It's been a while since my last post. 2 months ago I wanted a KTM supermoto but after weeks and weeks of looking at pictures I just couldn't see myself owning one. I still love that locked in position so wanted something a little sportier feeling. I also got a new job meaning more expensive bikes were now an option. With the amount I'd already saved it seemed pointless buying a new bike - maybe a few years down the line though. Additionally, there aren't any new bikes that really tickle my fancy. A lot of the bikes on the market that I like are due to get style updates in 2015. If I had to buy new, it would be the new 2014 Tuono, but I think the power is a little savage. My budget was about £6500 absolute maximum.
My choice was made when I went for a quick browse in a nearby dealership. They were a stockist for Triumph and Aprillia. After wandering around, talking and explaining my infatuation for the Dorsuduro the dealer randomly asked if I had considered the 2011+ Speed Triple. My views at the time were that it was a small (ergonomics) bike with a questionable headlight design. My general feelings towards triumphs were that they were made for men under 6 foot - the Striple makes me look like a clown. It did look very raw but also maybe a PITA to clean. Amazingly, I was given a test ride the same day to see what it was like.
I did a little research and found that the s3 was very close to what I had been looking for. Good MPG, comfortable, a bit of poke & modern. It would all come down to the test ride. Like all of my experiences with bikes, the forecast wasn't in my favour. It was raining for a brief time before it started hailing. Despite the frustrating conditions, I got a great feel for the bike, it seemed to fit so naturally. The engine was smooth but had a reassuring growl. The handling and brakes were amazing and a world apart from Supersports. I didn't let the dealer know but I had just been converted - long gone were thoughts of Supermotos. I handed the keys back and dreamt.
I started saving the day I got off the s3. I researched it thoroughly and decided on a 2011 with 3-2 Arrow exhausts. Ebay and the likes were clustered with 2011 models, it was just a waiting game to find the right one.
And then it appeared. It took around 3 weeks for the right example to be listed:
A 2012 Speed Triple, black, with arrow exhausts, a few nice aftermarket touches and 9500 miles. I waited a few days before ringing and arranging a holding deposit. As of right now, I'm sat on my bed, 15 minutes from donning my leathers and making a long trip down to Bournemouth to see the s3. I'm not exactly looking forward to prancing through London in my leather racing suit, but it should be worth it. I'm equally as excited as I am skeptical - I really hope this is the 'one'.
We will see.
Friday, 18 April 2014
Sunday, 12 January 2014
11 Months On..
Lots of things have changed. Unfortunately things had become busy and I had totally forgotten this blog even existed. It was only after going back to an old browser (in the hopes of being able to download a motorcycle video off youtube - Ride 2) that I noticed an old bookmark.
After just reading through my last post, I feel somewhat obliged to continue. My final year at University had put me under a lot of stress and to make matters worse, I had decided to remove the only release I had - my bike. After my final hand-ins were complete, there was only one thing on my mind. I rode all the way from the South to the North of England and brought my ZX6 back to Newcastle. It was the most liberated I'd felt in a long time. The sun was shining for once and the stress of the last year had come to an end. Looking back, I wished I'd have done more with my free time than ride around the same old roads - still, theres always next year.
Compared to my CBF250, I hadn't ridden the ZX6R as much, I had too much on my plate. I believe I put around 10000 miles on it. I rode the Lake District, Scotland, The Dales, The Moors, Hampshire and the Ace Cafe. I found the bike to be a temptress really. It has very little torque which meant the feeling of adrenaline was never obtained unless you were really pushing the bike. This had made a conscious impact on my thinking towards the next bike. With my insurance running out alongside my bank funds, I could only think to get rid of it. It needed servicing and TLC. I sold it on for a measly £3350, around 40% less than I had paid 12 months prior.
At first, things were fine. I had money so I had things to do, but slowly towards October time, I was diligently looking towards my next purchase. I had squandered £1500, things were looking bleak. I got my act together, got a job (albeit temporary) and started the long process of saving. I read countless reviews looking for a bike that was:
After just reading through my last post, I feel somewhat obliged to continue. My final year at University had put me under a lot of stress and to make matters worse, I had decided to remove the only release I had - my bike. After my final hand-ins were complete, there was only one thing on my mind. I rode all the way from the South to the North of England and brought my ZX6 back to Newcastle. It was the most liberated I'd felt in a long time. The sun was shining for once and the stress of the last year had come to an end. Looking back, I wished I'd have done more with my free time than ride around the same old roads - still, theres always next year.
Compared to my CBF250, I hadn't ridden the ZX6R as much, I had too much on my plate. I believe I put around 10000 miles on it. I rode the Lake District, Scotland, The Dales, The Moors, Hampshire and the Ace Cafe. I found the bike to be a temptress really. It has very little torque which meant the feeling of adrenaline was never obtained unless you were really pushing the bike. This had made a conscious impact on my thinking towards the next bike. With my insurance running out alongside my bank funds, I could only think to get rid of it. It needed servicing and TLC. I sold it on for a measly £3350, around 40% less than I had paid 12 months prior.
At first, things were fine. I had money so I had things to do, but slowly towards October time, I was diligently looking towards my next purchase. I had squandered £1500, things were looking bleak. I got my act together, got a job (albeit temporary) and started the long process of saving. I read countless reviews looking for a bike that was:
- Torquey
- Bigger than 600cc
- Better fuel economy
- Had character
- Was different yet eye catching
- Slightly more comfortable (long distance touring)
There was only one bike in the end. I test rode an XC800 and a BMW F800GS but they both felt too sensible. I needed something that was going to reignite motorcycling. I have decided upon the mighty KTM 990 Supermoto. Now I just need to find one and save a little more.
Estimated cost: £5300
Total funds @ 12/01/14: £2900
Total remaining: £2400
Predicted purchase date: March
Sunday, 24 February 2013
The Winter Months
I had my zx6r around for a few months leading up the christmas. It was great but I didn't have the right location to be able to effectively clean and maintain it. It became a big distraction when it came to work:
Sitting at University doing some work and my foot would tap my helmet under the table. It would get to around 2 o'clock before I gave up and succumbed. It got me thinking that maybe having the bike around (in my final year) was a bad decision. I looked into my (ridiculously) expensive insurance and realised I could get around £400 back from moving my bike to a garaged location back home. I set about planning an end of season trip before my bike would go into storage, indefinitely. The plan was to go across the A69, west, to the road leading down to Alston - the Hartside Pass. I would take the bike down to Lancaster where I would stay with a friend living there. Then I would take the bike south to Helvellyn in the lake district, climb the mountain, return, stay a further night, attend the MCN show in birmingham before finishing in the south east.
The anticipation was immense, I suddenly realised this was the best part of biking for me, long, complex trips. Although it was roughly planned, the route was completely down to how I felt on the day. I left early on the first morning, I was carrying a lot of stuff, especially considering I had gear to climb a mountain the following day. The Hartside Pass is familiar to me now, I must have been down it 3 or 4 times. The weather on the day was supposedly terrible, the start of winter and I was running cautiously. As I peaked over the top of the pass, the way was misted and desolate The cafe was closed and I was the only vehicle around. The road surface was damp and cold, not ideal. As I started down the first series of U-turns the sun begun to shine through the clouds. After around 30 minutes, I witnessed the best views of the pass I'd ever seen.
I carried on down to lancaster, arriving late in the evening. As usual I was freezing cold - the final dual carriageway is endless and harnesses the winds from the surround hills. It took me around 3 hours to fully recover from the cold and aches of a hard days riding. The plan to climb a mountain the following day looked worrying as the winds had really picked up. Some forecasts had predicted extreme weather conditions for the lake district.
I awoke very early the next morning to be greeted to ridiculously high winds, some of the fastest I've ever experienced, let alone ride in. The way down to Keswick was hard but bearable, it wasn't until I got onto the less maintained and more exposed roads that it became stupidly difficult. The bike was heavy on the back and it was catching awkwardly on the side-wind. The bike was weaving dramatically and in points, the bike was crossing the white lines that signal the side of the road. I was doing around 40mph in a 60mph which I thought would be frustrating for the cars behind me but I think they understood the elements I was up against. There have been a handful of times I've been scared on the bike and this was definitely up in the top 3. The combination of extremely heavy rain and wind had completely drained me by the time I had reached the car park at Helvellyn's base. Nevertheless, I packed away my biking gear, covered the bike and headed up the 12 mile route, alone and already drenched.
I never made it up the mountain. I got to around 800 metres before the wind stopped me from going any further. I hadn't climbed any summits other than this and I didn't know my physical limits. The weather was terrible and I was alone. The situation got far to dangerous for me to continue and I walked back to the bike. I had walked around 15 miles to get back, I hadn't done anything so tiring in my life. The thought of riding for an hour and a half back to cumbria in the same conditions as the morning was scary. I weighed up the option of staying overnight in a cheap hotel but I persevered. The following two hours were my worst experience on a bike. It was dark and I couldn't see anything but dazzling brake lights. The side wind must have dropped the temperature below -10c - I had been wet and cold all day, I was in a bad way. I decided to stop 3/4 of the way at a service station and try to recover a bit of core warmth. In the station I got shocked looks - I don't think anyone could believe I was out riding a bike. My clothes were fully saturated and a made a complete mess everywhere I went - I was beyond caring however. I managed to finish the ride and get back to my friends house in Lancaster. I was ruined though, I sat there shaking for a good hour - I was relieved but ultimately impressed with my ability to persevere.
I took the following day off before being ready for the final stretch to Birmingham then onto Hertfordshire. The start was thankfully dry however just as I entered Birmingham, it bucketed it down. To make matters worse, I got lost finding the excel centre. Eventually I pulled into Yamaha's warehouse, come bike garaged about parked amongst the other hundreds of bikes. The show was amazing, I couldn't believe how big it was, every manufacturer was there and I managed to see Tommy Hill getting interviewed and sat on a KTM SMT 990 - a bike I've become interested in.
The final stretch was around an hour and a half. Again it was hell - wet and dark. When I finally reached my home I wasn't sure if I'd had a good trip or not - at least I'd experienced terrible conditions that would probably never would again. I cleaned the bike, garaged it and left it, somewhat happily. The bike has been in the same place for around 4 months now. I've returned twice to ride it for a few days - I really do need a sunny period to fully appreciate the bike.
I've gone of sportbikes slightly. The are pointlessly fast and aggressive. I want something rugged, practical, comfortable and cool. I'm seriously tempted by super moto style tourers such as the Multistrada and SMT 990. I think the Ducati is a little out of my price range though, can't wait till August! I've also invested in a new helmet, an Arai Quantum in grey. So far its worked well although its a little cold around the chin. This post is probably full of grammatical mistakes but hopefully I'll go back and correct this all.
Sitting at University doing some work and my foot would tap my helmet under the table. It would get to around 2 o'clock before I gave up and succumbed. It got me thinking that maybe having the bike around (in my final year) was a bad decision. I looked into my (ridiculously) expensive insurance and realised I could get around £400 back from moving my bike to a garaged location back home. I set about planning an end of season trip before my bike would go into storage, indefinitely. The plan was to go across the A69, west, to the road leading down to Alston - the Hartside Pass. I would take the bike down to Lancaster where I would stay with a friend living there. Then I would take the bike south to Helvellyn in the lake district, climb the mountain, return, stay a further night, attend the MCN show in birmingham before finishing in the south east.
The anticipation was immense, I suddenly realised this was the best part of biking for me, long, complex trips. Although it was roughly planned, the route was completely down to how I felt on the day. I left early on the first morning, I was carrying a lot of stuff, especially considering I had gear to climb a mountain the following day. The Hartside Pass is familiar to me now, I must have been down it 3 or 4 times. The weather on the day was supposedly terrible, the start of winter and I was running cautiously. As I peaked over the top of the pass, the way was misted and desolate The cafe was closed and I was the only vehicle around. The road surface was damp and cold, not ideal. As I started down the first series of U-turns the sun begun to shine through the clouds. After around 30 minutes, I witnessed the best views of the pass I'd ever seen.
I carried on down to lancaster, arriving late in the evening. As usual I was freezing cold - the final dual carriageway is endless and harnesses the winds from the surround hills. It took me around 3 hours to fully recover from the cold and aches of a hard days riding. The plan to climb a mountain the following day looked worrying as the winds had really picked up. Some forecasts had predicted extreme weather conditions for the lake district.
I awoke very early the next morning to be greeted to ridiculously high winds, some of the fastest I've ever experienced, let alone ride in. The way down to Keswick was hard but bearable, it wasn't until I got onto the less maintained and more exposed roads that it became stupidly difficult. The bike was heavy on the back and it was catching awkwardly on the side-wind. The bike was weaving dramatically and in points, the bike was crossing the white lines that signal the side of the road. I was doing around 40mph in a 60mph which I thought would be frustrating for the cars behind me but I think they understood the elements I was up against. There have been a handful of times I've been scared on the bike and this was definitely up in the top 3. The combination of extremely heavy rain and wind had completely drained me by the time I had reached the car park at Helvellyn's base. Nevertheless, I packed away my biking gear, covered the bike and headed up the 12 mile route, alone and already drenched.
I never made it up the mountain. I got to around 800 metres before the wind stopped me from going any further. I hadn't climbed any summits other than this and I didn't know my physical limits. The weather was terrible and I was alone. The situation got far to dangerous for me to continue and I walked back to the bike. I had walked around 15 miles to get back, I hadn't done anything so tiring in my life. The thought of riding for an hour and a half back to cumbria in the same conditions as the morning was scary. I weighed up the option of staying overnight in a cheap hotel but I persevered. The following two hours were my worst experience on a bike. It was dark and I couldn't see anything but dazzling brake lights. The side wind must have dropped the temperature below -10c - I had been wet and cold all day, I was in a bad way. I decided to stop 3/4 of the way at a service station and try to recover a bit of core warmth. In the station I got shocked looks - I don't think anyone could believe I was out riding a bike. My clothes were fully saturated and a made a complete mess everywhere I went - I was beyond caring however. I managed to finish the ride and get back to my friends house in Lancaster. I was ruined though, I sat there shaking for a good hour - I was relieved but ultimately impressed with my ability to persevere.
I took the following day off before being ready for the final stretch to Birmingham then onto Hertfordshire. The start was thankfully dry however just as I entered Birmingham, it bucketed it down. To make matters worse, I got lost finding the excel centre. Eventually I pulled into Yamaha's warehouse, come bike garaged about parked amongst the other hundreds of bikes. The show was amazing, I couldn't believe how big it was, every manufacturer was there and I managed to see Tommy Hill getting interviewed and sat on a KTM SMT 990 - a bike I've become interested in.
The final stretch was around an hour and a half. Again it was hell - wet and dark. When I finally reached my home I wasn't sure if I'd had a good trip or not - at least I'd experienced terrible conditions that would probably never would again. I cleaned the bike, garaged it and left it, somewhat happily. The bike has been in the same place for around 4 months now. I've returned twice to ride it for a few days - I really do need a sunny period to fully appreciate the bike.
I've gone of sportbikes slightly. The are pointlessly fast and aggressive. I want something rugged, practical, comfortable and cool. I'm seriously tempted by super moto style tourers such as the Multistrada and SMT 990. I think the Ducati is a little out of my price range though, can't wait till August! I've also invested in a new helmet, an Arai Quantum in grey. So far its worked well although its a little cold around the chin. This post is probably full of grammatical mistakes but hopefully I'll go back and correct this all.
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
The ZX6R
So I was reading through some old posts from here and thought its probably time to update.
I bought a new bike, finally, a 2008 zx6r with 1300 miles. So far its been probably about 2 weeks and I've done around 1400 miles. I took it for a stint around the lake district and annoyed a few eco-warriors after deliberately taking the baffle out. The lake district is the only place I know that gives sheep priority on the local roads.
Anyway back to the bike. Its fast. Very fast. Ridiculously more so than my 22bhp 250. It doesn't really do anything until 3k then it shoots off but when it hits 10k it turns into a ballistic missile. The unfortunate consequence of this is that by that time, you're hitting around 90mph and screaming like a banshee. The power delivery is very smooth to ride and the chassis/suspension is very rigid, meaning you get a lot more feedback from the road and need to step off every hour to relocate your pelvis joints. The position is also very extreme and hurts a lot should you need to stop from 60mph. thanks to the fantastic front nissins. The bike looks great, but sometimes makes me shy from riding it, to preserve its glory for only sunny days. The noise it makes is great, I don't use the baffle because I like the gurgle it makes and the added attention it gets from other road users. I'm very pleased with it, the only gripe would be the gear shifter which managed to slip to pointing almost straight down for some unknown reason - I still don't know if the gearbox is damaged. Writing this, its been about 5 days since I've been on it and I am really starting to crave it again. People seem to be absolutely awed by it - I stopped at services half way up the country and a group of guys were getting their picture taken next to it. I also left it outside of a golfing centre and people were stopping to chat next to it. Personally, whilst I do love the look, the speed worries me. I live in fear that a speeding ticket is on its way through my door because I've gone over the speed limit by 5mph without realising, but I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Thursday, 23 August 2012
New Bike (Hopefully)
I say hopefully because there is still a chance my bike could be rejected as part exchange. I highly doubt it though. The bike in the last picture is indeed my new bike, a 2008 zx6r with 1000 miles on the clock. I have waited pretty much since around september last year for this day and I'm still struggling to believe I'm a day from getting it. I feel like the 250 stage has been valuable and has taught me a lot about motorcycling, I think its unbelievable that some people have the stupidity to take their test and feel ready to jump onto an r1 etc. Hopefully, the new tests in place in January will prevent most young men from doing so.
So I pick the bike up this Saturday, I've already paid for it, I just need to hand over my old CBF250. I haven't grown to this one like I did my last, this bike has been merely a filler to the next phase. I'm off to work tomorrow morning, then when I finish at 4.30pm I will start the 245 mile commute to the south, getting dinner somewhere along the way - I am absolutely dreading it, the 250 'hates' being at 70mph and I'm paranoid now that I'm selling it tomorrow that something will break/explode before I get there.
On Saturday morning, I'll ride down with my dad to Morden, south west London after meticulously checking the bike over. I'll then have to ring the insurance company, get them to swap over my insurance, then walk 2 miles to the post office to get a new tax disc, then walk back, sign the paperwork and drive all the way back to north London. I guarantee the last part of that will not be miserable (weather permitting!).
In preparation, I've started spending the money that I worked so hard to save. I went and bought a Dainese Avro Div 2 piece suit reduced from £694 to just over £500 because I traded in my old boots (:/). I also bought an Oxford Stormex cover which so far is brilliant and a Kriega r25 Rucksack that is sitting in the post office.
I cannot wait for tomorrow to be over!
So I pick the bike up this Saturday, I've already paid for it, I just need to hand over my old CBF250. I haven't grown to this one like I did my last, this bike has been merely a filler to the next phase. I'm off to work tomorrow morning, then when I finish at 4.30pm I will start the 245 mile commute to the south, getting dinner somewhere along the way - I am absolutely dreading it, the 250 'hates' being at 70mph and I'm paranoid now that I'm selling it tomorrow that something will break/explode before I get there.
On Saturday morning, I'll ride down with my dad to Morden, south west London after meticulously checking the bike over. I'll then have to ring the insurance company, get them to swap over my insurance, then walk 2 miles to the post office to get a new tax disc, then walk back, sign the paperwork and drive all the way back to north London. I guarantee the last part of that will not be miserable (weather permitting!).
In preparation, I've started spending the money that I worked so hard to save. I went and bought a Dainese Avro Div 2 piece suit reduced from £694 to just over £500 because I traded in my old boots (:/). I also bought an Oxford Stormex cover which so far is brilliant and a Kriega r25 Rucksack that is sitting in the post office.
I cannot wait for tomorrow to be over!
Thursday, 2 August 2012
Onwards and Upwards!
Finally have internet in my new house so can actually post. Been looking at tons of bikes and have come to the conclusion that I need to just buy one! I was dead set on the zx6r so I started to talks with a dealer on a really nice 08 with 1000 miles for £5600. I knew I would be paying a little on the steep side so I started looking into reviews (wrong thing to do at this stage!) I think there will always be people that defend certain brands till the death. Ultimately all the bikes are decent and similarly matched. I was questioning the zx6r because it was 3 mph slower than the others on the 1/4 mile strip and then I thought, hey, why the hell does it matter? As long as I am comfortable with the bike then thats all that counts.
From what I read in the reviews, the zx6r has a weak engine that takes off late into the rev range. Has a twitchy front end, hot exhaust and poor aesthetics (I beg to disagree). None of this bothers me. I remember the first time I actually saw a supersport 600 close up. It was exactly the model, colour, exhaust etc that I am looking to buy next week. When it was started up I remember it being the most immense thing I've ever seen.. I haven't had that with the other 600's. I always desperately want a ninja, its my time, ever since taking that zxr400 round the block.
GSXR - ugly, didn't like the suzuki I rode, poor build quality, squid machines, fat exhausts
CBR - boring, small.. really small, strangely underpriced
675r - beyond small, ugly from the front, expensive
r6 - all top range, ugly dials, bug face, really aggressive riding position
zx6r - perfect...:
(this may just be my bike in a week!!!)
From what I read in the reviews, the zx6r has a weak engine that takes off late into the rev range. Has a twitchy front end, hot exhaust and poor aesthetics (I beg to disagree). None of this bothers me. I remember the first time I actually saw a supersport 600 close up. It was exactly the model, colour, exhaust etc that I am looking to buy next week. When it was started up I remember it being the most immense thing I've ever seen.. I haven't had that with the other 600's. I always desperately want a ninja, its my time, ever since taking that zxr400 round the block.
GSXR - ugly, didn't like the suzuki I rode, poor build quality, squid machines, fat exhausts
CBR - boring, small.. really small, strangely underpriced
675r - beyond small, ugly from the front, expensive
r6 - all top range, ugly dials, bug face, really aggressive riding position
zx6r - perfect...:
(this may just be my bike in a week!!!)
Sunday, 1 July 2012
The day it rained...
Was about 4pm at work when the view outside suddenly darkened to almost black. Then the rain kicked in, almost normal at first then torrential. With the rain brought about the worst storm anyone had ever seen. We all went to the workshop entrance to see how bad it actually was. I could see my bike was completely surrounded by a vicious stream of water. Before I knew it, it was time to leave, rain still equally as persistent. I don't know why I put my gear on inside because within 15seconds, I was soaked through.
At first the puddles/lakes were just under a foot deep but given that my workplace sits on a hill which leads down to my home, this was only the start. Further down the road, all the traffic had stopped - a bus was turning round after being told it was impassable. The bus was followed sheepishly by some cars leaving me with a choice to lead the rest of the traffic round the bends to the obstruction. I decided to continue... It took about half a mile to find the issue. Water was about 2 foot high, everyone had stopped. Being on a bike I decided to give it a shot by going up the now submerged pavement. I managed to go through it quite easily, probably much to the annoyance of the watching motorists.
I continued down the A1 which was submerged at points but nothing too bad. Then i got to the slip road. It was about 2-3 feet deep at point - there was no point even trying.
I had to go back on myself, going against traffic on the dual carriageway (everyone had stopped and got out of their cars). I ended up going all the way round Newcastle. It took 2 hours to do a 25minute journey!
At first the puddles/lakes were just under a foot deep but given that my workplace sits on a hill which leads down to my home, this was only the start. Further down the road, all the traffic had stopped - a bus was turning round after being told it was impassable. The bus was followed sheepishly by some cars leaving me with a choice to lead the rest of the traffic round the bends to the obstruction. I decided to continue... It took about half a mile to find the issue. Water was about 2 foot high, everyone had stopped. Being on a bike I decided to give it a shot by going up the now submerged pavement. I managed to go through it quite easily, probably much to the annoyance of the watching motorists.
I continued down the A1 which was submerged at points but nothing too bad. Then i got to the slip road. It was about 2-3 feet deep at point - there was no point even trying.
I had to go back on myself, going against traffic on the dual carriageway (everyone had stopped and got out of their cars). I ended up going all the way round Newcastle. It took 2 hours to do a 25minute journey!
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