The next step (perhaps?)..(bike choice)

Originally Posted by rictus01

Mainly because I wasn't asking for modification, I'm more than capable of modifying anything and may well have to do some, even so it could still be a limiting factor on the duration of rides, given that the other party will end up paying for it, I may end up getting another bike for longer trips.

Mark.

Fair enough! Just seemed to me like mods should come first, another bike you don't really want second.

Originally Posted by rictus01

Mainly because I wasn't asking for modification, I'm more than capable of modifying anything and may well have to do some, even so it could still be a limiting factor on the duration of rides, given that the other party will end up paying for it, I may end up getting another bike for longer trips.

Mark.

You need a Goldwing . Of course, after a while you might decide it's not for you, but fortunately those babies hold their resale value nicely. So, if it turns out not to be for you, you could at least sell it for a fair old whack.

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

You need a Goldwing.

Need, Huuuumm perhaps, but don't want, Have though along the lines of one of the big scooter type things though (tmax, burgman sort of thing) not really great but they do have lot of leg room, and would be better than getting an automatic car ?

Cheers Mark.

Like ralph said, you've only just had surgery. After my pushbike accident I couldn't bend my knee for weeks, but persevered with pedalling a static bike, gradually increasing the amount of knee bend until I could get back on my motorbike. Why compromise with a bike you don't really want just for the sake of a few weeks impatience, the weather is crap again anyway !

Hmmm, you already know my opinion of surgeon's mobility predictions vs sheer bloodymindedness ...

... however, that's not the point is it?

The point is that you are a complete addict (in the nicest possible way , have suffered long enough of an enforced break from bikes and basically, want to be out and about, doing as many comfortable miles as you can, whilst you work on your complete recovery.

The man needs his escape now guys.

As for a constructive answer, unfortunately I have very little experience of the type of bike that would be appropriate as I'm only 5'3 3/4" and so leg room is rarely an issue.

I'll second Soul Kiss on the Honda Varadero Thou as a possibility. Strangely it's often overlooked in that class of bike, but having taken one out once I remember it being surprisingly fun - espescially on the twisties.

Another Honda could be the FMX (though it's only a 650, so maybe not) but the knee bend doesn't look too bad:

Originally Posted by rictus01

Need, Huuuumm perhaps, but don't want, Have though along the lines of one of the big scooter type things though (tmax, burgman sort of thing) not really great but they do have lot of leg room, and would be better than getting an automatic car ?

Cheers Mark.

Mark, I know big tourers aren't your thing, I was hinting that they are a very pricey bike that hold their value really well. You could get them to buy you one then after a bit sell it and still buy 2 bikes you wanted with the money from it. One comfy workhorse for long trogs, one less comfy one for short pleasure rides.

As to a Burgman, you might be pleasently suprised. As Mogs said in a different thread:

Originally Posted by Mogs

A friend of mine (and Ceri) commutes every day from Cardiff to Bristol, he has V-Strom for playtime, but for the workhorse he rides a Burgman 650, he says he gets great fuel economy, and tyres are cheaper. It’s shaft drive, with loads of luggage space.

A scoot, but the way he rides it there are lots of sports riders who would be hard pressed to cut much off his journey time.

It's true that for commuting I really don't think he loses more than about 2-5 minutes for that journey over if he took his normal bike. Some of the big scooters have a real foot forwards riding position that you might find suits your leg well. Got to be worth trying sitting on a few at least.

As you say, vastly better than an automatic car!

EDIT: Something else that just occured to me- have you looked at those off road knee-braces you wear under your leathers (designed to support the knee in crashes)? They might offer a bit of support to it/make it comfier while you rehabilitate? Also (and I'm loathe to mention it/tempt fate ) it would offer extra protection while you recover when even the most gentle off that involved your knee hitting the deck could be v. painful/set back recovery? Just a thought.

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by kitkat

take it my raptor is out for you then

Much as I lke them, my speed triplehas more leg room,so not really an option I'm afraid, sorry.

Originally Posted by oldjack

Like ralph said, you've only just had surgery. After my pushbike accident I couldn't bend my knee for weeks, but persevered with pedalling a static bike, gradually increasing the amount of knee bend until I could get back on my motorbike. Why compromise with a bike you don't really want just for the sake of a few weeks impatience, the weather is crap again anyway !

I'll take it you've not looked at my "busted knee" thread, it's not going to get any better, in fact the more times he goes in the greater the scar tissue build up will be, so I could very well loose flexability, I've had to except that this is it and get on with life, I'm not prepared to sit around and wait for some miricale that will make it all OK again, it's not going to happen, I've far exceeded the angle of bend I was expect to reach and the knee will not physically bend any further (because of the bone reconstruction), so waiting a month , year or 10 years isn't going to help.

If it was a case of will power or persistance, then I could understand you view point, however it's not, I've already pushed it as far as it'll go.

Cheers Mark.

[rictus01]

Originally Posted by Ceri JC

EDIT: Something else that just occured to me- have you looked at those off road knee-braces you wear under your leathers (designed to support the knee in crashes)? They might offer a bit of support to it/make it comfier while you rehabilitate? Also (and I'm loathe to mention it/tempt fate ) it would offer extra protection while you recover when even the most gentle off that involved your knee hitting the deck could be v. painful/set back recovery? Just a thought.

As you'll see in the mentioned thread, all that has been covered(knee braces), but I'm not looking to recover, that's the point, It's not going to get any better, At some time in the future I will have an ACL op which the surgeon has already said is more likely to fail than do any good, but when I don't know, the PCL is gone, and no replacement can be used as he bone it affixes to is so smashed up, although I have a walking brace coming, what that will allow me to do is still to be discovered, I started this thread to explore other options I may have to follow,not my first ones as I've already planned them out.

Cheers Mark.

Ah sorry, hadn't seen that bit Mark.

Further to the "scooter being no slower for commuting" bit, I've just opened this month's Bike mag to find that one of the journos on a 500cc Gilera beat a TT winner on an R1 on a 600 mile trip across the alps (and it wasn't due to anything stupid like the R1 blowing up half way round from what I've read so far.)

Apparently the shorter (and less frequently needed) fuel stops were what gave it the edge.

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CBF1000 perhaps? Same seat height as a TDM.