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Nice bike Bianchi Boy,here's mine
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The Street triple forum is a good source of knowledge on all things STR
Got out yesterday with the intention of doing the Northumbria blood bikes 360 challenge. Did the first hundred miles down to Teesside and headed back up to Corbridge via Eggleston. On the moors south of Stanhope a mate got a puncture. Cue 4 hours of misery while we pillioned into Stanhope to get signal and waited for the RAC in the smegging rain. Normally I always carry a plug kit and a tarp. But not today. Pooh!
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Just back from completing my CBT at the ripe old age of 55!
Slightly nervous beforehand but had a great time.
I was thinking if buying the new Honda Monkey just for pottering around on - and I still might - but the instructor gave me a go on his Honda CB500X which was a bit of an eye opener!
Plenty to think about now 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it, I felt the same when I completed my CBT 🙂
Do you go the 125 route? Hmmm. I did, had mine for about a year before going for the bigger bike licence.
Looking back with hindsight, was it the correct thing? Not sure, probably not. Bigger bikes are no harder to ride so just go for it (but I did quite enjoy my time on the 125!).
I went out this evening for a quick blast on my MT-07 and wouldn't want anything smaller... 😉
Well, this morning was interesting. My commute takes me up a 50-limit single-carriageway. It's wide and straight with good sightlines. This morning, I was riding along there at around 60 (I know, tsk), when about 500m up the road an oncoming white crew van with a yellow light is moving into the right-turn refuge. I look at him. He stops. I get closer. He continues to be stopped. I carry on. He turns. At this point I am less than 100m away from him.
I seem to remember people saying things like "swerve, don't stop", so I try and aim behind where I think he'll be when I get there. Yet now, finally, he sees me and slams his brakes on. Now I am aiming straight at the passenger door. I have to swerve the other way. In the end, I miss him by what feels like inches. All the time I have been avoiding slamming on the brakes because I don't want to lock up and go in a straight line, so I am still doing about 45 (I'd guess). The whole thing happened in about 2 seconds.
The weird thing is, I saw him ages (ok, maybe 10 seconds, I wasn't counting) before the "incident", and something in my head told me "Watch him. Keep watching him very carefully." and I did.
Now I need to go have a little sick.
BTW, congrats on all the passes recently! It's not all like this, a lot of it is great fun!
I posted this a while back but its worth reposting.
Answers some questions about why folk don't seem to see you.
Sounds like you want to pull the SMIDSY avoidance manoeuvre
Sounds like you want to pull the SMIDSY avoidance manoeuvre
Didn't know that was a thing. Now I do. Thanks you.
It was bizarre though. I was the only thing on the road in his field of view. He stopped, as if he knew he couldn't just complete the turn. Then he carried on before I got there.
I seem to remember people saying things like “swerve, don’t stop”, so I try and aim behind where I think he’ll be when I get there. Yet now, finally, he sees me and slams his brakes on. Now I am aiming straight at the passenger door. I have to swerve the other way. In the end, I miss him by what feels like inches. All the time I have been avoiding slamming on the brakes because I don’t want to lock up and go in a straight line, so I am still doing about 45 (I’d guess). The whole thing happened in about 2 seconds.
Bad advice you have been given IMO. Get the speed down then swerve if you have to. If you are scared of locking up practice braking up to and beyond locking the front wheel. Most two wheelers are rubbish at braking to the limits. front brake should be 70 - 80 % of your braking.
I used to go out in the snow to practice locking the front wheel and also on wet slimy roads. With practice a front wheel lock does not mean you lose control.
You saw a hazard a fair distance away. Get the speed down shjould be the first thing you do and also use the horn.
this is not meant as a criticism but as advice. Reflective practice is key. "what could I have done to avoid the incident?" " how could I have made the outcome better?" " could I have reacted differently?"
Sounds like you want to pull the SMIDSY avoidance manoeuvre
I was going to suggest the same thing - I watched a few videos on YouTube about that so would be worth having a look.
@16stonepig - glad you're okay and gives me things to think about, good advice from others as always so something I will take on board.
Ahh, turns out I do the SMIDSY wobble when I want to be seen without even knowing it was a thing.
Also, I've not been on big bikes long, but a have spent a fair old chunk of time on 2-stroke 125s, and one of the things I've grown to enjoy on the big bikes is how fast the engine braking slows you down. In those situations, just rolling off the throttle can shed 10+ mph between the "this could be iffy" moment and the "shit, I have to take proper action" moment.
What TJ said. Even the highway code puts stopping distance under 100m at 70mph and that will be for a Brough Superior. I'd be surprised if it's anywhere near half that. Even in the dirt on a motocross bike it wouldn't be half that.
As for locking the front, if you're upright it's very hard to do, even in the wet.
front brake should be 70 – 80 % of your braking
My instructor told me that in an emergency braking situation the front brake should probably be doing 90% of the work!
SMIDSY avoidance manoeuvre
Never heard of this... maybe it should be part of the BCT?
I wonder how/if the compulsory fitment of ABS on new bikes has/will affect things?
As a total newby I'm loving this thread 🙂
The rear brake does next to nothing compared to the front brake to slow you down. Graphically shown here:
Maybe I'll practice my emergency stops too then. Haven't done one since my MOD1, and that was at 35mph.
For hard braking front brake and banging it down the gearbox at the same time
If you want to learn how to brake, do a trackday 🙂
Donnigton would be particularly good for that. Two big stops in a row Foggy Esses then the Melbourne loop 🙂
16stonepig
Subscriber
Maybe I’ll practice my emergency stops too then. Haven’t done one since my MOD1, and that was at 35mph.
Do so please - its the best thing you can do to make you safer. With practice ( depending a bit on the bike) yo should be able to come to a halt with the front wheel "chirping" as it scrabbles for grip and the rear tyre just skimming the surface. don't bang the brake on - squeeeeeeeze it because as the braking load increases weight is transferred to the front wheel and thus you can brake more so the braking force needs to build over a few fractions of a second.
What an interesting thread this has evolved in to. As an older rider with very limited experience on a M/C but 40-odd years of driving and riding pushbikes some of the advice from much more experienced riders is great. Keep it coming!
I'm having a 121 session with an advanced motor cycle trainer on Friday, organised through Norfolk county Council. I don't know if they are available in other areas. The guy is employed as a Road Safety Officer which he took up after a career as a motorcycle police officer. He comes very highly recommended and I cannot wait. I will report back.
There is also the BikeSafe safety initiative - I'll be doing this shortly, will let you know how I get on also.
With ABS fitted, you just need to weigh anchor and stand on everything as hard as you can, let the computer do the work.
It was bizarre though. I was the only thing on the road in his field of view. He stopped, as if he knew he couldn’t just complete the turn. Then he carried on before I got there.
As well as the advice about hard braking, when approaching a hazard like this a long hoot of the horn, even before they move, is a valuable warning.
Been getting the miles in, seem to be quite fortuitous with the weather. Still perusing new bikes but every time I ride mine I wonder what I'm missing, does everything I want it to do!
Hopefully going to make a concerted effort to seek further training. Anyone embarked on any? Local group (RoSPA) seems quite good. I've got the police handbook, going to try to read a bit more and practice.
Need to wait till I get back though, off to Barcelona for the MotoGP 😀 original plan was Mugello and what a corker that would have been.
Hi All, hope you're all making the most of the weather and getting out there!
I have a question for the more experienced riders...
When did you get your first really fast bike? I'm having fun on my Kawasaki, but I'm looking to change-up to a sports bike or super naked as I've always wanted one and i can afford it...
....However, my insurance quotes leap from £320 for a Z750 to over £1000 for anything remotely sporty (Street triple, KTM 790) or £1800, or we won't insure you on bikes like Aprilia RSV's, Super Duke's...
My main motivation to change is for a better bike with ABS and a waranty but even though i have 3 years no-claims and clean driving record they don't take into account your "regular licence" experience.
So should I just go and buy the "Turbonutterbastardbike" I want? (I thought the days of spending that much on insurance were over!) Or get something else like a MT07 and get bored on it?
My 1st bike was a street triple 675, I've had my licence for 5 years now and have a Street Triple 765RS. Insurance is £265 fully comp. 42yo Leicestershire.
I did fancy a BMW 1000r but insurance was double and when I test rode one I felt the RS a much better bike for me, I certainly don't want for any more power on the road than the 123bhp it has.
I went from a 125 for 6 months/8000 miles, then to a 400cc 50bhp Honda (0-60 in 5 seconds, top speed of 115mph) for nearly 2 years and 30k miles, then added a 1000cc tuono vtwin (140bhp, bags of torque), then finally swapped the CB400 for a VFR800 6 months later.
From CBT in April 2014 until now (age 38) the most over ever paid for insurance was £500 for the tuono, with 1 years no claims. Now paying £209 with 4 years NCB.
The rear brake does next to nothing compared to the front brake to slow you down.
As mountain-bikers, we should know this instinctively!
You really shouldn't be getting bored on the recent crop of mid-weight bikes. From the KTM690 to the MT-07 they're an absolute blast to ride. Weirdly though you mention the KTM790 in the bigger class despite not being much more powerful than the MT07.
New bikes are 'better' in the same way that new modern MTBs are simply better than their older counterparts. Frame materials, geometry, componentry. It all just works better on modern bikes. I've owned and ridden enough 'older' but not that much older motorbikes and sure, they're ace, but they feel their age.
To answer the question, my first bike was a ZXR400 and i moved to a GSXR-600 after about 18months of ownership, within a year of that i moved to a Honda Fireblade.
I've gone the reverse from there and my current/recent bikes have been KTM 690s and KTM790s. The 790 is just fantastic to ride, Quickshifter, autblipper, slipper clutch, etc etc.. .Marvellous.
I went vfr750 (first bike) -> zzr1100 -> cbr1100xx where I've got a bit stuck. I did a 5 day learn to pass course inc cbt then passed on the Friday picked the vfr up on the Saturday and didn't die. I had been driving cars for well over 10 years and was in my 30's though which both helped (I think).
I do a lot of touring mainly on an S1000XR at the moment, however I really like the idea of a KTM 790 R an doing some touring that takes in some off road sections. I have not been off road on a motorbike though since I was about 12 🙂
I feel for people who have stupid in insurance premiums, I have a Bennets multi bike policy, The 2015 S1000XR, 2013 Tuono and 2015 RSV4 Factory was £350 for all of them.
I was annoyed when they charged me £35 extra when I switched the RSV4 for a Street Triple 765 RS earlier this year.
Interesting to see that “wobble” in the vid ^^ I just thought motorbikes did that to warm up their tyres..
A bloke at my club said he did it too.. to make himself seen..
Thanks for the replies😀 I was just planning my next bike (this is STW after all!) and I was wondering wether to wait to scratch the super bike itch or do it while I’m still young (relatively! At 43!)
I have ridden the KTM 790 already and really liked it, but will ride the Superduke as I’ve already ridden the Tuono 1100 RR (my favourite so far but not sure it’s 3k + better)
I’ve only heard good things about the MT07 so looking forward to riding one as it might be a “better value Duke 790”...
It’s unfair to say I’m bored of my Kawasaki, but as it’s an older model, there’s a few things that don’t really stand comparison with newer bikes.
I have a 790 Duke (passed my test in April) and have recently purchased a MT07 Tracer for year round commuting duties. The Tracer is an incredible bike - quick, handles nicely and very nice to ride. However, for riding thrills the Duke is so much more exhilarating to ride. No doubt the MT07 is a very, very good bike, I'm not sure I'd class it as a "better value Duke 790"...
Well, my new bike turned up a couple of weeks ago and finally got out for a decent spin this evening. 1199 Panigale. I sold my fireblade a few years ago and swore blind I’d never bother with ‘big’ bikes again.
Plan this time was to buy a snotter 600 and convert it to track use. This changed to a decent 600 and now I’ve got a very pretty and massively unreliable 1199 sat outside. I literally have no self control and I’m a danger to myself.
It’s very pretty though..
Bloody hell, get you! The original 996 was a spectacular thing of beauty. If the Pani is anywhere near as nice, it'll be lovely. Enjoy <git> 😉
Hahah thanks. I’ll be honest - it flat out scares me. The drive in 3rd gear is immense - the thing just keeps pulling.
I was dead set on getting an s1000rr but as good as I know it is, It just left me feeling a bit..numb. Maybe because I know I’ll never be good enough to make use of even half the power it has. It’s a similar story with the Ducati, but it’s a lovely thing just to look at whilst having a brew.
I’m really pleased/terrified with it!
Looks like I will have to read through this thread as well. After 15 years of anti-motorbike sentiment from Mrs TGA she is now on board with the idea. Theory test done - that wasn’t invented when I did my car test - and CBT yesterday, after which the instructor booked the Mod 1 test for me. Funny that so many are saying the big bikes are easier to ride - that’s exactly what I found when I went on the SV650 once we’d finished yesterday. My father in law has a rarely used 2013 Triumph Bonneville in his garage so that’ll be what I’m using to start with.
1199, most terrifying bike i've had the pleasure to thrash in Germany... Awesome awesome thing.
Funny that so many are saying the big bikes are easier to ride
Easier but less fun. My two favourite bikes were a Suzuki Gamma 250, which was ludicrously underpowered by my mates big bikes but handled amazingly if kept "just right" and a Ducati Pantah 600 that also lacked overall power but delivered what it had in such a way that I actually learnt to drift corners in the wet.
Just ridden to my mums in Suffolk on the Panigale. I’ll be honest - riding m25/a12 was the definition of misery in this heat and the throttle is horrendous - it simply won’t sit on part throttle. I’m also pretty sure I’ll now never be able to have kids - that exhaust has pretty much cooked my knackers. Oh, and there’s zero wind protection, the clipons are at a weird angle that gives me ****ers cramp and the position is designed for a 5ft nothing slim Italian guy/girl (which I am not).
I flippin love it!
Mainly on account of
A) the 3 people that walked over to look at it when I stopped for petrol chatting to me about it
B) the pace and handling of the thing on the B roads in Suffolk.
It just wants to wheelie everywhere, the pull on the thing is something else and it makes me laugh like an idiot pretty much the whole time.
Bikes. Are. Ace.
Who knows if this’ll work
The 998s was no better in riding position and only comfortable above 80 MPH. And the short travel suspension did not like doing mountain passes .....
Just bought one of these
https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/motorcycles/classic/bonneville-scrambler-1200/scrambler-1200-xe
It will mean I am off Weeksy's list for a while ....
That is a stunning bike.
I hope you enjoy every second of owning it.
👍👍🤪
Hells teeth that’s some money isn’t it! Lovely thing though, I bet it’s lovely to ride. Triumph are on a roll at the moment, I just wish they’d do a 765 Daytona.
Cheers BB, I’m sure I’ll be less pleased with it when it breaks (which it will), but right now I’m a happy camper! (Assuming the comment was to me - if it wasn’t, well - my comment still stands!)