Mad-laners Megathread

[Paul the 6th]

big, tall, masive, huge, grunty, orange. Ready to race!

Blimey, what a different ballgame to sportsbikes. Well impressed but need some time to reflect on it. I think I've spent so long bumming my SRAD that it's going to be hard to get over it (even though I'm bored of it! how does that work?! my head is a confused place atm). The engine pulls probably as hard as the sv1000 but runs out of steam a little bit earlier at 9k iirc, whereas the svThou used to go a bit harder for slightly longer. It's also ALOT MORE VIBEY.... I SAID ALOT MORE VIBEY!

Handling is far better than I thought it would be but I found myself dabbing the back brake into one or two corners because I'm used to rock hard suspension and perfect tracking. The softer suspension doesn't give quite as much confidence (but then its not a sportsbike is it paul) but I'm sure I'd warm up to it very quickly.

The brakes seemed pretty vague to say the least, especially considering they're brembo's. Reckon it'll need new pads front and rear in the next 1000 miles, and would probably benefit from fresh brakefluid.

Not sure if the speedo was reading wrong but it was showing 40mph in 30's when it felt like I was probably doing nearer 30 than 40. Having said that I was cruising on the motorway in the fast lane passing everyone at an indicated 85-90 but it felt more like 55 because of the huuuuuuuge screen.

The guy I was dealing with 'Matt' looked younger than me (a bit like david platt) but then it turns out he deals with the finance, sales, aftersale, unloads brand new bikes on the forklift truck and even drives the works van!

The dealership itself is great, Craigs Motorcycles - great big workshop attached onto the showroom, probably a hundred bikes in the entire building, very clean well laid out and really stylish...

I don't think I'm gonna buy the orange one though because of the lack of service history (there's some warranty work recorded on the ktm database) and nearly 40,000 miles. That and the fact the silver one has half miles, engine bars, heated grips, gel seat, lots of service history and he's offered it to me for a few hundred quid more than the orange one! BASTRAD! I was trying to play it cool but he could see I'd enjoyed myself.. Anywho, few pics:



950 adventure and emley moor mast (to scale)




one half of the showroom






back at the dealer after test ride


a shiiit load of brand new honda's being forklifted off the back of an articulated lorry - time to pay them another visit owenski!


the silver one with 19,000 miles, crash bars, good service history, heated grips, gel seat (the orange one had the rock hard standard seat) - see also the workshop in the background the mechanic came and chatted to me for 20 mins at the end, properly nice fella with lots of knowledge and tips about the 950/990

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

You'll do flat firm dirt tracks no problem, but he likes of the planned Wales weekend, you may find there are bits of it that it just can't do. Too much weight.

Agreed - if I had a dr-z I would put alot more effort into going greenlaning but for all the trips I've done this year (GM, isle of man twice including camping, north wale, south wales, camping at cadwell, camping at dalby forest etc.) the ktm will do all that with alot less aggro and much more comfort for me & the missus

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

For instance what happened to me in Portugal on the old XLR500. Went over the brow of a hill on a dusty gravelly fire road with trees on both sides, saw how steep the other side was, running down to a sharp corner at the bottom that I was too fast for. Jammed on the back brake to try and slow the bike down but the rear tyre just slid along behind me and the bike didn't slow down at all as the rear tyre was just overwhelmed by weight, momentum and gravity. I was a total passenger as the bike careered down the hill and I shat myself! Luckily once the slope flattened off at the bottom I got the speed down enough to make the corner! I would gone straight on and hit a tree on a 990.

Sounds nasty!!!! I don't think I'll be going proper boggy muddy filth greenlaning but a few packed gravel roads between stretches of tarmac would be nice every now and again..

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Also when you do drop it (which you will on your first off-road outing) and break the plastics, you'll cry!

I will most certainly start blubbering tbh, hence why I probably won't take it anywhere other than tarmac till I'm fully acustomed to it & more confident with the size & weight of it.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Don't off road on your own, 'cos if you end up in a ditch you'll never get it out. I did that a month or two back on the XT (160kg) and that was bad enough, never mind a bike that's 100kg more.

You'd be better off with an Adventure S, prep'ed up with engine bars, etc, if it must be a 950/990. Look at the AR pics at The Lone Wolf's bike.

Tbh the greenlaning isn't the main reason for wanting an adventure, it's more about pillion comfort, not having to stampeed everywhere to enjoy it, lots of touring accessories to make life easier and something completely different to what I've done before. The fact it has the potential to wander off road is nice but I won't be going too mental on it. If I wanna do some proper greenlaning I'll re-consider something like a dr-z, but til then an adventure will suit my biking escapades far better than the gsx-r..

thanks for the tips though ralph & I'll bare them in mind for the time when I think "Oooh gravel? don't be so bloody stupid!"

first things first, time to give the srad a thorough clean and get it on ebay/gixernobbers/here/mcn etc...

TBH Paul, most of the green lanes me and Col do, that ktm would be fine imo as they are basically muddy or gravelly roads.
Agreed if your doing massive descents then you would have to be on your guard.
But the type of stuff i enjoy going on, that would be more than capable and like Col said, if you are with another person or persons then if you do bin it at least its no shakes to right it again.
These big KTM's are very resilient, lone wolf said at the AR, it would be impossible to hurt it on the field etc when he was letting people have a rip on it, so no worries about that.

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Phil would be the one standing still trying to catch his breath!

Yep, thats true lol

Nom Nom Nom....

Originally Posted by Owenski

Ampli', in that pic of your bike HOW THE HELL DID THAT CAR GET ON THOSE RAMPS?
They're facing into each other lol, looks odd.

Used to do this myself, drive it up first set of ramps, jack back up, slide second set of ramps under back wheels, let jack down

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by speedplay

Nom Nom Nom....

innit.

Originally Posted by Owenski

Ampli', in that pic of your bike HOW THE HELL DID THAT CAR GET ON THOSE RAMPS?
They're facing into each other lol, looks odd.

As specialone jus said, drive up the fronts and jack up rear. The car is a MK1 fiesta 1.1 in full rally trim. 1 bucket seat, no carpets/dash etc, a full roll cage, brake bias control and a kicking stereo. He hasnt passed his test yet and im not sure he will bother doing it. Hes too busy doing trials riding (he's **** hot!) and hill climbing in his dads westerfield (sp?) with GSX 1400 motor. The kids a better driver/rider than i'll ever hope to be lol

Im liking all the orange pr0n goin on in here, all we need now is a few pairs of tits and some camel-toe and we'll have a proper 'mans' thread goin on! (Or....... with all the mention of '950's and '990's goin on replace the tits and camel-toe with pipe and slippers for a proper 'old mans' thread)

Originally Posted by Amplimator

hill climbing in his dads westerfield (sp?) with GSX 1400 motor.

Not a green Westfield with the numberplate "LOT" is it?

Mate of mine used to drive one round those parts before he was killed.

Originally Posted by speedplay

Not a green Westfield with the numberplate "LOT" is it?

Mate of mine used to drive one round those parts before he was killed.

Naw its a funny mustard yellow/orange colour, was only built about 18 months ago. The guy is an engineer by trade and literally built it himself from nothing. Handy bloke to know