Jazolihave one? @Barry Cade? 

[Barry Cade]

1 hour ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

I quite fancy trying a big beemer for my 75 mile commute- something like the R1150RT. Did @Jazolihave one? @Barry Cade? 

I've had: K100 LT, K1100LT, R1100S, R1100RS, but never an 1150, nor an RT.. sorry!

But if I had a 75 mile commute,  that's what I would buy!

[Jazoli]

8 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

I quite fancy trying a big beemer for my 75 mile commute- something like the R1150RT. Did @Jazolihave one? @Barry Cade? 

I had an r1150rt albeit briefly, they are a brilliant commuter, but a bit boring really. 

I found the throttle really heavy and the brakes iffy (more when you try to push it around with the engine off as there is no servo assistance), the electric screen was handy and the oe electric grips were really hot and it was comfy, it handled well but it was all a bit agricultural to be honest and if I was to buy another similar bike it'd be a Pan Euro 13 or FJR13.

[83C]

10 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

I quite fancy trying a big beemer for my 75 mile commute- something like the R1150RT. Did @Jazolihave one? @Barry Cade? 

Had an R1100RT and found it similar to @Jazoli’s experiences. The telelever front suspension probably added to the brakes feeling iffy (virtually no diving under braking almost made it feel like I hadn’t pulled hard enough on the front brake) and it was a heavy old beast to push about. But, once going it was very comfortable, handled well for a big old lump and was great at protecting me from the worst of the wind and rain. What I couldn’t get used to was how wide it felt, especially with panniers fitted - I rarely filtered with it because the panniers were wider than the mirrors and my usual test of ‘if the mirrors fit, the rest will’ didn’t work. 

Try one, some people gel with them and do mega miles on one, but it wasn’t the bike for me.

[Barry Cade]

5 hours ago, 83C said:

Had an R1100RT and found it similar to @Jazoli’s experiences. The telelever front suspension probably added to the brakes feeling iffy (virtually no diving under braking almost made it feel like I hadn’t pulled hard enough on the front brake) and it was a heavy old beast to push about. But, once going it was very comfortable, handled well for a big old lump and was great at protecting me from the worst of the wind and rain. What I couldn’t get used to was how wide it felt, especially with panniers fitted - I rarely filtered with it because the panniers were wider than the mirrors and my usual test of ‘if the mirrors fit, the rest will’ didn’t work. 

Try one, some people gel with them and do mega miles on one, but it wasn’t the bike for me.

I hated my boxer at first, nearly gave up, then something clicked and I understood. 1038 miles in a day. They just fit me. Threw the S around like a BMX, RS was a great all rounder, so an RT would do what it says on the tin I'd imagine.. although my LTs gave me backache... 

[Bfg]

46 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

I hated my boxer at first, nearly gave up, then something clicked and I understood. 1038 miles in a day. They just fit me. Threw the S around like a BMX, RS was a great all rounder, so an RT would do what it says on the tin I'd imagine.. although my LTs gave me backache... 

I've had and much trans-continentally used a number of K75's  K100's and boxers of 900 and 800cc. I've ridden and enjoyed the R1150 and would consider buying one if I could find an earlier round fairing model.  The thing I found with each BMW I've ridden is to lean the bike under you around corners, while your body stays straight-backed upright. My old Sunbeam motorcycles are the same, insomuch as if I were to slip down beside the bike inside a corner - then they handle awfully. Even changing the handlebars for similar but slightly different shaped after-market ones noticeably degrades that riding position.  The K100RS had low handlebars, but still the designers got it right.  

On the later (and pretty heavy) K-series bikes I found the brakes to be marginal, to the point of being frightening.  I sort of lost my confidence and so when on an advanced rider course. Taking it through with instructor he pointed out that I was using the brake far too much. He suggested I drop a gear or even two when riding cross country, and use the engine braking very much more.  I did that and regained my confidence.  I was used to torquey long stroke twins ..and triple or four (..to a lesser extent) didn't slow down the same.  I guess if I had been more used to multi-cylinder Jap bikes I would have known better. 

I've really appreciated the RT fairings and panniers. The former's wind protection extended the riding season significantly, and the latter made the bike useful even for grocery shopping. The top box I had on the RT Ultima was handy for helmets but ugly and it caught cross winds. I didn't use it very much, aside from when touring. I much preferred the tank bag. 

That reminds me I still have a set BMW pannier bags (..specifically fitted to go inside the panniers) which I must dig out sometime and put on ebay.  They were darned expensive to buy new, and are probably now collectors items.

Pete

 

[Fabergé Greggs]

Thanks for the input all! Given that I need to do a huge stretch of motorway, weather protection and luggage capacity really appeals to me. 

I know of this 2004 K1200GT with 70,000 miles for £1600 or so, but for some reason these don’t appeal as much as a boxer. Plus this era of K seems to get very mixed reviews.