Thinking of giving up...

[madcockney]

Originally Posted by Bibio

sounds like you need a holiday to scotland m8. its biking heaven up here. a population of around 6million and most of them stay in the central belt between glasgow and edinburgh. pretty much well maintained roads and go past inverness and they are empty. even the borders roads are quiet.

if you can suffer the trudge up through england i can guarantee you will love it.

Agree with that. I was up there for best part of a week a couple of weeks back on the bike and visited Loch Lomond, Fort William, Inverness, John O'Groats, Brora, Falkirk, etc. but using the lesser roads including single track ones. What I did notice compared to England and Wales was that on the major roads such as the A9 that many kept well below the speed limit which I assume is due to the average speed cameras on those.

[Sir Trev]

Blapper, I came close to giving up last year but gave it a little while. Even if it's for those odd weekends when the weather is just so and that list of chores can wait is worth it. Had a couple of nice runs to a destination so I was not just riding in a circuit on the same old roads every time and it has rekindled my interest. Now have a sat nav to help me plan routes and do more this year.

[Bibio]

Originally Posted by madcockney

What I did notice compared to England and Wales was that on the major roads such as the A9 that many kept well below the speed limit which I assume is due to the average speed cameras on those.

sort of. its the public saying to the SNP fuku if you think your stealth taxing us with speeding fines

the SNP banked on gaining revenue from the avgspeed cams on the M90 for the new bridge but what they never planned on was the public sticking to the limits, same goes for other stealth tax roads and this is why they keep dropping the speed limits on roads that dont need it to try and catch people out, its nothing to do with safety. Edinburgh council sort of admitted that they dropped the speed limits in the centre of town to 20mph and put more cameras up to gain revenue.

just like the 5p plastic bag charge, that is until the public said that it should go to charity and not the public coffers as then it would just be an unfair stealth tax.

[Blapper]

The 800 twin BMW has my attention I have to say. No filthy primitive chain and none of the hideous mass of the flat twins. BMW do great tourers with pukka luggage. VERY interesting...

I use my 01 naked to commute about 20 mi each way everyday from Sussex commuter belt into South London. I've done this for about 18 months & have noticed the distinct ignorance & general degradation in car driving standards. I've been on the roads since 2016 as a teen with a moped/car/bike.

If you want somewhere in the South that's got good roads & is quiet then head down to Dorset (Blanford Forum area) I do it once a year & get my fix of Jurassic coastline/Tank Museum. Beautiful & the roads inland in Dorset are fab!

[R1ffR4ff]

Originally Posted by Blapper

The 800 twin BMW has my attention I have to say. No filthy primitive chain and none of the hideous mass of the flat twins. BMW do great tourers with pukka luggage. VERY interesting...

I know what you mean about the old,"Shaft Drives".That is something I miss form my old CX500s.Virtually maintenance free apart from changing the gearbox oil and a bit of greasing now and then.I also use Moly in the drive boxes so only ever had one go but it had already been abused before I got there.

Watched the TT Stock bikes last night and BMW took 1/2/3 positions but they were chain driven methinks.

Hate chains but had a couple of new BMW's and found them to be very troublesome. I also know of dealers who will quote stupidly low P/X on them as they do not want them. Shame but I think that BMW (the car operation also) is a bit of "smoke and mirrors" operation.

Geoff.

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by R1ffR4ff

Watched the TT Stock bikes last night and BMW took 1/2/3 positions but they were chain driven methinks.

Yeah, nobody would fit a shaft drive to a competition bike, roller chain is still the most efficient (and lightest) form of drive and will take the most abuse. If only the drive sprocket was on the same pivot as the swing arm you could take all the slack out of the chain because no matter where the swingarm was the chain would never tighten or slacken.

[R1ffR4ff]

Originally Posted by macamxthe1st

Hate chains but had a couple of new BMW's and found them to be very troublesome. I also know of dealers who will quote stupidly low P/X on them as they do not want them. Shame but I think that BMW (the car operation also) is a bit of "smoke and mirrors" operation.

Geoff.

Years ago I was working in Hamburg/Germany and made a good German biker drinking buddy,"Manny" and he said the Germans called BMWs,"B M Trouble Yous"

[SV650rules]

Originally Posted by macamxthe1st

Hate chains but had a couple of new BMW's and found them to be very troublesome. I also know of dealers who will quote stupidly low P/X on them as they do not want them. Shame but I think that BMW (the car operation also) is a bit of "smoke and mirrors" operation.

Geoff.

BMW advertising took a leaf out of Harley-Davidson book, they don't sell cars and bikes so much as a lifestyle. Their message is 'if you are not riding a Harley (substitute driving / riding a BMW) you are a loser. BMW vehicles are some of the least reliable around just lately (as are a lot of German makes) easily beaten by Asian and Jap brands, but the Jerries still keep on as though they are best engineers on the planet. I had a couple of mates who had trouble with BMW shaft drives as well.