The future's bright, the future is

[Hot_Air]

Alpinestars Belize might be worth considering

Good call.

I was going to suggest Alpinestars Toucan boots until I saw their current price

[Trinity765]

but I'm browsing adventure boots

Alpinestars Belize might be worth considering, more comfortable version of the old Vector MX / SM boot but much shorter, lighter.

I saw a pair of brown O’Neal Sierra Pro on M&P for £74 and they're arriving today. If adventure boots are for me, I'll look at the Alpinestars next year

[Count Steer]

but I'm browsing adventure boots

Alpinestars Belize might be worth considering, more comfortable version of the old Vector MX / SM boot but much shorter, lighter.

I saw a pair of brown O’Neal Sierra Pro on M&P for £74 and they're arriving today. If adventure boots are for me, I'll look at the Alpinestars next year

Looks like a bargain. That's about half price!

[Yorick]

Depends on what sort of adventure your after, a wander round the public conveniences of Clapham Common in a pair of thighboots would to a very different adventure to riding a motorcycle in a pair of off road styled boots.

You're asking for pics of the lady in thigh length boots?

If it's in the interests of safety, I wouldn't be offended.

[Trinity765]

I'm a miserable person at the moment, that's why I've not posted much. As the saying goes, if you've nothing nice to say...

So here's a post with an update about the bike sprinkled with a bit of self-loathing.

I've not ridden since I got back from the Pico's/Pyrenees in early July because I've been busy, I've sporty tyres and the weather has been shite but, I did buy some Ohlins rear shocks and fitted them with with the plan being that I'd get some tyres fitted during the week, go out this weekend and take some nice pics of the Battenberg. With an orange tank and yellow Ohlin's I'm one pink hoodie away from looking like the marzipan covered afternoon tea favourite. The only problem is, I ordered the wrong tyres.

Changing the rear suspension was an easy job however both of the lower mounting bolts came off cross-threaded. They are not single use as far as I can tell so I forced them back on and ordered more. Not fitted them yet as the bike is still at the bike shop waiting for tyres.

At the bottom of my road is a newish bike showroom/mechanics where I get my tyres changed - very handy. They do everything on Whatsapp to I sent them a screenshot of a .pdf of the tyre sizes and asked them for prices for Angle GT2s or Pilot 4/5/6 whatever. They came back with "The only tyres we can get in those sizes are Metzler Road Tech 01s". Now I should have stopped the world right there and then and said "What?" because I've had Angels and Pilots, but just said "OK, they'll do" and took the bike down on Wednesday to have them fitted. They called me back and said that the front tyre didn't fit (they'd already put the back on). I checked the information that I'd sent them and I'd screenshotted the wrong .pdf and ordered tyres for a T100. I apologised a lot and agreed to see how things were progressing on Friday/yesterday. I went to pick it up for the weekend and they hadn't got the new front in so I paid for the rear and said I'd come back next week. When I looked at the bike however I laughed out loud - it looks bloody silly with a retro T100 flat profile tyre on the back and a Racetec RR on the front. I told them I'd probably fall off it on the first corner. They laughed and said "No you won't". I laughed and said "I f***** will". So, it's looking very good in their shop at the moment (if you ignore the tyres) and it will all be resolved next week before I go to Wales for the bank holiday and beyond. Pics of the Battenberg will follow eventually.



The front that didn't fit

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

How does a nut come off cross threaded, it would have to be cross threaded going on.

[Trinity765]

How does a nut come off cross threaded, it would have to be cross threaded going on.

Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it is same reason as Triumph routinely changing headstock bearings when bikes come in.

[Rockburner]

How does a nut come off cross threaded, it would have to be cross threaded going on.

Put on with a rattle gun

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

How does a nut come off cross threaded, it would have to be cross threaded going on.

Badly put on with a rattle gun

Corrected that for you

[Trinity765]

Ta daa. Ohlins and rubber. Ready for a saunter around Wales next week.

[Trinity765]

The future is bright, the future took a little lay down on top of a Welsh mountain two days ago. The only damage was a broken gear shift rod. Got off the mountain in second gear and came across a car mechanic who welded it back together for me with the warning that it was steel to aluminium which shouldn't actually stick. It stuck for 150 miles as I am at Triumph Chester now who have just fitted a new one for me. Onward!

[Mr. Dazzle]

Steel to Ally is either an extremely skilled bit of welding or a right bodge. Make you own mind up which

[weeksy]

whoops, you ok ?

[Noggin]

What the boss says xx

[Supermofo]

Hope you are alright, bikes are fixable humans less so (well at least in the sense they are as good as they were)

[Trinity765]

Oops sorry. I may have used the wrong phrase. It had a lay down on its own. I had stopped to take some photos. I am fine apart from I now have a phobia about stopping to take pics. Thank you for your concern.

[Skub]

It only takes a moment's inattention for a bike to fall over,we've all done it and it makes us more careful...for a time!

A few months ago I came back from a run on the Zed. I had things on my mind and was obviously doing things by rote. Instead of kicking the sideside down while sat on the bike,then leaning it over before getting off,I left out the kicking the sidestand down part. There I was lying partly under the bike completely baffled as to how I managed to do that.

[Trinity765]

I didn't beat myself up. I was more in shock than anything. Stuck on a mountain with no way of changing gear, no phone signal and getting late in the day.

I got it upright and into 2nd gear and rode it down. Came to a car mechanics in the middle of nowhere at 4.55pm and asked if he could do a bodge job to get me back to my digs. He welded it together but said that because it's aluminium to steal it wouldn't last long. I thought every gear change would be my last so once I was in a gear I stayed in it for as long as possible - good job it's a Speed Twin and not a Street Triple. I spent Wednesday phoning around to find the part. Triumph Chester sorted it out for me today. They didn't charge labour and were really nice about it.

[Sunny]

I remember sitting outside a cafe in northern Spain somewhere when there was a small crash from outside, and my poor Striple (also orange - maybe wayward orange Triumphs is a thing) had decided to have a lie-down. Poor thing clearly needed a nap.

It was parked facing up a slope (in gear), but loaded up with camping gear etc and I think it just tipped it over the edge (literally). Handily the same camping gear saved any shiny bits from hitting the deck, and I got away with a lightly scuffed wing mirror IIRC.

Top marks for finding a mechanic with next level bodging skills

[Trinity765]

For those that don't already know, I traded in the Speed for a Street Triple RS on Saturday.

I saw the Speed on the dealers website on Tuesday but now it's gone. I just phoned them to enquire and they said that a very happy customer had ridden away on it yesterday.

I think this is a lovely end to the story and everyone's a winner. I'm sure the new owner will be very happy with it. He won't even mind when he finds out that one of the rear indicators mists up as it may have got damp from an improperly fitted tail tidy

Meanwhile the Street sits peacefully in my garage waiting for the nice weather.