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.... and blow the tyres up. Not used the Sprint ST since Early November. I know, 'not a proper biker' ....
I got my KTM 990 out on the weekend - I had forgotton how much fun too much power can be 🙂
I've commuted 4k on my Sprint GT since purchased at Christmas - bet your bikes are a bit cleaner...
But on a serious note, be careful - the last few warm days have seen more 'summer' bikers out, and they've obviously not yet blown the cobwebs' off...
As above. It feels really weird going along without pedalling and the saddle is too low but the brakes are quite good.
I'm going to have a spin this weekend. Just bought a new Shoei Qwest helmet (£260!) and I'm looking forward to trying it out (sad, or what!). I'm hoping it will be substantially quieter than my current Arai. Next purchase will have to be a back tyre, then oil and filter, then an MOT. I can't really afford to run a bike, but I'm going to hang on to it as long as I can.
Time to [s]dust the motorbike off [/s] take the front wheel off, remove the suspension, get the crack in the aluminium mounting bit welded, have it x-rayed (just not really confident about aluminium wwelding), get the bike MoT'ed, put the fork back on the bike, wheels back on, check it's all ok and ride off into them thar hills
there FIFM - Fixed It For Me
Engine still in bits 👿
[i]I'm hoping it will be substantially quieter than my current Arai[/i]
You do use earplugs, don't you?
Need to get the cooling lines sorted and the bike taxed.
Have been out for several local rides already after fitting new bars to replace clipons - now have heated grips too mmmm toasty. Bars have made a world of difference, so pleased I didn't chop it in for a naked 🙂
vfr1200 is primed and raring to go,
had it out a couple of weekends ago,,, forgot about that creamy 1237cc whooooooosh 🙂
firestorm ready...
bandit needs an MOT (which means digging out the 'MOT silencer')
Perhaps an STW motorbike meet should be arranged! Quick coffee, turn around and wend your way home again.....
I've just took my roadbike off the turbo trainer,not been outside on it since October.
Been using my old XT600 for falling off in the snow & sunday afternoon rides all winter,my "classic" FZ750 has been hibernating,think I might put it back on the road early April,thing is it's gonna need a new battery,a couple of tyres,tax &mot before it goes anywhere...
Thought I'd clean mine (f800gs), put it on centre stand and something sounded odd, got the wheels in the air, and brill- both set of wheel bearings are knackerred, - out in Spain and my proper jobs tools are in Blighty, - may have a go anyway - thats riding off the menu for a couple of weeks......
always park on loose gravel- never noticed the wheels before 😳
😯I've just took my roadbike off the turbo trainer,not been outside on it since October.
I wonder if the bandit will fit on my rollers?
😆 it'll end in tears loosing it at 120 and going through the wall of the shed
Time to buy a battery seeing as the old one died during the long winter months. Never mind. MOT tomorrow, then oot and aboot whilst I still can.
Anyone fancy a very well looked after Drifter 1500?
Looks like this:
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failedengineer, you need this.... really!!
totally cured a slow leaking rim on the V-max 😀
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This is the first year I've not had to commute all through winter and it's been great, people get a bit full-on about "fair weather bikers" but riding through snow and freezing fog is just grim, makes me forget what I like about motorbikes, so this year it'll be nice to just ride for fun I reckon. Won't put as many miles on but they should all be good miles.
The salt has been washed off the roads and I've wheeled the old RGV250 out the garage a couple of times. Ring a ding ding.
Euphoria of spring was quickly dampened by the shock of filling her up with petrol £19+ for a tank full!!!! And at best I'll squeeze 90 miles from a tank.
Welcome to the world of the living after your hibernation.
As an all year round biker (BMW R1200GS Adventure), I really don't know what the fuss is about winter riding. Heated grips, a decent set of warm waterproofs and you feel quite cosy in yer helmet. Only off the bike for 3 days this year when the snow hit in early December. Despite the grim weather, I always look forward to the commute more than I used to in the car.
Nevertheless, I do sometimes look at my bike despite ACF50 and a religious washing routine throughout the winter and wish she was garaged for 6 months of the year. I love the smell of GT85 in the morning!
Tomaso - you want to fill a BMW Adventure tank. Nearly £50 now. Ouch!
BTW Ox - WTF is that?! Each to his own I guess.
If I had a heated garage I might have got round to changing the cam belts & oil pump drive gear by now 🙄
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5536009818_9b851daf2f.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/48104679@N06/5536009818/ ]DSC00188[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/48104679@N06/ ]TRIPPITUCKER[/url], on Flickr
Every day..love it!!!!
Be careful out there-lad died after a lorry interface at the bottom of my hill last Friday.
It's been squid city round here this week, over-cooking the straight lines, braking too early and fifty-pee-bitting the corners. Hilarious!
Ive been out every other week on it. Wish i went out tonight just to run it a bit as its sat for about 10 days now.20th Feb 2011..
[url= http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/5536128090_8529fc4a31.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/58126471@N06/5536128090/ ]bike[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/58126471@N06/ ]924185418699ff956e470b7b637e7bc5[/url], on Flickr
problem with winter riding on diesel slung slippery roads is you wobble about and forget come spring, what grip actually means and you keep wobbling 😆
Went to give mine the once over last night.
...It wouldn't start
...then I noticed it was weeing fork oil
I closed the garage door behind me
Trailie for winter commuting, gsxr for summer - I've been taking the gsxr for the last few days 🙂 The trailie is just as much fun in winter as summer, I just care less for it (its not worth much), I though t about cleaning it the other day...
Found the battery on my VTR 1000 had died over winter so bought a new one but the alarm needs recoding. Not a problem until I realise the guy I bought it from (many years ago)didn't give me the red tag with the code on, so need to get the alarm stripped and replaced before I'm going anywhere.
Arse.
Ah, bollocks, all the fair weather bikers will soon be back on the road - bloody nightmare for the first few weeks while they remember how to filter in traffic - don't know how to squeeze past the cars, don't bother looking behind, holding you up.
mogrim - put a big sign over your head 'move over, miserable git coming through' 😉
I popped into town on my KTM (Duke 690) yesterday, it really isn't a bike for riding round town, the engine isn't happy going slow and the Akrapovic is a bit on the LOUD side 😳
unfortunatley I've had too much to do this year and not had a chance. Beautiful day today but still can't get out. 1st time i'll get a chance will be April 🙁
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ride safe guys.
ride safe guys.
What he said. DFC
mogrim - put a big sign over your head 'move over, miserable git coming through'
😆
No point, the idiots are wobbling all over the place, concentrating hard on not falling off, and never look in their mirrors!
dibs i had a duke 690 and i changed out the front sprocket from a 17t to a 16t (or vice versa) and it took away the juddery feeling at slow speeds and made it into a perfect town bike. Light & nimble.
Never stopped all winter plugging through mud and streams
mind you i ride a gas gas trials bike so never on the road 😉
ps dibs i have a duke tank bag for sale on the UK KTM forum if you're interested.
trimix I also have a pair of KTM crash sliders from my old 990sm for sale. Mint.
Oh yes, I may well be wobbling around in Weardale & Teesdale this weekend. +1 again for ageing Honda Firestorms - the discerning STW members bike of choice....
dibs i had a duke 690 and i changed out the front sprocket from a 17t to a 16t (or vice versa) and it took away the juddery feeling at slow speeds and made it into a perfect town bike. Light & nimble.
Ha ha, no thanks I'd rather keep it as it is, (brilliant on the open road) and just avoid going into town. 😀
mogrim - you been riding behind me?!?
my sv has rotted with the salt this winter. Sigh.
bikes are for riding people not polishing
Yeah time to dust it down 😉
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Only one of mine is currently road legal but I've been thinking that it's time to get it out of hibernation:
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All the others need MOT's and other bits and bobs done, but I'd like to get my XBR500 into use again as it's great for summer evening runs down into the Scottish Borders.
Dust!!!
I have had to shovel the mud off my CCM to find the lights to ride to work.
Out for a couple of hours yesterday swinging through the lanes. Deep joy 🙂
hadge - schweeeeeet! the noise from that thing makes the hairs on my neck stand on end
I've changed ny mind after seeing the road warriors emerge the last few mornings, can you all put your bikes back in the sheds please. Nearly had a head on with another bike this morning who looked far too desparate to catch one of the usual commuters.
It'll have to stay in the garage for a little longer as my two broken thumbs are still waiting to repair.
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Nice KTM! That's the 990, right?
Yep, it's the time for all the people who've not ridden over the winter to come back out again. I've no problem with that per se, but it's the eejits that think they can immediately ride at the same level they were at last September, after 6/7 months of nothing. I've seen some appalling riding in the last week or so!
yeah, it's the 990.
I commuted for years until this year and always found that even as a seasoned rider, I always struggled with adapting my riding angles with the changing seasons and conditions. Once, thumbs have healed i'll be out for a wobble, though i did ride to the MCN bike show the other month so shouldn't be too rusty.
Really looking forward to see the power ranger leaving his right foot hanging too long while attempting to drag race everyone from the traffic lights.... always makes me laugh.
lobby_dosser - Ive got the crash bars, cheers.
Ive been using the KTM to tour round France / Alps / Italian Lakes and Corsica for a few years. Will be doing some off roading in Corsica later this year on it.
Been out a couple of times for short rides this year, but only enough to blow the cobwebs out!
Soon as my broken toes heal up a little (so I can shift gear!) I may have to go for a proper ride!
The salt has been washed off the roads and I've wheeled the old RGV250 out the garage a couple of times. Ring a ding ding
Nice bike and great sound.
Hadge - don't like you because you have a Demso and i don't 👿
Fazer 1000 MOT'd at 4 this afternoon (£23 to fill the tank, christ thats about £3 more than October)
MT01 in for MOT tomorrow, might be a wee bit loud to pass though
WSB on Sunday 😀
i think the desmo is already looking "dated".......
whereas the new generation Duke's are looking incredibly progressive...... Diavel anyone yet ?
i went to see the diavel in ducati Glasgow and it looks a lot better in the flesh. Not my kind of bike though. I had a test ride on the multistrada and i wasn't that impressed- it certainly wasn't worth £8k more than I paid for my 990sm.
What do you have trimix a SM or an Adventure?
[quote think the desmo is already looking "dated".......
i think it looks and sounds stunning. What do i know though, i bought a 749r (probably the most hated Ducati design in recent times)
Engine still in bits
Well that is the only part on mine that is in one piece :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
i think the desmo is already looking "dated".......
Looks like a 1992 NR750 to me.
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5th - indeed, without the oval pistons 🙂
I'll be dusting the Tuono off for a good blast over in Mid-Wales on Sunday - forecast is looking great!! 🙂
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i can see where your coming from 5thelefant
63miles this year on the Tiger.
Bought last autumn and have spent the winter doing a full service including camshims and getting the wheels powdercoated.
Will be adding mileage to it asap.
..and i hate aka gilo for having a tuono! Ive been eyeing the 2006/07 models for a while now.Still havent tried one,only sat on the 2006 model in the local shop.