The Bikeshite Thread

[Stinkwheel]

34 minutes ago, twosmoke300 said:

These weren't lithiums

I've put a lithium on my 4 stroke enduro bike and my 660 single track bike ( both pretty rough n vibey) and they have been fine for 2 years now.

Id call that lucky then, as i say, have seen many fail, but in the hundreds over importing/selling thousands of batteries. The issue is they arent always very well 'encased' in the bigger outer and eventually move and pull out/damage connections.

As per always, some you win, some you lose

[straightSix]

On 22/05/2024 at 17:07, grogee said:

I've just booked CBT with a view to doing Big Bike test soon after. It'll be in Cubbington near Leamington Spa, middle of next month. 

If anyone wants to sell me short & fat man's motorcycle gear, I'm all ears. 

For your big boy test I'd recommend West Midlands Motorbike Training in Warwick. They were ace when I did mine.

If you're just starting out it's not worth buying brand new gear. Vinted/marketplace is good for pickup up cheap stuff. I really like the RST gear. And get yourself down to sports bike shop in Brum. They were super helpful letting me try on all sorts of helmets and finding what actually fits my oddly square head. And I'd probably pick up a pair of new gloves whilst there as well. 

Most of all, enjoy it! 

[Stinkwheel]

37 minutes ago, straightSix said:

For your big boy test I'd recommend West Midlands Motorbike Training in Warwick. They were ace when I did mine.

If you're just starting out it's not worth buying brand new gear. Vinted/marketplace is good for pickup up cheap stuff. I really like the RST gear. And get yourself down to sports bike shop in Brum. They were super helpful letting me try on all sorts of helmets and finding what actually fits my oddly square head. And I'd probably pick up a pair of new gloves whilst there as well. 

Most of all, enjoy it! 

Although be very careful buying motorcycle riding gear online, lots of fake stuff about or things claiming to be CE A or AA or AAA rated thats just junk with a label added. It might be worth just buying in person if you can get to the bigger stores with lots of choice

[grogee]

45 minutes ago, straightSix said:

For your big boy test I'd recommend West Midlands Motorbike Training in Warwick. They were ace when I did mine.

If you're just starting out it's not worth buying brand new gear. Vinted/marketplace is good for pickup up cheap stuff. I really like the RST gear. And get yourself down to sports bike shop in Brum. They were super helpful letting me try on all sorts of helmets and finding what actually fits my oddly square head. And I'd probably pick up a pair of new gloves whilst there as well. 

Most of all, enjoy it! 

Thanks, appreciate it. 

Very roughly, how many weeks pocket money do I have to save for the big bike course/test? I have a figure of about £450 in my head, is that about right or nowhere near? 

[Stinkwheel]

7 minutes ago, grogee said:

Thanks, appreciate it. 

Very roughly, how many weeks pocket money do I have to save for the big bike course/test? I have a figure of about £450 in my head, is that about right or nowhere near? 

A guy i know who had never ridden a bike until recently got his full licence with a 3 or 4 day course (cant remember exactly) and that was cash no vat price of 750, mine was too far back in time to remember what it cost in 1995

[straightSix]

21 minutes ago, grogee said:

Thanks, appreciate it. 

Very roughly, how many weeks pocket money do I have to save for the big bike course/test? I have a figure of about £450 in my head, is that about right or nowhere near? 

I think including everything, so CBT, theory test, training and MOD 1 and 2 probably cost me close to 1k! I think the course I did was 5 days, with tests on two of those, and it was around 750. Some places are definitely cheaper but the place I went to had brand new Kawasaki Z650s which were great to learn on and pretty sure everyone I learnt with passed first time 

[Cavcraft]

£750? Jesus wept, no wonder some say that people aren't bothering to ride bikes these days.

[Stinkwheel]

1 minute ago, Cavcraft said:

£750? Jesus wept, no wonder some say that people aren't bothering to ride bikes these days.

And that was the cash price !!  FFS

[Cavcraft]

Alright, it was years back (around 1983, I think) but at the time it was like £30 for CBT and something like £95 to do part 2 (none of that pissing about going up in stages) and that included hiring a Yamaha SR125 to do it on.

[Dave_Q]

I seem to recall I paid £500 for direct access including CBT, about 9 years ago in Bradford. 

I did think that the hourly lessons might have been better value as a full* days DA training involved turning up at the school at 9, messing about having a coffee for ages and heading out at 10, a 10-15min smoke break for the instructor per hour, lunch, and finishing about 2:30pm.

Still, I passed both mod 1 and 2 first time so can't complain really.

If you have a high enough tolerance to being able to do about 55mph flat out you could ride a 125 for a year first to get some experience but TBF considering insurance and the high cost of 125s compared to adult motorcycles, you may as well just go for it.

[MrGTI6]

I paid somewhere in the region of £900 which included the theory, CBT, 5-days' training and MOD1/MOD2. This was in 2022 in the south east. No regrets, my instructor was excellent and there were only 2 of us and we both progressed at a similar pace.

Anyway, celebrated my birthday today on my own with a nice long ride out down to the coast. Headed down to Rye, then towards Hastings via Pett Level (where I stopped for a short stroll along the beach to stretch my legs) before heading back home.

Despite being a 25-year-old bike, the Triumph never missed a beat. Aside from the flat battery first thing in the morning of course, which was a result of me not using it enough!

I really do need to invest in some ear plugs. Any recommendations would be great!

[Fat_Pirate]

There are online ear-plug providers who'll send you a selection pack, personally I like 3M Earsoft (get a big box each year).

[tom13]

On 11/06/2024 at 14:20, MrGTI6 said:

I paid somewhere in the region of £900 which included the theory, CBT, 5-days' training and MOD1/MOD2. This was in 2022 in the south east. No regrets, my instructor was excellent and there were only 2 of us and we both progressed at a similar pace.

Anyway, celebrated my birthday today on my own with a nice long ride out down to the coast. Headed down to Rye, then towards Hastings via Pett Level (where I stopped for a short stroll along the beach to stretch my legs) before heading back home.

Despite being a 25-year-old bike, the Triumph never missed a beat. Aside from the flat battery first thing in the morning of course, which was a result of me not using it enough!

I really do need to invest in some ear plugs. Any recommendations would be great!

Just get the yellow and pink 3m ones all the factories have. I get through a pair about every 2-3 months and that's only because I have loads and they can get grubby keep taking them in and out.

[tom13]

Honda Transalp, what's peoples thoughts of them on and off road? Would be a 90s into mid 2000's model.

Also anyone got a cheap 'adventure bike' for sale at all that I should also consider?

[Stinkwheel]

Its a Honda first off, so will be reasonably robust and they arent too heavy either (well the earlier ones at least) which i like. Parts will be avialable, again, because honda and they dont look too bad either, a lot of the new adventure bikes look bloody weird to my eye.

Ryan F9 or Fortnine on youtube did a good comparison of old and new versions recently (although with a canadian bias)

 

[Dave_Q]

17 minutes ago, tom13 said:

Honda Transalp, what's peoples thoughts of them on and off road? Would be a 90s into mid 2000's model.

Also anyone got a cheap 'adventure bike' for sale at all that I should also consider?

@garbaldy had a Triumph Tiger that looked pretty cheap to me: 

 

[andyberg]

On 11/06/2024 at 14:20, MrGTI6 said:

I paid somewhere in the region of £900 which included the theory, CBT, 5-days' training and MOD1/MOD2. This was in 2022 in the south east. No regrets, my instructor was excellent and there were only 2 of us and we both progressed at a similar pace.

Anyway, celebrated my birthday today on my own with a nice long ride out down to the coast. Headed down to Rye, then towards Hastings via Pett Level (where I stopped for a short stroll along the beach to stretch my legs) before heading back home.

Despite being a 25-year-old bike, the Triumph never missed a beat. Aside from the flat battery first thing in the morning of course, which was a result of me not using it enough!

I really do need to invest in some ear plugs. Any recommendations would be great!

So glad you are still enjoying the bike 😁

[Dave_Q]

9 minutes ago, MrGTI6 said:

Still very happy with it, I just don't get out on it nearly enough! 

Can't believe I've had it well over a year now. I was pleasantly surprised by my insurance renewal of £204!

I was also pretty surprised by my insurance when I first passed, think my first year was on a VFR750 and was around £200, next year was on an RR-W Fireblade and that was only about £250!

[garbaldy]

3 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

@garbaldy  still has a Triumph Tiger that looked pretty cheap to me: 

 

Yup still available but what a right load of timewasters there is these days.   I've accepted three offers now only for the offerer to then be abducted by aliens.  

[andyberg]

3 hours ago, MrGTI6 said:

Still very happy with it, I just don't get out on it nearly enough! 

Can't believe I've had it well over a year now. I was pleasantly surprised by my insurance renewal of £204!

Wow is it really that long!!!  Flippin heck.

[bangernomics]

Honda Transalp, what's peoples thoughts of them on and off road? Would be a 90s into mid 2000's model.
Also anyone got a cheap 'adventure bike' for sale at all that I should also consider?

I have a “cheap” Honda crosstourer if you consider 4k cheap? 4.5k would include all the bits with it too so luggage, racks, nav mount, spare seat, screens etc etc.

It’s going for an MOT tomorrow at 08:30hrs.

MJ12BFL

I do like the transalps I think they’ve aged well.


Gzongenflatch
In memory of Phil.

[Liggle]

My old chicken chaser is on the road. Been off the road since 1980, 30mph never felt so fast!

[Stinkwheel]

There’s been a lot of tinkering with the 200LC the last couple of weeks. Got it all running nicely at long last, just done a plug chop from flat in 3rd and it’s a nice ash grey/light brown. The upgraded (triumph branded but actually nissin calliper is a real must with the 200cc’s - it’s surprisingly rapid.

 

[Jerzy Woking]

A mate has an LC350 that now wears Triumph TT600 front brake calipers and master cylinder. Bought from eBay, complete with braided hoses, for much less than a seal kit and pistons for the standard calipers. Surprisingly they were a straight bolt on and bleed job. 

[Stinkwheel]

3 minutes ago, Jerzy Woking said:

A mate has an LC350 that now wears Triumph TT600 front brake calipers and master cylinder. Bought from eBay, complete with braided hoses, for much less than a seal kit and pistons for the standard calipers. Surprisingly they were a straight bolt on and bleed job. 

Yep, this is same calliper, r/h only obviously. I was told it would be overbraked, but it’s not at all, it’s 👍 

 

[Jerzy Woking]

14 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said:

Yep, this is same calliper, r/h only obviously. I was told it would be overbraked, but it’s not at all, it’s 👍 

 

Mates LC350 the same, he thought it could be overdoing it. Says the braking need little pressure and have loads of feel.

Another friends son had a 125cc Sinnis, and that had twin discs as standard. Quite pointless on something so underpowered.

 

[twosmoke300]

Yeh I’ve fitted triumph calipers to a few bikes . Mainly to replace the wanky 6 pots on zx6r’s etc 

[catsinthewelder]

I used to be of the opinion that you could have too much braking available but it's better than the alternative (and the 125 takes nearly as much stopping from 60mph as the 600).

[scdan4]

Sun came out 

[Dave_Q]

Just listed my ex's ER6 here if any use to anyone. Currently A2 restricted but can be removed in seconds. Also interested in recommendations for a lightweight 250-400cc she can replace it with. She did her A2 test on a Z400 but the budget is whatever she gets back on this.