Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

That is redic. Wow.

WAC

Not a chance mate. More bikes I ride more I realise it’s a bit of a Goldilocks bike. Low weight, useable power, nimble and still cracks a a smile to this day.

Still not bored yet then.

Got out on the Bandit 600 for the first time since March/lockdown and it felt amaaaaaazing. No random thunderstorms, just blue sky and country roads.

Well, it was amazing until a throttle cable snapped an hour or hour and a half into the ride!

Sat roadside in the shade while the instructor pinned it back to grab the van. Annoying as we had another nice 15-20 miles of twisty country road and then the ride was over anyway.

Of all the potential issues, a throttle cable was pretty low on the disaster list.

All the same, so great to give the big bike a twist. Makes me fancy an SV all over again, and I haven’t even had time out on the DR yet.

Plan is to ride the DR a few times just to get familiar with it, with the instructor on my tail, and wait out the test date. Test looks like September now, because the DVSA have set arbitrary limits on how many test dates any riding school can book at once.

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30 limit and a junction, what an arsehole

DR and bindit are quite different, both fun.

Go on you know you want to stick road wheels on it and make it a supermoto for the sillyness.

It’s cool. I won’t report to the plod but I’ll certainly spit in his bacon sandwich when I see him parked up at the local spots.

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New bike day! Didn’t feel particularly naked with the air so hot 😬

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This.

I’d love a smaller supermoto wheelset but the effort to get a working speedo and lace new rims to an already hard-to-find original hubs, relegated that idea.

Tempted to just go road-oriented tyres, but green lanes will be calling whenever I see a little muddy byway.

Not a beemer fan, but that looks nice

That blue is great. How’s it ride?

Bling! Nice one. That's going to be all the giggles. With cruise control and heated grips to boot. Nice combo. Of all the modern rider conveniences, I think I'd like cruise control the most.

PD, I reckon you'll have way more fun on the DR than a Bandit.

Me too. For one, if I drop a DR I can lift it up without a hernia.

It was a lot softer than I remembered from a test ride, then I realised it was in rain mode!
The ride-by-wire throttle is interesting, much more forgiving fuelling than the CBR at low revs. In fact the whole thing is very easy to ride ‘quite fast’ without getting too silly👌

Edit: should probably add, big grins for most of my 11 mile twisty commute home last night!

Heated grips essential for me and I’m looking forward to cruise control on the next long ride (won’t be for a while until it’s run in though).
Haven’t got used to the quick shifter, my habit is to cut / blip the throttle manually which you are expressly told not to do in the manual!

Was looking at these last night....needs more pictures...!

What made you go for this over the RR?

In fact the whole thing is very easy to ride ‘quite fast’ without getting too silly👌

Congrats. A few of the faster riders at the last track days were on these, after talking to them they felt there's just enough aids and options to speed them up, not slow them down. I can't disagree as couldn't stick with them!

All the toys, more usable power (torque comes in earlier in Rev range), more relaxed riding position, significantly cheaper and being naked feels faster. The green light from Mrs Hammer was the additional safety features over my CBR.

The green light from Mrs Hammer was the additional safety features over my CBR

LOL. Exactly the sales patter I used with the wife.

Great minds.

Witness the radness! Nice one man. That looks like a weapon. You got the most important good idea on it? Blippers and quickshifters?

Yeah up and down shifter, really smooth under power and loads of fun so far short shifting through the gears - got to keep it under 7k rpm for a while!

got to keep it under 7k rpm for a while!

I have not done this :,)

I may have hit the temporary 9k limiter the afternoon I got it. I’m sure it’ll be fine...

On the R1150 I couldn't get used to the speed it went through the gears. Amazing engines in the BMW's. Refined power delivery and controlled machine noise.

Both look great.

Got mine out for the first time this year. Having sold the TZR of course I'm looking at sports bikes again.