All our yesterdays...

[J0hn]

Got a test ride on this next Saturday:



Hope I can afford it soon

Meantime I'm having a good time on the 'old' GPZ



and yes - the diet is coming on fine, thanks! Over 10kg lost this last year! And no, it wasn't off my head!

[dodger]

Hi John,

Well let us know how the ride went,

The name Triumph bought back memories of my youth http://www.go-faster.com/TriumphT110.html the last photo of 606 GPU is a cracker and i had a bull bar fitted and can still remember being so chuffed of having the new Blue Spot Spotlamps that lit the roads up a treat, of course nowadays lamps are old hat!

Sunday mornings polishing away, i also had an ex army Royal Enfield still in kharki, i wish i still had it.

There were no "Hells Angles" just lads meeting at a Pie stall in our town showing off the bikes and i remember a lad arriving with his new BSA Gold Star, chrome tank and short handle bars and boy did that sound the "Bees Knees"[ where did that come from}

Thanks for sharing and sorry to bore you

Roger.

[Airspeed]

ROGER!
Don't apologise for boring us!

We like you boring us!

....no - that's what I meant to say...

[J0hn]

Absolutely

It's a shame I can't buy last year's Steve McQueen edition - it's a single seater and Mrs JD would not be impressed!

[DaveB]

It's a pity I can't afford to buy ANY version! I'm stuck with the Daytona which is not your best commuter transport This said, I had a Bonnie as a courtesy bike (the pictures are probably still live on the thread here somewhere) and while this didn't punish the wrists like the Daytona does, I wasn't what I'd call the most comfortable steed I'd ridden either. The bike shop was around 17miles from where I lived.. all perfect bike roads.. and my butt had had enough by the time I got home Still.. I'm only 4.5miles from work now and it'd be ok on such a small distance. One day...

EDIT: Here's the thread showing the Bonnie SE.. http://www.cbfsim.co.uk/cbfs_bb/viewtop ... le#p246992

ATB
Dave

[J0hn]

That is exactly what was putting me off going for one earlier, Dave, though I've seen some with very comfy looking Corbin seats on (around £400 though!).

It was also the first thing I noticed in the showroom - the 2014 bikes have new seats. Having said that, they still don't look that thick, so if I do decide to buy one, it will be with the Corbin fitted. It's a shame I don't really like the current Tigers, though - it was definitely the best and most versatile bike I've owned. On the other hand, I'd really like the current Sprint ST - but at £15k it's a little on the pricey side.

Nice pics, btw - and I see the seat looks the same on that 2011 SE as it does on this years' bike! Hmmmm.... last year's was smooth and thin. Well, no matter - Corbin will take my money, regardless!

[DaveB]

Hi JD

The thought of having to fork out £400 for a new seat just kills my enthusiasm although as I said above, with the riding I do these days, a new seat would be unnecessary. The SE was a lot of fun the day I had it. Front end was a bit springy.. perhaps I was going to quick Still.. the engine was sweet and much better than I'd expected. Another bonus was the height of the seat (or lack of). I could cock my leg over it with ease.. something I can't do with the 675. Once I'm on.. I'm on I found it a bit naff that a main stand was an extra. Side stands are great until you come to do something around the rear end.. like oil the chain for example

ATB
Dave

[J0hn]

Soft springs are not good news on the bumpy roads around here! Maybe I could just do the same as I did with my first GPZ when we went touring on it. I took off the seat cover and put a couple of layers of foam on the seat, then stretched the cover back over it. It looked a bit odd, but it was many more miles to numb bum!

This one was a gem for retro serenity:



My Kwakker Zephyr 750. Such a joy to ride, with only two faults - firstly it was a bit too low, so the mainstand used to scrape on the road around tight roundabouts, two-up. Then there was the 5 speed gearbox. It was brilliant around town - just put it in 4th and leave it there, but on the motorways and main A-roads I was continually trying to select the non-existent 6th gear. It's funny, really, because on the GPZ I'm always trying to select the non-existent 7th gear!

Seriously, though, although the GPZ is only a 500 twin, when you are in a low gear and get the revs up, at about 8,000 it suddenly bolts away like a turbo kick, straight up to the red line. It's a great feeling (though not for Mrs JD).

I definitely wouldn't say no to another Zephyr, mind.

[DaveB]

No, me neither.. I've always liked the Zephyr:-)


Re gears.. I'm always looking for another gear on the 675. For a given speed, it runs about 1500rpm higher than the 955i!
ATB
Dave:-)

[J0hn]

My first ever powered two-wheeler - why do I always feel embarassed to call it a "bike"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc_N1CNCJP8

That got me the bug. My test ride was on an iced over car park and I just couldn't get that silly grin off my face!

It was more embarassing a couple of weeks later, when I stopped at some traffic lights one sunny evening. A police van was at the lights opposite the junction. When the lights turned green, I revved up like mad and let the clutch out - the front came right up and I landed on my back, with the bike falling to the side. The worse bit, was when I got up and tried to get back on it, I fell straight over the other side!

The police van just drove past and off down the road and I could just picture them laughing their cotton socks off inside. Early humility - lesson learned!