Poop! Poop! (Or Mr Toad stikes again...)

AndyPhillips · 03-22-2003, 12:42 PM

Well now I've gone and done it! The bike had 500 miles on it, a shed load of money off it (effectively free ABS, power socket, heated grips panniers and a tank bag) and it was really shiny too. I bought it and some clothing too (10 % discount). Well, it would have been rude not to

Even with the discount the Street Guard jacket and trousers cost nearly the same as the bike

but its worth it to have something tidy enough to wear to work without causing raised eyebrows... The major advantage is the built in goretex layer - with the weather in this fecking country I was always changing outfits, not any more! The bike is that metallic grey, is nicely run in and doesn't use any oil even now! Its got the "Where the f^&*(^$! hell have the brakes gone?!" TM feature and I'm really tempted to add a nice exhaust - the dealer was egging me on too... I guess it'll have to wait after what I spent on the new clothes

Actually the exhaust sounds just nice as standard...

The best bit has to be the engine - after the GS this actually rewards you for chasing the red line (beemer-style anyway). The suspension needs adjusting as the previous owner was a bit of a lard arse and I get kicked out of the saddle for even clipping a snail. The only niggle is the vibey patch from 3500 ish to 4500 ish rpm but apparently they all do that - well that's just peachy then!

What I really love is the way the bike floats along from 50mph upwards - really smooth (until 70-80mph!) and its quite economical too. Wouldn't mind a larger fuel tank next time round; I like to get on the bike and ride for a while when I'm in the mood.

If anybody's interested I'll post a couple of pics of the wee beastie but its pretty standard so far...

Cheers,

Andy

03-22-2003, 01:04 PM

Wecome to the club of the enlightned.

GUS · 03-22-2003, 01:15 PM

Welcome englander!
Will we seeing you at oulton park in may?
I hope zat ve vill.
regards gus

moose · 03-23-2003, 06:54 AM

The best accessory for chasing the redline is Lennie's InDuct. You won't believe the difference in how much more freely the engine will rev.

AndyPhillips · 03-23-2003, 12:15 PM

Andy

MoDog · 03-24-2003, 07:31 AM

Gawd...that green grass looks great...and the bike is cool too.

The snow finally melted off the roads here just enough for a quick 350 mile loop to a favorite cafe on Saturday. It was, of course, a heated vest and grip day, but still, it felt so good to get back on the road and rock the day away...and I agree with your assessment: 80-100 mph is where the old girl really sings...absolutely beautiful...yet a steady 110 isn't all that uncomfortable either.

Welcome aboard.

AndyPhillips · 03-25-2003, 02:08 AM

... of course that green grass now needs mowing

I'm still working on a sensible setting for the suspension

before I venture over 100mph consistently. So far I have identified the following settings:

1) anvil - I have definitely lost 3 inches height in my spine
2) trampoline - you can still hear the bike rocking by itself in the garage the next morning

What's the screw on the rear shock for?

Andy

03-25-2003, 03:35 AM

There's not much middle ground with the standard suspension.

The rear has two adjusments, preload, the big turny wheel, and rebound damping, the little screw on the bottom left of the shock. This little screw is prone to siezing solid so it's as well to give it a wiggle once a week to help prvent this.

Preload setting will depend on your weight, damping will depend on your riding style/comfort preference.