Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes...and travels...mostly on bikes!
Spring is here, winter has passed - yey! Now we get to stay at home and tinker with our bikes without
frozen fingers. Great...
What's New?
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Vibrating mirrors is a thing, especially on a single. It turns out Mark is a real engineer with real skills who can create a solution. Oscilloscope, anyone?
Off Road Bumble-Foolery
Ever the keen wild adventurer Ren has been traversing the wilds of Lancashire in search of off road challenges. He found one.
KLX250 Long Distance Comfort Modifications
Bob has a couple of big rides planned but the KLX250 needs some tweaking to improve all-day comfort. He's been very creative with a trolley, some metal, some wood and some padding.
It's Home Time
A brief note from Bogger on the last day, the homeward bound leg. Tired little teddies, awwww bless.
DIY Trip Meter
As part of his solutions looking for problems series Mark was wondering just how far he's been since his last fuel stop. Que the 3D printer and an electronics component with the wires cut off.
Recommended Ride - Widdop Reservoir
Ren's out exploring and stumbles upon a lovely little ride where he wasn't expecting to find one. Fortuitous and perfectly pleasing.
Dynamic D-Day
During the D-Day commemorations Arromanche is bustling and bursting. Bogger and crew do their best to navigate the beach, the town and the machinery on their last full day.
The Ideal Chain Lubricant
Mark reminisces about the "good old days" when "'ee wur lad" and chains were cooked on the stove. Science has dragged Mark into the 21st century and furnished him with the ultimate chain lube. He does get to the point, eventually.
Foreign Breakdown Woes
This is a farcical tale of woe, disaster, tragedy and misfortune. This makes it entertaining, funny and a lesson to us all
Engine Warm Up Best Practice
What's the best way to start a cold engine while trying to limit the stress and wear? Nobody really knows but Ren has an opinion for you to discuss.
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Latest Posts
Off Road Bumble-Foolery
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
They meet just up the road from Pocketpete's place, about 25 miles for me. I reckon I'll drop 'em a line. Cheers Bill.
03/07/2020 12:25:30 UTC
Off Road Bumble-Foolery
Bill said :-
Don't worry Ren the mud and water is by choice, plenty of dry gravel tracks suitable for bigger adventure bikes. Contact your local trf in the linked article they mention newbie rides
https://www.trf.org.uk/manchester-best-city-world/...
03/07/2020 11:12:30 UTC
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Fear not Bogger I've gotten sumfink in the pipeline wot won't melt ya brain. No hammers were involved but lots of tape and some half assed not really proven quasi science.
03/07/2020 11:10:51 UTC
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Bogger said :-
I need to find another motorbike related website. You're all far too clever for my liking. Can we not have some stories where people hit things with hammers and such like.
Bogger
03/07/2020 10:24:03 UTC
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Upt'North said :-
Cue the "Vapours".
Upt'North.
03/07/2020 10:11:32 UTC
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Ian Soady said :-
Brilliant. Can't imagine why it hasn't caught on.....
03/07/2020 10:09:43 UTC
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Upt'North said :-
Oh the pleasure of reminiscing. The great 70's and 80's when I never saw anything that was following, if it wasn't the mirrors it was the two stroke oil fog stretching miles to the rear.
It's official Mark you're very clever, you proved it by going Japanese.
Upt'North.
03/07/2020 10:09:13 UTC
A Cure For Vibrating Mirrors
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Oscilloscopes, magnets, pickup coils... I think Mark is one of them people wot went to college and got them learning things. I understand the science (just) but I can't imagine actually setting all this up to get a reading. Then, THEN tuning a dampener to match. I'd just bolt random stuff onto the stalk until something happens.
Then it transpires the solution is a Suzuki GN125.
03/07/2020 08:31:10 UTC
Off Road Bumble-Foolery
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
There's a lot of merit in the KLX250 Bob, particularly as I now know how to service the motor having done Sharon's. It seems a good motor so far too. The only downside is, well, you know, it's just not Honda enough. Mind you the list price is £750 less than the Honda. And more ground clearance than the Honda. And 8kg lighter. The seat height is taller and I am a short-ass. Meh, it's all irrelevant, I have nowhere to put another bike so SHHH!
You do have a selection of great pics Bill! Yet having seen these I'm feeling less convinced regarding your offer to take me off-roading. By the looks of it I'm going to need scuba gear not motorcycle gear. I'm not sure they do a snorkel kit for my 500 either.
03/07/2020 08:02:42 UTC
DIY Trip Meter
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I had to look up chinagraph pencil. Personally I'd use a permanent marker on the tank and when I've run out of space to write on the tank I'd just repaint it using some quarter-empty tin of matt emulsion in "shades of summer" lime green. I'm stylish like that.
03/07/2020 07:50:47 UTC
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Latest Chit-Chat
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Curious call regarding rider aids ROD. Yes when will it be the case that your ABS, TCS, SCS, ACC, LC and GOKWTWCUWNS (God Only Knows What They Will Come Up With Next System) gets BMW/Honda/Suzuki et al into trouble?
"Your honour, my client crashed due to the XYZ system not predicting the claimant's stupidity and allowing them to sleep while riding."
"BMW (or whoever) should have predicted this and I therefore find in favour of the idiot, sorry, claimant."
Of course there is another point of view when it comes to settings Upt'. I agree with you it gets ridiculous, just because you can doesn't mean you should. And yet as demonstrated with the discussion regarding the potential 800/850 motor, we all want different things. With mappings and variable valve timings and even one day variable compression systems then one engine could be your "soft gently tuned commuter with good economy and forgiving throttle control" then it could be your "weekend tourer with good low down grunt and motorway power" then when the mood comes it's your "rip your arms out the sockets and batter you racer".
Such a machine may be possible. Tell you what though, I wouldn't want to be fixing it.
02/07/2020 08:49:22 UTC
Upt'North said :-
Rod, firstly, yes, you're old.
But.......
If I read one more test that tells me the bike has electronic suspension, ABS, TCS, cornering ABS, with twenty seven pre programmed easily selectable levels of assistance, or you can preset all your own preferred levels of assistance via a phone App; just before they tell you to leave it in "Normal" because that's fine anyway, I will scream out aloud.
The real bad news is that Motorcycle Sport and Leisure has just landed on the mat, so it won't be long now.
Upt'North.
01/07/2020 04:19:45 UTC
ROD said :-
I have just read that BMW are fitting Adaptive Cruise Control to their bikes now.
Are the motorcycle electronics getting too much for other motorcyclists? or am I just getting too old to keep up with it?
I also watched a guy on you tube who fell off a bike when exiting a junction because the rear wheel lost traction on accelerating. He went on to say that he fell off the bike because it did not have traction control!!!
01/07/2020 02:08:31 UTC
Upt'North said :-
On the picture of the Cbf you can see a mickle Hein Gericke tank bag. Perfecto.
The Baglux removal can be soul destroying, did I say you have to undo 4 (!) clips too.
Upt'North.
30/06/2020 01:43:16 UTC
Upt'North said :-
Ed, close but no cigar. Its a plastic cover, it ain't the tank.
Upt'North.
30/06/2020 01:39:37 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
ROD you're quite right, whatever is created will not suit all of us. If the filler could be, for example, between say the rear light and number plate that would solve the bag issue if you have it, if not it's still there for the use of.
Baglux Upt'? Magnetic tank bag (which wouldn't work on the plastic frunk by the way), easy to remove and leaves a set of "well 'ard" scratches on the tank's paintwork.
In the ideal world (it ain't) there'll be a "Africa Twin" version, the "Dullville" version, the "Cafe" version and knowing Honda the "CBR-RR-RRRRRRR" not very sporty but looks the part race version.
30/06/2020 01:19:57 UTC
Upt'North said :-
Likewise, under seat filler would I'm sue be easier than removing Baglux, then fuel flap press stud and zips, then the original fuel flap and cap. Then put it all back together. Then do the same in three hours time. Having given it some thought it's not going to be a Dullville is it, it's going to be a baby Africa Twin. Damn.
Upt'North.
30/06/2020 09:29:06 UTC
ROD said :-
Now I can start to see a prob;em with the NC750 Tourer. We will all want it to be a different bike depending on our own requirements. One of the things which attracted me to the NC750 was the luggage capacity where the fuel should be.
Lifting the pillion seat is not a problem for me at refills, as I do not carry luggage on the pillion seat.
I would probably prefer a shaft drive, although the more modern chains may be OK?
I may even sacrifice some of that fuel economy for a bit more grunt for two up touring, so I see the bigger engine as a plus.
29/06/2020 09:42:09 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Single cam - good - how many do you need really? 4 in the case of the Pan ain't it? Bigger frunk? Good. I do hope they put that there filler cap somewhere more luggage-on-the-back-seat friendly though. 800-850? Meh, OK so long as they don't ruin the 750's good economy. Lower in the frame? Good, even better low down weight for ease of movement.
29/06/2020 08:56:09 UTC
Upt'North said :-
The rumour is it being 800/850 cc, unicam design to reduce engine height so it clears the front wheel.
It lies flatter in the frame which may increase frunk size. No details on bike style but I'm guessing it will be s and x as per now........but maybe a new deauville style bike. We can hope.
Here the new engine is shown over the old 750.
Upt'North.
29/06/2020 01:09:06 UTC
Random Link - Pounds To Derian