Any Motörbike riders here?

thebreeze

That looks nice @chris78.  Here’s mine.  2nd owner and 16k on the clock but in great condition.  I really liked the retro refin (bit of a theme here as I like the CS reissues guitarwise).

Haych

thebreeze said:

That looks nice @chris78.  Here’s mine.  2nd owner and 16k on the clock but in great condition.  I really liked the retro refin (bit of a theme here as I like the CS reissues guitarwise).

Be still my beating heart!  I’m quite happy with my old R1200R but the Z900RS would make a nice bit on the side. 

thebreeze

I think there’s a commonality there @Haych ;

AK99

Nice Kwack that. One of the few retros that really captures the essence of the original (though I suspect if you did ever actually put them side to side they'd make the old Z1s look prehistoric )

octatonic

They got the styling on that Z900RS perfect.

thebreeze

They did I think and I think they look great generally.  Pleased by how smooth and easy it is to ride too.

Dominic

.......they did ........and then some aftermarket bastard came along with that sissy bar and tour-pack !

thebreeze

Haha, yes they came with it.  Finding the bag annoyingly useful

AK99

There's a bag on it ??

Kittyfrisk

AK99 said:

Nice Kwack that. One of the few retros that really captures the essence of the original (though I suspect if you did ever actually put them side to side they'd make the old Z1s look prehistoric )

Heresy! 

LastMantra

Corvus said:

Thanks all re the gloves/warmth, all useful stuff. The reason I ended up wondering about heated gloves is part of the problem is  self-inflicted, I've never got on with big winter gloves, so am knowingly compromising there. Partly an old thing I suppose from riding daily in London where you wanted every last factional bit of feel & response you could get.
And most of my carcass is fine, reckon heated gloves would sort it and don't really need a vest/inner layer. I did think about heated grips Mike but wiring HD bars is a faff, it feeds through the bars, needs 1" so less choice etc.

So I've set watches on some quality gloves going on fleabay, see where they end up. Hopefully will snag a pair to try, and could still go for the heater inner layer if I fancy it.

If you know what can happen to people's hands when they've came off their bike it would certainly make you consider getting decent gloves 

Haych

How much luggage can you get on a Z900RS?  Not that I have any plans to replace the R, I've often wondered whether the Z900RS would do the job should the R break and be beyond repair.

It's not quite GS territory, but I can get quite a lot of stuff on it.

This was me lost in Church Stretton during the summer, the bike was quite heavy but never missed a beat - the rider was very angry and frustrated with a malfunctioning navigation device, though.  It took me everywhere except where I needed to be.

AK99

Kittyfrisk said:

AK99 said:

Nice Kwack that. One of the few retros that really captures the essence of the original (though I suspect if you did ever actually put them side to side they'd make the old Z1s look prehistoric )

Heresy! 

I didn't say 'bad'..just old

AK99

Haych said:

This was me lost in Church Stretton during the summer, the bike was quite heavy but never missed a beat - the rider was very angry and frustrated with a malfunctioning navigation device, though.  It took me everywhere except where I needed to be.

You need a proper old-school nav system..



(Not the best when you come out of the docks in Holyhead at 2 am and discover there's no bloody streetlights mind you..)

chris78

@thebreeze tasty bit of retro cool there

thebreeze

@Haych, I’m new to all this so I haven’t explored the luggage situation properly yet, but intend to as some touring is where I’m headed.  I pride myself on being able to travel pretty light in any situation so I’m sure it’ll be up to the job for my purposes (I’ll report back, hopefully in the summer).  That BMW looks pretty strong and up to the job though.

Dominic

Haych said:

How much luggage can you get on a Z900RS?  Not that I have any plans to replace the R, I've often wondered whether the Z900RS would do the job should the R break and be beyond repair.

It's not quite GS territory, but I can get quite a lot of stuff on it.

This was me lost in Church Stretton during the summer, the bike was quite heavy but never missed a beat - the rider was very angry and frustrated with a malfunctioning navigation device, though.  It took me everywhere except where I needed to be.

Good for you but I just couldn't do that .......I'd rather take the car or live in the same jeans and underpants for 10 days
That Uncle Tom Cobbley and All touring thing just spoils being on a bike for me plus you lose the whole joy of just rocking up anywhere and wandering off because some bastard will come along and nick your gear.
I could never use a Tank bag either .
If it doesn't go in a really tiny rucksack or saddlebag it doesn't go.Last thing I want on a bike is a load of clag.
I have a number of alternative strategies ;
get a rough but not rigid itinary ,if I'm off for a while I send a little package to a hotel,inn or campsite via a courier for thrumpence where I can swap clothes etc and mail the rest back when I check in there and I'm on a bike tour not a cruise so I take simple cheap clothes and either chuck them away or buy a few bits as needed as I go .

AK99

^ Do you not like the smaller type of side panniers out behind even ? I'd a pair like this for longer haul trips - just threw some clobber in, pair of vise-grips, a puncture repair kit and wet gear maybe (definitely nothing you're not afraid to lose) then just drop it / the bags off at the destination.

Dominic

^ That's about the measure of what I would take ,nothing more.Thing is ,when I go 'touring ' I rarely stay in one place for more than 1 night so it's not like I can 'arrive 'somewhere and strip the bike down for 7 days because I'm always on the move.

TheBigDipper

I haven't been in the mood for a bike tour for a few years, but there's a lot to be said for everything going inside your lockable, hard luggage which locks to the bike and detaches with one key. I'd just turn up at the hotel and take the panniers in as quasi suitcases. During the riding day, they're just there and secure.

Once you start adding extra bags or rolls (like you'd have to for camping) then it starts to lose its appeal for me, too. But I did do that once upon a time - it's just you work out over time what you do like and what you don't like. It's all just personal preference, after all. 

I don't like tankbags and I only use a tailbag when I've taken the panniers off and I'm out for the day to beat up some rural roads.