Any Motörbike riders here?

MtB

All set here to ride the KTM down to see the last mountain stage of Le Tour. Looking forward to some nice French twisties.

jaytmon

octatonic said:

Well today was interesting. Was out with some sports bike riding mate- I was leading with the Navigator V. Nav V lead me up a single track road which turned into a muddy quagmire for about a mile or so. Riding a 280kg tourer on mud is decidedly unfun but I didn't bin it so happy.

Sounds like GS territory... Well done for not dropping it mind. That would be expensive (and heavy to pick up!)

Oh and Mrs Oct took my 'I might ride to Tuscany' musing from the other day seriously (we had flights booked for a wedding in August) and promptly cancelled my flight so I now have to ride there.

I'm really loving the new steed.

What a woman!! That'll be an awesome trip I'm sure. I was looking at biking to a mate who lives just south of Rome. Trouble is it'd take at least 3 days to get there (1500 miles) and I don't seem to have a big enough block of free time to make it worth while. 

octatonic

jaytmon said:

octatonic said:

Well today was interesting. Was out with some sports bike riding mate- I was leading with the Navigator V. Nav V lead me up a single track road which turned into a muddy quagmire for about a mile or so. Riding a 280kg tourer on mud is decidedly unfun but I didn't bin it so happy.

Sounds like GS territory... Well done for not dropping it mind. That would be expensive (and heavy to pick up!)

Oh and Mrs Oct took my 'I might ride to Tuscany' musing from the other day seriously (we had flights booked for a wedding in August) and promptly cancelled my flight so I now have to ride there.

I'm really loving the new steed.

What a woman!! That'll be an awesome trip I'm sure. I was looking at biking to a mate who lives just south of Rome. Trouble is it'd take at least 3 days to get there (1500 miles) and I don't seem to have a big enough block of free time to make it worth while. 

She's a keeper for sure.
I'm going to take my time with it- I actually did this exact trip June last yea, right in the middle of that heatwave.

I've done 500 mile days of motorway.- they kinda suck.
I'm going to do 4-5 days out and the same back, keeps the mileage around 300 or so a day plus whatever else I want to shoot off and see.
Thinking I'll go out by going south through France and Italy and back via Stelvio/Austria, Lake Constance- the reverse of last year.

strumjoughlamps

Took a nice 106 mile ride to Mablethorpe today to see the wife n kids who are camping there for the week, lovely cruise 60+ mph uphills 75 down hill I love my 125

andy1839

Finally back on bikes! <p>
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g55/andy1839/image_zpspdbsik7d.jpeg

jaytmon

octatonic said:

She's a keeper for sure.

I'm going to take my time with it- I actually did this exact trip June last yea, right in the middle of that heatwave.

I've done 500 mile days of motorway.- they kinda suck.
I'm going to do 4-5 days out and the same back, keeps the mileage around 300 or so a day plus whatever else I want to shoot off and see.
Thinking I'll go out by going south through France and Italy and back via Stelvio/Austria, Lake Constance- the reverse of last year.

That sounds like an awesome trip, bit jealous! I think 300 miles is a good happy medium, plus as you said, it gives you the option of exploring if you feel like it. Cruise control on a motorway on a motorbike is a revelation, as I discovered at the weekend!

@andy1839 I love a Blackbird. One of the chaps I ride with has one as his touring bike. Comes out about once a year! fkn quick too. I was tempted but my hips/knees have suffered enough over the years!

strumjoughlamps

bubble blowing NSR anyone?  

strumjoughlamps

got about 1 hour of great action cam footage and then the rest is bugged




apart from frequent stops to check and clean is there no miracle solution?

boogieman

strumjoughlamps said:

got about 1 hour of great action cam footage and then the rest is bugged




apart from frequent stops to check and clean is there no miracle solution?

Apart from one of those auto-wipey gadgets that they use in F1 coverage I cant think of anything. I got a flying ant in my gob when I was out riding today, bleugh! Still not as bad as when a bee hit me in the eye when I was younger and wore an open face helmet, that made my eye water for yonks and I could barely see... hurt for bloody ages too.

octatonic

A mate took a pigeon to the face the other day.
Was hilarious.

rsvmark

Apart from one of those auto-wipey gadgets that they use in F1 coverage I cant think of anything. I got a flying ant in my gob when I was out riding today, bleugh! Still not as bad as when a bee hit me in the eye when I was younger and wore an open face helmet, that made my eye water for yonks and I could barely see... hurt for bloody ages too. 

I hit hit a pigeon once at (ahem) mph..... Blood guts and feathers feckin everywhere. Thank fuck the fairings did the majority of the work. I shat me self when it happened

strumjoughlamps

its such a blooming shame as I had a fogging issue on the cam (Sony AS30v) after about 1/2 hours use due to battery warming up in the waterproof case but I solved that by drilling holes in the case and this was my first big trip since then and no fogging whatsoever after 2 hours but them darn bugs  

if I use the chesty mount bugs will be less but then fly screen will cover part of the view, and I like the helmet mount becaue it sees what I see so if I pass a landmark I can look and get it on vid..

I going to mount it facing backwards on the topbox next, that might pull up some interesting scenes.

shoodurs

Must say that this thread is brilliant. After 3 years riding on a cbt licence Ive just passed my theory test and now trying to get a date for a mod 1 test. Loads of information here including bugs on cams for instance is something Ive never heard anyone talking about but it must happen all the time but you just donk think about lol. Hope this 52 year old can join in the big bike talk soon

boogieman

strumjoughlamps said:

its such a blooming shame as I had a fogging issue on the cam (Sony AS30v) after about 1/2 hours use due to battery warming up in the waterproof case but I solved that by drilling holes in the case and this was my first big trip since then and no fogging whatsoever after 2 hours but them darn bugs  

if I use the chesty mount bugs will be less but then fly screen will cover part of the view, and I like the helmet mount becaue it sees what I see so if I pass a landmark I can look and get it on vid..

I going to mount it facing backwards on the topbox next, that might pull up some interesting scenes.

You could try cling film over the lens I guess, like the rip-offs that F1 drivers  use on their visors. Wouldn't solve the problem completely but at least you'd get clean shots for a while after. 

cruxiform

Alright chaps, haven't been as active on the forum as I'd like but bike wise, I've done a trip to Germany and to the Pyrenees so far this year. Love my K1200S, it's just an amazing bike. 






A little video of me trying to muscle the K12 along the N260 in Northern Spain.






Hope you're all keep it shiny side up and enjoying your bikes!

57Deluxe

I bled my brakes the other day... is so reassuring when you have a right mitful of lever again!

octatonic

Er... so I'm thinking of getting a HD now.

strtdv

@octatonic you're going through about 5 mid-life crises in the space of about 4 months!

I guess if you want to ride a heavy slow bike with a pushrod engine around for a day and then spend the rest of the week polishing it... (just kidding before the HD pitchfork mob come after me)

I don't personally see the attraction. If I wanted to feel nostalgic and get a bike like that I'd either get a Triumph or if going the American route go the whole hog and get an Indian. HD seems a bit "manufactured lifestyle image" to me.

octatonic

strtdv said:

@octatonic you're going through about 5 mid-life crises in the space of about 4 months!

I guess if you want to ride a heavy slow bike with a pushrod engine around for a day and then spend the rest of the week polishing it... (just kidding before the HD pitchfork mob come after me)

I don't personally see the attraction. If I wanted to feel nostalgic and get a bike like that I'd either get a Triumph or if going the American route go the whole hog and get an Indian. HD seems a bit "manufactured lifestyle image" to me.

I don't think I'd want to commute on one but I have space for one more bike in the garage so it seems rude not to.

I'm going to go ride a few and see- the Fat Bob and Breakout are what appeal.
The other bike I've wanted for a while is a Rocket III, but I suspect the HD itch will need to be scratched at some stage.
I've ridden the Triumph cruisers- the smaller ones don't appeal and the Thunderbird is a nice bike but that parallel twin isn't quite what I am after.

MtB

I have a mate who has two, one of which is the Fat Boy, and while my mate loves the look and pose value he says that he wouldn't do more than a hundred miles on it as it's too uncomfortable!