Perfect trip to work!

The roads are dry and relatively clear this morning, my SV is in fine form and gleaming after being washed yesterday and my confidence is unusually high............... :P

Is there a better way to travel to work? I think not.

What a fantastic start to my working week and to think things can only get better towards spring and the summer.

At times I have had my doubting moments on the bike (I only passed in Nov) as it has p***ed down almost every day since, but today for 15 minutes my perceverence has paid off and the though of warmer longer days around the corner, has cheered me up no end. I love my SV.

On another note did anyone see and SV at the MCN show on the weekend? I was getting dragged around by my 2 year old son and didn't see either the SV or the new GSXR, which I really wanted to have a sit on and try for size.

[SoulKiss]

You were obviously being dragged around too much then to not notive the lack of bikes.

Bike turnout was woeful, basically the show was a way for internet traders to put there wares physically in front of the public.

£20 to get in (went for the VIP ticket to beat the crowds - yeah, what crowd) which was basically like Tesco's charging you to get in the door.

Carole Nash giving away goodie bags (pens, mugs, that kind of thing) but MCN CHARGING 50p for a copy of MCN in a carrier bag !!!!!!

There were maybe 6 bikes there that I liked the look of, was good to get a closeup look at the ZZR1400 :P, but an area under 20 ft sq for each "class" of bike (naked, supersports etc) was woefully poor.

Did "save" £200 on the kit I bought (going by a not very good look on the internet but had guide prices) so not a total waste but to call it a motorbike show.......

Just my tuppence worth

I thought that maybe, as it was my first bike show that my expectations were too high. There wasn't enough there to interest me to be honest.

I had comp tickets so at least I didn't have to pay, which was some comfort - so were there any suzuki's there? I really wanted to have a good look at the GSXR as everytime I walk in my local dealers they are all over me like a bad suit.

There were 2 nice new BMW's there though, both 650's I think sort of super-motos.

Overall very dissappointing

no, the gsx-r seemed to be the only ss600 i didn't get to sit on. managed to sit on a honda, yamaha, and kawasaki only. Unfortunately since the gsx-r is the only one i've got a quote for so far (and a *very* tempting one at that...) it was a bit of a downer, but i'm guessing the other ss600s will be similar in insurance. I previously sat on one at the NEC last year but i only got the quote friday so was much more interested this time

I'm pretty sure I remember the GSXR in the SuperSport area, fenced off away from the hands of the great unwashed. I could be confuffled though.

SV? Pah, I was hoping to see one there, but no.

I liked the look of the Vyrus, but that wouldn't be practical for day to day use. I'm still considering an R1 (later model, not earlier), and a new contender would be the BMW K1200RS (Sports version). But alas, those are at the discrestion of my bank manager

Anyway, back to the topic....

I had a nice ride to work this morning too. The sun wasn't quite out & it is now but it was a fun play in traffic, and not as much roadworks as there has been recently. A chance to open the throttle a little & test out that new rear sprocket some more

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by Baph

I liked the look of the Vyrus, but that wouldn't be practical for day to day use.

So it wasn't the 54,000 Euro pricetag that put you off then :P

Loved that bike too tho

David

For a bike as unique as that, I'd pay £35k if I had it laying under an old mattress.

Unfortunately I dont

You can imagine the mechanic's look when you wheel it into the garage for a service "WTF is that thing?"

Yeah- I'm a fairly newbie and my confidence has raised more and more over the last month of riding to work since my off. I washed my bike for the first time on Saturday and took her to Boxhill to see if she was any faster when clean!! I'm not such a speed demon yet, but I swear she handled better! Was a lovely ride- just around sunset with the pastel haze of the Surrey hills in the background and an easy job finding a space in the nearly empty Rykers bike park!!! Lovely.

Travel to work is OK- the filtering skills are improving, but the clear weather and dry roads are great! Sadly, travelling through Weybridge is more careful filtering than enjoying the roads (as was the A3 this morning- the worst traffic I've seen since I've been commuting on it!!).

As for the bike show- I had a great day out with friends. Saw some lovely bikes- that Triumph Rocket is HUUUUUUGE! Sat on the Ducati 1098 and Sport 1000S- I think I'm in love dude, and a Harley Nightrod- it felt very odd having the pegs/levers that far forward! Haggled a fiver off a pair of Alpinestars Apex Drystar gloves, took loads of pictures (MCN babes competition- thank the maker for 12x Opical Zoom!!!!) and some lovely ladies were lucky enough to be included in a picture with me on an electric bike. I bumped into Eric from the Peel as well- top! (rehearsed there for 8 years and been doing a lot of bike chat with Eric before my test- Oh and I did occasion the 'other' bar too!)
Oh- some beers were involved somewhere and the worst pizza I've ever tasted too (feel ill just thinking of it...).

Phew- I think that's it for now. Thank you for reading!!!

All in all, a great day!

[northwind]

I enjoyed the show... I'd expected it to be bigger, I think it might actually have been smaller than the Scottish show at Ingliston. And it was too expensive on the doors... But it was more or less what I'd expected, a big shopping opportunity with a few new bikes dotted around. I don't see why people get so excited about seeing new bikes at a show, apart from the rarities you'll see them soon enough anyway. What I did enjoy was the race bikes and the PB stand- the Daytona Buell, Phase One bikes, stuff like that. But there were queues to sit on the BMWs! You can go to your nearest dealers and actually ride the things! I'll never understand that. Want to see a BSB bike? Go to a race and go for a walk in the paddock.

But the shopping, I thought, was pretty good. Cheap Optimate (£25), Arai Astro-R in black (£200), Harris paddock stand (cheaper than their online price and no p&p), spare genuine Brembo front lever for something daft like £20. No CRG presence that I saw, that was odd. Lots of proper high-end kit, which was nice though I wasn't buying. The tools stores were as variable as ever but there was some good stuff... Lots of other little bits and bobs, the sort of thing that it rankles to spend £5 p&p for. And the shopping spaces were more spaced out than you get at Ingliston- if it felt quiet, that was partly because the whole place was opened out.

Plus, the stunt show was pretty interesting- not a lot of actual content, but Christian Pfeiffer was amazing- though he did drop it twice The guy on the wee ratbikes whose name I've forgotten put on a good show too.

I missed all the babes- not what I go for really- and I wanted to do the wheel change challenge but missed it completely, never even saw what it was. Angered the Big Brother people by videoing them, security insisted I delete the clip Now that's irony.

Should've had more specials, more race bikes, a streetfighters and classics section... You can't get excited about seeing everyday street bikes, but they could have had a lot more interesting stuff. That's dirt cheap to put on, as well, since people actually want to show their bikes! I get the feeling they expected more retailers, there was a lot of dead space that could have been used more effectively.

And I finally get the 1098- it's much prettier in the flesh, and the view from the seat is very pleasing It looked big and clumsy in photos but it's smaller than I'd thought- but that doesn't rob it of its impact like the new speed triple. Still not as nice as a 916 but it's a fine effort.

Originally Posted by krhall

...as everytime I walk in my local dealers they are all over me like a bad suit....

Obviously not Bates then...they're all a bunch of grumpy old gits them lot...all I ever get is a snarl