Biker's Cafe Chatroom

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My bike has a got a APTC slipper clutch - does this mean I can try clutch-less downshifting? I've always avoided trying it out of fear of breaking the gearbox.

It supposedly allows you to downshift without matching revs.
 
A slipper clutch just means when you release the clutch you don't get the massive amounts of engine braking - to make a clutchless downshift you'd need to give the throttle a blip to increase the revs, as you shift. if the revs aren't perfectly matched it'll clunk like hell!
 
It stops the rear wheel locking up if you downshift,scrub off speed to fast

Why you'd wanna clutch less shift is beyond me
 
wazza300 said:
It stops the rear wheel locking up if you downshift,scrub off speed to fast

Why you'd wanna clutch less shift is beyond me
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It's good to know how far you can push things without breaking them ;).

When I as on some twisties in Wales over the weekend, if the corner looked tight, rather than brake, I was gearing down to bleed off some speed, the lower gear then let me power out of the corner.

I was probably abusing the hell out of the slipper clutch :D.
 
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Finished mapping the Euro trip for next week (or rather, my mate has). Six days and 1,500 miles of freedom. Six of us going, with one lucky bugger not coming back to the UK but carrying on down to Nice for a few more days. Let's hope the weather improves and the French start selling petrol again!

https://www.motogoloco.com/map?route=21327

2MlLZeV.jpg
 
Have fun, looks a decent route! I was in 2 minds whether to head down to the Alps in the week off I have at the end of June, rather than the 5 day (4 days of riding) trip to the Ardennes/Moselle valley, but I think for my first euro trip and first trip more than 3 days I'll take it easy. 1000 miles over 4/5 days should be nice :D In fact I've just finished uploading the daily routes onto my tomtom and adjusting them to make sure they're correct.

Have you bought a Swiss Vignette yet? You'll need one for the motorways down there, easier to get one before you go.
 
I don't think we've done anything about the vignettes yet. We had talked about not getting them and just avoiding the motorways, but I don't think that's possible on the route we've planned in the time we have. It'll probably be added to the last minute panic list on Friday!
 
That looks awesome. We have a group heading to Chamonix for a week at the end of July and doing ride outs from there mon-fri. I've got our route from Calais to Chamonix all plotted with no motorways and may steal yours for the way back, how much motorway are you using?
 
The_Abyss said:
I don't think we've done anything about the vignettes yet. We had talked about not getting them and just avoiding the motorways, but I don't think that's possible on the route we've planned in the time we have. It'll probably be added to the last minute panic list on Friday!
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This may help in deciding - the motorway from Lucerne to Altdorf on your route needs a vignette.

http://www.autobahnen.ch/images/vignette_required_en.jpg

vignette_required_en.jpg

Basically, 98% of them you'll need a vignette for.
 
The_Abyss said:
I don't think we've done anything about the vignettes yet. We had talked about not getting them and just avoiding the motorways, but I don't think that's possible on the route we've planned in the time we have. It'll probably be added to the last minute panic list on Friday!
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They are readily available at all petrol stations and border controls. You'll have no problems getting one last minute.
 
gcaster said:
That looks awesome. We have a group heading to Chamonix for a week at the end of July and doing ride outs from there mon-fri. I've got our route from Calais to Chamonix all plotted with no motorways and may steal yours for the way back, how much motorway are you using?
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We're using a lot of motorway on the way down, stopping in Chaumont before continuing to Chamonix on day 2. We've one rookie rider with us and another who's hardly ridden for the past 7 years and is 60 years old, so we're trying to cover maximum mileage without it being a long day on the boring stretches.

Normally I prefer keeping off the motorways but doing this gets us to good roads and into the beginning of the French Alps inside 1 1/2 days.
 
I'd say getting to the Alps on day 2 is about right from Calais - you can do it in a day, but it's endless motorway. I worked out a good route that would be doable in a day (given the right bike) and it's 525 miles and 9 hours riding to get to Interlaken, or about 400 miles before entering Switzerland. I'd happily do that on a GS/Multistrada/any other big comfy tourer, but not a chance in hell on the CB400, and even on a Tuono that would be tough going.

I've also got a 'CB400 friendly' route to the Alps, going via some awesome Belgium roads, then via the B500 in the black forest = just over 600 miles before getting to Swizerland and 720 miles in total to Interlaken, 3 days of riding but very little motorway, just 2 hours/160 miles to get past Brussels to start. 320/227/220 mile days so about the right mileage per day.
 
TallPaul_S said:
I thought they had to be visible? Only issue with that is if I were to get stopped, I'd have to unload all my luggage to get my seat off... :eek:
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They have to be accessible on command, but it doesn't have to be on the exterior of the bike as the ***** French nick them :p

They can't be on a removable part of the bike such as the seat itself though.
 
Yeah, 500 mile days are no problem on a bike like the XR. Pretty boring but sometimes needs must. Next year to Norway we have to cover 2,200 miles in the first four days.

We've a good, capable selection of bikes for this trip:

- BMW S1000XR
- Ducati Multistrada
- Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200
- Yamaha Fazer 600 (the rookie's - he's young - he can take it!)
- BMW K1300S
- Triumph Sprint GT 1050

All pretty well-suited for the tour, even the Fazer.
 
Kreeeee said:
They have to be accessible on command, but it doesn't have to be on the exterior of the bike as the ***** French nick them :p

They can't be on a removable part of the bike such as the seat itself though.
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That's good to know, altough I'm sure they'd get a bit impatient with me taking 5 minutes to unstrap all my luggage :D

I'll stick one on the fork leg if the CB makes it there, it'll be a badge of honour :D
The_Abyss said:
Yeah, 500 mile days are no problem on a bike like the XR. Pretty boring but sometimes needs must. Next year to Norway we have to cover 2,200 miles in the first four days.

We've a good, capable selection of bikes for this trip:

- BMW S1000XR
- Ducati Multistrada
- Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200
- Yamaha Fazer 600 (the rookie's - he's young - he can take it!)
- BMW K1300S
- Triumph Sprint GT 1050

All pretty well-suited for the tour, even the Fazer.
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Yeah all them bikes (fazer included) could easily razz down to the Alps in a day - the squishy bit on top will be the limiting factor though :D 10 hours in the saddle is a loooooong day.

Don't forget to go by the 'smallest tank' rule when filling up, whereby everyone fills up when the bike with the smallest tank does, regardless of how much fuel they have. The last thing you want is to stop at 130 miles for one bike, 2 others fill up and the others say they're OK. 20 miles later bike number 3 needs fuel so you have to stop again, while he's filling up one rider stops for a fag/coffee/croissant break, turning that fuel stop into a 20 minute break. 40 miles later bike number 4 needs fuel, cue another fag/toilet break, no-one else filling up as they all stopped for fuel 60 miles ago. 60 miles later... another bike needs fuel.... you get the idea! :D

You can easily end up spending hours of the day for needless fuel stops, which makes the day even longer. Much easier just to have everyone fill up at the same time as the bike with the smallest tank, apart from if someone has a GSA with double the tank range, then they fill up every other stop :)
 
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