Interested in Xcountry, any advice?

[nicholsonj2252]

Love mine I bought off John Nicholson

Great bike , perhaps I should have kept it LOL

 

[GedJack]

Great bike , perhaps I should have kept it LOL

View attachment 369194

I’m so glad you didn’t John, I love it. Plugged into its life support machine for the winter now.

 

[Simon_100]

I have had both, the yellow one and the black one - still got it, won't sell it because it just does. Fuel range is a myth, as Micky will testify going to Mongloia and not needing the spare 2 litres he carried. Road based tyres give a noticable extra fuel range over knobbly types.

Depends where you are and what you're doing Simon! I spent years exploring trails in Spains 'empty' interior, mostly in Teruel and Soria provinces which are some of Europe's least populous areas. I more or less got lost on purpose in order to find not only great trails and scenery but also to string same together into varies itineraries with a given area - this for events that people were going to pay for. In there areas it's common to be up to 80 kms on trails away form a fuel station, which may be closed for Sunday, village fiesta, or broken down or even closed down altogether! So I had to allow 200 kms spare capacity on top of my planned routes for the day.

Totally agree with you about the TKCs - pants! I do not take my X-C on trails any more so have Avon Trailrider tyres fitted - ace road tyre and probably pants on trails. What's in name huh?

A point I haven't seen yet. The 19" inch front tyre gives the X-Co fairly good road handling as opposed to the 21" 'standard' on so-called Adventure Bikes.

 

[King Rat]

Depends where you are and what you're doing Simon! I spent years exploring trails in Spains 'empty' interior, mostly in Teruel and Soria provinces which are some of Europe's least populous areas. I more or less got lost on purpose in order to find not only great trails and scenery but also to string same together into varies itineraries with a given area - this for events that people were going to pay for. In there areas it's common to be up to 80 kms on trails away form a fuel station, which may be closed for Sunday, village fiesta, or broken down or even closed down altogether! So I had to allow 200 kms spare capacity on top of my planned routes for the day.

Totally agree with you about the TKCs - pants! I do not take my X-C on trails any more so have Avon Trailrider tyres fitted - ace road tyre and probably pants on trails. What's in name huh?

A point I haven't seen yet. The 19" inch front tyre gives the X-Co fairly good road handling as opposed to the 21" 'standard' on so-called Adventure Bikes.

Yes, the 21" on the Challenge made it a very different ride - awkward in bends even, until you got used to it. Lord knows what a 23" front would be like, as the old Honda had (Transalp? Africa? I can't remember).

 

[King Rat]

Was the Vincent built by a bloke called Derek in Penrith? And I'm sure I saw your special for sale a couple of hrs ago King Rat

Indeed it was, when he was APE - I photographed his Ferrari bike too and this Triumph he built for the same owner as the Norvin.



Have you seen or heard of him recently? I know he was suffering and when my phone died I lost his number. He used to live down along by the river just outside Penrith on the A6 traffic light bridge, the road to Lowther.

 

[Hoggyf]

Indeed it was, when he was APE - I photographed his Ferrari bike too and this Triumph he built for the same owner as the Norvin.

View attachment 369332

Have you seen or heard of him recently? I know he was suffering and when my phone died I lost his number. He used to live down along by the river just outside Penrith on the A6 traffic light bridge, the road to Lowther.

I haven't sorry, I used to be a good mate but he kinda went his own way so I haven't seen him for a few years other than knocking around town very very occasionally. I worked with him on the first chop he did, from memory it was a CB550 or something like that and it was painted ford purple velvet metallic in sprey cans. He used to buy and sell rally car bits before that, we built a metro with a MK2 escort floor pan and inner wings that looked like a 6R4 for grass track racing as well. I don't know what he's up to at present buying think he's still in the same unit?? Signs are still up at the road end.

 

[GFJ]

Cheap one just turned up on eBay. Not normally an issue at those miles, but engines are avail

ebay.co.uk/itm/167160645611?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=v0laENXfQ8m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=IBveM6gQSCO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=WHATS_APP

 

[Hustler]

I seem to remember reading that the early 2007 XCountry yellow bikes were lower than the later black model.
I thought I got that information from here - https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/index.htm
but I can't seem to find it there now.

 

[GFJ]

I seem to remember reading that the early 2007 XCountry yellow bikes were lower than the later black model.
I thought I got that information from here - https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/index.htm
but I can't seem to find it there now.

Wrong way round . . .later ones lower, marginally. Not a deal breaker for the right bike I'd suggest

 

[g00ner]

Cheap one just turned up on eBay. Not normally an issue at those miles, but engines are avail

ebay.co.uk/itm/167160645611?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=v0laENXfQ8m&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=IBveM6gQSCO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=WHATS_APP

That’s at INTA in Maidstone, owned by Austin who is a big trial/trail fan and supplier. It’s a solid shop with a very good mechanic (Tom)