The 50 BHP thing: discuss

Today, I had a brilliant time following a car along the A268[1] who was
gunning it. OK, I was on my F650, but with road conditions as they
were, I think I couldn't have done it any quicker on the Bandit.

It's one of those roads where you can't overtake at whim and at times
like these, I feel I have the right bike for the job. I know TOG has
mentioned recently that there may be an ideal 50bhp ideal bike. Well
today, I was in ideal bike heaven.

That is all.

[1] Northiam to Rye.

 

Dunno what the output is, but I had great fun the other week on a SLR650.
Single pot traily type job. My arse dyno reckoned about 40BHP, but it was a
reet laugh.

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I ride low power bikes round the roads in Mid Wales - most of the time they
do the job brilliantly. An ER5 and an XT600E both need a bit of coaxing to
go quickly, but they are both great fun. I know that most UKRMers think the
ER5 is a waste of time, but at the price they are good value. They're easy
to ride and light. I expect I shall change this pair of bikes for a BMW650
in 2006 and get the best of both worlds.

I do have a Divvy 900 but that's harder wortk on the small roads. Will a
BMW650 replace it for sub 200 mile two up rides?

John

 

Not a recommendation as such - after ~150 miles, my legs tire. I *am*
leggy however, so YMMV.

To put it another way, the BM is going to France on the TOG tour.

 

Eatmorepies emerged from their own little world to say

Where in Mid Wales are you?

No, the F650 would be horrible 2 up. I don't think I'd like to ride it
for 200 miles solo either.

I've owned a 650 single, Honda NX650. They are great bikes for short
journeys on nadgery roads and for use in towns.

I've ridden 3 of the F650 variants. The original when it came out and
more recently the 650CS Scarver and a 650GS.

The Scarver is an excellent town bike. The low gearing means you can
scamper away from traffic at a decent speed. It's tiny dimensions let
you get through gaps I would not consider on my 1150. On the open road
the Scarver was less impressive. The suspension is harsh and it runs out
of puff. Take it on a bumpy B road and you will be launched from the
saddle on every pot-hole.

The 650GS was very disappointing. The gearing seamed to be set too high.
The bike felt gutless in comparison to the livelier Scarver. I didn't
like the riding position either.

The original bike was somewhere between the two. It would be fine in
town and on B roads. Less happy slogging along at 80 on a motorway.

What you really need to do is sell all 3 bikes and get an 1150GS

 

Janet passed her bike test in 1977 or so and rode various bikes up to her
GS250. Since she passed her car test in 1988 she hasn't ridden a bike - I
have tried to get her out on the ER5 but she refuses. I've given up. I don't
understand a person with a full bike licence and hard cash to hand. Women,
what do you do?

John

 

6 miles to the west of Builth Wells.

I have considered the new GS1200. As 95% of my riding is one up and most of
it is sub 75 mph I don't know if I need a 1200. I wondered if the 650 would
be a suitable compromise.

I will road test the 650 and the GS1200 in the summer. The Cardiff BMW shop
will probably supply the bikes.

I might well end up having to own more than one bike until I am too old to
ride anything more than a CG125 (msOHPR).

John

 

Good advice.

 

Eatmorepies emerged from their own little world to say

I'm in Cardiff but my bike lives in Abergavenny. We'll have to arrange a
ride one day.

They've always got a selection of 650s available as they use them as
service loan bikes. I've not been able to get a go on the 1200 yet. On
the 2 occasions I tried it was poorly. As ever with BMW these days, the
early bikes off the production line were beset with teething problems.
The seem to have got on top of them now and I imagine that Rydales will
have a 2nd generation demo bike in place for the spring.

I use Rydales for service as they are convenient, competent and cheap
for BMW levels of cheap. When buying a bike you may get a better deal,
especially if part-exing, with the dealers in Bristol[1] & Stroud.

Heh. A Bandit seems to be the bike for old gits

[1] I got mine from here

 

<bad form post>

Actually that's all good advice. Still for the sort of riding that I
do, it works for me - I'll put up with it for distance work - though I
do cane the bastard. I'm off up the pub now and might be some time[1]....

[1] 48 Hours ar least.

See you all Tuesdayish,

 

I think you need to have a play with a KTM, not that I am saying that
there's anything wrong [1] with your F650. The BMW shop used to lend me
one when my old lump was being fettled.

[1] if one allows for the external oil to be deliberate

 

Aye. I quite fancy a motard some time. I had a go on a mate's Husky
SM610 which was a real blast. Very grippy indeed, top brakes and
impossible to ride sensibly. Out of interest, are there any motards
with sensible petrol tank capacities?

 

Aye, yoy can.

 

some of the most fun I've had on bikes has been on bikes with ~50bhp.
My SZR did pretty everything I needed from it - the only thing it was
no good at was for a pillion, and for going much faster than 115mph. It
would sit happily at 100mph on the motorway for hours on end though,
and it was an absolutely brilliant little bike for twisty back roads.
I'd like another, properly screwed together one, and if I saw one at a
decent price, I'd be sorely tempted.

I also really loved my R30 - a little bit more than 50 bhp, but still
in the same ball park. Brilliant fun, but a lot less "all round useful"
than the SZR.

 

Probably only things like the KTM Adventurer version of the LC4.

 

We're getting better year on year, and our top lads are top in Europe,
too

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
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Extreme Racing http://www.veggie-dave.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

RHs surely?

 

Him and Matt Winstanley (sp?) who was an absolute miracle last year

Once it runs again, yep

No, they don't. They just don't stick their right leg out until they've
finished braking, which kinda proves my contentious point that on a
'motard on tarmac, sticking your foot out does **** all

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
Extreme Racing http://www.veggie-dave.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

No spark. As it went tits up while sat next to a mate's van who happens
to specialise in tuning KTMs, I left it with him ... just before he went
to the Ally Pally for almost two weeks...

Supposedly, it transfers more weight to the front tyre and, as a
buy-product, also allows you to kick the bike up from slides in slow
corners

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
Extreme Racing http://www.veggie-dave.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me

 

Allegedly. I know it works on moto-X bikes, but motards aren't moto-X
bikes nor are they ridden on the same surface

Spiral fractures are becoming rather common - even with the really
talented fast boys

And I can quite categorically say that spiral fractures really, really
fucking suck

--
Veggie Dave
UKRMHRC#2 BOTAFOF#08
IQ 18 FILMS http://www.iq18films.com
Extreme Racing http://www.veggie-dave.co.uk
Toxic Shock Syndrome Gets More Girls Than Me