Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

i'd like some very simple - but quality - audio in my helmet. i do not need a Coms system. Probably don't even need phone calls. Just for background tunes and GPS.

I'm probably even okay with a wire and was thinking of getting the JBL 45mm things and just plugging them into my phone.

anyone have any other recommendations?

Motikom Mplus would be my recommendation. I think @hugo7 & @Chak also purchased at my recommendation.

They may have a different opinion but I can't ride without them.

Motikom mplus

Can’t fault it. Excellent headset that makes riding so much more comfortable.

https://microcosm.app/out/cnV7i

I just happened to do this search and it looks like the headset is marked down from almost 400$ to 98$?

am i confused?

see my above curiosity.... seems unreal markdown

I've never paid more than $150 for a set and I have 2. They definitely overprice 'rrp' then give a massive discount.

They're worth $100 all day long.

Not news, but Sportsbikeshop are impressively fast
Ordered new gloves and trousers yesterday (bank holiday Monday, mid afternoon) arrived today

I really need to find a safe (and unmonitored) place for that. Don't think I'm keen on doing it often but I'd like to see how it feels up there. Maybe I'll have to wait till I make it to the Autobahn one day...

I'm thinking a lot about buying something sporty...

Now we're talking. On paper I would have said twin every time, but after owning a RSV (gen 2) Factory for a couple of years I'm not so sure. Even though it's only 120 odd rear wheel HP, without any aids it's still a handful. That Rotax lump is a peach, but not perfect at legal speeds in my experience. What I didn't like about the RSV was the heavy clutch (even with Oberon slave), stall-prone lumpy-ness and thigh scalding temps when travelling sub 50mph. But when you're pushing on, boy was it rewarding.

What I like about my GSXR 750 ('99) is that it's essentially very proficient (boring?) low down in the revs when filtering or going 30mph through villages, but when you see a national speed limit sign it goes like a stabbed rat.

If you want to scratch that sportsbike itch then by all means get the most uncompromising Italian exotica. I know you've said Triumphs aren't your thing, and fair enough. A three cylinder might be a good in-between compared to the two bikes mentioned above though? But either way, best of luck finding out what you like and don't like, quite a nice problem to have eh!

Ninja edit: of the bikes you've listed my vote would be the CBR954RR. Yes it's my fav 'blade but could also be a good mix of said boring and trouser tenting excitement.

I use Shure se425 earphones and a portable bluetooth transmitter (damn you iphone). I had the earphones already because the isolation and sound quality is so good. on the bike, the seal that gives the isolation is great in place of earplugs

Interesting feedback there too! All roads seem to lead to 954 and for reasons that are quite appealing to me as a first time sporty boy (civilised/ boring/ reliable)...

I'm going to have to try and find one at a dealer or some generous individual in one of my local moto FB groups and get a spin on one.

Also, finally got fresh tyres on the XTZ today. Only got a short spin home to bed them in but feels like a great improvement!

2 Attachments

Couldn't resist taking the srad out today. Such a hoot north of 10k on twisty b roads.

1 Attachment

I had an early Mille and it was impossibly quick on British roads. The acceleration is very much arms out of sockets. Lovely engine tho. It was a very practical and comfy distance bike. Good seat and fairing and big tank. I went to Germany with a bunch of people on BMW tourers. We all refuelled at the same time. I would go last so I could have an excuse to blitz past them.

So as it transpired I almost bought a 2001 RSV Mille this weekend and I'm a little bit heartbroken I missed out on it...

I had no intention of buying a bike at the moment and then spotted the aforementioned on FB Marketplace only about fifteen minutes from my parents house. Advert had just been posted, it was a track bike and needed new fairings and lighting replaced but it was owned by the owner of a suspension tuning company so forks and shock had been rebuilt and it was mechanically in excellent condition. It also had the logbook so it wouldn't have been too big of a task to return it to a road bike but sadly someone beat me to it before I had a chance to get there...

The truly soul destroying bit... he sold it for €850 :(

Otherwise I spent some time on Saturday with a former colleague of mine who used to work in the bike trade and got deep into this discussion... he's previously owned a YZF750R and rides lots of RSV Milles and CBR954RRs and his vote was for the YZF750R!

It seems like there isn't a bad choice here to be honest and he did make the point that with a bit of patient and careful purchasing why not just buy all of them over the next few years, it'll still cost less than the price of any relatively new litre bike!

That's a shame! There's nothing better than a cheap used bike which has had the suspension properly sorted. Rare beasts. Then you can get another level of feel. Which must be better than having electronics to make up for a lack of feel.

Bruntingthope airfield used to have days to let bikers do flat out runs.

There used to be a 200 mph club for bikes. They'd book an airfield and a radar timing thingy so you could find out what speed you were really doing when your speedo said 200. My best speed on my Busa was an actual 186 but the speedo said 209.

I've bought another bike. I couldn't stop myself. I rode it from Ramsgate 126 miles and it died 4 miles from home due to a broken wire at the fuse. Got taken home and got some tools deleted the fuse and got home. I disconnected the wire when I got home. Fuck me it's a bastard to start but that could have been the break in the wire. I'll know more tomorrow and that's my excuse.

2 Attachments

Nice, looks a very clean bike. Recent restoration?

Yes, it's originally Italian and the seller bought it in '21 and painted the swingarm and put NOS parts on it including a the headlight and plastic from a smaller XT. He gave me a box of all the old fasteners as he'd changed them all for stainless. It looks new. He was a member of the XT550 Facebook group and did a really good job with this and he had no problem starting it. But he is at least half my age.

Oh this is magnificent. I'd love one of these to go along with the XTZ! It looks absolutely mint too!

It really is. I've got the original round headlight too but it's for driving on the right. I'll put that on and get some mirrors and decent, not fucked, indicators. I managed 1.5 seconds of burble before I killed it by just looking at the throttle. There are so many "it's so easy to start an XT550" youtube videos that it is obviously a thing. The guy has told me his hot and cold procedures so I'll give it a go tomorrow when it is less flooded and my legs are less fucked.

First I seen this. Unmarked popo riding 1000xr’s

1 Attachment

Cheeky cnuts.

How do you know?

I assume you can see the blue flashing lights irl.

Or an educated guess given it's a BMW without a Polite Vest.