Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
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- Kent
Yeah I probably would be warm enough in that, but I might get some strange looks while stripping off at my desk 
What did you do to your bike today?
- Thread starter edd1e
- Start date
I work in IT too, will ride the next bike in winter and get some bigger thick textiles along with one of those long textile jackets. I also need a pair of waterproof gloves, I bought some inner thin thermal gloves for my summer gloves for night rides etc.
I just really don't want to put the duke through the winter salty roads, I'll probably get a 10 year old Honda use that as a commuter and when I finish my studies and do DAS get a weekend toy e.g. GSXR 750 K8-K10.
I did some maths and riding a bike really is a lot cheaper than owning a car. A scooter would probably be better for the travel, but I just can't stand them...
Edit
Where I come from, the temperature drops as low as –41,0 °C and it gets as hot as 40,2 °C. So I'm not bothered about cold, its just the hassle of carrying all that gear with me around college... At work its ez as I can just shove all the gear under my desk, this is the last year of doing Level 4 then I'm planing on doing apprenticeship with the company I'm currently employed with. Most of the time in places such as colleges and uni's they teach 70-80% of time the theory and only from time to time let you play with the servers, switches, hubs and other hardware. I learned more at my part-time work doing 1st and 2nd line work, then I did within the 2-3 years I studied in college...
I just really don't want to put the duke through the winter salty roads, I'll probably get a 10 year old Honda use that as a commuter and when I finish my studies and do DAS get a weekend toy e.g. GSXR 750 K8-K10.
I did some maths and riding a bike really is a lot cheaper than owning a car. A scooter would probably be better for the travel, but I just can't stand them...
Edit
Where I come from, the temperature drops as low as –41,0 °C and it gets as hot as 40,2 °C. So I'm not bothered about cold, its just the hassle of carrying all that gear with me around college... At work its ez as I can just shove all the gear under my desk, this is the last year of doing Level 4 then I'm planing on doing apprenticeship with the company I'm currently employed with. Most of the time in places such as colleges and uni's they teach 70-80% of time the theory and only from time to time let you play with the servers, switches, hubs and other hardware. I learned more at my part-time work doing 1st and 2nd line work, then I did within the 2-3 years I studied in college...
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Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Mar 2006
- Posts
- 6,712
Heated gear is the answer - heated jacket and gloves and it's like being in a warm car in winter. 
Replaced my Michelin PR4s after almost 11k miles with a set of Michelin Pilot Power 3 tyres. They were great and I mostly use the bike for commuting, but felt like trying some sportier tyres (got a rear puncture in the Pirelli Rosso Corsas on the way home from buying the bike last year) - 24 miles on the PP3s so farr and already feel really good in corners. Wonder how long they'll last!
Replaced my Michelin PR4s after almost 11k miles with a set of Michelin Pilot Power 3 tyres. They were great and I mostly use the bike for commuting, but felt like trying some sportier tyres (got a rear puncture in the Pirelli Rosso Corsas on the way home from buying the bike last year) - 24 miles on the PP3s so farr and already feel really good in corners. Wonder how long they'll last!
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 6,479
- Location
- Kent
I work in IT too, will ride the next bike in winter and get some bigger thick textiles along with one of those long textile jackets. I also need a pair of waterproof gloves, I bought some inner thin thermal gloves for my summer gloves for night rides etc.
I just really don't want to put the duke through the winter salty roads, I'll probably get a 10 year old Honda use that as a commuter and when I finish my studies and do DAS get a weekend toy e.g. GSXR 750 K8-K10.
I did some maths and riding a bike really is a lot cheaper than owning a car. A scooter would probably be better for the travel, but I just can't stand them...
Edit
Where I come from, the temperature drops as low as –41,0 °C and it gets as hot as 40,2 °C. So I'm not bothered about cold, its just the hassle of carrying all that gear with me around college... At work its ez as I can just shove all the gear under my desk, this is the last year of doing Level 4 then I'm planing on doing apprenticeship with the company I'm currently employed with. Most of the time in places such as colleges and uni's they teach 70-80% of time the theory and only from time to time let you play with the servers, switches, hubs and other hardware. I learned more at my part-time work doing 1st and 2nd line work, then I did within the 2-3 years I studied in college...
TBH if I had a summer bike it would be getting put away when the first lot of gritters come out, which isn't that far away
Down here in Kent it's the warmest place in the UK, so apart from maybe a day or 2 you can ride all year round. If I did a longe commute I probably would look at getting some heated gear, but for a 40 minute commute it's not worth it.
TBH if I had a summer bike it would be getting put away when the first lot of gritters come out, which isn't that far away
Your CB400 is a commuter bike, right? I saw your spec me 4k commuter thread, the GS1200 is a good shout. Big and light for this type of bike.
I don't think the area I live in gets below -10, that's probably the lowest it goes. Its also not the warmest part of the UK, my commute is short only around 5-6 miles 1 way. The max I can go is 40mph legally, so should be ok for the time being before salt gets spread across the streets.
Another thing that annoys me in the UK are the miserable clouds, rain and high humidity which doesn't help my asthma and allergy.
Edit
CBF500 ABS like that would be a good commuter, right?
Shove my helmet and textiles in that back box thing along with gloves.
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Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
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- Kent
Yeah my CB400 is a commuter bike, it was cheap (£1700 I think) and wasn't mint so I don't mind it getting covered in salt. With the miles I do it'd be impossible to keep anything used year round nice and in mint condition so a 2nd commuter bike is a must.
The plan now is to keep the CB400 as my year round bike and buy a second weekend/summer only bike to keep nice, probably next year sometime.
A CB/CBF500 is a classing starter/commuter bike, there's a reason London motorbike couriers use them, look at some of the mileages on the bikes for sale, they'll do huge miles and not bat an eyelid. You can also look at CB600F (Hornet), or CBF600 (upright semi faired bike). All can be picked up for under £2000.
The plan now is to keep the CB400 as my year round bike and buy a second weekend/summer only bike to keep nice, probably next year sometime.
A CB/CBF500 is a classing starter/commuter bike, there's a reason London motorbike couriers use them, look at some of the mileages on the bikes for sale, they'll do huge miles and not bat an eyelid. You can also look at CB600F (Hornet), or CBF600 (upright semi faired bike). All can be picked up for under £2000.
I saw some bikes with nearly 100k miles on the clock, that's insane tbh. The fact I can pick up one of these for under £2k is good news, I'm limited to 94bhp though.
So is Honda the most reliable Japanese manufacture out there? It seems like it to me, our car was an Accord which was a workhorse sold it with 147k miles on the clock and I saw the guy not that long ago and he said it still runs without any issues.
BTW Any ideas on the summer/weekend bike?
Edit:
But I do want a bike with ABS, some might say its not a mandatory thing to have. But as a commuter bike when you're coming back tired some kind of assistance is nice, especially when you need to do emergency breaking.
So is Honda the most reliable Japanese manufacture out there? It seems like it to me, our car was an Accord which was a workhorse sold it with 147k miles on the clock and I saw the guy not that long ago and he said it still runs without any issues.
BTW Any ideas on the summer/weekend bike?
Edit:
But I do want a bike with ABS, some might say its not a mandatory thing to have. But as a commuter bike when you're coming back tired some kind of assistance is nice, especially when you need to do emergency breaking.
Soldato
- Joined
- 24 Mar 2011
- Posts
- 6,479
- Location
- Kent
Any of the Jap makes are dead reliable, but some (suzuki.. cough) don't do so well in the salt and rain. With bikes like the CB500, they've been making them for years and just refined the design over the years, the CBF500 twin is largely unchanged since it's launch in 1993, apart from euro emissions stuff, like FI. The engine is basically the same, so that's 20 years (1993-2013) of refinement which means any issues have long been ironed out, that's why they're so damn reliable.
My CB400 is similar, apart from the VTEC system, it's the same as the ones launched in 1992, and they're still making them.
Summer/weekend bike - for me it would be all down to what you want rather than need a summer only bike for me has to have lots of shiny stuff - carbon, ohlins, forged wheels, brembos, and preferably a stonking great big V-twin that could wake the dead and spin the world backwards with the torque
My CB400 is similar, apart from the VTEC system, it's the same as the ones launched in 1992, and they're still making them.
Summer/weekend bike - for me it would be all down to what you want rather than need
a summer only bike for me has to have lots of shiny stuff - carbon, ohlins, forged wheels, brembos, and preferably a stonking great big V-twin that could wake the dead and spin the world backwards with the torque 
Bike picked up a rattle at about 4K revs. traced it down to the clip in the picks. Anyone know where I can get one of these from?
I'm assuming I could just open it up and slip it round the exhaust and tighted back
up...rather than take the exhaust off and slide it on? It's sat on a join so I'm guessing I need it
I'm assuming I could just open it up and slip it round the exhaust and tighted back
up...rather than take the exhaust off and slide it on? It's sat on a join so I'm guessing I need it
Just a tighten up if its rattling?
Any flat exhaust clamp will do, youll have to separate the exhaust to fit a new one,show them the clip and they should have one,bike or car Spares shop
Is it an sv? Those clamps always rattle,kreees did the same
Any flat exhaust clamp will do, youll have to separate the exhaust to fit a new one,show them the clip and they should have one,bike or car Spares shop
Is it an sv? Those clamps always rattle,kreees did the same
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Sorry, I didnt say it's actually snapped behind the bolt. Only reason it's still there is a tack weld.
It is indeed an SV. This is a new rattle in that it started yesterday. To be honest it doesnt have any other exhaust rattles...not that I can hear over the exhaust anyway
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When I swapped my original exhaust my slip on came with a new clip. Good thing too as the original had corroded snapped just like yours has when I took it off. Give the guys at BlueFlame a call and I imagine they'll send you a new clip for a few quid.
Nioce, remember reading your reviews of both the S1000XR and Multistrada 15/16 model.
Changed the number plate a couple of weeks ago, did the indicators today.
OLD:
Nasty bulb MASSIVE indicators above the exhaust, MASSIVE number plate.
NEW:
Official R&G LED indicators installed, slightly smaller number plate without 'performance Triumph' stuff at bottom.
So much nicer, plus means the Kriega US-70 tail pack setup I'm doing for a Scotland trip next year will work as the indicators are no longer in the way.
I'd still like to take my pillion foot pegs off, but if I do drop it or come off, then they're going to help save my exhausts and semi act as crash bungs.
OLD:
Nasty bulb MASSIVE indicators above the exhaust, MASSIVE number plate.
NEW:
Official R&G LED indicators installed, slightly smaller number plate without 'performance Triumph' stuff at bottom.
So much nicer, plus means the Kriega US-70 tail pack setup I'm doing for a Scotland trip next year will work as the indicators are no longer in the way.
I'd still like to take my pillion foot pegs off, but if I do drop it or come off, then they're going to help save my exhausts and semi act as crash bungs.
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