Belated Intro.
Posted: Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:25 pm
Well, I had a 1200 Bandit for 13 years from new – a cracking bike and easy to tweak and maintain and sorted just to my liking, but it needed a new cam chain and other odds and sods.
I had a trip to France looming mid June so decided the time was ripe to look for a replacement. A V-twin was on my bucket list (old c*nt) and my research led me to this site which persuaded me that a Falco was the way to go. Plus I like to do my own spannering and the amount of info here is amazing (donation gladly made to site upkeep).
Found a one owner bronze and black beauty with FSH. Such a classy colour scheme and a perfect match for a gentleman of good taste and breeding…. but I decided to buy it anyway .
Riding it home I thought I had made a big mistake! It felt totally alien, but I gradually adapted to the bike's characteristics. A few days later I rode down to Portsmouth for the ferry and really saw the potential in spite of the shite shock and the new Continential Motion tyres that the dealer had fitted (they tramlined summat awful).
Back home I bought a low mileage white spring shock which fitted OK with a different valve cap and then I was really hooked!
I modified a GSXR side stand to take the Falco bolt and switch, but the bloody thing fouled the belly pan when retracted and I did not want to cut the belly pan so I got an RSV stand and welded a longer foot to it and also a longer kick down bar which is much more convenient to use. The longer foot projects out about 40mm to the side of the bike instead of the original 10mm. Don't sound much, makes a big difference.
Also fitted a 100 amp starter relay as a precaution.
Fuel exhausts just arrived and will be fitted after I have done a service and that will be about it. I think this bike looks bloody lovely as it is!
Anyway, now done about 4000 miles and I am besotted!
I had a trip to France looming mid June so decided the time was ripe to look for a replacement. A V-twin was on my bucket list (old c*nt) and my research led me to this site which persuaded me that a Falco was the way to go. Plus I like to do my own spannering and the amount of info here is amazing (donation gladly made to site upkeep).
Found a one owner bronze and black beauty with FSH. Such a classy colour scheme and a perfect match for a gentleman of good taste and breeding…. but I decided to buy it anyway .
Riding it home I thought I had made a big mistake! It felt totally alien, but I gradually adapted to the bike's characteristics. A few days later I rode down to Portsmouth for the ferry and really saw the potential in spite of the shite shock and the new Continential Motion tyres that the dealer had fitted (they tramlined summat awful).
Back home I bought a low mileage white spring shock which fitted OK with a different valve cap and then I was really hooked!
I modified a GSXR side stand to take the Falco bolt and switch, but the bloody thing fouled the belly pan when retracted and I did not want to cut the belly pan so I got an RSV stand and welded a longer foot to it and also a longer kick down bar which is much more convenient to use. The longer foot projects out about 40mm to the side of the bike instead of the original 10mm. Don't sound much, makes a big difference.
Also fitted a 100 amp starter relay as a precaution.
Fuel exhausts just arrived and will be fitted after I have done a service and that will be about it. I think this bike looks bloody lovely as it is!
Anyway, now done about 4000 miles and I am besotted!
Welcome
