What do you want out of biking and where are you going, in 2019?

Associate
Joined
29 Jul 2014
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590
Location
Truro, Cornwall, UK
What I will do is add a few bits for weather protection, and maybe toy with the idea of Metzeler Karoo streets for a bit more aggressive looks but some green lane capability.

Take a look at the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR gets some very good write ups both on and off road, supposedly the same compound as the Pirelli Scorpion Trail 2 which I have had fitted to my GSA for the last 2 years and they are great both in the wet and the dry loads of grip and feedback.

Training:
I'd like to do some off road themed training to see if I fancy green laning on such a heavy bike.

Take a look at the BMW ORS School in Wales its very very good.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Dec 2006
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16,814
Location
Amsterdam, NL
To FINALLYYYYY buy another bike. I get so close to buying another then something comes up. I'm wasting time not having one being over here in California. Some nice roads up north!
 
Associate
Joined
29 Jul 2014
Posts
590
Location
Truro, Cornwall, UK
I joined a few years ago and did the training. I was really keen to also help use my training and network of the day job (marketing and PR) to help grow awareness. I gave up pretty quickly when I realised that my local branch was very controlling, small minded and cliquey. They wanted all the recognition for doing what they did and how hard it was, but had no interest in growing awareness or membership. A real shame.

Sounds exactly like our local Blood Bike group and is the reason why I didn't bother signing up in the first place.
 
Man of Honour
Joined
30 May 2007
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5,682
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St A
Planning to get back on a bike for the first time in 18 months. Previous 2 bikes were stolen from underground 'secured' parking.

I've since moved elsewhere and have my own garage now, looking at getting a Street Triple maybe. Last two bikes were sport bikes and want something a bit different, most fun I've had was test riding a Desert Sled Scrambler which was ace fun to chuck about :D

Made good on this today, picked up a KTM 950 SM. Although I probably won't start riding it till the Spring as I've bought it to be purely a toy with the odd bit of good weather commuting.
 
Man of Honour
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Екатеринбург
Made good on this today, picked up a KTM 950 SM. Although I probably won't start riding it till the Spring as I've bought it to be purely a toy with the odd bit of good weather commuting.
Great bike. I used to have a 990 SMR. The 950 has better fuelling (carbs). Just be wary that the bike is much more capable than most riders. I sold mine because it had to be driven ridiculously in order to stretch it and make the ride fun. It was too good! That and my balls would be numb after about 20 minutes.
 
Man of Honour
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St A
Great bike. I used to have a 990 SMR. The 950 has better fuelling (carbs). Just be wary that the bike is much more capable than most riders. I sold mine because it had to be driven ridiculously in order to stretch it and make the ride fun. It was too good! That and my balls would be numb after about 20 minutes.

Yeah I read up on the differences and probably would have got the 990 for the EFI as I have no clue when it comes to carbs, but they command such a premium over the 950 despite many preferring the 950 overall.

Bike is definitely far more capable than I, more so now that I've been inactive for a while. I just desperately wanted a change from sport bikes and had mega fun test riding a Desert Sled a couple years back, so decided I wanted to get something upright, naked and a bit of poke.
I fear you may be right about the 950 and it will have too much grunt, I found the Desert Sled had the just right amount for me to wring it's neck through the gears on back roads without feeling I would lose my license.
 
Man of Honour
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The power isn’t necessarily the problem, it’s that you can be going round a roundabout at 80mph, pegs scraping and throwing up sparks, and it still urges you to go faster!

Great bikes whatever way you look at it. Enjoy!
 

Deleted member 651465

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Deleted member 651465

Still planning on keeping the SV sitting on 65k miles currently.

Want to give the Ron Haslam race school day a go.

Would like to get up to Scotland, only country of the UK I've never been too and I'd love to see some of the highlands.
Scotland on an SV? Your arse would take a hammering (ooo errr) if the seat is anything like mine.

I'd like to get back in to regular commuting but suspect it depends on what happens with my job situation.
 
Man of Honour
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26 Dec 2003
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Shropshire
Scotland on an SV? Your arse would take a hammering (ooo errr) if the seat is anything like mine.

I'd like to get back in to regular commuting but suspect it depends on what happens with my job situation.
I find it alright to be honest I've done the best part of ten hours riding without too much discomfort, I carry plenty of my own padding though :D
 
Associate
Joined
3 Feb 2019
Posts
747
I need to put some actual miles on my bikes this year. I think I managed to only cover just under 1000 miles on my Z1000SX, Thruxton and Bonneville combined last year.

I also need to finish a resto on a 92 CBR600F that's been an ongoing project for the last 7 years.

Not that I'm complaining about 2018, despite the lack of riding I did manage to visit the lads at Deus Ex Machina in Sydney, Byron and Venice Beach. Made the pilgrimage to Burt Munro's place in Invercargill. Visited the awesomeness that is Revival cycles in Austin and chilled with the boys at Iron and Resin in San Francisco.
 
Associate
Joined
3 May 2006
Posts
1,448
I'm moving to Cardiff for work, so I'm planning to get out & explore Wales by bike. No change of bike - my 2016 SV650 is still everything I need from a bike. Being in Wales offers massively improved oppportunities for off road compared to Hertfordshire, so I will definitely be looking to do some off-road days.
 
Commissario
Joined
23 Nov 2004
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41,851
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Herts
I'd like to get my full license this year, but I'm also tempted to get a cheap 125 just to get some more experience and build up my confidence.

It's a world I know not much about so...any suggestions? Was just looking at Malt's thread and it's piqued my interest!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
30 May 2007
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5,682
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St A
If you're going to be getting a full license anyway I wouldn't bother with getting a 125, just do the CBT and then DAS.

The bigger bikes are safer and easier to ride imo. Yes some big bikes aren't suitable as a first bike, but there a plenty that are.
 
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