What would you do? (Another 'what bike' thread)

[rhys1005]

Hi BCF just want some opinions on what i should do/ what you would in my position.

I passed my mod 1 in jan and booked the mod 2 just before the law changes and it was cancelled due to snow so i've had to wait an extra year (only 5 months left and counting). Got a thundercat waiting for me to pass, that i've done a bit of work on to get it ready to ride (service, clearances, tail tidy respray etc) so i'm pretty much ready to go now.

Thing is recently i've had the urge to get something a bit more exciting, something that will scare me shitless and wheelie on demand. Don't get me wrong the thundercat's great and the times i've rode it to keep it 'alive' (private roads officer) it's put a smile on my face and had my heart thumping. However i'm not sure if it'll fit my needs.. I'm a college student that only needs to travel to the gym and college each day (both 2 miles from home) so the main purpose for this bike will be that small commute, getting to the shops and just blasting around on acting like a dick

The things that attracted me to the thundercat were the speed, cheap cost/insurance, long distance ability and the weather protection. My initial thought was to get something i could tour on when i feel like going on long trips that could also hold it's own down the twistys. Now i'm not too sure if that's what I want out a bike.

Anyway recently i've really been keen on the idea of getting a supernoto, not something expensive/boring/practical like a drz, something less practical/mental I was running quotes today and found out i could insure a 2001 KTM 300exc for £172!! That £200 less then the bloody thundercat and £300 less then the ybr! This is real good news to me as i know the 300exc can be had for around a grand which means it will actually cost less to buy/insure then the 'practial' thundercat.

What do you guys think? Should i sell my ybr and thundercat in 5 months time, buy the 300exc and spend the rest on extra security (chavvvss) or keep the thundercat because i haven't ridden it properly and get the idea out my head that's boring? Maybe there is a better supermoto you guys can suggest to me? Just want some general thoughts/ similar experiences/dilemas you guys have had..

Will have a £2000 budget if/when i sell the ybr and thundercat.

Thanks!!! (Sorry for the long stretched out post!)

[G]

A 300EXC is a good fun bike, but not the easiest to live with.
Really they should be warmed up properly before decently used.

The Thundercat will wheelie just fine.

You can get a 300EXC from about £1k with tax and test, but need to factor in supermoto wheels after that.

If a bike is your only form of transport, I'd sell the YBR and get the EXC with the money from that, then use the Thundercat for utilitarian and longer rides.

[rhys1005]

[radicalrabit]

and in a year or so when you have three or four bikes because well it just happens .........welcome to the dilema of "which bike ?"
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VF1000 F2F, BLACKBIRD with carbs, 2nd VF1000F2F just need somewhere to go now..

[stevo as b4]

I'd sell the YBR and spend the money on making the fast and practical thundercat even better and cosmetically mint personally!

Can't see how a Cat could be a boring bike really, unless 600cc slightly old/dated sportsbikes are just not your thing?

It sounds to me that for general commuting, work, and touring that the Cat is an ideal bike to do it all. Something like the KTM EXC would be great off road, but apart from a bit of limited loony hooning around town and short frantic urban ride's that are going to probably make you do lots of illegal riding, I don't think it makes for a great all round road bike?

Then again if it's just going to work, gym and shopping you do on the bike, it would be a waste having something capable of touring, trackdays, and long ride outs in comfort if you never do them?

[rhys1005]

[Teflon-Mike]

When you say you have 5-months left; is that until you are 19 and can do A2 or 24 to do DAS?

Because you do know, that the EX300, is one of the few 'oddities' of the new licencing system don't you? It makes just over the permitted 45bhp A2 power limit, but... to restrict to the required max power to weight limit, it would have to be restricted to less than half of its original power because the damn thing is so frigging light; hence cant technically be made A2 complient
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[rhys1005]

[Teflon-Mike]

[_Iain_]

Have a look at the servicing schedules

Every 40hrs it's a gearbox oil change & anything between 20hrs & 120hrs depending on where you look on a piston/ring set. Scary stuff, but i'll admit to looking into two stroke offroaders lately...
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Please be aware that the above post may be full of complete nonsense.
Riding: '07 KTM Duke II, Baotian BT49QT-20 Driving: '88 Volvo 340

[P.]

40 hours though..

My commute is say an hour round trip, 40 commutes, thats roughly a monthly change. I give the Vara that pleasure anyway

The rings, yeah although the constant changing might a pooper, still only 2-3 hours work if you have the tools. You know you wanna...

[G]

Considering it hardly holds any gear box oil not a big issue; if you average 40mph, that'd be CG125 kinda distances for an oil change!
Pistons are very easy to do on these - probably less hassle than doing shims on a 4 stroke too!

I suspect 20 hours would be for pretty competitive race use.

Ths Husaberg I used to have was listed as 3 hour oil changes!

[rhys1005]

Went for a 2 day trip with a mate down wales for some green laning on the ybr..

Wow. the roads going there were crazy! Nearly come off around a few corners at 50+ so much fun! The whole time i was think 'if i ha a ktm now'..'that would of been amazing with a ktm'.. Think i've made up my mind ybr took a proper beating going through water above the exhaust almost up to my knee's

A big reason for me not getting a KTM was the fact i dont live in the safest neighbourhood and it'd probably be stolen within a few days so Bought some security for the shed my dad and I are going to be making for the t'cat, soon to come ktm and his fzx. Concrete base so the shed is going to be bolted to the ground. Two thick as fuck fire doors that are going to be seperate for extra strength with a parting to keep our bikes seperate. Actual shed is going to be made without windows and out of thick plywood, maybe reinforced with stainless steel later down the line as dad is a welder. Actual bolts/lock etc were going to use two lever 5 rim locks on each door, a fuck off pad bolt at the bottom of each door that slides down into the concrete and a big hasp and staple lock on each door with decent padlock on each door.

Actual frame on inside of shed around the door is going to be made of steel and the doors are going to open outwards with something weak as a handle so they dont have anything to rip the doors open. Might be getting a barn style lock like a steel bar across the door that locks into place but not sure if thats a bit over the top inside going to have alarm, almax etc. estimated cost is £500 but to protect £4k worth of bikes possibly more in the future i'd consider it a good investment

[stevo as b4]

When I worked in a warehouse we used to use 2 steel bars one at the top and one at the bottom of any double doors or fire exits etc, and they located into steel brackets bolted into the brickwork either side, and to the same type of brackets bolted through the doors as well. We used to lock them with big heavy duty padlocks through holes in the door mounted brackets and the steel bar.

No reason why you couldn't use a similar arrangement on double shed doors either, as long as the steel brackets are bolted through the shed and door framework.

If you can make access secure with strong high gates and walls into the garden and make it very difficult to get over walls/fences and not be able to break the gate down easily, then that's the best early form of security before they even get to the shed.

In the past I've always said use very bright PIR lighting as a deterrent or alert. But these days I think making your garden as dark as possible with as many sharp objects, wire and fences around your gates and doors as you can is better than lighting up the way for them.

A PIR activated light won't wake you up at night once asleep, a loud alarm might, but ultimately having to wake up quickly and dash outside barely dressed while still half asleep to confront possibly armed thieves is not as good as making them want to give up on getting in and possibly hurting themselves while trying to get access to your garden/shed/bike.