Here We Go Again !!

 

Well, in a bout of lateral thinking I have gone and done it again. Yep, I have made the decision to move on from what has been to this day the most versatile motorcycle I have ever owned. 

I claim to be a bit of an early adopter 😉 in the ADV bike stakes when in 1994 I traded my beloved 1993 Honda Fireblade in on a Honda NX650 Dominator.

From this....

to this....

Steve hated riding that bike but to be fair he was 22 and in full on sports bike mode. I only bought the bike as I was heading back to the Kimberley for work and wanted a bike I could ride some dirt on but would be civilised enough on the blacktop. I wish I had taken some more photos (or not lost the ones I think I did take 🙄)

I sold that Dominator in 1996 and it took until 2018 until I decided to dip my toe into the ADV bike waters again, this time with a BMW F800GSA. I loved the look of this bike even though it was pretty underpowered and very heavy..,...but it looked good....which makes it ok, right?

But it whet my appetite for the whole ADV bike thing. So I sold it at the start of 2020....then Covid hit and put the brakes on everything. Well, every shitty situation must have a silver (or stainless steel) lining as at the end of 2020 I found the most awesome ADV bike. The previous owner had spared no expense on it and with only 9000 kilometres on the odometer, it proved to be a steal! Yep, the mighty Africa Twin Adventure Sports has taken me to a lot of amazing places.

However, as the saying goes - time waits for no man - or bike in this case because that is what we are talking about here. ADV bikes are evolving at a rapid rate. Where just 4 years ago I thought minimal electronics was the way to go I have come to realise that the modern electronics - in particular the off road ABS braking - is light years better than it was on my 2015 BMW F800GSA. The latest ADV bikes have not only the latest electronic aids but they also retain those mode settings when you turn the bike off, then back on again! Who would have thought that leaving the settings the way you wanted them when you started up again would take the manufacturers sooo many years to grasp.

So, while I absolutely LOVE my Africa Twin it is time to let someone else enjoy the ride. She will be going to a new home on the 3rd of February where a new owner will get to take her exploring. I am a little sad. As I said she is the best bike I have ever owned. Add to this that I have never had so many non motorcyclists come up to me and say "that is one good looking bike"! Even my own son isn't talking to me about bikes because I am selling her...... 😕

So, what do you replace the (almost) perfect bike with I hear you ask? Breaking my own personal rule to live by I am not only going with a "first model" but even worse, after ~35 years of happily sledging the brand I present my new bike......

Why? 

Well, the best electronics package going at the moment for one. Plenty of power but a much lower centre of gravity and a ~30 kilogram (66lb) lighter mass. Nothing to spend on suspension, footpegs or steering dampers. The main down side is that it is pretty bloody ugly! To rectify this fact I ordered a decal set even before I had bought the bike! 

So, as of today she looks like this. 

The UniRacing decal kit transforms it and the Perun Moto rear rack allows me to run my SW Motec top box at a much lighter weight than the SW Motec rack (1.3kg versus 3.3kg just for the rack and mounts). I have fitted some Bark Busters as the standard hand guards are very weak. Some Double Take mirrors are also in the mail. A genuine Ducati bash plate is on back order and Barrett pannier racks will be added once they start producing them for the Desert X but I think it looks a million times better already.

She handles very sweetly on the road, especially with those Pirelli Scorpion STR tyres as they are very road oriented. Once I get the first service done in a couple of weeks, by which time I will have all of the off road gear on it, I will throw some proper off road rubber on and get her dirty. 

This is going to be interesting.

Cheers.

He is NOT happy the Twin is being replaced! 😏

The Postman Cometh

Wait, oh yes, wait a minute, Mister Postman

Wait, wait, hey, hey, hey, Mister Postman

Mister Postman, look and see

(Oh yeah) Is there a parcel in your bag for me?

(Please, please, Mister Postman) I been waiting a long, long time

(Whoah, yeah) Since I heard from SW Motech online.....

......You know the song.....

Yep, I have been giving the credit card a bit of a bashing lately. After a few weeks of research I have covered off three or four of the most important (to me) items that I need to make this F800GSA work for me. In no particular order these are -

Number one - A chain oiler system

Number two - a strap system so I can carry stuff.

Number three - a topbox so that the kids feel more secure and I can carry stuff.

Number four - a workshop manual so I can break stuff! (then fix it)

These items all arrived this week and luckily, I have the weekend free to fit them up! Free, that is except for a few jaunts to motorcycle shops looking for a ladies jacket to fit Lucy. 

Did I mention the kids are loving riding around on the back of this thing? Lucy has expressed her desire to get a motorcycle licence in a few years, when she is legally able to. It might be time for a little second hand TTR-125 or KLX-140 to teach them how to ride.....but first I need to find a place where they can ride. Not so easy when you live in the city.

The last "must have" I need to order is a screen add-on to deflect the breeze off of my helmet. The go to item seems to be a Wunderlich Ergo 3D screen which is to be had for a ridiculous amount of money for a small piece of perspex but anything to get rid of the "little guy tapping on my helmet with a hammer" at highway speeds......and I am again awaiting the Postman.

Sexy SW Motech top box




Cheers.