Without trying to be insensitive but you still have your left leg, so any chance of a thumb brake conversion. (are they legal on the road?)
That’s really cool, I’ve got a little monkey bike project stashed under the bench that I never get round to finishing. Seeing yours makes me want to crack on and sort it out.
It’s only a Chinese copy one but I’ve changed most of it for pit bike bits anyway, 125cc engine, billet alloy frame etc. so it’s just the registration I really needed.
I’ll have to post a pic when I get back.
Ps. Extra points in the Pain Cave awards for keeping a motorbike and electric guitar in there.
I’m sure down the road riding motorbikes wouldn’t be a problem just need a thumb brake conversion. But the KTM isn’t a bike I realistically can ride and my other bikes are R6 pre injection race bikes so not going to be riding those. My biggest problem as I’m sure you can relate to is I have a garage full of R6 parts just incase I needed then for crash damage or engine rebuilding when I was racing. I just want to get rid of it all so I can use the garage space for singing more useful. I’ve not ridden any of these bikes in the last 7 years as I’ve chose triathlon or cycling instead and going forward I think I’d probably chose to ride a push bike. But you never know, never say never. I do have the triumph super cub of my grandads, I will probably make that s bike I can ride when I finally finish it.
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My dad’s got one of those in boxes in his garage too. Along with a ‘69 Bonneville.
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- The NABD are the experts on amputee riding in the UK. You can ask them for a grant towards conversion costs also.
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I’ve had several ducatis and am richer in experience and poorer in money for it…
Without a bike since Redgrave won gold at Sydney Olympics and some cnut stole mine…
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You shall be now known as Tarquin. 
I that a 1150, 2014/15 era?
They look comfy AF if you’re tall enough. Missenden Flyer loves his but has been lured over to the Goldwing for two up touring.
Do you have a Pan European as well?
2005, 1200, so comfortable that it’s now close to ticking over 100k, 70k of that with me.
Probably needs a gearbox soon, not looking forward to that bill.
I had a Pan European, but it went earlier this year when we moved house. I was a white, ex fire service one, nothing cut through London traffic like that thing.
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Wow , are are the 1200s that old? My memory really is fading. Only issue I regularly see on the boards with big BMs is the oil seal on the driveshaft housing leaking but other than that, they seem like tanks.
Not sure how useful the variable cam timing is on the newer models, seems like complication for the sake of it?
Yes, I think the last 1150s were around 2003.
For me it has been almost completely reliable, the only issue is that is needs a new battery every couple of years - cranking that big twin needs a lot of juice, and there are a lot of electrical systems that go crazy if the battery voltage goes low.
I suppose the big issue is that when serious maintenance is required its really big money - Any serious engine/gearbox work basically means splitting the bike in half - there is no frame to speak of, the engine is the frame.
A few years ago I had the driveshaft and clutch replaced - 3 days of labour and £1500 in parts.
It is pretty much retired now, its been out about three times this year.
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Do you have it on a trickle charger, that might help?
Alas I never went down that route. In the old place the garage was separate and had no power until just a couple of years ago
In truth though its a known issue with this vintage of GS - they have electrically assisted servo braking which is a big drain on the systems, add to that the traction control, engine management, heated grips, seat and the Navigator screen that mine has and the batteries don’t last long. But is just a standard motorcycle battery so thankfully not that expensive. And given that routine servicing is cheap - no special oil, easy access to stuff etc, then it probably comes out even.
Things are better these days, less power hungry systems and gel batteries.
I would love to move on to a newer one, but I cant really justify it these days, also I am quite attached to the old thing and its basically worth next to nothing with the miles it has done.
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In a money no object question, which is/was the bike you always wanted? For me it’s evens between the,
916SPS
And the RC45
I will never get either but did get to race a std 916 a few times
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The 916 is just beautiful, I think it does have some mechanical issues though if your going to actually own one that they fixed with the 996.
For me the 916 was a bit of a slow steerer but the SPS was just pure magic.
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I see your Duke and raise you.
Original 99-2004 f4.
Not a great bike, but just look at it!
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Yeah they were great, those machine gun tail pipes looked fierce !
Mate I ride (bicycles) with has just bought himself a 916. Kind of one of the reasons my old love of motorbikes has been reignited.
This is the motorbike I’d want. Fell in love with it as soon as I saw it, back in ‘96. I don’t normally like a cafe racer type bike, but there’s just something about this one that I can’t shake. Not too expensive, but still more money than I have at the moment.
Triumph Speed Triple Mk1
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Beautiful!