It's the weekeend who's doing bikey things?

[Jimmy5]

BRoute said:

Heading into derbyshire saturday morning.

Setting off from Junction 29 of the M1 at 8:45 if anyone is interested. Then meeting at the petrol station where the A53/A54 meet in Buxton at 10am for abit of a hoon in the hills

I'm busy this Saturday morning but if your ever planning anything similar again post it or PM me and I'd be more than happy to tag along

[Wasted Bullet]

I am planning on Going to Newlands tonight... 2 hour round trip... YIPPEEE....

Just need my Visa stamped, first...

[RizzoTheRat]

Got a nice shiney new rear tyre over a week ago and haven't had a change to scrub it in yet. Might manage to get out of a quick run Sunday afternoon but not holding my breath

[alfa daley]

I went out this afternoon for a spin around the Basingstoke wilderness and had a fantastic time - even though I was pottering around on my own. Had great fun playing with an original R1 down the Alton road, and a GSXR1000 on some long straight somewhere near Sutton (no idea which rd) then later in the day got the wr sign from some chap in a new Audi R8 who didn't appreciate being outdragged (in 3rd ha ha) - hmmm proabably a rental, Roll on tomorrow and more sunshine

[Rawwr]

Spent the last 4hrs cleaning my bike in preperation for a nice ride-out with friends tomorrow up to Cromer. Now it's all shiny and gleaming, it'll probably be the day I chilli it into a hedge.

[Chilli]

Rawwr said:

Spent the last 4hrs cleaning my bike in preperation for a nice ride-out with friends tomorrow up to Cromer. Now it's all shiny and gleaming, it'll probably be the day I chilli it into a hedge.

Oi, heard that!
Actually, I'm out on the bike up your way tomorrow....be afraid...

[Rach81]

I've got a week off work woooohoooo!! I drove, I did have the roof down all the way in compensation even in the rain about Lake Districe, to my folks in Yorkshire.

My mate is coming to stay and we're going to look at bikes, then investigate dental practices around York for me to send my CV to

[pretzel]

Rawwr said:

chilli it into a hedge.

Have we invented a new verb?

To Chilli~ v. to ride one's motorbike into the scenery. He/she Chillied the bike. Chilliing the bike is to be avoided if you want to ride it again in the near future. If you're not careful on that bend you'll Chilli it.

;)

[RemaL]

I took the bike to brean by Weston super mare, wife and kids are their for the weekend while i'm off flying with a mate tomorrow. so went to see them today. great weather for it. loads of bikes in weston today.

[S7Paul]

SplatSpeed said:

charity ride sunday

Not the Old Fossils Classic Run by any chance? If so, I'll be there too.

[WestYorkie]

Rach81 said:

I've got a week off work woooohoooo!! I drove, I did have the roof down all the way in compensation even in the rain about Lake Districe, to my folks in Yorkshire.

My mate is coming to stay and we're going to look at bikes, then investigate dental practices around York for me to send my CV to

Pop on over to Squire's cafe tomorrow afternoon/evening you'll love it
You'll have to park the car in the field across the road more than likely.

http://www.squires-cafe.co.uk/

[Rawwr]

Chilli said:

Actually, I'm out on the bike up your way tomorrow....be afraid...

I am

[hardboiledPhil]

WestYorkie said:

Pop on over to Squire's cafe tomorrow afternoon/evening you'll love it
You'll have to park the car in the field across the road more than likely.

http://www.squires-cafe.co.uk/

Took a work colleague out on the back of the bike for the first time this morning and headed out to Squires. Major disappointment that they'd run out of teacakes to toast so we had to suffice with jam on toast. Was quieter than I was expecting at 10:30am. My friend thought the ride out was "fab" though, especially on the decent roads around Sherburn-in-Elmet.

[EvoBarry]

I'm off to Wales tomorrow I think, probably head for Bala, then over to Ffestiniog, Llanberis, Betws-y-coed for afternoon tea, then home

Sadly my usual riding partner has a family do, so it looks like I'll be a billy. See if I care, it means no waiting around for them to catch up at least

[exgtt]

Taking the YZ250 out this week for a thrash before i strip the motor down for a new piston etc.

Happy dayz,

Makes working like a dog worth it, when you can book a day off and take the crosser out!



Loads of noise, loads of smoke!

Edited by exgtt on Sunday 27th July 01:00

[sjtscott]

Yesterday, lots of leisure based biking.

Took mate pillion to Triumph dealer in London, watch him pickup his brand new Sprint ST.
Both ride to see a mate in Kent for the first 100miles at no more than 65mph!!! Blackbirds don't like going that slow let alone me! We did some 20miles on the M20 (we were 'supposed' to be following the A20 - not my fault) and I tell you that ain't fun being stuck in the slow lane, just doesn't feel safe at all!
Riding home having finally passed 100miles on the triumph we can finally get on with it a bit more in the correct and my normal lane this time correctly on the M20.

Today riding up the back way (i.e. not M1) and visiting the Keynes on both bikes!! Oh yes my first visit on the Blackbird since I picked it up 2 weeks ago!

Here endeth the first prep run weekend for the 2008 2 week Euro tour starting in September!

[MarkRSi]

Well I was going for a ride to Alford today but its started pissing down

[Rach81]

WestYorkie said:

Rach81 said:

I've got a week off work woooohoooo!! I drove, I did have the roof down all the way in compensation even in the rain about Lake Districe, to my folks in Yorkshire.

My mate is coming to stay and we're going to look at bikes, then investigate dental practices around York for me to send my CV to

Pop on over to Squire's cafe tomorrow afternoon/evening you'll love it
You'll have to park the car in the field across the road more than likely.

http://www.squires-cafe.co.uk/

Biker weddings lol! Looks cool, can't wait to move back down

[uriel]

Ballon said:

uriel said:

Picked up me new 800GS on Wednesday and am off to Scotland tomorrow afternoon for three days to get the running in period done with.

Uriel let me know how you get on I am going to test ride one soon and would welcome some proper feedback rather than salesman speak.

Well, I got back from Scotland yesterday, cutting my three day trip short by a day. I was enjoying the 800 that much that I decided I'd rather keep riding rather than stop and set up camp for another night, so did my originally planned final 2 days in one stint. I did want to just go further and pad out the 3 days with more riding, but the BMW dealer seemed pretty insistant that I bring the bike in for the first service with no more than 600/650 miles on the clock.

I don't have a lot of experience with bikes having only gotten my licence in Janurary and riding a 600 Monster since then, but for what it's worth, I love this bike. The reviews I've read of it (MCN and Bike) are pretty much spot on. I was limited to <5000rpm when running it in, but even then it had easily enough power to haul me about along with a couple of panniers stuffed to the gills with gear. The engine is nice and grunty and pulls from anything barely over tickover and seems completely linear up the rev range. The gearbox is amazingly smooth although I think a taller 6th gear would be nice.

The bike's handling was way better than I expected. In the time between selling the Monster and waiting for the Beemer I was worried that I'd made a mistake and although I'm not really into sports riding (lack of ability and fear of death are holding me back) I would miss indulging in the occasional hoon and that I would get bored just bimbling everywhere bolt upright at pedestrian speeds. It turns out that I felt a lot more confident in the 800, even on the Battlewings which everyone seems to slate. I was quicker through the twisties than I would have been on the Ducati, throwing the bike around, even with loaded panniers, braking later, trail braking, higher lean angles and powering out of corners earlier. I think maybe it is because I felt much more in control of the front end having the bigger, wider bars. No chicken strips by the time I got back.

Possibly that giant 21" front wheel helped too. People have complained about it, saying it's not really suitable for on-road use, but I really like it. I can see how it may seem slow to turn in and unweildy and require muscling about, but that is part of what I like about the front end. It's hard to explain and it takes us into the countersteering debate, but folk who don't fully get countersteering and believe that they're turning by shifting weight or leaning into bends or just somehow willing the bike around a corner...they wouldn't like the 800 at all. That front wheel just wouldn't react in the way they want...too slow and once it turns past a point, it wants to keep going to full lock. But if you're consciously pushing and pulling on the bars the bike really does feel as though it's being steered from that front wheel, and because the bars are wide you can turn it as quick and you like you really feel like you can point it with real accuracy. I don't have the experience or the eloquence to explain it, but it's definitely something I feel on the bike.

The brakes are good, but they do take a decent amount of input to get them working, particularly the back brake. I didn't even think it was working at first. I did need to adopt a new braking technique to that used on the Monster. I've always used the back brake, but not as much as I ended up using on the 800. I found grabbing a fistful of front resulted in way too much dive at the front, but match it with a bootful of back and it'll stop pretty sharpish and stay pretty level.

The only things really that haven't met or exceeded my hopes are the same things that everyone else complains about...the screen and the seat. The screen wasn't as bad as I remembered it from my test ride (maybe because I have the regular seat and the test bike had the lower seat). The screen protects my chest and my head and shoulders are completely exposed whereas on the test bike the turbulence between protected and not was aimed right at my face. I have a Touratech screen extender on the way. The seat is fine for me for about 2 hours. The problem is that it's narrow so you don't really sit on it with your arse, more like your gusset. I was aching after a couple of hours, but not enough to stop me riding for 7 hours, stopping only for fuel and 30 mins to get something to eat. I found you can slide back slightly onto the pillion seat which uses a completely different area of your arse and still reach the controls perfectly.

Another pleasing thing was the 63mpg that I got from it.

Here it is in Scotland