What Have You Being Doing With Your Non-triumph Today?

Had new tyres fitted to the Blunder Bus (K1600GT). Cleaned and checked the brakes. Will change the final drive oil when the oil turns up. It's in for a service on Saturday.

 

It is done. After a small 160 km tour to the "Waldviertel" I got at a friend, a dealer and mechanic, my new tires mounted on the Honda. The return trip had it then in itself!!! After 25 km driving distance has developed within a few minutes a storm and I had to find shelter for an hour at a gas station because of the onset of the storm with hail and heavy rain. After that I could test the new tires away from dry ground also on all possible conditions of wet on roads unplanned. In addition, my responsiveness and driving experience was also required due to the partly completely with bushes, leaves and branches, as well as with mud devastated roads. Unbelievable how the landscape has changed within this storm!!!
Conclusion on the tires after 160 km distance on country roads and a highway:
The newly mounted Continental Road Attack 4 is much more "curvy" when driving compared to the original tire, Metzeler Road-Tec 01. The Honda now rides even better and responds to the slightest weight shift, or small steering movements, without becoming "nervous". I have the impression that her "hiking boots" had been removed and "ultra-light running shoes" mounted. I hope you can understand what I mean. It is also noticeable how the Honda is now much easier and, above all, more "extreme" to bring into a lean position without having to worry as a rider about a "loss of control" of the bike. The whole but already with barely "approached" tires and the previously described conditions. I'm curious how the tires still develop and how it looks with the mileage. The Metzeler I have due to the suffered tire damage on the rear wheel after 8,500 km mileage exchanged. But they would certainly have been usable at least for further 3,000-5,000 km. I will describe you the development. Next week it goes from Wednesday again on tour in the Western Balkans, but this time beyond Bosnia and Herzegovina further south to Montenegro.



The tyre profile of the Continental Road Attack 4

 

@Markus that sounds like a rather extreme way to test your new tyres . It is remarkable as you say how conditions can completely change so markedly so fast.

 

@Mrs Visor: This storm front has unfortunately led to 5 fatalities in Austria. 3 of them in my province.

 

Good lord - you make more kilometres in a month than others in a year!

 

I am sorry to hear that .

 

@Vulpes: You are right! Currently it is extreme. But I use the time intensively, because my wife has a little more time at the moment as part of her job abroad. From September on, everything will be reduced to a "normal" level again.

 

Well the youngest one was asking to take out the Beta Evos (125 & 300 respectively) and so we had a few hours at a local private practice area. The lad was riding really well and tackled the below rock first with me catching for him. He did ok but there were a few wild attempts as I'd anticipated so had kept my helmet and gloves on.



He didn't want me to video him as he prefered me in the catcher rather than photographer role.

This "was" going really well and I was on my best behaviour not to damage myself

Unfortunately near the end of our session I was jumping some large felled trees and the ..... err .... rear wheel hub decided to explode





Luckily I have a spare rear wheel so this will just be a temporary glitch until I can get back to two rears.

 

A few more pics of the rock, these are snipped out of a slo mo video as I don't know how to upload videos here without a Youtube account etc.







This last one shows the amout of rider input for rocks of this size with the front suspension at full compression and the rear nearly fully compressed. This in effect provides a pogo stick function allowing you to "spring" the bike at obstacles.

 

He is very talented….

 

He loves it and really has come on since moving from an 80 to a 125. They are both " big wheel" so full size but the 125 for his body weight provides so much more go.
Often he will ask me to demonstrate a certain obstacle on his bike which is quite do-able now on the 125, where as on the 80 not only was it under powered for me but the suspension was all too weak (compression damping) and I have been known to jar my back in the garden whilst demonstrating
The only problem really moving between the two (125 v 300) is the flywheel effect is very pronounced. The 125 needs to be on the clutch all the time to avoid stalling whereas the 300 just hangs in there.

 

Here is Boy Wonder himself stood next to the rock for scale.
I have a snapped ACL from a previous motorcycle injury so need to be cautious at times, yes right .

He said straight away I'll go first if you'll catch me and so he did

Oh if only to be 14 again

 

In the late afternoon I pack up the last things and get my HONDA ready for another event in the Western Balkans. Tomorrow at 0500 o'clock I will go back to Sarajevo, where I will meet my wife in an apartement. On Thursday we will continue with her TIGER 900 and my HONDA NT-1100 to the southern neighboring country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro. I am looking forward to more "adventures and unforgettable experiences" on our tour.

 

Be safe mate. Have a good trip!

 

Have fun and safe travels, @Markus! Looking forward to more adventurous stories and photos.

 

Back in Oslo

 

So a quick follow up to my earlier posts....

The rear wheel was discussed with the importer by phone Monday morning. A manufacturing heat treatment issue was agreed and a repair authorised. I also pointed out the failure had bent the rear sprocket.
So, I dropped the wheel off Monday teatime at an agreed wheel builders.
Tuesday a new sprocket arrives gratis through the post
Received a text Tuesday teatime to say "wheel ready and awaiting collection". I responded with "will collect Wednesday teatime".

Complete new hub installed plus a few new spokes added and all good to go once I stick it all back together

Excellent backup from BETA UK (John Lampkin). Commendable service and support despite buying this bike secondhand, especially with the obvious abuse these bikes receive as is the nature of the sport.

This is the eighth Beta trials bike I've owned (amongst many other previous brands) and I've had faultless support from the importer with every one of them.

Some of the other brands importers support can only be described as dire and very much lacking unless you're on the latest and greatest

Just to be clear, other than a satisfied customer, I have no connection to the business but would highly recommend Beta to anyone fancying anything out of their range of bikes.





And back to two rear wheels again.... I obviously need them

 

Decided to have a run to Glen Clova, but thought i would go on a road I've not been on before first, a little single track road in between Forfar and Brechin






then i took the road to Glen Clova


stopped off at the Clova Hotel for something to eat


lovely chicken burger


then took the road to Glen Doll

Glen Doll visitor centre

 

Nice @Dougie D been a while since I did the Glen Clova loop on my Honda 1000 and camped out.
On one of our previous discussions Dougie you mentioned the ancient track over the tops, Glen Doll SYHA (sadly now long gone and sold off to be a family home) is where we stayed.

Lovely part of the world.

 

I was thinking about you today, I thought the pics would bring back some memories for you