Phuket boys have their first get together

Jun 21, 2006
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Today we had the inaugral meeting of the GT-Riders, Phuket division, in a harbour side restaurant on Chalong Bay. .

Bush Pilot (Alex), arrived on his 1100GS, Pico Pico (Pico) on his Honda Silverwing 600, with attached sidecar, Tropical Johno (John) on his Honda Degree 250, and Siinthai (Simon), on his workhorse which at present is a trusty Honda Wave with utility sidecar.

Alex gave details of his recent Iron Butt ride, Songkhla to Chiang Rai, John bulshitting about everything as usual, Pico discussing his 'photo album', and Simon 'champing at the bit' waiting for his Honda Degree which should be arriving in the mail any day now.

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L-R Pico, Alex, John, Simon
 
Jun 21, 2006
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Stay tuned for more later, David

Well, went to Post Office today to check mail box and there was a shiny. almost new looking Honda Degree with my name and address on it.

This one is for siinthai, and I thought mine was in really good nick, but Simon's is even better. The guys up in Chiang Rai really do a good job, may be a bit more expensive, but so many people ask if the bikes are new.

So now I finally have someone to go and 'play dirty' with. Only trouble is Phuket Race Week Regatta just started which I am helping on so we will have to wait till next Tuesday... bummer.

Have to work on him, to get him to come up to Cnx.
 
Mar 21, 2007
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Nice one Johno...
Yep she's in great nick and has already been covered in mud...and thats just the road down to the boat !!
Have to echo Johno's words about he guys in Chaing Rai...I bought mine unseen, and on Johno's advice...service was excellent , had the bike in just over 3 weeks...rego'd aswell...trusty Thai Post delivered in 3 days.
Very happy with the bike and looking forwarding to dusting off the Phuket Hills...
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Klaus

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Mar 8, 2004
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Finally a watercooled 250 XL...!? - I didn't know they made one!
Tried to google "Honda XL 250 Degree" but didn't get much info. Where can I get some stats or even a comparo to Suzuki / Kawasaki / Yamaha?
 

Klaus

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Mar 8, 2004
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Degree - NX - AX - we're getting somewhere...
Looks like the frame and engine is the same as the old AX1. I bought one with green book for 35K baht. Had some electrical problems and the suspension felt like I was riding an omelette, but the engine ran fine. Tach showed 65K km and maybe it wasn't the original one. Didn't burn a drop of oil. The stamps on the rims were 88 and 89, who knows how old all the different pieces were which made up the whole bike. I fixed it up a bit and sold it.
A newer version of this watercooled engine in a better looking bike is highly interesting. Guess it's hard to get a hold of in Thailand, even the old AX1 is still a good seller.
 

Klaus

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Mar 8, 2004
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Googled the NX - seems like they are all the same bike, Degree, Dominator, NX, AX1, just with different looks. The NX seems to be an AX1 with spoke wheels, that's the only difference I spotted.
Amazing is that there are some bikes out there today that are good sellers which have engines designed twenty or more years ago even though technology advanced quite a bit. Have you seen the 2008 Ninja 250? Sexy new bodywork, it looks like a ZX6R. Engine was tweaked a bit but was designed in 1983 or so? The Virago engine from the eighties still survives in neutered chopper version. Honda's 650cc air-cooled 2-valve XL/XR engine is still for sale in new guise. Yamaha's 660 watercooled five-valver is sitting brand-new in showrooms two decades later. . . Seems like supersport inline-fours get a new design from the ground up every four years the latest.
 

mikerust

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Nov 5, 2003
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quote:

Originally posted by Klaus

Amazing is that there are some bikes out there today that are good sellers which have engines designed twenty or more years ago even though technology advanced quite a bit.







My friend races a pre-65 or 66 BMW 1800/2002
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all the modern bits come from 320 which still uses the same basic engine 40 years later. So nothing is new or, rather, old