Motorcycles
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I'm in need of some new motorcycle gear, and been doing a bit of research into what's out there. One of the slightly annoying things is that whilst there's a CE standard, very few things are certified.
One useful thing that I saw was this diagram, showing the impact zones used as a part of the certification process for the standard.
I like the Rev'it Cayenne Pro jacket, but the grey panels are mesh, which has a lower resistance to abrasion, and this can be found in areas at a moderate risk. The trousers (not shown) are even worse, having large panels on the thighs. That puts me off it…
There was also an episode of Catalyst on ABC about motorcycle gear. I don't know if the link will work outside of Australia. It brought up a few interesting points:
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Overheating is a distinct risk when wearing heavy kit in the Australian summer.
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A lot of gear is made using ballistic nylon. This is probably less protective than denim, as it lasts half a second on an abrasion rig. (No tests were done on IH 21 oz.) The good stuff is leather or aramids.
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One suit shown on the video had a ventilation zip running down the arm. This could easily fail in an accident, as it was in an area at risk of abrasion.
So I can't be sure if my kit will protect me, or cause me to overheat. Lovely!
That said, there are moves afoot to ensure all motorcycle gear sold in Europe is fully CE certified. If that happens, it'll improve the situation.
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i guess my old barbour waxed cotton is not up to current spec then
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Saw one of those at the HD Museum. One of the things I like about Harleys is that to me they feel like big bicycles. Even though they didn't start out making bicycles,their initial idea was to put an engine in a bicycle. Feel like there's some of that DNA in every Harley. Would love to ride one of those. Think you may have to back pedal to stop as I don't see any other brakes.
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Bell are soon to release a modern edition of the Moto 3.
Revzilla have their
reviewadvert up, and there are already a few YouTube videos.@Giles the orange one would match one of your bikes.
It looks good, and has more of a scrambler aesthetic than the Bullitt, which are apparently becoming collectible.
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The weather was lovely today, and so I had a choice.
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Stay at home and do something productive.
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Take the Thruxton out.
The bike has been neglected for the last few weeks, and so I went for the second option.
I've been wanting to take a look at Eltham and Warrandyte, which are suburbs on the Northeast edge of Melbourne. They're where the city meets the bush, so they're heavily wooded. It turns out it's a nice area, but a bit of a trek to get out there, so probably not for me.
However, Research-Warrandyte Road is properly twisty, and has plenty of elevation changes. Is it wrong to move somewhere so I can go for a ride easily?
I'm starting to get used to the Thruxton. It's more cramped than my old BMW R1200R, and the engine feels a bit less powerful. I'm limited to 4000 RPM during the running in period, so I need to explore the higher rev ranges. There's also a Sports mode…
Or I could fit the hot cam, high-flow air filter, and de-cat the exhaust. I suspect that might transform the Thruxton into more of a fire-breathing beast.
On the upside, it feels a lot more agile than the Beemer, and more communicative. The Telelever front-end doesn't give as much feedback as forks do.
I've got a Bell Bullitt, and it has great visibility, but after wearing it a couple of hours, it began to painfully dig into my forehead. I'll have to see if it breaks, otherwise I'll need another one for doing distance.
There were a few bikes out today, including another Thruxton R, though that one was red, and a lot of Harleys.
But I was severely outgunned on the coolness stakes: I saw a guy on an old machine, he was wearing a full textile suit, with a high-vis vest over it, so not someone you'd think had anything special. Then I noticed that the bike was black, with a gold scroll painted on the tank. The bugger had a Vincent. :o
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I bought a new bike last month! Here's my 2016 Triumph T120 Black. Rides like a dream. I love it.
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Nice bike @arbybaconator, but being a fellow owner of a black Triumph, I'm a bit biased.
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Love the Bell Moto 3, looks like a few other brands that have the same style. I have been going back and forth what I wanted to do with my next helmet, as I haven't ridden a DOT certified or full face in…years now. The Biltwell Novelty 3/4 is old now, as in my ears don't appreciate it and cold weather is just bad with it...bad ha. My ears are better with no dome or ear plugs in than wearing that 3/4!
So I been tossing what helmet to get, go cheap and save some money, but worry about fitment, noise, durability with some options. So I went with the one helmet that actually fits me PERFECTLY. Never had a comfier helmet...and won't obstruct my vision. Had to spend the extra cash on the best of the best, Arai XD-4. Always loved the ADV helmets since they came out. Be great for all 4 seasons for me and the vision is fantastic with it! Impossible to find a deal on one though, I did get it for under $500....which was next to impossible!
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3 Martini Lunch, a previous generation Triumph Thruxton modified by Icon.
There are more details at Return of the Café Racers, and the Icon 1000 website.
I find a lot of custom bikes draw from a fairly narrow palette, and this looks a bit different to the usual café racer inspired build. Sure, Icon have probably thrown a truck load of cash at it, but I like the end result.
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OK, so I complain that all customs look similar, and then I see this. I love it.
It's a Jawa two stroke that's been built by Urban Motor for the sprint at Glemseck 101. More at Bike EXIF.
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Triumph have decided to bolt superchargers to a couple of Thruxtons for the Glemseck 101 sprints. I can't argue with that logic.
The black bike uses a modified Speed Triple flyscreen, whilst the white one has the fairing and seat from a Daytona 675. Power output is up 60% to 140 bhp, with a similar bump in torque.
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Triumph have decided to bolt superchargers to a couple of Thruxtons for the Glemseck 101 sprints. I can't argue with that logic.
The builders skillfully integrated those chargers. Kawasaki proposed seven models with some form of forces induction after the release of the H2. While my Versys is a bit out of place in the Iron Heart world, I wouldn't mind a few PSI.
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The Versys is supposed to be a good, little bike. I haven't ridden one, but I recall seeing a review some years back where a journalist commented that he and his counterparts would choose it over other, more exotic machinery, as it just worked.
The H2 looks a beast, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else Kawasaki bring out. Suzuki are also rumoured to be building a production version of the Recursion, which could be promising.
The reverse side of the supercharged Thruxton isn't as neat, which is probably why there aren't so many photos of it. I'm hoping, probably in vain, that they bring out a kit.
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(And I still haven't done the Great Ocean Road, which is near me, though it's currently blocked due to landslides.)
