Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

a bike that will have been, and will continue to be dropped

This was easier for me to swallow when I bought the DR for £1.5k... and more difficult after spending money on it.... and now very very difficult seeing the cost to replace it!

I've struggled with the "get a modern, lightweight, entry-level enduro, save weight" argument now that the DR is valued so much higher than it should be. I would sorely love something that is easier to pick up. But then, every time I climb on the bloody thing I remember why it was such a prized choice.

Sat on the new Honda 450CRF at the bike show a few weeks ago.
It is monstrously tall.
I am 6'6" and struggled to (ahem) get my leg over.

I did, really made me smile. Thank you.

Crossers are designed to be dropped, the plastics used to be a little more Flexible and after market people did complete sets. All that was expensive were radiators hence rad protection.

Is weight of the bike that much of a difference?

Nah, I’m fit enough just wildly out of practice... Big exposures, rocky, rutted and steep - I was death gripping too much and struggling to stay forward on the bike. Got a bit better towards the end. I’ll probably be fine next time.

This is the way…

I bank transferred cash to a private seller in Ireland, sight unseen, having never ridden an offroad bike and was terrified I wouldn't be able to touch the floor. I'm 6,1 on a good day but with long legs it's fine.

Hey as this is all about ME ;) was wondering as I'm an both unfit and have little if any skill.

Is that the definition of brave or stoopid ;)

Bank transfer bike unseen.

Snap. Looks like a lot of people headed out.

5’9 here and no bother with touching the ground on any dirtbike I’ve had. Being a big unit is an advantage though for sure.

Oh, definitely stupid :)

Well for me, I can pick up the 150kg of the DR, but it pulls at my bad wrist if I’m not careful.

Moving forward, I might have to pay for a 100-120kg enduro bike just to save the recurring joint pains. Even grabbing the mtb out the shed at the wrong angle can tweak something, so I have to be more careful than a normie my age.

On the height topic…

A less tall but no means short lady that I am acquainted with, she found the latest CRF300L miraculously easy to get one foot down. The older 250L was just too tall, somehow. She had used a Himalayan as a stop-gap cos of the 6 month waiting list for the Honda, and a massive GS before that.

What winter!

In the end felt more comfortable buying a newer bike that was coming down in price than something 20+that was almost the same value.

I'd do the same if I was in your position.

For now the ship has sailed on all those old bikes.

Moreover they're bikes that are going to get knocked about. It's a long way from say an old litre BMW.

I’ve put a few more miles on the Urban GS over the weekend.
A couple of things since I last rode a bigger bike , heated grips … mmmm
Cruise control… I used it , it’s handy
And a new helmet , arai x4 tour came with something called pin lock , I followed the instructions and it’s a real game changer … no fogging , none

2 Attachments

Seaside fish and chips on a motorbike - Sounds fucking lush.

Ah you are the most southern of us then ;)

There is a technique to lift a bike. You get taught on the BMW off road days how to pick up a full on gs.

Have a worn discs, frozen shoulders and fat fuck with no muscle mass and to close to 50 that 40!

That technique is so good that I taught a young lady to pick up my GS. I lay the bike down on a glove, to protect the rocker cover, then she picked it up. This persuaded her to seduce me. Women are a mystery. But they do mix ever so well with motorbikes.

I’m still not buying a GS.

I have to say the full fat GS with the extra lights to the front make it so much more visible , plus folk seem to move out if it’s way .
My friend on his was much easier to spot on the motorway.
Im thinking of adding some to my crash bars … maybe yellow ones?

I keep seeing 1100 and 1150 gs and thinking the kind of Charlie biker crew have moved on now, surely they are approaching acceptable for someone under 40 to ride now? Or still not yet?

As a man in my mid-30’s, I couldn’t possibly comment.

I have spots on my Explorer and pretty much always turn them on.
More visibility is only a good thing

Edit: I am 41 and fat.