Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

Addenda to #20115
Was all ready for Wednesday's "Old Speedway Pricks" monthly ride, 9:30am, hottest day yet, ( it's summer here ! ) shirt, light jacket, and sweat .. pushes button, click .. eh ? again .. half-hearted almost ? again ... click, click .. lotsa words mum never liked, and back in garage !
Batteries ok, so just cleans terminals, fittings, etc, all seems ok, tightens everything in sight, wanders off for coupla hours ... wanders back, pushes button, cough, cough... brrrrrmmmm ???? .
Heads off, does about 40 miles or so .... 150k down the motorway home, (just needed to give battery a good charge sir .. the ole just in case excuse) ... everything fine, parks up ................ checks it a few hrs later, perfect.... BUT, discovers that when the key is removed after the steering lock is activated, it can be removed without the one click back being necessary, therefore leaving the running light and taillight on, and ... I'd obviously done that in brilliant sunlight, walked out, shut the electric door without looking and spotting those lights were still on .... will check from now on ?????

Has anyone had this, or known someone else that has had this happen ... definitely caught me ????

 

I haven't done it, but I think a fair few people fall foul of it, based upon posts on a Street Triple group I go on sometimes....

 

Thanks for that ... I was beginning to wonder about self, just checked again, it hasn't been used for 3 days .... first kick !!! Now, off to the BEARS .. Sound of Thunder, with no bothers

 

The weather here yesterday was very benign for February in the UK. Sunny, blue skies and whilst not warm, the temp was into double digits, so as Sandi says: It's ride O'clock. I dusted out the STRS and went through to Seaways Cafe on the Yorkshire Wolds. Not suprisingly, many others had the same idea and it was quite busy there. I spied two other STRS parked up. A Red one like mine and a Yellow one, anyone here? It was mid afternoon around 2:30 pm. A leisurely 20 mile or so ride back home and then it was back to decorating the Lounge.

 

I similarly took advantage of a nice February day and took the Tiger out for a local run round. Went to Youles in Manchester as I’m contemplating a change
Still not made my mind up but we’ll see

 

Had a short 130 mile spin around the Dales calling at Johnny Baghdads for a full English. Great to out riding in decent weather.

 

What's on the wish list?

 

Thinking about a new Honda Hornet SP but not sure it’ll be a good move - I’ve got my Fireblade that’s a keeper. The Triumph was originally bought to do the NC500 which I did 18 months ago, kept hold of and used again for a Scotland trip last September.
I could do similar short (or longer) touring trips on the Hornet, with its upright seating position, and it’s an affordable thing at only £10k. I’ve never had a brand new bike but I need a test ride to see how I get on with a naked. I’m 6’3” tall and don’t have an issue on the Blade or Tiger but is the Hornet going to be a bit much buffeting wise/pulling on the arms?

 

The write ups for the Hornet are good. It does seem a lot of bike for the money and I'm sure someone will come up with an aftermarket screen soon.

 

Yeah, do it, one of the 'isms' used to be that you should have at least one new bike in your life ... closest I ever got was a '69 Trophy at 5 years old, ( the bike, not me !... smartarse ). Did a thousand miles around our island as a sorta honeymoon with the new wife .. she hopped in the bath and I went to the pub .. and had it stolen !!!
" let's be careful out there " .. eh ?

Anyway, GOOD LUCK .. whatever your decision !

 

Ride one first. I've had a few nakeds and none of them produced any buffeting or excessive strain on my arms. In my experience the air on nakeds is clean. It's adventure bikes that are more problematic if the screen isn't perfectly suited to the rider. On the two I've had it took a lot of experimenting to find a screen that was right for me and didn't give excessive noise and turbulence.
On nakeds I've found it's pressure on your head and neck more than arms. I favour a lightweight carbon helmet for this reason.

As for buying new, I'm never doing that again after my Harley. Took a hell of a hit when I sold it and Harleys have about the best residuals in the business. Hence when I decided to switch from the Harley to the Rocket 3 I bought a nearly new used still in warranty and saved a fortune.
If the Hornets are only 10K to start with, a low miles one owner minter, when they start to show up in dealers will be cheap as chips.

 

Yes, I will be booking a test ride to see how I get on with it and I also need to check my favourite pillion fits. However, whilst you make a valid point, I still think if it all stacks up I’ll push the button on a new one (I can afford it ).

 

Maybe because I've ridden so many rubbishy old bikes in my younger days, there is nothing like getting a sparkly new bike. If you then keep it for a sensible period of time depreciation is less of a problem because you've had all those years of reliable riding.

Well, that's the theory, although now that I think about it.... it didn't work out that way with my 400!!

 

Lovely write up @RevPaul. A good day out on the bike sounds like it was exactly what you needed.

 

I am pretty fortunate in that I work myself into the ground for six days of shifts at a time and then have four off (three if I actually sleep on the first one ), so do get quite a bit of time to ride, plus Helmut is away an awful lot too so it does afford me the luxury of being totally selfish .

I wish you plenty of sunshine for your days off to get those miles in; any amount of time at any speed to me on a bike does a huge amount to quiet a noisy, racing and cluttered mind in only the same way that, for me, running does. Invaluable in today's stressful climate I think.

 

Oil and filter change for the Tiger

 

I have been checking the valve clearances on my Speed Triple.

 

Silver foil

Does the wife know, or do you have your own "garage roll"?

 

Makes a neat splash guard to stop the draining oil going everywhere if the stream was to catch the centre stand.
It’s from the kitchen but I bought it so I’m okay there. However, that’s one of her roasting trays, and I use her stainless measuring jug that she knows nothing about

 

Today I have been on a blast of about 170 miles around the Beacons and beyond on my Street Triple…I rode to the newest Baffle Haus at The Old Post as I have been meaning to visit for a while, then headed back towards home via the Rhigos Mountain and Brecon which is a route with a few lovely roads. The road from Penderyn back to the A470 is always a treat, flowing and twisty and smooth like a track, lovely although there are rogue sheep and ponies to keep you on your toes!