2014 Triumph Tiger Explorer Xc on 2040-motos

Triumph Tiger tech info

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Filling a void with an RD350LC

Last winter I managed to fill a void in my life when I stumbled on a very reasonably priced Yamaha RD350LC.  It was a tad scruffy, had the wrong exhausts but most importantly it was blue and white with all numbers matching.  I had the usual euphoria when the deal was done but I underestimated how much pleasure this particular purchase would continue to deliver another eight months down the line. The difference with this old bike is, instead of just taking it for the occasional ride I was talked into doing a full nut and bolt restoration.  Having never taking a bike apart completely before, initially it was quite daunting but I soon found the RD is easy to work on so it turned into a truly satisfying experience.  I’ve had some help from LC enthusiasts with the rebuild, however, the stripping, sourcing and organising was a total labour of love.  And call me sad but it has made me bond with this bike like no other which only adds to the feel good factor.  The bike cost £1800 and I’ve spent around £1000 but I reckon my mint Elsie is now worth a fair bit more.   I fancy rejuvenating a Fizzy  next time but there’s lots of other cheap 70’s and 80’s winter projects  out there so why not have a go yourself?

Speed Triple exhausts

The Speed Triple sounds quite throaty with the standard pipes, on the overrun it pops and farts to its heart content but it could be louder. Also standard pipes are usually quite heavy, on the Triple they weigh 9.3kg!!! Triumphs preferred exhaust manufacture is Arrow and they offer side and under seat options as official Triumph accessories.

First Look: Alpinestars Bionic Neck Support

I'm predominantly a road rider, so I haven't had much to do with neck braces, until now. I'm heading on the launch of the new Triumph Tiger 800 and there will be a session of light off-roading so I thought this would be a chance to try the Alpinestars Bionic Neck Support, mainly to see what it was like for day-to-day use. I hope I don't crash hard enough to test its protection qualities and I don't expect to be clearing any table tops either, but I'm curious to know how I get on with the BNS and whether it feels claustrophobic.