Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Cool - 100% agree. Pretty sure those fellas used to be heavily involved in racing.

Good knowledge! Was talking to Eric who started the company in '76 and they still race. Serious trophy cabinet and exotica inside. I thought they'd be impressed with the SRAD 🤣

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It can, but only from retailers stock. Manufacturers have already had to shift their stock to the retailers at knock down prices before the Jan cutoff. Retailers won’t want to hold on to the stock for too long in fear of an end of sale date being put on them too.

Very cool. I remember them from some of the Superclub rounds way back in the 90s. Some of the national teams used them for practice. What a collection....

I always wanted to go and look around Padgetts too, they have the most insane collection of old race bikes.

Could anyone with a front fork grab strap please measure it?

I got a huge roll of 45mm ex-MOD webbing and will make a couple straps.

Wondered what length of material and hole width was used by others.

Mine would be a stitched and solid one, not adjustable so needs to be right.

Worth the trip? Can’t seem to find anyone to do it here

1,000% yes. For the money can transform a bike, especially if you have quality suspension. Visually you can see the difference when bouncing up and down, it compresses and rebounds horizontal. Also stops the bike from bucking you off when going over rough ground if you've every experienced this. Worked a treat on my RSV too. I would have thought any decent bike garage would do it.

Is your bike on standard suspension?

Made a bunch at 60cm length, 20cm loop diameter. Probably too big for fork-fork grab straps but aiming to use like removable straps.

That way anyone can have one in their pocket on the green lanes. Loop it round a fork leg or frame and pull.

Or, just use as insane overkill tiedown loop.

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Yep, it’s the bucking I’m trying to clean up. That’s awesome to hear. Did you book or just turn up?

@lynx Nah, decent stuff with full adjustment.
I’m used to tuning MTB stuff, but preload and high speed compression on motorbikes I always mess up.

Sorry for the late reply... I rang up before as imagined they'd be flat out due to spring. They seemed pretty chilled but didn't want to chance a wasted journey.

Saw my first unmarked police bike today on Brixton Road on the way up to the Oval. I was cycling and heard a siren - a marked police car went by with the blues and twos on, followed by a bike with blues flashing from the tail unit, possibly a siren too, rider dressed in jeans and plaid shirt. Didn't clock the make and model, but a street bike.

In other news, my finger has been hovering over the "buy it now" button (there isn't really one) for this https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202402166638152?sort=relevance&advertising-location=at_bikes&make=MV%20Agusta&model=F3&page=1&postcode=SW9%207HR&fromsra

I looked at the others I was considering and did accept that there is such a thing as too much power and torque, and the MV is just so sexy.

Just waiting to confirm the price of a new skylight/velux in the roof and a few other things, but the better weather is making me fidgety..

Sex, pure sex

Can anyone offer some recommendations for a first “big” bike. Got my DAS booked in over the next month or two, and figured now was a good time to set up some eBay saved searches.
Main criteria are -
Sub 750cc (no interest in going particularly fast and I enjoy the 80+ mpg of the 125)
Ideally around the £2k-£2.5k mark.
Suitable for the potholed gravelly Cumbrian roads I ride on.
Simple enough to service and troubleshoot without an electrical engineering degree.
TIA

Banging. Will make pilgrimage. The twin suspension is making me itchy.

@Markyboy Plenty of them up my ends. Mostly riding Tenere's and F800GS. Once you clock them, they're easy enough to spot. Almost always in twos or supporting Kia/Peugeot/Beemer with blacked out rears. They also always have Schuberth as lids.

@seanmur V-Strom. Underrated beast. Have a look at Adventure Rider and see the fan base. Plenty going way over 100,000 miles. Versys 650 is a little more exciting.

RE Himalayan?
CB500

Ah I asked as some bikes maybe more that a twiddle.

Tho without static sag set not sure how that would affect the rest of the settings.

Also get them to check the markings on the swingarm are correct so when tensioning chain you have a better chance of getting it straight.

Can you twiddle a spanner? Lots of cheap bikes that need work.

I like bandit 6 and er500

I was here about a year ago and got slightly carried away and bought an engine swapped XTZ750...

Shortlist was V-Strom 650XT for something newer or Transalp XL600V for something older... Africa Twin would be great too (RD03 is the one but RD04 probably a bit more accessible)

Love this Trail Découverte Concept V-Strom...

V85tt if you want adventure style
V7 stone if you want naked

Both Moto Guzzi and a piece of piss to work on.

Bigger engine than you asked but the power output is more akin to a 650 so easily manageable as a first big bike. Air cooled and shaft driven so two bits of maintenance in the bin from the off.

Otherwise
V-strom or sv650, still easy but they have radiators and chains and our rural roads are covered in crap.

Do you have a main dealer or a used bikes dealer nearby?

Cumbria is too far away or I’d say come visit Swindon. Lots of London customers buy in Swindon and have a (mate of mine) courier deliver the bike to London town. Apparently it saves hundreds vs buying in the big city.

If nothing else the benefit of the shops is sitting on the bikes and seeing what fits you and what just looks like crap.

411 Himalayan. There is really no other choice worth considering.

Reliable, easy to work on, in budget, comfy, I used to get 90+ mpg, great on and off road. You could easily get one sub 10k miles in your budget.

I hate to agree, because I think Himalayans are naff… but I agree.

New, FI, modern tech, all ULEZ/Euro compliance, basic, easy, low seat. Good fuel economy and slow. Just a great all around boring bike.

Ideal starter.