Motorbike and scooter owners.

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keithmac

Guru
A mate who lives opposite has just taken delivery of one of these -

View attachment 505002

2010 Ducati Sreetfighter V-twin. Sitting aboard it has a lovely riding position but it wouldn't be for me as it wheelies in every gear if you're a bit heavy handed on the throttle. The 7k price tag for a ten year old bike would put me off too although with only 15k on the clock it is in showroom condition. God knows what a rear boot would cost but I've seen narrower tyres on a tractor.

You either need big pockets or know a good independent garage that are prepared to service them for you.

We were £300 cheaper than Ducati for a 10,000 mile + Belt service on a Monster 821 recently. A lady owner so maybe they were trying it on a bit?, who knows?.
 

T.M.H.N.E.T

Rainbows aren't just for world champions
Location
Northern Ireland
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
As expensive as these fails are- I need an instructor to get to the test centre- I'm not beaten yet.
…and I haz Mod 1 (A2 automatic). It really started clicking on the last couple of fails. I made a point of altering my seating position- I was sitting so I was against the backrest. Very comfy, but I couldn't shift my weight around easily, and the CoG was further back as well. End result, really awkward for me at low speed. Benefits of hindsight.. For the attempt before last (on the 14th), I did a couple of training days first (riding the bike so sporadically, it helped to get used to it again). I tried sitting forward and all of a sudden the big blue beastie (210kg, no that's not a typo) is barely harder to steer than the PCX (124kg). Did about forty practice runs on the slow Mod 1 stuff and nailed it every time. Then on the Mod 1 itself, the old favourite fail, cone on the slalom. It was suggested that I take the exhaust heat shield off, to make the bike a little narrower (an Xmax 400 is about six inches wider than an R1, and longer, so every little helps). Next time, a week later, I absolutely nail the slalom and figure of eight, go too wide on the U-turn. Carried on and did the fast exercises as practice, nailed those as well. If you're going to fail, this is the kind of fail that makes you feel good. Seriously, couldn't be depressed about that…

So, yet another attempt this past Friday. Slalom nailed again, but misjudged the speed on the figure-of-eight, came to a halt. Expletive! But I got going again, completed the figure, assumed the rest would be another practice. Examiner waves me over. 'I have to tell you a serious fault will not be recorded'. I could have kissed him :smile: Then, the U-turn. A bit wide, ended up on the line. Another minor. But a minor is not a fail. Nearly clipped a cone on the controlled stop- nearly. Emergency stop, nailed, 51 kph. Swerve: 52 kph. And that pink bit of paper is mine. It was wet, it was windy, and I had to go to work that afternoon. But I didn't care! Mod 2 attempt will follow as soon as the school and I can get a morning slot which suits.
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
…and I haz Mod 1 (A2 automatic). It really started clicking on the last couple of fails. I made a point of altering my seating position- I was sitting so I was against the backrest. Very comfy, but I couldn't shift my weight around easily, and the CoG was further back as well. End result, really awkward for me at low speed. Benefits of hindsight.. For the attempt before last (on the 14th), I did a couple of training days first (riding the bike so sporadically, it helped to get used to it again). I tried sitting forward and all of a sudden the big blue beastie (210kg, no that's not a typo) is barely harder to steer than the PCX (124kg). Did about forty practice runs on the slow Mod 1 stuff and nailed it every time. Then on the Mod 1 itself, the old favourite fail, cone on the slalom. It was suggested that I take the exhaust heat shield off, to make the bike a little narrower (an Xmax 400 is about six inches wider than an R1, and longer, so every little helps). Next time, a week later, I absolutely nail the slalom and figure of eight, go too wide on the U-turn. Carried on and did the fast exercises as practice, nailed those as well. If you're going to fail, this is the kind of fail that makes you feel good. Seriously, couldn't be depressed about that…

So, yet another attempt this past Friday. Slalom nailed again, but misjudged the speed on the figure-of-eight, came to a halt. Expletive! But I got going again, completed the figure, assumed the rest would be another practice. Examiner waves me over. 'I have to tell you a serious fault will not be recorded'. I could have kissed him :smile: Then, the U-turn. A bit wide, ended up on the line. Another minor. But a minor is not a fail. Nearly clipped a cone on the controlled stop- nearly. Emergency stop, nailed, 51 kph. Swerve: 52 kph. And that pink bit of paper is mine. It was wet, it was windy, and I had to go to work that afternoon. But I didn't care! Mod 2 attempt will follow as soon as the school and I can get a morning slot which suits.
Holy cow!

I got my full licence on the strength of two trips round the block in each direction, an emergency stop at sub 30mph and showing I could ride beside the examiner while he set off at normal walking pace.
 

StuAff

Silencing his legs regularly
Location
Portsmouth
Holy cow!

I got my full licence on the strength of two trips round the block in each direction, an emergency stop at sub 30mph and showing I could ride beside the examiner while he set off at normal walking pace.
Small boys in the park, jumpers for goalposts, isn't it? :smile: ....as I've posted before on here, I'm kind of glad that the bike tests are so demanding these days given that we've got to contend with all these idiots in metal boxes with an overdeveloped sense of entitlement and an underdeveloped sense of both self-preservation and the welfare of others. For example, a colleague at work. I happened to encounter her on the commute home three times the other week & each time she did something dangerous. She went clean through a red light, on the motorway she decided to ignore very large signs about two lanes being closed from 800 yards out and dived in at the last second, and in slow-moving traffic due to roadworks, decided to jump the queue by driving down a parking bay then forcing her way out. Yes, the examiners should have a bit more leeway to cut people some slack, that would have saved me a lot of money, and the CBT should (conversely) be rather harder- but it is what it is.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Holy cow!

I got my full licence on the strength of two trips round the block in each direction, an emergency stop at sub 30mph and showing I could ride beside the examiner while he set off at normal walking pace.
Same here. Mate of mine actually fell off out of sight of the examiner, but got back on and finished the test and still passed.
 
OP
OP
Cavalol

Cavalol

Guru
Location
Chester
Things have been changing weekly, indeed daily, recently.

Can't remember where I'm up to on this thread, but the 750/4 chopper, the Scomadi and the Lifan electric scooter are still here. The Lambretta just carries on being a two wheeled Iv*co and currently has the engine in bits at a scooter shop.
The BMW 1100 has gone, ditto the Kawasaki GT550, and a little Yamaha SR125. There was briefly a Cagiva 125, too. Oh, a brief fling with a GPX750 came and went.

Now, with some more additions there are..
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...which was one owner from new, covered in poor over spray but absolutely ace.

More recently, roughly in order came...

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...which was reasonably cheap for one of these, though clearly won't win any concourse events. Fun to ride though.

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One of a pair CBR1000, the other (for spares) should be here soon. Not ridden in anger yet, but seems far more suitable for someone big, fat and old than the Fireblade I briefly owned. The CBR is much more relaxed.

The BMW was chopped in for this. A bit of a wait while my friend got the time to bring it down here, but was well worth the patience as I absolutely love it. Needs recommissioning here and there, but (just about) runs and rides. Can't wait to get it useable, reckon it'll be amazing fun...

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Last, but not least, sold a car back to my mate who I bought it off which released some funds. Who wants money in their pockets anyhow? Collected today, relatively cheap and seems to ride ok on a very short run out. A bad cold has stopped me going any further than a hundred yards or so, hoping to be well enough to ride it 'properly' asap...

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(If I've posted any of them before, then apologies)
 
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