Motorcycles
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Triumph have been on a bit of a roll with their Modern Classics range. On Wednesday they added to the line with the Bonneville Bobber.
It looks like it's intended as a competitor to the Harley Sportster and Indian Scout, but is possibly a more capable bike than either. It's a shame there aren't twin discs up front, perhaps it'll be offered in the parts catalogue.
The Bonneville T100 is a Street Twin with a more retro style, and was announced at Intermot a few weeks ago. It's a pretty bike, and I spotted this one at Metropolis Motorcycles in London.
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The Bike Shed opened up a café, shop, and venue in Shoreditch last year. Having been out of London for a while, I went to take a look at what was there. Here are some of the bikes on the floor, which I think might be for sale.
Auto Fabrica. I think that it's a Type 7.
Customised Street Twin.
Harley Chopper.
Honda Café Racer.
I'm not sure what this was.
Gladstone chopper.
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Rev'it have been on a roll with their urban riding gear. This is the Tracer Overshirt, which is a Cordura / denim blend. There's thin armour in the elbows and shoulders, and a back protector can also be fitted. I was really impressed by it.
This is the Rokker Black Jacket. It's effectively a set of textiles disguised as denim. There's D3O armour in the elbows and shoulders, and a back protector.
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Death Spray Custom do cool work, mostly motorcycle related.
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I'm knocking around options for a fairing for my Thruxton. These are the three under consideration.
From top to bottom:
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The stock Triumph part. It's expensive, but comes with a proper subframe, and can be fitted in a few hours. This is the easy option, and it integrates well with the bike, it's what's on the green Thruxton I posted yesterday.
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The Rickman CR fairing. (Here's an original in situ.) It'll be more hassle to fit, and will need to be removed for servicing, but has a real seventies vibe, and sits well with the bike. I think that the scale might be slightly out in the picture, but it gives an idea.
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The Rickman Avon fairing. I know someone who used to work for Triumph Australia, and he really likes this design. I'm not so sure, but BikeEXIF recently featured an MZ with one fitted, and it looks good. If I felt adventurous, there's a matching lower part.
A third party fairing looks like it'll be a pain to fit. There are a few brackets available, Airtech offer one, but they tend to be crude. I don't know how much it would cost to get a custom one fabricated, as I have neither the skills nor the tools to do that myself.
However, a non-standard fairing would give the bike a unique look. Take the Sage Rage Thruxton as an example…
Anyway, I'm still plotting. The Rickman CR is probably my favourite, but I'd need to figure out if it'll fit, how much it'll cost to attach it, and whether the lower parts would collide with my knees!
i like the first one. plus its easier to install
go for that
ps. you HAVE to install the tail tiddy kit asapNo, it's not a Bell, it's the new Hedon Heroine. It's not up on their website, but they've posted a few images to Facebook and Instagram.
i love my hedon hedonist
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I like either of the top two options. I'm not a big fan of the Avon fairing. Now time to check the Hedon website.
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Quick public service announcement: Get Geared have a pair of Doc Martens Garrick boots in stock, with a chunk off RRP. (£240, down from over £300) in a UK size 11 (US 12, EU 46).
Moto Legends have UK sizes 7, 9 and 10 in stock, and Sportsbike Shop have EU 43 and 45 at £170, which is a real steal.
They look rather like a pair of vintage Lewis Leathers boots, but with modern appointments (Sympatex lining, D3O armour), and seemed really nice. If they were my size, I'd have snagged them for myself.
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Those are pretty slick. It's not my size either, but I may have to keep my eye out.
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I'm currently organising a new set of motorcycle gear to deal with the Australian climate.
The standard recommendation for hot weather is to go for mesh gear, but according to this article from the Iron Butt magazine, that's a bad idea.
When the air gets warmer than skin temperature, around 34°C or 93°F, it'll start to heat the body, so you want to minimise airflow. That means keeping yourself covered, and avoiding mesh or perforated garments.
Mesh works well at slightly lower temperatures, but according to this thread at ADV Rider has a pretty narrow window where it's effective, somewhere between 29°C and 34°C, or 85°F and 93°F.
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Any of you have any advice for noobs looking to start riding? I'll be honest, motorcycles scare the crap outta me, but then again, I've always had an interest in riding. I really love the Triumph Thruxton and Bonneville models, but assume those are overkill for beginners. My one drawback is that it's cold 6 months out of the year and I have no place to store a motorcycle, so I always talk myself out of obtaining a license. Is it worth it?
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@gaseousclay I've been riding 20 years coming up in April,and I'm still a little bit scared of motorcycles,which I think is a good thing as it helps me from getting over confident/complacent when I'm riding. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I would suggest looking for a Motorcycle Safety Foundation near by where you live.They supply motorcycles and helmets. They offer a 3 day class at the end of which you can take your road test. First see if you can do that and you enjoy it. Some motorcycle dealers offer winter storage,which might help with the nowhere to keep it problem for at least half the year. For a first bike I'd recommend a Yamaha/Star 650 V-Star. Very rideable/comfortable handles well. Low to no maintenance. Good Luck.
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@gaseousclay, my first bike was a BMW R1200R, and I'm now running a Thruxton R. The Triumph is actually 10 bhp down on the Beemer, so it's not a fearsome, fire-breathing beast that will kill you.
However, if you want something a bit less powerful, Triumph have just announced the Street Cup. It's got the smaller engine from the Street Twin, which is the Bonneville's little brother.
There's also the Bonneville T100, which is a Street Twin with more of a vintage look. I posted a photo on this thread a couple of weeks ago.
The Triumphs have quite a lot of torque, but relatively little power for their capacity. The Thruxton has just under 100 bhp, and the Street Twins are around 55 bhp, but they've got a lot of torque, and are predictable in how they deliver it. Plus they've got ABS and traction control, which helps keep things a bit safer.
I agree with @Jett129 that taking a course is a good place to start. Also, remember to budget for some decent gear, as that can make a big difference in an off.
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Just finished washing my ride.
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Ducati have unveiled a bunch of new bikes today, and I'm liking the Scrambler Desert Sled.
The Superleggera is something else. But at around $80K, it'd better be… :o
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Ducati have unveiled a bunch of new bikes today, and I'm liking the Scrambler Desert Sled.
I recently came to the conclusion that I'm never going to get around to taking my full test, I just have too much else that grabs my attention and time. But shit, that bike has me asking myself questions….
