B-road blasters... What's the king of the lanes

[Trinity765]

Is the Ridgeway a BOAT? Would it be sensible for a 65 year old to try it on a V85TT? Asking for a friend

Rode it years ago... CX500 and two CB250RSs...

Result? Ridgeway 3, Bikers 0.

Nick's CX had to be ridden to the nearest road and rescued by the AA with a 3" gash in the tubeless rear from a flint, the rack on my brother's Honda snapped on both sides and my rear subframe snapped just behind the nearside shock absorber. We did temporary repairs with some branches and pipe clips and rode home.

At least none of us fell off

The day in that photo I was out with a friend who was in the TRF and that section of The Ridgeway is a BOAT.

It was stupidly hard work and I'm sure I made it look even harder. I was having a rest in that photo and couldn't get off the bike because I couldn't get the side stand down while sat in a narrow rut. It was during a dry summer and the ground was very hard. I caught the engine block/exhausts twice going over solid humps but, strangely enough, there was no damage to the bike and getting back onto tarmac was fantastic. It was the riding equivalent of wearing tight shoes only for the pleasure of taking them off.

Going back to lanes, I do a lot of them and enjoy them. My favourite roads are the ones with a national speed limit and yet you're really going some to break it. One of the reasons I've not fallen in love with the couple of 1000cc + bikes that I've had is that I get tired trying to rag them around lanes but the Street Triple 675 seems to have been designed for it.

The Romney Marshes, Kent and Elan Valley, mid Wales are areas with a lot of fun lanes and good views as apposed to Cornwall/Devon, for instance, where the lanes all have high hedges and the locals think they're rally drivers.

[Count Steer]

Used to organise rides that barely saw any A roads usually from the top of Reigate hill to places like Ogri's caff or Shoreham Airport. Some of the routes were pretty gnarly with fords, single track with passing places etc (but I pre-rode some of them on an LT, with pillion ).

I'd say the bikes that coped best were the motards, stuff like RBs BMW GS650 Dakar (?) and the smaller traillies. The 1150GS was OK but a bit of a lump at times.

So, pretty much what RB said up there...light, long travel suspension and mandlebars.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Best bike for narrow, twisty bumpy roads is a 450 supermoto from any decent manufacturer, but they're feck all use for anything else and seriously uncomfortable after 30 minutes.

[weeksy]

Best bike for narrow, twisty bumpy roads is a 450 supermoto from any decent manufacturer, but they're feck all use for anything else and seriously uncomfortable after 30 minutes.

Not much use if 30 mins is the limit though

[Dickyboy]

I've been eyeing up this Aprillia Peggy sue 660 factory on ebay, isn't it the same engine as the yam?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395002674029

[KungFooBob]

I've been eyeing up this Aprillia Peggy sue 660 factory on ebay, isn't it the same engine as the yam?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395002674029

That's the Yam 660 lump, but as an aside, WTF is going on with that front brake calliper mount?

[mboy]

Best bike for narrow, twisty bumpy roads is a 450 supermoto from any decent manufacturer, but they're feck all use for anything else and seriously uncomfortable after 30 minutes.

This...

But precisely because they're so uncompromising and uncomfortable, the 650-700cc road Supermoto's like the Gasgas SM700, KTM 690 SMC R, Husqvarna 701, forthcoming Ducati 698 Hypermotard etc. are the next best thing, because whilst still uncomfortable and uncompromising they aren't to the same degree as the 450's, and they also have much bigger fuel tanks and much longer service intervals, and the 40kg weight penalty isn't such an issue on the road as it would be on the race track.

Next after a proper Supermoto...? A KTM Duke 790/890 or similar... A slightly more upright "motard" style lightweight naked bike, with a punchy engine, forgiving handling and the ability to be muscled about still.

On more normal B roads, then big capacity naked bikes start to come into their own, as do larger Adventure Bikes... I've owned several of both, and a race between the best Adventure Bikes and big capacity naked bikes over UK B roads is quite "tortoise and the hare" albeit not to quite such a degree. Adventure bikes aren't as quick, but they allow you to go quicker for longer. Super Nakeds aren't as quick outright as sports bikes, but allow you to go much quicker for longer than sports bikes do. Sorry to say to the Adventure Bike unbelievers... They really are very bloody good at covering lots of twisty roads at a very decent pace, in comfort, over longer periods of time, day after day after day... Hence their popularity!

Interesting what @weeksy says about the Yamaha 660XT as I have nearly bought several, but could never bring myself to do it, always arguing that they were a bit too soft and safe for me (probably why I get on with KTM's so well as they're all a bit bonkers!)... I suspect their soft and safeness is possibly what makes them so easy to exploit! Certainly, my Gasgas has quite a revvy engine, catch it below about 5krpm and it's a bit reluctant to get a stomp on, where I guess the Yam engine isn't so peaky.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I 'be ridden the Yamaha MT03 which had the XT engine, it was slow and wheesy, no mid range and no top end, noticeably slower than the Husky SMS610 I had at the time, the Husky also handled a lot better, but the Husky was horrible after 30 minutes and the engine shat itself.

[weeksy]

The 660x etc engine is transformed with an exhaust, power commander and a few airbox tweaks

[Demannu]

but the Husky was horrible after 30 minutes and the engine shat itself.

Did Europe 2 up on my 610, and the original NHRO on VD, which was all day flat chat.
However my engine also shat itself, several times!

[Whysub]

The 660x etc engine is transformed with an exhaust, power commander and a few airbox tweaks

Was the engine in that 660x the earlier 5 valve engine, or the later 4 valve?

The 5 valve could be tuned quite easily, and reliably, which was why they were the main choice of the supermono racers back in the day.

[Scootabout]

You can try ...

IIRC there are restrictions on access. But they may not apply to agricultural vehicles.

Are you suggesting my lovely Guzzi is an agricultural vehicle?

[Horse]

You can try ...

IIRC there are restrictions on access. But they may not apply to agricultural vehicles.

Are you suggesting my lovely Guzzi is an agricultural vehicle?

If the [flat] cap fits ...

[Scootabout]

Hats off for that one!

[Supermofo]

Best bike for narrow, twisty bumpy roads is a 450 supermoto from any decent manufacturer, but they're feck all use for anything else and seriously uncomfortable after 30 minutes.

This...

But precisely because they're so uncompromising and uncomfortable, the 650-700cc road Supermoto's like the Gasgas SM700, KTM 690 SMC R, Husqvarna 701, forthcoming Ducati 698 Hypermotard etc. are the next best thing, because whilst still uncomfortable and uncompromising they aren't to the same degree as the 450's, and they also have much bigger fuel tanks and much longer service intervals, and the 40kg weight penalty isn't such an issue on the road as it would be on the race track.

I'd argue a 690 Duke raises comfort, practicality and tank range and loses nothing in ability. It only loses on looks, but I took that with the ability to ride 200 miles in comfort.

[mangocrazy]

But precisely because they're so uncompromising and uncomfortable, the 650-700cc road Supermoto's like the Gasgas SM700, KTM 690 SMC R, Husqvarna 701, forthcoming Ducati 698 Hypermotard etc. are the next best thing, because whilst still uncomfortable and uncompromising they aren't to the same degree as the 450's, and they also have much bigger fuel tanks and much longer service intervals, and the 40kg weight penalty isn't such an issue on the road as it would be on the race track.

I'd argue a 690 Duke raises comfort, practicality and tank range and loses nothing in ability. It only loses on looks, but I took that with the ability to ride 200 miles in comfort.

Completely agree. B-road tomfoolery is exactly and precisely the Duke 690's remit. I travel between Sheffield and Stafford very regularly in the warmer months and on my (predominantly B-road) route between them the Duke reigns supreme. The Falco is great fun but definitely overkill, the LC is similarly fun playing tunes on the gearbox but at a lower pace and the VFR is just a VFR - competent in all situations.

But the Duke can be used pretty much to the full extent of its performance envelope and is by far the most fun. And when I step off it at the other end of the journey I'm not in pain or mentally frazzled. It's got sticky road tyres on and has enough, but not excessive, suspension travel so copes perfectly well with indifferent surfaces. It's perfick...

[weeksy]

I toured France and Germany on mine, heading to cochem for 4 days, then came back and was at Silverstone GP on it 5 days later

[mboy]

I'd argue a 690 Duke raises comfort, practicality and tank range and loses nothing in ability. It only loses on looks, but I took that with the ability to ride 200 miles in comfort.

There's 2 crazy cheap in Judd Racing in Nottingham right now for anybody who might be looking... £3999 each!

From memory, both 17 models, some miles on and not garage queens but looked pretty straight/decent bikes...

If I was in the market at the moment, I'd probably have grabbed one of them already.

It would certainly be easier to get in and out the back of my van than the SM...

SM more fun though...

[weeksy]

I'd argue a 690 Duke raises comfort, practicality and tank range and loses nothing in ability. It only loses on looks, but I took that with the ability to ride 200 miles in comfort.

There's 2 crazy cheap in Judd Racing in Nottingham right now for anybody who might be looking... £3999 each!

From memory, both 17 models, some miles on and not garage queens but looked pretty straight/decent bikes...

If I was in the market at the moment, I'd probably have grabbed one of them already.

It would certainly be easier to get in and out the back of my van than the SM...

SM more fun though...

I disagree. The Duke is way more fun to me, but I've never been into MX bikes etc. the SM is cooler for sure. But in terms of riding, the Duke wipes the floor with it

[mboy]

I disagree. The Duke is way more fun to me, but I've never been into MX bikes etc. the SM is cooler for sure. But in terms of riding, the Duke wipes the floor with it

Have to agree to disagree...

Round here, the longer suspension travel, longer wheelbase and taller riding position would all mean the Duke rider wouldn't see which way the SM rider went! I promise you...