[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: F650GS or F800ST – I DON"T KNOW !! #9725

I think it is about to happen.I went and looked (yes I know, again) and my F800ST is likely headed to the dealer next week.Any thoughts on this though;He has offered to sell my F800ST on behalf of me, and I know that bike he is selling is being sold on behalf. Does that make sense? Pay him to sell mine, and someone else pays him to sell theirs to me?There has to be a better way.

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Rider training for BMW. #6625

The first lesson I learned about the big beemers is to let them go through the corners themselves. It sounds a a bit obvious, but I was trying too hard to make them track properly. “Over Riding”, if you like.The weight is awesome at letting the bike track beautifully. I've had no experience of twisting, but we ride them fairly conservatively.On slower roads or tight courses I push my leg hard into the tank on the outside of the bike (opposite side to the direction of the corner.) It seems to give me more control. I learned that (probably a school boy thing really) from an instructor who is a guru on motocross bikes. It doesn't control the bike directly, but it allows you to control your body more accurately, and that helps you control the bike.It meant being able to throw the big beastie around a lot more while retaining control. In tight exercises I can get my outside arm completely straight, meaning the bike is dipping a long way down into the turn, making it far easier. Momentum is my friend like that.We stick to speed limits necessarily as hypocrisy doesn't sit well. One thing of interest is the we have a calibrated digital speedo to compare against the analogue speedo, and the analogue one would basically make a great paperweight.  It would be worth having your speedo calibrated at an instrument shop to get a better idea of your speed.Ka kite 😎

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Rider training for BMW. #6623

I spent a few minutes today browsing the F650GS-P. It looks like a great town bike, and maybe ever for chasing crooks over open fields !!Check out http://www.ascycles.com/f650gsp.aspxIf I ever let my testosterone get the better of me I am thinking I'd love to ride a 1200GS-P Adventure. I'd like the training for that ride to include Ewan and Charlies next Long Way trip. Just wishing.......... 🙄

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Rider training for BMW. #6619

Please leave the revenue collecting issue alone.

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Rider training for BMW. #6615

As a P.S. I can add that we do some off road stuff on Honda 200s. The things you learn go straight back onto the road. Applying good off-road techniques to the road would make us all safer.

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Rider training for BMW. #6614

Some of our stuff is high speed, but that stuff is easy.I feel lucky to have the training I get, even though I fail an exercise now and again. We do a thing called a 180 degree decel, and that's the sort of this that sorts the men out from the boys. The other thing that is a monster is a clover leaf intersection exercise. It feels like an aerobic workout by the finish !!Remember that low speed training is very hard on brakes and clutches, especially given the weight of the 1150. We recently did a session in Christchurch (at Wigram AFB) on our 1200RTs, and found the clutch just as delicate as the 1150.My advice to anyone is to find a remote sealed area, and practice low speed, full lock u-turns. You can get around in under 5.5 metres, that's the standard. It means trailing the rear brake and feathering the clutch, but is a basic exercise you can learn a lot from. After you master that, do a figure 8 with a full lock left circle followed by a full lock right circle. Just another basic, high value exercise.Any of these things can be done in a remote sealed area with a couple of cones. I have had a go on my F800ST, and it's easy. Doing it on one of the big tourers is a work of art.For that reason I wish the factory would make an F800ST-P, it would make a great tool for city use.Great to hear that someone is thinking about training,most people just think they know it all.

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Ride The Circumference Of Australia – Who has done it #9616

Hey Waza.You already have my email address !!See you next week for the Kaikoura ride !!Pete Daly

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Rider training for BMW. #6612

I've had quite a bit of training from the employer I work for. They have to provide it under the OSH stuff.It is awesome to learn that it is harder to go slow than fast. Close cone work is extremely tiring, especially after several days of it. It;s not just throwing an 1150RT around, it's the high level of concentration.What it does do is sit you back and realize how little you actually knew.I'd recommend anyone get whatever training they can, even if only to get a handle of their level of ability. Ka kite 😀

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Notice to all Canterbury members #9598

Hi WazaWhen I bought my F800 I was keen as mustard to get out and into the Canterbury BMW crowd. I turned up at my first ever run, and was met by..................nobody else turning up.I haven't been to one since, but I'm getting over my miffed attitude, and will likely be at an upcoming ride.I work shifts, and they are a bit cruel on a social life, so please forgive me for not being more available when rides are happening. I will get to those I can, simple.Anyway, thanks for taking up the reigns.Ka kite. 😀

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: paitiently waiting #9574

The red Honda CBR in the picture belongs to a friend of mine. He enjoyed chatting to the owners of an 1150GS on the ferry ride, and is now looking for one himself. Great to see us selling the brand we all own.  😆

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Oxtar Infinity Boots #9320

Likely they are specialling them as Oxtar is being rebranded as TCX. Same boot, awesome quality at that price.

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: System 5 helmet, would you buy it again? #9467

Just to confuse isues, I am having a fantastic run with my Scuberth C2.I went for it due to it having an integrated visor. I thought it might be a bit of a gadget, but it has turned out to be worth the faith I placed in it.BMW advise that to fit the visor Scuberth had to remove 10mm of crash impact protection in the forehead area, and I believe it. Obviously an internal visor takes up room that could be used for padding.However, try to remember that the Scuberth meets (and exceeds) the majority of the worlds safety requirments. I understand that in Oz they drive a spike through the forehead of a helmet, and the C2 struggles with that.I guess, whatever helmet you buy will be a compromise. I like the flip face helmets, I will not own anything else. I know they are probably (arguably) less safe than a fixed full face, but for me the convenience is worth that risk.I think the C2 is cheaper than the Series 5, but I'm not sure. I have always lived by the $10 head so $10 helmet rule, but I'm not sure the extra money for a Series 5 is making is much safer than the C2. And given the awesome feature of the internal visor, I'm probably going to replace this C2 with another one in time.Of course, there are those that will only buy BMW. Good for you, it's all own own choices, based on our own experiences and preferences.Regards

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: 1200RT Brake Failure Indication #9419

It's not brake failure. It's the ABS checking itself.Once the wheels have rotated a few times the ABS confirms it is working and the light goes out. It happens on my F800 too, as well as the 1200RT at work. 😀

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Help – F800 dip stick broken off – pieces in the crankcase #9401

I have a feeling I put the dipstick in at an incorrect angle, and it caught on something on the way in. I am sure I wasn't ham fisted, but the end broke off, so frankly it must have been my fault.It has made me wonder, if this is a poor design (fragile dipstick) would BMW ever admit that? And if they say it's not the design, it's purely my fault, how would I ever find out how may other people have had this problem?Anyways, I'm over it. I need to buy a new dipstick, but that's a small price to pay for the lesson I learned.Regards

[Russell Taylor]

in reply to: Help – F800 dip stick broken off – pieces in the crankcase #9399

I have lived by the saying “if you lose, don't lose the lesson”.I got onto Kiwibiker a few minutes after I posted the problem on this site. With a few minutes I had a few people online helping me to remove the clutch cover, including removing the clutch linkages, and the gear selector. I got the little piece of plastic out, and reassembled the whole shebang. A test drive later, and I was back on the road.The next day we did the Chch, West Coast, Haast, Wanaka loop. Besutiful scenery, and the clutch case didn't leak at all. I was so pleased, as you can imagine.The next day was a Corwn Range, Queenstown, Cromwell, Twizel Tekapo trip home. Tekapo meant a trip to Mt John Observatory, the view was stunning.Anyway, in the photo you can see over the hill toward Geraldine, and it looked dark and wet. We left Tekapo with our winter woolies on, and all the way back to Chch we were glad of it. No rain, but it was cold and grey.So, 1250 km after my oil stick crisis, it seems I got lucky. Thanks for your notes.Ka Kite

[Author]

Posts