The Bikeshite Thread

[Jerzy Woking]

4 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Welcome to the big moped massive, the X-max is the smaller brother of my TMax and they are meant to be pretty good.

Bit annoying about your insurance on the Guzzi, it's like you are being penalized for telling the truth, most people would just "borrow" a mate or relatives address and keep pretending they live in the UK.

I think Brexit has killed that now, especially when those Brits living in (most) of the EU have had to get residency where they live and change to an EU driving licence.

[Jerzy Woking]

4 hours ago, Sir Chocolate Teapot said:

I hate to admit it but i think you will find you end up more and more only using the maxi scooter, they are just soo useful and easy to ride. I have sold my last proper bike and when i return to uk will probably just have a 300 cc scooter as my 2 wheels. 

I had a Piaggio X-Evo 400 for commuting duties (120 miles a day) which it was superb for, especially in inclement weather. Taller screen and hot grips fitted, combined with the built in great weather protection. I only ever got wet whilst stopped in a queue when it was raining. But as I had a few other bikes, all the X-Evo was used for was the commute. A KTM RC8R wasn't as practical, but it was a shitload faster!

The T-Max's here are really expensive second hand, as they are in huge demand. See lots here being ridden really hard, lots are tricked up with suspension upgrades and full Akropovic systems. The X-Max will be not encourage such hooligan behavior in me and will stay as standard as it is now.

One large Honda dealer I frequently call in at told me he sells 10 used scooters to every used bike sale. From what I see being ridden on the roads here, I don't doubt that one bit.

[hairnet]

Yay it didn't fall over

[hairnet]

the new boats are very nice

but the way they get people on and off if you go upstairs is a pita

no separate bit for bikes (the last boat had a bit where there was stairs or a gangway in the middle of the deck and all the loops were there

now we live with the cars down the outside of the deck = leave almost last but

and this is the kicker which spoils it

if the bike for any reason falls over - and you see the pic - and i had one of them mercedes not a nissan pick ups next to me - if the bike had a lie down no idea how much that would cost to fix

[hairnet]

they always say the quickest way point to point in a place you dont know/do much is follow a local :D

i think he touched his brakes twice from annalong to newcastle :D - what was he in?? :D

 

@They_all_do_that_sir

[Jazoli]

Fitting a new engine to my friends thundercat as he incorrectly fitted a chain and smashed the crankcase when it let go.

could do with a bit more room to work though, one day I will have a double garage and a lift

[martc]

Patrick Lichfield, Britt Ekland and a Honda 450 'Black Bomber', my favourite old Japanese bike of all time.

The bike is a Hodaka and the future is bleak...

[They_all_do_that_sir]

So this month I have

a) met Hairnet, he exists



sold the wife's 125 for massive* profit. Her CBT is up and she's debating either doing her full test or not bothering at all. She was a confident enough rider on the 125, but just wasn't doing the miles.



c) Today the Bandit 600 passed its MOT. It's been on a covid extension now for the best part of two years. All I had to do was fit a headlight bulb



I'm probably going to move it on - I bought it off a mate for my dad to use but he's done maybe 20 miles on it in a year. I got it cheap, I've tidied it up and would probably see a small profit here too.

I was in the Honda main dealer earlier admiring CMX500 rebels. Was quite impressed - it would fit the bill rightly as a second bike for me that the Mrs could take on if she does her big test. It's the sort of style of bike she likes, we looked at Sportsters (883s) but they seem heavy for what they are, and a lot of that weight is up high. The Honda is much lighter in comparison, better made and the performance seems comparable. Less torque but much less weight balances that out.

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[twosmoke300]

How did you have a 2 yr covid mot extension ? 
It was only 6 months 😂
 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

How did you have a 2 yr covid mot extension ? 
It was only 6 months
 

Honestly every time I went online to book an MOT They'd moved my due date. It's the same with the wife's car, it doesn't expire until January 2022 now!!

Don't forget the MOT is done in government test centres over here. There's a massive backlog, you generally need to book a month in advance for some centres.


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[twosmoke300]

Ahh didn’t realise you are in Ireland 😂

[Jenson Velcro]

Been modifying cylinder heads to take different fixing brackets and then skimming to raise the compression ratio.

Haven’t really got a clue what I’m doing but it will be fun finding out 

[UltraWomble]

Well fuck knows what Carole Nash have done here but I suddenly realised that my renewal paperwork hadnt been emailed to me ( due 16th)

So thats going to be a fun phone call tomorrow.

[Jerzy Woking]

Getting some insurance quotes for my X-Max scooter. Spain to have recently got a few comparison sites up and running.  Best price €77 third party only with Linea Directa. Click on link. Nope, insurance is €149 not €77. Bollocks to the comparison site.

Got it for €128 through a reputable company (or as reputable as insurers go). OK its third party only BUT it does allow any rider over 28 who has held a licence for two years can ride it. So when I finally get some visitors here, at least they have a bike to potter around on.

[Sheefag]

Thought I'd stick this here rather than in the Ebay thread where it might get buried.      I remember a time when it seemed every bike courier in London had one of these.

Quote

Listed a day ago in Hook, England

1980 Honda CX - 38,000mls - £1,495

Seller's Description

Honda CX500 b project. 1980. 38,000 miles

This bike has been sat since 2011 in bits.

We have gently bolted some of it together after buying it from a deceased estate. It seems to be mostly all there, it does not run.

I haven’t tried to get it going. It’s got good compression.

It’s a really clean tidy bike, great restoration contender.

It appears a lot of it’s been powder coated already.

I have the V5.

Viewings welcome by appointment in hook Hampshire, delivery unavailable at the moment.

[Bradders59]

Strangford ferry and Scrabo tower. I just got a sudden wave of home sickness. Really need to make the effort to get back over for a  few days when this is all over. 

[Snake Charmer]

I used to regularly see a '78 S reg CX500 heading into London in the early 2000's still Despatching. 👍

Plastic Maggot is a name that springs to mind.

 Who would have thought the CX500 would be made into a Cafe Racer when sprung onto the unsuspecting public back in the late 70's?

[Jerzy Woking]

When I wrote off my own bike and was waoting for the insurance company to sort it out, my brother lent me a CX500 from the collection of crap bikes he had at the dealership he ran.

Hated it. Handling wasn't great, the brakes were dreadful (all but lethal in the rain) and it was very tall for my little legs.

I found a very tatty Kawasaki GT550 for sale locally, which I thought was a far better bike, as it handled and braked OK, and was lower. 

Don't see many of either around now, despite the fact the streets of London were full of them.

Incidentally, right up until around 2005/2006 I regularly saw a despatch rider on a Suzuki X5 (200cc two stroke twin), complete with expansion chambers, in the Gracechurch Street/Eastcheap area of London. 

[Jazoli]

Its nice to see a standard one rather than the usual 'cafe wanker' modified by a clueless bearded hipster cunt.

[Jerzy Woking]

I have photos of half a dozen or so at a Bikeshed event a couple of years ago. All followed the "bang a hump seat, ace or high bars and pod air filters on" school of hipsterism design.

Although I was very impressed  by the welding of the exhaust fabrication on this one, but very much disliked the bike itself.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Bandit sold within four hours of advertising it. Made a nice return on it too. Prices are mental at the minute. Same story selling the wife's 125 last week.

She wants to do her full test rather than repeat CBT every two years. She doesn't really want a big bike, just a "faster 125" in her words.

It would be a bike she would use occasionally, and an excuse for me to have a second bike I wouldn't necessarily pick for myself.

Top of the tree at the minute is the new Enfield Meteor 350



Her favourite is the base model in Yellow. It's got a low seat, really cheap for a new bike at £3499 and sort of fits what she's after.

I love the looks and would happily have one in the garage as a second bike, but I worry that she would quickly grow out of 20bhp and 27nm of torque. Having said that all the reviews seem very positive......and she only wants a bit more oomph for getting out of junctions. She's not a fast rider by any stretch.



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[hairnet]

if they made a normal naked one of those id have bought one already

himalayan (hai) might work?

lightly used ones 3500 new one 4100

 

 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

if they made a normal naked one of those id have bought one already
himalayan (hai) might work?
lightly used ones 3500 new one 4100
 
 

Himalayan too tall. She's a short arse

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[hairnet]

crf50

 

 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Well....after consideration I felt the Enfield would be something she would grow out of fairly quickly. As a second bike just for me I'm sure it would be grand, but I'd probably wish I'd bought a second hand bullet for a more authentic experience.

So I've went and bought a bike we both like, but she doesn't know yet.

It's a bike I fancied when it was launched, but wouldn't have bought just for me. It has a low seat height and she loves the looks.

All will be revealed next week when I collect it....



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[hairnet]

Velosolex

[bangernomics]

I’m shopping for new tyres for my heavy vfr1200x and my usual suppler has offered me some stock stuff that I can have today.

Anyone used metzler 01 se? £300 a set

Or Bridgestone T32’s? £275 a set

There’s nothing in the price but I do lots of long sadly motorway commute type stuff so could do with something that doesn’t square off in a day.

[Jazoli]

26 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

I’m shopping for new tyres for my heavy vfr1200x and my usual suppler has offered me some stock stuff that I can have today.

Anyone used metzler 01 se? £300 a set

Or Bridgestone T32’s? £275 a set

There’s nothing in the price but I do lots of long sadly motorway commute type stuff so could do with something that doesn’t square off in a day.

Don't think you'll go wrong with either although I'd fit the Metzelers myself as they really are a quality tyre.

[Fabergé Greggs]

On 6/15/2021 at 8:45 PM, Jerzy Woking said:

I had a Piaggio X-Evo 400 for commuting duties (120 miles a day) which it was superb for, especially in inclement weather. Taller screen and hot grips fitted, combined with the built in great weather protection. I only ever got wet whilst stopped in a queue when it was raining. But as I had a few other bikes, all the X-Evo was used for was the commute. A KTM RC8R wasn't as practical, but it was a shitload faster!

The T-Max's here are really expensive second hand, as they are in huge demand. See lots here being ridden really hard, lots are tricked up with suspension upgrades and full Akropovic systems. The X-Max will be not encourage such hooligan behavior in me and will stay as standard as it is now.

One large Honda dealer I frequently call in at told me he sells 10 used scooters to every used bike sale. From what I see being ridden on the roads here, I don't doubt that one bit.

Pondering a move out of London at the mo (isn’t everyone).. what kind of MPG’s did you see from the Xevo? My potential commute would be similar to your old one. 

[Jerzy Woking]

2 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Pondering a move out of London at the mo (isn’t everyone).. what kind of MPG’s did you see from the Xevo? My potential commute would be similar to your old one. 

At a steady indicated 65 to 70 mph, around 90 mpg. Takes some restraint to do that though, although my commute was 3 miles of country lanes and 57 miles of motorway/dual carriageway so keeping a light and steady throttle was best for mpg. Ragging it saw that drop to around 55mpg but indicated speed was three figures.

I have just got a 2007 Yamaha X-Max 250, which is exceeding my  expectations. Really quick up to 100 kph, easily holds an indicated 120kph. It feels so much better than the Aprilia Leonardo I had that has the same engine.

Have done 100kms on it so far, and fuel gauge hasn't moved from Full. Storage under the seat is great, altough the seat doesnt tip right foward as it did on the X-Evo, and it needs a top box for even more storage/carrying capacity. 

I really like the maxi scooters for local trips to do the shopping, or just going to the beach where I can shove my jacket and helmet under the seat and off I go.