K1200S

[fjtwelve]

Brace! Brace! Brace!
If only it were a crash landing. Bracing myself for tomorrows bill as we crash through a total running cost of £20k over the last 3 years and 60k miles, excluding buying it in the first place. Both ball joints worn and replaced with rubber gaiter. Shock appears fine (the ESA loom has been replaced once already). New front tyre and new pads and a service. Hope it all feels back to normal. Unlike my bank account...

[gibbo]

I can feel a four figure sum being extracted from your bank account fj. 

[Phmode]

Just think of the cost of the running repairs as the pemium for not spending half your life sitting in queues of cars, suffocating on carbon and nitrogen and it won't seem half so bad 

[richtea]

... total running cost of £20k over the last 3 years and 60k miles, excluding buying it in the first place.

33p per mile.

I'll have a cheeky guess at a £6k outlay when you bought it, and maybe £2.5k if you sold it now, so that would push it up to 39p / mile.
For a performance vehicle, that's OK in my book.

[fjtwelve]

Almost black and white in Cornwall

[fjtwelve]

Courtesy of Motolegends latest mail shot, I find out that if its 0C outside, and you're doing 60mph yer onner, the wind-chill brings that down to a very fresh -33C. No wonder I've had to roll my sleeves down recently.

[Phmode]

  So, any colder and it's winter drawers on then?

PS I love that piccie. The only things missing are tyre tracks leading up to it and a snowman in the saddle 

[Ian Jay]

Reading this fascinating blog reminded me of years ago when I married and in the military and because of living apart using my Norton Commando for long trips home. Yes, it was a bit hungry for rear tyres, chains, and sprockets, but generally was an inexpensive and reliable machine.  Albeit, taking in account of inflation, the running costs of these modern superbikes seems to have skyrocketed. 

My recent return to motorcycling after 30 years in the wilderness is seen by many as a late-life crisis, but they have never been a motorcyclist, so what do they know?  I suppose the difference between then and now is that the bike is not so much a form of transport, but an indulgence to polish and oil and admire.  It may be a loud beast to the neighbours, but a cathartic therapy for me.

[TomL]

Much cheaper nowadays to run a car.

Why would modern youth ever consider getting a motorcycle?

Big boys toys really. We come from an era when a motorcycle was the next step up from a push bike. When we grew up and earned more we generally graduated to a car.

Problem for us was that the seed was sown. We knew how much more exciting it was to ride a bike than drive a car. When we could afford it we treated ourselves to our big boy's toys.

[Ian Jay]

I believe that my passion for motorcycles began when I was about 12, and when walking home from school had to pass "Ross's Motorcycles", which had a huge showroom full of rows of second-hand Vincents.  What marvelous pieces of British ingenuity and craftsmanship, that could be for bought for as little as 250 quid!  Mind you, this was in 1962 when the average wage was about 20 ponds?

Much cheaper nowadays to run a car.

Why would modern youth ever consider getting a motorcycle?

Big boys toys really. We come from an era when a motorcycle was the next step up from a push bike. When we grew up and earned more we generally graduated to a car.

Problem for us was that the seed was sown. We knew how much more exciting it was to ride a bike than drive a car. When we could afford it we treated ourselves to our big boy's toys.

[Phmode]

I joined the RAF in 1964 and when asked about ambition, I clearly remember saying I wanted to progress so that I earned £1,000 a year 

Them were'tdays!

There is a huge gulf between the post-war baby-boomers and those who went before who nearly had bikes or scooters or combos and the generations who followed who mostly never bothered with bikes unless their dad did.

A friend bought new'ish cars for her grandchildren when they passed their tests. Just small, low mileage Toyota thingies but they will go on forever, have lots of the toys that hadn't been invented when I passed my test and they love 'em to bits. Tail pipe fell off one of them the other day and the lad tied it back up with his shoe lace...then a tie-wrap when the lace burned through and eventually gave in after the tie-wrap melted and took it to the garage. All for the sake of a new mount and a couple of nuts and bolts. I'd have been laughed out of the house if I'd done that.

Imagine him trying to keep on top of an old BSA or Norton but he is the sort who would take his K back to the dealer to get it cleaned 

[Ian Jay]

I did 9 years, 1968-77, in the RAF as a medic (poultice walloper).  Went to Uni when I was 33 and ended up spending 9 years there'
Happy days in the RAF, because we had places to go and being on the aeromed team took me to most of them.

I joined the RAF in 1964 and when asked about ambition, I clearly remember saying I wanted to progress so that I earned £1,000 a year 

Them were'tdays!

There is a huge gulf between the post-war baby-boomers and those who went before who nearly had bikes or scooters or combos and the generations who followed who mostly never bothered with bikes unless their dad did.

A friend bought new'ish cars for her grandchildren when they passed their tests. Just small, low mileage Toyota thingies but they will go on forever, have lots of the toys that hadn't been invented when I passed my test and they love 'em to bits. Tail pipe fell off one of them the other day and the lad tied it back up with his shoe lace...then a tie-wrap when the lace burned through and eventually gave in after the tie-wrap melted and took it to the garage. All for the sake of a new mount and a couple of nuts and bolts. I'd have been laughed out of the house if I'd done that.

Imagine him trying to keep on top of an old BSA or Norton but he is the sort who would take his K back to the dealer to get it cleaned 

[Phmode]

we had places to go and being on the aeromed team took me to most of them.

Hmm! My two overseas posting were Marham in Norfolk and Lyneham in Wilts 

[Ian Jay]

We had a house in Calne from 77-90.  If God was to give Wiltshire an enema, it's where he would insert the tube

we had places to go and being on the aeromed team took me to most of them.

Hmm! My two overseas posting were Marham in Norfolk and Lyneham in Wilts 

[gibbo]

Hey!!!! Less of the mickey taking about Wiltshire.  One of the finest counties in the UK. Ten times as many people work here than live here so it's given them a decent living. A veritable industrial powerhouse with a small p.