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Discussion in 'UK Motorcycles' started by Andy Bonwick, Feb 18, 2011.

  1. Andy Bonwick

    Colin Irvine Guest

    <ignores thread>
     
    Colin Irvine, Feb 20, 2011
    #81
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  2. Andy Bonwick

    Ivan D. Reid Guest

    BTDTGTGIF

    http://www.denizensofdoom.net/Mirrors/0161/dod/archive/ivan_roar.gif

    --
    Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
    Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
    GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
    WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
    KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".
     
    Ivan D. Reid, Feb 20, 2011
    #82
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  3. Andy Bonwick

    mark Guest

    Yup. Day after day of learning not to fall off on what was; in the end,
    a narrow two lane road covered in solid ice.
    Anyone who think studs mean you won't slide about would be in for a
    shock. They make it possible but not easy.
    Thrills, fear, relief and elation every few yards.
    It's the most demanding riding I've ever done in my life.
    I enjoyed the company immensely and I'm quite proud of what we did out
    there.
     
    mark, Feb 20, 2011
    #83
  4. Andy Bonwick

    mark Guest

    Beer?! :)
     
    mark, Feb 20, 2011
    #84
  5. Andy Bonwick

    Andy Bonwick Guest

    Some of us drank beer, others drank anything alcoholic that was put in
    front of them.
     
    Andy Bonwick, Feb 20, 2011
    #85
  6. Andy Bonwick

    sweller Guest

    Hooray for alcohol!
     
    sweller, Feb 20, 2011
    #86
  7. Andy Bonwick

    Andy Bonwick Guest

    Everything to excess. it's the only way forward.
     
    Andy Bonwick, Feb 20, 2011
    #87
  8. all hail the ale.
     
    steve auvache, Feb 20, 2011
    #88
  9. Andy Bonwick

    Borg Guest

    Read it, well done all involved.
     
    Borg, Feb 20, 2011
    #89
  10. Andy Bonwick

    CT Guest

    Nice.

    So "Nådde ikke målet" is Norwegian for "Mad English Fuckers"?
     
    CT, Feb 21, 2011
    #90
  11. Andy Bonwick

    CT Guest

    Nige was guest of honour with a fantastically interesting story?
     
    CT, Feb 21, 2011
    #91
  12. Andy Bonwick

    CT Guest

    [hyooge snip]

    Well done all of you.

    There's no way on Earth I'd do it, being far too nesh, but you did it
    so I didn't have to.
     
    CT, Feb 21, 2011
    #92
  13. Andy Bonwick

    Hog Guest

    This one is interesting, I wondered whether a few studs would help or if it
    had to be the fully monty. Obviously the latter.

    In part perhaps because you are augumenting a tyre designed for other than
    ice/snow? I don't suppose a motorcycle snow tyre exists as such.
     
    Hog, Feb 21, 2011
    #93
  14. Andy Bonwick

    Krusty Guest

    The perfect long distance adventure tourer's becomming a bit of a holy
    grail for me. Nobody makes anything that even comes close imo. My
    'want' list in no particular order is along the lines of:

    A low enough seat height to give normal people a chance of catching a
    well loaded toppling bike.
    V-twin with carbs & easily accessible air filter.
    Split-rims, 21" on the front.
    Twin-shock to leave space under the seat for a big, low fuel tank &
    give a bit of redundancy.
    Handlebars heated by a separate coolant circuit.
    Low-mounted twin batteries.
    No unnecessary electrics (clutch, sidestand, tip-over switches etc).
    Crashbars that protect *everything*.
    Easily adjustable pre-load & headlight aim.
    Fully enclosed or near as damnit chain.
    A comfortable, single seat.
    Adjustable height front mudguard.
    Flip-down screen (to give either weather protection or cooling air).
    And in an ideal world, a lightweight hub-mounted electric motor to
    drive the front wheel for short bursts when needed.

    All of which could be fettled relatively easily with the exceptions of
    the split rims & electric hub, but it'd be nice to not have to.
     
    Krusty, Feb 21, 2011
    #94
  15. Andy Bonwick

    sweller Guest

    I didn't have one per block - I had this arrangement on the rear which
    worked well:
    http://www.sweller.co.uk/NorwayBound2011/#IMAG0073.jpg

    On the front I left the centre blocks free and just had the outer blocks
    studded. Alex studded his rear to medieval levels because the rear kept
    spinning up.

    Trelleborgs are Swedish army tyres designed for Scandinavia - and as such
    low temps but don't carry the snowflake symbol.

    Heidenau do make motorcycle snow tyres but according to some Norwegians
    we met the Trelleborgs are the tyre of choice.
    http://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/motorcycle-tyres/HEIDENAU/K60,SNOW/
     
    sweller, Feb 21, 2011
    #95
  16. Andy Bonwick

    Krusty Guest

    Krusty, Feb 21, 2011
    #96
  17. Andy Bonwick

    Hog Guest

    No I don't suppose any of us have ridden distance in -20 to -30c. I'm
    unlikely to be the only one that has skied and snowmobiled in those
    temperatures and on skis the problem was goggles icing up inside (Canada).
    Despite being Scott double glazed "these won't ice up" types. I'd have to
    stop every few minutes to clear them and rub them with antifreeze. Hopeless.
    On snowmobiles, with rented kit, heated helmets appeared to be standard (I
    thought Andy had made one for the trip). Heated clothing too and they don't
    use leather. It was a few year ago but IIRC it was heated glove inners with
    mitt type outers.

    My Doomreay commute was about 18 miles and "normal" winter temperatures -5
    to -10. The only thing I ever found which helped (pre electric) was made by
    IIRC Bob Heath and Heath Robinson it was. A visor insert made in tempered
    glass/plastic sandwich like a car windscreen material. You needed a helmet
    with a flat visor (Arai) and an old visor which was cut out and acted as the
    carrier/mount. It was stupidly heavy and in the end (of course) it cracked.

    It sounds like a great trip and considering the location and distance the
    mishaps didn't seem horrendous (excepting the frostbite). I got weary of
    falling on rutted ice but you guys seem to have managed multiple spills
    without notable bike or personal damage. Do you think it's unavoidable or
    would more/larger studs have made a difference?
     
    Hog, Feb 21, 2011
    #97
  18. Andy Bonwick

    Hog Guest

    That's kinda what I meant. It's a mud tyre really. Loose snow, fine, ice -
    forget it. Proper michelin trials tyres were as good as I ever found, run
    at low pressure. But you wouldn't want to go far or above 40mph!
     
    Hog, Feb 21, 2011
    #98
  19. Andy Bonwick

    mark Guest


    Not just ruts but bloody great potholes in the ice, 2" high steps
    sometimes.
    Basically you had to ride faster than seemed sensible so that you sort
    of 'vibrated' over the irregularities without being knocked off course
    too much.
    Takes a bit of nerve to do this round bends you were sharing with other
    4 wheel traffic (some of it a bit bigger than you). More nerve than I
    possessed frequently.
    Throttling off was a 'bad thing' :)

    I think you would have to accept some spills as part of the deal and
    plan for them in terms of repair material and tools.
     
    mark, Feb 21, 2011
    #99
  20. Andy Bonwick

    mark Guest

    I don't think you *have* to have one per block but it wouldn't hurt
    either.
    I wish I'd gone for the longer studs that Simon chose.
    I don't think I had any problems with the front but the back end did
    slide about quite a bit; even with 70 odd studs :)
    Trelleborg stayed nice and soft and was surprisingly good even with no
    studs.
    I don't know of a bike tyre with car type snow tech'.
    When I asked about tyres and studs when we were getting Steves chain
    swapped they just said the don't ride on the road in the winter and
    mentioned Finnish tyres with 7mm spikes that were *not* road legal :)
     
    mark, Feb 21, 2011
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