Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

That's a great job you've done on the Matchless - thanks for telling the story.

If it’s geared the same as my single r, you spend most of your time in the bottom 3 gears, only shifting up for sustained cruising. Maybe the larger screen helps but it’s all a bit much over a ton!

I was considering an xr for my next bike but the low speed handling mentioned is interesting - might just go with bar risers and a comfort seat on the r for less knee angle & reach.

I sat on a new GS at the same time (was in a BMW is dealership with a keen friend.) The GS seat is insanely comfortable, remarkably so. It's amazing what a generous perch does for the aging harris, I've ridden the VFR more than any other bike this summer for exactly that reason. I've got a month of commuting and I'm flogging it before it corrupts me completely....

I'm worried if I try a bike with a heated seat I'll never be able to manage without.

Thanks.

There’s still a lot to do though.

It leaks enough oil that I’m worried Greta Thunberg will be organising a campaign against me soon.

More pressing though is getting the electrics sorted, anyone on here good with the old stuff and/or battery eliminators?

Always felt the arse was the last bit to get cold anyway. Heated gilet is hard to beat. I did love hand muffs with heated grips through the winter when I was riding all year round.

So guess whose TM-33 pumper carb is now a plain old flatslide instead. Groan.

Went to rejet it, and the fucking assembly sheared off at the bolt. It felt loose, and it twisted off in my hand. Looks like a serious weak point, such a tiny little thread at the end.

Bike feels very different without the instantaneous hooligan juice, but I think I’ll try to live with it for a while until I can afford to fix it.

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Apart from that, I put the knobblies back on and raised the front sprocket back to stock. I had been running one lower at the front, with the bigger rear.

I can sit at 60mph around 5-5.2k revs which is totally adequate.

The biggest benefit so far, has been that there’s no longer any lag in the revs. Between the dropped needle position, smaller main jet, and no pumper, the revs are much smoother.

Still haven’t reached the edge of the knobblies on the road though.

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I have one and it is great.
Can get too toasty and the switch is near my knee, and not easy to locate when moving (but not impossible) on the TEX.

Having ridden in some chilly weather, hot grips and seat were great, but I'd like to try Airheads suggestion of heated clothing, to prevent the cold torso

Saw this today in twickenham
Lovely

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Heated gilet is the very best warmth I've ever had on a bike. All your circulation starts there so you avoid the frozen extremities.

2 drawbacks I found. Blowing fuses and forgetting to unplug it!

Beautiful, but… I bet that needs you to formally request in writing before it stops.

Spotted today at the local steam fair, so much want. Really I should buy one now before prices go up, yeah?

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Yeah, get it while it's cheap. I bet it's less than the NR750.

Or… you know…

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Does that have a chainset? Pipe looks crazy loud too :)

I was at Brands a few weeks ago and there was someone on a ratty-ish one of these. Some cameras and shit. YouTuber maybe?

He. Ruined. Eeeeeveryone. Demons allowed it to scrub so much speed, and banshees helped it out of corners. It had no right to be that fast. It’s hilarious watching it take down an RSV4 on the back straight

It’s a license loser for sure. Sat really nicely in corners at serious speed even on road tyres.

Want but also definitely do not want

Buy my cbr600. You stand a chance at keeping it under 9 points

It’s mental really. Rider skill was 100% a factor, but it made all super bikes redundant for ten laps.

Is it easier to ride than the sports version?

Possibly. The s1000rr is renowned for being super easy to do horrifying speed on, so maybe same could be said for the XR

It's high time I took them for a test ride!

I'm considering my first motorbike... Just looking at a 125 for now. Budget around the £3k mark give or take.
Any thoughts on these makes?
Mutt, Herald, Bluroc, F.B. Mondial, Bullit, Mash, Keeway.

I feel like a first time cyclist asking whether to buy a Triban or Planet X...

Almost that entire list is just shit-built copies of the Suzuki GN and Honda CG engines.

Avoid Keeway. Actually avoid all of those and find a Suzuki, or Honda, second hand with at least some service history.