Paddy01

Fair point betoney. However, my previous HJC allowed good ventilation even with the same screen on the same bike. My budget doesn’t permit me junking the Shoei and buying another HJC, so it looks like I’m just going to have to suck it up. You live and learn.

You’re wrong that it rains 380 days a year in the UK; it’s 390 😪 If your homemade screen comes out well you should try marketing it in competition with MRA, Puig, etc. Look how well Joe Kelly did with the seat mod. “Made in Oz” could become a byword for quality 😁

The seat mod kit raises the front thereby flattening the seat angle.

Don’t forget Joe Kelly’s seat slope modification kit. It worked like magic for me after spending a fortune on a seat rebuild that didn’t work. jk3d.us

+1 to that. I sincerely hope I can simply swap my current MRA Vario from my current 2018 to a new GT+.

For future reference, and I’m not sure this is still the case, but the Yamaha boxes are actually made by Shad. They’re just re-badged as Yamaha. And pricing is usually the same with no uplift applied by Yamaha. So, if there’s a shortage of Yamaha boxes in the US, you can be sure the Shad will fit.

Hi 2 & 3 Your stories are always enlightening and entertaining in equal measure. It’s hard for a Brit to get the perspective on US costs and salaries; let alone in 1973 😳 but my point is that someone is getting screwed and it’s not Shoei.

FWIW- I wouldn’t buy another Shoei. I have an MRA Vario screen (excellent piece of kit) on my 2018 900 GT and the Neo 2 helmet venting is non-existent. Do I blame the screen or the helmet? I blame the helmet because Shoei and others should take into account that 90% of bikes have screens. A second point is that it’s noisy compared to my previous HJC which was around half the price and just as well made (it’s no wonder it’s the biggest selling brand in the US). Thirdly, it’s heavy. And finally, this is my biggest gripe 😡, the visor is so soft and scratches so easily it might as well be made of cheese! And would anyone care to guess how much a replacement costs? Well I’ll tell you, £76.00 (US $96.00, CA $130, AU$147)!!! For a piece of moulded plastic. Rant over. On a positive note, after 40,000 very happy miles I’ll be trading my 2018 GT for a new 9GT+ 😁

I’ve begun using Calimoto which is a biker-specific gps on your phone. IMHO dedicated satnavs are a ripoff where you can pay maybe £500/$600 for a unit but all I hear online are complaints; especially related to Garmin Basecamp. So I took the plunge and paid all of €35 for an annual subscription and I’m glad I did. It’s not perfect but it does what I want for a fraction of the cost. Check it out www.Calimoto.com

Maybe I’m missing something here, but wasn’t there a recall related to the throttle tube? Mine’s an early model and didn’t need the fix.

Hope it arrives when promised and I’m sure we’re all keen to hear your first impressions.

As it’s a 900GT it will be way outside the warranty period. Mine’s a 2018 so my approach is to service every 6,000 miles/10,000 kms because you’re engine doesn’t know what day it is. Sticking to annual services would only satisfy Yamaha to validate warranty. My mileage tends to be 6,000+ per annum anyway but if it was less I’d still wait until 6,000 comes round.

Joe mentions Steven Downer's GPS mount. I just ordered one and its excellent. His backup is also second to none. Hope this helps anyone sitting on the fence about whether to order one. And its a cinch to fit; even by a ham-fisted idiot like me! I ordered the version you can use with Tom Tom or phone.. The Garmin one is different. Here's the link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204226173956

Many thanks for clarifying. It looked like fun, even with the leak.

Good luck in your next chapter Al. We’ve all enjoyed your input, insights and humour. I think many of us on here are of “a certain age” and will face the same choices you face. FWIW I think you’ve made the right decision for you and your wife and I hope you both enjoy many years of happy motoring.

Hey Larz, at the risk of being negative, isn’t towing a bike defeating the object of having one? I know my brain still can’t comprehend the distances you guys in North America travel, and perhaps you drove somewhere very distant from home and then did some great riding on arrival. But isn’t getting there on the bike half the joy?

I ignore the fuel gauge altogether as - and I think we’re all agreed on this - it’s crap. Ride365 summed it up; start looking for fuel around 170 miles and you’ll be fine.

We’re going to miss your forthright views on here Grumpy. We need more characters like you. Ride safe and enjoy the Triumph.

Just FYI guys; my 2018 900 GT has hit 31,000 miles with no discernible issues with the clutch. I think it’s just down to luck with these bikes. Touch wood, mine is still going strong and I intend to tour France in September covering approximately 2,000 miles. The engine is still fantastic and after the usual mods I’m a very happy bunny.

I think we’re all fascinated by the Niken but have never had the balls to ride/buy one. Please post your initial impressions when you’re ready.

Regarding California draconian state laws; speaking as a non-US citizen, and at the risk of throwing a controversial grenade into the discussion, if a regional government in the UK tried to apply such crazy ecomentalist laws here there would be a riot. We all know that CA GDP is greater than most countries but the arrogance of the state seems to be just as big. Excluding the UK due to Brexit (don’t get me started on THAT subject…) anyone in he EU can buy or sell cross-border without paying anything more than origin country VAT. That’s it. No “you’re from another state so we’re going to stitch you up” tax. No extra California tax applied “just ‘cos we can”. It seems to me that California might as well just make a unilateral Declaration of Independence from the rest of the states. I can imagine that the benefits of actually living in the state must outweigh the negatives (great weather, high standard of living, etc) so I’d be very interested to hear from our friends who live there on their views. Sorry for hijacking the thread guys but the subject of cost was raised and it’s interesting to compare conditions and attitudes across the world.

Regarding colour; the one I sat on was a type of grey similar to my current ’18 model - see attached photo (sorry about the old fart sitting on it; it’s me). But it’s not showing in any of the Yamaha bumph.

Well said Psy! 👍

I recently attended the motorbike show in Birmingham (UK) and sat on the 2023 model. My initial reaction was WOW! The seat felt like it was designed for humans, the new display looks as good, if not better, than a Ducati, the terrible thumb wheel on the right bar has been replaced by a joystick on the left bar (really easy to use) and even the paintwork looked high quality. The price was pretty reasonable in my view for what you’re getting - £1,000 more than the ‘22 model at £13,100 (around US$16,000). I’ve been fairly happy with my 2018 900 GT but this new model may provide the impetus for me to change. I sincerely hope you guys in the US and Canada get it as it really is a massive step forward.

Being in Europe I find that quite shocking and unimaginable. In 10 hours I can cross at least 6 countries with huge changes in architecture, topography, language, food, culture and attitudes. I equate your situation/predicament of being in the same state, or even country, to waking up in a Marriott and not knowing where you are because they’re all the same. I think we’re very lucky in Europe that even neighbouring countries can be totally different in every way.