Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Reminds me of the late 70s Bonnevilles and not in a good way. They were never small bikes but the new ones are so fat and bloated.

Yep especially the bottom picture which is the “Street Scrambler” version. Looks big and heavy. Not exactly what I’d call a scrambler. Yamaha and Ducati did it right in my opinion.

They're strange beasts, brilliantly marketed. I've not ridden any of the new watercooled models but I hated the previous generation. Top heavy, under-braked and under-powered. The engines sound good but have a very flat and featureless torque curve. Weird, given they're perceived to be 'character' bikes. They remind me of a honda superdream on steroids.

@reeen had a seat recovered recently.

@boomboom out of focus pictures of out of focus pictures on a cell phone or tablet. Yeah,, jobs a goodun they thought.

They look good in the flesh imo. Definitely a modern bike though. Plus everyone has been going on for years about the 900 twin being underpowered.

Not exactly what I’d call a scrambler. Yamaha and Ducati did it right in my opinion.

I'm obviously bias, but again I think it's on point. The Yamaha looks great but I struggle to get excited about The Ducati. TBH the whole scrambler thing is a bit pointless start to finish.

At least an adventure tourer is suited to it's task, even if there only driven to the City and back with all the accessories. Even bobbers are shamelessly style centric. Whereas the "scrambler" style is 100% marketing over substance.

This is what I think of...

Agree, scrambler is definitely an overdone styling trope. Not that I'm a raging fan, but the Ducati Desert Sled will probably be pretty useful - 8 inches of travel is not to be sneezed at. 450lbs is still a lot of lead to be carrying around though, my XR650R is 300 or so and that thing feels like an absolute tank.

I think the market is missing out on some proper mid-sized adv bikes, with more off road capability. The Tenere 700 and KTM 790 R Adventure look like they'll be closest to the spot but they're still pretty heavy at 400lbs.

I'm considerably bemused that Honda just don't tweak the old XR650R platform. Add EFI and the emission gubbins, e-start etc and dress it up in CRF250 Rally style clothes and you've a sub 350lb, 60hp battle tested missile that would sell like hotcakes. Cost peanuts to develop too.

KTM could do the same with their 690 platform to be fair and dress it in Dakar clothes. Seems so obvious I can't figure out why they haven't done it!

Something like this on the KTM690 enduro platform? Give me.

New crf450? Think it's around 130kg and 35-45hp 4 stroke and has indicators. £10k though or not far off that price, is too much. Or maybe it's like sports cars, the less stuff it has on it the more it costs?

Had to stop myself going to look at a BMW g450x enduro (the proper one not the de specced f650 from 2009 era) with only 700 miles on it otherwise I'd have not been able to stop myself . Think they only made about 1500 of them?

I think a big issue is emmisons, to get any power out of light 4s single they pretty much won't get past emmmsiosn, or not without a huge cat. And abs, think everything road going has to have it, both add around 10kg each

This post means nothing without a video.

https://youtu.be/tPzFftShY7E

Got caught in the rain today and could almost hear the bike groaning "What is this shit?" Also think I've realised it needs to be ridden with a good level of respect, despite reading you have to take it by the scruff of the neck. Coming to a roundabout I changed down too early and the bike squirmed, didn't like it much. Think this is the torque talking so will have to get used to it. The more I ride it though the more fun it is, Italian review bingo high-score... but it has so much character.

I’d be dead, first ride. Just looks like it wants to go fast.
You must be chuffed

No slipper clutch. You need to rev match and not shift down so soon.

Or yes. It’ll lock the rear wheel for a shit your pants moment.

Still super jealous.

Proper photo of my most recent purchase. Bone stock other than the Monster stickers 🤢
Few cheeky mods to go on over the winter to make it look a bit smarter.
Rim tape will come off, tail tidy, LED indicators, maybe the rizoma knock off mirrors I had on the GSR and plenty of Chinese carbon fairing bits. Might also get a cheapo Chinese exhaust can coz the standard one is horrific but I can’t justify 300 quid to change it.

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Oh and since the pillion seat is a pathetic excuse for a seat, my other half doesn’t fancy coming on it too often so a cowl to smooth the back out will be bought too

Been in the market for a new helmet for a while, didn’t want to spend a load of money but didn’t want an ugly or noisy helmet. Have just purchased/received a HJC IS-17 for £99.99 from sports bike shop. Really impressed with it, nice subtly metallic gloss black finish looks high end, great fit and came with a pinlock insert. A lot of positive reviews online, I’m sure it will live up to expectations.

Tried HJC recently too - modular with very high crash test ratings. So far so good - using the sun visor a fair bit - the glare from low Winter sun can be tricky, came with pinlock too. Noiser than Schuberth though - Large a good fit at 59cm.

It’ll lock the rear wheel for a shit your pants moment.

I can confirm this. I think it does have something primitive, but obviously doesn't do much. Haven't even taken it to the redline yet, but for strategic overtakes it's effortless.

I remember the first time I did it on the Ktm, was going quick and it locked, proper moment.

But yeah just don’t shift down so soon and you’ll be ok!

Fuck I need a twin back in my life.

It wasn't too bad but definitely fishtailed. Normally when I get a bike I'm dreaming of summer trackdays but think more seat time required with this one.

I've an IS17, pinlock is a revelation.
Noise is low, visor in the 1st notch gives a nice ventilation, sunvisor is a useful thing.
Plus the hunnerds of colour combos means there is something for everyone.

And they are 4 or 5 star Sharps rated.

Bike looks absolutely amazing mate! I think they do have a form of slipper clutch, maybe have a look into whether you can make any adjustments. I went from 2 strokes to a big twin years ago and remember vividly going into a roundabout on the lockstops facing the wrong way when I grabbed one downshift too many. Exciting!

Just up from the garage fitting this - to the world came lIGHT!

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Thank you, I'm very pleased with it. Will look into if the PPC (Pneumatic Power Clutch) but more than anything just glad I know about this.

The XR650R looks serious, good effort.

So I borrowed the 1200 and a mate the 950 this past week. What a fucking machine. It doesn't fly towards the horizon, it lopes towards in in giant bounds.
Power wheelies happen by accident whether you like it or not if you're angry with the throttle, which is a doddle, because even with the stock can, from around 5.5k upwards, it sounds like an angry nuclear powered chainsaw. Overruns will give you the immediate POP POP POP all the time from 5k down.
It's pretty brilliant in the twisties as well. Comfy position makes you throw it around like it didn't weigh the 230kg.
Brakes are a bit too aggressive though, and suspension soft even with adjustment, which can get a bit old on a big twin.
Overall though, had I the cash. A total yes. The tech from even 5 years ago to now is a world away in some aspects. Inertial computer and adjustable TCS make trail braking a doddle.
What a bike.

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like it didn't weigh the 230kg.

Crikey. My Kawasaki is like 217kg dry haha. Its a bit like a pitbull though, small but solid.

Christ that’s heavy!

Everytime I see those, they look dense and ready to fly. Btw, don't buy a cheap exhaust. Save and get something decent or get used. The Chinese stuff is really poor quality steel/carbon.

@skinny It was nerve wracking handling it at the beginning, but you get used to it, and once moving, it was a doddle. Even 2 up, that twin is a peach; exiting corners in third and it'd grunt a bit, but then rip into it.