Went for a ride with both my lads today. The younger, is 19 and has a CBR125. He very rarely rides with me and his big bro, but we offered to go with him and assess his riding.
I gave him the “don’t try to impress me” speech before we set off, which as it turns out might not have been needed.
I was very pleasantly surprised. His road positioning needs a bit of refinement here and there, but he didn’t get too close to cars in front and hazard perception was good. He was pretty smooth and confident.
We got properly wet a couple of times - very heavy showers and I’d gone out in my perforated jacket and jeans so my t-shirt was completely soaked.
We rode past 2 police speed traps and a camera van. Guess the speeding campaign is in full swing in West Sussex!
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
I have been really surprised. The Bonnie is certainly not a peg grinder in any sense, to start with. The knobblies have a slightly strange effect of feeling like there is the tiniest amount of play in the front bearings as you initiate a turn, but once you tip it in and load them up, they are surprisingly grippy and confidence inspiring. I really thought there would be a lot more of a sketchy feel to them, like you are about to lose grip, but that's not the case. These are Continental TKC80s, so have a genuine road doemension to the design.
Dave
I spent 20 years living next to the A684 between Leyburn and Hawes in North Yorkshire, I do have bikes but I can say with sincerity. THEY ARE A FCKIN ANNOYANCE!! One year the police did a count and on a single day they recorded over 5000 bikes going past the checkpoint from first to last light. If you don’t know the 684 just have a look and see why we get loads of dickheads.
It was a regular occurrence listening to some going up through the gears and knowing exactly where they were and thinking he’s not got to the end, then 20 mins later a nice yellow MD 902 would come and drag them away to hospital.
Yes that was a bit of a rant, but whoever says loud pipes doesn’t effect people are very mistaken.
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First ride since being allowed to, last week over the Snake Pass and it was great to be back! ( Photo by Bikerpics )
Last edited by Lammylee; 24th May 2020 at 14:15.
Lovely morning ride around 'the shires’ with Tony & Sam.
Last edited by skmark; 24th May 2020 at 15:44.
Can't beat a nice rumble.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
None of this LED rubbish. Proper big lollipops!!!
Haha cheers Tony. Get in there and have a scoot out on one. I have thought of looking at the new model, but tbh the only real plus for me would be the blipper on the downchange. The slight increase in mid range is not something I would notice on the road, I aint that good a rider. Aesthetically, there are very minor changes but not enough to make me want to chop my 18 RS in at the moment. Did you have the R or the RS? If you had the R then there is a lot of worthwhile differences going to the RS as you obviously know.
Stuart
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I’m not the tallest guy but I am comfortable at a stop on the RS, not full flat foot but the balls of my feet are down which I am fine with. My S1000RR was a tad too tall for me though and I was on tiptoes at a stop.
Have a scoot on a RS. Its like your R with way WAY better brakes, and improved suspension front and rear. Think its slightly more powerful as well, only a few HP, but its like inches isnt it, we could all do with an extra couple like you say
Stuart
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i spend most of my time on the bike around shropshire , just past much wenlock by a large old pub called the acton arms a mobile speed camera is around on a regular basis (i think it got me on sun ).
the A458 that runs from shrewsbury to bridgenorth is a cracking road you can then jump on another great road (A442) that runs past the bikers cafe at quatt , the 'shrewsbury loop' is a favourite bikers run that runs the A458 shrewsbury - A442 past quatt to kidderminster then A456 to wooferton then A49 all the way back up to shrewsbury .
Something new to get my teeth into!
Tomorrow I'll be booking on to do my CBT, yes way behind most on here, and I've resisted for many years, but with public transport not going to get much better anytime soon, and the roads still fairly quiet I'm thinking this is one of the better times to get on and learn.
Concerned just a little bit, but I've got to do it at some point.
Shame I couldn't spend a week or however long going for a full license though.
Fish
About 24mpg on my RGV, though for proper scary fuel consumption I recall a family holiday in 1975 where we towed an enormous caravan with a Rover P5B (3.5 litre V8) from Wiltshire to the Algarve and back.
It was a 3,300 mile or so round trip and the Rover managed an average of 8mpg, running on 5* leaded petrol
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Have fun - you'll love it!
good grief, i get 30/32 mpg on my speed triple .
Never calculated my MPG on the S1000r or rr
I used to get just over 40mpg commuting on the GSXR 750
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Went for a reasonably spirited ride yesterday evening - the Diavel did 46mpg, which isn't unusual; my SDR generally returns about the same.
Here’s my XDiavel average over 5000 miles. It’s currently in the dealers for a rear brake recall and a service. Bloody thing has never had a rear brake since I’ve owned it. Bleed it and it’d last a week or so, and then spongy as heck, rinse and repeat.
Ducati finally admitted there was a problem, and have supplied new brake lines. It’d better work or it’ll be chopped in for something else.