Ministerofsillywalks wrote: ↑Sat Jun 21, 2025 5:16 pm
Borrowed one of these for a couple of weeks in 2010 I think while my Burgman 400 was off the road waiting for parts. Couldn't get on with it and was glad when I got my Burgman back. Lack of weather protection, manual transmission and having to throw my leg over it rather than just step into it like with a scooter. Never liked motorbikes since.
Thank you for that fascinating insight.
I borrowed one in 2001 from the dealer that had my Buell in for warranty work ( an all too regular occurrence.)
It sounded like a bag of nails at idle and looked like it had done about 95000 hard miles. As it had 96000 on the clock, I figured that was about right.
It was boring, especially compared to a stage 2 tuned Buell X1, and had a completely linear power delivery with no power band whatsoever.
It was January and snowed on the 90 mile journey home. I’d have been fearful on many bikes but not on this.
I pretty much much used it for 3 weeks as my go to transport over my Skoda, the 2CV we had, and even my MZ.
I’d grown quite fond of it by the time I handed it back. Not enough to buy one but enough to have the utmost respect for the humble Divvy. I understood why they’d become a favourite with couriers.
I spoke to the workshop manager when I handed it back. It had come in with 65k on it, and no service history other than the owner showing receipts for 3 oil changes since 50k. It was noisy then, and hadn’t got any worse since. They’d changed the oil and made it the workshop errands bike, and “disposable loan bike,” half expecting it to expire quickly.
One of the mechanics had thrashed it down to Faro in Portugal for a rally, again expecting it to detonate its motor, which it hadn’t.
They continued changing the oil annually, didn’t even bother pissing about with an oil filter change, and gave it tyres when it needed. It had one chain and sprockets change, but he couldn’t remember when. Due to that boring, linear power delivery it was kind/cheap on consumables and regularly returned over 70mpg.
I was impressed that it had clocked another 31000 miles with such minimal maintenance but he told me that it was 20 or so k more, as one of the mechanics had smashed the clocks with a hammer accidentally so they’d fitted the cheapest set they could find at the breakers.
I couldn’t see me ever owning one until this one came up in 2020. It cost me a tad over a grand, needed tyres, a battery and fork seals as it had been stood for nearly 20 years!
It also had new fuel hoses and carb seals but didn’t need them. It was more preventive maintenance, and means it will run on e10, though I’ve stuck to e5/premium.
It has cost between £45 and £60 to insure every year.
Once or twice a year, sometimes more, I’d ride a 600 mile round trip in a day to watch my best friend’s band play, or to have a ride with him on his Z900. The Divvy took all that in its stride.
Being an old dinosaur carburettor equipped bike, with a fuel pump, I could leave it stood in my garage for months, knowing that when I wanted to use it, it would start first push of the button, and the battery wouldn’t be drained by modern electronic equipment. In winter it likes the carbs to be warm to fire first press. I either put the garage heater on or let it idle on choke, holding the throttle part open.
I wrote and read the eulogy at my best friend’s funeral last year. As a result, the Divvy did 47 miles between MOTs. It still fired up without complaining the day before, even though the last I’d ridden it was October last year.
It’s overpriced. That I do know. I also know that I’ve been offered more for it by several folks who regret ever letting theirs go.
It’ll not suit everyone. It will suit someone to a tee.
Whether they’ll turn up, who knows.
Sold