I’m not that impressed by the release of the Hill Hold so rarely, if ever, use it solo/no luggage. However, laden for touring in the Pyrenees, it has its uses. Andy
Hill start is a godsend for me. Ive just got myself a K1600Gt. I can get one or other of my feet flat on the floor. Not both at the same time At junctions the camber of the road, more often than not, dictates it's my right foot on the floor.
From what I read on here about non-existant Multistrada rear brakes, I'm surprised that anyone has functioning hill-hold!
Hill hold is useful if the camber falls away to the left and you can't get your left foot down with ease. But that's a once-a-year sort of problem, unless you live in a mountainous area. It's also quite pleasant if you just want to stretch your legs at some lights on a gentle gradient. Probably a once-a-month usage. I definitely wouldn't pay for it, but then again I have gangly legs.
My first proper bike that I passed my test on was an Ariel Arrow Super Sport just like that. It wisna a bike that I took to.
When I pull into my drive I use hill hold to stop the bike rolling no back whilst I fiddle around taking my gloves off and getting the garage door remote out of my pocket. Also on a steep junction with a lot of camber if you are pulling out into traffic. It’s one of those things you don’t ‘need’ but it is helpful on occasion (a bit like heated grips which I never thought I needed either).
It fairly nipped on that Golden Arrow with excellent handling as befits a box section frame but the front brake ? Never mind second class more akin to smoke signals or semaphore for the lever to hub connection. Passed my test in 1966 on a 350 BSA with 250 over painted on the side panels, my mate and I bought it from the AA patrolman for 15/- (75p) each. We went scrambling with it around a local quarry but, unbeknown to us, the fuel tank split and when parked up for the night the dripping petrol fired up and partially obliterated Ronnie's dad's stick shed complete with the coming winter's wood supply. The expletives flying aboot next day would have kept the house warm for mony a week ! Great days Derek.
I'm with you on heated grips. I thought they were for girl's blouses til I got my Rocket 3 and discovered the pleasure of warm hands and short summer gloves. Wish the Diavel had them.
I mind the brakes fine. The front was almost non-existant and the back one would lock up at anything more than a light touch. Mine had an interesting failure. As you'll ken, the crankshaft is in 2 separate halves, one for each cylinder, Held the gither wi' a taper and a key. One day I started it up but it wis only runnin' on the ae cylinder wi' clouds o' reek and flames spewing out o' the RH exhaust. It turned out that the taper had slipped and the RH cylinder was about 45º retarded so it wisna firing, jist pumping burning fuel into the exhaust. The crank taper was buggered but I picked up another engine and swapped the Sport cylinder heads onto it to get the higher compression. Was your 350 a B31 or a pre-war job?
I'd like to have a go on bike with all the gizmos, not even experienced A.B.S on old nails I've owned!
This is the year me and the V4S bond or decouple. I love racing my 748R in CRMC and taking the 1199 (R) to euro tracks, but the V4S takes a lot of learning to exploit the software. I am surprised Ducati doesn’t assist as I know no one will ever explore those electronics on the road. So she goes to Portimao/Jerez/Aragon/Valencia in September for the showdown.
That's one thing that would bug me with the most sophisticated and complex electronic systems. I'd always be wondering whether I've got the optimal set up for me. The urge to fiddle would be constantly in the back of my mind. Is it me/is it the bike etc. There's something liberating about a bike that just is what it is.
lots of custom bikes in Thailand are made with NO front brakes and they riders are very passionate often doing 15k miles a year and they cope reallly well .... when i built custom choppers in the 1970s and 80s i used 6'' Hurst Airhart opposed piston racing go kart brakes ,, they looked great were tiny on the 21'' front wheel but worked really well ...
Aha Derek, an Ariel SuperMono Golden Arrow ! Seem to mind it was a B31 with plunger frame although the plungers had ceased plunging long before it came into my hands. Those days the Test Examiners did cars and bikes with no great liking for the latter as they got cauld and weet tramping from corner to corner so my Examiner couldna tell a Bantam from a Spitfire. My 500 Triumph Daytona's front brake was also non existent regardless of set up but the back could be locked at any speed.
my old KTM 790 had the most of any bike I owned up until then. ABS, lean ABS, Traction Control, anti wheelie, blipper and launch control. Traction control was only utilised once when accelerating on stutter bumps. Anti wheelie only once too. The rest of the gime don't believe they ever kicked in at anytime. My old riding partners Tuono utilised every rider aid it had on most of our rides out together. My current bike has just abs and again not ever been used.
I don't enjoy all this stuff on cars, I definitely don't want it on bikes. The only option is pre about 2006? Bikes. My newest bike is 2006 MV.
There is an off button or atleast an option to turn down wheelie control and traction control even the Abs on the rear wheel if you want to impress the girls with some sic skids.
