11 August 2008

Max is back home

Max (the motorbike), is home from the garage, after almost two weeks.

Because I wasn't well enough to ride him back, he stayed there to have his mot and a new front tyre and rear brakes done. When we went to pick him up last Monday, I was offered a new top box.

You can't see it very well in the picture, but the top box is a small Givi box, just about big enough for a helmet and gloves, while the side panniers are actually Hepco & Becker junior style. When I brought Max, they actually didn't do hard luggage for him and they fitted the top box with the panache of Heath Robinson.

I had a Kappa (cheap Givi) box given to me by a friend, and this was fitted in March, but SOH had his eyes on it but the soon-to-be French trip meant that I needed to have a larger top box.

So a year later, and hard luggage was available, but rather than a new top box, I stuck with the Givi one.. Max and I spent an entire day at the garage while he was fitted with his new luggage, the autocom system and an annual service for a bit of change under a £1000 (expensive hobby this let me tell you).

So 4 years later, and the garage in which he is now being serviced had a H&B top box, with a rack fitting for sale for the sum of £50 (I beat them down from the asking price of £70) and Max stayed another week to let Ian configure the base plate and wiring for the new top box etc.

He came home this morning, I dropped off SOH at the workshop, and he is now home and being washed and polished (thank you SOH - love you xx xx).

SOH has got the Kappa top box for his bike which has kept him happy, and I now have a small Givi box for sale, together with the base plate if anyone wants to make an offer, let me know.

5 comments:

MeHereNow said...

Pardon my ignorance but is that the same type of bike Ewan McGregor rode around the world?And if you're one of the people who thinks he did it all for publicity then I'm sorry! No offence intended!

Sage said...

Max is the baby of the bmw motorbikes, strictly road rather than off-road like the two much larger bikes used by Ewan and Charlie to travel the Long Way Round and the Long Way Down.

I met Charlie at one of the presentations he did post the LWR and he was scathing about the 650 type bikes (which Max is) right up until the point he was saying he was going to do the Dakar on the GS version. I teased him unmercilessly.

Do I think they did it for publicity? They probably did, Charlie more than Ewan as Ewan has a successful career as a film star and rides for enjoyment. BMW gained plenty out of the two shows as well.

Don't be sorry for having an opinion, here all are welcome.

gunner said...

Max is all polished and put to bed with his blanket on to keep him warm or is it to keep the dust of ha

Janet said...

If I had a bike, I'd buy the box. But alas.

Hoppin John is black eyed peas with green pepper and onion over rice and shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top. Quite tasty and filling. Email me if you want the actual recipe.
sjmcreynolds@windstream.net

A. said...

I can only assume our mutual friend, Relax Max, hasn't read this post :)