GSXS 1000 - Mofo's Gixxus

[Skub]

I can't imagine there's much difference between the 5s and the 6s (price aside) if so they'll be good. First tyre to take me away from sticky rubber and I'm happily on my second rear.

[Supermofo]

I can't imagine there's much difference between the 5s and the 6s (price aside) if so they'll be good. First tyre to take me away from sticky rubber and I'm happily on my second rear.

Yeah I did consider saving some cash and going for something like the M7RR but TBH I can't fault the grip of the 5s on the 690, they were more than good enough for me, so thought the extra mileage of the 5s over a sporty road tyre was probably worth it.

[weeksy]

TBH mate, i'm not sure grip comes into it these days.

I toured Germany on a pair of Sportec M5s, then came home and did Pembrey 3 days later and Donny the week after that... we as bikers get a bit too hung up on tyres i reckon..

I am as guilty as the next man for this too though i admit.

[Supermofo]

I agree not many bad tyres about, Dunlop D214s and the like aside.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Modern Sports Touring tyres are better than the Sports tyres we used in the 90s and better than 80s race tyres, especially in the wet.

[KungFooBob]

I dunno, I used to do some crazy shit on Michelin Hi Sports and the first generation Pilot's.

They took for fucking ever to warm up tho'

I think modern tyres just last longer, grip better in the wet, warm up/or grip from cold better and just cost a lot more

[weeksy]

YOU'd have been impressed to see @Dodgy knees on whatever piece of shit tyres he runs at Pembrey.... the boy was flying !

[Supermofo]

I dunno, I used to do some crazy shit on Michelin Hi Sports and the first generation Pilot's.

Hated Hi-Sports, loved the first powers.

[KungFooBob]

Best tyres ever were BT-012SS'

Tho my old pal Rossiter used to swear by Rennsports.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

The cross ply Hi Sports were very good (I didn't like the radial ones) but a 1985 GSXR 750 would go through a rear in under 1000 miles, MEZ1s were nearly as good, but it still shagged the rear in under 1500 miles - I used to spend a fortune on tyres.

Pirelli Demons also deserve a mention, I used Pirelli Dragon Corsas for the 2nd half of the 90s, I was replacing them every 2000 miles, less than that on my 98 R1.

And yes, I'm old.

[Supermofo]

Yes tyres last a fair bit longer now in general. I got 3500 out of the rear M7RR before the handling went off due to flat spotting, but I think the single power delivery and running them at standard Duke pressures of 29/29 didn't help. I seem to recall Essexbladerider getting 5k out of them on his Blade.

The Road 4s got 5.5k on the 690 and the Road 5s I replaced them with looked pretty much new at 3k miles when I sold the bike.

Years ago I seem to recall only getting 3k max out of a tyre and far less with things like the Avon AV59 I had on my SMC, they'd be dead in 1500 miles.

[KungFooBob]

BT-56SS and BT-012SS I used to kill in 1800 miles, easy.

I remember fitting a pair of 56SS' a week before a trip to the alps (bikes in a van to preserve the tyres) and then having to commute to work on them and praying for rain everyday so they didn't square off on my motorway commute.

[Bigjawa]

I can't imagine there's much difference between the 5s and the 6s (price aside) if so they'll be good. First tyre to take me away from sticky rubber and I'm happily on my second rear.

I have a 6 on the front of my K12 (5 on the back) and 6s on the cast wheels for the GS. I can't fault them. They do have an odd surface, almost tacky.

230 for a 120/70ZR17 and 170/60ZR17 fitted to loose wheels. Got £30 back from Michelin.

[Supermofo]

Got out Sunday for a ride Finchingfield- Saffron Waldon way with Mrs mate's husband and his 1290 SA with 103K miles. Considering it's commuted Essex to London daily it's in pretty damn fine condition. For some reason I was feeling nervous about scrubbing the tyres in which is odd as never had that before Anyway it was a pretty good ride but a bit chilly when I left at 7.45am, possibly triggering the nerves, dunno still odd.

Monday, I met up with my brother in Shefford and then did a route round Huntingdon, St Ives, Cambridge area down to Welwyn. 112 miles all in. Tyres were bloody fantastic. All the weird nerves gone and the tyres felt so much better than OE it's unreal. Since I've had the bike it's felt like its going to run wide quite often especially in tight corners, I suspected this was the OE tyres and now I can say for sure it was. On the Road 5 the bikes like it's on rails compared to the Dunlops and tightening your line is easy as with no issues. They also have so much more feel and give loads of confidence and I reckon I felt happier chucking it over than I have since I got the bike even in the height of summer. So yeah money very much well spent.

I actually reckon my nerves about the tyres Sunday might have been due to the handling traits the Dunlops gave the bike and me having got used to not much feel. Whereas now the bike steers and handles like a sportsbike with flat bars. Which it is

[weeksy]

That's brilliant. It's amazing how much difference a little confidence can bring

[Supermofo]

Not ridden for a couple of weeks and the shit weather is coming. So, I've booked tomorrow off work and going for a ride. Not been to the Suffolk coast on the bike this year yet so tempted by that as its a decent 200 miles. Was thinking maybe Thorpeness or Orford. Other option is back to Manningtree way but stick on the good roads, but I did that in the summer.

Could head West but don't know any places out that way, same North, plus North is Peterborough way which doesnt appeal as much despite the roads around Kimbolton. Need a destination I think to head for. South I want to do as when I went to Rye in the car there are some cracking roads down there BUT there's the non avoidable M25 in the way which sucks my enthusiasm for South.

Might dig out my Great rides book and see if that has anything.

After that the bikes gonna need a good wash, it's not particularly dirty but she's a bit fly splattered and I've been lazy esp since I can use the hosepipe band to be lazier

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Suffolk is lovely today, been out for an hour this morning, A12 to Yoxford, A1170 to Framsden, B1077 back to Ipswich.

It sounds a bit arty farty but the autumn colours are superb this year.

[Supermofo]

Hoping the weather is dry tomorrow, anything else is a bonus. Taken the kids to Southend today and it's very nice weather wise.

[Supermofo]

Well that was a cracking ride yesterday, a nice way to end the riding season or at least the start of the end.

I didn't leave until 9.30 as wanted to walk the kids to school and give the temps a chance to warm up a little from the morning chill. Weather was looking decent so no need for waterproofs and a top box. I'd set the TomTom to least twisty route and for the way there it was a little too least twisty for me, routing me down the boring A120 to Braintree before up the A131 to Sudbury. So I ignored it and went Hatfield Heath, Dunmow, Finchingfield via the B1057 which I haven't done in probably at least 2 years, Castle Hedingham to Sudbury, then the A134/1071 through Hadleigh to Ipswich. And overall it was great, Hintlesham seemed nice as I passed but I was in limbo at that point about whether to stop for a coffee or press on. Given the route that was really the last place it was worth stopping so I decided to carry on. The TomTom had decided to take us through the centre of Ipswich which didn't seem clever at all as I imagine that'd have meant lots of traffic/traffic lights, so I ducked onto the A14 and A12 for that part, dull but better than go through a big town. I came off the A12 at Melton and followed the road through Eyke, Rendlesham and Snape before dropping into Thorpness. This last part was much more fun and I managed not to get abducted in Rendlesham by any UFOs so that was a bonus. By the time I got to Thorpness I was in desperate need of a wee and a coffee in that order! Rough route

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LGF probably hates Thorpness but I rather like it. Being a biker I ignored the car park and parked right outside the tea room where all the other bikes had parked in the summer, luckily I'd remembered my side stand puck for this or I'd have looked a little silly picking the Gixxus up in front of all the pensioners as its mainly sand in the soil. Had a lovely sausage/bacon bap and a cappuccino before I went for a little wonder around the lake and the beach with Aldeburgh in the distance.








Conscious that I'd rather be back before rush hour proper I decided to head back. The TomTom had been set to 'plan a thrill' so there was a different route home, which to begin with couldn't have been more different to the several big dull carriageways it wanted to take me on the way to the coast. Everything was fine until we came off the A12 to head for the A1120 as the Sat Nav cut the corner down some proper goat tracks I don't know the exact roads but they looked like this at their best!



Thankfully we were on the A1120 soon enough and I really like that road. I decided to stop as, well everyone loves a windmill don't they! (except Liz Truss)



By the time I'd past Long Melford my arse was completely flat and my back was starting to complain a bit so I stopped in Clare for a Co-Op ice coffee and a Yorkie. That's the problem with going for a ride out of season on a Monday. I went past multiple nice coffee/tea shops, garden centres and pubs all shut So a stand outside the Co-Op was as good as it got!

After Clare I was on my usual roads through Steeple Bumstead to Saffron Waldon and I was lucky in that the roads were quiet so I was having it in the twisties This staved off any issues till Clavering where as I past Jamie Oliver's Dads old pub the cramp in my left leg started I did consider stopping for a few minutes but by waving my leg about and giving it a bit of a massage it went away fairly quickly, although a Rangy driver I overtook probably thought I was giving it the doctors dangle

Onto the A10 and home where the Gixxus was great at dispatching the dual carriageway traffic as easily as it had dealt with the twisties which is nice at the end of a long ride. A small faring would make that part more comfy but until the new Gixxus GT the fared version was bloody horrible so I'll take that and 90mph was ok for cruising (85 on the TomTom).

So that was that. 203 miles and a happy Supermofo I filled the bike up in Dunmow and re-filled at Saffron Waldon at 150 miles with 33 miles still showing and I suspect I had more than that left, so on a run I over 180 miles should achievable which is impressive for a litre bike with a 17 litre tank.

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On top of a few files I'd already collected there seems to be a whole lot of tiny little files about at the moment which have plastered my jacket, lid and bike So need a big cleaning session on the lot. I suspect it won't be long before I'm packing everything away for the winter.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I actually quite like Thorpeness once outside of holiday season, it's an interesting place, the paths between there and Sizewell are worth exploring.

Hintlesham S bends used to be good when they had a 60 limit, now the road surface is really bad on the bends.

We went to Jamie Oliver's dad's pub once when we lived over that way in the mid 90s, I really wasn't impressed with the food

And when you went up the A12 you were about 2 miles from my house, but I wasn't there, I was 9 miles the other way at work.