Men and Motors
  • 9 months ago
In this episode of 'Two Wheels' Paul Johnston reviews some awesome second hand cruisers, Claire Smith meets Chris Dean and takes a look at his unusual bike and Jeff Stone compares a Ducati 916 with an Aprillia RSV 100 Mille.

We also have another selection of classic Men & Motors: Two Wheels outtakes!

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Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:29 On Two Wheels this week, we take a look at some second hand custom cruisers, and Claire meets a man with a very special bike.
00:37 Also, Jeff compares Ducati's Foggy replica with Aprilia's RSV1000, and some more two wheel cock ups.
00:45 [Music]
00:52 Custom cruisers are a massively popular style of bike, and very popular with people who are just coming into biking, or maybe those who've had a long break from it.
01:02 And by that I mean perhaps the born again biker, the guy or the girl who thinks "yeah, I fancy another bike".
01:09 But I don't need top performance, I'm not bothered about race track ability, and I don't want to have to spend a fortune on fancy new leathers.
01:17 I want something that's comfy, easy to ride, looks nice, and something that I can enjoy on nice sunny summer days.
01:24 Custom cruisers have all of these qualities, which is why they're so popular, and it's why the marketplace is now full of them.
01:32 Everything from little fancy 125's, to the big monster 1400 and even 1500cc's.
01:38 In fact, Yamaha last year introduced a 1600cc called the Wild Star, so they're as big or as small as you want them to be.
01:47 One of the most popular is this Yamaha 535 Virago, introduced back in 1994, and it's consistently been one of the best selling customs.
01:57 It's very basic, but that means it's very reliable, not a lot to go wrong.
02:01 An air-cooled V-twin motor, not very powerful, but it'll do about 100mph, which is plenty fast enough for a bike of this style.
02:09 It's also very user-friendly, and it's very popular with lady bikers, because it's got a very low seat.
02:15 It's dead easy to get both feet flat on the floor.
02:18 It also makes it a good choice for people who perhaps just passed the test, new to biking.
02:23 It feels very manageable, not daunting in any way.
02:26 And it's got lots of nice shiny chrome to impress the neighbours.
02:30 And they will be impressed.
02:32 The Virago certainly looks much more expensive than it actually is.
02:36 A brand new one only costs just over £4,000. Not bad.
02:41 You could even pick up one like this, about 12 months old and less than 1,000 miles on the clock, for as little as £3,000.
02:49 I personally found it quite comfortable on the shorter runs, but it did start to feel a little cramped after an hour or so in the saddle.
02:57 So taller riders, let's say six-footers, should beware.
03:01 But if you are a six-footer and you like the shape and the style of the 535 Virago, then it's not a problem.
03:08 You can have its big brother, the 1,100cc version.
03:12 Not much different to look at, just that everything's bigger.
03:15 Still got an air-cooled V-twin motor, still got lots of nice shiny chrome.
03:20 But being physically larger and about 40 kilos heavier than the 535, it's a bit more of a big boy's bike.
03:28 It's also much more comfortable. The seat is wider and thicker, giving a much more relaxed feel to the bike.
03:35 The extra power from the 1,100cc is very useful.
03:39 The mid-range is far better. It saves having to flick up and down the gearbox to find any decent usable power.
03:46 Custom cruisers have never been renowned for their handling, but this big Virago is certainly no worse than anything else.
03:53 If you put this style of bike into a situation which requires sharp steering and instant stopping power, then you've completely missed the point.
04:01 Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
04:05 So at 1,100cc, it's more than twice the size of the 535, but it's nowhere near twice the price.
04:12 This is an S-Registered import example. It's got 8,000km on the clock, about 5,000 miles.
04:18 And for this, you'd expect to pay about £4,000. Not bad at all.
04:22 So for £7,000, you could have a his and a hers Virago. Now that would be very posy.
04:30 Now no talk of custom cruisers would be complete without me mentioning Harley-Davidson.
04:35 So there you are. I've mentioned them.
04:38 But this huge great lump of metal isn't American. It's Japanese.
04:43 A Yamaha 1,300cc Royal Star. Yes, 1,300cc.
04:48 You can get bigger engines than this, 14, 15, 1600s, but as far as physical size goes, this is just about as big as you're going to get.
04:56 This is the fully dressed version with a few extra bits and pieces on it, extra chrome.
05:00 It's got a nice backrest on there for the pillion, very useful.
05:03 And this massive windscreen, it's huge. Look at the size of that. You've no idea what the weather's like sat behind here.
05:09 It could be doing anything out there. It's enormous. In fact, it could even be double glazed.
05:13 No, it's not. It's very useful. Keeps the wind off you, but it's a bit annoying as well.
05:17 For me in particular, the top of the screen is right in my line of vision, which is a bit of a pain.
05:23 You've either got to go up above it or you've got to slouch down and look through it.
05:26 It's like somebody holding a pencil right on your eye line.
05:30 Bit of a pain, but I'd rather have it than not.
05:33 And on this, we've got a couple more cylinders over the two Viragos, which we've already seen.
05:37 This is a V4 producing about 70 brake horsepower, which is not very good for a 1300, I know,
05:43 but it produces all its power at very low revs. It's very, very grunty, very torquey.
05:48 Really got loads and loads of bottom end. In fact, it would pull a house down.
05:51 The seating accommodation on a Royal Star is as good as you'll get.
05:55 Total luxury. Well placed handlebars and huge footboards, which transmit surprisingly little vibration from the big V4 motor.
06:04 It's perfect for posing through country villages, but at 305kg in weight, it becomes hard work in busy traffic.
06:12 It looks very expensive and just as impressive as any Harley, especially this fully dressed version.
06:18 And you might be surprised to learn that one like this T-registered example, would you believe, can be bought for as little as £7,700.
06:28 OK, it's not exactly pocket money, but it's only at the same price as a decent sports bike.
06:33 And you have to admit that on the face of it, you do appear to be getting an awful lot for your money.
06:39 With a custom cruiser, you're buying a style and an image rather than the latest in fancy technology and gizmos.
06:45 And that's not such a bad thing for some people. This and the two Veragos are all shaft drive as opposed to chain or belt.
06:52 So that bit's virtually maintenance free. Suspension systems are usually fairly basic.
06:56 You're not tempted to start messing about with the preload or sharpening up the rebound. None of that. You can't do it. Simple as that.
07:03 The only maintenance you need to do on a regular basis with these is with a bucket of soapy water.
07:08 Because keeping one of these things looking good, especially in a British climate, is a job in itself.
07:13 And there's loads and loads to choose from. Bike shops are full of second hand ones.
07:17 And you'd be unlucky really to find one that's not in fairly decent nick.
07:21 Because many of them have spent most of their life stood still, waiting for the sun to shine.
07:26 So as we've seen, three grand will buy you a good as new Verago.
07:30 And if you do want to go the whole hog, see I've mentioned it again.
07:34 But if you do want the full treatment, £7,700 buys you one whole lot of motorcycle.
07:42 [Music]
07:46 [Music]
07:51 [Music]
07:55 [Music]
08:04 [Music]
08:18 [Music]
08:22 [Music]
08:28 [Music]
08:36 Well if you don't want to spend thousands of hours working in your garage, you still can have a unique machine just like this one.
08:42 Chris, where did you find this magnificent bike?
08:45 I found it at GMAC Centre at the bike show in January. It was up for sale there on their Polo Walden stand.
08:51 And it was selling it so I asked a bit about it.
08:54 The detail on it is quite incredible, it really is. I bet you attract some serious attention on this, don't you?
08:59 Just a bit, yeah. It's certainly a crowd puller when you go anywhere on it. But it's good fun.
09:05 Absolutely. And there's not a lot on this bike that resembles a normal GSX-R.
09:11 For instance, Chris, I don't see an ignition switch over there. How do you start the bike?
09:15 There's a small button on the left-hand side of the engine which brings the ignition on.
09:20 There's a proximity immobiliser which has got an area which picks up and then you're able to start the bike by pressing the left-hand headlight.
09:27 And what about your indicators? I can't see any of those up there either.
09:30 I don't know where they are.
09:31 You don't know where they are? So we do a couple of sly hand signals.
09:34 Something like that, yeah.
09:35 Something like that. Doesn't quite go with the image on that, I have to say.
09:37 Not really, no.
09:38 But of course we do use them.
09:40 The reservoirs are really fantastic. But how would you check the levels and stuff like that?
09:45 Well, you just have to keep checking regular because there's no side glasses on or anything like that.
09:48 But they don't hold a lot so every couple of weeks you've got to check them when you use it.
09:54 There's not going to be a manual that comes with a bike like this.
09:58 There's going to be a lot of checking and things you have to do.
10:00 How did you remember it all? How did you learn it all?
10:03 Well, you don't remember so much. But after a bit, if something goes wrong, you have to check something.
10:08 You usually find your way around it and if not, phone Paul up and ask where's this?
10:12 Absolutely, phone the guy who did it in the first place.
10:14 And what about the engine? Is that a...?
10:16 Yeah, it's an 1100K motor with some work done on the cylinder head.
10:21 It's got 750 carbs on it, stage 3 Dynajet.
10:25 But pretty much, other than that, it's quite a standard engine.
10:28 And on a bike like this, for usability, you don't really want to do too much tuning to the engine
10:33 because you can't go too quick on it anyway.
10:35 There's no fairing and I don't think you want to on a bike like this.
10:38 How does a bike like this handle?
10:39 Pretty well. You can throw it about a bit, but obviously not as well as a standard one.
10:46 But it'd be surprising if someone had a go with it,
10:49 who'd got on it thinking it was going to be pretty awful,
10:52 they'd get on it and be quite surprised by it.
10:54 Obviously, this is your pride and joy and you keep it absolutely immaculate.
10:59 What's it like to work on?
11:01 A few fiddly bits on it and taking the seat units off is a bit of a nerve-wracking thing to do
11:07 because you don't want to damage that.
11:09 It is a bit tight-fitting.
11:10 But other than that, it's not too bad to work on.
11:13 I've not had to do too much to it, though.
11:15 A few problems with the electrics on it, with the lights and that, with the relays,
11:18 but all that's on a plate underneath where the tank should be.
11:21 So it's all right in front of you and you can trace things and find out relatively easily.
11:25 And this is one complete unit. How do you fill it up with petrol?
11:29 Under the seat, the back of the frame's been cut off and it's now a petrol tank.
11:34 It holds about 2.5 gallons, which is enough, but you fill it up under there.
11:40 You've done a bit of work down there on the exhaust.
11:43 That doesn't look very standard either.
11:45 No. When I got it, it was blowing from down the bottom where they'd joined up
11:49 and it had been sat welded to hold it in place or something.
11:53 I took the exhaust off as a one-piece unit,
11:55 so I get the front of the bike on a workmate and they're back on some car ramps.
11:59 That's hard work, isn't it?
12:01 Well, on the phone to a few friends, like, you come round and there's a lift.
12:04 So they're all holding it there. I got the exhaust pipes off.
12:06 And because it'd come off as one unit, I just welded it all up, pulled it around.
12:09 It sealed it, but it's a bit hard work getting the exhaust pipes on,
12:12 but hopefully they won't have to come off again.
12:14 You've really got to keep on top with a bike like this, though, haven't you?
12:17 Yeah. Every time you go out on it, you're spending a fair few hours cleaning it after.
12:21 But if you let it go, get too dirty, you're going to spend hours and hours cleaning it again.
12:27 It would be criminal not to have a bike like this gleaming anyway, wouldn't it?
12:31 Yeah, you've got to. If you're not, I get too much stick off my mates as well,
12:34 if you've seen it's dirty. "What's happening with this?" sort of thing.
12:37 Now, is this the kind of thing that's just for show, or do you actually use it every day?
12:43 Initially, it is a show bike, but I do use it a fair bit. I go to work on it quite often.
12:48 You go to work on it?
12:49 Yes, yeah, I go to work on it. It's a Sunday or something like that, especially in the summer.
12:54 I get to use it quite a lot.
12:56 You have a massive crowd of people around you when you go to work every morning, I bet you do.
13:00 Well, yeah. You get some looks in the traffic, you know, with your rucksack on and all your stuff going to work.
13:04 I've just had a bit of rubbing my neck going on when you passed over.
13:06 Yeah, sort of looking at what's he doing on that, the state of him.
13:09 It's certainly fantastic. Chris, thanks very much for bringing it down. Cheers.
13:12 No problem.
13:14 And after the break, Geoff rides Ducati's Foggy Rep and Aprilia's RSV, and some more cock-ups.
13:20 Not another Ducati, you're thinking.
13:28 Well, you'd be nearly right, but what I want to do this time is see if this, the Aprilia RSV Miele, is the real Bolognese,
13:36 or does the Ducati still cut the pasta, as it were?
13:39 Now, I know what you're thinking, this is a Foggy Rep, but for the purpose of this exercise, it's not.
13:44 This is a 996 by Pasto. Trust me.
13:47 First thing you notice is that the Miele looks and feels much bigger than its direct rival, a 916, or if you like, a 996.
13:55 It's lighter, but physically bigger all round.
13:58 Next thing you'll notice as you fire it up is a very non-Ducati engine beat.
14:02 And the next thing you'll notice is hedgerows passing at a ridiculous rate of nuts.
14:07 Yes, this is a serious contender in the top V-twin stakes, but it's very different to the Ducatis, the Honda Firestorm, and the TL 1000 Suzuki's,
14:16 because it's got an engine with a 60 degree V, whereas the others are all at 90 degrees.
14:21 Why? Well, because a 60 degree engine makes it more compact.
14:26 If you look on that V there, that's about 60 degrees, which is what the cylinders are like on this,
14:30 whereas a Ducati is 90 degrees, which makes the engine far longer.
14:34 What they've been able to do then is shift the engine further forward to get more weight up the front end.
14:39 But not only that, they've also dry-sumped it to get it lower, because a 60 degree engine makes the engine higher.
14:46 Also, a 60 degree engine isn't as smooth as a 90 degree, it's not inherently as smooth,
14:51 so they've had to put balancer shafts in, one in the crankcase, one up on the back of the rear cylinder head.
14:56 So was it all worth it? Well, it certainly works.
15:00 It revs freely and builds quickly, more like a 4 than a twin,
15:04 except that it's still got bags of that engine braking typical of a big twin.
15:08 The delivery isn't as explosive as a 996 Duke, but it's still a very, very fast burn.
15:14 It feels more vibey than a Duke too, not rough or intrusive, but still there.
15:19 Handling and road holding wise though, it's a beaut.
15:23 I've never ridden a bike that feels this big, but behaves so well.
15:27 It really feels light. It seems to carry hardly any inertia into corners,
15:31 and the steering's so neutral and the suspension so forgiving, that riding it is a dream.
15:37 The Ducati on the other hand, lets you know it's a racer on the road.
15:40 Not because it's a foggy, but because a 996 does everything you want it to, but you do have to have an input.
15:47 The suspension too is very much for a smooth circuit.
15:50 Britain's byways are not its forte.
15:54 Now comparing these two side by side, the Aprilia looks a monster compared with this.
15:58 Look how tiny it looks.
16:00 This impression is given for a start off by the handlebars.
16:03 They're 50mm wider across, which is quite a lot and you can actually feel that difference.
16:07 The seat height, this is for tall riders really, 825mm high, Ducati 790.
16:13 Weight wise though, it's the Aprilia that's much lighter than Duke.
16:17 189kg, 200kg, quite a difference.
16:21 But if you look from the back of the bike, you can actually see how much slimmer the Ducati is,
16:25 especially this tank tucked in, than the Aprilia.
16:28 And then come to these seats, and talking about seats, this one is much much broader than this one.
16:34 And it's more plush as well, very skinny little seat there.
16:37 You see, in the real world that we ride in, the Aprilia is much more civilised and more usable, as a road bike.
16:44 It's got all the performance you could ever need, but it's also got comfort.
16:47 The seat's bigger, the fairing's bigger, and it's altogether more relaxed.
16:51 The Ducati on the other hand, is like a hyperactive kid.
16:55 All wound up, taut and touchy.
16:58 So how do you choose?
17:00 Well visually, there's a hell of a difference.
17:03 The Ducati is Italian style, perhaps as in the city of Pisa,
17:07 whereas this is more Italian American as in pizza.
17:10 Especially these back lights, Studebaker, Flash Gordon, mixed together.
17:15 But mind you, there are some nice touches.
17:17 This swinging arm, which you can see actually better from the other side, is a beautiful piece of work of art.
17:22 All fabricated aluminium, absolutely sculpted, chain running through, it really looks neat.
17:28 But what about this silencer? It's like an industrial can of spaghetti.
17:32 It's absolutely enormous.
17:34 Now the instruments are very clever.
17:37 They've got everything on there that you could possibly want with a digital display.
17:41 You've even got a lap timer on the thing, and this also indicates your recorded top speed.
17:46 Also on the other side, there's a temperature gauge there, there's a clock.
17:50 You've also got a lap speed indicator, you've got your top speed indicated, trip mileage and all the rest of it,
17:55 even a digital rev counter in the middle.
17:57 But I must say, the designer must have had an off day.
18:00 These weren't designed, I think they just happened.
18:03 Now when you look at the Duke, although it's been around for five years now,
18:07 it at least looks as though all of these things were thought about.
18:10 From the headlights, through the instruments, to that beautiful exhaust system.
18:14 What a dilemma.
18:16 Both brilliant bikes, both with all the toys, Brembo brakes, fully adjustable suspension front and rear,
18:22 very similar specs in so many ways.
18:25 It's all down to you.
18:27 For me, it's simply down to lust, and for that it's got to be the Duke.
18:31 Impractical, temperamental, excitable, isn't that the very essence of being Italian?
18:37 On the other hand, if you're more practical, you could save yourself two grand on a 996 by Posto at £11,750
18:44 and have a very satisfying melee for £96,99.
18:48 No motorways.
19:02 No, I know.
19:03 No toll roads.
19:04 90% of the stuff's free.
19:06 Yeah.
19:07 Now Wayne's brought me here to this waterwheel thing.
19:15 I don't know where he is, he's disappeared.
19:17 I saw him park the scooter up but...
19:19 Flubba lubba feebub, it's lubba lubba wee.
19:21 Where have you been?
19:24 Hello, Paul.
19:25 Are you alright?
19:26 Karl, it's easy to forget, isn't it? But I'm sure you won't.
19:28 The '97 season, you've had your...
19:30 Break it now.
19:33 Sitting here, nice and relaxed, it's easy to forget that Karl had a few problems last year.
19:38 I don't know why you're laughing.
19:40 Oh, for God's sake.
19:42 Do you like practical jokes?
19:44 No, not really.
19:45 I was thinking, are you supposed to say yes or no, because we could say that's what we're laughing about.
19:49 If someone tells a joke, alright, they will laugh.
19:52 Yeah, you don't?
19:53 Not really, no.
19:54 Right.
19:55 What are you laughing for?
19:56 I don't know, I have no idea.
20:00 I wonder what the bloody hell that was, didn't I get it?
20:03 It's me sucking my glasses.
20:06 Did you get that?
20:11 Did you get that?
20:12 That was...
20:13 That wasn't me.
20:15 I can't smell it.
20:17 It's ruffled my paperwork as well.
20:19 Right, okay, then I've just got to remember what the bloody hell I was going to say now, haven't I?
20:25 Sitting back here, nice and relaxed, it's easy to forget that young Carl here...
20:30 Sitting here, nice and relaxed, even with Carl having the occasional chuckle now and again, I think that's fair to say, Carl,
20:40 it's easy to forget what's gone on this year, because you've had a lot of trouble with the bike, with handling, you've been down on power, down on speed.
20:48 Just how are you going to overcome this?
20:53 The question's too long, he's going...
20:55 Right, stop laughing now.
21:03 Cheers, mate.
21:04 Mate's a mess.
21:05 You always surprise me.
21:06 You're looking properly dressed then.
21:16 Well, they're just worried about me, because there's a field full of sheep there, looking rather...
21:18 Oh yes, they're all running...
21:19 Can you make a U-turn?
21:22 I bet you can make it to Sainsbourne, can't you?
21:24 Does that flash through your mind, "Oh, hell, at my home circuit as well"?
21:30 Does it all happen that quick, but you still think of the fans, do you?
21:34 It happens quick, but...
21:36 Cue telephone.
21:41 Do you have a quick scan round and look at all these faces?
21:44 You just feel it, the good quiet, "Oh, never mind, next race and the phone's ringing again".
21:51 Phone's ringing again.
21:52 Body pacing.
21:56 Body pacing is a new trend.
22:03 Right, I'm going for this now, right.
22:10 Don't laugh, Paul.
22:11 Body pacing.
22:17 Body pacing.
22:18 So, what are you doing here, mate?
22:25 Oh, that's... keep the chair still.
22:27 Right, go on.
22:31 And on Two Wheels next week, a chance to admire some of the world's finest specials,
22:38 as we look back to this year's top custom event, the Rock & Blues Custom Show in Derbyshire.
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