All
around the Motoeuro watch tower......
More
like luke-warm chat, but here are a collection of
stories that go back to when Motoeuro was first born....
Arrhhhh......
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Triumph
Bonneville America
I've been after new kit for a while
but cant bear the thought of handing
over £500. I nip down to Westgate
Road to see what’s on offer in
the sales, but I get distracted when
I see a Bonni America at M&S Motorcycles......
It's a 2002 bike, and is almost definitely
Mark's new machine waiting to be serviced.
It's a cruiser all right, in what looks
to be mint condition. Fingers crossed
for the easy rider; Captain America.
[DH] |
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News: September / October 2009 |
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Buell
1125R comes close to the stable.
Perhaps it's the design. The engine
? The character ? Whatever it is, Buell
bikes are just so damn good. Of course,
in practice it's not that straight forward,
as Buell have gone to the wall and the
1125 never did get good reviews - As
usual, all Bike and RiDE magazine can
do is compare them to the Jap equivalent,
not the point.
Geordie takes this glorious 1125R for
a spin, but it's not the news I was
hoping for; wrists and back ache, it's
way too sporty and not the bike for
him, but it goes well and the the brakes
can stop it, too. The CR (cafe racer)
version could be perfect. Shame there
isn't one on the north east to try.
With prices as low as £5k, and
on ebay, £3.5k, it's really tempting........
Watch this space. Click
here for a larger image. |
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We
can't really moan too much. Can we ?
It's not been the best
year on record for motorcycles; most of
the big manufacturers haven't released
new bikes for 2010, we've been conned
with some trick paint and the odd 'S'
and 'R' versions of old themes. The recession
has hit most mainstream factories, just
look at MotoGP - Danny Pedrosa stuck on
a 2008, V5 Honda, Kawasaki tried to pull-out
to save dosh and hardly any quantum leaps
in technology. This will be the first
year Motoeuro wont be at the NEC Bike
show, there's nothing to see ! With No
ride outs and big names pulling out, it's
not got the attraction of recent years.
We've even seen Buell go to the wall courtesy
of Haley Davidson, too. At
least Honda's had the guts to get the
new VFR sorted - regardless what you
think of it, at least it shows Honda's
commitments to biking. (Or desperation
to replace the Blackbird, Pan and VFR).
Yet, funnily enough, used bike sales have
never been so strong, mainly due to the
Euro being worth nowt in the UK, foreign
buyers are sucking up all the decent used
bikes and saving a fortune - good luck
to them I guess.
So, where does this all leave Motoeuro?
For one, I keeping hold of the Daytona,
a recent
blast to Aberdeen made me realise
how good this thing is, there's a dark
whisper Mark is flogging the KTM in favour
for a wad of cash and a used Transalp,
Steve seems pretty happy with his 1150GS
and there's no word or even a slight hint
at John getting back on 2 wheels. However,
the silver lining on that Buell cloud
is that Geordie could actually get his
1125CR
or R for as little as £5k brand
new, practically half price - Now that's
the kind of news I like :) |
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New
bike with 0% 'v' The most expensive service
yet ?
Gimme a
go.....
Geordie's Tuono is fast heading for a
major service, the kind of service that
leaves you empty inside. Kind of wallet
empty. At around £500 could this
be the right time to off-load the Tuono
for a B-king or Buell 1125CR? Humm...
A new bike in the Motoeuro stables looks
possible.
Meanwhile, Steve's R1150GS is proving
to be great, he's still itching to bolt
more stuff to it, mind. Marky's KTM is
a keeper, and so is my Daytona on the
grounds that we're a bit skint anyway.
With 0% finance on most bikes, it's tempting
to sign up for a new Blade, for God's
sake keep me away from bike shops. My
new, cool, X-Lite hat turns up from Gericke's
but after a whole day ride-out, it's left
a nasty mark on my forehead. Odd. It's
un-adjustable on the temple, so back for
a refund. Of course, Gericke's don't do
refunds on lids in case you've dropped
it, lots of moaning later I've got a credit
note. Whoop.
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Last
words on the Daytona.
'Why' factor as opposed to X-Factor.....
You're on a typical lads night out, ending
up in Tyneside strip-club. A svelte-like
blonde pays you too much attention and
after a back-street fumble you reckon
she's the bees. 3 months later when you
realise you're double her age and tire
easy, she's up for more and more attention.
I've decided the Daytona is a keeper,
but by god, she's tiring. Not just the
legs thing, she needs more effort than
I thought to get the best out of her.
I used to say 2,000 miles and you know
your bike, you're confident and quick.
3,300 later, I'm still fumbling.
On the more positive side, she's pretty
planted on the black stuff, does well
on juice and goes pretty quick. All other
departments are being refurbished. Next
time I'm on a lads night out, remind me
a GS is the new Blade. |
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.....And
we're back !
It's been eventful,
but an absolute hoot. 2,300 miles saw
us riding (and breaking down) in Spain
and France. We've had baking heat, good
roads and massive amounts of alcohol.
Read about
the 3 Amigos here. |
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Three
riders, 2,000 miles, two adventure bikes,
only the sporty one with heated grips.
Odd ? Yes. Welcome to the pre-launch
of Motoeuro 2009.
A mere 4 days
'till Motoeuro
2009 this will probably be the last
entry before we're off. It's all a bit
too quiet around the Motoeuro campfire
at the moment, we're no doubt saving
any last minute cock-ups until, the,
err, last minute. Keep your eyes on
the 2009 pages which will be up-dated
with our ride in full, glorious, rose-tinted-a-rama
when we're back on around the 29th June.
If we miss the ferry, could be anytime.... |
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T'was
a shame to see her go, especially as
we've done 25,000 miles together, she's
been one hell on a good bike to me.
But, change is inevitable, and go she
must so I can re-coup some of the Daytona
cash. Selling was trickier than I thought
with over 50k on the clock and that
damn lacquer issue, it was putting too
many people off. Ebay, AutoTrader and
MCN got me 3 calls, luckily I only needed
one. A quick check-over, test ride and
the usual "I don't like the colour"
squabble over money and bang - she's
gone. A sad day for Dave, but on the
flipside, she was a little tired in
places - at least she's gone to a good
home - Anyone got a spare shoulder...... |
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Geordie
is looking at the brakes on the 955i
today and perhaps getting the back one
to actually work. Within no time she's
up on stilts and the front callipers
are off. Got to get me some of that
paraffin stuff, cleans things a treat!
All is not sweet when one of the back
calliper bolts is literally seized in
place. No amount of swearing would shift
it. Geordie gets the big tools out,
an oxyacetylene torch (!) and a freezing
kit were unleashed. It's still not looking
good...... I wander outside thinking
I should buy and new calliper from flea-bay,
when a loud YES! echoes
from the garage..... he's done it :)
Cleaned up, new pads, greased up and
sorted. Dave's a happy lad, but why
is there a banana in the frame? I can
feel the onslaught of Banana Man jokes....
oh, bugger..... |
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BIG
Motoeuro Thanks:
A massive thanks to our
Geordie for sorting my bike. The
brakes work way better then before
after all that hard work and bleeding
the system. Oh, and the back brake
works too - Happy days, friends,
happy days:) |
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27th
April 2009: Oh
good God, what have I done? Although the Viffer
has been so good to me it was getting close
to that time to change, mind you, never did
I see myself on a Daytona, so what happened?
It's all thanks to a friend of a friend who
was selling an 2006 (pre reg on 55 plate) Daytona
with 14k miles; Take it for a spin he says......
dammit. That's me hooked. Goes like the proverbial
off a stick and sounds like a Lancaster bomber
at 6,000 rpm, I can live without the comfort
for short rides, but what idiot buys a sports
bike 6 weeks before the ride to Spain ? Oh that'll
be me then.
However, all is not sweet. Eventually got a
good price for her, but brakes needs sorting,
fixings gone rusty, one heated grip goosed and
the Scotoiler doesn't work. With a little TLC
and with Geordie's generous offer of sorting
her out, I'll be skipping soon enough. In the
meantime, just remember to brake really early
for those corners...... |
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March 2009: "In
the world of BMW GS's, it's about the bike first,
and the crap you bolt to it, second! After getting
the 'Yellow Peril' I always wanted alloy wheels
and other bits but couldn't afford the upgrade.
I recently lost my job like many have, and threw
myself into getting another one as soon as possible.
And wouldn't you know it, by the Beard of Zeus,
I managed to get another one and suddenly had
a bit of redundancy cash. I started looking
for a newer bike The
'Yellow Peril' had almost 72k miles on it and
was looking a bit tired. The plan I had was
this... sell it with it's luggage for £2.5k
and put a bit towards another one. "
"Thanks to Oliver (Oll) on UKGSer.com,
I managed to find an 03 1150GS (29500 miles
on the clock) with an Adventure tank &
suspension and alloy wheels from an 1150R
(front) and an 1100s (rear). We did a deal
where he got my bike and £1.8k, win-win
I hear you think... indeed!"
"All it needs is a front mudguard and
some new Motoeuro stickers - Happy Days!"
Stevie.
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5th
December 2008: Once
again Geordie and I head off to the bike show
at some stupid time in the morning. Hearty breakfast
later and minus £15 or so, we're in the
queue for a ride-out. Of course it's raining
so we're sensible "I'll have the Ducati
848 please, make mine the KTM 990 Super Duke"
D'Oh ! Meanwhile Steve and Dawn are out on a
BMW 1200RT but was described later as a "fecking
barn-door on wheels".
Only disappointment was Honda with a poor show
for 2009 - No VFR1000, just a white VFR800.
But I will forgive them as the new HRC Blade
looks magnificent - If you're listening Mr.Honda,
I'll take two on loan, Cheers. |
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22nd
September 2008: Whey-hey
! We're back after 2,732 miles
through France to Geneva, Grand St.Bernard, Seez to
the highest point in the Alps and to Italy, back to
the French Coast to Monaco, Cannes and the Napoleon
Route to Grenoble. Fan-bloody-tastic ! Read about
Motoeuro 2008 here.
10th September 2008: This
will no doubt be the last entry before Steve and I
return from Motoeuro 2008. Leaving tomorrow, I still
have a list as long as my....err.... arm of stuff
to sort, but my mime skills have reached new heights
in readiness for the language barrier. Yet to test
the new luggage, and yes, it looks like rain tomorrow.
Dammit. A big thanks to Sparko who has loaned me his
entire house of electronic goodies... Camera, video
camera, sat nav, tank bag.... Oh, the list goes on.
Pleased we're not passing a £5bn machine on
the Swiss-French border that is designed to smash
particles together with cataclysmic force, that could
spell the end
of the world........ Wish us luck, we'll either
be back in a day or somewhere near the 21st Sept.......
3 September 2008:
And you think Christopher Walken was stressed playing
Russian Roulette in the Deer Hunter ? Taking the fairing
off the Viffer to change the oil and filter, I noticed
the sump-plug was obscured by the exhaust, of course,
this is when I have a 10 inch screwdriver through
the oil filter to get it off. Examination found that
the new Motard exhaust that was put on under warranty
(last July) is directly under the sump plug and there's
no room to unscrew it. Oh, fecking marvellous, this
is as welcome as flesh-eating disease at a dinner
party.
Off back to M&S not a happy lad. It took 2 mechanics
1.5 hours to get the exhaust off to drain and replace
the oil and put it back together. Beneath the sarcastic
comments and false laughter I am fearing a nasty bill
which 'aint my fault. I think they felt sorry for
me, so parting with a few sheckles and I'm on my way.
All together now..... "Bring it on".
Meanwhile, 300 miles away, Steve has the GS all serviced
ready to go. Just a new back tyre should see him fit
for use. Is it just me who has these massive dramas
???? Oh, and the forecast in France is rain everyday
and I forgot to book the Chunnel, so the price is
now £130 each rather than £76..... Anything
else ? Is that the aroma of complete incompetence
?
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September 2008: We're really
on countdown now
to Motoeuro 2008 and yet still my list isn't
getting any shorter. Managed to scratch off
'new tyres' as the Michelin Pilot Road 2's now
sit inch-thick with tread ready to go. I've
managed a measly 70 miles to scrub them - mind
you, the 300 miles doon-sooth to meet with Steve
should do the job. Will jumping from Bridgestones
to Michelin pay off ? Hummmm. We've managed
a few essential bookings and as we part with
our hard earned cash we've twigged-on the the
Euro isn't doing so well against sterling -
pap. With Steve barely over a 2-week trip to
Egypt and an exploding washing machine, we're
both on a budget - but hey, that's what Barclaycard
is for, right ???
Totally sick and cheesed off with throw-over
panniers, I've been keeping an eye on Fle-Bay
for the last few weeks for a Ventura System
but no joy, seems more sports bike orientated.
If I had a Duke or a ZX9, I'd have a choice
of dozens. So then, big tail pack it is. Err.....
At about £70 new, they're selling for
£50+ for a used, decent size one. The
nice chap a Gerickes reckons tail packs are
way over-priced and Roll Bags are the weapon
of choice for the discerning traveller. £13
later, I'm sold. Good salesman eh ? |
Click
here for previous news and drama...... |
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