Taipan wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:46 pm
Been thinking about getting ring the bike lately. I keep seeing it as overkill as I don’t do anything with it other than commute on it and I can do that on another sh300. It’s a lovely bike and it’s a bit of a shame to see it ravaged by the salt and winter weather.
BUt the SH300 is a bit, well, shit isn't it ? I'd imagine the Honda is a much nicer rider.
Plus, it's fucking spring, not winter.. Why think about this in the first week of nice weather ?
Taipan wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:46 pm
Been thinking about getting ring the bike lately. I keep seeing it as overkill as I don’t do anything with it other than commute on it and I can do that on another sh300. It’s a lovely bike and it’s a bit of a shame to see it ravaged by the salt and winter weather.
See now I keep thinking of going the other way, from my xmax 300 to an adv. Not that I really do anything that the 300 can't manage and it's a great bit of kit, but you know.....
Thast why I got the X-ADV, because I like them. I like SH300s for being good at commuting but they are as excting as a tea bag and I thought one would eventually bore me and I'd be back to getting the "I wants" again. Getting the x-adv was right, based on that, as its the longest i've owned a bike in decades! I'm putting new pads in front and back this weekend and will give it a good clean. Perhapss then the love wil be rekindled!
Taipan wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:46 pm
Been thinking about getting ring the bike lately. I keep seeing it as overkill as I don’t do anything with it other than commute on it and I can do that on another sh300. It’s a lovely bike and it’s a bit of a shame to see it ravaged by the salt and winter weather.
BUt the SH300 is a bit, well, shit isn't it ? I'd imagine the Honda is a much nicer rider.
Plus, it's fucking spring, not winter.. Why think about this in the first week of nice weather ?
Probably because i've looked at the state of the thing after the winter!
SH300s arent really shit, in fact for a scoot they are bloody good. Same chassis as teh Sh125 but with a 300 engine in, so they are quicker than they should be and have this cheeky feel to them as you can leave most things for dead through commuting traffic. But, you never get off one and look back at it and enjoy the view iyswim?
Taipan wrote: Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:46 pm
Been thinking about getting ring the bike lately. I keep seeing it as overkill as I don’t do anything with it other than commute on it and I can do that on another sh300. It’s a lovely bike and it’s a bit of a shame to see it ravaged by the salt and winter weather.
BUt the SH300 is a bit, well, shit isn't it ? I'd imagine the Honda is a much nicer rider.
Plus, it's fucking spring, not winter.. Why think about this in the first week of nice weather ?
Probably because i've looked at the state of the thing after the winter!
SH300s arent really shit, in fact for a scoot they are bloody good. Same chassis as teh Sh125 but with a 300 engine in, so they are quicker than they should be and have this cheeky feel to them as you can leave most things for dead through commuting traffic. But, you never get off one and look back at it and enjoy the view iyswim?
It sounds worse every time you describe it. Its the Kia of the motorbike world. "Yeah but it works and gets you there" so what? Motorbikes are to be enjoyable not endured
Taipan wrote: Fri Mar 21, 2025 7:31 am
Thats just it mate, I don't really enjoy bikes anymore, they are purely functional for me now...
Oh i completely understand that, which is why i don't own any now and have got out of motorbikes completely. I don't have a commuting need anyway, so they're just not a factor now for me.
But i'd have thought the Honda was a functional as the next thing.
Count Steer wrote: Wed Mar 19, 2025 5:25 pm
I had a test ride on a Suzuki Burgman 650 and after about 5 miles me and pillion got off and fell about laughing. It was a hoot. We even gave it a blat along the M25 after. Those big scoots and the crossovers make perfect sense for a lot of uses. Thought the Burgman was a bit pricey at the time though.
I can think of lots of words to describe a Burgman 650 but 'hoot' is not one of them. I'd rather take the train. The X-adv on the other hand...
Taipan wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 3:43 pm
Hit 14k on the bike so fitted some new pads today. Amazed at how much was still left on the OEM pads,but I that's riding like an old fart
Taipan wrote: Sat Apr 05, 2025 3:43 pm
Hit 14k on the bike so fitted some new pads today. Amazed at how much was still left on the OEM pads,but I that's riding like an old fart
Ftfy
I contrast, the guy at Carl Rosner said of the pads that come off the Tiger at the last service, 'You've had your bloody money's worth out of them, ain't ya?'
Give it its first clean of the year after a long winter! In true Honda style it’s survived the winters worse well! I tried the brush in a drill for cleaning the spokes and it worked better than my pushing a wash mit though but isn’t fool proof. Also the rims seem to have a filthy covering on which I’m guessing is old acf50?
Anyway, ta da!
Last edited by Taipan on Wed May 14, 2025 5:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Whilst I was cleaning it it, I noticed the rear shock preload was only about half way, so I adjusted it to full. I checked the front preload and that was on the softest setting and the rebound damping was on the softest setting as well?! I'd swear i'd set these up when I first got the bike!?? Going to try and ride it on monday and it'll be an interesting one as I'd always thought it was my weight and budget suspension that made it so walllowy, which it probably is but maybe less so now!
Taipan wrote: Sat May 17, 2025 10:38 am
Whilst I was cleaning it it, I noticed the rear shock preload was only about half way, so I adjusted it to full. I checked the front preload and that was on the softest setting and the rebound damping was on the softest setting as well?! I'd swear i'd set these up when I first got the bike!?? Going to try and ride it on monday and it'll be an interesting one as I'd always thought it was my weight and budget suspension that made it so walllowy, which it probably is but maybe less so now!
When I rode the bike the other day, I rode on roads I've always gone for a blast on. The last time I rode there was on my Hypermotard and I cant get it out of my head how underpowered (obvs) the XADV felt. I sort of feel I want to buy another bike...
Taipan wrote: Mon May 26, 2025 2:44 pm
I sort of feel I want to buy another bike...
I can do you a good deal on a slightly sketchy CG 125
What Bike do you fancy getting and will it replace the XADV or live alongside it ?
Well, I liked both my hypermotard and MT09 a lot! If i had to choose it'd probably be the MT09 and I still have a comfort seat and full Black Widow system for one too! I suppose it'd have to live alongside the xadv as riding a manual bike gets painful for me now. But then I think about another lot of tax and insurance and I'll have to move 3 vehicles off the drive to get to the back garden gates to get teh second bike in and out. I think i've just put myself off of it now!
Ever thought about a classic ? something old and easy to work on ?
After riding the 1982 CG yesterday (which didn't go well) and then jumping on
something more modernish (2016 bike) I felt disconnected from the road because
it did everything so well and the CG didn't.
Wouldn't want to take the CG on longer rides thats for sure but its fun to ride on short journeys
where as the newer bike isn't fun to ride but it is nicer.
I have thought about an older bike and have (fortunately) been outbid on a couple of RD400s in the past! I dont get a lot fo free time though, so i do need to ba able to commute on it too, or it'll never get used?
I'm putting new pads in front and back this weekend and will give it a good clean. Perhapss then the love wil be rekindled! 
Going to try and ride it on monday and it'll be an interesting one as I'd always thought it was my weight and budget suspension that made it so walllowy, which it probably is 
