and today i have mostly been...

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Welly
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by Welly »

Good tactic about suggesting a highly dangerous alternative hobby, I'll keep that one in reserve 8)

I would be looking at the same 'stance' of bike if I was to buy one (not much chance of that right now) but I can appreciate the more upright comfortable position than a 'race' type machine. A neighbour of similar age to me recently got back into biking and I keep seeing him go past on it most weekends/sunny evenings; I was going to use him as an example of why I must do the same :supafrisk:

I was always fascinated by the Tenere 900 - It just looked 'right' as a motorbike.
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

I don't think I could even fit on a crotch rocket these days :lol: I managed to lightly mangle my leg back in 1992, half asleep going to work on a CX500. When I got another bike I bought a KLE500 off a mate. It was light and chuckable but one day I followed a TDM through the traffic on the way home. Eventually we got to the front and, as it disappeared into the distance, I thought "I'm gonna get me one of those." I've always been quite happy with it, the only real niggles are the battery's under the fuel tank (off we come again :roll: ) and it has no centre stand. Plus the plethora of faults it has now due to its age. If they still made them I'd want one.

Tenere 900? Wassat? Did I miss that one? Bikes for crossing desserts (mind the sprinkles), light off road kind of style. The original was 600 I think, then 660 and the Super Tenere 750 (the engine upon which the TDM's is based), now days there's a 700 (same engine as the Tracer) which looks kind of spindly to me with its narrow tyres, and a 1200 (I think Grasmere has one?) which, at 260Kg, is rather heavy, especially with my iffy back and dodgy knee. They do look bloody good though :mrgreen:

I'll have to see how I fit on the Tracies, the foot pegs are rather rear-set compared to the Tedium's. The nearest dealer is this side of Zagreb (near the loony bin appropriately) but I'm not sure if I need to call them or if I can just turn up clutching my helmet :shock:
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Welly
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by Welly »

Oh yeah I meant Tenere 600 :? they look like you could ride one for hours....days...

Maybe you could try e-mailing them about making a visit? not sure how it works test-riding a bike, how do they safeguard against you dropping it/riding off/not coming back... :?
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

Maybe a bit small, I suspect your bum would start complaining after a couple of hours. I did like the look of the 750 though... (probably because it's a TDM before they existed)

Email? What language? :supafrisk: I might just turn up. I'm starting to wonder about the high price of second hand ones, is there a shed load of charges I don't know about yet? Registration, number plates, eco tax, window tax, stamp duty...

Or there's always something like https://www.njuskalo.hr/cestovni-motori ... s-31568391

I wonder what cruise control feels like on a bike. Scary, I suspect, like you're not really in control.
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

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Cruise Control?

What you supposed to do? let go? sit there with arms folded :lol:

I live near a race tra....err Dual Carriageway and I can here bikers at the weekends accelerating gently* ....thing is lately I can here what can only seem like auto gearboxes? they change gear that fast. Can you get a kinda dual-clutch auto box on a bike now? :?
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

It's not like you can sit back and relax. I dunno, in a car I can fiddle about with the radio, take quick squints at the local scenery, listen to the wife but on a bike I'm there 100% of the time. I suppose it takes the guesswork out of obeying the speed limits if nothing else.

I'm seeing something called a quick shift on a lot of the newer bikes, I've no idea how it works but maybe that's what you're hearing.

And I finally met up with Goran (who now owns my D9, which looks fantastic btw), he says Suzuki V-Strom 1000, he knows plenty of people with them and they're reliable. The 650? Underpowered. What about the Tiger 800? Maybe, if you never go anywhere... :?
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

No news is..? :? I was hoping for some help from Goran but he seems to have disappeared again. To tell the whole story, someone where he works was diagnosed with corona, so for 3 months he was working 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off but not allowed to go further than 100m from his house, he had to wear a tag and everyfink. Then things kind of got back to normal but he's having to work 2 shifts atm, with a 3 hour lunch break (which would be great if he worked close to home but he doesn't) and isn't getting home until 8pm. And he has a young family.

So, without having anyone to translate, hold my hand or stop me feeling like I was doing something stupid, instead of actually looking at the things, I've been doing some research. And crossing more bikes off than I've been adding.

Tracer 700 - still worth looking at but I suspect that, as peak power is at 9 grand (!), rather than my TDM's 6,500, I'd have to thrash it to get similar performance. Still, it's not like I'd be doing that all the time.

900 - not many impressed by build quality. Reports of poor low speed performance, random throttle response when filtering etc. Tank slappers :shock: TDM900 riders prefer their existing steeds.

Tiger 800 - very top-heavy, especially with a full tank. Centre stand hard to use. Instrument failures, random fuel readings.

V-strom 650 - Underpowered. 1,000 - heavy.

Africa Twin - v heavy.

Multistrada - at least the wheels don't seem to fall off :roll:

BMW F xxx GS - finding it hard to keep track of which is which, 650, 700, 750, 800, 850... And I don't like the badge.

And anyway it's rained every day this week (can hear a thunderstorm right now), hardly the best weather to test a bike :supafrisk:

Btw Honda have been fitting DCT's to some of their bigger bikes since 2009 :oops: Also, this quickshift thing seems quite common now, it's basically clutchless changes, the ecu senses the gearchange and cuts the fuel and/ or ignition momentarily, eliminating the need to use the clutch. How it senses the gearchange is up for debate though, especially if you go over a bump...

Meanwhile... Last weekend we bathed Ollie (he'd never have fitted in the shower)
Image
He didn't like it to start off but seemed much happier once I was in there with him.
and then, because he didn't move quickly enough, Scooter
Image
Surprisingly he loved it :shock: Note colour of water - yuck!

Finally, this guy's been floating around the garden for a while
Image
It's actually much bluer in real life. I hope he/she finds a mate.
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by Doggy »

Don't know nuffink about bikes, so can't help you there.

Top pooch pampering though. 8)

Our 'timeshare' Labrador's been to the vets/orthopaedic specialist as he's struggling/refusing to get in or out of the car. We thought he had dodgy hips, turns out he has some arthritis issues in his front elbow joints and early stage hip dysplasia but neither bad enough to warrant surgery. The main issue is arthritis in his lower spine. Likelihood is he'll be OK for a few years, (he's already 8.5), but jumping and descending steep stairs are no-no's.

Had a failed attempt or two bodging a ramp to get him in/out the car, gave up, ordered one of these: https://www.viovet.co.uk/Pet-Gear-Trave ... z4QAvD_BwE
Meantime he seems OK hopping onto the back seat, but I'm having to leave the short section of the seat folded so he can get into the boot, then lift him down from there to get him out.

Just as well he's lost a lot of weight - he's only* 42kg now. :roll:
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

Thanks! :cheesy: Bathing Ollie was long overdue but it wasn't anything like the struggle we were expecting, and then getting Scooter in there too (without him biting holes in it!) was a bonus.

I thought labs (and similar breeds) were born with hip dysplasia :? Ollie's probably getting on for 50Kg but 42 ain't far off, so I know lifting him about is out. I looked into buying a ramp for my dad's dog Rex a few years back but the prices were crazy, that doesn't seem bad, however I'd worry the dog will take one look at it and uh-uh. Maybe the steps would be better, but then you've got to find somewhere to stow them.

I think labs live as long as golden retards, 10-12 years, so as with Ollie it's probably too late to consider making him miserable by putting him on a diet.
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

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I'm not expecting it'll be easy getting him to use a ramp - on the last attempt, he walked past it & jumped into the boot. :roll:
Apparently you're supposed to train them to walk along it when flat on the ground with copious gastronomic bribery. Personally, I think letting him use it to get up the one step to the back door might work, since the door can prevent him side-stepping the ramp.
Quick it won't be. Labradors aren't the sharpest individuals as I'm sure you know, but I suspect Skip's a bit dim even by their standards.....

He was over 50kg a few years back and still has a bit of padding over his ribs at 41/42 kg. Latest advice is to ease him down to 37/38 kg - it can only help take the strain off his joints.
2002 HDi 2.2 Exec Estate, (2008-12) (wonderful)
2003 HDi 2.2 6-speed Exec Estate (2012-19) (also a gem)
2009 Citroen C5 2.0 HDi VTR+ Estate (godawful heap)
2008 BMW E91 330i touring (great fun - murdered by a reversing SUV)
2007 BMW E91 325i touring (slower smoother quieter)
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

Doggy wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 5:47 pm copious gastronomic bribery
:lol: :lol:

I hadn't thought of laying on the ground first. As you say it'll probably need some sort of guide, otherwise it'd be too easy to just step off. And then you could gradually raise one end to vertic... no, sorry, to the height of your boot.
Doggy wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 3:07 pm Don't know nuffink about bikes, so can't help you there.
Ah, I understand. Ok, to simplify, these are the important bits:
0 to 100 km/h (0-60 mph) 3,8 sec
Top speed 202 kmh / 125 mph
Not that it's capable at the moment :( I once had an indicated 135mph on it, many years ago, downhill on a (ahem) private stretch of motorway :shock:
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

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Lovely pics there steve 8) however, clean Dogs aside for the moment, I'll resist being thoroughly impressed until you post pics of at least 4 Cats being Bathed in your company :mrgreen:

Motorbike - not sure I'd want something that needs its neck ringing every ride? something lazy/torquey would be nice. I think I get what you mean about top-heavy machines, you'd want something nicely balanced that wants to change direction easily?

Just this morning I had some hoon on a '20 plate' sports bike overtaking everyone in the shortest possible distance....he then got to the new roundabout and set the bike for the right-hand curve of the Island.....only to see it sharpen up on him leaving much more curb to clear on the exit. I could see his "oh sh*t" moment and think he braked and yanked the steering over but the bike deffo 'sat up' in the bend.

Doggy - I can't think of an easy way to lift a brute into a car, maybe a home-made wooden 2-step with hinges for stowage? there see - a nice project for you whilst you're not* busy* :cheesy:
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

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Why would I want to bathe cats? They're usually very clean (it's everything else that gets dirty :roll: ). I have had to shower kittens to treat them for ringworm, they're manageable but I wouldn't want to try it on the adults (Well, Charles maybe, and I reckon I could do it with the Dingalings but anyone else would be a bloodbath).

When the bike's going it's not so much of a problem (unless it really is heavy), I'm more worried about low speed manoeuvring and, most of all, moving the damn thing about manually. The TDM's wet/curb weight is 229Kg, it was always quite heavy but not really a problem, now it seems really heavy (bad back, gammy knee, unfit bastard).

One of the main bugbears I have with it was it has no centre stand, so I have to put it on a paddock stand to do any work on it, and that's always been a wibbly-wobbly affair of getting it upright, trying to line up the stand, then holding the bike upright by the tail while trying to get the stand under it evenly, then standing on the stand so it pivots under the bike. And then doing it again because it's not quite in the holder... It used to be not much more than a pain in the backside but now it's pretty horrific. They used to do a centre stand for them years ago, I thought they'd been axed like most after-market stuff for it but during my recent research I've found that they actually still do them :shock: Maybe I could... nah, if a hose goes or something the bike's still a write-off.

Thing is I need a tall bike, otherwise I'd soon be in agony due to the seating arrangement. And it must be as quick as the TDM or I'd probably thrash it to death. But it must be lighter. And I want world peace and an end to hunger. Oh, and a million... no, make that 10 million quid please.

Speaking of TDM's, I spotted this https://www.njuskalo.hr/cestovni-motori ... s-31233422
Image

Yamaha TDM900A 2013 :shock: That's not bad for a bike they stopped making in 2010 :? The frame number is usefully in the ad, so I checked that out and it came back 2007... :frown:
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by steve_earwig »

I just had a quick ride of one of these
Image
2019 Honda NC750X. After the Yamaha it was like riding honey :shock: Same weight at the TDM but a very low C of G, thanks to the inclined engine and faux fuel tank (it's under the seat). My bike mechanic Ivica arranged this when I said that maybe I want something newer, he called his mate who owns the bike and we met at the local bar. The terrace of which was crowded with bikers :shock: "it'll be fine, it's very easy to ride" said the owner. Meanwhile I'm trying not to think about how new it is, how immaculate and how much more than my car it's worth :supafrisk: and trying not to think about dropping it in front of all his mates...

So I started it up, paddled it backwards across the GRAVEL carpark, snicked it into first, gave it some revs and let out the clutch. The back wheel scrabbled a bit for grip and suddenly there was a light flashing on the dash... "Whuh? Oh yeah, it's got traction control, silly." And off we went. As usual, once it gets going all concerns disappear. Verdict - very nice to ride, very stable, not very powerful but bags of torque. And it never misfired once :cry:

Meanwhile, the word from t'wife is "you can't go shopping on it, you can't take a cat to the vet's on it, I'm certainly never going on it so it's just a toy for you. So try not to spend too much money." Which I guess is fair enough (hold on, it's my money...) I was talking to Ivica about how there are no longer any spares for the TDM and he says he's in the same boat with his Suzuki, but hey, it's not worth very much so what does it mater? And btw he hates the Tracers...
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Re: and today i have mostly been...

Post by Welly »

Looks VERY nice that 8)

So t'wife would be happy if it cost you ~ £34.50.

Sounds like mine :frown:

I know, suggest spending MORE to add a side-car to it so she can come out with you, then the bike would seem 'cheaper' on its own :lol:
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