[Windmill John]

This might not interest anyone, except those with some spare Nonfango panniers. It might not interest them either, but hey!

Just received my newly ordered Givi pannier brackets for my new to me 700.
as I had the nonfango panniers, the made up brackets as well and these were last fitted to my 650 Trannie, I knew all would be great.

simple design, the Givi lock turned upside down, two strips of ali behind, two bars of stainless to clamp the Give frame, move the mushrooms, Bob’s your uncle.

Did me proud for a Portugal trip and Germany on another trip on the 650.


Oh I cannot post on the for sale forum, so if anyone wants the Givi soft luggage rails that came off and they are close to Eastbourne, they can have them.

 

[hampsterracing]

I would be interested in the rails but i am not close to eastbourne ...

 

[Windmill John]

Well I do now have the bag the new rails came in, I could see if I could wrap them. They are longer than the new fittings, you can see them in the picture.
there are no screws or bolts. You may just need two slightly longer bolts for the footrests, possibly not.
it is just three bits and there is some rust on the rear rail.
if still interested, I’ll get a post quote and you can PayPal me for post, packaging and PayPal. Still will be below £10.

 

[hampsterracing]

Yes please see PM

Roger

 

[T ALPER]

''Just received my newly ordered Givi pannier brackets for my new to me 700.''

I see you are riding a proper bike again and not that rattling old 650 BM :grin:

 

[Windmill John]

Ohh if I were closer!

I should not have sold Schorsch, my R65. I bought an F800GS to keep him company, then felt I could not justify two bikes. Got a bit tired of fiddling by the side the house; no garage.

I thought I’d better keep the 800 being newer ..... big mistake.... it almost ended my riding. The front end twitched like a goodun. I was getting slower and slower going round bends especially in the wet; I won’t go into into it.

so I traded it against Bumble, the 700. Lost a chunkkkk of money.

but.... even though the Trannie had brand new tyres fitted and I’d been told to scrub them in, the ride home was a revelation. Beautiful, smooth, lovely, great, brilliant

Now two weeks on, I’m riding Bumble like I used a bike. I’d lost my va va voom, now its back.

john

 

[Jackflash]

I made my own soft pannier brackets in late '05 for an interstate trip with my son as pillion. It is still fitted to my 650 and still does the job. A little too far for me to come to collect that gear even if I had a use for it.
Glad to hear you have found that sort of improvement. My old '03 650 has always "wallowed" in corners when ridden spiritedly, but I've always had confidence in its handling when fitted with the right tyres. The original Bridgestone traiwings gave great grip but rear tyres didn't last long. Pirelli scorpions weren't as confidence inspiring and definitely needed scrubbing in.
Michelin Siracs were better than trailwings and the current Anakee rear is proving to be great, and didn't need much scrubbing in, if any.

 

[Windmill John]

I’ve packed the racks to ship.

i remember my 650 wallowing a little but never slipped. 21inch front wheel, to be expected. Two up, panniers, top box, bag on top box, tank bag, all good. Picture below, 40 degrees in Portugal. Actually these are my Nonfango panniers attached to these very same Barney brackets.

But, the 800, also 21 inch was all over the show. Did a bit of reading and cranked up the rear pre load. Much better, but still more skittish than anything I’ve ridden and I’ve ridden XR400s and CRFs on the road with nobblies and felt more secure!

 

[T ALPER]

Ah a proper job :thumbup:moderate power moderate weight decent speed, you don't need mega sized engines and mega power to go long distance touring as people are now starting to realize and manufacturers are starting to build smaller machines. Why not slow down and see something along the way

 

[Windmill John]

I did the journey twice by bike. The other time was on a BMW 850GS.

The only difference being that like all Transalps, they are a little shorter in the seat, so occasionally I cracked helmets with my wife.
And the slightly lighter feeling from the front end on some bends on the Trannie. Never an issue, just a feeling.

Oh, on the 850 the rear wheel bearing collapsed on the way back. 8 hours outside a dealer in Salamanca, 436 Euros later and a day missed, back on the road....

 

[T ALPER]

I did the journey twice by bike. The other time was on a BMW 850GS

Oh, on the 850 the rear wheel bearing collapsed on the way back. 8 hours outside a dealer in Salamanca, 436 Euros later and a day missed, back on the road....

Reliability is the number one thing above everything else for me and BMW don't come close to Honda, the problems they have had with the big GSs are unbelievable especially transmissions.

 

[Windmill John]

I've had a number of BMs, that's good and bad...

But, what I will say, personally or course, is Airheads are superb, everything else afterwards... something went wrong.

I always thought BMs as that little extra, but I think that might be historical. If not an Airhead, I think I'll stick to Honda, or seventies something.

 

[T ALPER]

I've had a number of BMs, that's good and bad...

But, what I will say, personally or course, is Airheads are superb, everything else afterwards... something went wrong.

I always thought BMs as that little extra, but I think that might be historical. If not an Airhead, I think I'll stick to Honda, or seventies something.

Hmmm airheads they are the only BMs Iv'e had and still got one R80TIC that I don't ride never fancied a BM after them I rode a couple of Ks that didn't impress me yes yes I know they do mega miles The quality finish on the airheads started going down say around 1980 think they stopped using that green undercoat frame paint in 79 and more and more plastic started to appear. And although they are a piece of cake for general servicing ie tappets points oil plugs etc.for serious rebuild work its pullers and special tools for everything! And that gearbox if its not shimmed up dead on they are crap AND don't let anyone kid you they ALL need a rebuild at 50,000.

So why don't I sell the R80 then --- well I think I just like to look at it and remember a trip to Yugoslavia on an identical bike Oh and its better than money in the bank :grin::grin:

 

[Windmill John]

Well we’re off thread, let’s make it worse

Was there ever a bad bike.... the Ariel Leader and Velocette LE, two bikes only their mother could think looked okay and yet apparently superb bikes.

The only bike I recall being slated was the Honda FT500. Apparently, chocolate valve gear... really?... if I had done spare pennies I’m almost tempted to buy one to find out.

I suppose the best bike made, thinking of the home mechanic and cost, the CB125; single that is.
OHV engine, fully enclosed chain case.
you might think a two stroke would be simpler, but then you have crank seals.

I sold my original 650 Transalp because I got stressed at five hours to do tappets.

Bugger it, I think all bikes are great, there are just some I wouldn’t want.

 

[T ALPER]

I had a ariel leader and my mother had nothing to say about it it was a bike in front of its time, but the Velocette LE always looked ghastly to me alright for coppers of the time to ride about on I suppose Oh and other bikes I had and that were generally slated --- a 1970 triumph bonnie more or less raced and thrashed on the road for 16,000 miles stayed sound and oil tight just did the valves and guides twice and in all honesty once would have sufficed.
A 1972 Triumph trident again raced on the road stayed sound and oil tight ---- came to a sad end one night almost took me with it!

Both those Triumphs were far more exciting bikes to ride than the old airheads

Norton commando 750 with the combat motor --- oops sorry I mentioned that one

 

[Windmill John]

Judging by your bikes I’d say you’re an old gi.... erm older person

My biking youth was the late seventies. I holed a piston on my new DT100. No one told me I couldn’t ride at full throttle for miles on the bypass! Of course then I didn’t know a torque wrench from a talkie at the cinema.
Swapped that for a CB250, which when I arrived at a friends house that first day, I asked him what that loud hum/ringing sound was. We discovered it had no oil! Still I got to his house after about 20 miles....
Rebuilt that thing. Pistons were also in the wrong way round.
Passed my test on a KH250, swapped that for a CB500/4. Actually I have had too many bikes, I can’t put the number down as a could end up in a psychiatric hospital

 

[T ALPER]

Sweet bike the CB500 four never had one but had five 750 single cams started with a K1 did 26,000 on that one and still hanker after one but maybe its a case of rose tinted glasses Ah well quite happy with the alp these days and quite fast enough for this old git

 

[Windmill John]

Funny you mention the 750, after a trip to Germany with an ex girlfriend on the 500, I bought a 750 F2 Supersport. I personally think that was quite BM like. Flat seat, good two up, very nice.

 

[T ALPER]

''Funny you mention the 750, after a trip to Germany with an ex girlfriend on the 500, I bought a 750 F2 Supersport. I personally think that was quite BM like. Flat seat, good two up, very nice.''

The problem with the F motor though was they were prone to drop a valve One year while at the TT I saw two lads doing a total top end strip on one which had done exactly that, I was full of admiration for them as they were doing this under a roofed over open building somewhere around the main toilet block on Douglas front and they were working like hell!

When Honda built the F motor they put bigger valves in and basically they would not clear the pistons so what they did to get round that was to alter the valve angle which stressed the stems and guides to hell there were reports of some needing new guides in as little as 6,000 miles.

The Honda four though as it was known back then was one hell of a bike for its time :grin:

 

[hampsterracing]

Thanks John
Frames blasted and coated for a good price by a local TRF member and fitted with stainless bolts.