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[Dougald]

I know I'm in the minority but I don't like tail tidies either. But I'm one of those weirdos who likes his bike totally stock

I'm off to Honda today to look at the Grom with my 4'10" friend. She had a little ride on a CB125F in a car park and could just get one foot down, so I'm optimistic the grom is the bike for her

If only they released the Z125 Pro in Europe she'd have a choice. A rare case of the USA getting a cool bike that we don't!

 

[nico1982]

I know I'm in the minority but I don't like tail tidies either.

Same here. The stock plate holder usually keeps the plate away from the bike. It is much more clean looking. The tidy basically merges the plate into the bike.

I'm off to Honda today to look at the Grom with my 4'10" friend. She had a little ride on a CB125F in a car park and could just get one foot down, so I'm optimistic the grom is the bike for her

Honda Rebel 300 and 500? Both have a 70 cm high and very narrow seat. She must like that kind of bike, though...

 

[SatansReverence]

Same here. The stock plate holder usually keeps the plate away from the bike. It is much more clean looking. The tidy basically merges the plate into the bike.

They almost always look like some droopy growth to me haha.

Couldnt stand the factory WR setup.

 

[Dougald]

Honda Rebel 300 and 500? Both have a 70 cm high and very narrow seat. She must like that kind of bike, though...

She does like cruisers, but she's limited to a 125 bike as she's only doing her CBT and probably won't move on to a license for a few years. The bike will be used mostly for commuting so power isn't so much of an issue as she'll rarely be going over 40mph.

After a trip over to Honda she's dead set on a Grom now. Could get both balls of her feet on the floor so I think it's perfect for her

 

[Watevaman]

Got going on a valve check/adjustment on the rex yesterday. First thing I saw when I took off the tank was this:

Needless to say, my plans to have the bike together and rideable this week are put on hold until I can order that part and stitch the wiring back together.

 

[Dougald]

Damn man, what the hell happened there?

 

[Watevaman]

If I had to guess, I'd say a mouse. I live in a rural area so I guess my bike being in the shed was a nice shelter

 

[blackprophesy]

She does like cruisers, but she's limited to a 125 bike as she's only doing her CBT and probably won't move on to a license for a few years. The bike will be used mostly for commuting so power isn't so much of an issue as she'll rarely be going over 40mph.

After a trip over to Honda she's dead set on a Grom now. Could get both balls of her feet on the floor so I think it's perfect for her

The Grom is so cool. If I still lived in London I'd still have mine. Up to 40mph it's a blast.

 

[Stevey]

If I had to guess, I'd say a mouse. I live in a rural area so I guess my bike being in the shed was a nice shelter

The tiny storage tray under the pillion seat in my Firebolt has been chewed by a mouse

 

[Fallout-NL]

Got going on a valve check/adjustment on the rex yesterday. First thing I saw when I took off the tank was this:

Needless to say, my plans to have the bike together and rideable this week are put on hold until I can order that part and stitch the wiring back together.

Hmm, that's a bummer.

Still, should be more easily fixed than this:

https://youtu.be/slp1LldDbr4

 

[Dougald]

Hmm, that's a bummer.

Still, should be more easily fixed than this:

https://youtu.be/slp1LldDbr4

That sounds like a damn London Underground train! Any idea on the source?

 

[Fallout-NL]

That sounds like a damn London Underground train! Any idea on the source?

Still hunting, but this is what we've done/eliminated so far:

- Switched out the pulley from the tensioner: no difference

- Switched to a different rear wheel: no difference

- Brought the engine up to speed without the belt fitted: that did make a difference, no sound, but also no load on the front pulley and axle

Since the sound with both wheels is exactly the same, a problem with (wheel) bearings seems unlikely - even though the sound is gone when the wheel and belt are not connected. Could be explained by the lack of load on the front pulley and that the bearings there are sadly at fault.


So yeah, the fear is that it's the bearings of the output shaft (that goes from gearbox to front pulley) - the hope is that it's something in the clutch assembly that's making that horrible racket.

Spoiler

Because on XB models, it's very hard to get at those output shaft bearings without splitting cases.

 

[OraleeWey]

Hey guys, how's it going? So it finally happened. I had to lay here down... literally.

As I was backing her up into that shed that's still a work in progress, on the incline/step you can see, I lost her. I had to lower her down and gently laid her down. I couldn't counter balance her. She's getting heavy now. Thankfully, all my protection I added earlier did its job and saved me some headaches. But jeez, I never expected my bike to go down in my backyard...

Not a lot of damage. Only damage is a broken right hand side mirror and some bar end damage. I guess now I have an excuse to get the doubletake mirrors I always wanted but could never justify the $125 price tag...

On some more positive news, I finally got my center stand and installed it today. There was no way I could have done it without my helper.

She supervised me and made sure everything went well and smooth. Getting the bike on the center stand is not an easy task though. Let's just say I might not do it very often. I have some unnecessary weight on the bike that I should probably get rid of. Anyway, look at how happy my supervisor is of the end result.

Very tired, but happy!

Cleaning the chain will be so much easier, hell yes! Also, I would like to take this opportunity to praise kerosene. That thing is such a beast for cleaning the chain. No other product comes close. Dirt, mud, oil, just comes right off before you even begin to scrape the chain.

 

[Dougald]

An embarrassing drop when you were parking the bike? You've still only done that half the number of times I have! Glad to hear the damage was minor

10/10 for the pics of the dog!


My face has almost healed up since my wisdom teeth were removed now, I should be able to get a helmet on this weekend and make the most of the rare >20C weather we're currently enjoying in England.

 

[OraleeWey]

Enjoy those rides! The weather here has been getting hotter, 95F/35C. It's not even summer yet...

 

[Dougald]

Glad to see you got the centre on okay too. Have you mastered getting it up yet, or is it still a struggle? It took me a good year of practice before I could reliably do it

 

[OraleeWey]

Glad to see you got the centre on okay too. Have you mastered getting it up yet, or is it still a struggle? It took me a good year of practice before I could reliably do it

Barely installed it today, I got it up there once and that's it (as seen on the last picture). Hopefully it's just a matter of practice because it definitely seems hard. It was just really hot and I was soaking with sweat... But yeah I'm really happy with it and definitely should have gotten it sooner.

I did have an issue though, one of the bolt holes wasn't on the right place so I had to make it a little bit bigger. Easy installation other than the additional step.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Hey guys, how's it going? So it finally happened. I had to lay here down... literally.



As I was backing her up into that shed that's still a work in progress, on the incline/step you can see, I lost her. I had to lower her down and gently laid her down. I couldn't counter balance her. She's getting heavy now. Thankfully, all my protection I added earlier did its job and saved me some headaches. But jeez, I never expected my bike to go down in my backyard...

Not a lot of damage. Only damage is a broken right hand side mirror and some bar end damage. I guess now I have an excuse to get the doubletake mirrors I always wanted but could never justify the $125 price tag...

On some more positive news, I finally got my center stand and installed it today. There was no way I could have done it without my helper.

She supervised me and made sure everything went well and smooth. Getting the bike on the center stand is not an easy task though. Let's just say I might not do it very often. I have some unnecessary weight on the bike that I should probably get rid of. Anyway, look at how happy my supervisor is of the end result.

Very tired, but happy!

Cleaning the chain will be so much easier, hell yes! Also, I would like to take this opportunity to praise kerosene. That thing is such a beast for cleaning the chain. No other product comes close. Dirt, mud, oil, just comes right off before you even begin to scrape the chain.

drops basically always happen in the garage and driveway I feel. you put your guard down and the next thing you know your foot slips on gravel.

also, everyone remember to put sunblock on when you go for a ride, even in the morning. The sun comes up quick and it is getting hot fast these days. I had to ride twice today in 90f weather and I think I burned a little.

 

[Scotch]

drops basically always happen in the garage and driveway I feel. you put your guard down and the next thing you know your foot slips on gravel.

also, everyone remember to put sunblock on when you go for a ride, even in the morning. The sun comes up quick and it is getting hot fast these days. I had to ride twice today in 90f weather and I think I burned a little.

I can't help but think it's ironic that you're riding with exposed skin and are worried about sunburn, but apparently not about road burn.

Personally I'm riding in full gear always, doesn't matter how hot it is. You can wear light jackets and light gloves, that are still better than no protection at all.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

I can't help but think it's ironic that you're riding with exposed skin and are worried about sunburn, but apparently not about road burn.

Personally I'm riding in full gear always, doesn't matter how hot it is. You can wear light jackets and light gloves, that are still better than no protection at all.

Haha, you have a point. I've not been riding with gloves recently and I have a 3/4th helmet so my face is exposed to quite a bit of sun. Also I'm guilty for riding with no jacket the other day. Those 8pm rides in the high 80s just feel too good.

 

[shortcomings]

What do people think about current 125cc?
I'm very torn between buying one and using it with my car licence, or taking the motorcycle license and buying a 250-300cc.
For example, over here the yamaha mt-125 cost 5k and the mt-03 is 5.5k.

 

[Dougald]

Depends on your use-case, frankly. If you're going to be mostly doing short commuting and town riding then they're perfectly fine. I wouldn't want a 125 bike for mostly motorway riding or long distance though.

Barely installed it today, I got it up there once and that's it (as seen on the last picture). Hopefully it's just a matter of practice because it definitely seems hard. It was just really hot and I was soaking with sweat... But yeah I'm really happy with it and definitely should have gotten it sooner.

I did have an issue though, one of the bolt holes wasn't on the right place so I had to make it a little bit bigger. Easy installation other than the additional step.

It's all in the foot, you only need your hands to steady the bike. I generally hold the left handlebar and left passenger grabrail (if the bike has one), then just put as much pressure as I can on the centre with my right foot. With practice it'll pop up with hardly any effort every time.

If you have a lot of trouble, my top tip for heavy bikes until you get the technique right is to stick a 2x4 or something under the rear wheel so it's higher than the front of the bike. Makes it much easier.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Haha, you have a point. I've not been riding with gloves recently and I have a 3/4th helmet so my face is exposed to quite a bit of sun. Also I'm guilty for riding with no jacket the other day. Those 8pm rides in the high 80s just feel too good.

For the love of god, at the very least wear some gloves.

 

[shortcomings]

Depends on your use-case, frankly. If you're going to be mostly doing short commuting and town riding then they're perfectly fine. I wouldn't want a 125 bike for mostly motorway riding or long distance though.

It's mostly city use, and ocasional secondary roads around town. I don't think I'll be going on the highway, probably don't even want to.
I'll have to see about the difference in maintenance and insurance costs.

 

[Fallout-NL]

It's mostly city use, and ocasional secondary roads around town. I don't think I'll be going on the highway, probably don't even want to.
I'll have to see about the difference in maintenance and insurance costs.

Between a 300 and a 125 the difference is negligible probably, especially because most of the costs are due to the hours someone spends working on your bike.

If you're planning to use the bike for city traffic, a 125 is fine, maybe even perfect. But I wouldn't take it much further than that.

 

[Dougald]

If you'll regularly be going more than 60mph then definitely look into the 300, otherwise I suspect a 125 will be fine for your uses. The 125 will use the least petrol by far, a couple of quid will get you a long way. Maintenance, like Fallout says, is probably negligible in difference for standard servicing.

Then if you want something quicker you can trade up to a 500 or 600cc bike when you get your license

 

[OraleeWey]

Depends on your use-case, frankly. If you're going to be mostly doing short commuting and town riding then they're perfectly fine. I wouldn't want a 125 bike for mostly motorway riding or long distance though.




It's all in the foot, you only need your hands to steady the bike. I generally hold the left handlebar and left passenger grabrail (if the bike has one), then just put as much pressure as I can on the centre with my right foot. With practice it'll pop up with hardly any effort every time.

If you have a lot of trouble, my top tip for heavy bikes until you get the technique right is to stick a 2x4 or something under the rear wheel so it's higher than the front of the bike. Makes it much easier.

Sweet. Thanks for the tips, I'll try it out and let you know.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

Recently full reg'd my WR450. Unforunately that meant using the original and awful ugly numberplate bracket

Cost me a whole $1!

Fellow Australian rider, nice bike

I've been pretty quiet in this thread, mostly just lurking. Haven't made any changes to the CB300F beyond new headlights, indicator covers and some decals. Won't upgrade anytime soon because I can't own anything bigger than a 660 until January 2019

Spoiler

It's bullshit.

and I can't really justify an upgrade to a 500 or whatever right now. Maybe next year or something haha. I might be buying a 40ltr rollbag to throw on the back when I'm shopping, crashing at a mates or camping or whatever. Something like this:

http://www.sharkleathers.com.au/motodry-zxr-1-rollbag-40ltr.html

Figured that plus a backpack is an adequate storage solution for whatever I need. Does anyone have a particular recommendation for whether a soft top bag or a hard case is better?

I've put around 4000km on it since I bought it, really enjoying the experience.

Haha, you have a point. I've not been riding with gloves recently and I have a 3/4th helmet so my face is exposed to quite a bit of sun. Also I'm guilty for riding with no jacket the other day. Those 8pm rides in the high 80s just feel too good.

Jeez, man. I won't ride without my full face helmet, jacket, gloves and boots at a minimum. I usually wear kevlar jeans but I've been guilty of wearing regular jeans or chinos if they're in the wash. I desperately need another pair or kevlar chinos but they're over $100 here.

I've got 3 different jackets now, a basic leather one I probably shouldn't really use but love for shorter rides, a kevlar hooded jacket with armour that's ideal for country roads and a basic motodry synthetic jacket if I think it might rain.

After a trip over to Honda she's dead set on a Grom now. Could get both balls of her feet on the floor so I think it's perfect for her

I know a short girl who owns a grom, she adores it.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Jeez, man. I won't ride without my full face helmet, jacket, gloves and boots at a minimum. I usually wear kevlar jeans but I've been guilty of wearing regular jeans or chinos if they're in the wash. I desperately need another pair or kevlar chinos but they're over $100 here.

I've got 3 different jackets now, a basic leather one I probably shouldn't really use but love for shorter rides, a kevlar hooded jacket with armour that's ideal for country roads and a basic motodry synthetic jacket if I think it might rain.

I see people riding in shorts, t-shirt and sandals around here :S

I own a Langlitz leather jacket and Langlitz leather pants but it is just too damn hot to wear them both in the afternoon. I don't like to ride outside my skill level so I'm willing to take a bit of risk by not leathering up. Probably should wear my gloves though.

I kinda wanna get a goatskin pants and jacket made by Langlitz and sized to fit over regular clothing so I can take it off once I get to my destination. Current pants are fitted to be not worn over anything.

 

[BriareosGAF]

I kinda wanna get a goatskin pants and jacket made by Langlitz and sized to fit over regular clothing so I can take it off once I get to my destination. Current pants are fitted to be not worn over anything.

I wear A* ventilated mesh gear with additional back protector over my work clothes (t-shirt and jeans or khakis). So far so good but I'm in Maine and it rarely gets up to 90F here in the summer (although it's been over 95F twice already this month, blech). Anecdotally holds up well in crash but haven't experienced it firsthand myself yet.

Would like to try a race suit sometime, though, just to get a sense of the difference. Also told my local dealer I'd be happy to be the first US A* customer for their cervical airbag collar if they can convince them to bring it over here...

 

[Subpar Scrub]

Yeah I see people in their boardies, thongs and lifting stringers flying around of their R1s frequently. Their loss when they come off I guess.

 

[SatansReverence]

Fellow Australian rider, nice bike

Cheers!

Been riding for many years in dirt now but only just decided to get onto the road.

Yeah I see people in their boardies, thongs and lifting stringers flying around of their R1s frequently. Their loss when they come off I guess.

Coming off on bitumen without decent protective gear is a mistake you'll only want to make once. That's if you even get a second chance.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Everyone going ATGATT right now. It's true though. No one sees an accident coming. I think I'll wear my gloves today haha.

 

[Watevaman]

I'm not ATGATT by any means, as I usually ride in jeans and regular shoes to work, but not wearing gloves is dumb. They're not only the cheapest item but also the one with the least inconvenience and protect the item most likely to get injured in a crash. Try falling down anywhere without putting your hands out.

 

[SatansReverence]

Everyone going ATGATT right now. It's true though. No one sees an accident coming. I think I'll wear my gloves today haha.

Whats ATGATT? I understand squid but not that.

Who else loves going for a ride and just taking photos?

*drools*

Just wish I had a better camera for it

 

[Widdle Puppy]

I'm not ATGATT by any means, as I usually ride in jeans and regular shoes to work, but not wearing gloves is dumb. They're not only the cheapest item but also the one with the least inconvenience and protect the item most likely to get injured in a crash. Try falling down anywhere without putting your hands out.

True. I decided to wear mine today and am going to keep them in my bag from now on.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

Whats ATGATT? I understand squid but not that.

Who else loves going for a ride and just taking photos?



*drools*

Just wish I had a better camera for it

"All the gear all the time" is what it stands for. Basically being a smart and safe rider

 

[OraleeWey]

Whats ATGATT? I understand squid but not that.

Who else loves going for a ride and just taking photos?



*drools*

Just wish I had a better camera for it

Nice bike. I like me some night time riding. I had some pics but I deleted them. My phone camera is just not good enough.

 

[King Gilga]

Doing your first ride in 9 months in 31 Celsius weather is great, so blissful.

And all I did was go to the gas station to put air into the tires and wash off all the cobwebs.

I know I'm in the minority but I don't like tail tidies either. But I'm one of those weirdos who likes his bike totally stock

I'm off to Honda today to look at the Grom with my 4'10" friend. She had a little ride on a CB125F in a car park and could just get one foot down, so I'm optimistic the grom is the bike for her

If only they released the Z125 Pro in Europe she'd have a choice. A rare case of the USA getting a cool bike that we don't!

I've heard really good things about the Benelli TNT 125 from the MSX/Grom crowd, it's a bit cheaper at £2k new too.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Who else loves going for a ride and just taking photos?

Yeah, I do. Went on a trip to Luxemburg / Germany last weekend, but I didn't feel like carrying my heavy camera sadly. Did take some pics today though, went to the beach with Scotch. Uly still out of action, so I took the Lightning:

Guy walked up to us as soon as we parked. Looking at the Buell he asked 'Blijft deze heel?' - by which he meant 'Is this one that doesn't break?'.

 

[Dougald]

I've heard really good things about the Benelli TNT 125 from the MSX/Grom crowd, it's a bit cheaper at £2k new too.

It's a very nice looking bike, but I always tend to discount them due to the fact they're designed by the Italians and made by the Chinese (and dealers are ad-hoc at best round here). At least Ducati has some German influence these days

After looking after a Lexmoto for 6 months I want nothing to do with Chinese vehicles for a long time...

Guy walked up to us as soon as we parked. Looking at the Buell he asked 'Blijft deze heel?' - by which he meant 'Is this one that doesn't break?'.

Lovely looking shots! Who cares about the reliability when they make you feel happy...

 

[Fallout-NL]

Lovely looking shots! Who cares about the reliability when they make you feel happy...

True!

And we'll get the Uly back on its feet again, I hope. Did some more digging Friday, but couldn't manage to find the source of the noise. Did manage to pretty much eliminate rear wheel, tensioner pulley and the entire clutch array (all in good shape). Which leaves the transmission or the output shaft bearings :-/. Just bad luck I guess. Even for a Buell, that's not a common thing to go.

 

[blackprophesy]

Speaking of ATGATT, this weather has prompted me to finally get full summer kit. New Rev'it Airwave jacket and pants, and Resurgence jeans.

I've got pretty much all Rev'it kit and really rate it, and it all zips together.

 

[Dougald]

It's been very hot this weekend (for England). I attempted to go out this morning but got stuck in slow traffic on the M25, even my full vented gear made no difference when you're sitting on a furnace Ducati.

Still love the bike though. I'll be sad to see it go when I inevitably replace it for no reason

 

[blackprophesy]

It's been very hot this weekend (for England). I attempted to go out this morning but got stuck in slow traffic on the M25, even my full vented gear made no difference when you're sitting on a furnace Ducati.

Still love the bike though. I'll be sad to see it go when I inevitably replace it for no reason

Yeah my Harley is a freaking nightmare in summer in traffic. Air cooled isn't so cool when there's no airflow. Or what little airflow there is is like a fan heater.

Still could be worse. One of my mates is currently in Dubai where it's 41 degrees.

 

[Watevaman]

ZRX is all back together after the valve adjustment. Also blocked off the air injection system, so popping that I had on decel should be gone/reduced now. Haven't had a chance to take it out yet but idling it up to temp, it sounds so much better. I thought it was running smooth before, but now it's like a different bike.

Maybe I will be able to pop a wheelie now.

Yeah my Harley is a freaking nightmare in summer in traffic. Air cooled isn't so cool when there's no airflow. Or what little airflow there is is like a fan heater.

Still could be worse. One of my mates is currently in Dubai where it's 41 degrees.

I had to ride on the sidewalk on my GS500 one time due to 4th of July traffic. It was a standstill and even at 9 PM, it was at least 90F (~32C). I could see actual smoke burning off from the little oil leak I had, so I just had to get some airflow.

 

[OraleeWey]

Yeah, I do. Went on a trip to Luxemburg / Germany last weekend, but I didn't feel like carrying my heavy camera sadly. Did take some pics today though, went to the beach with Scotch. Uly still out of action, so I took the Lightning:

Guy walked up to us as soon as we parked. Looking at the Buell he asked 'Blijft deze heel?' - by which he meant 'Is this one that doesn't break?'.

Nice photography as always! Thanks for sharing. I like the color scheme on both those bikes.

Edit: Is the blue translucent on the Buell? That looks really nice but I can't really tell. I think I see bolts IN the tank area (well, I know you said before that's not the tank, but I'm not sure what to call it).

 

[Fallout-NL]

Nice photography as always! Thanks for sharing. I like the color scheme on both those bikes.

Edit: Is the blue translucent on the Buell? That looks really nice but I can't really tell. I think I see bolts IN the tank area (well, I know you said before that's not the tank, but I'm not sure what to call it).

Thanks! And yeah, the bodywork is translucent, the blue bits anyway. The 'tank' is referred to as the 'airbox cover', because like you said, it's not the tank, but simply a housing for the air filter.

 

[OraleeWey]

Thanks! And yeah, the bodywork is translucent, the blue bits anyway. The 'tank' is referred to as the 'airbox cover', because like you said, it's not the tank, but simply a housing for the air filter.

Nice. Very cool. If it's not too much to ask, any chance I can get a closer shot of that?

 

[Widdle Puppy]

holy crap. just got home from riding in a downpour. Some of the most painful raindrops on my face ever. I had to pull over cause my goggles were so fogged.

What are some full face helmets yall recommend? Pref with a retro look.