Reply With QuoteSo many lovely bikes - can someone (else) organise a rideout this summer, please?
Picked up the new Tenere World Raid on Friday. Got to get it run in and then decide on what bits I want to add. Rear rack is a must, makes it easier to pick up after a crash and helps to protect the plastics.
Tyres will be swapped for Anakee Wilds or Dunlop 908s.
I am a bit worried how the tanks will fair in a tumble (off road riding), which happens rather more frequently than I care to admit!
So far I am really impressed with how much lighter it feels, even though it's around 15kg heavier than the standard T7. Suspension is so much better and there is much better wind protection being wider and with a slightly higher screen.
Very nice - checked one out last week at the local dealersOriginally Posted by electorn
Picked up the new Tenere World Raid on Friday. Got to get it run in and then decide on what bits I want to add. Rear rack is a must, makes it easier to pick up after a crash and helps to protect the plastics.
Tyres will be swapped for Anakee Wilds or Dunlop 908s.
I am a bit worried how the tanks will fair in a tumble (off road riding), which happens rather more frequently than I care to admit!
So far I am really impressed with how much lighter it feels, even though it's around 15kg heavier than the standard T7. Suspension is so much better and there is much better wind protection being wider and with a slightly higher screen.
Added a few bits to my standard T7 - tail tidy heated grips and a scratch to the side panel following it falling over last week
Untitled by biglewie, on Flickr
Ouch by biglewie, on Flickr
Last edited by lewie; 30th May 2022 at 08:32.
I know the feeling, my Rally has seen quite a bit of terra firma since I have had it!
Most panels have a few battle scars and the rims have had a beating due to the rocky trails I have been using. Can't beat the T7 for a do it all bike in my opinion.
So a bit of bikes and watches… thought it appropriate to wear the 1974 PD01 for today’s IMax…
Last edited by spareparts; 30th May 2022 at 14:11.
Spoked/tubed people... what are you carrying for punctures?
I carry a plug and gas cartridge kit for my tubeless bike but it was my tubed bike that got a punctureI had nothing with me apart from a Green Flag card so got recovered home. I was already starting to think about changing my rear tyre so whipped the wheel off at home and dropped it in for a new tyre and tube at the same time. Next time though I'd prefer to be self-sufficient.
I'm pretty handy fixing bicycle punctures - been doing it all my life - so I reckon this is just the same but bigger but...
- getting the punctured tyre off the ground? (with my MTB I just turn it upside down which probably isn't possible/advisable)
- pumping it up again - the pocket rocket isn't going to cut it here but I guess I can use gas cartridges or even a compressor
I fitted 4mm thick Michelin inner tubes to my Husqvarna 701e to reduce the chances of punctures
They came highly recommended…
Ribbed for extra pleasure................
Plenty of people convert (modify) their wheels for tubeless.
Can't remember the tape that is commonly used, but like most adhesion issues - preparation and acetone are de-rigeur.
Itv4 tonight at 8pm the story of the Fireblade
Im only seeing MotoGP highlights at 8pm?
Ah see it now 9pm.
Sorry Waiteu2 its 9 pm tonight after Moto GP :) its billed as TT Iom
Thanks for the heads up. Impossible to understate the impact of the blade on the TT. Will be watching.
If anyone who hasn’t watched it wants a brilliant 90 minutes of bike related TV then Closer To The Edge is a must see. Amazing footage and great direction turns a documentary into a gripping, devastating piece of cinema. It’s on iPlayer.
Thanks for the heads up
When I was had Trailespana out in Spain, I carried tyre levers and a pump. I’d lay the bike over on its side and remove the inner tube with the wheel in situ.Spoked/tubed people... what are you carrying for punctures?
I carry a plug and gas cartridge kit for my tubeless bike but it was my tubed bike that got a puncture
I'm pretty handy fixing bicycle punctures - been doing it all my life - so I reckon this is just the same but bigger but...
- getting the punctured tyre off the ground? (with my MTB I just turn it upside down which probably isn't possible/advisable)
- pumping it up again - the pocket rocket isn't going to cut it here but I guess I can use gas cartridges or even a compressor
Once I’d found and fixed the puncture (and checked the tyre obviously) I’d just pop the tube back in, put the tyre back on the rim, pump it up and be good to go!
ITV4 coverage of this years TT starts Thursday 9pm with a preview programme just in case want to series record.
I wish this CCM Street Moto was half the price (£11k, 600cc single, 250 to be made), but it just keeps looking at me…
In fact I think it may be stalking me.
Last edited by Itsguy; 31st May 2022 at 12:41.
A very good friend of mine has taken over as CCO at Norton. Cant wait to see what the future holds with the 961 coming back. Fingers crossed it works out this time
RIAC
I was under the impression that the 961 is only coming back to satisfy outstanding orders from before rather than taking new orders. Could be wrong. Of course the new CCO could change all that :-)
Its being reengineered apparantly
RIAC
Right guys,
Sorry for a boring post as most of you seem to be well on with your motorcycle journeys, whereas I’m just starting out.
I recently put a WTB out for a 125cc Motorbike as I have just recently completed my CBT after years of procrastination.
I think I’ll be keeping hold of the bike I get for a few months (maybe a year) at the very least, until I become comfortable enough to do the DAS and get my full license.
I’ve got the obvious suspects in mind with the Hondas Yamahas, Suzukis etc. of this world. I have however been intrigued by a couple of the Chinese/Korean options, namely the Hyosung Aquila that interestingly has a V twin engine in 125cc capacity.
I love the way it looks, but am just a little worried about parts availability in case something does go wrong.
Being a vain old sod, I do want the bike to look half decent too despite it being a 125cc.
I also don’t want to lose a shed load of money when I inevitably come to sell and move up.
Any pointers would be much appreciated.
Last edited by namzo; 31st May 2022 at 17:26.
I will say this only once… feel free to ignore….. just buy a Honda CB125👍👍Right guys,
Sorry for a boring post as most of you seem to be well on with your motorcycle journeys, whereas I’m just starting out.
I recently put a WTB out for a 125cc Motorbike as I have just recently completed my CBT after years of procrastination.
Being a vain old sod, I do want the bike to look half decent too despite it being a 125cc.
I also don’t want to lose a shed load of money when I inevitably come to sell and move up.
Any pointers would be much appreciated.
Don't apologise for your post. This thread started when LTF started exactly the journey you're on (about 4 years ago). I joined it looking at CBT about 2 years ago.Right guys,
Sorry for a boring post as most of you seem to be well on with your motorcycle journeys, whereas I’m just starting out.
I recently put a WTB out for a 125cc Motorbike as I have just recently completed my CBT after years of procrastination.
I think I’ll be keeping hold of the bike I get for a few months (maybe a year) at the very least, until I become comfortable enough to do the DAS and get my full license.
I’ve got the obvious suspects in mind with the Hondas Yamahas, Suzukis etc. of this world. I have however been intrigued by a couple of the Chinese/Korean options, namely the Hyosung Aquila that interestingly has a V twin engine in 125cc capacity.
I love the way it looks, but am just a little worried about parts availability in case something does go wrong.
Being a vain old sod, I do want the bike to look half decent too despite it being a 125cc.
I also don’t want to lose a shed load of money when I inevitably come to sell and move up.
Any pointers would be much appreciated.
There are young/old recent/long-time bikers here but everyone will give you good advice from their perspective.
My own advice is don't invest too much in a 125 and get on with your big bike training ASAP. Once you get onto a 500/650 you'll realise how much easier they are to ride that a 125.
Or YBR....
My lad bought a 2009 YBR125 to learn on 7 years ago. He's still got it and it's probably worth what he paid for it.
To a greater extent than I'd realised apparently.
Thanks mate, much appreciated. What would you say would be a reasonable budget that would get me a bike that’s good enough to fill the 125cc requirement before moving up?
I was going to chip in with "about £800" but a quick look at Autotrader suggests you've got to be laying out over £2k for a CB125F or a YBR. Madness!
Yup!
It seems the madness wasn’t confined to used cars.
I spent £1000 on a 2012 YBR125, did about 800 miles on it (between riding to/from big bike training and other practice rides), kept it for a bit over a year (while wife did and daughter didn't do CBT) and then sold it for £880.
Buy something safe and legal from a reliable Japanese maker and you won't lose much.
I suspect the 125 market is a bit more mental than the rest of the bike market as they can be used on L plates for Deliveroo etc.
I'd be tempted to go straight for DAS and get something like this
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-de...02205246052630
I did consider skipping the 125cc entirely and doing a fast track course for around £800-£1000 over 7 days of DAS training.
I then thought I’d be better off getting a 125cc to develop a good level of basic riding ability, as my only experience to date really is the CBT itself.
I’m still open to both options but currently leaning towards getting a 125 for a while.
I did the 7 days training - from CBT to full licence. As others have suggested, the bigger bikes are actually easier and the fundamentals are the same.
I would advocate that route for any mature individual who has a healthy respect for their own mortality - and will therefore, exercise restraint on a bigger bike.
Thanks Richard.
Any recommendations for good training schools?
The direct access is, I believe, a pretty intensive course and will give you much more concentrated time on a bike than riding a 125 for a while. You’ll also have the advantage of enjoying this summers riding on a decent bike rather than pottering around on a 125 this year and taking your test around the time the colder/wetter weather kicks in.
This is so tricky (and I'm going to back-track a little on my earlier suggestion).
One thing about riding is that it can take a little while to get the coordination of hands and feet working so starting, speeding up, slowing down and stopping become second nature. Once you've mastered that, then you can work on steering, positioning and roadcraft.
Having a 125 for a while allows you to get the hang of the controls before moving to direct access.
OK, he'd been riding (infrequently) for a few years on a 125 and had a full A1 licence (cheaper than redoing CBT), but I was astonished how little training time was included in my son's direct access course. Around 4 half days. I know if you're a complete beginner there's about another day to day and a half to cover the CBT and basic machine control, but that doesn't seem a lot of preparation and certainly short of what I'd expect before allowing a new starter out on an unlimited bike.
The suggestion of going straight to CBT was based pretty much on the cost of the bikes (eeek!) but I still think there's a genuine benefit in riding about on a little bike first even if it's just for a couple of months. Perhaps the ideal is to do CBT, book Direct Access and ride a 125 for the 2-3 months between the two.
I believe a 125 is fine for 2 kinds of people : the 17 yo who needs to learn both to be road wise and to ride, and the adult who has identified a need for a 2 wheeler for his commute and has no plans to go bigger.
It can be a stopgap for more experienced road users before moving up, as planned by a recent poster, but I am not sure it’s such a great idea.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Where in the NW are you? If you're anywhere near Buxton I recommend Swains.
They're the only training school I've used so can't really compare but they've been doing it for years which is a recommendation in itself.
On the subject of intensive vs gradual training, I wanted to do a week's intensive training and tests but this was right in the middle of the initial Covid snarl-up so they couldn't get the test dates to support this. Hence buying the mighty YBR to see me through. They then booked Mod 1 and Mod 2 dates for me as they could get them and I rode the YBR myself for my own practice and also back and forward to Swains doing an afternoon here and a morning there. Getting back on the 125 after riding the modern 650s was horrible. I still think with hindsight that I'd have preferred an intensive course but that's basically because it would see me on a better bike quicker.
I guess some of it comes down to your own history as well. I used to ride motorbikes as a youth, have cycled all my life and have been driving for > 30 years too. I also get driver training (roadcraft) through work. So I took to it reasonably quickly.
If I was starting out now, assuming I’d never ridden a motorcycle before, I’d do my CBT, borrow/rent/buy a 125 and put enough miles on it to be sure that merely operating the thing was second nature, then do a direct access course. Passing the test is going to be much easier if you’re not wobbling around having to think which way to move the gear shift and can concentrate on roadcraft. If you are already comfortable operating a bike, then straight to direct access.
Good advice, I think. The 125s are difficult to master in a short time due to them having narrow power band, sharp clutch and that they can get unsettled by rider movements. Getting onto the 500s is a relief!
+1
Agree also with the other advice to get a Honda/Yam second hand. Depreciation will be minimal when you come to sell.
Some great advice and food for thought guys.
I’m in south Manchester and did my CBT at Scotti Knights.
They also run the intensive DAS courses for around a £1000 depending how many days you go for.
I will give the instructor who I did my CBT with a ring and see what his thoughts are on the best route for me.
^ yep, I agree with this. I feel like there are 2 key things with riding a motorcycle on the road to be comfortable with:
1) general awareness of being comfortable on an open motorbike, navigating traffic at road speeds, in a variety of weather conditions. This is what the CBT will allow you to do. I found that a twist'n'go 125cc scooter was perfect for this, and it means you don't have to think about gearchanges and just focus on road/traffic awareness. I actually think ALL car drivers should be made to do a CBT as it would make them realise the perils of being on a motorbike and just drive in a way that makes them more 'bike aware'.
2) managing a geared motorbike and controls. Once comfortable with (1) the DAS will enable you to focus purely on managing the morobike, gear changes, controls, etc.
The answer to this is that it depends who you ask.
I did DAS 4 years ago and have had 6 or 7 bikes since. For me, the learning came after I passed the test and rode different styles of bikes (modern retro, adventure, sports tourer and sports).
My instructors for DAS were advising against using a 125 whilst you were receiving instruction on a DAS bike. Their perspective was that the smaller machine is less stable and in some ways more difficult to ride than a DAS bike, and the logic being that you are unlikely to continue to ride a 125 post-DAS, so get comfortable with a bigger bike in the relative security of the bike school and crack on from there.
I have also heard good things about Swains. A friend in my village is learning with them, and he is riding a 125 in the interim. We've been out together a few times with me on my SP1, which is an interesting experience that requires very little gear changing on my part.
I wouldn't waste your time with a 125 and thrown your resources into DAS instead.
After the responses here, I feel going directly to DAS is a viable option again.
I think the plan of action is to get my theory booked and also ring round to see what DAS courses are available this month.
The hardest thing I found during the CBT was remembering to cancel my indicators
So hopefully I can iron that out.
It does depend on who you ask. Maybe DAS Instructors are keen to get people through their test, in which case it would make sense to learn to ride *that* bike rather than lean to ride *a* bike in general. The downside to that is you then have to learn a lot more after you pass your test, generally on faster bikes where mistakes tend to hurt more. The guys I know who rode a 125 for a year before doing DAS generally had better bike control than those that did DAS directly, but it took them longer to get a full licence. Which is better? Depends on what you want to achieve.
I agree it is horses for courses.
My own perspective is that if you survive riding a bigger bike post-DAS - and most do survive - then the learning curve is steeper and you are a better rider than someone who has pootled around on a rickety 125 for the same length of time.
No one is advocating getting straight on a litre super bike the minute you pass MOD2. I went to an R9T and it was fine. More stable, better brakes, better engine braking, more forgiving of the odd gear selection mistake due to the gearbox and clutch having a nice action etc. etc.
I am yet to read any comments from people who have gone down the DAS route lamenting that they wished they had spent more time on a 125.
Last edited by j0hnbarker; 1st June 2022 at 11:48.
Now that is exactly the crux of the matter.
I’d love to get on to a ‘proper’ bike this summer, so that is a big factor in trying to get the DAS done sooner rather than later.
Well I wouldn’t describe 50 miles of Enoch style roads would get me this dirty. i had to rinse my rucsac when I got in. Methinks some hugger work is required
Ps the rider seat is only clean as I was sat on it!
Oh, how about this - a sensible-ish price at last
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-de...02204234961980
It always amuses me that there is a trend for fitting smaller rear mudguards when in practice we need the opposite
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