Any bikers here???

[zazer]

I got a 1993 Suzuki DR350S, only owned it for two months but I leave on the 2 June for a 3 month trip around Europe.

If anyone is interested in the trip you can read about it here

www.zazer.co.uk

Has anyone got any advice for a noobie going on his first long distance adventure?

Cheers
Alex

 

[Grendel]

Good choice of bike.

 

[markie*mark0]

Has anyone got any advice for a noobie going on his first long distance adventure?

Cheers
Alex

Have fun! If you see something and think "should i stop and have a look" stop and have a look, cause i bet you wont see anything like it again.

Give your bike a major service, everything in the manual and more, think about what mileage you'll be doing and what is going to have wear and tear.

 

[Grendel]

A couple of usefull websites:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

http://www.adventurebikerider.com/

 

[Woodcutter]

Only just spotted this. I ride a 2002 Fireblade (929), limited edition millenium silver, only 7 in the UK apparently. Here's a pic taking my daughter out for the first time, she loves it.

[/IMG]

 

[Berk]

Here's mine, christened Jingo.

Passed my CBT a few weeks back, but had to wait to pick him up from the in-laws as I've been busy with exams. So yesterday was my first real ride out since my CBT, 40 miles from the in-laws to my parents, then 70 miles from my parents to mine today. He handled it admirably well, but will never win any prizes for speed.

 

[ged]

Here's mine, christened Jingo.
...
Passed my CBT a few weeks back...

I like the rack, looks like it can take panniers well. Your tax disc should be on the other side, preferably near the front. Congrats on the CBT.

... 40 miles from the in-laws to my parents, then 70 miles from my parents to mine today....

The bike will manage just fine. What sort of road conditions? Did you handle it OK?

 

[Grendel]

Great little bike the SR 125. Only thing I will say is I found the rear suspension a bit short and bottomed out a few times over speed ramps but that could have just been the Instructors bike and me being 16 stone at the time?

Your tax disc should be on the other side, preferably near the front. Congrats on the CBT.

Didn’t think it matters where you put your tax disc as long as it is displayed or you have it on you to stop thieves?

Another trick with tax disc is to laminate it that way it stays waterproof and if some git steals it they can’t change it.

 

[Doc]

Nice SR125.

I've passed my Direct access test now, but am still buzzing around on a CG125. I daresay I'll get something bigger at some point but I actually like the little bike. It only does 65mph but the £15/year tax disc, £70/year insurance, 100+ mpg, virtually zero depreciation and cheap DIY servicing can't be ignored.

 

[AJB]

On Mull at the weekend

 

[cbr6fs]

Another biker here, well ex-biker now.
Had a bash at pretty much anything with a motor so tried a bit of racing, motoX, Enduro over the years, some great times but you still can't beat and nice twisty open road on a very early sunny morning.

Few of the bikes i've had in no particular order.

Ridden to the UK (from Greece) and back a fair few times, toured around Europe a fair bit as well.

Think this one was taken in the Alp's

Spain i think.

Italy

Got completely lost in Switzerland here, we we're planning in staying near a lake, but we kept going up and up and up, once we reached the cloud line i figured we we're a bit off the path

Me CBR600Fv outside the old gals house in the UK notice the Greek plates)

The current bike

How it stands now

 

[lavrentyuk]

Just bought my 17 year old an old MZ TS125 for his birthday. Nice and simple, damned near everlasting and easy to work on. Loads of spares too.

MZ's - you either love them or hate them. I seem to have lots of them !

Richard

 

[Robbi]

Ooooo ! thats got to hurt ! are you OK ?

 

[Grendel]

Just bought my 17 year old an old MZ TS125 for his birthday. Nice and simple, damned near everlasting and easy to work on. Loads of spares too.

MZ's - you either love them or hate them. I seem to have lots of them !

Richard

I hope you bought him a year’s supply of oil with it. From what I hear they burn just as much oil as they do petrol but will run forever as long as there both topped up.

 

[Andy BB]

....at least the Baglux tank-bag survived!

 

[lavrentyuk]

I hope you bought him a year’s supply of oil with it. From what I hear they burn just as much oil as they do petrol but will run forever as long as there both topped up.

50:1 petrol to oil mix, measured using the cup in the fuel filler cap. And the knowledge that the key designer got his start working on the V1 !

Drum brakes all round. About as simple a machine as can be imagined.

Richard

 

[Andy BB]

I love MZs. Especially the touches like the fully-enclosed chain - how brilliant and practical is that? Ad some of the later models like the ETZ and the Kanuni had disc front brake and autolube. Did a lot of bike rallies in the late 70's/early 80s on my trusty TS251 - no problems apart from a somewhat temperamental starting procedure, solved with an aftermarket electronic ignition set-up. Even used to commute from Plymouth to London on it in the winter.

Now if I can only hack one out of the ivy in the garden and see if it works after 5 years of total neglect..................

 

[Biker]

I love MZs.

Now if I can only hack one out of the ivy in the garden and see if it works after 5 years of total neglect..................

Man, you still trying to dig it out?! That Ivy must be on steroids! Perhaps you need something bigger than a billhook LOL! Try Naplam, the MZ ought to survive that blast.

Nice bikes cbr6f, sad shot in the last two though, hope you're well and the "ex-biker" comment wasn't as a result of that smash.

CG125 ahh yes my girlfriend at the time first bike, we never did get it running but bught a CB100n and she used that for ages, until it got nicked. Good little runner too, especailly with the slash cut side pipe I fitted on it, tweaked the timing a bit and that thing flew!

 

[Badger90]

Worked for Harley for 4 years or so, trained to be a technician and ran their aftersales department. Built a custom hardtail Harley from the ground up ( totalled mine on a nice corner )

Currently don't own a bike but love the older superbikes, the original Z1000, GS850's ( owned em in the past ) etc

Harley's are oki as long as when you pick it up from the showroom you strip it down and rebuild it to your own specs, i can't stand shiny stuff on a bike...

 

[Berk]

I like the rack, looks like it can take panniers well. Your tax disc should be on the other side, preferably near the front. Congrats on the CBT.



The bike will manage just fine. What sort of road conditions? Did you handle it OK?

Got home just fine, had a couple of issues, but they were my fault. After stopping for lunch I turned the fuel off and forgot to turn it back on before setting off.. Made it about 10m down the road. Had a knocking where I didn't quite change gear smoothly and it didn't go in properly, but reshifting sorted that. Also ran out of fuel on the way, after I'd forgotten to turn the tap back on, I recognised the symptoms, but didn't have the confidence to fiddle with the tap on the move, so pulled into a convenient lane to sort it out.

The route back was mainly A roads, the 4189 > 425 > 45. Got my first overtaking in, chin nearly on the bars and the throttle pinned open. Otherwise a pretty steady ride home, until we got back to Northampton at almost exactly school kicking out time, so lots of stop start traffic.

Great little bike the SR 125. Only thing I will say is I found the rear suspension a bit short and bottomed out a few times over speed ramps but that could have just been the Instructors bike and me being 16 stone at the time?




Didn’t think it matters where you put your tax disc as long as it is displayed or you have it on you to stop thieves?

Another trick with tax disc is to laminate it that way it stays waterproof and if some git steals it they can’t change it.

The previous owner was, according to my father-in-law who picked the bike up for me, a mere slip of a lad. As such (or if he ever knew about it) the suspension was on it's softest setting. We've taken it up a couple of notches and I didn't notice any bottoming out with my 14st, so hopefully that will be happy enough.