Any bikers here???
- Thread starter tytek
- Start date
LOL ! once got 3 people ( one with a broken arm in a plaster cast ) and a bicycle on a 650cc Triumph Thunderbird outfit !
Thanks for comments folks.
I'm just back from Cyprus where I hired a Suzuki DR350 trailie. It was a lot of fun, though the seat height was definitely at my upper limit. Of course, my CG125 now seems ridiculously low, small and gutless by comparison.
Think I'll have to see what turns up on the used market. I think the Transalp gives a lot of bang for the buck, and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook suggests it as a cheaper alternative to the Africa Twin.
I'm just back from Cyprus where I hired a Suzuki DR350 trailie. It was a lot of fun, though the seat height was definitely at my upper limit. Of course, my CG125 now seems ridiculously low, small and gutless by comparison.
Think I'll have to see what turns up on the used market. I think the Transalp gives a lot of bang for the buck, and the Adventure Motorcycling Handbook suggests it as a cheaper alternative to the Africa Twin.
To be honest the AT I think is overrated. Yes it's a nice bike but for all that extra weight with little power increase an Old 600 TA will do just as well.
If you lives closer you would be welcome to look at mine.
If you lives closer you would be welcome to look at mine.
I suspect you might be right. I had a good look at an AT in Cyprus and it looked heavy and ungainly next to the Transalp.
I see the Transalp has quite a following on the adventure motorcycling websites, and I've always been impressed with Honda build quality.
Have a look at my FB page and this other forums if you want to know anything about the bike i cant answer.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=11418462079
http://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/forum.php
Well it's getting cold and wet again so I am thinking of getting a new pair of gloves. My current winter gloves just aren't waterproof. The pack said they were but anything more than 10 minutes in heavy rain and they get wetted out completely and take forever to dry.
Has anyone tried these http://www.getgeared.co.uk/PROBIKER_Cool_Breaker_II_Winter-Motorcycle-Gloves ?
I tried on some gloves in Trago Mills in Falmouth and they seemed ok (trago had them for £23). I'm pretty sure they were these ones. Has anyone used these gloves before? I know they will be warmer than my current gloves because of the claw style and the lining seemed quite nice but it's the level of waterproofing that I am more interested in.
For those of you that remember my winter saga of last year I have some good news. I am no longer out in the styx and only have a 35 minute ride on main roads now so I don't have as much bother with ice to contend with this year round. I have two different routes I can take, one is slightly shorter but uses back roads and which I am using at the moment; the other is the main road route which is slightly longer but is more likely to be gritted throughout the winter so the first sign of dodgy back roads I'm going to switch over.
Unfortunately I've got to park my bike on the pavement now but my dad bought me a nice heavy chain so I have it locked to a lamp post
Hope you are all fairing well - don't let the bad weather put you off, eh?
Cheers,
Asa
Has anyone tried these http://www.getgeared.co.uk/PROBIKER_Cool_Breaker_II_Winter-Motorcycle-Gloves ?
I tried on some gloves in Trago Mills in Falmouth and they seemed ok (trago had them for £23). I'm pretty sure they were these ones. Has anyone used these gloves before? I know they will be warmer than my current gloves because of the claw style and the lining seemed quite nice but it's the level of waterproofing that I am more interested in.
For those of you that remember my winter saga of last year I have some good news. I am no longer out in the styx and only have a 35 minute ride on main roads now so I don't have as much bother with ice to contend with this year round. I have two different routes I can take, one is slightly shorter but uses back roads and which I am using at the moment; the other is the main road route which is slightly longer but is more likely to be gritted throughout the winter so the first sign of dodgy back roads I'm going to switch over.
Unfortunately I've got to park my bike on the pavement now but my dad bought me a nice heavy chain so I have it locked to a lamp post
Hope you are all fairing well - don't let the bad weather put you off, eh?
Cheers,
Asa
The claw gloves are meant to be the best type since they keep your fingers warm from being close together. I use the hein Garick Pathans:
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/cloth...evo-sheltexr-3-finger-handschuhe-schwarz.html
Only critisism i have is no gloves seem to keeps your thumb warm. Also to make them even warmer put silk gloves on under them.
http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/cloth...evo-sheltexr-3-finger-handschuhe-schwarz.html
Only critisism i have is no gloves seem to keeps your thumb warm. Also to make them even warmer put silk gloves on under them.
Last year I bought a pair of Weise gloves and I was impressed enough with them to write to the place where I bought them:
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/Weise_gloves.txt
Nope.
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/bike_under_tarp.jpg
Last year I bought a pair of Weise gloves and I was impressed enough with them to write to the place where I bought them:
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/Weise_gloves.txt
Nope.
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/bike_under_tarp.jpg
Had a look at those gloves and they do look nice but I ain't got the cash for them at the mo so I'm going down into town at the weekend to have another look at the ones in trago.
I'm really glad of the extra chain now that I'm parking it on the pavement - I don't live in a rough area but it's always good for some more protection.
Cheers,
I use goretex ski mittens. First real winter days this weekend (in East Scotland) hands were fine and toasty.
Bear in mind that motorcycle gloves will offer some protection if you're sliding down the tarmac on your hands and knees.
I have a pair. I only use them when it's really cold, though. Not much feel through them...
Well I'm back on a proper motorbike after a 2 1/2 year break after I went over a taxi.
I got myself a cheap (£400) Yamaha Diversion 600, a few minor repairs/tweaks and it's MOT'd
I am waiting on a top box arriving and will be using the bike for a bit of touring/camping with the missus (if I can convince her to do it).
We want to do a bit of the UK and maybe Ireland first then venture into Europe when we have a bit more confidence in our set up.
Any words of advice would be greatly received
I got myself a cheap (£400) Yamaha Diversion 600, a few minor repairs/tweaks and it's MOT'd
I am waiting on a top box arriving and will be using the bike for a bit of touring/camping with the missus (if I can convince her to do it).
We want to do a bit of the UK and maybe Ireland first then venture into Europe when we have a bit more confidence in our set up.
Any words of advice would be greatly received
Hi Tytek, did you go over the taxi on the slabby? . . . .
"will be using the bike for a bit of touring/camping with the missus (if I can convince her to do it)" . . . . . Hope you can mate, I'm sure you'll love it.
"We want to do a bit of the UK and maybe Ireland first then venture into Europe when we have a bit more confidence in our set up" . . . . . That's exactly what we did and now we go to Portugal nearly every year, can't recommend it enough.
If you need any advise please feel free to PM me and I'll try my best to help. . . . . have fun fella.
"will be using the bike for a bit of touring/camping with the missus (if I can convince her to do it)" . . . . . Hope you can mate, I'm sure you'll love it.
"We want to do a bit of the UK and maybe Ireland first then venture into Europe when we have a bit more confidence in our set up" . . . . . That's exactly what we did and now we go to Portugal nearly every year, can't recommend it enough.
If you need any advise please feel free to PM me and I'll try my best to help. . . . . have fun fella.
Oh, sorry to hear that. I hope the damage was all to the machinery?
You bought the bike without asking?
"We"?
That all sounds very sensible (apart from planning the tour before asking her).
Any words of advice would be greatly received
For two on a tour you'll need more than just a top box unless you're planning on using the credit cards a lot. I like a tank bag, consider throwover panniers or something like that too. Make very sure that the luggage will stay on the bike, some of the weight ratings for bike luggage are ridiculously low, like 4.5kg for my Givi panniers.
Keep the chain oiled. If I'm riding a bike with chain drive I always take a little contact lens solution bottle with oil in it. In bad weather you might need to oil the chain every hundred miles. A centre stand makes a huge difference to how easy it is to oil the chain and perhaps to how often you get around to doing it. For touring I'd have gone for the 900 (shaft drive!) but the 600 will see you all right and you can't grumble for four hundred quid. Make sure everything is kept well maintained and build up the distances gradually. If you don't have it serviced by the book, at least make sure the engine oil is changed regularly and the control cables etc. are kept lubricated. Keep a kit list. Keep a log. Make sure the engine isn't burning oil. European breakdown cover is worth considering but you might not get it depending on the age of the bike. Check the regulations for driving a bike in the European countries you plan to tour, for example in some countries back protection, a first aid kit and spares for all bulbs are all legal requirements. You probably won't be allowed to do silly distances daily if you're with SWMBO, but take care not to get over tired. I like to stop and make a brew if I start to feel tired, my brew kit is usually handy in the tank bag.
Have fun.
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/dscf2036.jpg
http://www.jubileegroup.co.uk/JOS/misc/dscf2153.jpg
Oh, and make sure you can get where you're going on the tread that's left on your tyres.
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Yes, the slabby took the front of the taxi off, I did a somersault over the top and bent my legs the wrong way and fractured my heel. Apart from that I got away unskathed...
I also managed to break my little finger somehow which pi$$ed me off more than it should of...
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