Dear Santa

The dirty yellow one, please. Don't want to change old habits.

 

I like the one in zebra, with luggage.

 

"Acropovic"?

 

It's a new Greco-Croat venture.

 

God, I want one of those. The yellow/grey one with the Kenny Roberts
speed blocks or the zebra stripe one - dunno which yet.

I've always held a torch for Yamaha dirt bikes, and that is just *me*.
Want.

 

Yes, I noticed that

 

Me too. My first 'big' bike was a '76 XT500 and I've always had a
soft spot for them.

It's about the only thing that still tempts me back onto 2 wheels...

 

The thing is that, technically, other manufacturers have built better
dirt bikes. But Yamaha are almost alone[1] in being able to build big
dirt bikes that aren't the best-performing out there, but which have a
fabulous style and the magic ingredient which makes you say:

"God, that's nice. I want."

And then, when you've bought, you realise that while they're indeed not
the best at any single thing, they're probably the best, all-round.

This summer, it was a toss-up between a new Yamaha Ténéré, as bought by
Bonwick of this parish, and a Street Triple. I bought the Triumph, and
love it to bits, but I don't think I'd have been dissatisfied if I'd
bought the Ténéré.

[1] I'll put BMW in the same sort of group.[2]
[2] And let's be honest: when people contemplate a round-the-world trip,
they generally only look at Yams and Beemers.[3]
[3] All right. And Honda C90s.

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

and talking of RTW Beemers

*parp*

 

Bloody hell. The last fifty feet looked the worst, with the bridge
canting to the right and that little urchin choosing his moment to
squeeze past the bike.

Fall into that river, weighed down by riding gear and stuff, and you're
dead.

*Parp* indeed.

 

Yes. It comes with a spare cylinder and no liability in the saddle.

 

Christ on a crutch, I am not sure I'd even want to walk across.

 

I doubt it.

Yamaha would still insist on having them made in Italy and you can be
sure they'd still forget to push electrical connectors all the way
home. They'd also persist in denying it's a regular occurrence and
refusing to replace the electrical components that now have pitting on
the connectors because they weren't properly assembled in the
manufacturing plant. Luckily for the purchaser they'll replace the
components when they fail the second time but this isn't a lot of good
when you're a long way from home.

They might have learned a lesson and replaced the locks on all the
luggage rather than waiting until customers break one of the original
cheap shit keys in a pannier when they badly need the contents to be
in their hands and not securely tucked away where they can't get it.
If they've been really clever they'll have stopped the lock barrels
from slowly rotating anti-clockwise thus releasing the catches that
actually retain said luggage on the motorbike.

Don't get me started on Yamaha assist because they fucking don't.

 

They didn't waste any wood on the construction either

 

I'm sure. Absolutely 100% positive. No. Fucking. Way.

Mine dew, it'd be even worse if it was 200m over a gorge...

 

If they made it with a sensible seat height & 2-wheel drive I'd get one.

 

So what you're saying is you'd buy another one?

 

Of course I would, it's a brilliant bike (1). I'd have been really
pissed off if I'd paid full list price for the luggage but at least
Yamaha changed the locks when I got on their case.

The problem with the electrics is well documented and I think Yamaha
are a bunch of cunts for not even telling dealers the problem exists
let alone recalling all the bikes to fix it. It's a minor issue that
can be checked in 5 minutes but if it's left alone the worst case
scenario is a new reg/rec and a new wiring harness.

I won't be paying for extended coverage of that poxy fucking recovery
service though.

(1) Compared to the KTM it replaced.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, The Older

Oh yes.

Here. of course, you are a Danger To Society, should you choose to drive
your van over a bridge which is in "IMMINENT DANGER OF COLLAPSE!!!!".

Let's ignore the fact that the fucking thing is *still* there...

 

Wossa problem ?