How the other half do Biking - by Truck!
- Thread starter Rhodie
- Start date
In the American motorcycle media we refer to these types of "riders" as "trailer queens." Thai version: "truck queens." [
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Thanks! Yes, the abilitly to get off the paved roads when I like seems to be the way to go, espicially in Laos. Did some crazy things with the TDM but that is not it's strong suit. This is a 650 and should be able to do everything quite well including two up traveling.
You're right, I was considering the Triumph Tiger but the later reports i have read say it is a great bike but it is just a modernized TDM as far as it's ability in my opinion. No off road capability. Found this bike purely by accident in BKK while looking for some spare parts. It was calling my name and i couldn't resist.....(also about a third the cost of a Triumph).
Klaus,
Yep, can definitely identify with that - had an old AMF Shovelhead back in the 80's and it probably did more miles in the back of a truck than it did on it's own two wheels. Mind you, also got towed on it by my mate in a Ford Sierra halfway round North London when the bolt holding the complete timing mechanism to the end of the crank decided to let go []. That was an "interesting" experience! It would also occassionaly spit back through the carb on starting, resulting in small fires which melted the air filter foam. I got quite adept at putting them out....
Colin, talking of fires, had a Laverda Jota who's battery decided to catch fire as I was circulating the M25. On the positive side with Italian bikes, had a Guzzi Le Mans Mk IV that never caused me any probs (admittedly, only had it about 6 months/4000 miles) and a Duke 916 that only left me stranded once in 6 years of ownership when it fried it's regulator/rectifier unit.
One last one - had an early Buell (1997 S1 Lightning) and was riding down the motorway in Belgium when a guy on a Bandit came up beside me and started pointing. I thought he was admiring the bike as they were quite rare, but after he had frantically gesticulated for maybe a kilometer, I pulled over to discover that the remote rear shock reservoir had been dangling by it's connecting pipe and merrily bouncing along the road for some time. I could go on about old Brit knockers that i have had the dubious pleasure of owning them, but let's just say that "we've never had it so good" []
Cheers,
Pikey.
Yep, can definitely identify with that - had an old AMF Shovelhead back in the 80's and it probably did more miles in the back of a truck than it did on it's own two wheels. Mind you, also got towed on it by my mate in a Ford Sierra halfway round North London when the bolt holding the complete timing mechanism to the end of the crank decided to let go [
]. That was an "interesting" experience! It would also occassionaly spit back through the carb on starting, resulting in small fires which melted the air filter foam. I got quite adept at putting them out....Colin, talking of fires, had a Laverda Jota who's battery decided to catch fire as I was circulating the M25. On the positive side with Italian bikes, had a Guzzi Le Mans Mk IV that never caused me any probs (admittedly, only had it about 6 months/4000 miles) and a Duke 916 that only left me stranded once in 6 years of ownership when it fried it's regulator/rectifier unit.
One last one - had an early Buell (1997 S1 Lightning) and was riding down the motorway in Belgium when a guy on a Bandit came up beside me and started pointing. I thought he was admiring the bike as they were quite rare, but after he had frantically gesticulated for maybe a kilometer, I pulled over to discover that the remote rear shock reservoir had been dangling by it's connecting pipe and merrily bouncing along the road for some time. I could go on about old Brit knockers that i have had the dubious pleasure of owning them, but let's just say that "we've never had it so good" [
]Cheers,
Pikey.
Hi David, have you still got the TDM.
I have some good memories of the old girl.
I'm still working in Oz squirrelling the money away for next year.
Off to the Horizons Unlimited Meeting on the Victorian border, about 1400k round trip on old Doris, she's got 60,000k up on her now.
I am looking at a new Tiger for Oz riding, great motor, good for the MHS loop.
See you later this year
I have some good memories of the old girl.
I'm still working in Oz squirrelling the money away for next year.
Off to the Horizons Unlimited Meeting on the Victorian border, about 1400k round trip on old Doris, she's got 60,000k up on her now.
I am looking at a new Tiger for Oz riding, great motor, good for the MHS loop.
See you later this year
Still have the TDM and still waiting for you to get your ass over here! The Tiger does look like a great bike, was considering it myself but the TDM is still running and looking good. Never a problem. If you saw the post we were two up in Laos over the holidays. Possible I may consider selling it though.
Send me some details on how the Horizons meeting goes as we are planning on doing another one here next year. Thanks.
Captain Slash, your mates haven't had a problem yet? Maybe they're not riding them a lot... And european bikes are unreliable? Like BMW, KTM, MuZ, Triumph...? Even the Italians are more reliable than Harleys!
I've never had either, only BMW K75 and K100, which I parted out and shipped, and japanese bikes. But to say that new Harleys are more reliable than european bikes is a statement I can not agree with.
I've never had either, only BMW K75 and K100, which I parted out and shipped, and japanese bikes. But to say that new Harleys are more reliable than european bikes is a statement I can not agree with.
Yeah, that's one thing I'm concerned about also. Won't know until I try some distance. The seat on my DRZ250 isn't bad compared to the Honda's. I did 3 weeks in Lao on it and had no complaints.
The one good thing is that it is easy and cheap to get seats custom made here if necessary. We'll see soon enough.
Silver hawk. Nice suzuki.I read somewhere about gel seats being available( as an option I think) for the DR650.I have an older DR650 here and I have just dropped down a tooth on the front sprocket.It seems to have made it a bit smoother and less snatchy at low revs.Many magazine write ups say the overall gearing is too high.Good luck with the bike anyway.
Gel seats appear at first to be the answer. Yet riders in Oz on the www.triumphrat.net site say that when they get hot, they do get HOT, and then retain the heat making it an uncomfortably warm ride thereafter.
RobertH from this site told me that when he had a gel pad put in one of his customized jobs, it was not a pleasant experience, as it compressed overall, rather than softening the areas directly beneath the bone.
However, maybe I haven't paraphrased what he said fully and p’haps he can tell us all his own riding experience using gel.
Silverhawk's man in Wulaii road CM appears to be the answer and only for a few hundred baht remaking original seats from pan up.
RobertH from this site told me that when he had a gel pad put in one of his customized jobs, it was not a pleasant experience, as it compressed overall, rather than softening the areas directly beneath the bone.
However, maybe I haven't paraphrased what he said fully and p’haps he can tell us all his own riding experience using gel.
Silverhawk's man in Wulaii road CM appears to be the answer and only for a few hundred baht remaking original seats from pan up.
quote:
Originally posted by pikey
In England we just called them "wankers". [
How different things are on the other side of the world. In Japan, we hauled our bikes around on trailers and in vans and were racers. Had no idea in England we would be called wankers. [
]Gentleman ,once for all ,put in your mind that a Ugly David Sun is not done to be ride ,but just to show off .
Last september i was on the ride going down to KL motogp and on the meeting point at hatyai ,there was coming by tons arriving by trailer ,just to parade the last 600 km to kuala lumpur motogp .
Well a disaster ....that i m trying to understand for more than a decade now .....
Is anyone can explain me ????
Last september i was on the ride going down to KL motogp and on the meeting point at hatyai ,there was coming by tons arriving by trailer ,just to parade the last 600 km to kuala lumpur motogp .
Well a disaster ....that i m trying to understand for more than a decade now .....
Is anyone can explain me ????
Rasseru,
This ain't Japan and if you had a race bike, then you would not want to ruin it on the road so trucking is the obvious choice. However, seems like you have missed the point as Rhodie spotted so called "Adventure Bikes" being trailered a mere few hundred km - hardly a good start is it?
Cheers,
Pikey
This ain't Japan and if you had a race bike, then you would not want to ruin it on the road so trucking is the obvious choice. However, seems like you have missed the point as Rhodie spotted so called "Adventure Bikes" being trailered a mere few hundred km - hardly a good start is it?
Cheers,
Pikey
Silverhawk, another option is a wool seat cover, I got one from OZ, and it really makes the seat a lot more comfortable, when I rode my Phantom from Samui to penang in one go, only problem is it raises the height a little, no problem on the Phantom but might make a difference on the taller DR, be interested to see how you get on.
Have just got back from a weeks sailing/racing in Lamgkawi with Frankc, he is now ivestigating getting a Transalp 650, insted of the dominator.
Have just got back from a weeks sailing/racing in Lamgkawi with Frankc, he is now ivestigating getting a Transalp 650, insted of the dominator.