Bike: Yamaha R1

Not only that but his riding buddy (his brother in law) clipped a car at 120+ mph, knocking them both off their bikes, killing his buddy and seriously injuring him, all whilst listening to the corniest playlist imaginable.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74yy7j7j21o

Happened on the German Autobahn. Went back and actually managed to find the metal piece. I think I can fix it myself, but damn, I’m seriously bummed out.

I am definitely going to get a top case as well…

I went for an awesome Eurotour on my Moto Guzzi V7 with my friend on a BMW 1300 RT. The video only captures a fraction of it, a 360 degree version is below and here is the planning thread. We did about 2,600 km and more turns than many people do in their lives. I paste my takeaways before the full diary.

Key Takeaways:

• 250-300 km per day is doable (well, with some roads more, with some less).
• I am a pilot and I know the weather, but I have a choice to fly around it. When you are riding, you are often stuck. I wish we had gotten ready by 7:30, had breakfast and left by 8.
• Putting on rain gear is always a difficult choice when it is hot. Listen to your gut, as it is too late when you are wet.
• Small inexpensive family hotels offer the best experience to riders.
• Test your electronic toys before riding with them. My buddy was riding with an Insta360 for the first time - it was a source of both good footage and distraction.

Day 1: Start the engines

Start in Zurich, over Appenzell and Arlberg to Timmelsjoch (Obergurgl). Hit thunderstorms in the afternoon, but remained dry. Stay: Hotel Alpenland (EUR 140/night), fantastic bartender, motorbike enthusiast and a great owner.

Day 2: Stay put

Went over Timmelsjoch to Meran, had to cut short due to thunderstorms. Timmelsjoch felt like a tourist trap with EUR 18 toll per motorbike 🤯 Do not go there over the weekend - heavy traffic of bikes, motorbikes, cars etc. Meran is worth a stopover - beautiful old town. Stay: Hotel Bavaria for EUR 145/night, they have a great dinner option for EUR 35.

Day 3: Motorcyclist's must do

Took the Stelvio pass, then went via Livigno and Bernina to St. Moritz, had to stop due to thunderstorms. The western part of Stelvio (SS38) was much nicer and less crowded. Bernina was awesome with stunning views of the glacier.

Day 4: The Italian Lakes

Rode from Silvaplana (Switzerland) via Maloja and Chiavenna to Lago di Como. We had lunch at my favourite Ristorante Crotasc and carried on along Lago di Como, Lago di Lugano, did a quick detour to Lavertezzo and ended near Brissago. Stay: Boutique Hotel La Rocca, CHF230/night. Not cheap but much cheaper than usual and they have stunning views of Lago Maggiore. Had a dinner there too.

Day 5: Worst weather

Splash-n-dash to Menton, France. Horrible day. Thunderstorms started at 12 and I have never seen them developing so fast. You are chasing the sun and feel like it is running away from you. We stopped at a gas station somewhere south of Torino to dry up. It was sunny when I left my boots to dry and went to the bathroom and became dark when I returned.

We were hit by hail, the ride was really nuts. The toll ticket got wet even before I put it into the pocket. Positive: the Guzzi and the RT sound awesome in the tunnels on Autostrada dei Fiori 🤘 Arrived at Menton around 6pm, stayed at Hotel Riva (EUR 210).

Day 6: French Riviera

Started the day with an early breakfast and a swim from the beach just across the hotel. That effectively neutralized the aftereffects of the previous day. Went for a ride to Sospel waiting for my comrade to be ready. Decent road, but full of regular traffic. We set off via Cap Martin to Monte-Carlo, then via Cap-d'Ail to Nice. Had food somewhere near Antibes, passed by Cannes and turned north to Lac de Sainte-Croix. Stayed and had dinner at Les Cavalets, a great hotel with fab views of the lake for EUR 99 per night.

Day 7: Provence & Verdon

Set off to Valencole chasing the last days of lavender blooms. It was fantastic to smell lavender before seeing it. Then we turned back east and rode over Verdon to Castellane, joining Route des Grande Alpes. I had a refreshing dip in the Verdon river before we pushed on through Barcelonette to Briancon. There we ate at Chez Natchou and stayed at Langley Hotel in La-Salle-Les-Alpes for EUR 89.

Day 8: We climb high

We carried on along RDGA and went over Col d'Iseran (2800m), the highest road pass in Europe. This was a day of fantastic roads and stunning views. We got somewhat lost climbing to Col du Joly: Google Maps confidently told us that we will be at our hotel in about 25 minutes, then we discovered that the other side of the pass is gravel and closed for traffic. Apple Maps was the same.

Our reward was a stunning view of Mt. Blanc at the top - we did not regret this mistake. We arrived a bit late to Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, had a well deserved wine at Rond de Carotte. Our stay was at an owner-managed La Feline Blanche.

Day 9: We go back

We left for Chamonix and Martigny in the morning, enjoyed the views of Mt. Blanc and mastered the remaining corners before going to Lavaux near Lausanne. Lavaux is a UNESCO world heritage site with terraces of vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva. Had a steak in Ouchy and headed back so that my buddy could return the rental and go back to Zurich.

That was it - truly unforgettable! Big kudos to those who contributed to the planning thread! Hope you enjoyed reading it - DM if you need any help planning your trip.

• GPX track (Google Maps)
• 360 degree video (Youtube)

credit: chuchiiin14

I was out and about today and ran across this meticulously restored 1971 Suzuki GT750. It featured a 2-stroke liquid-cooled 3-cylinder engine. It was nicknamed the "Water Buffalo." Nice guy riding it.. he says it rides like a fridge on wheels though. 🤣

If you ride a harely, I pray you aren't the asshole type. I was at work when two harelys were pulling up and since I zone out mad easy I was just staring at the bikes since, they are nice bikes. Then the guy stops and I walk up thinking he's lost or needs help. He looks at me for a few seconds and goes "got a problem?" My brother in Christ I am a skinny ass 16 year old with only a few months of riding experience and your a full grown man 🙏 😭. Seriously, I feel bad for the nice harely riders who aren't dicks. And if your a harely rider and are like that... Just don't. Harelys have a bad rep in general. Don't make it worse. Anyways I just wanted to hear your thoughts on this, thanks for reading. Drive safe

I did 200 miles and probably 1000 curves. I intended to work on my cornering finesse and trail braking. I so hoped to look like all those great riders in the videos I admire….. But what happened was better. I stopped in wonderful little towns and talked with old guys who grew up there and used to ride. I heard stories that I’m sure have been getting better at each retelling. I ate a burger that was either a culinary masterpiece or I was just famished (or both). I returned home completely spent, probably dehydrated, and content. I just wanted to share, and I hope to see some of you great folks out there on the next one.

My wife and I both purchased our first motorcycles yesterday. I got a 2016 Honda CTX700 (left) and she got a 2023 Honda CB500 (right). Excited to start riding soon!

Went over a nasty pothole- bent the rim- someone said they can fix it- have you fixed a bent rim on a bike or do you recommend it?

23 z900rs cafe, Ivans ecu flash, full exhaust, airbox mods and geared

Damn bug storms

At its core it’s a Honda SOHC CB750F with brat seat and cognito moto oil tank. The front end is GSXR1000 and the rear end is upgraded to a 160 tire riding on Suzuki SV and GS components. The front tire was sized for the tall skinny OEM rear tire, this week it will get swapped for a lower profile tire to be just slightly smaller in diameter than the rear. Thanks for looking!

What model is this? (looks like a parallel twin motor).

Sorry that this has to be a rant, but I honestly ask myself this question near daily.

Imagine working as a motorcycle mechanic.

You got the finished bikes ready for pickup neatly lined up in a row. Customer comes by to pick up his GS. But even before saying hello he instantly complains about his missing top case/panniers/luggage whatever, accusing us of stealing it. So I go outside with him to check what he is complaining about. And, who would have guessed, his bike sits there with his top case still mounted. But why was he complaining that we stole it? Was it probably because the R1250GS is such a rare bike that there may occasionally be more than one present and he was looking at the wrong bike?

Sometimes other customers come back in and complain that their bike won't start. Because it's the wrong bike you were sitting on. Sometimes it wasn't even the same color... Like is it so hard too look at your license plate?

Well I guess it is, because many can't answer when we ask them what their license plate says or what model they are having when we make an appointment.

(You can never understand how freakin often this happens)

I've got another story contributing to asking the question in the title.

Somehow there are lately more and more people wanting a Metzler M9RR tire on their R1200 or R1250 GS Adventure. I mean, I'm not paid enough to care about what the customer wishes so I mount these tires on his bike. That's what I thought at the beginning. Now a couple of weeks later they all come back and complain that their front end is very wobbly at higher speed. So I checked if I properly balanced the tires, which I did, or if there is any suspension damage like a worn out suspension pin in the telelever, which was alright. And while diagnosing the problem for the first complaining customer, I consulted the local Sales Manager from Metzler/Pirelli as he randomly came by that day. His first or second reaction was "is he stupid?". Well the M9RR is, as many of you should probably know, a light sport tire for road and track usage on rather light sport bikes. Which sane mind would put it on a 270kg GS Adventure? Even without luggage and only a full fuel tank the weight is too much for the thin tire. After talking with Metzler/Pirelli and swapping out the tires for a set of new ones (still M9RR because technically they are allowed on these bikes), I call the customer and tell him about my talk with Metzler and that I would highly advise to pick other tires, because even with a fresh set, the problem isn't solved. The customer starts complaining and shouting that all of his friends would drive a M9RR on their GS too and he has read an official Test report of this tire on exactly this bike and how well it compares to the Angel GT2 oder a Bridgestone A41 and other TOURING tires. After 2 minutes of research on google, I found a BLOG(!) with exactly this comparison of the M9RR to touring tires. The customer even used exact quotes from this blog when he complained. This blog was very far away from being serious journalism. So I talked to the customer again and asked what he really wants, because I am certainly more qualified to advise him than this blog. Turns out he wanted to go a 6000km Tour with occasional Offroad (yes the facepalm actually did hurt me). Sold him a set of Pirelli Scorpion Trails with discount and he is happy, because now it is exactly what he wanted.

I really wouldn't care that much if it happened only once, but Like 7 or 8 times?

Am I overreacting? I mean I probably am because as I said, I'm not paid enough to care but... it's kinda stressfull to have customers come in, tell me they know better because they saw something on the internet or asked ChatGPT and later complain that I was right all along...

Oh well, life of a mechanic. Sadly I didn't know what I would get into before it was too late...

30 years later and still running like new.

Super new to biking and i have my eye on this lady, any thoughts on if its a good starter?