[Alan]

in reply to: Fuel Economy #17768

Thx so much for your replies, guys.  And muchos thanks for the poll, Bwucie!Please keep on voting, your replies will positively influence what the product will look like when it's available here.I have received many private messages as well, and there seem to be several fuel economy reading preferences and a strong interest in being able to switch between them (or showing all of them).  Something else that comes through is the desire to tell how many more km are left in the tank.  Totally agree!  I will get on to the developpers with this.Please note that, if your bike already has such a display, you are cool, and you won't need any more gadgets (as yet, until they break down, which they won't, of course  😉 ).If you are wanting to keep your bike totally classic, you will have to nurse they old analogue intruments, get them serviced or replaced as needed.Then there are you guys with older bikes with strong motors, but the rest of it failing around the edges.  If you don't have to have it all fully original, you just want to keep tabs on speed, revs, possibly temperatures, clock etc, and everything road-legal, much larger than a bicycle computer, and lit at night, or maybe you want to do the odd adventure ride, then this is where the SIXO (www.sixo.de) is a great option.  But it cannot do magic: Older bikes don't have a fuel counting sensor.  The fuel economy calculator requires you to enter the amount of fuel filled into your bike, and to zero the tank km counter.Their website is still largely in German, contact me if you need further advice.CheersMatthias

[Alan]

in reply to: Downloadable Newsletter #15092

Sorry guys, for being so thick, but I still don't get it.  ???A lot was said about not publishing the e-newsletter early, fair enough.  But whether I click the link for the April (is that early?) or the March issue, I always end up on that nasty Acrobate site, from which I cannot back out.  What is the point of a link that says "Download a PDF version" if it doesn't?Can someone say in as few words as possible, whether those links are broken and I must go via Issuu (and whether one has to have an account with Issuu) or whether I'm just incapable.Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: Downloadable Newsletter #15086

… and something else.The blogsite seems public, i.e. no login etc.  Does this mean that all and sundry can read and - if they are smarter than me - download the Newsletter?  Was that the intention?One less reason to pay their subs for some perhaps...Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: Downloadable Newsletter #15085

Call me dumb  😮 , but I'm having trouble downloading the Newsletter from the blog site.  This doesn't appear to be a regular link to a PDF file.  Clicking it takes me to Acrobat.com, which complains bitterly that I haven't got the latest Flash Player.  I wouldn't think I need a Flash player to download a PDF?  ???Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: The GS thing……..does anyone else not get it? #14382

Hi DaffyYes, there is a transition from a roadie to an off-roadie, but is doesn't have to be painful.  Firstly, forget about the cleaning thing.  Dust and mud look cool!  It says, I've been everywhere, man!  Also, dents don't show as much on a grubby bike.  The importance of a clean bike is reciprocal to the age of the bike.  Clearly, a brandnew bike looks crap when dirty, but, with respect, a 1150 doesn't really fall into that category anymore.I clean my GS about once a year, usually just before doing some maintenance, in order not to get my hands too dirty, also so that too big a blobs of crud don't find their way into the shiny interiour when I take off the rocker or timing chain cover.  I try and keep my bike technically in tip-top condition, belying its appearance, kind of a fetish of mine.  It's got 250,000km on the clock, and I hope it will do the same mileage again no matter what it looks like from the outside, that's my secret pride.Secondly, I regard scratches, dents and bends as "battle scars", they show where you've been.  I don't see them as blemishes so much as signatures of adventures.  Also, when you have an annoying dent in the tank it doesn't mean you will dent the tank again next time when you drop the bike.  There'll be a other scratch here or there, but so what?  If it doesn't affect function, don't worry about it!  You talked about the dent in the header.  On an adventure ride I hit a largish rock at speed in such a way, that it flattened the header pipe right through the 4mm bashplate.  It was critically narrowing the diameter, so I replaced it, but I didn't worry about the bashplate 🙂Thirdly, you'll have to anticipate stuff.  If you are going off-road, especially with other "hard-core" riders as you mentioned them, or on an adventure ride, where you'll be doing sometimes serveral days of miles of off-road riding with like-minded folk, YOU WILL COME OFF!  I prepare my bike for example by taking off expensice BMW mirrows and put on a single right-hand moped mirrow to fulfill regulations.  Some folk have tank covers.  Always remove screens and other unecessary plastic.  If you are worried about breaking clutch and brake levers, fit stiff aluminium hand guards.  I always loosen my hand level assemblies so that they will swivel under force, so to not break anything if you hit the ground.Fourthly, without dropiing the bike and possibly breaking stuff you will never learn.  There is a certain amount of pain, cost and loss of pride before you'll improve, but it doesn't take that long or cost mega $$$$.  I wouldn't take a brandnew 1200 to learn offroad skills, but an 1150 sounds like a good candidate.And don't think a Japanese hopper is necessarily the answer.  On one particular steep bit on an adventure ride a number of folk came off, a Jap bike of some sort snapped off the clutch lever so that carrying on riding was next to impossible.  I had broken an indicator lens on that day and a few other scratches, fell on the levers a few times but never ever broke one.  The BMW levers are forged and not cast like the Japanese ones, if anything they will bend rather that snap!Just keep going and let the fun outweigh the damage!Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: New ACC Levies #12984

In case you have missed the coverage of the protest ride in Nelson on Saturday, you can watch it here (in HD if you like):TV One:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ECtb-KS7ETV3:        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOElTsomJ70 Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: New ACC Levies #12935

In some European country that shall not be mentioned, except for that Kokopelli and I hail from it, private insurance (what the current Government seems hell-bent on introducing) is covering injury as well as other damage (3rd party).  (BTW, hardly anyone covers their own vehicle as this insurance is compulsory.)I think the premiums to get your bike on the road in that far-flung country are comparable to what is proposed here tonight.However, that scheme, apart from using horse-power instead of cc-rating as the measure, provides for generous no-claims discounts (up to 50%).  I want to believe it encourages more responsible riding and less mischievous claiming.  There are many of us who have been riding for 20, 30 or 40 years without a single incidence or claim.  Is it fair to share the risk with all and sundry riding bikes?But consider: providing a no-claims facility necessitates the establishment of "fault". Currently ACC runs under the no-fault principle, which NZ has got accustomed to.  With privatisation of ACC this will probably go.  Is that what we want?Whatever we do: It's a no-brainer that motorcyclist will revolt against this; they expect this.  But we need to have a united argument and a strategy, and need to offer alternatives!  We need to know what we are talking about, need statistics.And comparisons to other countries.MatthiasPS: Who, a while ago, released some statistics about what percentage of bike/car crashes had the rider at fault?  

[Alan]

in reply to: Ventura Sport-Pack #12762

Any other colours available, Alex?Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: Heat-pumps ? #12323

No doubt you read the latest Consumer write-up on this?!Not much more to add other than to emphasize:- Get at least the size of heat pump calculated for your dwelling, or one size bigger.  The cost difference is minimal (installation cost doesn't vary whether you install size 1 or 2) but the efficiency is greater if the unit isn't maxed out most of the time- Most folk get an inside unit which is mounted close to the ceiling because it doesn't interfere with their current furniture placement.  This is actually an air-conditioning unit for which 90% of the heat-pumps are manufactured.  Due to our climate (mild winters and cool summers) NZ is unique in that we are using heat pumps mainly for heating rather than cooling.  So the ceiling mounted inside unit is only a compromise for heating.  As heat rises naturally, the machine tries to force the hot air downwards , while only partially successful, this causes a nasty draught, which makes a high-mounted inside unit unsuitable near seating or other areas where people congregate.  If you can at all accommodate it, try and get a low-mounted inside unit; as you will know, in Europe all heating devices are installed low.- Trying to justify the economy of a heat-pump using payback or more sophisticated methods is tricky at best.  Too much depends on future power price movements.  I believe a wood-fire comes up pretty good in terms of cost and carbon-neutrality, but alas it is not legal any longer in my home town as well as in other places around the country struggling with keeping particulate matter out of the air.If NZ can move towards entirely renewable electricity generation, heat-pumps are a good choice.  But with the current government, the trend towards electric heating and soon electric transport, I don't like the chances.  You'll have to do your own figures if that's important to you.- The convenience of heat-pumps is hard to beat.  I'm not sure that I agree with NOD that keeping the machine on all night is always cheaper than starting it up in the morning.  It depends on your usage patterns.  If you or someone else is in the house all day it may well be more economical to keep the pump going all night (how well insulated your place is is also a factor in this decision!).  But if you don't require a warm place after, say 9 am, because everyone is gone, I wouldn't leave the heat pump going all night.  You see, unlike many other slow heating equipment, a heat pump mainly heats the air and is a such very quick.  From the moment you hit the ON button is feels warm within minutes, which is great in the morning.  However, your furniture, walls and floor will be cold.  If all you do is have breakfast and leave, a short, sharp blast from the heat pump is the most efficient way and more convenient that any other heating I know.- Whatever you do, if you have a handful of grands up your sleeve, don't spend it on heating if your insulation isn't up to scratch!  In order of priority:1 Insulate the ceiling (easy)2 Insulate doors/windows (moderate)3 Install suitable heating (easy)4 Insulate walls (tricky)5 Insulate floor (sometimes tricky)My 2 cents worth.Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: BMW historic archive footage #12191

Has anyone found a way to get these in higher resolution?  YouTube tends to provide more and more high-res videos, shame having to watch this pretty footage in blocky mode….Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: It happened yesterday, just before Waiouru #11647

Before and after shots over 300 meters…It happened 5 years ago in Victoria/AU.Mind you, this is the second time round the clock, though  🙂Matthias

[Alan]

in reply to: South Island R.A.G Rally #11046

If you intend to come please book now, otherwise you may end up in at a tent site.

So?  Remind me, what does RAG stand for again?  😀Matthias

[Author]

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