Not sure where I fit in now. Are you my mother?

**F5 Dave** · 8th October 2009, 16:02

Ok well it would have been funnier to put this in the adventure bike thread not many would have read it.

As a pretty much confirmed Sprotbike rider who made the partial crossover to dirtbikes as a sideshow maybe ten years ago I am still surprised at the latest development. Having got to that certain age I’ve been harbouring an urge for something completely different. At this stage I will note that my middle name is Harley. It is my Fathers name & has no relevance to the next statement.

On Tuesday I bought a Trumpet. Well a Tiger 1050. A little bit trail, but with the honesty to admit that it won’t ever really be used off road more than gravel roads so the fitted 17s. I’d sold my old Touring Barge RF9. Unlikely to do much overnighters now we have a baby so I wanted something a bit different with maybe the capability to transverse broken backroads in more comfort than the crude RF or the racelike YZF SP,

OK I am going to keep the dirtbike & Trials bike (now I can ride again, clavicle is healing well maybe soon can ride dirt as well). & the race bikes & the Stinger resto project that I must get back onto. And of course my 500 2 stroke that must be finished (starts & fits).

Maybe it is time to sell the YZF after 12 years together. Problem is on the ride home from test riding the Tiger on Sat & was thinking you know I really enjoy this bike. Hmm space is an issue now.

So the Tiger is good fun to ride & has a stonking midrange. I bought a 3rd hand one at an attractive price. There was another with lower mileage in chch for more money but this was closer.

So with the weather looking crap every night & many nights taken up I took Tuesday morning off & picked it up. So the ride back in ownership was in strong winds & rain & there was huge diesel spills over the hill. Felt like a dependable old friend. I’m going to enjoy this. I needed a practical bike to counter the single minded single seated premix lunacy of the 500. It is super comfy & real easy to ride. Doesn’t seem too tall for my manly 5’8” frame. Thanks James the 2nd for helping talk me into it.

So here are a couple of pics dirty as all heck from the ride home. Hope it gets fine at some stage on the weekend.

I remember when I bought my Katana when I was 19 discovering the drilled sump plug & realising the WMCC first rego on the papers meant that it had had a somewhat interesting start to life.

So I called the original owner of the Tiger last night. His number was on the old papers with the bike. Just to ask about the revalved shock. . . . .

**F5 Dave** · 8th October 2009, 16:49

Oh & for the odd reference for the younger ones not raised on C.I.T.Hat books pic below.

ok pt2.

So how would you feel if you'd just moved in with your new girlfriend & found out she'd been on the game for a couple of years a while back?

So This chap tells me about the shock that was rebuilt & revalved as they tended to loose their dampening so it was modified to hopefully avoid the issue. Seemed to hold out as has done 30k & was done about 10 I think he said.

But then came the "well I'll tell you about the rest of the issues" bit. At about 24k it was knocking & it got worse so they decided that they should pull it apart under warranty. Turns out the early ones (it's an '07) had some duff undersize pistons/oversize liners, that made the rings work hard to seal & then they start to knock. So they replaced those with the later improved ones. But then the mechanic couldn't get it to turn over properly so they sent it to Tri NZ apparently & they replaced the cases! He got it back & it smoked so they replaced the rings, but it still smoked so they worked out that the valve seals had gone off as it had been apart for months waiting for the cases & that fixed it.

But this had taken multiple months & he'd had enough so he sold it to the next guy.

The guy I bought it off seemed genuine & had only done 1000 or so k but was taking a new job & they had the house up for sale so didn't need it to commute. I'd asked if it had been involved in an accident or had warranty claims. He said that he'd checked it over & no sign. There was nothing in the service book about it except for a recall to replace brake pistons early in it's life.

The first owner didn't tell him (he 'forgot'), but I can see why, he just wanted shot of it. Fair enough I guess.

So how do I feel about this? Have I bought a friday arvo bike? Or on the other hand have I gotten a bike with 30k on the chassis & a just run in engine built by the importer & any niggles worked out now?

I'd given it a good rev & it didn't really smoke. Sounds good. Guess I find out & take the attitude that it is sorted out. Maybe it is an advantage after all.

Cool look forward to riding it properly.

**st00ji** · 8th October 2009, 17:16

keen for a missus that had been on the game, would know some tricks for sure!

**James Deuce** · 8th October 2009, 17:17

Gaaah! Mixed feelings!

I'm sorry I talked you into it and I'm not, or am. Or should be. Or something.

**F5 Dave** · 8th October 2009, 17:46

Nah I'm happy as all Larry (whatever that means). It's as likely as the next bike to be sweet as now. the 1050s have a good rep, better than the 675s. Not quite Jap reliable, but that's the risk one takes.

I had considered a Versys. i did want something fairly light, but the Tiger has pillion ability when its required which pleases the Wiff & the engine is great fun. Think the comparatively revvy 650 would have got on my tits after a while + the suspension is supposed to be crude as.

Looking forward to riding it properly. It's got HID lights, Scotoiler, heated grips & guards + it's had the 'offroad' tune loaded. Std meets Euro 3 I guess but the offroad one is smooth as & is how it should perform. Didn't notice any snatchyness from closed throttle. NZ (+ a few other countries like SA) models don't have cats fitted.

& a centrestand. I remember those!

**F5 Dave** · 8th October 2009, 17:56

Originally Posted by st00ji

keen for a missus that had been on the game, would know some tricks for sure!

Yeah like how to be emotionally disconnected, how to lose all respect for males, how to dislike sex & how to see anything as a means to an ends for money. Is that what you mean? (I've seen the documentarys, no experience thankfully, & that's enough from you at the back).

**MIXONE** · 8th October 2009, 18:23

Good luck with it mate.I have always loved tigers but being a bit shorter on the instep it's the old 955 model that I would buy.

**st00ji** · 8th October 2009, 20:22

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

Yeah like how to be emotionally disconnected, how to lose all respect for males, how to dislike sex & how to see anything as a means to an ends for money. Is that what you mean? (I've seen the documentarys, no experience thankfully, & that's enough from you at the back).

was tongue in cheek, sweet bike!

**Eddieb** · 8th October 2009, 20:36

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

On Tuesday I bought a Trumpet. Well a Tiger 1050. A little bit trail, but with the honesty to admit that it won’t ever really be used off road more than gravel roads so the fitted 17s. I’d sold my old Touring Barge RF9. Unlikely to do much overnighters now we have a baby so I wanted something a bit different with maybe the capability to transverse broken backroads in more comfort than the crude RF or the racelike YZF SP,
.

Nice, but you can never sell the YZF, it's family and you've made it what it is.

**F5 Dave** · 9th October 2009, 09:09

Yeah, but I note the 888 isn't on your bike list & it was an iconic bike.

**Forest** · 9th October 2009, 15:08

Bikes break.

If you can't deal with this, then it might be time to find a new hobby.

**F5 Dave** · 9th October 2009, 17:19

You sir clearly have not owned a 15yr old Italian Trials bike. I got sick enough of working on it to buy into some Spanish reliability.

**paddy** · 9th October 2009, 17:28

Originally Posted by F5 Dave

Are you my mother?

No. I'm a big scary snort!

(That's going to make NO sense to anyone whose not a parent...)

**F5 Dave** · 11th October 2009, 15:43

we've had some great weather today so I could ride the bike properly. I finally got away about 11 after helping the wiff with our 5 month old, Sundays are my days to get away but a sleep in is nice. Just did the Rimatukas & a loop in the Wairapa which popped me out in Carterton & to Grey for a Pie from that awesome corner cafe.

I'm loving the bike. It doesn't feel like my GasGas dirtbike (thankfully, that is scary on Tarmac) & it doesn't feel like a normal roadbike on stilts either. I love it actually. Enough go at 4 to be lazy if you want. Handling is good fun, different but good fun. Just have to take the slack & then wind it on. They say you don't really know a bike until you push it. More on that later.

Suspension is a little baggy, but I'm going to wait till I get used to it & then twiddle, but I suspect that I'll throw some Goldvalves & maybe a shock at it at some stage, just so I can really enjoy long travel suspension vs nadgery backroads.

Then I tootled back into wgtn & up Brooklyn to see the bucket racing. Now back to the pushing it part. I didn't realise that was going to be a part of Triumph ownership. (gee I hope I don't have to get some sort of Tattoo now do I?) I guess I best read up some posts on the computers mileage predictions. I'd decided that I should run it low & fill it so I knew how much it took to fill so I could later predict how accurate it was. Ran out at 23km to go. Oh well, it was only 100mtrs from the station I was going to fill at. Was hoping it was going to be a bit pessimistic, guess I can't trust it that close while out in the backroads.

Having a blast, I don't think I'm going to lower it. Bars feel ok, maybe a bit wide for me but we'll see. I was a bit sore at the end of the day in the arms, but I'm recovering from Clavicle surgery so that's to be expected.

Oh yeah in the dirt section I did the clattering from underneath sounded like the centrestand was having a fit. Springs aren't very strong. I best do a search I guess.

I'll sleep well tonight. Wooohhooo!