Inevitable new bike thread

[Potter]

Inevitable because there is a teenage tidal wave behind it that I can't hold back. Our other two kids got their license paid for and their first vehicle fully paid up by the bank of mum and dad, and now it's our youngest's turn.

He wants a bike and once the test is passed he can ride anything, like in the old days in the UK.

He's gone orange.
His choice is a new KTM390 and he wants KTM branded gear to go with it, which I explained will make him look a twat, but he disagrees and apparently this passes for cool these days. We're shopping for the gear on Saturday.

He's passed the theory and it'll be 2-3 weeks until he passes his short/intensive course (he's having a 2hr lesson every day until he passes), but that's the deal, so unless he suddenly changes his mind I'll be updating this thread with a new horrible angular monstrosity in a few weeks.

[weeksy]

LOL Duke or RC ?

[Potter]

Duke.
A black one.

On the way to the shop he was saying what he wanted, etc, and he said can I have it matt black with matt wheels - I said you can have what they've got in the shop or whatever they can order, but they come in standard colour schemes - he said no, he wants his in matt black so can we order a matt black one from the factory

He's seen me ordering custom shop things and a while back we were in the MV shop and a bloke was ordering a new limited edition MV and specified a custom colour and different wheels, etc - same when we were with my mate in the Aston Martin shop and he was ordering a custom colour on his new car - so he thinks that's real life, he was quite surprised when I explained that you don't get to order most bikes in the colour scheme of your choosing.

Anyway, after that revelation he saw a black Duke in the shop and he said he likes that one.

[weeksy]

Excellent... they're great little things honestly... Mine was brilliant and i loved it... I'd expect the new ones are even better.

Speak to Tricky about the bits he threw at his, Rapidbike i think is his mod of choice, but there's a QS for them etc for a bit of fun.

Embrace the orange !

[Potter]

I have a horrible feeling that I'm going to have a go on it and love it.

There was a used 790 Duke next to it in the showroom, looked like it had been on the track with well scrubbed tyres and for a moment I thought it looked like a lot of fun and maybe...

Then I left quickly.

[Ditchfinder]

EBC HH pads improve the feel from the front brake and the standard clutch and brake levers are awful, the Chinese ebay ones were much better.

Great fun first big bike but the front suspension is a little crude, felt over damped and crashy to me.

[weeksy]

I have a horrible feeling that I'm going to have a go on it and love it.

There was a used 790 Duke next to it in the showroom, looked like it had been on the track with well scrubbed tyres and for a moment I thought it looked like a lot of fun and maybe...

Then I left quickly.

I've pondered the 790 more than once in the last 6-12 months. It's a superb fun bike and great at just about everything. But for me the XSR blows it out of the water in terms that are important to me which is, walking over and pressing the button. When i go to the XSR there's no expectation of finding a leak, a problem, a time where it won't work... But the 790 was and is a brilliant machine and i think in some way could be actually ideal for you as a rider. They're great on track with standard setup, just some rubber, fuel and away you go.

I'm surprised you've not at least tried one.

[Potter]

Great fun first big bike..

It's his first ever road bike, previously he's had motocross bikes and a Reiju 50cc that he rode once and is sitting in the garage.

Compared to my first road bike this is like the Starship Enterprise, if he comes looking for exhausts and suspension mods I'll tell him to go away and learn to live with it.

[weeksy]

Great fun first big bike..

It's his first ever road bike, previously he's had motocross bikes and a Reiju 50cc that he rode once and is sitting in the garage.

Compared to my first road bike this is like the Starship Enterprise, if he comes looking for exhausts and suspension mods I'll tell him to go away and learn to live with it.

IF ? Have a word.... that'll be day 2.... Every youngster loves a bit of noise. !

[Potter]

An exhaust maybe, just because it's got a lot safer for me to ride here now my RE sounds like a Messerschmitt coming up the road, before it was so quiet no one noticed me and I had a couple of people try to just pull into my lane when I was alongside them.

[Supermofo]

I think the later 390's look pretty cool, sounds an ideal first bike. Similar in a lot of ways to my TZR250

As for 790s I look at least once a fortnight, then I do a quick google of 790 issues and go back to MT09's/Z900's etc

[weeksy]

I think the later 390's look pretty cool, sounds an ideal first bike. Similar in a lot of ways to my TZR250

As for 790s I look at least once a fortnight, then I do a quick google of 790 issues and go back to MT09's/Z900's etc

You need to get over here and try the XSR again at the end of next week when it's dry

[Noggin]

Excellent... they're great little things honestly... Mine was brilliant and i loved it... I'd expect the new ones are even better.

Speak to Tricky about the bits he threw at his, Rapidbike i think is his mod of choice, but there's a QS for them etc for a bit of fun.

Embrace the orange !

What he says. Despite learning on and living with litre+ bikes for a LONG time, the 390 Duke was the most fun I'd ever had on a bike!! Hope he thinks the same

[DefTrap]

My neighbours kid (under 16) got himself a dirt bike for Christmas. (it's some brand I've never heard of, but it goes 'vroom' and I can hear him tearing about the fields on it ) I had a chat to him about him and the enthusiasm he has for it is glorious - he has a smile that could split his face in half. I was actually quite jealous, takes you right back.

I thought his crappy mx gear was deeply uncool too but then I remembered in my early days in the 90s in my Carnaby St 'brando' style jacket, seatboot socks and army surplus para boots ....

[Potter]

He eventually dragged himself out of bed and we went to choose his bike.
He's chosen the grey/black one with the orange frame. It's all bought and paid for, now it needs registering, insuring and it will be ready to collect at some point this coming week.

[Supermofo]

That looks really good

[weeksy]

Tell him to try and look a bit more excited. Being that miserable, he'd fit right in here

[DefTrap]

He's a lucky little sod! I envy you both. My folks weren't bothered about bikes and actively tried to prevent me (most do I think) and sadly my two boys are none too bothered about biking.

Cest la vie.

[Potter]

Tell him to try and look a bit more excited. Being that miserable, he'd fit right in here

He's very happy, he was smiling behind the mask, but he's definitely not a photo/Instagram/look-at-me sort of kid, that's my middle daughter, she's a paid 'Influencer', whereas the boy thinks it's all bollocks and isn't keen on having his photo taken at all.

[Dodgy69]

He's a lucky lad and that bike looks fantastic. I'm sure it will be well looked after.