Carbed Bird Owners - RIDE ARTICLE

[bezzer]

Got the below from RIDE magagzine re an upcoming article on carbed 'birds. Obviously too fookin lazy to check the database as to what bike I'd got and must have sent them to all bird owners in their system.
Anyone with a carbed Bird feel free send a reply if you want, might even get you in print .

Subj: RiDE: Blackbird owners
Date: 16/01/04 16:08:54 GMT Standard Time
From: liisa.steele@emap.com
To: liisa.steele@emap.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)



Dear Blackbird owners
Hello! I've taken your names from the RiDER POWER database in the hope you
can help me with an upcoming "Bike Chooser" feature.
I'm dealing with carbed Blackbirds only, this time, but am emailing all of
you as I suspect a number of you may have owned both, so may like to relay
some of your experiences with me. (If you used to own a carbed version but
now own a fuel injected version, please feel free to make comparisons).
Really I just want to try and get a good, thorough view on the bikes: their
good points, bad points, what they're like to live with and so on.
Rather than just gas to dealers etc, it's much more useful for the
information to come straight from the horse's mouth, as it were, so I do
hope you can help.
Below, I've listed some topics I wondered if you would be able to fill me in
on? It won't take long... Promise! ; )

Prices for the following:

Minor service:
Major service:
Tyres owners recommend:
Typical tyre cost/life:
Typical fuel consumption:
Average annual mileage:

Also, if you've bought any of the following, please let me know how much
they cost you (stating whether or not the parts were pattern or OE):

Clocks
Brake lever:
Brake disc:
Indicator assembly:
Mirror:

Any information you can give me would be great; so please write me a little
something... ? Just anything, really. A couple of paragraphs?

In addition, are you up for sending me a little head and shoulders shot of
yourself, accompanied by a daytime telephone number, the year and model of
your bike and its mileage? If so, I might use you on the page so be prepared
for me to call for a quick chat!

Do let me know; I'd be very grateful to hear from as many of you as possible
to make the feature a good one. Even if you've sold your bike, if you have
any comments you'd like to make on how it performed during your period of
ownership, I'd love to hear from you too.

In the meantime, please accept my apologies if hearing from RiDE (yet again)
has ruined your day, but we only contact you because we need you!
Also, please note that this email has been sent to multiple recipients and
that if you wish your name to be removed from the database, just let me know
(stating the email address you wish to be deleted).

Very best wishes to you all...
Liisa

[Scruffygit]

Just a word of warning here from personal experience.

I (and my bike of course) was featured about 18 months ago. It was when I still had my GSXF-750 and the article ended up with the impression that I thought the bike was total shite. Of the article I wrote, they only used about 40% and of that they changed a lot of the flow of the text so that it ended up with a totally different message. I know that they probably had to edit down all that I wrote to fit the space they had, but this was selective editing to prove their own point .

If you are interested what I was trying to say, it was that it was a budget bike and if you accepted that then it was very good value, BUT it did corrode badly unless you really looked after it. The article had no mention of all the good points but gave the impression that it dissolved in front of my eyes if you rode it through winter.

John

[TazCBR1100XX]

I (and my bike of course) was featured about 18 months ago. It was when I still had my GSXF-750 before it dissolved in front of my eyes if you rode it through winter

Do you mean something like that

And dude

[Scruffygit]

Build quality was no where near that of the 'Bird and if you left it after a ride, yes it would dissolve. But if you washed it after every ride It wasn't too bad, but who feels like washing their bike after every ride n the middle of winter . Plastics were better than the 'Bird though.

By the way Taz, where abouts on the Isle do you live? The wife used to live in Owston Ferry and I was in Blaxton (Finningley) for a few years.

John.

[TazCBR1100XX]

Westwoodside - so you'll be quite at home when you join us for the Pie N Peas in August cuz this is where we start off

[Scruffygit]

Taz.

Westwoodside - know it well. Natalie used to keep her horse at a livery yard on Cove rd and I nearly bought a house there, by the Saab garage (if its still there). Luv to make the Pie & Peas run but can't make a definate promise until much nearer the time. I spend most of my time in N. Ireland and sloping of for a fun weekend when I'm home attracts a HUGE amount of grief from the nearest and dearest (read expensive). You know whats its like - anything for a quiet life.

John.