Both my bikes (tiger 660 and Thruxton r) have ride modes and to be honest I rarely change them. I can see the benefit between road and rain for less experienced riders, but would think with more experience they would not be switching. Like you say on a performance machine and if you use the bike on the track I can see the benefit, but for normal daily riding can’t really see the need.
My Multistrada has 4 modes Sport, Touring, Urban and Enduro. Sport and Touring keep the 160bhp whereas the other 2 drop it down to 100. It also changes the DSS (skyhook suspension) front and rear, DTC (traction control), DWC (wheelie control), abs level and the like. You can also adjust them all to suit you unsurprisingly I just ride it, normally in Sport or Touring mode depending on how big the horns get but just too much to play with. The good bit is you can adjust the DSS for single rider, single rider with luggage, 2 up and 2 up with luggage and it will adjust automatically
Home from work early, sun was out and actually felt warm, had to have a quick 40 minute blast, absolutely wonderful.
As i have posted previously i fitted a Nissin 3 pot caliper to my 2018 Street twin,the caliper was brand new from an Italian e-bay advertiser.Originally from/ for a Honda CB1000 dual braking system they are converted (drilled centre piston) to work all three pistons simultaneously.Just this week fitted a 14mm master cylinder to replace the 11mm that is standard.I now have a far better lever,ie: instant firm pressure with barley any movement/pull of the lever.I had a short ride today Wednesday 1st using the ABS mode and it feels stronger, i guess without ABS i will get a stronger response ? Find out tomorrow if i get another dry period ! It is a direct fit.
Well the 675 is going for it's mot in the morning so a quick once over and test ride in the street. Umm, is that left fork seal weeping slightly? Cleaned it off and bounced up and down on the bars. Yep it is. Tried the old sweep around of the oil seal with a feeler gauge but no joy. Luckily, it just so happened I had some spare seals and oil on the shelf Ok, so not as planned but a quick fork service needs to happen, but then, the fork top cap was absolutely solid and silly tight I tried with my Snap On strong bar and a 24mm single hex socket but no chance. Summoned my little lad (16 and going to the gym ) for assistance so it didn't all end up on the floor . Right, you hold the front wheel straight and the bike on the front stand! I now moved up a notch and employed my 3' Snap On strongbar, yes that's about a metre long and 3/4" drive. no problem. Now to remove the front wheel and the outer pinch bolt was tight but l just needed to try harder ........ ooh nice punch of the knuckles into the front disc as the allen bolt had the last laugh Umm, a quick plaster with additional masking tape for security, and job completed. Roll on mot in 9 hours time Note to self; wavey discs might look flash but, a plain disc works just as well and wouldn't have cut me like that
I have various modes on my Speed Triple and my new Street Glide but none on my Low Rider ST. It's funny...I got all excited and thought it great to have all these options but it turns out that I've pretty much figured out which I like best then rarely even think to change it! I did use Rain mode on our ride down to Bisbee in March (since it was actually raining here in the desert ) and felt pretty good about that. I added the optional "RDRS" system (see screen shot below) on my 2020 Street Glide primarily to get the additional electronic safety features since I put a lot of touring miles in many different conditions on that bike. Many of the features were sort of "behind the scenes" which was fine with me. I have to admit I got spoiled with the hill hold feature and the tire pressure monitoring! Now all of these features came stock on my new 2024 Street Glide. Funny thing...when I started using the hill hold feature, I sort of felt like I was "cheating". But then I changed my tune since I'm small and the bike is huge and it really helps! Why the heck not use it? Lastly, my Low Rider ST has TC and ABS and that's it. And I've never really thought twice about not having all that other "stuff".
Yes it'll be fine thanks, a quick rinse, or is that wince , before bed should see it sorted. A drop of Smirnoffs finest
That's a good point about bike weight vs rider stature. Aids like hill start will certainly make a large cruiser much more manageable and hence safer. Tech has moved on tremendously in the last 30 years and the advent of ECU controlled everything has made adding all these "aids" relatively simple. Personally I still think they should be optional with base models available without them so you can pick and pay for the features you want.
So up for 07.00 on my day off and at the mot station for 08.00. Test passed then into work for 09.00 and 4 hours overtime Sent my mate a message; "fancy going out on bikes this afternoon? be at mine for 13.30 and I should be home, sorted and taxed ( road tax for the 675 that is, alongside all the other taxes I pay )." All planets aligned and plans came to fruition. Calimoto did its thing and gave us a good ride around ending at Tan Hill. Ironically, and bear in mind I also have a 765rs in white, the guy on the black 765 used to be the owner, for 8 years or so, of the 675 I'm on today, yet on previous outings the bikes had been reversed. Does the 675r lose out a lot to the modern 765, ten years it's junior? No, not really, the outstanding thing is how raw the original street triple R was and that's in a positive way. In hindsight it was ahead of it's time and a proper performing machine yet still great even now for 5hits and giggles as they say Then on to Ripon on the return journey for a can of pop, chocolate and a natter. 200 or so miles test ride and the fork seals held up nicely to a few jumps and numerous wheelies
Use the money to put the Busa back on the road. Had the Speed Triple since 2022, not put a 1000 miles on it
Today was in total contrast to the other day and took the wife out for breakfast on the 900 ST. A nice steady plod, using the maximum of B roads possible was on the agenda. Breakfast at a farm shop. Nice food. Then on through the lanes with coffee and cake at the Arium garden centre..... yum yum treacle tart 80 mile or so round trip and the dash reckoned 63.5 mpg so that should give you an idea of how many revs were used, chug chug chug. A nice pleasant steady pace which somehow feels appropriate on this bike yet, when out on my street triples, it often feels like I need/should be going faster. I bought the street twin for a totally different ride out, plus more comfort for the passenger, I feel it achieves this well.
And today's rideout was in total contrast again to the other two ride reports here....... 1/ I wanted to go out on the bike, not bothered which one, but the weather and day was too nice to waste. 2/ Wife wanted a picnic by a certain canal for sentimental reasons. 3/ Youngest son at a loose end but has a scooter for transport. Right sorted, a Lexmotor Diablo and a 900 ST go on tour, even if only for the day Now these are "proper" adventure bikes, forget your Tigers and BMW GS options as at least with the scooter we can carry it if worse comes to worse Naturally when you're young and foolish, sorry, full of adventure, the water can be inviting " Road unsuitable for motors" Now if ever there was a sign that invites the adventurous this has to be it..... Even managed, at a steady 26mph according to Google on my quadlocked phone, to get home in time for the last BSB race of today on Dmax
Today I took the Nightstorm down sarf for work this week as the weather looked ok, albeit with the possibility of a few showers later on. Stopped at the Oily Rag Co on the way down. Carried on and stopped at Choppers cafe near Burbage, didn't take any photos as they were miserable, had stopped serving food and refused to let one guy use the bathroom as they were closed (with the door still open). I managed to get a very ropey coffee before they pushed us outside, paid for another guys coffee as well because you had to spend £5 to pay by card and he didn't have cash, drank half of mine and then gave a third biker the rest as he turned up 30 seconds too late. Definitely won't be going back. As I left the heavens opened and dumped an entire reservoirs worth of water on me. There was not a single item of clothing I was wearing that remained dry, I mean nothing. Arrived at my destination completely drenched and freezing cold, a few showers my arse. Bike is now wiped down and hopefully I will find a building or garage to store it in for the rest of the week, for now it is below a skybridge between two buildings so a bit like an open garage.
