Well I picked up my new bike from Infinity in Clapham on Saturday, a new husky SM610 in black. First off I hadn’t seen it in black before I bought it apart from pictures in a magazine and the one I test rode was in Yellow & Blue, but I was more than pleased with Black when I saw it. Its actually more grey than black but that’s fine as it goes well with the gold forks. I have to say it was getting a lot of attention in the show room as I was doing the paper work and then when it was started up heck was it loud. The ride from Clapham was a mixture of getting use to being back on a bike (its been a year since I’ve ridden) and adjusting to the supermoto mayhem that follows buying such a bike. The brakes on this thing are a amazing, more powerful than the brakes on my Honda CBR600. I have to say I reckon owning this bike is going to be serious fun even if it does cause major pain to my ar*e after just 20 minutes on it, however I think this will be a small price to pay for the fun that is bound to follow. My only real concern is that it will be nicked from outside my house, I had a really sleepless night last night again worrying about it. But hell, if I thought like that all the time I’d never buy anything again. I’ll post up some pictures later of it if I get chance.
Nice one Jaffa! Please do post up pictures when you can, I have a soft-spot for hardcore supermotos, and this sure sounds like one! What’s the service intervals like? I thought Huskys were quite ‘focused’ in this regard. Be careful, these bikes make you do naughty things, and the plod hate it!
You can always improve the seat if it becomes a problem, replacing it with a gel-seat version like the KTM’s have. I bet there’s a whole wealth of trick bits you can get for it, hehe. Regarding security; please don’t park it outside! Any bike is at risk if you leave it in public view, they go so easily, I don’t want to have any LB bike-theft posts!
No matter how limited you may feel you are on options for bike security right now, there’s most likely something you can do. I had big problems at one stage with bike security as well. If you have a front garden, you can always have a builder convert it into an attractive bike-lot with a concrete floor, fence/thatching combination surrounding it to put up a screen, then have a hefty ground-anchor mechanism installed with a proper security chain.
Keeping the bike out of view is the single best thing you can do to improve bike security. Forget alarms and chains if it’s parked outside, you need to keep it hidden from theives first of all! Get it under a cover, use a small padlock to keep it secured to the bike so it can’t easily be lifted up, then use a hefty chain, and think about making changings to keep the bike hidden.
Unfortunately I live in a flat so the only place to park it is outside. Hopefully I’ll be moving soon so will get some where to keep it when I buy a new place. In the meantime however, I park the bike against a wall in a residents parking bay then reverse my car in so it’s virtually touching it. I then put a chain through the tow loop on the underside of the car through the back wheel so it’s chained to the car. I then put another chain on just for good measure and then a disc lock (all locks are thataham approved, & cost me a small fortune) then I put a cover over it so it’s out of sight. Then, in the car I have a wireless night camera covertly hidden between the headrest which is pointed onto the bike, which transmits footage back to a receiver I have hooked up to my PC which records when it detects movement. All of this just to protect my bike which will properly be nicked anyway because even if they get caught nicking it they’ll only get a warning from the police…
Nice one mate can’t wait to see the pics. The security you have sounds pretty hardcore mate to be honest I like the camera idea. A meet at the ace is what you need to show it off!
I walked out of my flat this morning to see that some cnt has nicked the bike cover off my Husky. The cover was padlocked through both wheels, however it looks like the person that nicked it brought along his scissors and cut neatly around the lock to free the cover!!! Luckily the bike’s not been damaged and it doesn’t look like they attempted to steal the bike, however I’m now concerned the little buggrs know its there and it will only be a matter of time before they try to nick it. Therefore I’m going to try and park the bike in my flat as I’m on the ground floor. I just can’t believe the people on our streets there day’s, I know its only a cover (cost £50) but why can’t they just buy their own things and leave other peoples stuff alone…
As you say its onlcover but at the end of the day its still your property. Good thing the weather wasn’t bad eother last night. Lets hope you can get it in the flat. Have you thought about a ground anchor or would that not be permissable?
Jaffa, what a bummer! I’ve had three £10 covers stolen from central london bike bays before, I couldn’t believe it then either. Please do keep it in the flat! It means you can keep it ultra clean, work on it when you like and know it’s safe.
I have a friend who keeps it in the hall-way area of a flat-complex, is that also feasible? And more importantly, where are the pictures of your husky!!?
Chuffster - The bikes already locked to my car and I was thinking aboout putting down a ground anchor regardless of whether I was allowed to or not! I think I’ll see if I can fit it in my flat first before I do anything else.
Jay - I’ll try and get some pictures done tonight…
Unlucky mate,not a nice way to start your day off.
You seem to have a great security set up there,i hope
your hidden night camera caught them in the act,
Tony-I thought about renting a garage but was unable to find any where that was renting one. However last nite I took on a new flatmate. It’s offical, my Husky is now renting my bath room!!! I sleept alot better last night.
LOL Jaffa… That’s brilliant! Space looks like a bit of an issue, but I admire your love for the Husky! I’ll also say that the bike looks stonking in that black. I can’t wait to see some nice outdoor pictures!
I’ve actually just been speaking to a mate who has offered me the use of his gagrage in return for a bit of computer work he needs doing. Looks like my new flat-mate’s moving again. My girlfriend will be pleased!!!