The Bikeshite Thread

[Cavcraft]

Finally having a go at keeping the original plate on the Honda C200. It seems a tax disc (didn't have one anyhow) along with knowing actual reg. number isn't enough anymore, so have emailed the local council and they've been very helpful. One person has said it's still a gamble with the DVLA as to whether you get to keep the number or get an age-related one, but fingers crossed. 

Have also taken the plunge and ordered a new wheel rim for the SS50, it's going to be a long process getting the whole thing done but hopefully will be worth it. 

[hairnet]

21 hours ago, tom13 said:

Getting a PC32 CB500 soon. I have ridden one fleetingly before.

 

theres a crazy melonfarmer wanting 1800 on autotrader for one

the next ad is for the modern version for 2100

15 years between them i know which id buy

[tom13]

1 hour ago, hairnet said:

theres a crazy melonfarmer wanting 1800 on autotrader for one

the next ad is for the modern version for 2100

15 years between them i know which id buy

I know what you mean and I don't know what the modern is like with regards to reliability but if the £1800 one is nice it would make a good reliable commuter with cheap insurance. Is £1800 that mental for a reliable bike you could work on yourself? That NC700X on here looks amazing value.

[hairnet]

22 minutes ago, tom13 said:

I know what you mean and I don't know what the modern is like with regards to reliability but if the £1800 one is nice it would make a good reliable commuter with cheap insurance. Is £1800 that mental for a reliable bike you could work on yourself? That NC700X on here looks amazing value.

i wouldnt pay more than a grand for the older one

i put 60k on the modern version in 2.5 years so reliable? no

also youd be fecking with carbs and drums so 19th century

 

 

[hairnet]

13 minutes ago, hairnet said:

i wouldnt pay more than a grand for the older one

i put 60k on the modern version in 2.5 years so reliable? no

also youd be fecking with carbs and drums so 19th century

 

 

 

@Dyslexic Viking kim bring the merc here in the spring when its finished

 

[tom13]

1 hour ago, hairnet said:

i wouldnt pay more than a grand for the older one

i put 60k on the modern version in 2.5 years so reliable? no

also youd be fecking with carbs and drums so 19th century

 

 

That's fair then.

Just be be pedantic PC32 is dual disc. Early model is drum rear though. 

[lexi]

I wouldn't mind an old Yam or Honda 125cc trail bike.  It is just to use for going up some rough ground to get to hill lochs in Argyll.  I thought they would be easy to pick up....ha ha it seems they are classic price tag now.

[Cavcraft]

Got the copy from the archives of when my Honda was first registered, so will get a dating certificate and send it all off with the other stuff to the DVLA and pray I get to keep the original number.

Also got 3 new spare plugs for the FS1 today, seem to think one of the others has the same type, possibly the RD50. 

 

[Cavcraft]

On 8/23/2022 at 8:03 PM, Cavcraft said:

The fabulous Bertrand at Dolwolfian Logistics

Dolwolfian Logistics

Ignore his hit/miss English on the web page, he's a proper insured courier and the nicest person you'll ever meet.

Sad news, Bertand has now retired from being a motorcycle collection/delivery guy.  

[UltraWomble]

On 12/22/2022 at 10:49 PM, lexi said:

I wouldn't mind an old Yam or Honda 125cc trail bike.  It is just to use for going up some rough ground to get to hill lochs in Argyll.  I thought they would be easy to pick up....ha ha it seems they are classic price tag now.

Chinese have that 125 market sewn up now unless you want to pay almost the same as a bigger capacity bike.
In fairness most Chinese stuff now is at a similar level to 70's Jap bikes - keep on top of the oily bits, keep them clean and use basic rust protection and for the most part they should be OK.
Consumable bits are still notoriously shit from new, but not expensive to replace with decent items when the time comes.
You only have to look at the used Yamaha YBR market to see how even (Chinese made) Jap small bikes can fester and dissolve when not maintained.

I keep thinking of pulling the trigger on something - Blurock/Bullit or Sinnis scrambler style bikes keep winking at me for £40/month for 3 years.

[Jerzy Woking]

Seen a couple of Chinese 125's (mostly with Suzuki GN125 clone engines) with 40,000 miles on them. Its all about maintenance. Ride them gently for a couple of miles before thrashing them. Change the oil and filter every couple of thousand miles. And protect from rust.

[andy18s]

And keep that chrome nice and shiny....

[Jerzy Woking]

Those fork legs look like the wooden handles on most of my garden tools

[Rustybullethole]

On 12/13/2022 at 10:18 PM, Fabergé Greggs said:

Problem is that the 1150’s sneak under the ULEZ NOx limit whereas the 1100’s do not. 

Yes though you can get that sorted for a few hundred quid. Love my gs 1100, didn’t think I would as only bought it for a euro tour though quickly became a keeper. Chuffers still broken now mine had loads of four wheel stuff taking up my free time so not much action of late. Mine shat the bevel box and now has ants one on it which has made it a lot less buzzy on the autobahn. The extra gear of the 1150 was missing for me before this though is perfect now. 
It’s not been trouble free though hasn’t had the easiest of lives since I’ve had it. Clutch is long not hard if you don’t mind the diy. I’m of the if it looks ok it’s going back in school. 
Its a big bugger and not the best filtering bike because of it though upright and high gives me a cracking veiw which goes a long way. 
Everyone should try one I feel. Really didn’t think it would be for me but do like it lots. 
Few shenanigans in my tat thread I’ll find the link.

Here you go fair bit of it in there. 

 

[twosmoke300]

I enjoyed this ride far more than I should have 😂

[tom13]

18 hours ago, twosmoke300 said:

I enjoyed this ride far more than I should have 😂

How long have you had these?

I would love a CT. Are these 110cc?

[twosmoke300]

Had the faded one since aug / sept and rebuilt the engine etc over winter . Got the shiny one last week.

These are both 1970 90’s

[tom13]

2 hours ago, twosmoke300 said:

Had the faded one since aug / sept and rebuilt the engine etc over winter . Got the shiny one last week.

These are both 1970 90’s

Nice. I was trying to do a swap for an earlier one I think 1965 a few weeks ago. It had a Chinese 125 fitted though. Come with the original engine, it had trailing forks not like the better ones fitted on the newer ones like yours. 

[martc]

Right, brace yourselves, I want to get this over as quickly as possible.

I have come into some money and like all reasonable people I have invested it into my pension bought a new, expensive and controversial motorbike.

The Guzzi is in part exchange for a Zero SR - yes an expensive, American, electric motorbike.

I won't be getting it until next month and won't be riding it until March or may be April; so can everyone  get whatever they want off their chests before then please.

[andyberg]

Hmmm, glorious Guzzi sound or gentle electric hum? Tough choice😂 Guzzi all the way.

[MiniMinorMk3]

 

[UltraWomble]

1 hour ago, martc said:

I have come into some money and like all reasonable people I have invested it into my pension bought a new, expensive and controversial motorbike.

Its your money, you do what you want.

The acceleration on these is supposed to be good.

I'd rather buy a Trumpet Scrambler myself, but there you go, the world would be very dull if we all liked the same thing.

[martc]

2 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

 

It didn't take long! Smiley face wink.

That is very much out of date and most of the Cypher features are now incorporated  as part of the purchase price. The idea was that it allowed you to buy a base model and then add the electronic options once you've got over the hefty initial price. I don't agree with it but it's the modern way of working I'm afraid. And Zero aren't the first company to charge  for software upgrades of features already built in. 

KTM have been doing it for years and no-one seems to be getting their knickers in a twist over them, eg -

 

And somewhere in this very forum there was some discussion about BMW doing the same. And of course BMW are faultless..... just remembered another BMW fact - you have to pay monthly for the software upgrades otherwise it's removed  remotely and you go back to misery spec. But no-ones seems to get all frothy about that... At least with Zero and KTM you only buy them once.

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

52 minutes ago, martc said:

 

And somewhere in this very forum there was some discussion about BMW doing the same. And of course BMW are faultless.....

 

I've read about the BMW stuff and think it is just daft to fit a car with all the stuff, but then charge the buyer to have the software upgraded to get the heated seats to work, or have memory mirrors, or boil the kettle before you get home.

I was looking for a test video, I think one H Cole had one on an episode of the Motorbike Show, but that other Dutch video turned up. It's done in a kind of luddite way and very much against the new tech of electric vehicles, which misses the point of the marketing by Zero.

If I was still into buying bikes, and had the opportunity, I'd have probably gone and purchased Monster SP.

[Jerzy Woking]

 

3 hours ago, martc said:

Right, brace yourselves, I want to get this over as quickly as possible.

I have come into some money and like all reasonable people I have invested it into my pension bought a new, expensive and controversial motorbike.

The Guzzi is in part exchange for a Zero SR - yes an expensive, American, electric motorbike.

I won't be getting it until next month and won't be riding it until March or may be April; so can everyone  get whatever they want off their chests before then please.

I had one on loan in 2019 (DSR?). It was bloody quick on overtakes and easily faster off of the line than any of my big V-twins (including a Guzzi V1200).

But for me, it was not a viable proposition, as the 60 mile motorway commute into work saw the range plummet to around 10 miles left when I got into the office. Ridden in stop start traffic where regeneration kicks in, it would be great. Plus my employers didn't like me plugging it in at work  and thus paying for my commute!

Hope you enjoy it. My local cops like theirs.

[martc]

14 minutes ago, Jerzy Woking said:

 

I had one on loan in 2019 (DSR?). It was bloody quick on overtakes and easily faster off of the line than any of my big V-twins (including a Guzzi V1200).

But for me, it was not a viable proposition, as the 60 mile motorway commute into work saw the range plummet to around 10 miles left when I got into the office. Ridden in stop start traffic where regeneration kicks in, it would be great. Plus my employers didn't like me plugging it in at work  and thus paying for my commute!

Hope you enjoy it. My local cops like theirs.

Thanks, I hope I enjoy it as well... range anxiety has already kicked in...

My commute is 45 miles each way but not at motorway speeds - mainly 50-60 mph with some urban sprawl. The Zero staff at the NEC and the salesmen are absolutely certain it will do this easily but the proof of the pudding etc etc.

I've paid extra for the upgrade to 17.3 kWh battery capacity which, according to Zero, will give a 'combined' range of 120 miles, I'm not a fast rider, happy to keep at the speed limits, and will, at least at the start, be running it in eco mode. I had similar anxieties with the electric car but after a year I'm pretty relaxed about it's range. It'll just be a case of getting used to it and knowing how to use the performance.

The SR has a smaller battery than the SR/F, SR/S or DS but also a less powerful motor (75 bhp vs 105 bhp (I think)) which not only makes it cheaper but the lower power engine should help with the range.

An extra power pack, adding 3 or 4 more kWh, can be added as an extra, although you lose the storage space in the 'tank'. I could resort to if I need (ie if I have to do 30mph to cover the 90 miles!).  But the kind people at English Electric Motorbikes are convinced I won't need it rather than spend more money with them!

 

 

[Jerzy Woking]

1 hour ago, martc said:

 

 But the kind people at English Electric Motorbikes are convinced I won't need it rather than spend more money with them!

Alex is a great bloke, and his enthusiasm and knowledge of the Electric motorbike industry is second to none. And he is realistic in what the bikes will actually do in the real world, and not simply quote manafacturers figures.

I really would be interested at what it is like to live with day to day.

[martc]

1 hour ago, Jerzy Woking said:

Alex is a great bloke, and his enthusiasm and knowledge of the Electric motorbike industry is second to none. And he is realistic in what the bikes will actually do in the real world, and not simply quote manafacturers figures.

I really would be interested at what it is like to live with day to day.

Alex is the chap I'm dealing with! Top bloke.

I'm sure they'll be some updates once I get the hang of it.

[Iamgroot]

Panels off the CBF ready for a trip to the body shop for a colour change.

[Cavcraft]

On 1/10/2023 at 1:01 PM, martc said:

Right, brace yourselves, I want to get this over as quickly as possible.

I have come into some money and like all reasonable people I have invested it into my pension bought a new, expensive and controversial motorbike.

The Guzzi is in part exchange for a Zero SR - yes an expensive, American, electric motorbike.

I won't be getting it until next month and won't be riding it until March or may be April; so can everyone  get whatever they want off their chests before then please.

That looks ace, fuck the haters. Look forward to reading how you get on with it.