commuting by Falco

[D-Rider]

Although if you changed front and rear sockets you may lose an odd MPH, well possibly.

You may do if you change the sprockets .... swapping the sockets will probably just mean that you don't get things tightened down properly ......

[gazuk]

cheers for the advice guys. It already has a 15T front sprocket. I may get a different rear sprocket when it comes to replace them, which may be soon (if I keep the bike).

I have put the original silencers and chip back in, and the biike does seem smoother, so this should make a big difference. So, I think a pair of blue flames and chip will be up for sale soon.

My other grips with the commuter Falco will be harder to solve. The riding position and seat comfort are biggies. I know there are the Gillies bars and a nice padded comfy seat but I think from memory these are going to run into a couple of hundred quid each. I may try putting the bars above the yokes as I seem to remember this being a cheaper alternative to Gillies. I would love the Tuone setup, does anyone know any cheapish kits for this (I've not got the time or knowledge to hunt know second hand parts to do it myself).

Any solutions for the heavy clutch?

Anyone want to swap a Falco for a Triumph Tiger

I know this all sounds alot of effort and hassle (especially as the train journey is quicker), but I enjoy it and it's a great start/finish to the day. Each journey is aroun 50 miles with only 10 miles in London, and some of the remaing 40miles are lovely twisties.

[D-Rider]

Dunno whether this helps, but I think I might have a bit better understanding of the wrist ache problems than I used to.
I've noticed that (for me) my wrists don't ache on open road blasts but they can do on slow town/city riding - especially my left wrist.
It would be easy to put this down to the additional wind support at speed - but I don't think that's it.

I think the problem is the angle of the clutch and brake levers ... most noticeable for me on the clutch as I tend to ride with my hand on the clutch in town. The front brake also gets used a bit more.
Now look at the angle of your arm to the bar, then your hand to the lever. Your wrist is bent back a lot. This is what I think causes the bother. When riding on the open road I'm not poised on the clutch and my wrist is not bent back. The other difference is that when 'going for a blast' I tend to adopt a more crouched posture where my forearms are more horizontal than they are for town riding - hence my wrist is not bent back when the levers are used.

So, easy solution (you'd think) - angle the levers down further. Great theory but, having tried to do it, it can't be done. The lever supports foul on the clip-on risers!!

So .... I guess what I'm saying is that an alternative set of bars may well help - particularly if they let you rotate the levers to angle them down a bit more.

There again, I may just ride a bit funny and this is just how it affects me .....


As for your commute - would there be any benefit in riding your bike to the outskirts of London and picking up the train or the tube for the final few miles into the city? That way you'd keep the fun bit of the journey on the bike and ditch the hell of riding in London.
No idea if this is practical, but it's a thought.

[Firestarter]

Any solutions for the heavy clutch?

New clutch slave cylinder off of ebay? Haven't got one myself, but that should make the clutch a bit lighter.

I'm surprised that changing the chip & exhausts back to stock made things smoother - the Blueflames I put on mine (albeit without a chip) made things smoother

[HowardQ]

I'm surprised that changing the chip & exhausts back to stock made things smoother - the Blueflames I put on mine (albeit without a chip) made things smoother

Would tend to agree, I have Beowulf cans on the standard chip and it also runs smoother, main thing no annoying flatspot. Only other issue was a better throttle response on the cans, which can be a bit sudden on a V60, but I never saw that as a problem.
Having said that, on the odd occasions I have used the Falco to commute, I have to say it's not perfect, but then again if I was doing 40 miles on nice roads and 10 in London, I'd live with the problems.
Then again perhaps I'm just talkin B****cks, as I have never commuted in London, and would never want to. Don't think other cities come close!
Always been amused by the thought of people commuting in London on Supermotos and KTM Dukes. Now they must be fun in traffic!

[gazuk]

The standard cans make alot of difference. Engine wise now it smoother lower down the rev range and excellent for comuting.

But I can'g get away from the downsides, which is the riding position and seat. It's not ideal for the city commute and as thats the only time I get to ride (weekend blasts are very few and far between) I want a bike to get the most fun out of my commute. I owned one before and I think a triumph tiger would be ideal (or even a BMW GS is I can get a cheap one). Might even check out a Caponord.

So the Falco's got to go. It's a shame cos the more I ride it the better it gets, but tonight, by the time I got to the fun part of my journey my shoulders were aching, my hands were aching and my arse was numb.

So, 2002 Blue Falco with 7000miles is up for sale. I'll also be selling a few other bits - blue flame cans and chip, mille yellow spring shock and linkages and a blue tankbag.

Oh, Mr D-Ride I still owe you a fiver. Do you have PalPal?

[Viking]

I'll also be selling a few other bits - ... - mille yellow spring shock and linkages.

Oooohhh..... That is so tempting. But I'll wager that freight costs would be more than the shock is worth.

[IsleFalco]

I commute to work on the Falco whenever it is not wet. It is a round trip of about 34 miles a day, of which 26 are over the mountain section of the TT course. If I encounter traffic, I am usually passing it at about 90 mph. The Falco is an excellent commuter in these conditions.

OK, I'll get me coat.

[sabestian]

Gazuk, it seems like Falcos just don't fit you. There are just too many complaints on your side. TBH I straggled with a stocker, too. Same problems - wrists, arms, arse, power delivery.

Then I crashed and had a choice - rebuild or start one-off project. Luckily I chose the latter and now I own the bike that suits me better than anything I've ever ridden. It costs though to make a bike fit you if it just doesn't straight from the cradle. Bar risers, PC3, aftermarket cans (Blueflames BTW), fighter fairing, airbox mod, Mille shock. That's roughly 1000 quid. If I didn't crash I wouldn't do it.

If you like Tuono, get one. You'll fall asleep on Tiger, not to mention GS.

[Torn]

i commute on the falco everyday, all weathers (snow was fun!!!!!) 25 miles each way through london traffic into the westend, dont find the bike uncomfortable, do find it blardy expensive on fuel and also glad i have roadside assistence 4 times so far in the last 8 months ive had to call them, good job in the deal i have 6 call outs!! hopefully ill get though to renewall time ok. looking at either selling house or renewing mortgage by the end of the year and plan to pick up a second bike to save miles on the falco(put 13k on it in 16 months)

[gazuk]

It's not the distance but more the time it takes. Fastest I've done it one way is 1.5 hours (the ten miles in London takes about 40 mins). 3 hours riding a day will be tireing so I need a suitable bike.

I have just got myself a 1994 r1100GS, with 26000 miles for less than 2 grand. Comfortable and fun and cheap so an ideal bike to stick 500miles on each week.

BTW, I could use the train and door to door is 1 hour 40 minuts, but bike is not only more fun but you arrive at work/home awake and alert instead r tired and dozy if using the train.