It occurred to me that I had never been to Wales in all these years without “working” in some way; having to organise informal observed rides; observing in the runs; sorting out itineraries etc. Ian, Ness, Andy and I decided to create a brand new trip to Wales that was purely a social ride. After Ian came up with the name and our lovely mate Salli designed us the beautiful dragon logo, the Welsh Wanders was born.
The four of us took thirty-four hardy souls on the first trip in late April. All arrived safely at the Commodore Hotel, albeit contending farm vehicle blocked tracks, much leaning of bikes, folding of mirrors and avoidance of extreme uphill slopes!
The Commodore, as usual was home from home. Andrea and her team made us all so very welcome; fed us and watered us well and let us have the run of the place. It was lovely to be back.
Three runs set off the next day in gorgeous sunshine. And all I did all day was ride my bike with a big smile from the sheer joy of it all. Ian D took the run up to Lake Vyrnwy over the Hellfire Pass and then to Lake Bala for lunch. From there, we rode over to Tywyn, past Lake Mwyngil which is so beautiful and arrived on the seafront. We parked up the bikes and walked over to the ice-cream kiosk. Nick, being a mindful biker, did up his helmet; hooked it over his arm and walked across the road with it. “Mr Whippy with a flake please,” he requested. Unfortunately, he suffered a catastrophic cone failure with the contents finally ending up deposited in his helmet!
After a lovely run back on Sunday, I can only say what a huge joy the whole weekend was for all four of us. No pressure, great company, and brilliant days of riding. So happy were we with the weekend that we’ve already booked September and trips for next year, So check your Slipstream and groups.io calendars and come and join us, all badges welcome.
3Rs – a pared down version of 7Ws in name only. I can’t actually remember what any of the ‘R’s are but I’m calling all of them awesome. The format was conceived by the Training Team for Full Members to have observed rides in a two-to-one group, just so we don’t forget that we should never stop learning. Things that I learned: 1) Avoid tractors – even if you can’t see them: they lurk behind hedges, awaiting unsuspecting bikers. 2) Welsh squirrels are madder than English squirrels: they will run down the middle of the road for at least half a mile before casually diving for the hedge (thanks John). 3) Don’t drop your electronic airbag jacket on a crowded cafe floor or it will go off with a loud “BANG!”, startling the natives (thanks again, John).
I’ve been a full member for three years or so and whilst I will always jump at the chance to spend time on the awesomely swoopy, pothole-free roads of Wales surrounded by majestic scenery, the added benefit of spending time with like-minded bike-mad people, and learning from them, makes it into just about the most perfect way to spend a weekend I can think of (special thanks to Phil Jones, our Observer for the day – legend!)
As I sat in the Metropole Hotel dining room on Saturday night surrounded by 28 members, TObs, LObs, NObs (and possibly other acronyms that my tiny mind has difficulty retaining), I had cause to reflect on the wealth of knowledge and experience surrounding me – all at our disposal, freely and willingly given for the benefit and safety of our biking community. And those 28 people are just a fraction of the expertise contained within the club. And I feel humble and blessed to be part of it.
Xanthe Scott
KEEP ON LEARNING
My previous attendance at weekends like the 7Ws and the 3Rs falls before the events of the last couple of years. More importantly though whilst attending them I was an Associate. It has not passed me by that when making that journey from Associate to Full Member my priority for such weekends would be lowered. As someone who loves to learn this was definitely a downside to passing my test last October. Therefore, when I learned that the 3Rs would be a training weekend for Full Members, I had to get my name down.
I have just arrived home after a weekend of lovely weather and fantastic riding. It has been invaluable in so many ways; the wealth of knowledge and experience on hand; the like-minded social interaction and humorous stories; the fantastic roads and, of course, the cake, coffee, and ice cream. It is however the combination of all of these things that makes it such a wonderful experience. The environment that all of these create is perfect for enjoyable learning and self-development. Being able to immerse yourself in advanced riding in a fun and supportive way makes things so much easier and with everyone else doing the same it is such an enjoyable shared experience.
I would highly recommend it to anyone in the club and I will be keeping a keen eye out for the date of the next one!
The BMW S1000XR was a bit of a Marmite machine when it was first launched back in 2014. The first generation machine had the looks of an Adventure bike but an engine derived from the out-and-out S1000RR sports bike. Many GS riders tried them only to be put off by the four cylinder engine buzzing away and the fear of losing their license due to the way it so easily gobbles up the road. Sports bikers though loved the space the machine gave them with the more relaxed upright riding position yet retained performance very close on the road (and track) to that of their existing bikes. No more tummy-on-the-tank issues or aching elbows and the ability to pack luggage for those trips away. A winner!
I came to my XR in 2016 from my second K1300S sports tourer which was a model then being discontinued. For me the K Series ticked the boxes of lots of easy performance with touring capability. I was persuaded to test ride an XR as an alternative and within 200 meters of leaving the dealer’s I was hooked. It actually steered when you turned the bars rather than the K where you sent a postcard to the front wheel when a corner was coming up. So how does it stack up after nearly 6 years of ownership and 40,000 miles? And why didn’t I swap it for a newer machine after a couple of years as I normally did?
Let’s firstly run through the ‘improvements’ I’ve made and why.
The most obvious concern to someone of my stature was the seat height. With a 840mm high seat this is a tall bike. I can’t get both feet on the ground at the same time. The lower seat option only dropped it by 20mm and was rather lacking some creature comfort where it mattered so I instead braved the height and went for the posh HP seat with the letters ‘XR” embossed in red on the back – vain or what, but it still looks good. What I had to perfect though was planning every stop and getting the correct foot down. My slow riding also improved!
As this was possibly not a 100% guaranteed solution crash bungs were ordered from new, and yes, each side has been tested once during the past 6 years. The first when my foot went down a drain hole when being dropped as a marker on a grass verge and the second when paddling the bike backwards in a lay-by. Lessons learnt – look where you’re putting your feet when stopping on grass and don’t paddle the bike backwards but get off and wheel it as recommended in Roadcraft. But the crash bungs work at zero mph, only that rock in the lay-by did dent the very expensive Akrapovic exhaust.
The next care related extras were the radiator grills and front mudguard extender. I’d never seen a bike with so much expensive radiator exposed with so little protection. The R&G grills and carbon fibre mudguard extender have done their job as far as I can tell. No stone dents or water leaks so far. I also found some plastic bungs on eBay to tidy up the frame drillings (see photo left).
Then we come to the headlight. The XR came with an LED daytime riding light. A single vertical bar just 120mm long – 5 inches – which most would agree is not a lot. On a sunny day it’s easily lost amongst other bright reflections and if you think most car drivers are already not looking for a bike let alone a small, vertical LED strip at junctions, my thoughts were this was not a good solution. Out came the standard H7 dip beam bulb to be replaced with a H7 HID unit made in Germany. Is it legal? Is my life worth it? Since fitting it I’ve not had any issues with other road users not seeing me and I’d argue it’s only as bright as the daytime driving lights you see on many modern SUVs. At night it’s a bit bright but the main beam is brighter still – and I’m not being flashed by other road users which is my usability test.
Still on the subject of not being seen, the horn on most motorcycles are, I think we’d agree, a bit weeny. Cloistered in their Audis, Mercs, and BMWs whilst probably on the hands-free ‘phone they hardly penetrate the unsuspecting drivers’ consciousness. Given most drivers also relate sound to vehicle size this doesn’t help even if they do hear you. The answer – a Denali SoundBOMB air horn. At £35 it’s a winner for me. Seeing drivers jump out of the way when they think something the size of an HGV blasts them is most satisfying!
Moving rearwards the next change was the windscreen. Out-of-the-box the 1st generation XR was not a quiet ride with lots of wind buffering. It sounds like a big flag constantly flapping just above your head. Ear defenders help but on long motorway trips the noise is not good. The solution I came to (much too late after five years) was to replace the standard screen with an MRA screen, again made in Germany. For a little over £100 this has transformed the ride and I can now actually hear the engine above 50mph and even leave my visor open above 30mph. A must-do change for anyone planning a ride over a couple of hours on one of these 1st gen machines. I don’t know about wind noise on the 2nd gen, as the screen is different, but some owners have complained of the same issue in conversations.
Luggage was one of the attractions of the XR so I specified panniers from new. And yes they’ve been in the garage loft ever since I rode it home. Why? ‘Cause they are huge, make the bike look like a pregnant bumble bee and filtering is almost impossible. The solution – I bought the BMW semi-rigid top bag which hooks onto the rear rack. It’s large enough to stow gear for a 10 day trip around France, as long as you leave the hair dryer at home and are prepared to rinse through a couple of tee shirts and pants along the way. We’re planning to do Scotland NW500 this Spring so with the variable weather (wet, cold, hot, who knows) I might get the panniers out for the first time in nearly 6 years to stow the range of gear I’ll need.
What’s life been like with the XR?
Well, it does everything I want it to do and does it very well, to a level beyond my riding skills. From touring, track days, coaching on Skills Days at Thruxton, observing for TVAM and social rides out, it keeps up with everything else (even RR’s). Under the seat I stow two (different) types of puncture repair kits, gas cylinders, spare headlight bulb, tool kit and a set of waterproofs. A small rear box holds the paperwork for observing, spare gloves, shades, cap, drink, etc. which is replaced by the BMW bag when on longer trips.
Importantly it hasn’t let me down. It’s been around France and the Pyrenees at least 3 times, Nurburgring trips with TVAM twice, and Wales probably 20 times. It does 5 or 6 IAM Track Skills Days around Thruxton each summer and a few thousand miles observing each year, these though at a much slower pace.
It’s been serviced regularly every 6,000 miles with the two big (expensive) services at 18 and 36,000 miles. Otherwise it’s been consumables like tyres (regularly), a new battery at 3 years, chain and sprockets after 29,000 miles, and new front discs and pads at 32,000 miles.
I stripped the rear suspension and re-greased the bearings at 26,000 miles and replaced the side stand brass bearing insert after 5 years as the lean angle was getting worryingly high.
Age related work has been to change the cam chain adjuster cap, which cost £23, to stop the chain rattle, especially on start-up from cold. It’s a BMW part and recommended after 9,000 miles but they hardly ever fit them at a service. I fitted mine at 37,000 miles and the engine now runs much quieter and the rattle at cold start-up has largely gone. I’ve also just replaced the left footpeg mount around which the gear lever moves as this too was getting wobbly – a sure sign of middle age! At £35 it was cheap for a BMW part.
Lastly we come to the exhaust valve! Clearly made just to get the machine through type approval testing the exhaust valve flapper is an integral part of the 4 into 1 main exhaust system which goes from the cylinder head round to the slip-on muffler and includes the catalytic converter. The valve probably costs £25 to make but it’s welded into a part costing over £3,000.
Mine stopped working this last winter in a partly closed position. Hmmm I thought, this bike is getting smoother and quieter with age – only to discover the valve wasn’t moving. Another TVAM member’s jammed fully open recently and boy was it loud when burbling through town. There’s nothing on the dash to show the fault and only when connected to a diagnostic analyser do the error codes come up. Mine had three going from; “valve operating range incorrect”, through; “valve not operating” to finally; “lost communication with valve actuator”. Yes, the electronic actuator was bust, possibly as a result of the mechanical valve becoming very stiff or seizing. Replacement actuator from BMW £170! – eBay £60 from a bike being broken by a dealer. No contest and 30mins to fit with the help of a bit of string and a 10mm spanner. The flap took a lot longer to get moving freely with a lot of YouTube videos on how to get access to the bearing and which high temperature lubricant to use. Fingers crossed it’ll now work for another 36,000 miles.
But why have I kept the bike this long?
Firstly, because I just love it. Luckily mine doesn’t suffer from the vibrations some riders complained of, but having ridden 4 cylinder bikes most of my riding career maybe I’m a bit immune.
Secondly, because the XR dropped in value from new like a stone in a muddy pond. Add in the mileage I was doing and the depreciation on a 2 year old XR with over 15,000 miles on it was enough to make a grown man cry. It does mean that they make great buys if you’re in the market for a second hand one though. And if I changed it what would I get but the same with a smaller number on the odometer and many thousands of pounds less in my bank account. At 6 years old with 40,000 miles on the clock annual depreciation is now almost zero as it’s not worth very much anyway.
Lastly, because I think it still looks good, possibly better than the 2nd gen bikes (my personal view) which come in a limited range of colours. Why would I pay BMW extra money to have one in their team colours?
But do I miss the upgrades on the 2nd Gen? Certainly the large TFT screen looks good but as a consolation I treated myself to a Garmin XT satnav which also has a TFT screen. It doesn’t integrate with the BMW thumb wheel but do I need to know my lean angle or average throttle opening? (Usually only around 9% by all accounts).
I was hoping the shift cam engine would have trickled down from the RR but that wasn’t to be – but why would you need more than 160bhp in an adventure bike anyway? I’ve only ridden a 2nd gen machine a short distance so it’s difficult for me to compare new with old. I arranged a test ride when they first came out but a red engine fault light came up after a couple of miles so had to take it back. In that short distance it didn’t feel that different and the reviews I read around the time of the launch said it possibly wasn’t worth changing if you already had a series 1. What I do hear is the engine is more refined and has lost the ‘manic teenager’ mode above 8,000 rpm when the front goes light and it is possible to literally rip up the tarmac (yes, I did that apparently in France on a hot day – unintentionally obviously).
So there we have it. I’m trapped by depreciation and by having invested £s in keeping the bike running in good mechanical condition. I love what it does as a bike and haven’t yet found the motivation or had a compelling desire to buy anything else. As it’s reached ‘middle age’ it’s become more of a project as well as my ride. I was recently offered an XR engine with just 4,100 miles on it for £1,500. But what would I do with it? Do these engines fail? I haven’t seen anything to say they do, so fingers crossed….
I’m writing this having just returned from an amazing weekend away in Wales with the Club. We re-launched 3Rs as a training weekend specifically for Full Members with the aim of providing a balanced weekend of social riding and training and what an incredible weekend it turned out. It involved 30 people, with a mix of 10 Observers and 20 Full Members. As recently with 7Ws we stayed at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells, a place that the Club knows really well, as we wanted to go to an area where we knew the roads and quality of accommodation.
We met at The Wandering Kitchen in Wallingford for breakfast and a briefing, before three social rides set off to Wales. Led by Jeremy Davies, Salli Griffith and Simon Whatley, they all took completely different routes to our destination for the weekend. Thanks to the three of them for arranging these rides.
The Saturday introduced the training element for the weekend and saw us split into groups of three, with one Observer and two Full Members to carry out an Advanced Plus style ride for the day. I worked with two members who both wanted to develop their ability to maintain their pace, where safe to do so, in bends. We started by taking a look at where they sat in comparison to the IAM RoadSmart test standard and then built from that position. We worked on scanning the road, best positioning for the bend and developing our throttle sense. Both developed well and our key learning point was ‘read the road, don’t just ride it’.
On the Sunday, the majority of people selected a ride to return them back to a choice of finishing points. Tom Gray lead a run back to Blackbushe, Paul Kilby lead a run back to Marlow and I led a run back to Bracknell/Wokingham. It was great to see and hear about the excellent riding standard on the rides back as well as the whole weekend.
3Rs appears to have been a great success and I’d like to pass on my thanks to the organisation team of Tom Gray, Nina Bosley-Gray and Paul Kilby. They did a great job of organising and running the weekend and made it seamless and enjoyable for all who attended. I’d also like to thank all of the Observers for their efforts in putting together routes and development sessions for the benefit of the Full Members. Finally, I’d like to thank the Full Members for embracing the weekend and being open to learning on the Saturday and generally putting into practice what they had worked on. I’m already looking forward to the next one.
The Calendar is getting full of riding opportunities for all members within the Club this year. All local teams are regularly offering social rides and any member can join these by becoming a member of that group on groups.io and then putting their name onto the database or RSVP event for the ride.
Associates looking for rides could consider the training runs (T-runs) that are being advertised by the local teams. These are designed to give Associates coaching sessions on their riding in an informal manner. The runs generally comprise an Associate, or two, riding with an Observer and then receiving verbal feedback on their riding without the formality of a run report form. Some T-runs use a starburst approach and others carry out observed sessions within a larger ride. Most T-runs offer a social ride in the afternoon to allow Associates the opportunity to practice what they have worked on in the morning sessions. Keep an eye out in Slipstream and on the calendar and event reminder on groups.io for further information about these.
Unfortunately, we have had to cancel the Austin Vince seminar event for June due to a low take up. This may well be down to the fact that members are out riding in the lovely evenings that the summer season brings, so we’ll look to set another date in the future, perhaps when the evenings draw in, to enable members to come and listen to Austin’s enthusiasm of all adventures on two-wheels!
Whatever you’re doing this month, enjoy the good weather and your riding.
Barrie Smith
Chairman
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