Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

I had to google paracord bracelet. :)

The brief was continental meanderings, we have to assume these will be summertime peregrinations because, let's face it, who rides a bike to the Alps in winter. I can't speak for Germany but crossing France on two wheels is never entirely comfy. Invariably, it will rain torentially somewhere between Pas de Calais and the Bourgogne. There will be an epicentre of semi liquid cow dung and mire around Chablis with a general brightening of mood / clouds the nearer you are to Beaune.

There will be a frantic, bug splattered chase of sports cars. Somewhere on the way to Lyon, you will discover your black visor is inappropriate for the conditions. Multiple circumnavigations of the old city will be required to find a hotel room free of the national brass band convention. En route to Grenobles to meet the Route Napolean, soaking wet leathers will sit on the chest and thighs like a concrete blanket, shrinking the parts that other vehicles cannot reach. And finally, descending the lavender scented hillsides of Grasse, slick with nervous sweat from the twisties, a humid clam-bake awaits as you beleagueredly flop on the bed of your Cannes hotel.

Now, post shower, guide Michelin in hand with whip pointed towards the Croisette, I admit the GS Rider will have less a tingle in the fingers. His harris, while roundly chapped, will not have gnawed away at the seat cover and he will still hold a visage of uncomfortable sanity.

But sat there in the dusk, in a lengthening shadow cast by his Teutonic boat anchor, he may only look on in envy as Mr MV Agusta, wild eyes dancing across a distant horizon is coaxed tenderly from the saddle, with Ricard and Cigarettes, front row and centre on the Med's finest show.

Buy the MV, innit?

£400 over budget, but has a screen and luggage:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/bikes-for-sale/mv-agusta/stradale-800/3516459/

Are those side cases for carrying your sandwich to work?

What's the point in them??

Looks are a bit challenging. It makes some of the BMW's look good. Not even a fan of the triple exhaust. Am I out of touch?

Made a decent watch! Surprised they lasted aswell as they did, gearbox issues sound more like rider abuse/ terrain so relentless you stop giving mechanical sympathy because you just want it to end. Air filter pretty standard, they aren't cut out for that dust without being cleaned out evry few hours.

The alaska 5000 mile job sounded ace, but it's one of those timed paved Road jobs, not really that much

I fear I may be straying from the original plan, but:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201710049947498?make=moto-guzzi&model=stelvio&r=2

Do it

It's less ugly than the agusta but it's no picture.

I have zero knowledge of motoguzzi

I like that type of engine. A mate had one and loved it. Guzzi's had a bit of an Italian reputation for a long time. I expect they can get waterproof switches from somewhere in the EU these days so maybe things are better. Are you sure you're not going to see the light and end up with a proper boxer engine though.

I must just be getting old because the classic sports tourers look better to me than the newer 'multi' style bikes. If you really want to crush a continent then Silver Wings, Hayabusa, ZX1300 types are totally built to do that.

That’s obviously a Cowasaki.

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i Assumed it’s because I’m old that I prefer the look of adventure bikes. :)

Isn’t the silver wing a scooter?

Ate you sure you're not going to see the light and end up with a proper boxer engine though.

This all started at the BMW F800, I like German stuff generally and have a weird obsession with their cars that have boxers, I may yet go full circle but this morning a quirky Italian twin or Brit triple feels like it might be more interesting.

I reckon tracer 900 is best shout going. Fun, quick, enough fuel, luggage, 2up, reliable, good service intervals.

Plus a 2nd hand one will be well in budget.

I understand the logic. Not sure why the BM's give off that less exciting vibe. Aside from the soon approaching vintage Boxer I've been riding for 15 years the 1150RS which I only had for a while was awesome.

The modern bike had some low speed fuelling issues which they fixed in the 1200 series but the engine was so efficient, hard to describe but it had a really deadpan delivery of so much power. The vintage style is much more like a musical instrument. The modern style hides the power but delivers in spades. I was so used to the R80 I would hit the limiter in most gears when I first rode the 1150.

I've been following the prices of the F800gs for a long time, I wouldn't have picked it for a European adventure though. It's a big single so clearly more low torque but probably a bit strained on a motorway all day. Great town bike though.

Silver wing, of course I should have said pan European or ST1300. Not sure why I always call them the silver wing, basically next step down from the gold wing which is also an awesome bike if you want to go a long way.

Maybe you're a bit younger than me, adventure bikes were for the Dakar rally when I was getting into bikes. Yamaha FS1e was the dream bike when I started!

Oh I'm super biased. But go ride a KTM 990 also. Adventure if you want proper off road, SMT if not. Maybe also the Triumph 1050 sport.

In that class it seems like quite a few riders do a summer trip and spend the rest of the year looking for a new bike to do the next big trip. Partly I guess because they are all so similar and the tech moves on each year plus you want the bike in great shape so you don't need to worry about mechanicals. You can also get a bit tired of any idiosyncrasies if you've spent 3 weeks in the saddle.

MV making adventure bikes is akin to Maserati making SUVs. It's probably great to ride though.
The Guzzi is boat anchor like the big BM big adventure bikes. I'd try and keep the weight down, heavy bikes are far less fun.

In other news, I rebuilt the forks on my GSXR. One had been weeping for a while and I popped the other one completely landing a ham-fisted wheelie a couple of weeks ago. Not quite a night and day improvement but they're an awful lot better. Makes me somewhat regret not sticking in fancy valves and removing the hydraulic bump stop....the compression damping is still very harsh in the latter part of the travel - the bump stop seems to take up at least an inch of movement and the transition is not very nice.

Might order a lower mileage rear shock off the interwebs and give it a go for a while....the one on it is pretty fucked.

Doable without removing from the triples? Need to change springs as mine as in slinky mode now and going around anything other than dead smooth grey stuff makes the front end skittish.

Also realising the whole upright shindig ain't for me. Bar change in order.

Nah - you need to take the fork legs out (assuming upside down forks.) Requires a fork spring compressor (you can make your own from a pipe collar that's wider than the fork tubes, a couple of bolts and a ratchet tie down), also something to hold the damper rod up while you undo the locknut. You can do it with a set of slim pliers but it's fiddly. Easier with a flat piece of metal with a slot cut in it the width of the damper rod.

It's much easier than it sounds - worth buying the tools as shops quote silly money for fork work. You can save a packet doing it yourself. I'd change the fork oil and seals too while you're at it.

I fear I've wasted everyone's time.

I had a go on a Triumph Tiger, KTM Adventure 990 and a Moto Guzzi Stelvio.

I didn't like any of them. :( I found them too upright and there wasn't not enough fairing for comfy motorway work in the cold. I didn't mind having 90-100bhp though, it's plenty for the sort of gentle riding I do. Basically I doubt I'd use the off-roadiness enough to justify the compromises.

So I'm thinking of a small sport tourer instead.

Current fave is the BMW F 800 GT / ST, mainly because belt drive is cool.

Doing CBT on Sunday, any tips?

That’s a big change! Good for riding them all though.

Consider a Honda Vfr. Triumph sprint st 1050.

Did you try the Tracer 900?

Sounds like a BM of some sort is right for you - there's so many incarnations and plenty of what they were making 20 years ago because of build quality. Have always admired their willingness to experiment.
Skinny and Airhead have come up with some really good pointers too - you'll have a great time whatever, you can always change.