The Motorbikerist Thread

[JLv3.0]

BMW quote 207 at the crank - to save the drama, it made 206 at the back wheel in that vid on a conservative dyno. BMW horses are like Porsche ones - bigger

[Barry]

Considering my personal benchmark is the old Suzuki with roughly 160rwhp, and that was silly IMO, adding 40+hp to that had my jaw on the deck. Bonkers for a road bike.

[NotoriousREV]

Had the KTM in for its first big service (9k miles). Cost me £320 and included a software update that took an hour on its own. No idea what it actually did.

It has to go back in to them in a few weeks to have the rear wheel hub replaced under warranty because it has excessive play, but not enough for me to stop riding it, apparently. They’re also going to replace the rear tyre pressure sensor that the tyre fitter destroyed a few weeks back, but that I’d forgotten to mention.

I’d taken it to Colwyn Bay KTM, so had a lovely ride home via Betws-y-coed, Ruthin and Mold.

[NotoriousREV]

Also, they had this rarity in (sold already). Subtly updated with USD forks and a modern-sized rear tyre.

4D916670-6A50-4AC6-AE1F-4C65F1AE2BD7.jpeg (160.97 KiB) Viewed 2706 times

[Barry]

I used Colwyn bay, nice people as far as it goes. Always some cool kit in their showroom.

[NotoriousREV]

Yeah, they’re nice there. Although I wasn’t impressed to get a “Front tyre pressure high” warning after a few enthusiastic corners. 45psi. Wtf? No wonder it felt a bit flighty.

[JLv3.0]

Yeah it seems to be a prerequisite to become a tyre fitter - zero comprehension of correct tyre pressures.

[NotoriousREV]

Yeah it seems to be a prerequisite to become a tyre fitter - zero comprehension of correct tyre pressures.

Which would be excusable if they’d actually fitted tyres. They hadn’t. They’d obviously just pumped it up during the service.

[JLv3.0]

Oh! Yes that's even worse then!

[V8Granite]

Do they not have to put them at recommended pressures ?

I can’t remember the numbers but as a super novice I set the pressures to the reccomended ones but after speaking to some people I took around 20% out of each end and the bike was miles better.

My Defender is the same, 45psi reccomended in the rear, it doesn’t even need that when fully loaded with a ton.

What are manufacturers logic for this, I don’t ever hear of the same situation with normal cars ?

Dave!

[JLv3.0]

Recommended pressures seem to be for minimum wear at maximum load. The Honda and the BMW both called for 36F/42R which is way too high.

[V8Granite]

Recommended pressures seem to be for minimum wear at maximum load. The Honda and the BMW both called for 36F/42R which is way too high.

That rings true as I had the Kawasaki less than 30 on the front and around 30 on the rear.

Dave!

[tim]

Recommended pressures seem to be for minimum wear at maximum load. The Honda and the BMW both called for 36F/42R which is way too high.

Oddly, if I deviate from 36/42 on my RT it handles like a pig. Yet the S1000R is loads better with 10 psi out.

[NotoriousREV]

I tend to go for 32f/36r. 45 front is ridiculous. Can't remember what the recommended is.

[NotoriousREV]

I’ve booked onto a training day in July with Rapid Training, who I think are mates of HBPhil(?). Anyway, £95 for a full day with 5 track sessions and 5 classroom sessions at Three Sisters in Wigan. They say it’s road-biased training but being taught on a track. All proceeds go to Mission Motorsport so all in all a great deal, with a good cause benefiting.

[Barry]

I'm booked now too, paid up last night. A few of the Rapid guys were/are part of HPC if memory serves me, Andy Morrison for one.

Bargain for a five session training day IMO, the charity aspect is even better.

Never ridden Three Sisters track so this should be interesting too, going round in a car was hairy in places.

[tim]

Sounds good - more training the better.

[JLv3.0]

Yeah it seems to be a prerequisite to become a tyre fitter - zero comprehension of correct tyre pressures.

Checked mine before a blat this morning as it's the first time I've used the bike since they were fitted.

26R 19F

FFS It's not like tyre pressures are difficult!!

[mik]

I use a small local tyre place where they are happy for you to be hanging around in the workshop as they do the job. They pay much more attention to balancing when you are having a general "car chat" (and I can check the machine is set to dynamic and some numbnut isnt just doing a static balance). They always ask me what pressures I want in the tyres.

Not that they necessarily hit the right pressure every time, but its better than other places I have tried.

[JLv3.0]

I always linger for the balancing but not for the pressures. Rightly or wrongly I just figure it will piss the guy off, even if they are invariably so wildly wrong it has to be on purpose.