The Bikeshite Thread

[scdan4]

Good bikes, get it bought.

[Stinkwheel]

33 minutes ago, willswitchengage said:

Hello

A friend has offered me a 1st gen Fazer for a bag of sand. Low miles, well looked after, aftermarket zorst which is not ideal and only fault being the fuel level indicator not working.

Steal? Anything to look for on these? Feels like a bargain to me getting something without millions of daft mods. Two cylinders if prefer, but you can't have everything you want.

Ok looking at the photos again it is semi molested but not too bad...

Looks a genuine bike, a lot these have been properly messed about with. Value is about right if you ask me. 

[hairnet]

exup only on the 1000

like any old bike check electrics and bent stuff

check the brakes arent binding and itll be fine

[Iamgroot]

Yeah, exup only on the 1000, sorry @willswitchengage I thought that one was a 1000

[Stinkwheel]

Bought a new rear tyre for the MZ, loving the brand name 🤣

[straightSix]

Has anyone done the bikesure course? I'm thinking of doing the one on Halesowen

https://bikesafe.co.uk/#mobile-menu

[martc]

14 hours ago, Stinkwheel said:

Bought a new rear tyre for the MZ, loving the brand name 🤣

I think that's supposed to sound Italian, rather than being in a malaise, as CEAT (Cavi Elettrici e Affini Torino (Electrical Cables and Allied Products of Turin)), the maker, was an Italian company. CEAT are now owned by RPG an Indian conglomerate, all the design work and manufacturing is now done in India, but they're obviously making the most of their Italian heritage.

Either way I'm prepared to bet that they are eleventy times better than Pneumants.

 

[Stinkwheel]

8 hours ago, martc said:

Either way I'm prepared to bet that they are eleventy times better than Pneumants.

This, absolutely this.

The tyre on the front was the original pneumant at only 40 years old, it didnt even look worn, they must have been made from some epic stuff 🤣

This rear was to replace an equally old Avon Speedmaster Mk2. 

Dont think I'd have trusted either to get me even to the end of the drive to be fair

 

[Cavcraft]

Didn't Pneumant make light commercial tyres years ago? I'm sure we used to fit them and they sodding awful.

[D1GITALray]

15 hours ago, straightSix said:

Has anyone done the bikesure course? I'm thinking of doing the one on Halesowen

https://bikesafe.co.uk/#mobile-menu

Yes, it's definitely worth doing. I did one in Plymouth a few years ago. The one thing that will freak you out is constantly seeing a police bike in your mirrors when on your observed ride! I went out with this Police rider and we rode for a good few hours, stopping every so often to chat about situations where things went well or didn't quite work. Plus a quick coffee stop as that's what all bikers love to do 😀.  I was lucky as my work paid for the event. They were doing a safety month and offered up places on this.

[martc]

On 02/04/2026 at 13:41, Stinkwheel said:

This, absolutely this.

The tyre on the front was the original pneumant at only 40 years old, it didnt even look worn, they must have been made from some epic stuff 🤣

This rear was to replace an equally old Avon Speedmaster Mk2. 

Dont think I'd have trusted either to get me even to the end of the drive to be fair

 

I have had several MZ's over the years, in fact I passed my bike test on a TS125. I recall the time when I was on my ETZ250 at uni one Autumn evening. The road was thick with wet leaves, the Pneumants surprisingly failed to grip and I was off at 10mph. Unfortunately it fell awkwardly and bent the forks. A gaggle of girlie students saw it happen and giggled; I was much embarrassed. 

I generally replaced them with Avons (not Speedmasters however) or Metzlers.

23 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Didn't Pneumant make light commercial tyres years ago? I'm sure we used to fit them and they sodding awful.

Yes, Pneumant made allsorts of sizes and types of tyres, from moped to lorry. They did sell them over here for a while, being the '80's equivalent of the current plethora of cheap Chinese ditch finders. The Czech equivalent - 'Barum' were much better.

 

[Mudster]

I had 2 TS125s back in the 80s, each around 10 years old and still on the original Pneumants. I did loads of miles and never fitted new tyres. These days we get sealed for life gearboxes, but back then the East Germans perfected the fit and forget tyres.

I refuse to believe anyone ever wore out the original tyres.

[martc]

My MZ history - new TS125, new TS150, 13 year old TS150 on its original Pneumants, 8 year old TS250 Supa 5 (a bike I look on with great fondness), a new ETZ250 and a new MuZ 300 Saxon Tour fitted with Pneumants but also Italian CEV switchgear, the same as my Moto Guzzi Spada, and Mikuni oil pump, no idea why they didn't put decent tyres on it.

I also had a couple of Nevals a Minsk 125 and IZH Planeta 350 combination. They were fitted with USSR made tyres with no brand name, they were called something like M42, anyhow they were very hard wearing but I don't remember any 'moments' with them, unlike the Pneumants.

I also had a Jawa 350 whose Barums were the nearest an eastern European tyre got to western performance.

The Pneumants and Barums made an attempt at a decent tread pattern, the M42s were just blocks.

 

[hairnet]

arai quantic 

complicated visor bastard

why cant it be like the older ones - in the slot at the pod find the roundel - push click done

this one push lever for pod move visor to certain point then pull

but faff to put it back together cos god help you if you line it up only microns off

sake

cleaned it without taking the visor off

[Barry Cade]

On 02/04/2026 at 08:57, straightSix said:

Has anyone done the bikesure course? I'm thinking of doing the one on Halesowen

https://bikesafe.co.uk/#mobile-menu

Yes, did it many years ago.. only  two of us on the day, and the copper, whose name was Gordon Jackson.. I had a bit of fun with Professionals jibes that day .... learned a lot, and really realised these motorcycle coppers really can ride very well. Got a row for staying in lane when going round an empty roundabout.. why, he said. Just go straight through! 

He was on a 600 Bandit, I was on an 1100 BMW and the other chap was on an Aprilia Futura. Gordon properly left us for dead. We both checked to see if his brake lights were connected when we stopped for a fag... they were! Then we got the discussion about keeping the gears down and the revs up.. and started on about vanishing points.. 

Twas a great day, and I still get discounts on my insurance for having done it.

[tom13]

Another Lands End trial complete.

Annoyingly cleared all the sections (to my knowledge) but I messed up the sequence on 2 (stopped at a restart I shouldn't have and jumped a starting light thinking you had to go when it flashed but you had to wait for it to turn off) so those will count as fails. Also I was miles out on time. We were gaining time throughout and we weren't speeding. I don't know where they get there figures from but I wasn't keen on hanging around in the cold to lose some time.

Getting rained and soaked though with zero visibility at 5:00 in the morning on a Cornish moor somewhere wasn't fun and I was questioning life choices but it's the hardship that adds to the overall adventure.

Left the van in lynton at 6pm Friday and returned to it at 6pm Saturday. With a lot of riding and 15min sleep between them.

Also my xlight trials tyres we're good but I would liken them to riding on a jelly snake on the road. Very sketchy especially the hotter they got.

[hairnet]

so wanna get rid of nc750 cos heavy and even tho its muchos practical

its heavy and tall apparently theyre 830mm - cant swing leg over anymore

looking at cl500 74 plate 2k miles 780mm seat - had cb500f that 60000 miles on it so know all about the motor but its in colchester - not sure if theyd take the nc they want 3495 it was 3795 a week ago

or new enfield guerilla 450 - as quick as the nc far lighter (186kg the nc is 214)

also lower 795mm and even tho shops asking rrp for them still 🙄

you can get them for 3995 place in rochdale has a few so does millenium in st helens

dunno what to do  @Fat_Pirate @twosmoke300 wanna buy a honda

 

[Cavcraft]

3 hours ago, hairnet said:

so wanna get rid of nc750 cos heavy and even tho its muchos practical

its heavy and tall apparently theyre 830mm - cant swing leg over anymore

looking at cl500 74 plate 2k miles 780mm seat - had cb500f that 60000 miles on it so know all about the motor but its in colchester - not sure if theyd take the nc they want 3495 it was 3795 a week ago

or new enfield guerilla 450 - as quick as the nc far lighter (186kg the nc is 214)

also lower 795mm and even tho shops asking rrp for them still 🙄

you can get them for 3995 place in rochdale has a few so does millenium in st helens

dunno what to do  @Fat_Pirate @twosmoke300 wanna buy a honda

 

Bit more but a lot nearer

2024 2024 Honda CL500 for sale for £4,195 in Deeside, CLWYD

[Shandylegs]

I made the decision to advertise the TL last week. I wasn't greedy in terms of price so it sold really quickly. 

Disappointed in one way, but not if you what I mean.

I'm now looking for or something big naked or semi (as messing with fairings to access anything is annoying) with an upright riding position. Budget us flexible, but would like to be somewhere around £3k.

Despite them being complex and not without their issues, I'm still drawn to the BMW K1200/1300.

[hairnet]

10 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Bit more but a lot nearer

2024 2024 Honda CL500 for sale for £4,195 in Deeside, CLWYD

saw that

1.50 to deliver to kway 

bargain

gifb

wonder how much theyd haggle

train to colchester is 72 quid - thru london tho  - worth saving 500 quid for tho

edit via leeds and peebo its 41 but youre sat 2 hours at pbo - hmm

less stress than london tho

[hairnet]

4 hours ago, Shandylegs said:

I made the decision to advertuse the TL last week.

mot man has one of those hes had it as long as ive know him at least 15 years

x11 or mt10?

[Shandylegs]

9 minutes ago, hairnet said:

mot man has one of those hes had it as long as ive know him at least 15 years

x11 or mt10?

Mt10 would be a good call, but don't think I'd get anything in budget.

I'd considered a Bandit or Xjr, but sold my Cammo pants and Simpson Bandit 35 years ago.

[hairnet]

cb1000 90s

zrx11 - good bike watch out if you have big feet tho

z1000

[hairnet]

10 hours ago, Cavcraft said:

Bit more but a lot nearer

2024 2024 Honda CL500 for sale for £4,195 in Deeside, CLWYD

the colchester one is on the list for motorcycling reasons

[hairnet]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202603230939295?sort=relevance&searchId=965b0ccd-6ec9-49af-a9d8-b601381368e9&make=Honda&model=CB750+Hornet&page=1&postcode=M171tr&advertising-location=at_bikes&fromsra=&backLinkQueryParams=channel%3Dbikes%26postcode%3DM171tr%26make%3DHonda%26model%3DCB750%20Hornet%26flrfc%3D1&calc-deposit=450&calc-term=48&calc-mileage=6000&calc-selected-product=PCP

since they came out the frame makes me wanna jump off blackpool tower but want

the yellow ftw but the blue and grey are newer so ££££

 

[tom13]

Put a scooter on my exhaust

[hairnet]

^^^ wtf

wanted to do some wales photo thing to finish them off

but then go to ireland to finish them too

via iom

return on stena to dub 133 euro

single to douglas 135 then on to dublin 130

ahahahahaahahaahahahahahahahaa

[loserone]

Id have sent you the euro

[tom13]

Looking for a bit of advice from the collective.

Looking at getting a new bike and I'm considering different options.

I do loads of mixed riding from days out on the road to days on the green lanes.

Don't have the funds to buy outright right now so it's different finance options or put the money on a credit card and pay it back monthly but I would get charged a 3% fee on the payment to a private seller.

I'm looking at:

New Voge 300 £4000 new. I think 8% finance option roughly.

Used Voge price range is 2500-3000.

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450. The deal on these is £2950 down 24 months interest free then a final payment of £2950. Could put the original purchase price on an interest free card then pay it all back over that time

Used Himalayan £4000. I have seen a nice one with only about 1500 miles on for this and I am quite keen on this option. Would be about £4200 by the time I have collected it and the 3% buying private.

CF Moto MT450. £5700 new haven't looked at finance on these yet.

Not really considering a CRF300 unless one came for sale locally cheap.

Last option is but something like an old Transalp for circa £1500 and not worry about the payback.

I have never done finance like this before apart from just putting it on a card and paying it back.

I can be a bit flighty sometimes and like a change. I feel like if I had the 450 Himalayan I would have this for a while. I had a 411 for ages that I enjoyed.

I'm swaying towards the used 450 Himalayan but would like to hear people options.

 

[UltraWomble]

I think ( but may be wrong) that @Cavcraft has experience of the Himalayan & ended up buying a BMW instead for not a great deal more.