Back on 2 wheels proper

**bluninja** · 25th November 2006, 21:11

Well after nearly 3 years in storage, the RSVR is now road legal and my weapon of choice for daily riding.

Last Saturday was my first ride and it felt so strange to be on a proper bike (sorry to all you Suzuki GT200 enthusiasts). I still have 3 year old plus tyres on. I was going to change them, but the mechanic said they would be fine after 100 miles and a few heat cycles. I'm still not so sure, so I'm treating them with lots of care....hard braking in the cold and wet seems fine with no skids so I guess they are ok.

First proper ride was Monday....a 68 mile (108km) commute in driving rain. At one stage I was going uphill with a 2 inch deep river of water rushing down the full width of the road and rain drops so big they were splashing 2 feet in the air. Did I wish I was in the car? No way !

The hardest thing to get back to grips with is filtering. I'm starting off at my own pace and my own choices, but watching the bikes that pass me to see what they do different. Anyway my commute time is now moved from 100 mins to 80 mins. I did stay late at work one night so the traffic hotspots were clear (M25, Guildford, Hindhead in case you know them) and was home in 50 mins.

So 650 miles done this week, now I get the joy of cleaning it and maintaining it over the weekend

Will see if the ACF-50 I coated it with has helped.

Anyways I'm back on 2 wheels, the car will just have to rust in the road.

**James Deuce** · 25th November 2006, 21:29

That is brilliant to hear mate!

**pixc** · 25th November 2006, 21:43

Originally Posted by bluninja

my commute time is now moved from 100 mins to 80 mins.

thats how long it takes for you to get to work?

Shit..I whinged and moaned at a 20 min commute..so i found a job that was 5-10 mins away.

**MyGSXF:Me** · 25th November 2006, 22:21

Awesome to hear mate!! & welcome back!!!!

Definately take your time to get used to being back in the saddle again, before you open her up too much!

& above all.. ENJOY!!!

Jen

**bluninja** · 25th November 2006, 22:53

Originally Posted by pixc

thats how long it takes for you to get to work?

Shit..I whinged and moaned at a 20 min commute..so i found a job that was 5-10 mins away.

In the car it was 2 hours plus!!!! and more gas, and less fun.Come the spring I will switch to the twisties and non dual carriageway roads. Imagine changing the commute into a good scratch everday.

**pixc** · 25th November 2006, 23:01

Thats like driving from tauranga to auckland everyday to work.
Thats crazy!

Na..still cant fathom it.

and yer..what MyGSXF said

**Clivoris** · 25th November 2006, 23:09

What wonderful background music the RSVR must provide for your commute. Have you invested in an aftermarket exhaust?

Good luck with those tyres mate. Don't want to spoil your buzz, but I don't know if I would be trusting them after 3 years in storage. If you can afford it, new rubber will do a lot for the confidence.

**James Deuce** · 26th November 2006, 00:21

It used to take me 2.5 to 3 hours by car to get from Southampton to Ashtead. Long commutes are normal. I worked with a guy that commuted from Bristol to Ahtead - in Kent.

**Grahameeboy** · 26th November 2006, 05:54

Originally Posted by pixc

thats how long it takes for you to get to work?

Shit..I whinged and moaned at a 20 min commute..so i found a job that was 5-10 mins away.

Yep you guys don't realise how lucky you are in NZ.......traffic problem...what traffic problem!!

**Edbear** · 26th November 2006, 08:16

Almost mandatory to post a pic of your bike on here! The RSV-R is nice!

How come in storage for three years?

Longest it's taken me from Orewa to Mt. Wellington was 2hrs!

Without traffic problems it's 40min.! Only go in once a month for sales meetings if I can avoid it now. Unfortunately for me, by the time I wheeled the bike out of the garage I'd be "at work" as all I have to do is walk outside and climb into the truck...

How's the weather over there? Apart from the cold, the rain can be similar here. Pic taken out the window this morn! Great day for a ride...

**What?** · 27th November 2006, 05:23

Good to have you back, Si.
Shame winter is setting in over there, eh? You might be needing some of those spiked tyres they use for speedway in Scandinavia...

**bluninja** · 27th November 2006, 06:51

The RSVR is the one in the pic at Puke. As for the tyres...I checked everything out today.....the mechanic must have been having a laugh....pressure was 2.8 bar Front 3.8 bar rear. Should be 2.2F, 2.5R even with pillion it's 2.4F, 2.8R. My bad for not checking; after all it's my neck not the mechanics.

Exhaust...I have standard on at the moment...and an Akrapovic slip-on in the garage. It's illegal over here on the road, but I'll probably pop it on in the spring after the worst of the bad weather is over.

3 years storage. Long story short....I was gutted, jobless and broke when I got back to the UK from NZ. Insurance here is expensive and compulsory, and my family took priority. I'm now working as a System Admin/IT consultant so I can afford to put it on the road.

What? Hope to be even more back in 2008. Just got to save up and try and get a job in NZ. May have to sell the RSVR to pay the air fares.