Combo question....

Greetings.

For some strange reason I have an urge to squander an indecent amount of
money on a combo - new, rather than some hideously-priced classic jobbie
with difficult/impossible maintenance issues. (Plus I need/want electric
start and modern indicators and lighting!)

The only 'current offerings' seem to be the Russians (Dalesman?) or even
more obscure Chinese 'BMW knock-offs':

http://www.f2motorcycles.ltd.uk/uralcombo.html

http://www.harleysoflittleport.com/

Does anyone here have any experience of either of these (or know of anyone
who does) and would they generally recommend them or warn me off?
(Reliability, parts availability and performance issues being to the fore,
naturally enough!)

TIA

 

Keith G says...

If you're looking for a Combo you may as well start here:

http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/vans_search.asp?nU=0
&make=Vauxhall&model=combo&min_pr=75&max_pr=&postcode=MK45%201JT&miles=
40&max_records=200&photo=1

 

Bwahahahahah!

No, seriously...

<snort> ...sorry.

Have you ever ridden an outfit? If not, you probably ought to before you
commit yourself. Whereabouts are you? It may be possible to scare the
sh^H^H^H^H ...err, give you some hands-on experience, if you're in the
Bristol/Gloster area.

Old Eastern Bloc kit isn't inherently unreliable, but it does require more
involvement on the maintenance front.

You don't actually have to buy brand new, Mick Cross at MPC has some recent
s/h kit:

http://www.uralmotorbikes.info/stock.htm

As far as what to get is concerned, the choices are: Russian or Chinese kit
of BMW ancestry, Indian-built Royal Enfields with Watsonian chairs,
sportsbikes with Merlin chairs, and everything else (ie Jawas, Glodwimgs
with vast plastic abortions in dodgy colourways, old airhead boxers with
aluminium double-adult Geminis etc). What do you see yourself using it for?

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative.”

 

No, that's OK - I'da done the same meself!! ;-)

Yep.


If not, you probably ought to before you

No, I'm in Chavridgeshire, but does that mean you have summat with
'comboidal tendancies' yourself....??

All part of the, er, fun....

(No...???

Shaft drive is blessing (on a slug) I find....

Excellent! Thanks for that - I'm getting a better idea of what's aboot now!!

Misbehaviour (various)...

This cheeky chappie has got the right idea:

http://www.uralmotorbikes.info/images/unit_1.jpg

http://www.uralmotorbikes.info/images/unit_2.jpg




(Is it me, or does he look like an obscure member of the Royal Family -
Prince Michael of Kunt or summat....??

 

They all do that, sir. Generally when you really don't want them to.

 

There have been moments...

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk...st&q=wages+fear&rnum=2&hl=en#3657fa8552ec2848

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk...st&q=wages+fear&rnum=1&hl=en#c49eac8f199e70ae

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk...st&q=dnepr+daze&rnum=1&hl=en#b95284a361256c7a

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative.”

 

It certainly would seem so - the 'Armco' mention brought a wry smile!! ;-)

 

The flange seems to be enjoying it well enough - perhaps there's a 'fitment'
on the seat to stop her sliding about...?

 

A bit of outfit action for your enjoyment. Not pleased with the quality
once uploaded though so may try again with different settings.


--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

^^^^^^^^^^

Tosser.

 

It's not there..

 

"She's not there". My Youtube Mojo (get the link?) is not yet up to
it.

My first attempt at uploading a video. It says it is available when I
visit my account and it worked for a while when I pasted the URL.

No doubt it will appear again some time.

 

Bad form.... like now, I think.
BTW more hill climb videos to follow (all directed and filmed by
SWMBO) including Champ's mate Pat Sefton on his RG500 special.

 

Heh. "Brain-slider on standby".

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

I used to go out with a sidecar passenger... [1]

As a closely related aside, the father-out-law threw me the keys of his
car this afternoon and suggested I took T for a trip round the block. So
we went off for a top-down blast [2] in the Merc SLGay [3], and almost
crunched it on the second roundabout, as there, plain as day was a
proper racing sidecar going the other way round said roundabout

Driving a car with unfamiliar controls is reasonably easy unless your
head is turned round like an owl screaming "**** me, a racing outfit!"

[1] No, she was a she.
[2] Sort of
[3] Something for the weekend, sir?

 

Outstanding. There was a road-registered racing outfit on ebay a while
back.

--
platypus

"Merely corroborative detail, intended to
give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise
bald and unconvincing narrative."

 

So you nearly hit it because it was on the wrong side of the road,
coming towards you?

 

Strange - you appear to have signed your reply but entirely forgotten to put
in some text....??

 

'Baroque' isn't quite the word I had in mind.....

(No good at all on the right-hander....)

 

No.