5.30 AM Sunday

So it's an early start for me this morning! What with starting a new career, working away from home Monday through Friday and family life at the weekends there is no time anymore for the bikes. But I have to rebuild the front end after changing the brake pads last weekend, fit some higher bars instead of the clip-ons and re-route all the cabling as well as doing a general service and putting dielectric grease on all the electrical connectors. All part of a move to semi-convert my SD back into a half-decent long-distance road bike rather than a track focussed machine.

Not sure whether to revert to my flat SLS bars, the slightly higher SLS bars or the stock ones. I just want to have a riding position that I can regularly do 150 miles on motorways and A roads in one go with maybe only a quick stop for petrol and at my age/condition I just need a fooking armchair! Clip-ons, rear sets, track suspension settings and no mirrors was great for honing about on Sundays for shorts blasts in between relaxed cafe stops but shit for the long haul journeys I'm now having to make.

If I have time I'm also going to swap over my 180 orange SDR rear shock for the stock white one as it gives a much better road ride. Also fit some mirrors!

What's the latest views on a good set of read sports tyres that will be good in the wet but also up for a good track day thrashing? I am in the usual situation now of having a part worn set of Metzler Racetecs which were great in summer on tracks but are pretty crap in the wet, cold British winter. Last year I tried Metzler Spertec M5s which were good.

Any suggestions?

I read in one of my new Mags that the new metzler sport 7 is a great wet tyre.

In about 1 week I will have the Sportecs M7RR's
In Belgian and France motormagazines it is the testwinner

http://www.metzeler.com/site/com/produc ... -M7RR.html

I thought the sportsmart 2s were great road/occasional track tyres....until I tried Rosso Corsa's on the latest soire.
Not a clue on mileage, but perfectly adequate for fast group track days, obviously not got the feel of SCs as you'll know. But they've got plenty of grip, and slide controllably when past their best.
Great tyres

Thanks guys, I will probably go for the most recent Metzler M version, if it's now a 7 then that one.

Got all of the above done in two hours flat despite the rear shock being a total bitch to get out of the swing arm pivot. Eventually I had to remove the back wheel just to get in there with some wooden posts to drive the thing out. It was well stuck in and then I had to drive the spacer back a bit into the swing arm housing so the standard shock would fit in as it was about .5mm wider than the SDR one. Don't like using mallets on bikes, even rubber ones, but in this case it's a must!

Opted for my old Rizona black bars I had fitted in 2008. They are a bit lower than standard but well pulled back and sit up position. I'm off now to do a shakedown run and just see how much easier it is to do wheelies with this set up after 18 months with clip-ons. I'm also going to return all my shocks and forks settings to the factory setting for road riding and see what it's like. Probably like a bit soft but comfy and less harsh than what I'm used to. Don't care though if I can get off the bike without a bad back, I must be getting really soft,- it's since I turned 50.

Well all I can say is that it's official. The Superduke is designed as a hooligan tool and with high bars it reverts back to a bike that seems to demand to be ridden like a loony at any speeds. Right from go it wheelies and with high bars this is so much easier and feels less scary than with clip-ons. It's easier to change to second and it's far easier when you come down and it might be a bit out of line. In fact with wide, high bars it doesn't matter about getting a bit twisted up all over the place because it steers like a Supermoto if you want and I remember why I first fell in love with it when I first rode one. I does stoppies so easily and it doesn't hurt your fore arms like with clip-ons. Anyway, totally bonkers and I love it again. Clip ons are good for a track but high bars are better for the road and for hooning about. Standard 170 rear is better too.



A ton of rusted up brake rotors needed to be worn off before I could really do stoppies! Front of the bike is now orange with rust dust. Ha ha.

Looks good Bic, did you mean standard 180 rear?

Is that plate from a former member here?

What you really need is.....................rimtape

Love the look of this bike.

I'm looking to turn mine into Matt black with hint of gloss

Yes Scam, I mean the rear shock spring is the original white 170 strength spring as opposed to the 180 orange rated one I have been running for the last four years.

Rim tape would just fuck-up the 'no brand" aesthetics I prefer! All my comments on here about rim tape are tongue in cheek. Guys do whatever you want to your bikes, it's all good.

Yes, I got this numberplate from a member on here a long time ago. He flogged it off cheap and I couldn't resist. I worry that it is a bit wankerish but what the hell.

Now you just need some lower pegs...

That is interesting