That’s the chief designer of the CCM Spitfire, Chris Ratcliffe, who’s since set up on his own.
Hence the resemblance.
On another note can someone please buy Tony’s bike... my willpower is weakening!
I thought Upside Down was with the outer tube at the top?
Because original/older style (Right Way Up) used to be outer tube at the bottom?
Regardless, the advantage of outer tube at the top is that it means less unsprung weight, so theoretically the wheel can move more easily in response to the road surface.
That’s always been my understanding anyway.
Disclaimer: my knowledge of USD forks comes from mountain bikes where they occasionally come up from time-to-time (e.g. Maverick SC32)...
Benefits are:
- increased strength/weight
- reduced unsprung mass
both of which will give better steering response
The major downside of USD forks is that the oil is held in above the seal so if the seal fails you lose all the oil very quickly often onto the brake caliper and rotor (which tends not to be a good thing).
Yep, stiffness and reduction in unsprung weight are the advantages of USD forks, one of the main downsides is that it relegates the shiny, swept surface of the forks to the grubbier end, so many USD fork bikes need additional shrouds to protect them from rubbish off the road (or other surface).
Just bought a 2015 KTM 690 Duke.
It's a lovely bike but the engine is such a pig low down.
I remember my Harley has similar vibrations but this is much worse. I bought some Vance & Hines remapper and this made it loads better
I read that they run very lean from the factory so I have ordered one of these Booster plugs.
Does anyone have any experience of these?
I know its a single and they are generally rough but I've got a 2018 390 duke and its smooth as butter in comparison
Last edited by bigweb; 18th September 2020 at 11:25.
They also look so much better, especially with radial calipers.
Without any knowledge of these things, it’s easy to tell that they are superior as they’re used on all Moto GP, WSB etc bikes and they’re not going to use inferior products are they?
Like everything else though, on the road the improvements are hard to spot.
If it sorts the low end out but blunts outright performance by 5% I'm ok with it as the bike is more than fast enough.
Such a weird power delivery. It reminds me of when performance diesel cars first came out.
A real hit of torque over quite a short rev range (for a bike at least)
Well I finally bit the bullet. I thought I was happy enough pootling around on my 125s on my A1 license. I mean I could take the wife on the back, take the motorways, no L plates..... but in the end there’s just too many nice bikes out there to ignore.
So, I sold both my bikes:-
Mondial
My rebuilt Honda bobber
Upgraded my A1 to full A yesterday... and finally have my first ‘big bike’
Picked up a 2008 Triumph Speedmaster that seemed mechanically ok although a wee bit tatty:-
Been working on sprucing her up a bit while I was waiting on my Module 2 to come around, and managed to get out for her first ride at lunch time:
Can’t wait to finish work and get out for a ride tonight!
Andy.
Took full advantage of a day off work and the good weather to get out for a ride.
Off to Wales again in a couple of weeks - fingers crossed for good weather.
Some lovely bikes there ^^^
That Mondial is superb - only 125??
Yep, it’s the engine from the Aprilia RS125 so it was actually not too much of a slouch, and extremely chuckable through traffic.
Ran it for 2yrs and sold it for £100 less than I bought it for... so really can’t complain !!
Andrew how long before the modifications begin?
Steve
Looks real good Enoch. Let me know when you’re out and about North Wales, I cant wait to see the beast. Weather permitting, I’ll be doing the same route Sunday as we did last weekend if you’re out?
Stuart
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
The bike's looking lovely, Ian.
Anyway, given that my own R9T is now sold I thought I'd elaborate a bit on the bike I've bought to replace it (which I'm collecting on Sunday). It's an absolutely mint Thruxton R from December 2016, with just 2500 miles on the clock and a host of mods/extras including:
Triumph LED indicators
R&G tail tidy
Weslake cat delete X-Pipe
Weslake anodised bashplate
Ironhead OVC11SS slip-on silencers
Triumph tank/knee pads
Motone Customs Union Jack carb/throttle body covers
Booster plug
Aside from heated grips, that's pretty much everything I'd have wanted to do anyway (and the decat x-pipe is a bonus). Here's a couple of clips of the bike...
https://streamable.com/hsg0q / https://streamable.com/mlgu9
And some seller's photos...
Why the Thruxton R? Well, I'd kind of set my heart on a Speed Twin, and had discounted the Thruxton due to my original perception of the clip-on bars. However, after testing one i can honestly say it's the most comfortable ride of anything I've tried to date (and, for me, ergonomically perfect) - so much so that it immediately vied for position with the ST. However, the thing that won me over was the quality of components used on the R model - it really is a superior bike in many respects, and given that I prefer the styling anyway it quickly became a fairly easy decision for me. It's just a shame I didn't try one at the time I bought my Street Triple really, as I'd be a fair few quid better off than I am now. Then again, trying different bikes is loads of fun, so i don't really regret the path that I've inadvertently taken.
The R9T is a gorgeous bike and I've loved every minute that I've owned it. I have to say, though, that I'm happy to be back in the Triumph fold, which undoubtedly is where I belong.
Tony that decat video sounds fruity. Looks like a much more focussed ride from your R9T. Id wager it will be a more involving ride and when you get off you will be knackered and fulfilled in equal measure. Looking forward to the weekends reveals of yours and Enochs new steeds.
Delighted for you Tony
It was the Thruxton that sowed the seed of me moving away from my Striple, but having owned bikes with sporty riding positions I knew it wasn't for me, not wrists but my back.
Which was why I was drawn to the Speed Twin when it came out. Although I think the Thruxton is the prettier bike the Speed Twin errs a bit more to the classic look which I like a lot. I love my ST, took it out tonight and loved every second, it was my first ride in the dark and the headlights are amazing (same on the Thruxton I believe).
Enjoy it and looking forward to your thoughts on it once you get it
Good to know, thank you!
Thanks Simon. Even more reason to get a ride in the diary as it would be a great way to compare the two.
As an aside, my elbows are bent and my arms completely relaxed on this bike - more so than on any other bike i've ridden. No wrist strain whatsoever after a full hour of test riding.
Maybe its because I'm a short-arse.
Looking forward to a full ride report Tony. Interested to hear how the clip on type bars feel after a few hours good ride.
Stuart
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
That Triumph Rocket is an absolute ‘end game’ bike.
Where do you even go from there? It’s would be my Yellow gold green face Day Date 40 of a bike!
Congrats!
[QUOTE=bigweb;5535806]
Where do you even go from there? It’s would be my Yellow gold green face Day Date 40 of a bike!
/QUOTE]
Boss Hoss 6.2 litre V8?
I can imagine a boss hoss being great to ride for a day or so but you would get over it quickly.
Would still love a go of one!
I'm slightly ashamed to say that I've bitten the bullet and opted for motorcycle transport with collection/delivery scheduled for tomorrow, Stuart. Five hours of multiple train rides (with the whole COVID issue playing a part), followed by at least three hours of motorway riding on a new, naked bike just seemed like an unnecessarily stressful option. I know the bike is mint so I reckon I can relax now.
The standard clip-ons have quite chunky risers so they're not particularly low, and I found that - without any noticeable forward lean - my elbows were very nicely bent, my arms were relaxed and I had no weight on my wrists. After an hour of riding my arms/wrists were still fine, as was my bum so I'm pretty sure it will be fine even on a long run.
No shame in that Tony, it’s not a bike for long motorway runs and the journey to get it sounds a nightmare. It wouldn’t surprise me if the transport is cheaper too.
WRT riding position, I too was surprised how roomy and comfortable it was given its design. It’s probably because it was designed for us more mature folk!