AFRICA TWIN - hmmmm ?

[grizz]

About to take the plunge on this.... Saturday morning test ride.

Wgat you think biker types ?

13k miles, 2000 model, Y-Reg.

[CR500Dom]

Oct 10, 2008 8:10:48 GMT grizz said:

About to take the plunge on this.... Saturday morning test ride.

Wgat you think biker types ?

13k miles, 2000 model, Y-Reg.

Good bike, great commuters, check spoke holes and nipples if its been used through winter and not cleaned properly as the rims can crack and the Nipples snap.

Check downpipes/Collector too as they can rot out

Loads of Tuning stuff available from the states too if you want to make it go a bit better.

HTH
Dom

[TerraRoot]

Had a bike with the same engine, was a curse word to change the air filter (pre. owner rounded the screw heads) and the valves are shimed, so no noise just harder and harder to start when warm until the valves burn out. Other then that there a mega mileage engine.

[herald948]

I can't give an owners perspective cos though I liked the ATs I tried I went for a Super Tenere instead, but I can give the standard "You're on RR and you have to ask whether you should buy it?" response.

[Neil]

nice Grizz. Isn't that quite late for an AT?

I've always fancied one of these:

[grizz]

Ash, That is perfect. ^^^

Love it.

Just waiting for the owner to turn up with the bike for me to test.

[herald948]

Oct 11, 2008 7:56:15 GMT Neil said:

I am in love That's perfect.

[grizz]

OK..... Bought the Africa Twin.

Now have to find reasons to ride it.

[herald948]

Well done!

I know the feeling about finding reasons to ride it.

OK then here's a reason. My XTZ's on a SORN this month but it should have a tax disc early next month. I know you're the wrong side of London but if you fancy an ST-AT shootout on the B roads and minor roads of the North Downs or even the Cotswolds, is that reason enough?

[hairnet]

gis a go

will the dakar fantasy being coming true then ;D

[grizz]

Oct 12, 2008 6:40:39 GMT herald948 said:

Well done!

I know the feeling about finding reasons to ride it.

OK then here's a reason. My XTZ's on a SORN this month but it should have a tax disc early next month. I know you're the wrong side of London but if you fancy an ST-AT shootout on the B roads and minor roads of the North Downs or even the Cotswolds, is that reason enough?

Thanks, but no thanks.
I never wheelie, a skill I absolutely admire, and never race, coz I have survived 31 years and been an arsse a few times, without regret.....
However, always game for a ride.


HAIRNET : No Dakar fantasy, but would love to do London to Cape Town.

This one is just for buying and selling on again.

[herald948]

Oct 12, 2008 20:48:58 GMT grizz said:

Thanks, but no thanks.
I never wheelie, a skill I absolutely admire, and never race, coz I have survived 31 years and been an arsse a few times, without regret.....
However, always game for a ride.

Neither do I. Sadly my elite skills do not match those of Valentino Rossi, or more accurately for an XTZ owner, Stephane Peterhansel. For me the perfect big trailie ride-out involves minor roads, the more minor the better, corners, hills, grass down the middle and the occasional ford to splash through. I'd have taken it to Applecross rather than the car back in the summer if only the mate I did the trip with had had a bike licence.

By "shoot-out" I meant quite literally "side by side comparison". Of course, there's always the danger you might discover a 19 year old Yamaha is the better bike

[Andy Camaro]

I have never owned on but have apsired to do so. But when comparing the mpg and top speed not that I have ever seen it officer! I still cant beat my mile munching Yamaha Fazer
Get about 200 miles or just under with 15ltr of regular

But I'm more old skool if you go for the trailie in a way but i prefer the Gilera Nordwest



Or I really like the KTM Adventure



But having said that an old mate of mine off roaded a Honda CX which is the same weight as a small car!

[grizz]

I think many bikes lend themselves to specific groups, or people types....

Purpose is what people often forget.

I prefer the "Off road style" as I cannot ride a sports bike like I stole it.

Anyway, updated piccie of bike,

[hairnet]

what will the bimmer lot say lmao

[jaykay]

cant say I'm too much into the huge trialie seane.. although i did buy a xjr1300 in a moment of madness, so i cant say much!

[penski]

Oct 14, 2008 19:40:52 GMT hairnet said:

what will the bimmer lot say lmao

Nothing - they'll be too busy poring over the latest official BMW branded accessories catalogue...

*n

[herald948]

Oct 14, 2008 22:26:58 GMT penski said:

Oct 14, 2008 19:40:52 GMT hairnet said:

what will the bimmer lot say lmao

Nothing - they'll be too busy poring over the latest official BMW branded accessories catalogue...

*n

Ooh, harsh but fair

This subject came up on another list recently. It seems that there has been a bit of a shift from sportsbikes to big trailies recently driven in part by off-the-shelf supermotos (I remember the days when if you wanted a SM you had to build one! ) and in no small part by Ewan McGreggor and Charlie Boorman. For once having ridden a big trailie for nearly a decade I'm ahead of the curve.

[mcbodge]

Get over to mainland Europe if you want one, big trailies have been popular over there for years.

[grizz]

I would not be surprised if a large portion of the BMW crowd spent as much money on their bikes as the Harley bunch.

In SA big trailies are the way to go, large country, largely unpoliced roads, and off road access.