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Bike Reviews.

Discussion in 'Lounge' started by comfysofa, Oct 13, 2015.

  1. Yeah if I'd have bought a 1290 I'd be crying in my beer now? I mean.... I may as well go and set fire to the zed it's that bad!

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  2. I came to the same conclusion about reviews several years ago, hardly ever look at them now. It's always the same as you say... along the lines of "this is brilliant, the old tat you have is/was rubbish".
    What really did it for me was when I had a bike on display at Popham & Goodwood and listening to the utter dross that was being spouted by people that had never ridden one based purely on reviews.
    Agree with other posts that most people who buy things probably can't use anywhere near the full capacity of most of them (probably applies to electronics as well, when I think about it).
     
  3. I only judge bikes on my test rides, not reviews. I read them to get a basic summary but I don't take personal opinions too much to heart. I need to try it for myself.
    I still don't quite get the electronics thing. I usually turn it all off on my 1290. Not because I'm hard and like to pull massive wheelies, because I don't, but because I don't understand what half of its supposed to be doing, I don't like having lights flashing at me and I find the intervention off-putting. I particularly dislike the rear brake pedal kicking back when the ABS comes on.
    I can see the point on the track with clever systems like the 1299 Pani's but on the road I'm not convinced. I've managed without it perfectly well on the SF. Rode over 300 miles in torrential rain last week on the 1290 and it never occurred to me to use Rain mode. Didn't think about it.You just ride to the conditions and not like a bellend. Its not difficult.
     
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  4. It's ironic that the only bike I've ever test rode was the s1oooR which I was fully expecting to buy... In fact my thought was at the time "well I'm buying one anyway so I may as well have a go on one..." hated it.

    All I needed was to sit on the zed... That was enough.

    I just found it entertaining watching this week's bike world and surprisingly what's the best bike.... Hey I'm on TV as well.... Leon Haslam doing the vip honours at Silverstone..... Dodgy bloke in the background in black leathers.... That's me!

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  5. Coo - this is going to keep coming back like the second course at a dodgy restaurant....

    Im at work - waiting for stuff to happen on the network before i can get on with the next job, so, open up a web browser - down my subscribed thread....find a couple of vids on 44 teeth that ive not watched in particular the Triumph street cup and the new 765....ill probably cop a lot of stick here from the older fraternity but...

    1. What the fuck is going on with Triumph....ive never had one and i dont think i ever will but everything that they bring out bar the street triple and maybe the middle class explorers seems to be going back in time and people seem to be lapping it up...its kinda like ford saying "yeah weve revived the model T ford but fuck it, half of it is made of titanium and weve added bluetooth so you can connect your phone..."

    2. Its not the first time ive heard Fagan say (about the 765 this time) "if i had to spunk my own cash then this is what id buy..." - he said that about the bobber too...

    3. Baron narrating about the street cup in summary...."it runs out of gas, wallows on the suspension, doesnt handle very well...but hey thats why its so good.." So, yeah id buy a bike thats bad and then enjoy that fact...

    As i say its just what i see and i know lots would disagree but, most other manufacturers out there (the main players) i would say produce about 20 - 30% retro stuff ....i think nearly all of Triumphs offerings are retro..
     
  6. make it a hybrid and I'd buy one of them :p
     
  7. I don't get the Bonnevilles at all. They seem so staid and under-powered. If I wanted a retro Triumph twin I think I'd rather have an Edward Turner original.
    The Speed and Street Triples are a different matter though. They are fine bikes. I had a 2013 Speedy. It was a superlative scratcher but I couldn't get comfortable on it and although it steered beautifully, against the competition it felt big and heavy. The new Speed R is a whole different bike. I rode one last year on a Triumph open day and it is a belter of a road bike. Its got one of the best chassis out there and probably the best brakes of any naked, including the Superduke, Tuono and S1000R. They're that good.
    The new lightweight 750 Street Triple makes perfect sense. Depending on how the KTM 790 turns out I suspect the 750 Street will be class leading in power, weight and handling.
    BUT, much as I respect the Speed Triple as a great road bike I do wish Triumph would make a 170 bhp 90+ lb/ft supernaked and a 200 bhp litre sports bike. The triple engine is well capable of it.
     
  8. I'd buy a half-titanium Model T with an Eco-tec and Bluetooth. That'd be ace. Better than a New Beetle.

    The new Triumphs look quite nice, they ride nicely according to the owners who've shelled out on PCP for them (my own theory: bike mags now are pushers for PCP - the industry is running on the money made from finance rather than turning a profit on the bikes themselves), haven't met anyone who either bought outright or has one on HP. I have a bit of a crush on the new STriple and kind of have a closing-door-fear-of-missing-out feeling about the Daytona 675, which is pure marketing weakness on my part, as I'd buy a used one anyway as the solid grey colour and early style fairing / underseat exhaust are what tick my boxes.

    44 Teeth is entertaining but a bit repetitive, it throws up an occasional gem but I refuse to feel snidey about it as both Al and Chris seem to be having a whale of a time. If they have some big backer then I wouldn't be astonished, as they both are well connected, and if it's all from the sweat of their brow then I applaud them. They're fairly irreverent where they choose to be, and that's more than you get from the others these days. PB remains a good read, always has been. Wildee is on MCN now so let's see how that goes.

    Buy the bike you like though, we all get suckered into machines we think we *should* want, rather than what we *do* want. Motorcycling has become a lifestyle that you can buy into with money alone, and modern bikes and gear mean that you can ride like a god without the corresponding talent, stay dry and probably get up if you crash with minimal ouchery. Suits me fine, no more waiting for my knees to thaw, no more tetchy bikes with tyres that spit you off. Good.
     
  9. As I say... The speed and street yes... The rest is all pretty crap but imo 44 teeth have kinda sold out as everything they review is "great" I mean Fagan even went on a tyre review for a harley... I'd not do that out sheer principle but that's me.

    I do like both the speed and the street but would never own one (I'm not a fan of the bendy frame style) the same as I'm not a fan of say, the zed 900 (the new one) doesn't look right (ive got a gen4 zed 1000 which I love though) its like a cast frame wouldn't look right on a duc to a certain extent but trellis on a duc...perfect cos they've always done it and it looks killer....

    Digressing a little there...im forever starting to take bike reviews more and more with a pinch of salt and probably will do but, it wont stop me reading and watching them :)

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    #69 comfysofa, Feb 19, 2017
    Last edited: Feb 19, 2017
  10. That's easy enough for us to say, perhaps the tyre manufacturer told him to take one for the team if he wants the next superbike tyre launch? If 44T is his income and he's picking up gigs as a blogger that would normally be the preserve of the mainstream bike press then perhaps he has to take the gigs he's offered in order to pay the bills? It's a weird one though as I couldn't imagine the Harley-tyre-buying crowd hanging on 44T's review of that particular tyre before shelling out. Maybe with the demise of BSH etc. there isn't the niche press available? Dunno.

    I'd rather 44T existed and me like 40% of their output than them not exist and me not get that 40%. If 60% isn't meaningful to me then I hope it is to someone else, or pays their bills so that the 40% makes it into the world.
     
  11. Yes there is that...ive often wondered if theyre "forced into it" for some of the stuff...
     
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  12. Heh - this rears it ugly head again....

    Downloaded my monthly performance bikes and, reading the article about the Fireblade....its seems that they can in fact "get it to go" as well as the other but, with a bit of work and finance thrown in....one thing i noticed was the writer (can remember his name) sited "less that thorough publications" - no putting two and two together when it came out Adam "Chad" Child (why he always insists on the "Chad" bit i dont know) seemed to be gushing about it on the video review, or thats the way i remember it....kinda confirms what i seem to keep seeing....

    I watched this a couple of weeks ago (been subscribed to them for quite a while)....i like this bunch especially Ryan...seemed to confirm quite a bit...

     
  13. I love my 1290 SA,and tbh can't find anything really to moan about.
    The luggage is...ok-ish,and the display is a bit old fashioned,but that's about it.
    Goes like stink,handles brilliantly,pretty comfy for long trips and the range is reasonable.
    Weather protection for me,(and I'm a hefty old Hector), is excellent.
    Really surprised they've dropped the model from the range,especially now they've gone to 25 litre tanks...ffs one of the major advantages of big trailies is the ability to get some miles under you.
    Shame too because I was going to replace mine in March with a shiny new one.
    Oh well...I liked the look of the new Africa Twin Adventure Sport.
    I'll just have to live with only 93bhp instead of almost 160...er...what was that someone said about marketing?
    :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
     
  14. I love me a bit of 44teeth
     
  15. Yeah - as funny as they are - theyre getting on the bandwagon a little bit...i always remember Al Fagan commenting on the previous year's panigale (at the time) as "a scaffold pole with wheels" - you only tend to hear bad things about bikes from reviewers when the new one/next model is out...
     
  16. Good site isnt it....just sounds like a genuinely nice bloke...
     
  17. Yes, although the abundance of ironic facial expressions he pulls gets a bit weird at times :D
     
  18. Never noticed....now i have to go watch some more...!
     
  19. Wow. Holy thread resurrection.....

    Just reading the PB review of this years blade....the fucking bike that MCN put at the top of their litre bike review back when it first came out....i quote PB - "how could Honda have got it so wrong"..... [Aimed at the first iteration of the current Blade] that MCN thought was the best...some fucker was getting paid off somewhere....
     
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