Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

I'm always straying onto the grass. Mostly around the A420.

A very ropey k75 RT

So long as there are permissive signs…!

Did you get excited at every TdF start when that photographer's red K75 appeared yet again? It kept going for years and years and years. Must have been proper starship miles.

From experience I'm guessing anything that age is going to need repairing on a regular basis. Eventually you get to a point where you notice things failing but you have a certain amount of mileage to fix it before catastrophic failure. Worth it if you can suffer the first few thousand miles of 'getting to know you'.

BMW Ks of that era were pretty solid. Heavy components which last. Nothing to be scared of, and there's a big quantity of new and used spares at decent prices from the likes of Motorworks. The gearboxes don't explode, unlike some of the boxers. The 1200 Ks had all sorts of problems which the 1100/750s didn't.

K75 clutch shouldn't be too heavy, change the cable would be a good start, £30 and an hour of faff and should be golden.
RT to commute through London on though ? Too bulky for me, it did for my 1150GS, I'd lose the fairing and panniers and stuff and ride it naked.
Lovely engine that though, smooth and sweet.

I made my GS Londonable by getting the handlebars narrowed.

The RT/ LT fairing is Londonable, it's not that wide, and the mirrors are higher than most car mirrors. Remove the panniers and you can do the filter slalom very nicely.

My K11RS is harder to filter than the RT/LT because the enormous mirrors are at car mirror height. I thought about removing them and having a rear facing camera and a display on top of the instruments. But apparently this wouldn't work. Manufacturers have tried and failed. I can't remember what the issue is.

Totally agree about the choice for a good filtering bike .
I have a photographer mate that’s ridden an 1200gs for years and filters quicker than a deliveroo but the issue really is , he passed his test this week , it’s not a great bike to culture confidence in London traffic .
Clutch is like a gym workout …
For his current commute in winter and rush hour , a Brompton and tube is quicker

It seems to be narrower or certainly no wider than my R9T but the mirrors are car-like fairing extensions .
Tbh although the beemer is lovely , if I need to do rush in town I prefer my Vespa 125

I commute on the 1250gs at least two days a week and 10 of the 50 miles each way are in nose to tail traffic. You definitely get used to filtering on it. At first it was a nightmare.

Main issue is left / right filtering through multiple lanes of traffic as the cylinders / general size of the bike make the turning circle a problem.

Wouldn't change it for the world though. The first 40 miles are in perfect comfort even in freezing cold, high winds and rain on dual carriageway.

IME filtering isn't a day 1 skill.

I did maybe 5 months on a 125 after 10+ years of cycling, and it took me 3 months to chuck it down the middle of stationary traffic.

Once I got a big bike it took me a few days to get used to its larger turning circle and its weight, before I could bomb it down the steel corridor on the M25.

Agreed… but I certainly began filtering as soon as possible.

The bike size dictates a lot of that for sure. The dirt bike is like the 125, so nippy it filters like a bicycle. The Blackbird was so awful for filtering that I wanted it gone as soon as I tried. The CBR is great though, narrow enough and very tight-turning.

Filtering is definitely an acquired art. I used to quite enjoy sportsbikes - not comfortable, but just the right height to avoid most of the mirrors. V engines are a ball ache - every V twin or V4 I've ridden cooks your spuds uncomfortably when sat at traffic lights too long.

Can't beat a good scooter. Supermotos are fun but you need monk-like self restraint and the bars are exactly the same height as most van mirrors.

Pfft - filtering in LA is a piece of piss mate.

I've done it on the QE2

My ULEZ fix is to have a lock and chain obscuring my plate. Works for bus lane and speed cameras too. A fine and no points if the worst happens. Looks accidental, unlike a plate at the wrong angle.

Haha - true, it's fucking sketchy though, the driving here is FAR worse.

London was way more fun though. LA (City) is shit to ride around. Got to say City riding in general has been egregiously affected with the advent of smart phones and speed cameras.

This is exactly the issue , he’s got a bike not easy to gain the experience or confidence on .
If you ride it like a drive there’s no advantage and all the disadvantage of two wheels .
I’m trying to convince him onto a smaller bike/ scooter .
There is also something about a 1250GS and the extra lights that seem to part traffic , wether it’s visibility or involuntary impersonating plod .

There is also something about a 1250GS and the extra lights that seem to part traffic , wether it’s visibility or involuntary impersonating plod .

I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of a strobe flash option on the spots I have.

I’m trying to convince him onto a smaller bike/ scooter .

What he needs is a low mileage 250cc yam scooter sold by another forumite (and KWCC member) in a really crap stealth ad, I reckon

Finally got the electrics sorted on my Matchless meaning I can use it at night as the lights won't die if I have to stop at a junction or traffic light.

The wiring inside the headlamp nacelle was a total state, connectors barely hanging onto wires and things connected up all wrong. I thought the ammeter was broken but I think it was just wired incorrectly.

Why do people bother if they - clearly - don't know what they are doing?

Studded tyres for the drz400 that won't break bank...
Riding snow and ice. Plus clean tarmac for a little to get to snow and ice.

Suggestions?

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DIY?

Would need to buy tyres too

I want to build an adventure Grom.

Please list as many reasons as possible as to why this is a fucking stupid idea.

Save me from myself.

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