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Bike Show - A Couple Of Thoughts.


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#1 Riggers

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Posted 18 November 2019 - 05:12 pm

Went to the NEC yesterday for the bike show with a few friends (which I thoroughly enjoyed), and thought I'd share a couple of observations wiv ya,

 

Firstly, I spent around 4 hours looking at what everybody had to offer re new bikes and I can honestly say I never saw anything that persuaded my to get rid of my 9er. In my opinion the only bike that came close was the Honda VFR800 Crossrunner, but I didn't think it was £10,000 worth better than me TDM!

 

Secondly, I've got a grumble about the MV stand. Now I reckon most people go to a bike show to have a little prod and a poke at bikes you're not likely to come across in your local Tesco car park. After all it's £25 to get in, and £12 to park your car so I reckon for that you've bought the right to sit on the bikes, feel the clutch, and twist the throttle. Well not on the MV stand. Oh no. Nearly all of 'em had 'DO NOT TOUCH' signs attached. To me it doesn't say much about the bikes if they can't be sat on!

 

Next there was a small stand showing off a prototype electric bike called an E.Twin. The ads said it would be governed to 70mph. Took 3 1/2 hours to charge and had a range of 100 miles between charges. Oh and it costs £40,000. Yep in case you didn't hear it £40,000. So  yesterday our journey from Hull to Brum and back was around 280 miles and in my car I easily did it on a tankful (Jag XF 3 litre petrol). Now had I been on this forty grand wonder bike I'd have spent 7 hours waiting for it to charge  IF I could have found charging points at just the right time. I think things are gonna have to become a lot better and cheaper before we all give up our green house gas creators.

 

And finally. I just loved the Triumph Bonneville 900 T100, the Thruxton 1200 (but could never ride it sadly due to the riding position), the Norton Commandos, and the Enfield Interceptors. All these fantastic retro bikes take me back to the originals I rode 40 odd years ago and make me wish they'd been as good then as they are now!

 

Great show.

 

Riggers.

 



#2 dapleb

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Posted 18 November 2019 - 05:18 pm

Lolzio...I was out at £8... That was obviously a few years ago.
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#3 fixitsan

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Posted 18 November 2019 - 05:44 pm

I would be keen on the Husqvarna Norden 901 if they go into production. I like the KTM 790 too, and now it's gone up to 890 it can only be better than the 790. The KTM890 engine powers the Norden 901

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for electric bikes, in the good old days of 1905, when there were more electric cars than there were petrol cars, an electric car could travel non stop coast to coast of the USA, by stopping every 40 miles at a battery change station, with a couple of attendants who took the heavy glass lead acid cells out and changed them for other they had charged overnight.

 

A really nice idea but it didn't scale well enough eventually as the cars became more popular.

 

Wind forward to recent years and project Better Place, kicked off by Isreali Shai Agassi, which promoted a standardised lithium battery and battery change stations. Long story short he went bust but got a lot of interest. I think this battery change station in Japan is still operational, which serviced a fleet of taxis (the perfect application for electric power)

 

 

 

As you can imagine, if you had a self driving electric car, especially as a taxi, which can change it's own battery, then you have a virtually staff free taxi service, so you lose the main cost overhead to any taxi company, the driver, and can probably make a lot of money.

 

And now I think bikes with changeable batteries are a way to go...but , £40000 ? I built my own electric bike for £400 ! (never got it road legal unfortunately so thats a major downside !) 

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Edited by fixitsan, 18 November 2019 - 05:50 pm.

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#4 catsbum

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Posted 19 November 2019 - 06:02 am

Yeah, you had me at £12.00......



#5 Riggers

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Posted 19 November 2019 - 08:56 am

Yeah, you had me at £12.00......

 

I should say there was a tenner off for those of a certain age making it 15 quid pour moi. Still not cheap though.

 

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#6 wicklamulla

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 07:59 am

flew over from Eire in 1993 fer the boike show and i've been anudder 2 or tree times over the years but i hafta say it ain't all that good in my onion.


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#7 Favs

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 08:14 am

flew over from Eire in 1993 fer the boike show and i've been anudder 2 or tree times over the years but i hafta say it ain't all that good in my onion.

 

+ One

 

I used to go to the shows (NEC, SEC, Stafford Autojumble), with a couple of mates - it was more of an excuse for a few beery nights out with the lads every year :drinks:


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#8 v8guy

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 08:20 am

Firstly, I spent around 4 hours looking at what everybody had to offer re new bikes and I can honestly say I never saw anything that persuaded my to get rid of my 9er. In my opinion the only bike that came close was the Honda VFR800 Crossrunner, but I didn't think it was £10,000 worth better than me TDM!

I bought an ex-demo 2015 Crossrunner 4 years ago and haven't regretted it for a second. Saved a couple of grand on the list price, and back then Honda offered useful accessories (heated grips, centre stand, etc) to lure customers, making them good value. They're fantastic bikes, yet after nearly three years of riding I could still count the number I'd seen on the street on just the one hand...

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#9 Snowbird

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 08:21 am

I've not been to a bike show for years, they used to be somewhere to drool and pick up some show priced deals but seemed to start to be somewhere to sell off the quality control failures to some poor soul that thinks he is getting a good price while charging the cost of a new helmet for a burger so stopped bothering.

I suppose had I ever been in the position of affording a new bike it may have been different but always on a tight budget.


Edited by Snowbird, 20 November 2019 - 08:22 am.

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#10 TKH

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 10:29 am

Gotto admit I've never been to the show. I've got to agree with the rest you've said. When my 9'er disappeared, I went looking at a replacement and the VFR 800 crossrunner was the only one that came close, just the really heavy clutch stopped me getting one - knackered writs/hand joints, tendons, etc. 



#11 Riggers

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 12:46 pm

 just the really heavy clutch stopped me getting one - knackered writs/hand joints, tendons, etc. 

 

Not really noticed the heavy clutch. Certainly the one at the show had a light clutch and a new one in my local Honda dealer has a 'normal' clutch so maybe you just found a bad one.

 

One thing I'm not struck on with the Crossrunner is the cheapo digital display. On most other bikes at the show they are now being replaced with much more attractive HD colour displays, although personally I don't know what was wrong with the old speedos and rev counters, but then I'm 66 so what do I know! 



#12 v8guy

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Posted 20 November 2019 - 08:43 pm

Not really noticed the heavy clutch. Certainly the one at the show had a light clutch and a new one in my local Honda dealer has a 'normal' clutch so maybe you just found a bad one.

One thing I'm not struck on with the Crossrunner is the cheapo digital display. On most other bikes at the show they are now being replaced with much more attractive HD colour displays, although personally I don't know what was wrong with the old speedos and rev counters, but then I'm 66 so what do I know!


No particularly heavy clutch on mine, although it could be lighter.

Display is not all that fancy, particularly compared to the revolution in colour LCD that's currently underway. But it's functional, tells you all you need to know, and there are no issues with reading it in a variety of lighting conditions. Doesn't suffer from water ingress. What more do you need? :)

It is, however, a fairly heavy mid-capacity four cylinder and as such needs revving quite hard to get the required power to help it surge forwards at higher speeds. I found this quite entertaining to begin with, but the novelty of such a wide range of engine speeds has faded somewhat and I'm missing mid-range power.. So I'm returning to big twins, in the shape of 1200cc boxer twin (an RS), very soon! :D

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#13 Riggers

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Posted 21 November 2019 - 09:08 am

It is, however, a fairly heavy mid-capacity four cylinder and as such needs revving quite hard to get the required power to help it surge forwards at higher speeds. I found this quite entertaining to begin with, but the novelty of such a wide range of engine speeds has faded somewhat and I'm missing mid-range power.. So I'm returning to big twins, in the shape of 1200cc boxer twin (an RS), very soon! :D

 

Very interesting comments mate! I had a 'normal' VFR800 in the early 2000s - the last one before variable valve timing - and found the engine to be a little beauty. It DID have quite a bit of low down power but would fade off mid range and then surge in again as the revs rose. However I think the current engine is very different to the one I had. 

 

I did wonder about the weight too, with the Crossrunner being a four, and its not something you can assess at a bike show. Might still try and get a test ride in the spring and just see how the bike feels to ride, although for now I'm planning on sticking with the TDM 9er.

 

Re the 1200 Boxer - I wouldn't have thought you'd be saving much on weight going down the route??

 

Cheers

 

Riggers.



#14 Quartermaster

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Posted 21 November 2019 - 09:31 pm

 

+ One

 

I used to go to the shows (NEC, SEC, Stafford Autojumble), with a couple of mates - it was more of an excuse for a few beery nights out with the lads every year :drinks:

 

Just back from the Show with 4 mates and had a blast, but more of a social event nowadays for us, including a pint or two and a curry on the way home. Quite liked the new XR900 BM bloody W, under £10K and ticked the boxes but still happy with my Tracer 700 despite a new one being announced at the show.


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#15 BlackTDM

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Posted 22 November 2019 - 05:33 pm

Well, I went today and it was busy!
Coming back in the wind, rain and the busy narrow motorway that is the M6 through Brum, I wondered which of the bikes I liked today would be better than the TDM in those conditions? Ténéré 700, NC750X dct, super Ténéré and Fazer8 (that was in the car park). If it wasnt for the narrow filtering and its wide bars the super ten looks a great mile muncher . The nc though would perhaps make such unpleasant riding easier? The suspension is low rent though.The Ténéré 700 was the bike I guess I fancied the most- looks sleek and modern, I could scale Moroccan peaks in it but while I was waiting to do that I could go through potholes around Wolverhampton without wrecking my back ;) Not quite as much wind protection though or oomph and rudimentary pillion seat. The Tdm although a bit rattly is still in there with all those bikes, so Ill keep wondering!

#16 pete7

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Posted 23 November 2019 - 10:56 am

I went on Thursday, (by train first class, outbound, with usual breakfast coffee juice etc ) and for usual wander about machines that struggle to do more than my TDM.

 

Also my usual chats with loads of folk, inluded one guy whose friend is selling VERY low mileage 900. ( I suggested posting on here and our Carpe Facebook group) It looked great, and excellent price if anyone wants a nearly new 900 - check out on "Friends of C-TDM" FB!

 

Anyway this little bike in pictures was the star of the show for me ….  the works 125 Suzuki of Sheene from 1970, using technology that came from Walter Kaaden at MZ, "liberated"  by Suzuki via MZ rider Ernst Degner . Not really a Sheene fan but his collection there, arranged by Stephanie and family etc, was worth a look.

 

Also a nice, shiny Norton but silly money …. and won't tempt this 70 year old

 

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#17 pete7

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Posted 23 November 2019 - 12:14 pm

... forgot to add

 

TRAIN TRAVEL was nearly as cheap as going on bike  (with senior railcard, via Trainline deals … and first class was added bonus for less than £6 extra!)

 

P7  


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#18 TKH

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Posted 23 November 2019 - 02:35 pm

Well, I went today and it was busy!
Coming back in the wind, rain and the busy narrow motorway that is the M6 through Brum, I wondered which of the bikes I liked today would be better than the TDM in those conditions? Ténéré 700, NC750X dct, super Ténéré and Fazer8 (that was in the car park). If it wasnt for the narrow filtering and its wide bars the super ten looks a great mile muncher . The nc though would perhaps make such unpleasant riding easier? The suspension is low rent though.The Ténéré 700 was the bike I guess I fancied the most- looks sleek and modern, I could scale Moroccan peaks in it but while I was waiting to do that I could go through potholes around Wolverhampton without wrecking my back ;) Not quite as much wind protection though or oomph and rudimentary pillion seat. The Tdm although a bit rattly is still in there with all those bikes, so Ill keep wondering!

 

I've test ridden the nc750 it's a soul-less bike. Easy to ride but boring. Sat on my 900 after and realised the that Honda defo is not for me.



#19 Riggers

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Posted 23 November 2019 - 03:54 pm

... forgot to add

 

TRAIN TRAVEL was nearly as cheap as going on bike  (with senior railcard, via Trainline deals … and first class was added bonus for less than £6 extra!)

 

P7  

 

Great pics mate and thanks for sharing. That Norton really is a beauty IMHO, but for me completely unridable! 



#20 James

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Posted 24 November 2019 - 10:46 am

I went on Saturday. The only bike I thought might make a decent replacement for the TDM (not that I’m looking to replace mine) was the BMW F900XR - https://www.bmw-moto...ure/f900xr.html

 

I was amazed at how many bikes were in the £15-20k price range, all looking very generic IMO. The ‘neo classic’ MV Superveloce that caught my eye, it looked different, but not my sort of bike anyway - https://www.mvagusta...superveloce-800

I enjoyed the day out, but came away with little enthusiasm for what was on offer.


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