So where’s the bike? Its still where it was when I said I'd have it. At the dealership. Its a complex issue, paperwork, the DVLA, importers going into liquidation and “that” pandemic thing lurking around the fringes causing everything to grind to a halt. I’m not upset with eveything going on with SWM but it was May 2020 that I said I was interested in the bike, so for it now to be August, I think I have waited long enough. Its also the other side of summer and after being told by the dealer that I might not see the SWM till the end of the year my decision was made to look for something else.
You may think that the hunt for a new motorbike would have to start all over again due to me choosing the SWM, a bike that fit my criteria at the time. To be honest I had a feeling that the SWM would not get sorted as quickly as I was lead to believe. During this past month I had already looked at other alternatives. I was considering a Honda NC750S and a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 but after sitting on them in a showroom, which was not the issue here, manoeuvring the bikes off the bike was where the problems came out. I really can’t manoeuvre bikes comfortably when the kerb weight is 207kg+ to start with.
I also have to take weight into account when carrying a pillion. Lets do some maths. If I was to take the future misses out on a journey that's:
207kg for the bike
(kerb weight)
plus 50-55kg for the
pillion
equals 257-262kg,
and that's if the
kerb weight starts at the low end of what I can’t manoeuvre.
This is why I am looking for a light weight motorbike, so when the other half comes out with me the total weight is not much more than 200kg (with full tank of fuel). On top of that, I want something that's got a decent amount of power as well. I don't want much do I? 🙄
All this aside, I may have found a motorcycle that fits this “newish” criteria, a bike that my future wife mentioned to me but I dismissed it as I thought it was going to be far too expensive, how wrong was I! I am not going to say what it is, as I have been told it could take up to 4 weeks before I get the bike. Yes, a pandemic, high demand for the motorbike and a manufacturer promotion means there are none available in my area at the moment. I was lucky enough to test ride the bike and was blown away with how it handled, lets just say its a 125cc frame with a bigger engine in. And no, its not a Honda CB300R.
Keep an eye on Twitter as I will post photos on there when I receive the new bike. I now also have Instagram. So you can follow me on there if you prefer more photos and less talking 😆
Ride safe & eat cake
Lardy 🧈