Specs

11 minutes ago, Specs said:

I think they were Metzeler something or other. 

 

Karoo Street I think.

6 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Great review Alan! What tyres come as standard? 

Not the Trailmax Mixtour I hope......they're fucking horrible!

One of those tyres that wants to keep running wider on corners.......whereas the Scorpion Trail II's just drop in with no effort.

I think they were Metzeler something or other. 

First things first. I didn't buy one!

I did just over an hour's riding. M4 motorway from Cwmbran to Chepstow and back via Usk -  a twisty road with some straight bits and a variety of surfaces.

Bike's ergonomics were spot on for me. The pegs are set slightly further forward and lower than on the GS allowing for less bend in the legs giving greater comfort.

The engine is a bit Jekyll and Hyde in as much as it will happily chug along in a high gear at low speed, and will pull away smoothly. The power seems to be delivered quite high in the rev range, so for overtakes it needs a couple of gears lower before it really gets going. That's when things get surprisingly interesting! Coming from the GS I missed the low end grunt, and the ease of quick overtakes in sixth gear if I felt lazy. The quick shifter and gearbox were great - no issues.

Suspension was very plush, giving a comfortable ride even on poor surfaces, and the bike didn't get deflected by lumps and bumps keeping its line well. There was some dive on braking - good brakes - and under enthusiastic acceleration it tends to sit back and the front gets slightly light . Nothing wrong there, I'm just not that used to conventional suspension. I found the handling great. It was quite windy but it wasn't bothersome. The bike felt very planted at all speeds.

The windscreen gave very similar wind protection to that on the GS. The seat ok, but I was only on it for an hour. It tended to sort of push me forward into the lowest bit of it and I'd have preferred to be sitting slightly further back. Different contouring would sort it, custom maybe. It's all subjective anyway! No problems flat footing. Wasn't too keen on the rally pegs as it felt as if my boots were glued to them, ok for off road maybe, but I like to move my feet around. The standard pegs with the rubber insert would be my choice. Standing up the sides of the tank got in the way because of the pegs being slightly forward. GS ergonomics much better in that respect.

What else is there? Engine sounded ok especially when the throttle was wide open at higher revs. Plenty of videos on YouTube.

All in all I liked it, and although it isn't in any way really in the same niche as the GS, I can quite happily see myself being happy with one.

Why didn't I get one? Earliest delivery is in August. I've put my name on a list if there's someone cancelling an order. 

Some snaps and a quick video.

On 27/05/2023 at 05:17, Saul said:

Bugger didn't know that.  

I could be mistaken. It seems that they have a new brewery down in Cardiff Bay. The company sold off most of the pubs and closed the old brewer during lockdown. 
At the time of the sell off there was talk of shifting brewing elsewhere. 

2 hours ago, Saul said:

Been many times mate, great roads,  rugby, singing and Brains what more do you need.  

Brains no more. Brewed in Ingurlund!

5 hours ago, XTreme said:

Quality bit of kit!

Seems like you've really taken to this bike Saul?

I sat one one the other day but it felt too small for me. It's still on my list of maybes though. 

On 24/05/2023 at 23:39, Earache said:

Landed in Kansas City for the night - some 650 miles after leaving home. It's 93F / 34C here - felt hot as  shit to me.

Great view out the of the room ...

I'm sweating in sympathy.

46 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Did you mean to enter it into BOTM Alan?

Of course!

21 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

Which blunder road are you taking it out from

Cwmbran. 

3 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

so is it working now

Yes, but I don't trust it. Being German it's sure to bite me in the arse when least expected. Once warned, beware!

Test ride on the Transalp on Tuesday morning.

11 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Join the gang Alan!

Not so far off the mark! Used to nick my father’s C50 to go down to the pub with my mate on the back. We were fifteen and eventually got caught and made an appearance in juvenile court. I had endorsements before I even had a licence!

2 hours ago, XTreme said:

When you lose confidence in a bike that's it!

Too true. Riding home just felt that everything was off with the bike. Noisy engine, some other noise that turned out to be my visor, bike wandering, and on and on. A simple case of paranoia I imagine but at least it makes me feel better about a change! 

UPDATE
 

Picking bike up this morning. Apparently fault on throttle assembly- two historical ones, not current. Also fault on exhaust flap valve, three Exup type thing, and a couple of slightly corroded connections that they cleaned up. Said if it happens again they’d need to change the throttle assembly. Doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. 
My brother is going to run me down to collect it in the next hour or so. 

41 minutes ago, Pedro said:

I’ve watched the first three videos of that trip to Morocco. They’re entertaining and worth a watch, to me they are amusing.

It’s weird to imagine you coming from somewhere where people just assume that you pay with plastic for every little thing around the world and that your card is good wherever. The dude is surprised to find that fuel stations and places where he wants to have lunch don’t accept cards. Also weird he doesn’t try to buy a data card or local phone card.

Still entertaining to watch.

Strangely enough I've been watching his trip and thought that for someone who is supposedly reasonably well travelled it was a bit odd that he wasn't switched on to the cash thing. I still have my Euros that I didn't have to change as I didn't get there! 

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

I'm surprised they even have the other two ugly colors after coming up with that.

I quite like the dark colours. No matt black option though.

3 hours ago, Specs said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No

LATEST!!!

Apparently the bike has been fixed. The guy I spoke with had no idea what the techies have done and that he'd find out and let me know. Perhaps I'll never find out. Told him I wanted the bike returned here as covered by the extended warranty breakdown cover. It'll probably be another week as he said a different department deals with that. I'm out on the lash tomorrow afternoon, so I told him tomorrow morning or Thursday would have to do. I'm not holding my breath about anything M & P related here.

32 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Any sign of the Beemer getting fixed Alan?

No

Hmmmmm. And it fits. Probably test ride next week. 
 

Did the 11 Plus (of sorts) three times. Once when we lived in North Wales and we moved on my birthday. Had to do it again in Cardiff, then when I went to secondary school, much of the catchment area didn’t have the 11 Plus, so I had to sit the school’s own exam for streaming kids. 
 

Mellow at Cardiff National Eisteddfod, 1978

2 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

The tent is on the line drying a bit damp from the ground so got to make sure its 100% dry before packing it away for any length of time

Pissed yourself again?

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

It's more than once that you use that name, is it Alan or Alun @Specs?

Alan

7 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Who are the dealers Alun ? Personally I wouldn't trust any BMW dealer in the UK as they all seem to be tied into the big car sales houses.  Bath road motorcycles used to be good but Martin chucked it in due to pressure from BMW , now Dick Lovetts run BMW motorcyc;es in Bristol and they don't get good reviews.

I think it's called Cardiff Bay Motorrad, but it's M & P really. One not particularly big workshop to cover all the different franchises there. About six I think. Crazy. Was told that there's a six week wait for a service! Check their reviews. Almost all the servicing ones are bad, and all the sales ones are good because every salesman likes to be your chum and take your money. Then comes the servicing!

Bike is still at the stealers. They said they'd have look at it last Tuesday, but then said Thursday. Wasn't happy so spoke with BMW Motorrad people who reckoned it should have been looked at within 48 hrs. Then spoke with BMW UK Complaints who rang the stealer to ask what was going on. Apparently there have been a couple of recalls so all places busy everywhere. They would have taken the bike elsewhere for me but under the circumstances I didn't think there was much point.

They looked at mine on Thursday and apparently managed to clear the fault but as their computer was down ( how many times have I heard that old carrot?) they can't do any more until Tuesday. Something with the engine but the useless twat at the other end of the phone didn't know what. He'd muttered about throttle tubes the week before ffs.

Thunderoad, or whatever they're called these days, sent me a text on Friday to say that they've received their demo TA so as soon as I get mine back I need a test ride. Completely disillusioned with BMW - well the local shithead dealer anyway. Their reviews are dreadful and as soon as I get my bike back, they will get a lot worse.

12 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Was it some Belgian to stuff ? that gets you sloshed

 

Love the photos, rural France is great and there's no f*cker around to bother you

I forget what it was but it tasted ok and was on tap.