.... hanging out with all of you august chaps over the last 20 months or so. I learned a lot about my trusty ride, Stanley.
Alas, he has moved on to a new home on the other side of the Rockies, and gone to live with a nice fellow who used to own a Steamer in the UK and who always wanted another one.
So, of course, I am now on the horns of a dilemma, since the rule in Nick's garage is "when one bike leaves, another takes its place". I really would like another Thruxton, but a friend has a 2008 Roadie which has been sitting in his garage, unloved, for the last year since being ousted by a brand new KTM. If I end up with the latter I'll still be hanging around this forum, albeit with a different bunch of chaps.
Thanks very much for the entertainment and information everyone, and remember: ride safe and ATGATT!!
Nick
Fairly drastic move to get out of the 2016 USA meet
Quote from: motoOzarks on July 17, 2015, 01:24:29 AM
Fairly drastic move to get out of the 2016 USA meet
Har har, har de har :icon_lol: If I get the Roadie I would still be welcome...??? But who knows where the band of merry men will end up if they make it over to this side of the water. :augie
If they end up somewhere hereabouts (as in on the west side of the continent) I would make the trip to join up anyway, whatever the blasphemous motorcycle I am riding. :icon_wink:
Stop press: negotiations in place to get the 2008 Roadie.
If I do I am bound and determined to jump start the 1050 section of this forum. It's much more fun playing with old friends than trying to make new ones! :icon_wink:
Here is the bike on a road trip in 2012 to Idaho, Oregon and Washington. I was on my XR650 in the background.
(http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f375/nickjtc/US%20Trip%202012%20001.jpg) (http://s51.photobucket.com/user/nickjtc/media/US%20Trip%202012%20001.jpg.html)
If it's the right money, go for it. They are still flying under the radar as a capable comfy sports tourer in my opinion.
Budget for:-
Palmer or Madstad screen adjusting brackets, the additional flip helps but doesn't really work for 90%.
HID conversion for the low beam. The first time you ride an unlit country road you'll know why :bug_eye steer clear of cheap"Asian" imports, horrible beam pattern and often don't last. Try HID50.com.
If you struggle with the seat height (about the same as a stock Steamer) go for lowering dogs bones and slip the fork ties up 15-20mm. Don't waste your time and money trying to sculpt the seat, you'll achieve nothing other than ruining a perfectly comfy seat, the problem is the width at the thigh.
The chromed bars are OK for most but some like a tad more height, personally I think they look ridiculous on a Tiger.
Thanks for that. More news as it progresses.
I do not ride much at night any more, so will be interested to see what a difference the auxiliary lights make. Gerry, the current owner, swears by them and puts them on every bike he gets.