Note: Later contributions now at the top...
7/2/2001 From Dave Prentice (vsmaria@yahoo.com)
Hi, I have been riding my DV for around two years, it was already six months old when I got it
Brake pads wear very quickly needing replacement every service (4,000 miles) in London Traffic (note front only back last ages). The tyre wear is heavy, Michelins seem to wear unevenly but handle reasonably. My pads still had plenty of life left in them at the 8K service, but a lot of my commute is on motorways. I haven't noticed really heavy wear on the M90s either - again, still enough life in them at 8K. Guess you must brake and accelerate a lot more than me !
Both front Disks were replaced at 24,000 miles as was the clutch, I was told by the shop and two other DV riders that this is not uncommon. Battery lasts two years £52. Front disks are becoming a bit of a theme these days…
Pannier catches are forever in need of adjustment, easy but annoying Clutch cables and bulbs are really the only other problems, tail light bulb not standard £5 a bit expensive. Economy is average 45 ish MPG top speed 110 mph ish not too uncomfortable on long rides 300 miles +
I have managed to part company with the bike twice, with only superficial damage, however the suicidal pedestrian that ran out from behind a bus broke the fairing. On the whole I like the bike but would like the higher screen, maybe next winter!
Hope you do well with yours
David
6/2/2001 From manlio crinelli (manlio.crinelli@libero.it)
Excuse me for my English, but I am an owner of a red Honda Deauville writing from Italy. I have found for a long time, in my country, someone who had problems as mine and finally I read your mailbox. This bike is wonderful, but I unfortunately changed two times in 8000 Km my front disks.
I ride my bike as a tourer, and I don't understand what's the problem!
My dealer says that this problem isn't known in every Honda Deauville sold in Italy, and perhaps it depends in my style of riding !!!!
I payd for this in the Warranty period, but I think I'm not mad and this is a serious problem in some of this bike! Honda Italia accused me of forgetting security chains or riding in a strong way(?) and I was very angry for this. I think that the front disks aren't so good as the Brembo pads and they become warped in a few time if the plane of the wheel is not perfect.
The second time I pretended that the dealer resolved my problem and he found that the wheel wasn't perfect (perhaps the stamp)and rectified it(accusing me of falling in a hole on the street). Now I don't know if my problem is resolved and I'm thinking to change my bike.
I read that Paul Sutcliffe and John Whitaker had the same problem and I hope I can help them with my experience.
What does "Might as well while we' re at it" mean? "While we're working on the bike, we will do both disks, as it's not much more work than doing one"
If they can suggest me other solutions my e-mail address is
Thank you and sorry for my english
Manlio
6/2/2001 From Norman McCollum (stormin@onetel.net.uk)
I have just ordered a new Deauville from Cusworths of Doncaster. After telephoning around the UK and visiting various dealers, the best price I could get is £5195 for delivery march 1st. I would recommend this dealer as I have bought a bike there two years ago and am very happy with their service and help. Carnells is near but I was offered a pittance for my old Triumph 900 Trophy in part exchange. I got Eddies of Leeds to sell it for me at £1500 more than Carnells were offering. For a good deal contact Big Andy at Cusworths. Another ex-Trophy rider - John Russell also used to have one of these before the DV. £5195 sounds pretty much as good as you're going to get - somewhere between £5200 and £5400 seems to be the going rate at the moment.
Good riding,
Stormin Norman McCollum
5/2/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
Showed my exhaust to the mechanic whilst I was getting the clutch interlock switch replaced, it is only 7 months old having been replaced following a crash last summer. As I have previously mentioned it is showing signs of rust or discolouration around the joints. The mechanic stated he was not aware of any problems with DV exhausts, and that he thought the exhaust was just tarnished - suggested Autosol to sort the problem. I'm not completely convinced as I polish my chrome pretty regularly. The 2 exhaust pipes from the manifolds are both showing signs of pitting and rust but they have been exposed to 1 and a bit salty Blackpool winters, and all the stones and other crap that have hit them in 6000 or so miles of riding since October 1999.
Can I have some feedback on how other members exhausts are standing up? If my exhaust is showing premature wear I'm going to try and get it replaced under the manufacturers warranty.
Safe Riding
Patrick Cray
2/2/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
Finally got round to taking the DV to the local dealers to get the switch in the clutch assembly replaced. It only took about 15 minutes, and I can now start my machine in gear with the clutch in and the side stand up.
The unit was replaced under warranty with no quibbles - from what others have written this seems to be a common fault on DV's. Hopefully the next time I stall, I'll be able to get underway without having to push the machine to the side of the road!
Safe Riding
Pat Cray
2/2/2001 From: John Whitaker (john.whitaker2@ntlworld.com)
Just found your site - never thought to look for one before. I have read some of the reports posted and would say to Paul Sutcliffe that warped disks are not unusual on the Deauville - I had a problem with one of my front ones from new. I used the bike for about a year then took it to my local dealer and had it checked. They replaced both. "Might as well while we're at it" said my local dealer Pidcocks, Nottingham.
I concur with most people's comments regarding the bike. It suits me fine. It's just coming up to 2 years old now and done about 6k. I only use it for holidays and weekends away - 2 up touring with my ever-loving on pillion. I ride all year but as my commute is quite short (about 3 miles) I use a 100cc Yamaha for that.
Before I bought the bike I test rode a second-hand one that had a taller flip screen. On my hour long test I made sure I took in a part of the M1 as I wanted to know how it went at touring speeds. At about 80 -85mph the airflow caused my wife and I to be buffetted from side to side but in opposite directions. I found this a little disconcerting and potentially tiring / dangerous and it has put me off purchasing a taller screen. I'm 5' 10" tall, my wife is 5' 2". Anybody else had this sort of problem?
Incidentally, our first years holiday on the Deauville was to Spain. Ferry to Bilbao, rode to Seville and Granada and back to Bilbao with stops on the way. Cheap hotels, fabulous scenery, excellent virtually empty roads. If anybody wants to contact me direct I will give them any further info I have.
John Whitaker
31/1/2001 From: Edd (freeball@lineone.net)
Hi Everyone
I have just read the March issue of Ride magazine. There is a section on tourers this month in which the Deauville is pitched against much larger capacity machines ( a bit unfair maybe ) But it still holds its own , as we all know
And as a footnote , guess who else is unable to start his bike in gear , not to worry loads of warranty left , but at least by following this site it made me check
All the Best
Freeball
30/1/2001 From: Paul Sutcliffe (Paulsutcliffe@tesco.net)
Hi,
latest on my bike -
In reply to Darren Hyde, my lower fairing is from MPS - same as the one David Brown bought, from MPS. It cost £99 last year, but I find it pretty effective and the style suits the bike. It comes in black only. I also fitted a fender extender at the same time.
The net effect is, the bike takes a week to look grubby instead of a day (except in really crap weather). I jetwash it every weekend, but I only give the engine a cleanup at service time when I remove the lower fairing.
I am just servicing the bike now, got fed up with it sounding so noisy. The noise seems to come from the engine bay rather than the silencer, but the exhaust clamps were all tight - all I've found so far was a loose air intake clip. Next weekend I'll do the valves, carb synching etc and see if that helps.
I also checked the steering for play - lifted the front end by putting a heavy weight on the topbox rack, and I used the fuel tank as a weight. NOT A GOOD IDEA. As I shook the forks it fell off, luckily the dent is not too bad... And I bet you didn't swear at all…
Paul
30/1/2001 From: Lee Baldwin (lee.baldwin@tesco.net)
Hi everyone,
I promised I would get back to you all after I had picked up my Deauville on Saturday to let you know my impressions.
Well, I've spent the last few days smiling! I think I was so taken in by what the press has had to say about the Deauville being slow and boring, that I couldn't believe it when I discovered what a joy it is to ride. Okay, the acceleration isn't going to give you whiplash, but do you really need a stiff neck? And it might not do 150mph (250kph), but if I wanted a sports bike I would have bought one.
It was a 50-mile ride back from Surrey where I bought the bike and I found the journey very pleasant indeed. The acceleration is smooth and steady, and the comfort was excellent. I tested the high speed cruising ability and was surprised to find that even 100mph seamed quite comfortable for the DV, even if there was a lot of wind noise from the standard screen.
I took the wife out for a spin and was once again surprised that the DV didn't seem to notice the additional weight. Needless to say my wife is now smitten with the DV and has even gone to the extent of christening her Lucy! (Deauville as in Devil as in Lucifer, hence Lucy!)
On Sunday I arranged an extended test ride with a friend and his CB500. I found the DV matched or outperformed the CB500 in almost all respects, specially in the high-speed comfort arena. My CB buddy was even complaining that he couldn't keep up with me under acceleration up a very mild gradient.
I'm just so impressed that I can't wait to get her back to a shining example. Although the guy I bought her from obviously loved his bikes (his only bike now is a Ducati ST2, which he keeps in a heated lockup when not in use), he found himself with a job nearly 100 miles away from home and bought the DV to commute. Consequently he managed to rack up over 9,000 miles in the 3 months leading up to Christmas. Then he left the job.
As a result of this daily onslaught she has been left with a crack in the right hand fairing, a scratch on the front mudguard (not a crack as previously thought), scuffed crash bar ends, a scuffed mirror, a scratch on one of the pannier lids and a repaired puncture in the rear tyre. Other than that she is a bit dirty all over, but has no rust, a Givi rack ready fitted! and a very, very sweet motor. I've already priced up the parts that need to be replaced and figured out what just needs a bit of TLC, giving a total of just under £300.
As my wife and I are intending to do a bit of touring I've also made a list of wants:
1. Lower fairing kit (Skidmarx or similar)
2. Top Box (probably a large Givi one as the rack is already there)
3. Flip up screen (from M & P I think)
4. Honda Wind Deflectors.
I don't think I'll bother with the larger pannier lids as they are very expensive and I've already got a tank bag, which in combination with the top box and existing panniers should give about 110 litres of storage space.
I've just been looking at the Honda Service Schedule supplied by John Russell in your Frequently Asked Questions section. It occurred to me that many Deauville owners may not only wish to do their own servicing but may also like to keep a full record of the servicing details for supply at the time of sale of the vehicle. To this end I have re-arranged the document into servicing intervals from 4,000 miles up to 60,000 miles. If you could make this available to people they could plunder it and use it to keep track of servicing done by themselves. I would suggest taking a copy at each service interval and ticking off as each item is completed. This can then be kept (or clipped to a clean, non-oily copy) to be used as a service history. Link now on front page.
I'll sign off for now but if anyone has any of the spares I require or any advice about accessories, especially the Skidmarx lower fairing, I would be very pleased to hear from you.
Keep the shiny side up
Lee
29/1/2001 From: John Warner (jwarner@clara.co.uk)
Dear John,
You asked about my GIVI windscreen. I have some opinions (of course!) and I've also taken a few measurements. I've also posted this reply on Trevor's Deauville web-site in addition to replying to you personally.
I'm 6 feet tall with a long back and find my head is half in and half out of the slip-stream. The buffeting and noise is not bad at all, and less than I experienced on my Harley Davidson Sportster which had a much shorter "sport" screen. I think the style of the GIVI screen with its flip-top looks better than the standard screen and is much more attractive and practical than Honda's tall screen with airflow holes near its base.
I've just measured the distance between the top of the handlebar at its centre and the top of the windscreen. It's 15" or 385 mm. You can measure that distance on your screen and work out whether you'd see over a GIVI screen. I think you will because the GIVI screen is at least 50 mm shorter than the Honda tall screen.
Regards, John.
PS: I contacted RiDE magazine this week (I've been subscribing to it for three years) to moan that they have never had a big article on the DV. To my delight I was told that there is one in the next issue (the March one) but it actually comes out in February - Don't ask me why I only read it!
Anyway, that's where it will be if anyone is interested. I will give a bit of a summary of it once I get my copy.
26/1/2001 From: Andy Long (andylong@lazarus-foundation.freeserve.co.uk)
Why a Deauville? Well, I use my motorcycle to travel to and from work, and for occasional two-up touring. I therefore needed a bike that was economical, reliable and easy to care for. I considered a shaft drive to be essential - I hate greasing and adjusting chains - and I wanted reasonable weather protection. My previous bike was a venerable BMW R80/7 with 150,000 miles under its belt, so the replacement had to live up to considerable longevity. I had a budget of about £5500 and so my choice was limited.
I ended up with a shortlist of another second-hand Beemer, a second hand Pan European or Deauville. To get a Beemer in the price range meant one with about 40,000 miles in this area (near Hinckley) - a bit too second-hand, so it came down to the Pan or a Deauville. My local Honda dealer -Drayton Croft, had a choice of two Pans at about £5000, a Champagne Deauville with 6000 miles for £4500, or a choice of Red, Blue or Champagne New for £5250.
BTW, I have a friend who has a Honda Bros, which has basically the same engine as the Deauville - well had - first he had it very heavily tuned, and then proceeded to thrash it silly for 40,000 miles without any problems, so reliability of a standard Deauville should be no problem.... He has now decided that the 650 was too small, and has fitted an Africa twin engine into the beast and had that tuned as well, by the guy who does Phil Macallums TT bikes.... For pictures of this machine look at Steve Beatys Hawk site - http://home.t-online.de/home/SBeatty/ The machine in question belongs to one Paul Tothill. Maybe I'll try fitting the top end of an Africa twin to Cruella to spice her up a bit.....
So with the Pan doing about 40mpg and the Deauville 50+ I decided on a new Red one, with the large panniers. This was a huge improvement over the old BMW, especially in terms of shaft reaction, or lack of it. The fairing however was not up to scratch, so I bought the tall screen and hand deflectors. I found the tall screen pulled me into it above about 55, causing wrist-ache, so I ditched it in favour of a flip screen from M&P - not sure of the make, but cheap at £35. This was much better and I settled down to comfortable commuting at 55-60 mpg.
My wife however was not so happy, the BMW had a Corbin King and Queen seat, an dwas the last word in comfort. I had no problems with the Deauville seat, but my wife said that the stiffener at the back of the seat caused mild discomfort on short trips, and on a tour of Cornwall was painful. So the seat was sent off to P&P seats in Birmingham and converted into a King and Queen, with Gel pad inserts for extra comfort - total cost £209, of which about half was the gel pads and some decorative work. In my, and my wife's, opinion 200 quid well spent. My next purchase will be a fender extender from M&P to keep the muck off the front of the engine (about £16).Incidentally having gone the normal route of trying to get a Haynes or Clymer manual I innocently asked how much the Honda one cost ------ £125 was the answer!!!!
Cya,Andy Long
26/1/2001 From: Nick Pumphrey (nick.pumphrey@obstetrics-gynaecology.oxford.ac.uk)
Hi Folks, I thought you might appreciate this http://www.bikenet-racing.com/section-road/article-old.asp?id=617&Section=Roadtests&page=1 On another matter, how do you lot pronounce Deauville. Having only read it I pronounced it dough-vil (a bit like the French would pronounce their town - dough-veele), but I went to a bike shop and the guy there corrected me, saying De Vil. I guess it doesn't really matter but I am curious. Regards, Nick Pumphrey
The correct French pronounciation would be something like D'ohvee-ye. You're right, bike shops do seem to call it De-Vil, but I've always gone with "dough-vil" as the more common anglicisation.
26/1/2001 From: Erik Jansen (teuropa@webhouse.es)
Hi again,
1) Nice to see so many new messages. One said he can get his bike up to 125 mph. I believe 1 km is 0,6 miles. My Deau gets easily up to 190 km/h, that would be 114 mph ???
2) Recently i was (of course with the Deauville!) for the second time on a racing circuit (first Albacete, now Valencia, check EA Superbikes 2000 and 2001 -PC games- :). Besides missing horsepower and being last always, it's great fun and instructive! The tires (Macadam) take everything when the surface is good and clean. I have scratched the downside of the bike everywhere from leaning in the curves. Nothing is left of the metal 'warners' under the footsteps. :)
A friend with a Suzi 650SV was as fast as I: 2'40'' times. That's 50'' more than profs. :)
I would recommend this experience to all of you.
Save and happy riding!
Erik
Valencia, Spain
25/1/2001 From: John Warner (jwarner@clara.co.uk)
Hi Lee,
I hope you have as much fun with your Deauville (when you get it) as I'm having with mine. My local Honda dealer got my Givi screen for me (the Deauville screen is listed in their catalogue code D201S I believe. Cost under £90 ( I think - bike and a ton of accessories all bought together so that I couldn't identify the source of the pain!) My dealer is John Jenkins Motorcycles in Malvern. I think most Honda dealers carry Givi spares. The guy on the Givi stand at last November's Motorcycle show was actually a Honda bike salesman from a dealer in the London area, Croydon I think.
I fitted the screen myself - a simple "undo four bolts and change the clear plastic bit". I don't recall having any major snags, apart from inevitably dropping one on the garage floor where it rolled away and hid for half an hour!
Regards,
John Warner
22/1/2001 From A Rabbit (bunwar@spidernet.com.cy)
Hi there,
Just a simple thank you for your initiative and effort in getting this site off the ground. Having been buying and riding bikes for fifty years or more, I became interested in this "Old Man's Bike", but was unable to find out little really useful info. Your site has helped me tremendously because here in Cyprus it's impossible to test drive one.
I feel sure (and certainly hope) that Honda will be monitoring all the comments and weighing up the cost-effectiveness of suggested improvements eg. fuel guage, bigger engine, etc. If not, they should be !! There's no evidence of Honda taking any notice - I've certainly not heard anything from them. But I may give them a prod sometime.
Thanks again,
Bunny Warren
22/1/2001 From Stephen R. Graham (Stephen.Graham@incisus.com)
A couple of points:
Cruising Speed: I've found my bike will cruise quite happily at an indicated 110 mph (where speed limits allow of course!) with the higher screen allowing a comfortable upright seating position at this speed. Fastest I've seen is an indicated 125 mph but it takes the bike quite a while to get there...
Exhaust Corrosion: My bike is halfway through its second winter and is showing spots of corrosion all over the exhaust and silencer now. I'm going to have a go polishing them off next weekend I think.
Regards
Steve
22/1/2001 From: Lee Baldwin (lee.baldwin@tesco.net)
Hi,
I'm Lee Baldwin from Kent. I am a born again biker who started riding again 18 months ago. I bought myself a CB500 about a year ago after getting back into the groove on a 125. As my wife loves riding pillion it was about time I looked for a bike more suited to carrying us both, without costing the earth to buy and run.
After advice from some of your members I have just agreed a price of £2,700 for an S Reg. Champagne coloured Deauville with 20,000 miles on the clock and full history. It needs a bit of elbow grease and attention to a few small scratches and a crack in the right-hand fairing, but for almost £1,000 under book price I think I can live with that.
I can't pick it up until Saturday 27th so I'm unable to give any in depth comments, as my total riding experience of the Deauville was the 20 minute test ride. Needless to say I was so impressed I bought the bike.
I've priced up the insurance which is only going to cost about £40 a year more than the CB500. By the way I was told by my insurers the my Equity Red Star policy covers me for up to four bikes as a matter of course, with the premium based on the most expensive. I've also priced up the right hand fairing, front mudguard and little crash bar cover (£130, £60 and £13 respectively) which still won't break the bank, even if I do have to replace them.
I would like to source a flip screen like the one in the picture of John Warners bike if John wouldn't mind letting me know where he got his from. Also does anyone know where I can get a proper lower fairing kit for the DV apart from the Skidmarx one in the MPS catalogue?
Anyway, enough from me for now. Once I've collected the bike and had a good chance to give it a thorough clean, tweek and test I'll be in contact again.
Bye for now.
Lee Baldwin
22/1/2001 From David Brown (daveandpolly@ukgateway.net)
Hi There,
Firstly thanks for setting up the web site, (I found it via the ask Jeeves search engine). I am new to computers and this will be my first contribution to a web site,so please feel free to use as much or as little as you want.
I took delivery of my new, (elegant beige metallic? how can a motorbike be coloured elegant beige) GOLD Deauville on 3-9-99, The best deal I could get locally after a bit of haggling was with Carnells (Eye-Peterborough). They took in my trusty restored 250 superdream in part exchange,allowing as much as I could reasonably expect to get if I were to sell it privately, delivered the new bike to me free of charge. Also they arranged to have the seat lowered by cutting away about 11/2" of foam from the front and recovering, (I think this has improved the looks, also at 5' 6" I can comfortably get both feet to the floor!, and during long rides the bikes still comfortable.
So far I have had two problems with the bike first I noticed a fault in the paintwork around the release catch for the left side pannier. Carnells ordered a new panel straight away with out question, and even offered to collect the bike free of charge so it could be fitted.(a round trip of about 90 miles).
Then while touring in Dorset I had trouble with the clutch leaver switch. The two others in our party decided we needed to do a U -turn in the middle of Bridport on a busy Saturday (Market day), they managed to make the turn through a gap in oncoming traffic, I had to wait in the middle of the (narrow) road. So I did not cause an obstruction to other traffic I decided to let the bike roll back holding in the clutch, while in first gear and wait for another gap.The rear wheel is now up against the kerb and I am facing across the road on an up hill camber in front of a packed pub beer garden, not a good time to stall, but I did. Not a good time for the clutch switch to fail, but it did. I needed to select neutral to start the engine,but was stuck in gear and could not rock the bike backwards or easily forwards, eventually I just managed to paddle forwards enough to free up the gears and find neutral, start up and finally complete the turn, it seemed as if everyone was watching me struggle, I think there was a round of applause from the pub, maximum embarrassment, but lesson learned. I was able to temporally repair the switch while on holiday by simply removing it giving it a good spray of W.D 40 and working it about a bit. I stopped at Carnells on my return journey and again they replaced it without question.
The first (free) service cost about £30, The second at 6 months (2400 miles) was about £100, carried out at the same branch of Carnells. I don't know what was changed other than the oil and filter, but the bike seemed more powerful,much smoother and more responsive. I suspect the carbs were balanced. The next service is well overdue time-wise, but I've only covered about another 2000 miles,(hope Honda still honour the warranty) I think I'll wait until March when I start to use the bike more regularly. From the above you can guess I'm fairly happy with Carnells (apart from the cost of servicing) no matter what the press say about them. However as soon as the warranty runs out I'll undertake the minor servicing myself.
As I insure the bike in December and have found it best to get quotes at the NEC bike show. Last year it cost £160 with Carole Nash,but included break-down cover. This year Bennett's on a "special Honda scheme" could do a basic policy for £84.00!!! With no claims bonus and legal protection the price was around £120.00. That's less than I have paid for the superdream third party only. (I'll reach 40 this year and have a clean licence (so far) and four years no claims.)
Extras I have on the bike are;
So far I'm very happy with the Deauville it seems to be sensible, economical ( I'm getting between 55 - 60 mpg), comfortable and safe all round bike with a proven engine and adequate performance, only let down by the characteristic chunky gear change.
Sorry if I've rambled on a bit, but as I said earlier use as much of this as you want. It might be of interest to some one out there. Once again thanks for providing the site, now I've found it I'll visit regularly and maybe able to share some more Deauville experiences.
Best Regards,
Dave.
Welcome aboard Dave. Sounds like you have had very good experiences with Carnell all round. Just goes to show they can't be all bad. Your insurance is bloody cheap, you must live in a very crime-free area.
22/1/2001 From: John Warner (jwarner@clara.co.uk)
Welcome to the world of Deauville owners "DK". John Warner here, responding about fitting hand deflectors. Yes they're great for keeping your hands out of the slipstream. I fitted mine by undoing the bolts that hold the windscreen to the fairing, and also the fairing bolts close to the handlebar ends. The hand deflectors are attached at these fitment points. The Honda kit I bought came complete with longer bolts where needed and reasonable fitting instructions. You shouldn't kave a problem. Fitting Honda lowers is a little more complicated in so far as you have to drill into a couple of holes in the lower fairing and (preferably) tap a thread in a previously unused mounting lug on the engine crankcase. If you have read my earlier comments you will see that I've learnt "the hard way" that fitting lower fairings spoils the effectiveness of the fairing protector - the foot shields break the lower fairing!
As far as engine speeds and road speeds are concerned I would say that a "red-line" value of 8500 rpm would mean that the engine would last for ever running at 6000rpm. My calculations based on 4000rpm/60mph in 5th gear suggest the following speeds at 6000rpm: 5th: 90mph, 4th 79mph, 3rd 66mph. So if you stay within the speed limit +10% you can drop a gear (or 2) for quicker overtaking and still not exceed 6000rpm.
Keep riding rubber side up.
John Warner
21/1/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
The two down pipes from the exhaust are now showing signs of pitting after 15 months of use - also the actual exhaust which is only 6 months old, following a replacement after a mishap last summer, is also showing signs of slight corrosion at the joints - I'm very keen to establish how other members exhausts are standing up to use.
A contributor to the HUKRC unofficial website, suggests that DV exhausts and corrosion are a problem that Honda UK is addressing - I'm thinking if there is a problem with the exhaust, and it gets replaced or has been replaced by a different unit on newer machines then perhaps we would be inline for a replacement under warranty?
Safe Riding
Patrick F Cray
Mine has some small rust spots near the cylinder heads, and on the chrome surround of the actual exhaust opening. I'm not really sure though what to expect, given that I ride around on salty roads and only clean the bike at weekends. Opinions ?
20/1/2001 From Darren Hyde (darren.hyde@tesco.net)
Hi,
Just an update to fill you in on how my first 6 weeks with the DV has gone.
Having moved up from a CG125, it took a bit of getting used to, especially with cornering. However it seems to be getting 'smaller' every time I ride it. The only time its size and weight seems to be an issue is when I push it round the garage by hand. Having got a flat on the (much lighter) CG two miles from home, I felt breakdown cover was a must.
I can concur with Paul Sutcliffe with his views on cruising speeds. I tend to stay below 70-ish, and keep the revs below 5000 rpm. The bike (having been purchased rather than a second car) is a main form of transport as well as a bike, and so has to last a fair few years to justify the money spent on it. However if I can keep the DV in good enough nick for a few years, I may be able to stretch to something more exotic in future.
I don't know what effect the topbox will have when loaded, but since I will be touring with my wife next weekend, I have no doubt that I will find out.
Anyway the few runs I have had so far have convinced me of one thing - to buy the hand deflectors. My local Honda dealer got them in the next day, but I am having trouble determining what to remove in order to fit them. Just following the enclosed instructions doesn't seem to work. Could anyone with prior experience give me a few pointers ? Also Paul what lowers do you have fitted ?
I can confirm that my DV will start in gear with the clutch in. I know this since I keep forgetting about the side-stand, and thankfully the bike won't let me pull away with it down - Doh!
Thanks to all who have contributed to the site and gave me enough confidence to take the leap from L plates to a great first big bike.
I wouldn't worry too much about keeping below 5K RPM, once you've run it in according to the instructions - the engine's designed for 8.5K, so why not take advantage when you can ? If you follow the servicing schedule, I don't see why engine life should suffer - in fact it probably causes more wear if you make it strain in too high a gear.
DK Hyde
19/1/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
Finally got around to taking the DV to the dealers, as you may remember it wasn't, and indeed isn't starting in gear with the clutch pulled in. Anyway a piece of silver foil proved beyond all doubt that the interlocking device was well - knackered!! New unit ordered: fortunately my machine has plenty of warranty left; and hopefully in a week I'll be starting in gear - can't wait.
Safe Riding
Patrick Cray
19/1/2000 From Paul Sutcliffe (Paulsutcliffe@tesco.net)
Hi, I read your comments on my bike, thanks for the fast feedback ! I'll try to get a photo, but look at London couriers for worse bikes - taped on screens, cardboard screens, multiple topboxes held on with bungee cords...
I may have a problem getting disks done under warranty since I bought it as a parallel with 1 year importer warranty. Still, I saved £1300 on the price (I paid £4850 new) so I'll probably try getting them skimmed out of my profits...
I'm interested on views regarding cruising speeds. I cruise at about 70-75 because
a) it's pretty relaxing, sitting in the inside lane on the M25 (no-one else uses it, just be careful when undertaking). I get to work feeling loose, not all tensed up and stressed
b) the engine sounds more relaxed too (I'm suspicious the silencer isn't as quiet as it could be)
c) the wind noise gets uncomfortable at 75+ (and that's with earplugs) - also wind buffeting is much more noticeable
d) one of your contributors suggested I should get 30% extra engine lifetime by keeping below 5000 rpm (I do 15K miles a year and got finance over 4 years so I want to get at least 60K from it)
The topbox may make a difference too (52 litre), but I haven't really noticed it, except when I took the bike to 100 once and it felt a tad twitchy.
It could of course be nothing to do with the bike, just me getting old and losing a sense of fun... Some people tell me that's why I bought the DV...
15/1/2000 From Paul Sutcliffe (Paulsutcliffe@tesco.net)
It's a while since I've written, thought I'd give you a progress report on the DV.
I've done 15,000 miles now in just over a year, and on the second set of tyres (Macadam 100X) and second set of rear pads - both changed at about 10,000 miles. Front pads are still going strong, but I'm getting a bit of judder and lever push-back when braking which makes me suspect warped front disks. The local garage says this is unusual for a Honda, however - Kawas are much more likely to warp. So far it's not severe enough to worry me unduly. If your bike's less than 2 years old, you should get it fixed under warranty...
The shaft drive (or cardan in French, to answer an earlier question) is trouble-free, but gear changes can still be clunky when cold. Recently I changed from Derry boots to real bike boots, and since I can't curl my toes around the gear lever the way I used to, changing up has become quite a bit harder.
The battery clapped out at about 14,000 miles, a replacement cost me £45 mail order.
I'm still doing a 120-mile round trip to London 2-3 times a week. The roads have been horrendous in Sussex recently, but trains are worse so I just drive the bike very carefully, as soon as I see a stream across the road or a patch of slush I straighten up and take it in a straight line. No handling problems, but I'm not trying to find them either.
I get about 200 miles (320-330 km) on a full tank before I need to turn on the reserve, and I tend to refill at about 360 km - I think I could get 400 but no point running dry just to find out. I cruise at about 70-75 mph around the A21/M25/A2 (and you thought the M25 was just a carpark...). That's slightly better than I get, but I do 80-85 on the motorway.
The aftermarket full lower fairing is excellent, keeps the weather off and I just hose down inside it each week rather than cleaning the whole engine. I have re-fitted the aftermarket windscreen, but bolted an old helmet visor on top with Meccano to give extra height, solves the wind noise problem and keeps me a lot drier. It looks crap, but I can swap back the standard screen for summer or when I sell it. Oxford mufflers keep my hands warm and dry, again not good looking but I only need a pair of woolly gloves inside them even when it's freezing. You must find some way of getting us a photo, it sounds hilarious.
I had my first puncture last week. Turning the handlebars felt really sluggish so I stopped a couple of times to check front tyre/forks, it wasonly when I got home that I found that it was the rear tyre going flat. A local garage repaired it with a plug, will have to see how it survives.
rgds.... Paul S
15/1/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
I've just had a read the BMF write up the Deauville, and was pleased to read I'm the owner of the biggest selling tourer of 2000.
I read somewhere that the DV was the 'stealth machine' of motorcycling, and I think there is some truth in this. The DV just gets on with the job in a quiet and unassuming manner, which is obviously what thousands of us want. After a slightly critical start the BMF reviewer warmed to the machine. He criticised the price, but from what I can see you can get a DV for much less than the list price, and the Kwacker he mentions has no luggage, no shaft drive and a pretty ancient air cooled engine. For my money, the ZR7 does not look as well put together as the DV when you see it in the metal. The DV also looks like a tourer in the same way a Pan or a Beemer does or that lovely looking new 1300 shaftie tourer from Yamaha. Tourers to my mind should have shaft drives, luggage, centre stands and nice back friendly riding positions - however these virtues should not be confined to large capacity machines which is why I think the DV is such a big seller. With luggage and a 'biggish' pillion what 650cc motor tuned for smoothness and torque is going to produce lightening performance? Talking about performance I have recently read a write-up which stated the BMW R1100RT was a bit breathless on hills with a passenger - what exactly do these journalist expect? I have a car that would be lucky to top 110 mph but it's performance is never criticised as it is a 'family car'.
Moving on to tyres I have also found that the original Macadam's also twitch at times in the wet. This can be a bit disconcerting but I do not feel it is confined to the DV as my CB500 also did this occasionally on wet slippy roads. What are other riders experiences with other makes of tyres? Whilst the back tyre twitching is disconcerting staying on is not usually a problem ( I've certainly always managed to stay aboard and I'm definitely not the world's best rider), unlike when you loose the front!! - when you will be trying out the built in crashbars - these definitely work and are another plus for the DV when you consider what they charge for plastic fairings.
I've reflected on the bikes handling with and without the Honda 45 litre topbox, and I have come to the inescapable conclusion it does effect handling. The topbox does not make the bike unstable, but it does make it more prone to crosswinds especially on motorways, and you have to take account of the box when doing low speed manoeuvres and cornering on back roads. That said I ride with the box most days as when I am working I really appreciate the amount of gear you can pack into it - not least most of my riding gear, the rest gets crammed into the panniers.
Ride Safe
Pat Cray
14/01/2001 From Edd (freeball@lbtinternet.com)
Well its a long time since I've put any feedback into the group. Well done on keeping the site up and running , please keep up the good work. Also thanks to all the people who submit info
I've owned " Dolly " Deauville for seven months and done 3000 thousand miles , so as you can see I only use the bike for pleasure , as Ive a company vehicle which resides outside my home . I had the six month service carried out by my local Honda dealer which cost about seventy pounds I could have done the service myself very easily , but I felt as the bike is under warranty , best play it by the book
I had the lower fairings fitted when I purchased the bike and I found these very good during summer downpours
I also purchased the hand deflectors at the NEC Bike Show and fitted them myself . I'm very pleased with these as they also seem to deflect some of the wind off the top of your body as they have the effect of making the fairing wider .
The only problems I have had is the rear end of the bike getting twitchy on greasy wet roundabouts and I have lost the rear end a couple of times but managed to recover it ok without coming off , so maybe the stock rear tyre isn't so good in the wet
In Novenber 2000 BMF Motorcycle Rider magazine , a three page article was written on the Deauville . Thanks for pointing that out - I've put a link on the front page.
They state the Honda Deauville is the top-seller in the touring category . Also that it is an extremely competent all-rounder , after taking the bike touring around the Peak District National Park They did mention that when loaded with luggage and two-up it was a tad cramped and struggled while accelerating but was happy at cruising speeds But I must say overall this was a good and positive report on the bike
12/1/2000 From: John Warner (jwarner@clara.co.uk)
Hi Trevor,
There's a discussion going on at the moment about how the top-box affects the handling. I have a GIVI 46 liter box and I know when it's there. Handling is just "different" rather than better or worse. The Givi box fits easily so I leave it at home unless I need the "boot" space that it provides, which is not often. I must be getting used to the bike now (having covered about 1200 miles since it was new on December 1st last year - i.e one month of ownership!) and I reckon that I can detect a difference in handling between petrol tank full and petrol tank empty. I think I'd prefer to have a fuel gauge on the bike though!
That's certainly a recurring theme. My riding is consistent enough that I'm happy to leave the bike on reserve all the time and just use the trip-meter as a fuel gauge, although I couldn't believe it the other week when I ran out of petrol at 170 miles (a full tank will always get over 200). Ironically, this happened just outside a garage, but it had unfortunately gone bust in the aftermath of "Farmer Palmer's fuel lobby", one in the eye for those evil multinationals, eh lads ? Fortunately, it turned out that I'd left the tap on "On", so I still had the reserve left.
Keep your bike rubber-side down! and
Happy New Year, from John Warner.
12/1/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
Try as I might I can't get less than 52 mpg: and on a decent run; with a good bit of motorways and/or good A roads, 60+ mpg is the norm.
I tend to keep to speed limits, ( I have been known to fall off occasionally) which may well contribute to good mpg, I hasten to add that I like to do a 'good' 60 - 70 mph road conditions permitting and make good progress when it is safe to do so .
I have the Honda 45 litre top box which effects performance at speed, especially in strong winds, and the instructions do state clearly that with the box you should stick to a maximum of 80mph/130km/h. If I'm going for a spin I'll take the top box off and find the bike then handles much better especially when cornering and accelerating.
Safe Riding
Pat Cray
11/1/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
I have just read Nick's mail about his intended purchase of a DV - says he cannot afford a new one - why not try your local dealers to see if they have any 2000 models?
You should be able to get a good deal at this time of year, as people are not exactly queueing to buy new machines. We are just after Christmas, and a lot will be waiting for the 'Y' plate in March. Some of the dealers in MCN seem to heavily discounting new machines, and they don't seem to be a lot dearer than some second hand bikes.
I have also seen a few second hand DV's in my local Honda dealers John Hall & Son, Blackpool but they seem to sell pretty quick which I suppose says a lot for the DV's real world saleability.
Ride safe
Patrick Cray
11/1/2001 From Stephen R. Graham <Stephen.Graham@incisus.com
My Deauville is up to just under 15K miles now despite not being used much of late (I have an XT600E to use as a winter commuter). No reliability problems to date other than some rear brake niggles (replacement pads disintegrated, replaced by Honda under warranty and a minor problem with the pedal sticking). I get my bike dealer serviced as I spend a lot of time working on my trail and enduro bikes and prefer someone else to do my road bikes (although I've not been all that impressed by my local Honda dealer so far).
I noticed a comment about "weave-inducing top-boxes" but I'd have to say I've never had this despite my bike having a 52 litre one attached - the bike is rock solid at speed, even on 110 mph motorway cruising and up to an indicated 125 mph flat out.
I've had 2 punctures to date both on rear tyres, the first on the day the OE one was being replaced (at about 9500 miles) and the second 1000 miles later on the replacement Pirelli MTR24. The replacement is going well 4000 miles later.
I'd agree about the standard panniers being too small - I use them mainly for waterproofs and for storing my boots in when I'm visiting customers. One reason I like the Deauville is that I can turn up at a customers wearing a suit and carrying my laptop with them none the wiser that I've come on the bike.
I'm 5' 10" and find the riding position very comfortable, even on 500 mile days.
I'm amazed by the fuel consumption everyone else seems to get - I average about 45mpg in mixed use rising to over 50mpg+ when touring. Worst I've seen was well sub 40mpg, with the bike running totally empty after 132 miles. Maybe you just ride faster than the rest of us (or you spend a lot of time in traffic jams and your idle speed is set to 5000 rpm or something!)
For music on the move I've occasionally used a mini-disk player with the standard headphones but these do become uncomfortable on anything other than short journeys.
Oh yes and for the record my Deauville also starts fine in gear with the clutch pulled in.
Still haven't decided on a replacement - latest thinking is to keep the Deauville for another year and add a sports bike for track days etc.
Regards
Steve
8/1/2001 From Nick Pumphrey (nick.pumphrey@obstetrics-gynaecology.oxford.ac.uk)
Hi,
I found your site whilst researching my next big purchase ;-) As soon as I saw the Deauville I thought that this would be the best bike for me. I like your site and find it pretty comprehensive, but a "For Sale/Wanted" page would be excellent as I can't afford a new DV. Many thanks for setting this site up,
Nick Pumphrey
I don't really have the time to operate a proper forsale/wanted section, but you could always use the "UK Honda Deauville Club" link on the front page, which is a more interactive forum. MCN ads are probably your best bet though.
8/1/2001 From Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
Al your 18,3000+ miles makes my 6,000 look positively puny!! At that mileage a Pan might be a better bet if you can afford one.
Certainly like the look of the Pan European myself, and I would definitely like to have a test ride. However I don't think I could get one into the garage at the same time as the car, can be a squeeze with the DV, I like to keep my motor vehicles garaged: too many bad memories of trying to start frosted up cars; also too many people with sticky fingers out there. Are you dispatching with such large mileage? You are certainly a good advertisement for the overall reliability of the Deauville.
No bike is perfect, but I think the DV is highly under-rated especially in the plastic rocket orientated motorcycle press - it is comfortable at least for somebody standing 509' 175m in his bare feet, offers good fuel consumption, not bad performance, excellent reliability and is cheap to insure. The DV also has an indispensable centre stand and I think the Honda HISS on the 1999 onwards models is also a good plus point.
What would I like Honda to do?: -
(i) increase engine capacity to at least 750 cc - more oomph.
(ii) increase standard pannier size to at least take A4 documents without folding.
(iii) temperature & fuel gauge.
(iv) side stand indicator bulb.
(v) clearer instrumentation.
(vi) brighter headlights
(vii) lower price!! Well, we can all dream. I reckon that after this years bike glut, prices are only going one way from their current level...
Safe Riding
Patrick Cray
5/1/2001 From: (al@dragonman.demon.co.uk)
I've been running a Deauville for eleven months now it was new from Grimsteads, has covered 18,300+ and still counting. Apart from an unusual amount punctures on the O.E tyres which have been replaced with Bridgestones, 1st set & 1 puncture so far so same-o,same-o.
Good Mpg though, I've managed to squeeze 65+ out so far but 55-60 is more the norm. Reliability has been usual Honda apart from battery being replaced after five months (is it just me or are batteries getting smaller)
Luggage capacity I would class as fair to middling, ok for soft stuff i.e waterproofs minor bits of shopping etc. but the more serious cargo carriers out there might well find internal shape somewhat restrictive (A4 don't fit without bending corners, ahem). That's certainly true with the standard lids, but I also find it really handy not to have to take a rucksack everywhere, or fit a weave-inducing topbox just carry waterproofs, or small bits of shopping.
My only bug bear is the somewhat cramped riding position (at 6' 4'' in me socks that's about 1m 93cm for those wot don't do Imperial) it gets me in left side of my back first and is then aggravated with every gearchange, and at 32 years young I've had enough of 'diddy' bikes, sod it I wanna Pan.
18K in a less than a year is a lot higher than most of us. Bad luck about the punctures- do you ride on bad roads, or flinty lanes a lot ?
I've thought about what I'll get after the DV, although I'm not planning to change for at least another year. The things that appeal most at the moment are, in no particular order:
The first two options are a lot more expensive though, and none of them ideal for my commute. The Varadero would be fine, but doesn't have such good weather protection or luggage... There'll be other new bikes in the meantime.
5/1/2001 From: Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
I was interested to read John Warner's recent mail about only being able to start his bike in neutral.
My machine has the same affliction, having also had a Honda CB500 that would also only start in neutral despite what the instructions stated, I had come to the conclusion that the instruction books must be wrong at least for UK models.
If my bike should start in gear with the clutch pulled then I'm going to get it fixed asap under warranty, I too have suffered the embarrassment of stalling and not being able to find neutral no matter how hard I tried. Fellow DV riders comments would be appreciated. Pat: Get yourself down the dealer's, ASAP ! Mine starts in gear with the clutch in, no problems.
Safe Riding
Pat Cray.
2/1/2000 From: John Warner (jwarner@clara.co.uk)
Hello, I'm John Warner from H&Worcs. I bought my Deauville (Kruella) on 1st December, trading a 1992 Harley Davidson XLH Sportster 1200. The contrast couldn't be greater and I love my new bike and the weather protection it offers. The Harley had more "grunt" but I'm learning to use the gear-box which I trust will become less notchy (see TW's 22/12/00 message). It took 7-8K miles for me...
I have been writing comments on the Deauville web-site http://www.micapeak.com/reg/view/NTV650 but thought I'd copy some of them here. The biggest disaster in 1000 miles of happy riding has been to drop the bike during the recent icy blast. I saw John's comment about unbalanced wheel and recalled that I dislodged the balance weight on Kruella's front wheel when washing it recently. I've stuck it on with instant glue and that seems to be holding firm.
Here are my notes from the other web-site ...(30/12/00) Bike fell over on icy road a couple of days ago. The fairing protector would have worked except that the lower (feet) fairing crushed the main fairing at its attachment point. The brake pedal also got bent. Fairing is now patched on inside with fibreglass repair kit - not too unsightly. Brake pedal is bent straight too. I'm able to use the car if I don't fancy the biking weather, and I never use the bike if there's a chance of ice about, so I'm hoping this is one mishap I'll never experience...
MORAL: if you want dry feet and fit the lower fairing kit do not expect the fairing protector to do its job! (12/12/00) I thought that it was a feature of the Deauville that it would only start in neutral. It turns out (from the free 600 mile service) that I had a dud clutch lever interlock switch. This has been replaced and I can now restart the bike in gear with the clutch disengaged (useful after stalling in traffic - my Deauville has less low-end torque than my previous bike, a HD Sportster). That's really useful information - thanks a lot.
"My Mind is Made Up - Don't Confuse me with Facts"
1/1/2001 From: Me
Happy New Year and good riding to all of you.
TW
31/12/2000 From: John Russell (jrussell@tesco.net)
Pete wanted to know about music on the move. I was also interested in fitting a car stereo to my bike but settled for a Walkman (29.99 Argos). The radio/cassette is outstanding - self-seeking radio etc. Getting the ear pieces in my Arai helmet is murder and after five minutes on the move - agony. I have discovered that special ear pieces which double up as speakers and ear plugs are made to measure and cost about £180. They are the same as used by the motor racing and are supposed to be superb. Needless to say I don't have any and my excellent Walkman is rarely used! If anyone has any solutions to this one I'd be interested to hear about them too.
Also, Eric wrote on the 19 Dec that he had experienced some wheel judder which was rectified when he changed to new tyres. Whilst it may have been a tyre problem for him I remember having a similar experience with my Triumph Trophy. The cause wasn't tyres but wheels - the balance weights had fallen off and the juddering was the result of unbalanced wheels. I cured it by sticking 'Duck Tape' over the weights to stop the water eroding the sticky - never had the problem again.
John
26/12/2000 From: John Russell (jrussell@tesco.net)
Just thought I would give a brief update on my experience of the DV after 7 months of ownership and 9500 miles. I bought it secondhand when it was six weeks old with 1700 miles on the clock. The previous mature owner had arthritis problems in his left hand and couldn't operate the clutch on long rides. He was giving up m/c. I bought my bike for £4800 - he gave me his original receipt which was for £6000. So I consider I got a bargain.
The DV has been outstandingly reliable. I live in Scotland and have travelled all over it. I have also been down to the south of England and all over Wales. The bike has never failed to start and never let me down once.
It is a very easy bike to service so I have done it all myself for a total cost in parts (oil, filters, etc) of just under £50. Reading what others have paid out for services I reckon I have saved myself about £300. That will pay for one and a half sets of tyres. Thank you very much!
I would encourage anyone to get hold of the workshop manual (just under £20) and see just how simple it all is. A complete novice can easily follow the instructions and save hundreds of pounds. No doubt someone will be thinking that a fully stamped service book will be better for resale values. But consider this - as Ride magazine investigations have shown - the bikes are NEVER serviced properly. So that means they never run properly and sometimes are in a dangerous or unsafe condition.
In my opinion self serviced bikes - when accompanied by all the receipts and a full history of what has actually BEEN done cannot be worth less. I serviced my Triumph Trophy 900 myself for 20,000 miles before I sold it earlier this year. It was 'N' reg (1995) and in immaculate condition. My local Triumph dealer offered me £3500 for it but I sold it privately for £3850.
Finally, a word about this site. In my opinion it is excellent, I look in on it nearly everyday to see what has been posted and I have greatly enjoyed reading all the articles. I e-mail all the DV owners I come across with details of it in the hope that they will be inspired to share their experiences for the benefit of us all. Well done Trevor and thanks for keeping it going! It's always good to hear back that people are getting benefit from it - thanks.
John
26/12/2000 From Pete (pete@glass100.freeserve.co.uk)
Dear all
I'm delighted I found you, makes very interesting reading. Hopefully you don't mind if I put in my two penneth, and also ask a question or 2.
I've had my bike (a y2k model) for about 3 months now, after a slight change in job description means that I now have to commute to London once a week (a 190 mile round trip) and my old VT750 Shadow just wasn't cut out for it. I'd had a few Honda V Twins in the past and loved all of them, so the dv was a natural choice.
I've changed the screen to a large Honda one, which I find fine for my 5'10", but heavy winds do catch it. I've put on the fairing hand extensions, and the £30 heated handgrips, which are fine for the money (fairing lowers would be nice, but not at £90). Also, my dealer was nice enough to fit a free Givi rack (as I already had the box)
I wanted to ask if anyone has tried the rocker gearchange, and do they think it's worth doing? I'm not sure what the point of this is really, apart from making the bike behave a bit more like a C90 !
Also, I've heard that it's possible to fit a normal car stereo and speakers. I'd love to have some sound, but can't afford the honda CD system. Any thoughts would be most welcome.
On the subject of insurance, it's worth trying Hastings Direct for a quote. (number in several mags) good quote, and good service when someone wrote off the front end of my 750 earlier in the year (they even added my local dealer to their list of 'official repair centres' so I could get the damage fixed locally)
Looking forward to hearing back
Pete
22/12/2000 From Me (honda_deauville@freeserve.co.uk)
I commented a while ago that the gearbox on my bike was horribly clonky, especially first to second. I adjusted the clutch free play, which made things a little better at the time, but I 've noticed recently that it's got an awful lot smoother. So I guess it just takes a long time to bed down. I remember my Dad once complained to the BMW dealer that the gearchange on his 3 series was a bit stiff even after 40K miles, and they replied that they build the transmission to last x00,000 miles, so it has to start out being a bit stiff... Not sure if the DV will make 6 figures though.
TW
21/12/2000 From: Patrick F Cray (patc@cableinet.co.uk)
I'm still monitoring the site - the Yahoo one mentioned in the recent posting must be teetering on the brink now that Zimoun has gone and bought himself a Kawasaki. As you quiet rightly say a site is only as good as the postings.
I think you have done pretty well considering yours just covers Honda Deauvilles, and not say Honda motorcycles in general.
I'm still a happy Deauville rider; which doesn't mean I wouldn't go and buy myself a Pan European or a beemer if I get 6 numbers on Saturday!
I've looked at other machines but none seem to fit the bill in my price range - unless I want to risk buying something pretty old and second-hand - there's a pretty tatty high mileage BMW R1100RS in my local Honda dealers, which doesn't seem to have kept as well as similar aged Honda's. I'm also not to keen on the way all BMW boxers burn oil nor the cost of parts and servicing.
I ride all year round commuting mainly; but good runs in the better weather, and my machine has stood up pretty well to nearly 15 months continues abuse.
I think we are all pretty much agreed that a 750/800cc version of the DV would make a pretty perfect commuter medium sized tourer.
Ride safe
Patrick Cray
22/12/2000 From Stephen R. Graham <Stephen.Graham@incisus.com
Some comments on previous postings:
Insurance: I have 4 bikes on a Carole Nash policy with the Deauville being the main bike (the rest are all trail/enduro bikes) which costs about £350 fully comp. I'm 32 with 1 years NCB and a full license for 1 year. All bikes are garaged but have no additional security fitted.
My Deauville has done a bit over 14K miles now but hasn't been used much lately as I've added an XT600E to the fleet for winter commuting. I was out on it a couple of days ago and the back brake lever was sticking on - I'll need to strip it down and check it out.
Still considering replacing the Deauville next year but I haven't decided with what yet - as I have a specific commuter bike now I may get a larger, dedicated tourer such as a Pan-European.
Regards
Steve Graham
19/12/2000 From Erik Jansen (teuropa@terra.es)
i, just wanting to contribute a little... it's damm quiet at this 'forum'. TW, what about making a real forum (in real time) like many other groups of interest? (like the yahoo.uk and the dutch Deaville clubs?) It would be much more fun. See the Yahoo Deauville Club on the front page. But it doesn't seem any more active than here. I just publish stuff people send me - if they don't have anything interesting to send, that's fine with me.
Well, my today's subject is tires. Now my Deau has 15.000 km and is 1 year old. I had to replace the rear tire at 12.000 km (was Macadam 90 and is again) and now i've replaced the front tire with a Macadam 100. It's amazing for many reasons: for more than 3000 km i was suffering from not being able to run handless', because the steering would start trembling a lot. I was wondering what it could be... suspensions, weight,... No! It was the tire, 'cos this problem is completely gone with the new tire! Not that i drive handless for fun, just if i have to adjust my helmet or whatever... you know.
Another amazing thing is that the old front tire was sooo differently 'used' on the left side (really flat) while the right side had still a profile... It seems to be the cardan, so if you get those steering problems, it's realy indicating the end of your front tire. I also saw that my new rear tire is already getting thinner. Maybe because i get more and more confident with the bike and use to accelerate more from zero and in curves... But have present that a cardan will always abuse more on tires, as it gives a real good push departing from the pitlane... :) Erik - not sure how to translate "cardan" into English...
Apart from that, i went from Valencia to Bilbao (Pays Basque) last week which is 2 x 600 km, very cold and very windy weather. But i don't think the Deau is worse with wind then any other bike, and as it is heavy, it keeps quite stable...
Now 2 questions for the technicians here:
1) When i will have to exchange my exhaust, are there other brands besides Honda? I don't see anything on websites or local shops.
2) Could i use non-Honda parts for: wheels (lighter ones), steering bar (I want one more adjustable in 3 dimensions (height, horizontal and vertical angle); front and rear suspensions? All things for the future, but...
Thanks for answers and good and save riding to all! As the DV is closely related to many other Honda twins (e.g., NTV Revere Hawk...) that there must be some compatibility between aftermarket parts for these and the DV. But I don't know for sure.
Erik M. Jansen