GentlyBentley

7 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Something about those tanks that remind me of the 350LC!

Yes and the latest graphics really accentuate that look.

Okay, as a newbie here I'm submitting my new bike. At just three weeks old, I present my Yamaha XSR700.

1 minute ago, XTreme said:

It can take a while to gel with a bike......especially if you spent a long time on the previous one.

I find that as we get older the more difficult it is to adapt to change.....so I'd give it more time and do a few more miles!

Personally I think swapping that for an RE would be a bad move!

Thanks. I definitely want to get a Classic 350 some day but the current plan is to keep the XSR and (when I can afford it) get the RE as a second (well fourth) bike.

Hey friends! Strange thing...took the XSR out for a nice run to the coast today...and had a really great ride! Thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt lighter, less awkward, I felt more confident and at one with it, I was banking it properly into the bends, I enjoyed blasting past slow traffic. On the way home I enjoyed it even more! It's all since the first service. The bike feels more like it's mine. My bike. Could it be that I'm getting used to it and (dare I say it) starting to love it? Certainly makes me feel better about buying it and (for now) keeping it. 

1 minute ago, Buckster said:

Bit of coastline there, where is that?

Hunstanton in Norfolk. One of my favourite little jaunts.

Just now, XTreme said:

Probably worth a good few quid now!

Yes, in good original condition (although mine's not perfect) it could fetch around £5K. Not a bad profit considering it cost £400 new! 

1 minute ago, XTreme said:

You've owned it for 42 years? That's amazing!

Yes. For some reason (probably laziness) I never got around to selling it so it just stayed in my parents' garage until I got my own house, then it lived with me where I got it back up and running and road legal again. It's very slow but a lot of fun. Makes me feel 16 again!

And in case anyone's interested, this is my 1980 Suzuki ZR50X1. Bought new when I was just 16, ridden hard for a year (until I turned 17 and got a CB250N Superdream!)  and been kept all these years. For the last two years it's been back on the road in all its 30mph, all original glory!

1 minute ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

we are still waiting to see a photo of skyrider's bike and he's been on here over a year  We cant see your profile picture properly we need a full size one 

Ah I see. Here you go then! My 2022 Yamaha XSR700. Just 3 weeks old and a little over 800 miles on the clock. First service done this morning.

5 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

So GB is there a photo of  the XSR or do we have another Skyrider on our hands 

Not sure what you mean by Skyrider but my profile pic shows my XSR.

Update: So this morning I took the XSR in for its first service. I spoke to the salesman and voiced my feelings about the bike. He said they could probably buy the bike back from me and would come up with a best price later in the day.

Meanwhile, they gave me a courtesy bike (MT-07) and I took a trip over to the nearby Royal Enfield dealers and had a test ride on the 350 Classic (took a pic on the test ride). I loved it! and that is so clearly the bike I should have bought in the first place - especially as it's half the price of mine!

Unfortunately both the Yamaha and the Royal Enfield dealers couldn't offer me more than £6K for my bike - that's a full £2K less than I paid for it! I was very shocked and disappointed. It's all about what they could sell it for, as against a new one. I understand their position but I'm gutted to find my mistake is so much more costly than I had feared. I guessed I'd lose a thousand in a few weeks but not two thousand!

So rather than just accept that and make another impetuous mistake (I so wanted to put a deposit on the 350 Classic) I have decided to wait a bit. Apparently I've already taken the biggest depreciation hit so I could wait some months - even a year - and they would offer me the same price for my bike. So I might as well use the extra performance of mine while I have it and consider the Royal Enfield in the not too distant future.

Interestingly, on the journey home the XSR felt a bit more comfortable, a bit easier and looser (maybe due to the service) and I took a detour to the coast. So while I do intend to get the Royal Enfield as soon as I can, at least I feel a bit better about the XSR for now.

Thanks all for your advice. This is a great forum! Cheers!

31 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Afternoon Gently. We’re not quite all ancient here but the ancient ones behave like ancient ones do and think the anyone under 60 doesn’t count, bloody boomers

I'm under 60 myself but not by much and appreciate the input of all ages. 

2 hours ago, XTreme said:

We're all ancient here......you'll probably be one of the younger ones!

Are you retired @GentlyBentley......or still working?

Still working - got about 9 years left hopefully. (of working that is not living!)

3 hours ago, Buckster said:

A real person? 

 

Last time I looked, yes.

6 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Wheres this quiz that tells you what sort of rider you are? I reckon I’d come out with a different name depending on what day I did it!

I saw it years ago on Facebook I think. Possibly from the MCN page. Sorry I can't be more help. I only remember it because it amused me that my riding habits afforded me such a title. 

3 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

You know what you don’t want and what you’re looking for now so perhaps some test rides and time to cogitate is in order. 

Thanks, that was a really thoughtful response with lots of useful insights. I'm going to chat to the dealer when I take the bike in for its first service. It won't hurt to sound them out about my options.

13 minutes ago, XTreme said:

What classic have you got?

Well at the moment it's in bits in my garage as it has broken piston rings and (apparently) excessive wear here, there and everywhere. But it's a 1979 Suzuki GS750. It's big, heavy and was off the road more often than on, with something new going wrong with it right when I wanted to ride. But it was cool and attracted attention wherever it was parked.

26 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Good call , sounds like a good choice for the OP

Thanks. Yes those Honda 500s have great engines to be sure. I rode the 500F and was impressed with its perkiness. But for me, part of the equation is looks and soul. I may be overly sentimental (no maybe about it actually) but I want a bike I can love. I thought that was the XSR but I was wrong. The Hondas, although undeniably good bikes, just don't move me like a classic does.

14 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Sometimes you just know that a bike is not a good fit for you.

What alternatives did you have in mind? And what sort of riding do you do? Shorter runs or touring?

Thanks. To be honest I'm true to my name here; I no longer shoot around at top speed, Most of the time I'm happy cruising at 50-60mph, just going on day trips, sometimes exploring a bit further afield but avoiding motorways where possible. I'm considering going down to something like the Royal Enfield Classic 350. I only got the XSR because I suddenly realised it was going to replace my old classic as my only bike and I felt like it should be a "do-it-all" bike and be future proof. But it's a waste of all that power (a lot by my standards) if I'm just going to bimble along the country lanes in a sedate manner. 

4 minutes ago, Buckster said:

I'm assuming you have tried adjustment of the suspension. 

Thanks. I'm going to speak to the dealer about that when I take it in for its first service this week. It requires the bike being on a m/c lift to do it properly and I don't own one (there's no centre stand on this model). Also I want to describe the way it feels and get their advice on the suspension issue...but that isn't the whole story anyway it's the full package.

I may have recently made an expensive mistake. I took a Yamaha XSR700 for a test ride after the demise of my old classic 750 made me feel the need for a reliable bike that will last. On the test ride it put a smile on my face, it had more power and poke than my old classic and had the advantage of new tech and the promise of reliability. I made the decision straight after the test ride to buy it and it was ready for collection inside a week. So it all happened really quickly. But three weeks in and I’m not so keen.

Being used to classics I thought the modern retro take might grow on me…but it hasn’t. I find the suspension very jarring - every bump and road seam goes right through my spine making most rides quite uncomfortable - apparently all modern bikes have firmer suspension (is that true?). Also, a very strange thing, despite the kerb weight being a full 60kg lighter than my old classic, the new bike feels heavy, lumpy and awkward. Riding it seems to have sapped my riding confidence too. Very odd and difficult to describe exactly. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with the bike, I’m just not gelling with it.

Now, because I bought it new I’m obviously going to lose money whatever I do (and yes I only have myself to blame). I’d like to trade it in for something smaller, lighter and softer. It’s just a few weeks old, has done fewer than 800 miles so what’s the best way forward? Sell it back to the dealer for (a lot less) cash or trade it in for a new but cheaper bike I have my eye on at another dealer (they do up or down trade with cash adjustment either way if needed). Advice gratefully received.

Thanks and hi everyone. My username 'GentlyBentley' comes from the result of a "What style rider are you" questionnaire. Well, these days I'm pretty sedate and the answers returned that name which I have now adopted. I think that tells you a little about my motorcycling life (which has been 43 years on bikes so far) but no doubt more will follow.