Wrinklies Blast leads to new DL 1000

[JackSnipe]

I enjoyed a number of things about the wrinklies ride, the folks, the route, the hospitality and riding the bike. I chose to go on my V Strom 650 and it performed brilliantly, for a supposed middleweight and middling cost and quality it went loads better than you could imagine. So I got back home and thought do I need 3 M'c's and my big Burg. So I advertised the Strom the smallest bike in my fleet,  and then the shock came ( Overplaying it there for dramatic effect) bike buyers looking at that end of the market expect a 4 year old immaculate bike to come with all manner of expensive farkles on it for bottom book prices. So I thought bollocks I am not giving this minter away. So I went and part chopped her for a brand new DL 1000. I removed all her bits before she went (Dealer knew they were getting the bike in its basic form) and I am currently having an e bay fest. New DL comes tomorrow, new farkles have been ordered from around the globe for the new big strom. It has far better brakes and traction control and more upmarket suspension front and rear. My guess is this will be just a higher performing all round bike like the 650 but more. It will I am sure have a brilliant engine and chassis and will have mega real roads performance, despite its modest BHP at just over 100 HP. The 650 went well enough solo so this new bike should be a blast both solo and two up.

I cannot see the point in waiting until I am a fossil to start to do sensible stuff. I have had years in work for all that sensible crap !

JS

 

[Phmode]

Hear hear!

Brian (who thinks that growing old is inevitable but growing up is a life choice)

[Mike W]

Enjoy the new bike Simon and I look forward to seeing you and it in the near future

[Dusty]

Nice move! The Wee Strom always appealed to me as a great, practical go-anywhere bike, so I'm sure the big un will be a great tool. Enjoy!

[Costas]

Enjoy your new toy, an upgrade from an all around reliable bike, wish the bigger brother performs the same if not better.

[JackSnipe]

Thanks chaps looking forward to getting her set up. I increasingly look at particularly Sports Bikes as more Form than Function, OK short blasts my group of bikes will get blown but in all manner of road conditions, in and out of town, B road blasts, pillion, touring, comfort I know where I prefer to sit. What good are 200 HP bikes like the R1 and the BM S1000 RR, track day use maybe ( Must get boring after an hour) try turning one in a cul-de-sac when you have gone wrong something built to go like a bullet at high speeds is generally not very maneuverable at low speeds.

As they say each to their own but using such hyper bikes performance on our roads will either end in double tears, a prang or no licence. The wrinklies tour never reached really silly speeds but they cracked on, with a bike like the Sports bikes mentioned above the temptation for the Sports biker to open her up on the straights to silly pace is always there as 90 MPH is a mere tinkle of the Throttle !

JS

[Phmode]

The wrinklies tour never reached really silly speeds but they cracked on!

JS

You obviously weren't riding Tail End Charlie Simon(?).

I seemed to spend the entire trip in 3-figure speeds after every turn or minor obstacle.

Brian (who isn't complaining mind, just sayin'  )

[JackSnipe]

As we know it is the quick spot in the pack and I noticed you were always there and as far as I could tell with big margins as well.  A daft group we went on a tour with from a local bike shop ended up on day 3 with us all fully baggaged up me and three others with our pillions  as well. I was tail end Charlie by default on my RS 12 on the Val disaire. There were 3 ish loose groups in this tour of about 30 bikers, one group went like a load of Twats through villages and past sleepy tourists, grannies , dogs, kids admiring the brilliant views. Two of the bikes one on a GXR and one of a VFR 12 fell off trying to keep up with the nobs, one ex trials champ went back home 4 hours into the Tour on his Multistrada as he thought he was with a load of speed freaking loons !

My wife and I on the night of day 3 tore a very large strip off the two bike shop owning brothers, touching on liability and duty of care and emphasising the lack of briefing or defined roles. Many of the bikers  remained silent(Jessie's) one brave soul coughed he was inexperienced on his CB 600 and was following the loons on a dark and wet M way, all he could see in front was his mates tail light and he was shitting himself at, 100 mph plus, but he dare not ease up as he had no idea where he was.  Needless to say we did the trip on our terms and voted with our feet, no more tours or any form of business with these half wits !

JS

[Phmode]

I think some riders just don't 'get' group riding. The Old Gits group last year were marvelous to ride with, fast but not loonie, everyone stuck strictly to the village and town limits and there was no pressure to ride with the fastest. We just went at our own pace and no-one waited for anyone unless by agreement, but the leader always stopped at junctions etc. to let the group, well, re-group.

The mob you went with sound more like ego-tripsters who want to take their audience with them at any cost.

Brian (who feels much happier at the back now that he has his new Garmin back on board; way too scary without it as I didn't even know where the stops were.....)

[Costas]

Last year in a trip to southern Greece the FJR club leaders impressed by the discipline demonstrated in a previous ride,  asked me and four others with K to join them in a trip but as leaders in each of their 5 groups to final destination, total 54 bikes and 550 kms away. They still wonder how come we manage to arrive in all 3 meeting points all groups simultaneously even after we had departed 15 min apart every time. And arrive at destination exactly as planned and announced the day before. Speeds always around the 180kms in highways respecting limits only when passing through the villages.
At the end of the trip we discussed it and decide never to do it again; they were like a pack of lost ship wondering around and messing with distances among bikes, totally insecure, nervous and undisciplined, extremely difficult to lead and ride safely with them.
For these reasons on the way back we the serious BMW bikers took our pillions and made our own pack. Lucky for us since 4 FJR's never made it to Athens as they were involved in accidents.
As said lunatics in the roads exist in everyplace and definitely in every country.
Its extremely difficult to find decent riders that will enjoy and let you enjoy the trip.

[bobtail]

Talking of purchasing new stuff after the wrinklies saga!

 After taking my Shoei off at the hotel wondered why black stuff get falling of me bonce. Further investigation when I got home showed that it wasn't black dandruff (not enough follicles for that) but that the foam lining had completely gone, disappeared, was no more   I had kept wondering why the Shoei was a tad looser than normal now I know why. So off to J&S and purchased a new Shoei Qwest well impressed, lovely fit and so quiet. Mind you the old one was at least ten years old so it was about time it went.

Now here's a question for you all:
What do you do with your old helmets?
I'll tell you what  I do in the next instalment.

Bob

[Phmode]

I have found that wearing a stupid-looking skull cap under the lid stops my heavily sweating bonce from rotting the helmet lining.

Brian (who thinks the down side of this is that his helmet 'lasts' longer than it probably should  )

[bobtail]

I did notice your natty little  'skully cap' on your bonce Brian. Home made or purchased from somewhere?

Bob

[Phmode]

EDZ do them relatively cheaply. Most decent bike shops sell them.

I also always carry a couple of 'buffs', those thingies you can turn into skull caps, scarves, emergency underpants etc.

Brian (who never got on with manky helmet innards when he had hair and still doesn't even though he hasn't  )

[TomL]

The Red Cross and St Johns Ambulance like them for training purposes to practise removing lids in the event of an accident.