Bikes which waft

[matt]

Please let us know when you get to ride them , very interested in others opinions of these bikes.
Any other test rides planned? KTM 390 adventure,tenere 700 maybe ?

[A_morti]

Not easy getting a test ride on anything over here on Malta unfortunately.

[Screwdriver]

I was going to suggest a BMW F650 Dakar. One of the most memorable fun bikes I ever tested. It helped that it has stupidly loud Akras.

I don't remember it being so hideously ugly though and having seen it...

[Whysub]

I smashed one of 650 Dakars to bits on the BMW off road school. Bent, dented or scratched everything on it in two days. I blame Simon Pavey and NickPlumb, as thy encouraged me to push my (rather low) limits everywhere.
Good fun knowing I didn't have to pay for repairs...

[KungFooBob]

I seem to remember Amorti having had an F650 and hating it, but my memory isn't what it used to be.

[Taipan]

I seem to remember Amorti having had an F650 and hating it, but my memory isn't what it used to be.

I can't imagine anyone not hating a F650! I had one as a loaner from Brackens when they were rebuilding the engine on my LC4. I thought it was useless and hated it. It was heavy, under powered, completely gutless. Hideous thing!

[A_morti]

I seem to remember Amorti having had an F650 and hating it, but my memory isn't what it used to be.

I had a 2004 f650gs for a couple of years while living in the south of Spain. I wouldn't say I hated it, but certainly it lacked a bit of excitement and a lot of fun, to the point that I chopped it in for a Grom.

Difference is I'm older now and taking my kid most days, so excitement is lower on the list of wants. I'm after comfort now.

I wouldn't mind another f650gs now, although they are getting a bit long in the tooth for my wants and I really want a new bike.

CRF300L is the current leader of the pack... I am starting to think that since my biggest want is comfortably wafting along, a dual sport (dirtbike? Idk what to call it) probably makes more sense.

[A_morti]

CRF300's can be modded pretty cool. Got a feeling this would do well in a Weeksy-type "check out this custom bike" thread.

https://hiconsumption.com/2020-honda-cr ... gh-crafts/

There's not actually that much to it: dye the plastics black, fit 19" flat track wheels, change the exhaust, and lower it (with different forks)... but it looks wicked.

This 250 has relatively minimal mods (exhaust, wheels, can't see much else) but it also looks good to me.
https://www.thumpertalk.com/forums/topi ... -crf250lm/

[A_morti]

So, today I left a deposit on my next motorcycle.

In true VD/TRC/RTTL fashion, I listened to everyone's advice, considered it very carefully, and then bought a bike which... was actually suggested in the thread? WTF?

One of these, to be precise; the bike with the face only a mother could love.






2011. 49k km, 3,500€.

It's hit the expensive pages of the Farkles catalogue pretty hard at some point, and comes with all that: Givi topbox rack (Monokey, my existing box is a Monolock of course) and big screen; Hepco&Becker headlight grille; SW motech crash bars, pannier rack, bash plate, and footpegs; TRW alloy handlebar; side bags; Garmin with cradle; factory BMW hot grips (yes, in Malta) and brush guards.

It has recently-fitted road-biased Pirellis (I'm guessing Scorpion Trail 2), recently-changed oil, no weepage around the water pump, and good neck bearings. The chain is good, and there are new front pads included in the deal. EBC though, which I swore off long ago when I had a pair delaminate on me.

So far as I can see it has very little wrong with it. The left engine bar has been used once, and there's a few scratches on it and the 'beak' due to that. Might be why it got the fancy bar and pegs? Who knows. The two bolts holding the luggage racks at the back are missing (anyone know off hand if they're m8 or bigger than that?) and possibly due to that there's a tiny crack on each side's rear panel. The indicators mismatch with clear at the front and tinted at the rear while 1 of each is damaged. Apparently you have to reprogram the CANBUS to update with LED indicators? If that's right I won't bother, and just replace what's busted.

This image tells me the rear footpegs are going to be too low for my kid:


This may take some head-scratching but current thinking is this could work, and is cheap.


Shandies are on me

[KungFooBob]

Welcome to the 'stink of piss' club.

[Rockburner]

Nice. I like the twin spark 650 engine. Get it revving high, (really wring its neck) and it smooths out nicely, but admittedly it's lumpy and vibey for a lot of the rev range.

Iirc they make for a nice little racebike in a proper frame.

[A_morti]

Welcome to the 'stink of piss' club.

I think my old membership should still be valid?

Nice. I like the twin spark 650 engine. Get it revving high, (really wring its neck) and it smooths out nicely, but admittedly it's lumpy and vibey for a lot of the rev range.

The engine was never my favourite part of the one I had before. Possibly due to the vibes, possibly because of how quickly it would run out of revs once you were giving it some... but I had a Fireblade before that and no kid yet, and was in a quite different place in my biking career. I think it'll be grand for what I want out of a bike nowadays.

[KungFooBob]

Is there a big problem over there with stones and headlamps?

Cos that headlamp protector is proper fugly!

[A_morti]

that headlamp protector is proper fugly!

Have you seen what's underneath it though?

[Count Steer]

Given the original requirements, that's just about spot on in type, condition, price etc etc. I quite liked the Dakar version.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Welcome to the 'stink of piss' club.

Welcome back.

[A_morti]

About time this went from a "recommend me your bike" thread, to a "look at this old shitter" thread:
viewtopic.php?p=201365