Motors Motorcycle Mayhem

Might be wrong, but I don't think @mrlongbeard has ever talked about that Harley before...

/s

 

The new one, the 100% stock one, the one I haven't ridden (honest dear), the one I haven't posted about here before, the Kawasaki, the black one, the one which has a total engine capacity smaller than one of my cylinders

 

Ooh soz, having only skimmed this thread for the last couple of years there's not a great deal of info that sprang to mind, and both are immaculate-looking. Perhaps I'll sod off.

Be interesting to see if the Vulcan is faster.

 

Cool your jets

In stock trim the Harley has it by 10mph at top speed, Google says the Harley would finish 2nd in a 1/4 mile drag by 0.2 seconds.
Of course that with both in stock trim, mine has a few mods (zorst & filter) that would help, and I have a tuner to delete the speed limiter, alter the fuel tables and raise the rev range should I choose to partake in such shenanigans

 

I'm just being a sarcastic tit, no malice intended

 

Day out with the wife
PXL_20220820_113204637_2 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

 

And the Harley will have to go back, they forgot to put the oil leak in it !

 

My GV650 has just gone into the shop for a full service, fork seals and tyres. Dreading the bill. And then after that I've gotta source an OEM exhaust on it, because the previous muppet owner put a terrible ill-fitting aftermarket one on it that melts in the rain and hits the ground if you corner too hard.

I hate the lack of options in exhausts for bikes in the UK. In the US there's apparently a whole cottage industry of local metalworkers just making custom pipes per request. Over here there's naff all, just horrible, overpriced, deafening, melt-in-the-rain Italian bits. I really wanted to get an aftermarket pipe that was quiet and well-made, but that's not a thing that exists.

Sadly the OEM pipes are South Korean, like the rest of the GV650, which means it will probably melt in the rain too. But that's just what I deserve for buying a Korean bike.

 

Probably to do with noise & emission regulations. I'd imagine that's a state-by-state thing in the US.

Doesn't stop the scummy little twats round here from taking the baffles out of their aftermarket exhaust and revving their pissy little 50cc engines into an early grave.

 

In the US there are so many cruisers that it's an industry worth taking up - how many Harley/Indian projects etc turn up at bike shows?

Over here they're a relatively niche type, so the custom parts are harder to come by.

One solution might be to get a custom exhaust fabricator to have a crack at it - I've got a Tony Law system on my car, and they do proper race car manifolds with lovely organic bends etc, then once that's done send it off to get it chromed.

 

The roads have been great today

PXL_20220919_103105009 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

 

Couldn't work out why you'd stuck a massive Post-It note on your bike. Took me a minute to realise that's the number plate

 

A little crisp, but roads were dry and the sun was trying

2022-10-14_01-31-04 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

 

There are worse ways to spend a chilly November Friday;

I really do not fit a Grom;
PXL_20221125_120215775 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

And adding a passenger really won't help
PXL_20221125_120236712 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

This looks like it might be good when / if it gets released
PXL_20221125_121902983 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

PXL_20221125_121916424 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

Ocean going liners are smaller
PXL_20221125_124837904 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

 

I'm a diehard Grom fan, always wanted one. Just couldn't justify spending several grand on essentially a toy, that can only do 50mph and would make me less visible to drivers, instigating a constant overtake fight I'd always lose. If they made a 200cc Grom I'd be hunting.

My wife is a shortarse and it was also the only bike she ever sat on that truly fitted her properly. It sort of broke biking for her, because she realised what it'd be like to have a bike designed for someone her height, after which normal YBR125s and such seemed intolerably leggy. Biking was always like wearing someone else's shoes for her.

Also I'm sure I've said it before somewhere but kudos on your beard, it really is a symphonic achievement in facial hair.

 

Cruise control fitted and coded to ECU

PXL_20230219_131616193 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

 

Plenty of kits to stroke them out to bigger capacity, could be a good project.

 

Just had a quick look at them; interestingly one of the upgrade kits also boosts it to four valves per cylinder, for a total of eh, four valves.

 

Think I've decided on the rocket 3, going to have a look at this today.


The only concern I have is… I don’t have a garage, but I do have a large driveway with a transit van that sits around doing nothing. My plans are to stick the transit on the driveway, remove 2 wheels and stick it on jacks, then secure the inside and use it as a makeshift garage, which brings me to the final issue, getting the bike into and out of the van. Do you guys think it would be feasible using a ramp to get it in and out of the van? As it’s a rather heavy motorcycle.