First time out this year
 

Well, I finally got the bike out the garage today to travel to work. I was going to wait for the better weather, however due to there being parking problems at work this month, I decided to go on the bike.

It was also the first time I have used the bike since fitting the hand guards.

Ive had it on the Optimate throughout the winter and today it started on the first touch of the button.

I did take it fairly easy today though because the roads are still really slippy, but it was great to blow the cobwebs off again.

Can't wait for the better weather to arrive. :)

Really slippy, giveover!!

Whys your bike been layed up anyway?

Mine never gets layed up, rode through last winter with a broken foot!!

what tyres you running grim?

I'm still running the original standard pirelli's. It was raining on the way to and from work so every corner and diesel covered roundabout felt A bit twitchy.

Still loved it though.

It was great today though. The roads were dry and it felt planted.

Use to ride my XTR all year around, every day. Now i have to travel to work by car only get to use my Tiger now on the weekends and oh does it make my week. Even had my first power slide on it last weekend on a bumpy back road.

yip, i am running oem pirellis, they aint too bad imo and today was a rad day for riding, the roads are definitely getting stickier now...:rockwoot:

I have been riding all winter on my Xt660Z ! Freezing cold sometimes but...have to get to work!
Knobby tyres (TKC 80), scary in wet - one spill so far (I hope first & the last one).

But no the winter weather, neither the tires is the worst but F....NG car drivers in rainy, cloudy, foggily conditions driving their cars with NO LIGHTS ON!!! come on you idiots!!!! Find some common sense and try te be more visible!!!!

Excuse my french...

@ kinioo : take you were riding this am in that lovely soup then ;)

You could get a pro xtreme wet front (Avon) and a distanzia rear (also Avon) and just enjoy the road conditions, whatever they are, not counting snow.

I have a Heidenau K 74 rear and a Metzeler Unicross front on my Tenere. Now that sharpens you up on tarmac. lol

I think I've been misunderstood on this thread. I wasn't complaining about the tyres, the roads are just slippy from all the Winter left over salt and other sh*t.

+1

Aye same up here, went for a little spin to 'freshen up' last weekend and the bike moved about at times.

If you've found the roads more slippery this winter in apparently dry, or slightly damp conditions it may well mean your council has started using products like Safecote as additives to road salt. It contains byproducts from the sugar refining industry (mollasses), and is supposed to be less corrosive and better for the environment. When the first councils around 2006/7 started using it there was a lot of ranting in the bike (and car) forums of accidents being caused because the residue was slippery (just do a search for motorcycle+molasses+slippery+accident).

Norfolk trialled using it in 2009 and have continued ever since. Personally I think it did make the roads more slippery in what you might call "normal" dry conditions. Roads treated with this appear less "white" in the dry than traditionally salted roads, it also doesn't blow about in the wind. At the time I (like many others apparently) contacted Safecote and ask about their testing regarding grip - they weren't keen and brushed me off with, "Who are you? Who do you work for? Why do you want to know?" The government carried out some research (ABP and road treatment), but didn't think to test friction!

There are other reports to that sheep and dear are being attracted to the treated roads by the lovely sugary/salty mix and are causing potential danger by standing in the middle of the road licking it off!

If you think you're roads are more slippery than usual at this time of year - ask your council what they've actually been putting on it...

Yeah I was aware of the molasses thing a few tears ago to help the salt stick to the roads.

They're at their worst when there's been a slight fall of rain and the roads are barely wet...I actually prefer it and feel safer when its pissing down heavy.

Yeah. Those are the exact conditions where the "sugar" effect is at its worst!

roads seem cleaner when the rain is pissing down, although you just can`t beat a hot sticky day :D

Been riding XTR all winter with Metzler Karroo`s not good on wet tarmac, went out on Tiger first time this year today felt so strange after the single most enjoyable