New member from Belgium

[Peter Vee]

Gidday Peter, welcome to the forum.  Yes a very good informative intro, well done mate.     The cylinder coating you're referring to is called Nikasil and it appears it works very well in the 1402 engine, they just last & last.   

I think Suzuki changed theire cylinder coatings to Suzuki Composite Electrochemical Material (SCEM) somewhere
down the line...It should have a reason... , or maybe cheaper then NIKASIL with the same results?...
cheers
 
Peter

[Hooli]

Nikasil did get a bad rep as high sulphur fuel caused damage to it, it's a well known & probably over hyped issue in Jag (& I think BMW) circles. Not an issue these days though as that fuel wasn't sold for long.

[GSXKING]

G'day @Peter Vee 👍 I'm curious to know how you're progressing 😳

[Peter Vee]

G'day @Peter Vee 👍 I'm curious to know how you're progressing 😳

Hello there

not very much further I'm afraid , life gets in the way ...but only good things
been on a few holidays, visited the NW 200, and just got home from a 3600km round trip thru the alps with my friends on my MV brutale
still active looking for a gsx , but it's still summer season over here , and all interesting bikes get snapped away fairly quick , only the overpriced get left , but I'm in no hurry , they are bound to drop in price sooner or  later...
cheers
Peter

[GSXKING]

Brutale not known as a "Touring bike" and sizeably smaller than a GSX. 🙀

[grog]

3600 on a Brutale, amazing. I did 1/2 hour on one, amazing noise, power etc. Too small for me.

[Peter Vee]

well , I'm used to riding sport bikes , I had gsxR's and (still have) a F4  so the more forward positioning
is not the problem , in fact , if I sit to straight up , then my lower back hurts after 1/2 hour.
I once switched to my mate's BMW GS and gave it back after 20 minutes ....
If I  have a more leaned forward pos , then my bodyweight gets devided between your arms and back , works for me , maybe not so much for others..

The problem I now have (as I am 61) is the knee angle ,I get cramp in my knees after a 100 miles or so, those foot pegs on modern sport bikes is way to close to the saddle for me , I did not have that problem when I bought the bike back in 2012 , but I was 14 years younger then...
Old age sure creeps up to ya..

[grog]

Creeps up for sure. My hips cramp up so trying to solve that. Lower pegs not for me, bought highway pegs, don't like. My last resort now is to raise seat.Last thing ever is to sell my 14 but if I have to 🤷🏼 70 yrs old but don't feel it, forward controls bike, only to keep riding. 850 Aprillia scooter, now that's a thought😂

[Eric GSX1400K3]

Our oldest club member is 92 and he only in April sold his ancient R80 for a Honda Shadow fwd controls.  Hope for you yet Grog, stop thinking about that scooter....

[KiwiCol]

Creeps up for sure. My hips cramp up so trying to solve that. Lower pegs not for me, bought highway pegs, don't like. My last resort now is to raise seat.Last thing ever is to sell my 14 but if I have to 🤷🏼 70 yrs old but don't feel it, forward controls bike, only to keep riding. 850 Aprillia scooter, now that's a thought😂

Noooo, Honda supercub!     Least get a Suzuki, Bergman are / were good.

[Irish in Oz]

Hi Peter how was your time in Ireland at the NW200.
I was working on an 1984 RD350 on my last visit over there 2025.

[Peter Vee]

Hi Peter how was your time in Ireland at the NW200.
I was working on an 1984 RD350 on my last visit over there 2025.

Hello Irish

It was my first time visiting Ireland
Me and the missus own a campervan and we always try to combine our holidays with a race event
So we took the ferry from Cherbourgh (France ) to Dublin , a 20houer experience on a very wild see...
Then we drove to Portrush in a day or 2 (taking in the scenery on the east coast) , we where well ahead of the race week , but I had no idea off camping places etc being my first time at the NW  . So we had a few days to visit the northern coast , and its surroundings , as giant causeway , ballymoney where Joe Dunlop 's bar is
big bike meet over there , also a big exibithion at the local town about all the big Irish racers thru the years , very intersting , lots of them died sadly during racing (you know all the stories if you are into road racing)
The racing itself is something you have to see to believe , man they go thru tiny railroad tunnels and city centers at incredible speeds , top speed was shy of 225 miles/h (360km/h) at the back of the circuit , on no more then a country road.(3 or 4 meters wide).one person sadly died in that part , misjudging a bend at full speed , no room for errors at that speed...also the go full throttle in 6th gear for 20 to 25 seconds on the circuit , for example , the fastes circuit in UK, thruxton , an old WW2 air field,  they go only about 6 seconds full throttle...
After the races we had a week left over so we drove down the wild atlantic way (WAW) with quite astonishing vieuws and I had to contain myself of stopping every mile or so  for taking pictures of the scenery..
We did not have time (missus still works , I on the other hand am on my pension)tto visit the complete west coast , but we will be back for sure , I think in 2029 its the 100 anniversity of the NW200 ..I am real keen on going then aswell
cheers
Peter

[VladTepes]

[Irish in Oz]

Hi Peter
Glad you had a great time.
I just love the Antrim coast road up to Portrush and back again in my case as being north of Belfast. I am lucky to have accommodation in Fermanagh and often do Wild Atlantic Way trips but only if the weather is suitable.