NBT: Ive just bought my forever bike part 3!

[Taipan]

It was the whole costs were sky riocketing and residuals were plummeting thing that made my decision. I'd only covered 4k miles in 2.5 years and the maths kept (figuratively speaking) slapping me round the mooey!

[Taipan]

Got a few hundred mile on it now, so a bit of an update. The fuelling issue has sort of resolved itself. It's no longer holding onto a fast idle and its lost that spluttering. I guess a few tankfulls of BP Ultimate and some actual use has cleared that, but the fuelling is typical Fi and a bit jerky at part throttle cruising. Not as bad as some bike i've had for sure, but its there.

Brakes are horrible. They work, but lack bite. I'm guessing they're a HH compound as Honda seem to have moved to that on all bikes. I don't get enough heat into HH pads on my commute for them to get bite, so will probably swap them out for a semi sintered or organic ones at some point.

I put the Honda higher seat on and it's more comfortable for me but I am at full leg stretch on some road cambers and I may drop it down to its lower height (the seats have 2 height settings) and see of that makes me more stable? Despite being a few hundred miles in, my arse hasn't adjusted to the seat and by the last day of my 3 day week I have arse ache. I'll stick with this and see if the seat "breaks in"? I if it doesn't, I guess i can refit the OEM seat and get a gel pad fitted to the higher seat or suchlike? In reality i'll probably just suffer it?

The thing I expected to irk me hasn't and that's the 21" front wheel. I never like them, or even 19" front wheels, but I suppose I'm even slower than I used to be and the slower steering bothers me less?

The standard Drive mode on the DCT is much worse than on the 750 Hondas. CHanges up way too early in traffic and labours the engine. Truly awful. No biggy though as Sport1 mode is perfect. I don't think my 1000cc version had the IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit)? On the 1100 if you brake hard the IMU detects it and changes down quicker and helps with hanging onto the gears as well. SUffice to say I'm a total DCT convert.

On most bikes I suffer with numb fingers when commuting. Something about being in the lower revs always does this to me, although the X-ADV never did. Anyway, its fortunately easily countered on the AT by using the superb cruise control. Being an Auto/DCT the cruise control is superb as a combination.

For winter I'll fit a touring screen, handguard extensions and Honda heated grips. It'll have to be the Honda ones as they integrate with the switch gear for adjustment and I like that sort of thing. Speaking of Tech, it has way too many rider modes for me and i just leave it in touring. Its more than responsive enough for me and I like the info displayed on that screen.

So, all in all, I'm very pleased with the bike and enjoy riding it despite a few shortcomings. I reckon its a keeper!

[weeksy]

For winter... blah blah

LOL that's months away, it'll be sold WAY before then.

[Taipan]

For winter... blah blah

LOL that's months away, it'll be sold WAY before then.

Well, never say never...

[Dodgy69]

What's it like on a very tight up hill hairpin where us common folk might just slip the clutch a bit. ?

[weeksy]

What's it like on a very tight up hill hairpin where us common folk might just slip the clutch a bit. ?

LOL he lives in Essex.. Not the Alps

[Dodgy69]

He'll have to go find one and report back. We've got one, well, its probably in Wales actually. thinking about it.

[Taipan]

What's it like on a very tight up hill hairpin where us common folk might just slip the clutch a bit. ?

It will always select the optimum gear according to current rider mode and ECU inputs etc. So it might be harsh and drop you into a lower gear than you like, but you do have a auto/manual switch, where you can select manual and the it'll stay in whatever gear you're in, unless you change it with the -/+ switches, (think flappy paddles on a car).

[Dodgy69]

I've sometimes had to slip clutch when in bottom gear. Tbh and in my opinion only, we see these lovely mountains road's with hairpin after hairpin around the world, but imo there a pain in the arse.

I'll take a sweeper over an hairpin any day

[Sunny]

I've sometimes had to slip clutch when in bottom gear. Tbh and in my opinion only, we see these lovely mountains road's with hairpin after hairpin around the world, but imo there a pain in the arse.

I'll take a sweeper over an hairpin any day

Agreed. Hairpins are knackering, at least they are when there's hundreds of them on a pass. I'm with you on the sweepers

[Taipan]

Just found out the bike has a Lithium battery in. Hope I don't have to replace that anytime soon!

[Supermofo]

Just found out the bike has a Lithium battery in. Hope I don't have to replace that anytime soon!

Is that inflated OE price or are can they be that expensive?

[Taipan]

Just found out the bike has a Lithium battery in. Hope I don't have to replace that anytime soon!

Is that inflated OEM price or are can they be that expensive?

Inflated oem price. Under £150 here!

https://ruggedroads.co.uk/epages/00cbb6 ... qDnVaGtg_A

[Taipan]

Just scored a s/hand, good condition, taller screen for winter for £21 delivered!

[Supermofo]

Just found out the bike has a Lithium battery in. Hope I don't have to replace that anytime soon!

Is that inflated OEM price or are can they be that expensive?

Inflated oem price. Under £150 here!

https://ruggedroads.co.uk/epages/00cbb6 ... qDnVaGtg_A

That's some mark up!

[Taipan]

Is that inflated OEM price or are can they be that expensive?

Inflated oem price. Under £150 here!

https://ruggedroads.co.uk/epages/00cbb6 ... qDnVaGtg_A

That's some mark up!

Imagine dropping your bike off at Honda and saying it keep not starting on cold mornings. The bill for labour and diagnostics and the new battery would probably be c£800!

[v8-powered]

Just scored a s/hand, good condition, taller screen for winter for £21 delivered!

Lol, likely it will make end of summer!

[Taipan]

Just scored a s/hand, good condition, taller screen for winter for £21 delivered!

Lol, likely it will make end of summer!

Cant see this going anywhere for months, let alone weeks. Its a keeper and I don't say that lightly! Truth be told Im actually loving it. Cant wait to get on it to come to work and I start getting twitchy to get back on it about half hour before im supposed to leave work!

[Taipan]

Roll on home time!

[Taipan]

Well, that didn’t go to plan! Wheelie test was thwarted by a nail in the rear tyre!