Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

The market is painfully strong. It’s not limited to any discipline now either.

During 2020 the used trail bike and ‘vintage’ (box of bits) bike market soared, so bad that now a year later it’s practically rrp for used bikes in any condition. Ignoring the dealer mark-ups, even private sales are minimum 50% higher than anyone would assume for a given model.

Since full tests and CBT’s restarted, good quality affordable 125’s are unobtainium. Even the hacks like my GN125 were worth real money a few months ago, and now it’s worse. Bandit 600’s are 3x what they were 2 years ago, for example.

Every dealer we visited (for dad’s questionable desire to buy a serious bike), their stock is low, and new stock is minimum 2 months out. Used stock is priced higher than rrp-minus-tax. Madness.

My instructor’s new mopeds for 50cc CBT’s have been delayed by months already, and likely months more… and he actually already ordered them at the start of the year.

My mate just bought an ok bandit for a grand and he was extremely stoked. Confused as good ones are always a small amount of money. He's rigging ti sell it for £2800 after basically washing it and putting new batt and some leads /plugs

I decided the best option is to fit some mixed tyres to the drz and just run that as an everything bike. Though being able to take a pillion so we can use moto for eveninf beach trips would be good.

Not ridden that thing for 6 weeks. Rode it today, started up first time on choke. Nice.

Pretty much. High mileage bandits and SV’s are still 2k in ‘serviceable’ condition when they should be sub-1k.

New setback - trials insurance is an absolute pain.

An hour phone call (1hr 1min before I hung up) to Bikesure, of which around 40 minutes was on hold. Gave up after an hour and no resolution.

Normally they are all okay, but this time big confusion and difficulty to arrange a policy, and since it is technically used competitively, is daytime MOT, no odometer, etc.

I called MSM as they offer trials-specific insurance, but the policy is quite expensive, and there is a chance my storage arrangement falls outside of their TPFT policy. Waiting to hear back tomorrow, after they review my storage photos.

In that case I could have Third Party only, and then call Bikesure back up and see about storage-only/F&T policy.

Massive faff.

You’re entering events?

Not in the sense of ‘proper’ trials events, not for the foreseeable future. However, even meeting the local club would count… so I need to be sure I’m covered regardless. It seems very nuanced, I am unsurprised how easily you can invalidate your insurance.

That’s sneaky. Does it invalidate the whole lot or just not cover that occasion (as per a track day on standard insurance)? Would you even need* insurance if you’re not on a road?

*as far as plod is concerned.

My understanding is that if you invalidate it and they find out, they cancel the policy and you can be hit by other issues like refusal to be provided future policies.

Of course, one might argue “how would they know?” But, they would find out quickly if you were doing any kind of event, used a road between sections, had an off, and claimed (or worse, the other party claims). Suddenly you’re in a heap of shit.

I need the road reg, full insurance etc because I don’t have a van or a car license. So for the time being I need to potter along the road a couple of miles to find green lanes suitable to practice. There’s only so long I can get away with playing on the grass near the house.

If it's only a couple of miles could you push it? I know it seems crazy but it sounds like it would be easier than jumping through the insurance company hoops.

But what I mean is, if I do a track day it doesn’t invalidate my insurance it means I’m not covered for the track bit but I am covered for the ride there and back…

Found that mad gasket for the Funduro. Good folks at Motorworks (inde BMW parts place for decaying bikes) had some on order from months ago and just happened to turn up the day after I rang to ask about them, might be they had them in the goods in part and hadn't got round to putting them on the parts catalogue yet. £18 and we're back in business.

Gave me an excuse to sand off the decades worth of road and grit, then polish up the pipes. Insert name of magic toilet cleaning bleach with mild acid in it, takes the tarnish off stainless as well as that name brand stainless cleaner, for £1 a bottle*

*Also cleans your toilet.

Likewise I'm covered for commuting, but not if I use it for work

it is in renewal season for me, Swinton have come up cheapest on a comparison site, any reason not to use them?

Sounds like Swindon. That’s reason enough.

I’m really not sure. My gut says they’d find a way to stiff you.

When the club restarts, I believe it’s something like 6 miles away up and down hill. I’m not that keen on walking…

I’m concerned about using it on public land, and private land without permission, plus as soon as I touch a byway (where a lot of little climbs and interesting sections are) it needs to be taxed insured and MOT’d anyway.

Around here are a lot of pit bikes and enduros that are getting caught out as the police know where all the fun spots are. Instant confiscation, fine, points etc.

MSM got back to me and the storage I have is acceptable, so I’ll pay up later and I’m sorted.

Seen loads of that on social media, obv targetted by big social as I am defo at risk of riding offroad and having fun..

Think the UK is really on a knife-edge (Could argue it has been for 20 years) in regard to legal and acceptable places to play of road. The only one near me in Scotland (where there is effectively ZERO legal offroad locations for road registered bikes) is Drumclog, a big farm with many tracks, mostly for proper MX bikes, few little bits you can do on road orientated bikes, only £20 a day which is incredibly fair, but its rarely open now, mostly for special organised mud bogging type events.

Seen plenty of folk on youtube that I would normally respect, but in the last year during C19 have been off wrecking all the MTB and walkers trails in various forestry sites around, then dumb enough to post online.

Byeways in England are really under threat, the easily accessible ones for park + play types with proper MX bikes are massively over-used, and technically illegal as they aren't road registered, when police then get involved it brings negativity down on all users of BOATS/green lanes

In the USA + canada its quite common in some states to have giant pay + park + play type centres, private and some public (Arizona, Oregan and Utah) to keep the masses from the national parks I guess. In the UK hard to do as every bit of land belongs to someone. Family once nearly bought an old pub next to a disused quarry that during the purchase process was bought by a group to use for a pro MX course. Didn't buy it in the end, but was going to have a 'Sunday only' usage limit on it by council which I thought was fine, others hated anything that made any noise.

Yes exactly. It’s a big reason for the going through the road-reg/road-legal farce with the trials bike.

In and around Swindon are absolutely loads of ideal spots, but practically none are viable.

The old dump 1.5 miles from home is now a ‘park’ with amazing little hills and trees growing. Entire areas are wooded inclines with lumps of concrete sticking out. When the weeds were kept back I had been using it for mtb. Lots of dog walkers mean even by mtb it can be claustrophobic. If the bike was electric, I might have risked there.

Less than a mile away is Lydiard Park, again, beautiful spots and away from the main walking track is an area people used to practice. Now, there are houses backed onto it meaning it’s asking for trouble.

It’s the same for almost every green space or plot of wasteland. Lots are locked up to stop travellers, others are overgrown.

I am in talks with my instructor to clean and tidy the verge between his training area and the road. It would be amazing, but with little or no run-up might be too technical for me to learn on. All the same, being right between a busy road and his motorcycle training area it is an ideal ‘secret’ location to try.

On some local byways, just as you say, there is a real concern. I’ve had National Trust Member types moan at me when going about my lawful business on the DR. Some lanes are getting TRO’d because of the 4x4 damage, but bikes are slapped with the same restrictions.

If I could drive, and had a van, the pay and play places are still a fair way away. Being open only one day per week doesn’t suit me either. I want to go do an hour or three of riding in between other responsibilities at home.

The mechanics said I should just use the skate park round the corner. To be honest the mess that the stoner kids leave there, I’d spend as long litter-picking and sweeping as I would riding.

40 mile commute into the office today. First time since March 13th last year. First one on the GS.

Like I’ve never been away.

1 Attachment

Big bus is big. And mean looking!

Needs more farkle

Yeah - he's a big boy. Surprisingly nimble through the traffic though. Managed to keep up with an S1000XR with no side cases.

Finding somewhere to park it when I head into town later might be interesting though.

Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not...

Mods so far:

• Twatty spot lights
  
• Engine bars
  
• Dark large screen
  
• Aluminium side / top cases
  

“It was only a joke if you were offended.”

Nah but seriously it looks like it needs maximum farkle, because it’s that kind of bike. Good effort so far but I’d expect a full satnav system, and some other incredibly unnecessary upgrades. Trying to think what else you’re missing, actually.

Billet levers? Performance upgrades?