Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Nice ride report. Also agree on muscle memory improving things once you've got used to it. Riding the srad yesterday I almost flew past the petrol station, I totally forgot engine braking on an inline four isn't really a thing. There's a lot to be said for a bike that you feel comfortable riding in all weather conditions, especially if that's why you bought it.

@PhilDAS once again, fook that!

@underuser53929 sometimes yes sometimes no, I’m trying to blip enough to revmatch but not enough to get a surge at the wrong moment. I haven’t got the hang of clutchless downshifts but it’s really not a thing on a DR, so I can’t say that I’ve had the opportunity either.

@jambon I noticed that as well. Higher gears just keep going, and lower gears really chance locking up the wheel. Maybe I was spoilt by the gears inside the DR, because the XJ feels a bit wrong somewhere, possibly third (or fourth) where the gap isn’t tall enough. But then again, that’s the happy cruising gear range in traffic, barely above idle just chugging along.

Today was only around 120 miles.
I left around 10:00 this morning and took it to Weston-Super-Mare, to get fish and chips and leave before the place packed out. Took it along the motorway the way there, managed maybe 110 a couple times during overtakes. Generally traffic was heavy enough to cruise at 75-80. The Puig screen makes a huge difference; I can tuck behind it enough to keep the wind off my head, but I’d say an hour and a half in that position earned the fishcake and chips when I arrived.

No scary downshifts on the motorway this time, but taking the twisty A-roads back, by about 30 mins from home I fluffed a fair few both up and down. So, user error/fatigue is definitely a factor there.

Tyres were boiling hot by home, and a couple hours later now the bike is still egg-frying hot to touch. Did lean over a fair way on a few twisty roads, but kept a lot in the bank. The Coombe road (I think) that begged for a knee drag was also littered with lumps of wood and massive stones.

Sorry. Forgot evidence.

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Tank and a half through the superduke today. New tyres (Michelin Power GP) made it a bit fun to begin and being rusty. Man that bike is lethal, no rider aids, no abs, nothing. Just a angry Vtwin. Someday I wish I had an easier to ride bike, its like a buckingbronko waiting to throw you off and demands all the respect.

Nice - makes me want to go for a ride!

Clutchless downshifts aren’t a thing on the road, unless you’ve got a fancy autoblipper. You’ll shag the gearbox. Clutch gives you a degree of modulation - just keep practicing blipping, it’ll come!

Oh and what are those things on your chips?

I think they're fish cakes.

Chips look on point but I'd ask for a refund on those.

Someday I wish I had an easier to ride bike, its like a buckingbronko waiting to throw you off and demands all the respect

My RSV is the same, it's just uncompromising. Often come home knackered from riding it with cramp in my left hand but always a wry smile that lasts for days. There's always time for something more sedate when I can't hack it anymore.

Yea i bet it is, perhaps even worse. I really should get this bike on a dyno. But I don't think I'll keep it beyond summer so won't.

Yep like @Soul said, fishcakes. A classic manky ‘thing’. Didn’t fancy battered fish, would have been too heavy on a hot day.

I just watched Seaspiracy on Netflix, and although I knew a lot of it already I guess I won’t eat fish any more. Barely eat it as it is, but that certainly nailed the coffin.

Dyno'd it only has 120 rear wheel hp but again it has 0 aids and you have to muscle it around corners to really get the best from it.

I just watched Seaspiracy on Netflix

Tell me about it. I'm avoiding watching the beef one as I know it'll just make me the same as well.

Sorry when I say dyno I meant to map it properly.

Took mine out for a spin today as I need it for transport tomorrow. Forgot that I need to add 10 minutes to any journey to spend time chatting to people about the bike :) Today I had people leaning out of their windows to compliment the soundtrack.

Crackling on the overrun under a bridge is just a lovely thing.

If the rain holds off I should have a nice trip to Teddington tomorrow. Big day out, furthest I've been from home since November.

You need a boring bike like mine, nobody comments on it and it’s so quiet nobody notices you pinning it through the burbs

I've had four of them now and I still cling on for dear life when the GSXR gets north of 8k, especially in 2nd or 3rd gear. I had a few rides last year when I was like, damn this is taking a while to slow down - then looked at the speedo. Superbikes are so overwhelming. Fun but stupid.

I had a lovely NV400 for a while. Performance was pretty similar to yours, could hold 100/110 with the right wind. So many great rides and it never let me down. Like this one but top box, handlebar muffs and estate agent boards for lower fairings!

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Even looking at that picture I know every part of that bike in the dark :)

My first big bike was almost identical to that, yet somehow a different model. Wish I still had it tbh

edit- can't work out how to stick an IG picture in, never mind

Old kickstand vs replacement kickstand. Missing the pokey outy bit and crazy bent. I didn’t like the risk it.

Decided to use it as a reinforcement on the replacement stand. Maybe overkill but I really don’t like how spindly and thin they look.

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The bit hides right under the footpeg which is useless. Bent it out.

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So the sunshine crew is officially out in force. A lot of poor etiquette and maneuvers, a fuck ton of straight pipes, a whole lot of shorts and T's and many shiny bikes.

I need to clean my bike and wash my gear.

I thought we had talked about you welding extra steel posts and stuff to your bikes! I'm sure there's a point where you want a kickstand to bend or break rather than impale you :)

You saw me then :)

Obviously I was wearing all the gear for my first ride in a long time. Really loved it. Local knowledge saved my license on the A3 as I decided not to fill the underpass at Wimbledon with an awesome sound. I'm sure I detected disappointment on the guys face as I cruised past at 40. I have form for that spot though so it would be foolish to get caught twice.

Well, it can’t impale me from down there!

(I rounded off all edges for you, by the way)