Man of Honour
Geared 125s are fine but if you're on a twist and go then it's obviously too much work to figure out the gears so I don't want to distract them
Biker's Cafe Chatroom
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Soldato
None of the above salutes/head nods/boot dropping applies to me, I bought a GSA. Problem solved
Haha - most correct answer in the thread!
Nod, wave, extend a leg, ignore - do whatever you want. We generally operate the rule that the first person to mistakenly acknowledge a scooter buys the first round of beers that night. But if you're travelling 3,000 miles over quite a few days, you quite quickly begin to realise that you don't need to acknowledge 'freedom' or whatever it is to the other 50,000 bikers you're going to pass during your trip.
None of the above salutes/head nods/boot dropping applies to me, I bought a GSA. Problem solved
Do you have the matching onsie that they all seem to wear? If so you'd get on well with Arfoll
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
I never know if my head movement is exaggerated enough or if it just looks like I've hit a pothole. Don't bother nodding a scooters tbh
Do you have the matching onsie that they all seem to wear? If so you'd get on well with Arfoll
One of those BMW suits?? Nah, £25 Aldi waterproofs and yellow marigolds to go with the 'Polite' hi-viz vest
Soldato
After my previous test ride of a KTM 1290 Adventure S seemed so different to all the magazine and web reviews, I'm going back for another go this weekend, testing the 1290 Adventure R. I'm also testing the 1090 Adventure R - does anyone have any experience of these?
We're getting ready to change our bikes after this year (he has a Triumph Explorer 1200) and are looking for something that will allow us to do more varied trips with some trail riding too. No ambition to learn and do serious off road.
We're getting ready to change our bikes after this year (he has a Triumph Explorer 1200) and are looking for something that will allow us to do more varied trips with some trail riding too. No ambition to learn and do serious off road.
Nice one. Cheers. Struggled to change my front pads last weekend as I couldn't get the part-corroded pin out of either caliper. This stuff should help.
Soldato
I had a good test ride of the KTMs at the weekend with a couple of mates. Unfortunately neither the 1090 not the 1290 was available to demo in the R version, only in the showroom, so we had the 1290 Adventure S (which I’ve ridden before and disliked) and the standard 1090.
I rode the 1290 first, and still disliked it. The throttle feels way too on or off for me, and the huge amount of torque and instant power just magnifies the problem. I feel the bike feels too light and vague when you try and change direction with urgency at speed, but that’s just the feel of a different bike that I’m used to. It is a joy to stand up on though, really comfortable, so I think the R would be even better having sat on the showroom version. Exhaust sounds decent, engine sounds pants. The dealer (and some of the internet) maintains the quick shifter is the smoothest on the market. I think that’s nonsense – my XR is far smoother, and doesn’t jerk your head or, sometimes, shift your body on the seat like the 1290 did. It was smooth sometimes, just not consistently.
I then swapped on to the 1090. In contrast, I really liked this bike. The 1290 is a light bike for the power, and this is of course even lighter. It felt a lot more stable on the right, with the chassis more suited to the power, and it was a lot of fun. Easily able to keep up with the 1290 around UK speed limits, it was just more fun for me to be on. I do really need to ride the R versions, to test the handling with a larger front wheel and the feel of having more suspension travel. The throttle response and power delivery is so much smoother than the 1290.
The 1090 is not without problems though. For a 2017 model it is stuck in the previous decade in terms of technology. It must be one of the last models that hasn’t been manufactured with the new TFT dash, and personally I think KTM’s old digital /analogue combination is pretty poor. There’s also no option of a quick shifter on the 1090 and the ABS is basic. They should really just be hygiene factors on new bikes now, options rather than non-options. Sort those niggles out in a refreshed model in a couple of years, and providing the R rides comparably I’d think seriously about changing. The 1090 has changed my perception of KTM, which was not previously one of a two wheeled tractor manufacturer.
Proving that there’s a bike for everyone, my mate absolutely loved the 1290 and has decided to ditch his Triumph Explorer 1200 for one once this summer is over.
I rode the 1290 first, and still disliked it. The throttle feels way too on or off for me, and the huge amount of torque and instant power just magnifies the problem. I feel the bike feels too light and vague when you try and change direction with urgency at speed, but that’s just the feel of a different bike that I’m used to. It is a joy to stand up on though, really comfortable, so I think the R would be even better having sat on the showroom version. Exhaust sounds decent, engine sounds pants. The dealer (and some of the internet) maintains the quick shifter is the smoothest on the market. I think that’s nonsense – my XR is far smoother, and doesn’t jerk your head or, sometimes, shift your body on the seat like the 1290 did. It was smooth sometimes, just not consistently.
I then swapped on to the 1090. In contrast, I really liked this bike. The 1290 is a light bike for the power, and this is of course even lighter. It felt a lot more stable on the right, with the chassis more suited to the power, and it was a lot of fun. Easily able to keep up with the 1290 around UK speed limits, it was just more fun for me to be on. I do really need to ride the R versions, to test the handling with a larger front wheel and the feel of having more suspension travel. The throttle response and power delivery is so much smoother than the 1290.
The 1090 is not without problems though. For a 2017 model it is stuck in the previous decade in terms of technology. It must be one of the last models that hasn’t been manufactured with the new TFT dash, and personally I think KTM’s old digital /analogue combination is pretty poor. There’s also no option of a quick shifter on the 1090 and the ABS is basic. They should really just be hygiene factors on new bikes now, options rather than non-options. Sort those niggles out in a refreshed model in a couple of years, and providing the R rides comparably I’d think seriously about changing. The 1090 has changed my perception of KTM, which was not previously one of a two wheeled tractor manufacturer.
Proving that there’s a bike for everyone, my mate absolutely loved the 1290 and has decided to ditch his Triumph Explorer 1200 for one once this summer is over.
Nice find
I'm nearly as bad. It's 1 change per year on average for me.
9 bikes in 2 years and 4 months, 6 exhaust changes and 5 new sets of rubber.
9 bikes in 2 years and 4 months, 6 exhaust changes and 5 new sets of rubber.
I have you beat on tyre changes in just 4 years, but I do ride 10,000km per year with maybe 6,000 of those cranked over on the side.
You have the best roads for it though so I’d expect you to go through more than the average rider.
Associate
Bit of a random question. My tyre is 1.4mm at it's lowest and my new set hasnt arrived, with the legal limit being 1mm roughly how many miles could it take wear the .4 is it even worth going out until the new ones arrive.
2600 miles from new, Bridgestone S20 (OEM)
2600 miles from new, Bridgestone S20 (OEM)
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Today it was 32/33C so I went up the local mountain to cool down where it was only 20C:
Soldato
Talk to me about chain wax. Best brand? I was looking at Wurth.
Going to move over to wax on my new chain.
Going to move over to wax on my new chain.
Wurth dry lube is the least worst chain wax I've used. Why are you moving to wax? I hate it as you have to strip the chain clean and reapply the wax regularly to prevent it becoming an abrasive paste.
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