[Gambo916]

Today my fellow forum comrades.......is a sad day........as today, this last day of September, I have just registered my Rnine as SORN'd, starting tomorrow.

It's road tax expires today the 30/9/25, so as it was bright 'n sunny and not too cold, I took a final ride of the year......but not on the boxer, but on another bike which the tax also expires today, and one I'd not ridden much this season. That has just been declared SORN too.

So that's it.......my 2025 riding season is over, completed, ended, done and dusted, closed, finished, concluded.....dead.


And that my friends, declaring/registering SORN, is what I did to my RnineT today!

 

[dxamet]

Why do you want to do this if you find it so sad?🤔
Come on...undo this immediately👈

 

[TimC]

Today my fellow forum comrades.......is a sad day........as today, this last day of September, I have just registered my Rnine as SORN'd, starting tomorrow.

I'm curious...Is the road tax so expensive that you can't just pay for year-round registration?

In the US, we pay for annual registrations, so there is no option to only pay for part of the year. In northern climes, some people opt not to insure their bikes year-round, but my motorcycle insurance premium has always been reasonable enough I just pay for the whole year. That's nice because there are always a few days over the winter months where the weather is good enough to get out for at least a short ride.

 

[Gambo916]

In the UK, you have the option to tax a vehicle for either 6 or 12 months.

For motorcycles, there are varying costs depending on CC capacity......in the case of an Rnine it would fall into the 'Over 600cc' category with costs of £63.53 or £121 for 6/12 months respectively.

It's not that I can't afford to pay for a full 12 months tax @TimC , I simply refuse to out of principal, as I feel aggrieved to give the soddin' robbing Government any more money than I absolutely need to.....especially for something that I'll not get any use/benefit from (because of UK winter weather). I would be just giving them money for nothing.

Our Government has a well known history of fleecing those who legally use the road. For example, fuel duty is currently levied at a flat rate of 52.95p per litre for both petrol and diesel, while VAT at 20% is then charged on both the product price and the duty. So in effect, they are taxing the tax!!!
The duty rate is variable however, and has in the past been as high as 87% of the cost of fuel at the pump.

Insurance is legally compulsory......yet the Government taxes you for buying it. Rip-off!

Yup......the UK 'powers that be' just love dipping their hand into the pockets of road users........it's easy money for them.

I could rant-on further, but I won't.


I therefore choose not to give them any more money than is necessary.

 

[JohanH]

Today my fellow forum comrades.......is a sad day........as today, this last day of September, I have just registered my Rnine as SORN'd, starting tomorrow.

It's road tax expires today the 30/9/25, so as it was bright 'n sunny and not too cold, I took a final ride of the year......but not on the boxer, but on another bike which the tax also expires today, and one I'd not ridden much this season. That has just been declared SORN too.

So that's it.......my 2025 riding season is over, completed, ended, done and dusted, closed, finished, concluded.....dead.


And that my friends, declaring/registering SORN, is what I did to my RnineT today!

It is not something we are familiar with in our country, can you elaborate. Locally it is either roadworthy and on the road or not. It can be writteb off or it is a repairable write-off. Once it is in your name it remains legal and roadworthy unlees the "cops" pull you off and decalre it not road worthy, which will never happen, even if bike smokes more than a crop spraying aeroplane. No TUV or MOT. Nice

 

[JohanH]

In the UK, you have the option to tax a vehicle for either 6 or 12 months.

For motorcycles, there are varying costs depending on CC capacity......in the case of an Rnine it would fall into the 'Over 600cc' category with costs of £63.53 or £121 for 6/12 months respectively.

It's not that I can't afford to pay for a full 12 months tax @TimC , I simply refuse to out of principal, as I feel aggrieved to give the soddin' robbing Government any more money than I absolutely need to.....especially for something that I'll not get any use/benefit from (because of UK winter weather). I would be just giving them money for nothing.

Our Government has a well known history of fleecing those who legally use the road. For example, fuel duty is currently levied at a flat rate of 52.95p per litre for both petrol and diesel, while VAT at 20% is then charged on both the product price and the duty. So in effect, they are taxing the tax!!!
The duty rate is variable however, and has in the past been as high as 87% of the cost of fuel at the pump.

Insurance is legally compulsory......yet the Government taxes you for buying it. Rip-off!

Yup......the UK 'powers that be' just love dipping their hand into the pockets of road users........it's easy money for them.

I could rant-on further, but I won't.


I therefore choose not to give them any more money than is necessary.

Sorry I see that you have answered my question. Our road taxes are 10- 15 pounds per year, irrespective of cc. Insurance is roughly 50 pounds per month on the nine T. It is not compulsary but you will be nuts not to have it, you hit a Porche, Bugatti or Discovery and the insurance takes all thet you ever worked for. In general our cars are expensive relative to income and having insurance is a must. We have your summer in winter. 😄 In Cape Town roads are good, but taxes are the bane of our society. In essence the haves are carrying the have nots, which is not really a problem, but the issue is the absolute corruption where payments are made and no services delivered. We have police, but private secirity companies are more than 2.7 million members vs police of 200 000. In a counry with a population of 60 million. Schools are expensive and not free for those that earn a living and gets paid a salary. Medical cost is not free, you pay. So make peace with the taxes you pay and hope that at least you live in in a relatively crime free country where services are still delivered to the community as a whole. The only privilige we have is that we can ride year round and live in Africa. In this crazy world a sort of blessing in disguise.

 

[Chopper_Bob]

At least it doesn't cost anything to declare SORN, over here you have to pay a fee for getting of the license and on again, which cost as much as the tax over the same period.

you can save a little on insurance by keeping it off road during the winter months (1 dec to 28/29th Feb) but it is not much.

Just keep riding during the winter months!!

 

[DangerDarren]

This afternoon I did best to clean the servo flapper device. In last few months it occasionally throws a check engine light and trying to limit that as far as possible.
Darren.

 

[Gambo916]

Why do you want to do this if you find it so sad?🤔
Come on...undo this immediately👈

Sad because of no more riding this year.

British winters offer so little riding opportunity.......unless you like getting wet and cold that is!

Feed up of taking a soaking (me and the bike), getting frostbite in every extremity, along with 'walnut whip' syndrome, so I choose not to ride through winter any more.........hence declaring the bike is off the road until I tax it next springtime.


@Chopper_Bob I'm bracing myself for the day the government WILL start charging a fee to declare SORN..........and taxing the currently tax free compulsory yearly MOT safety test.
If they can find a way to squeeze an extra buck out of you......they won't let the opportunity pass!!!


@JohanH .......the bikes are insured all year round..........just not taxed to be able to legally use the road.

 

[UGS_Tom]

Let her serviced (close to 17k km) at my trusty workshop, done together with TUV/MOT.
..............and by the way the OEM battery gone totally flat now after 8 years (!) and I let the guys done the job and replacing it with one of their Yuasas (sadly my before bought OEM batt was dead after storage 😠). Beeing at that stage I asked to replace the air filter as well - so no need for doing this at the 20k km service that probably comes next.

 

[JohanH]

Should have stayed with OEM Getting 8years out of the OEM battery will make me not consider any alternative. Just saying. Enjoy the good weather. We are now appraoching summer and the covers are off.

 

[UGS_Tom]

Should have stayed with OEM Getting 8years out of the OEM battery will make me not consider any alternative. Just saying. Enjoy the good weather. We are now appraoching summer and the covers are off.

It was my plan but now I think I have to live with it. The guys there always use their stored Yuasa batts for the BMWs - who am I to discuss . Maybe double the price for an OEM will double the fun, who knows? All in all it was expensive enough.
Anyway, bike is running fine now. Enjoy your upcoming summer in SA Johan, share pics and StayUpOn2!


... just rcognized by seeing the pic that I've lost by badge at the alternator plate sumwhere in summmertime 😠

 

[Gambo916]

We are now appraoching summer.................

Lucky you.......we are battening down the hatches here in the UK in preperation for winter. The first named storm of the season (Amy) is blowing like a demon and getting wetter by the minute (oooh errrr) as I type this!!

Storm Amy hits UK with heavy rain and strong winds

An amber warning is in place for parts of Scotland while a lower level yellow warning is issued for much of the rest of the UK.

www.bbc.co.uk

t I've lost by badge at the alternator plate

Awwww downer Tom........really annoying when something completely unnecessary like that happens.

 

[dxamet]

... just rcognized by seeing the pic that I've lost by badge at the alternator plate sumwhere in summmertime

I have three spare parts, free to collect.
Perhaps you have a German friend who drives to the nudist beach in Groede, the Netherlands...it's on the road.

 

[UGS_Tom]

I have three spare parts, free to collect.
Perhaps you have a German friend who drives to the nudist beach in Groede, the Netherlands...it's on the road.

View attachment 184326

Thanks alot buddy for the offer! But when I purchased mine it came also in a 4-pack - just have to search the storage.
btw it's getting a bit chilly meanwhile for a nudist beach isn't it 🥶 😂.

 

[Fille94]

After reaping the benefits of changing the shock I've ordered a fork upgrade kit from Matris, was recommended by another forum member so am expecting more positive things!
FKE - Matris Dampers

I just get one, it is worth? Is big difference then OEM?

 

[Steve S]

Was going to change the oil and filter but then realised I don’t possess a filter wrench to fit, I’ve got 4 different ones but not the one with flutes, ordered and Evri will probably deliver to somewhere in the next two weeks, the oil should have drained by then

 

[LarsA]

Finally took my 2022 R9T out on its first ride in Austin after moving here earlier this summer. It still gets up to 90F (over 30C) in the afternoon, but mornings are tolerable! Did the infamous Lime Creek Road circuit a few times, at a fairly leisurely pace. Still loving this bike!

 

[HarriS]

I wrapped the snorkel cover with carbon look. The material is some random carbon look wrap from Aliexpress which I had lying around. It looks very authentic and I cannot tell if it is real carbon or wrap from more than one meter away. Wrapping that part is semi difficult since it curves in every direction. Some heating and stretching is needed.

Time will tell how it holds up. The material is strong and lasted in my former Ducati Streetfighter 1098 several years without any issues.

The alu cover does not look right in my eye. The plain alu does not match the brushed tank and other parts plus it makes the right side of the bike "too silver" compared to the left side. If the wrap is not holding, I will replace with real carbon fibre. The carbon seems to be the right color and texture for that part. I considered painting it satin black but carbon looks better imho.

I also installed Wunderlich 20mm risers.