[wildbill]

how I hate it when I try and put something up like a review and get error messages. I should buy the forum and get some-one to run it properly

[Bilgemaster]

how I hate it when I try and put something up like a review and get error messages. I should buy the forum and get some-one to run it properly

You need a well-read and focused wallaby, mate! One who can handle a bit of light coding and SQL database configuration--Not one of them Fosters-sodden suicidal joeys like what almost took out you and your new Interceptor the other day!

Learned Marsupial suggests our Admins look this over

[The Old Coot]

 

[wildbill]

I actually have a 2000 word review on the interceptor 650 and very informative and can't get it through

[Grant Borden]

WildBILL,

WHY not try to upload it in more than one part?

Grant

[ace.cafe]

I actually have a 2000 word review on the interceptor 650 and very informative and can't get it through

I have found that the posting program can be very sensitive to some punctuation marks and other ASCII characters. It gives an error report.
Try removing unusual characters from the post first.
Also, it is possible as mentioned above that the file size may be too big. Try breaking it up into multiple posts.

[Bilgemaster]

I actually have a 2000 word review on the interceptor 650 and very informative and can't get it through

Wildbill: Just as a provisional workaround, why don't you email that 2,000-worder to me care of that same email address Juliet sent the song, and I'll have a looksee. If nothing else, I can just bang it up online elsewhere with a reference to it here. Shame to waste that much typing that folks really want  to read...

Quokka-Ninja knows how to beat database issues!

[Stanley]

I don't consider this a shitty forum. But I'll miss it.
Good bye guys.

[The Old Coot]

I don't know how the backend on this board works. But I am on a couple of bird boards, a mod on one, and we have very little say on how the board runs, it's on a message board site, as the people who own the whole site have the say on how things are done and we have no input on it.

[Bilgemaster]

I don't consider this a shitty forum. But I'll miss it.
Good bye guys.

Wait! Where you going, Stanley? Sell your Bullet or something? You should still check in from time to time. You always had sage advice...

[wildbill]

well I don't know how I continuously get database message error when I am uploading a new report on brand new bike. plus I really don't know why all the problems on this forum since the change to new format
this is a really crappy set up and it appears I am probably the only one who lets them know but like I said if I took control -I couldn't care how it works as long as it works
who can I send the interceptor review to and see if they can get it up. there is good info there for possible buyers- not worrying me much -I have it already but its well worth the read

[Bilgemaster]

¹And lo, there came in those dark times a mighty pestilence and malaise upon the Land of Oz and the Realms of the Britnoids, whereupon nary a man might apostrophize nor address his distant kith and kin in the characters and symbols known to all, save but incur the displeasure of the Tyrant of the Forum, for whom naught was plain and all confusion and error. And there was much gnashing of teeth and renting of garments and then raising of those rents. ² And in those days a Wildman of Oz of the name Bill emerged from those wastes feasting upon locusts and dingleberries and wallaby steaks done nice and rare on the barbie, and did come forth to bring to the heathen the good word of the Twins, and it was good. Yet none might hear him for all was confusion and grievous error.  ³Whereupon lo, a lowly Bilgemaster of the Iron Bellied, coming forth from his own Land of Spork, held on high a humble apostrophe given unto him by THE LORD that couldst ne'er offend yon Tyrant of the Forum, nor yet even the least amongst the Peoples of Thump, and the Book of Wild Bill of the Interceptor was made at last plain to all the Tribes of Chennai, who rejoiced near and far, breaking wind aplenty--For the Twins were good...bloody good!

Riding the 650 Interceptor

BY: WILDBILL

A few days ago I purchased the new Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor in the colour scheme of Ravishing Red. Three days down the track I am still happy with the purchase and that choice of colour too...LOL

This new bike from Enfield I must say is truly a credit to the company and is far better than I had anticipated. The fit and finish to the bike is better than on my 018 C5 but saying that I think my 018 plated Classic is pretty well finished off anyway. Far better than when I originally bought bikes from the earlier years.

FIRST IMPRESSION

The bike is very pleasing to the eye. I love the look of those big duel upswept exhausts and how they tilt skywards...Some may say Norton commando style! Plus that big chunky motor give the impression you DO have a worthy power plant to play about with which i can assure you as of writing - is correct.

I also love the styling of the tank with its Monza style flip lid and reminiscence of a bit of '70s styling I say. I also like the fact that they included the Speedo/tacho separate rather than housed or threw them all together. Although just as a visual -A kick starter would have been a nice addition or a better still working option. Even better an optional extra.

The patterned seat caught my eye in various promo shots and at first I didn't like it too much-but in real time it's not too bad on the eye at all and get use to it fine.

START UP

With just a turn of the ignition key and a duel sweep of the instrument needles you press the starter. The bike breaks into song immediately and I repeat immediately -no hesitation no second crank -it's instant! Simple as that.

What is more amazing it doesn't even think about settling into an erratic idle. it has scored the magic number first off and its magic is purring away in the tune of a good swiss watch. Maybe not Rolex quality but a pretty good quality regardless. Just thought I'd throw that one in...LOL No crap hunting for the ideal mixture either unlike other Enfields - it's spot on first time and ever time!

Grip and blip the throttle and you get an immediate burst into song as the 650 comes to life and a pretty satisfactory growl to boot from the factory duel exhausts - sort of like music to your ears. Well let's say music compared to the zappy sewing machine buzzing from my factory tired C5 exhaust system.

Actually I think you could just live with these factory exhausts and forget about upgrade. that may or may not happen but they are fine in stock for. far more enjoyable that the other offerings from the UCE stable range.

RIDING EXPERIENCE

Once you straddle the seat on the Interceptor the first thing you find which is rather strange or strange when coming from a C5 is the peg position layout. Once seated they are directly below your hip. Where on the C5 they are in a more forward position.

Once mobile and at the very first corner i had to stop to give way to a car. It actually took me quite a while to take off as i couldn't find the gearshift lever due to the odd angle...LOL After a while or several changes later it becomes much easier or second nature. You soon learn to position and point your toes in towards the motor. After that it becomes a no brainer.

The bike is unreal. that sums it up in pretty quick UNREAL! I have pulled away from cold starts a few times now and stopped and rode off again ...with not a hic-up! A faultless fuel delivery system and absolutely no surging or any other crap associated with C5 fueling type issues what-so-ever.

I've ran the bike a bit over 100 miles of stop/start running to do the camera work and it has started first time very time -drama and problem free and very hard to believe that at times ...I am riding a Royal Enfield...A new release model at that!

No doubt a huge amount of $$$'s went into the fueling side of this bike to get it right. More important the money was well spent and get it right they did. Fueling on the C5 is very poor compared to this baby!

GOOD POINTS.

I would put the Interceptor's fueling as the very best point on the bike but saying that there are so many other good points it's just personal preference here. So why did i choose the fueling. Well the C5 fueling is really poor delivery from cold especially when compared to how this bike delivers the goods

It's a real pleasure to get on from a cold start up and ride off and not get jerked about and so on and forth and when you apply the throttle it just takes off nice and smooth -doesn't bog or carry on and does what it is suppose to do or was it designed to do. None of that surging or chain slapping and carrying on. Just perfect!

ENGINE

The motor feels great and that jump from a 500cc single powerplant to a 650 CC twin may only be an additional 150cc extra but that also added an additional 20 ponies to the equation. Over-all it's a great motor with bags of low down torque and pulls stong in the lower gear. I have not really tested it in all its full glory but i can assure you -it's a pretty peppy affair!

SLIPPER CLUTCH.

What can i say ..what a great feature on an Enfield! Just a tad lighter on the pull than say on my C5 Classic BUT man can it chew through the gears...Well take it from me - you bet it can! Plus it's lightening fast on the down changes .

On one section of highway running I was cruising along at 60mph in 6th gear and in a matter of seconds dropped to 2nd gear to do a sharp left hand turn. The shifter ran down through the box to 2nd gear like a hot knife through butter as I powered around the corner and out on the straight. If I had done that to my C5 i'd had rear wheel lock up and maybe a new gearbox tossed in for good measure...LOL

GEARBOX

while at it the gearbox is great to use. Very positive with short quick and precise throws. In actual fact a pleasure to use. Never had a missed shift or false neutral yet. No trouble getting into or out of neutral at any time either. Never experienced a box full of neutral and trying to sort out the gears to try and find neutral to get started either. Just a good honest box.

Not sure about this one. When you come down to a complete stop to hit first the shifter appears to lift up and lock into first gear. By far it is the very best box i've used on an Enfield too.

SEATING

In my opinion I think that bench style seat is pretty good to park your carcass on. In fact I'd say it's far better than what I have on my C5 Classic. So far on the rides I have been on i have not got off once and said ....What a crappy seat to sit on and i require something better. I once had a new Kawasaki Versys X300 and rode it just a few klm and arrived home and took the seat off and butchered it to improve the ride...LOl. This seat for my riding style is fine.

HANDLING

If you have watched any of my videos it would appear that the handling is fine by me. That's about how I ride a bike. I don't push bikes to their limit but i do give four wheelers a good work out. You could say I don't put 100% trust in two wheelers.

Saying that though It does appear to go around the corners pretty well and also appears to handle better than the C5 which is the closest bike I can compare. It can be slightly unsettled on rough bumps but not enough for me to worry about with shock upgrades etc as it rides way better than a C5....so that's good enough

BRAKES

The braking system is outstanding and although both rides run the ABS braking system -this bike has the far superior brakes. I've had the chance to apply them several times now and they are good-extremely good. Nice to the touch with good positive feel. Not spongy at all and great bite. Overall great stoppers with good stopping power and great bite. i'd say they would wash down the high klm reading pretty quick and safely.

VIBRATION

I'd like to say its got some and make some C5 owners happy BUT it's really not the case. The vibration is that minimal that it's more on a scale of 1. out of 10. There is a very slight buzz on the bars and I mean very very slight. Shit I'm a friggin vibration expert and sold C5's because they shook when i looked at them or just walked past them and that's prior to start up too -

but there is virtually nothing.....Bars/Pegs/Tanks. No tingling hands going on with this bike.....Sorry nothing!

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I have to say it's the best bike Enfield has ever put together. Should have been here 10 years ago but as the saying goes- better late than never. It really is a great bike to ride and i can see in the future these 650's doing very long overland trips all around the world. In areas too that the 500's would struggle in.

I can tell just from my few short trips that they will be real long distance mileage eaters. Bet you could ride this bike around Australia. They have almost swung into Indian/Japanese territory too.

This could be the very first Enfield you just get on and ride and ride and ride. Plus you may never have the pleasure to tighten up all the nuts and bolts day after day and week after week. Or even check all the junk which comes out of the new motor or filter and ask forum Gurus for their best advise and is this OK for my new motor.

This could be the very start of a new breed of Enfield.

CONCLUSION.

So over several days I have put roughly 125 miles on the new bike under various riding conditions and now have some interesting thoughts. First off I have had no drama whatsoever in any areas on the bike itself. It has started first time every time. Nothing has shook loose either.....bumma! It's actually been perfect...dare i say too bloody perfect!

Unfortunately I didn't even get the chance to remove the included tool kit to tighten anything up.....Nothing at all shook loose. In actual fact I have done absolutely nothing to the bike at all apart from walk out the door and get on and ride the bloody thing. In a way it felt a bit like going to bloody work!

Today I walked across to old faithful - my good old Gun Metal Grey C5. She has sat silent for several days now. No complaints really as she is more the single silent type. Most-likely eyeing off her new stable mate...and probably a bit pissed off too!

I'll be honest here! Deep down I thought I may have let her down and in reality I knew I needed her as much as she needed me.

My eyes fogged up with tears of joy as I noticed a loose 12mm bolt on the right front mudguard stay as she sat patiently while i eagerly grabbed the ring spanner from the tool box and excited the task like a master technician. A task which I have performed many times before.

Just for a few short seconds I held my hands on the cold metal parts . Metal real metal...not plastic........Those were the days.

How good it felt to be wanted and appreciated.

I got up and walked back to the house and then glanced slowly back. Sure that new kid on the block did things well....No doubt about that!

I then looked across to the Classic 500. Although the 500 is riddled with all its 1940s style faults - it's a Classic regardless. Should I turn my cheek to a new era of let's say the 1970s 650 bike standards or ask one simple question -

 

Well Punk! If i could only afford just one bike...Would i cash you for that sweet talker next to you........Well would I

My guess Probably NOT!.......LOL

But thankfully for me I don't have to make that choice!

Hope you all enjoyed the read.

 

 

 

 

[wildbill]

now how could we ride together bilgemaster-i think there would be  too much laughing and too much talking crap!...lol as a matter of fact that is exactly what I like and have been doing for years!.
for those who came in late the shitty forum remark was pointed in the direction of me being unable to load my 2200 word review on the interceptor after I tried to do the upload and got a database error

And lo, there came in those dark times a mighty pestilence and malaise upon the Land of Oz and the Realms of the Britnoids, whereupon nary a man might apostrophize nor address his distant kith and kin in the characters and symbols known to all, save but incur the displeasure of the Tyrant of the Forum, for whom naught was plain and all confusion and error. And there was much gnashing of teeth and renting of garments and then raising of those rents. 2 And in those days a Wildman of Oz of the name Bill emerged from those wastes feasting upon locusts and dingleberries and wallaby steaks done nice and rare on the barbie, and did come forth to bring to the heathen the good word of the Twins, and it was good. Yet none might hear him for all was confusion and grievous error.  3Whereupon lo, a lowly Bilgemaster of the Iron Bellied, coming forth from his own Land of Spork, held on high a humble apostrophe given unto him by THE LORD that couldst ne'er offend yon Tyrant of the Forum, nor yet even the least amongst the Peoples of Thump, and the Book of Wild Bill of the Interceptor was made at last plain to all the Tribes of Chennai, who rejoiced near and far, breaking wind aplenty--For the Twins were good...bloody good!

[mattsz]

Well done, both of you! 

Now if you want anyone to read it, either change the name of this thread, or move it to a different one... jes' sayin'...

[BikingTim]

I have found that the posting program can be very sensitive to some punctuation marks and other ASCII characters. It gives an error report.
Try removing unusual characters from the post first.
[ . . . ]

Just a few minutes ago, I ran into this problem, too.  The solution was simply to remove the tiny superscript "o" (for degrees)
and to substitue "deg".  That let the posting go through.

BikingTim

[Bilgemaster]

Well done, both of you! 

Now if you want anyone to read it, either change the name of this thread, or move it to a different one... jes' sayin'...

You make a good point that had also crossed my mind.

WildBill: Do you want to quote, cut and paste your review from my message as a nice fresh topic? If I do it, "Bilgemaster" and my lurid buddhaesque bespectacled avatar will be perched over your stuff...which sounds pretty fuckin' alarming, if you ask me!

[Kevin Mahoney]

What's the issue boys?

[Richard230]

The issue is that if I try to post a message longer than a paragraph, I get a database error message. Once you get that the system will not let you try to correct the message to make it shorter and you will have to cancel the post and try again with a completely new message.  If I attempt to cut and paste a message, even one that was written on my computer word processor, I get the same error message. And heaven help you if you cut and paste from another internet source. Other things will trigger the database error message too, but I haven't been able to see the pattern. It can be quite frustrating. 

[Bilgemaster]

What's the issue boys?

Uh-Oh!  Dad's home!

Briefly put, the issue is that for quite some time many folks have been having a hard time posting messages to this new SMF Forum system, getting only "database error" messages for their trouble. This is especially true for our British or Australian members or for those who use their familiar word processors to first draft their messages or cut-n-paste info from websites or other online resources (like our man Richard230 in California).

As I have already posted in the Forum Improvements section and also here, I surmise that the root cause of these database errors, judging from the HTML source code header of even this very webpage, is that in typographical terms we are quite literally rocking like it's 1999, using "charset=ISO-8859-1", which is to say, ANSI (Windows-1252), the original Windows character set for the USA, with support for only 256 different character codes--Not quite as "El Primitivo" as the straight ASCII standard, limited as it was to just 128, but like I pointed out on these Forums months ago, still not much more sophisticated than a stick in the dirt...maybe less.

The problem with that limited default character-handling set for our British and Australian cousins is that common symbols on their British  English keyboards, like their curly breed of apostrophes and dashes (and maybe forward slashes, too), are almost guaranteed to give the Forum indigestion, as will pretty common present-day US symbols like degree, cent, fractions or pretty much anything not found printed on the keyboard of that dusty old Compaq 486 up in the attic with the squirrel living in it. Characters and other "invisible" formatting doodads like "carriage returns", margin shifts or tabs from word processors might also give the Forum a case of the "vapors". As for the long length of some messages causing problems, as thought by some, I am not yet convinced that it is so much the length in itself, so much as the increased likelihood of a longer message containing some offending symbol or character that may be the real issue. After all, I was able to massage WildBill's recent 2,200 word opus, as shown earlier in this thread, into digestibility by simply "globally replacing" all his Ozzie punctuation symbols with my homegrown Virginia ones. Then it was just <Post> and no problem.

Previous postings made in the old Forum system with such characters or other proper foreign symbols like accents or umlauts, like this one, now resemble Romulan street signs.

The first step to recovery is recognizing there's a problem. So, if you could point whomever may be the Main Admin/Installer-in-Chief/Alpha Geek/Code Monkey of this Forum towards this issue, it might make a lot of folks much happier. Using something more current called "Unicode" would handily fix this issue. If they want to solve the problem, they might do well to start here.

One major source of frustration for many has been the utter lack of feedback to suggestions about this issue or others in that Forum Improvements  section. It makes Forum users feel "edgy" and uncertain--like that silent treatment from one's "significant udder" before you've realized it's February 14th, and you've neither chocolates nor so much as a wilted petunia on hand. It's been hard not to get the distinct impression that nobody's at the helm or listening. Is there  even an active Admin for this Forum? I can point to no recent evidence to suggest one.

"SSSSSHHHH! You'll wake the Admin!"

[ace.cafe]

What's the issue boys?

Getting the photo gallery back would really be a great step.

[The Old Coot]

Nice write up Wildbill.

[Narada]

Quite often attempting to post pictures will cause error codes and loss of text too. 

[Kevin Mahoney]

Seriously a shitty forum?? I don't have a dog in this fight. But apparently no good deed goes unpunished. This is no longer my forum and has not been for quite a while. It belongs to Michael Baker of Royal Enfield of Ft. Worth. I only drop in out of goodwill toward the members. This is the first time that any administrator (I still have that permission). has been notified of any problems. (willing to be proven wrong). The last PM I have gotten was well over a year ago. Once in a while a member passes along some spam through the reporting function which I try to look at and remove.

This forum has been running on simple machines for 12 years with very few issues. Apparently there are some issues now. I think the pictures have been gone for quite a while. I know some of our overseas friends were having some issues signing in. Out of the goodness of his heart Rhett fixed that.

As a volunteer I will pursue this some - but good grief give me a break

[Bilgemaster]

Actually Kevin, I agree with you. Far from "shitty", this is my favorite forum by far  of the several I subscribe to on various subjects, and I'm happy to throw a fiver into the kitty now and then to help keep the lights on. I also get my parts from Ft. Worth in gratitude. That original subject line's just "sticky" unless one goes out of one's way to change it with every response, and I gather WildBill was initially pretty cheesed off not being able to get his oeuvre on the move here. I suspect he really enjoys this Forum too. All that said, the powers that be here really  should look in on that Forum Improvements  section a bit more often--maybe make a peep or two there from time to time just to let folks know they're seeing those suggestions that they, after all, are soliciting there.

Look, as I've said before here, if you want to witness a truly shitty Royal Enfield forum, you need only go check out the recently resurrected so-called "official" company one that until recently hadn't worked for well over a year. You'll really  want a shower after wading through that font of ready wisdom. Mostly it's just a stream of poo bubbling with random brain farts that burst in odd squawks, but here's today's chewy semi-cogent nugget from its Maintenance  section:


Bat noise coming out from Engine of 350X

If my 350X runs more than 60 kms/hr speed, then there is a crazy sounds(cot..cot...) are coming out from inside the engine. Is it any Engine issue? And what is the solution? Please suggest.


WTF? Anybody got flying rodent issues? Is that just a UCE thing?

"Oh look! There's a 500!"

And here's another super-useful item from the Maintenance  knowledge base they're building over there:


How much!!!

I love you for Royal Enfield.. I want to be a Royal Enfield

[tooseevee]

Actually Kevin, I agree with you. Far from "shitty", this is my favorite forum by far  of the several I subscribe to on various subjects,

         I would not come anywhere near calling this a shitty forum.

          I've been on here a long time and have not had the posting problems that some comment on; pictures OR text. Maybe it's just because the small problems that the whole population seems to bitch about these days just don't seem to bother me.

            I am firmly convinced that without this forum my '08 AVL would be over in a corner now covered up and not running and nowhere NEAR the machine it is now and a few of the guys here who know the whole 11 year saga of this bike know that's true. I was a stranger in a strange land Royal Enfieldwise and only had my past motorcycle and car experience PLUS this forum to get me through it. I have what I call a 99% bullet-proof bike now with the help of this forum.

        Over the years I've weeded out all forums, but two and this is one of them. None of my punctuation seems to bounce   

[Richard230]

There is nothing "shitty" about the forum, I just wish I could understand the posting rules that will avoid the "data base" message - in understandable language (Bildgemaster).  I just posted a joke that I cut and pasted into my computer's word processor, reformatted into a single paragraph and then cut and pasted it into the message box and quickly hit send.  All went well and the joke was posted without any drama and without creating a data base error.

I just don't understand why that worked but other times when I try to post a message I get the error response.  If I we could be told what causes these data base errors and how to avoid them when posting a message, that would go along way to making the forum much easier to use.

[Bilgemaster]

There is nothing "shitty" about the forum, I just wish I could understand the posting rules that will avoid the "data base" message - in understandable language (Bildgemaster).  I just posted a joke that I cut and pasted into my computer's word processor, reformatted into a single paragraph and then cut and pasted it into the message box and quickly hit send.  All went well and the joke was posted without any drama and without creating a data base error.

I just don't understand why that worked but other times when I try to post a message I get the error response.  If I we could be told what causes these data base errors and how to avoid them when posting a message, that would go along way to making the forum much easier to use.

Simply put: Stop using your word processor. It's likelier to serve up stuff the Forum cannot digest.

[Narada]

Here's one that just happened using my android phone;

I love the forum, but since the new format there have been many problems, most of which have just been mentioned in this thread.

One more that comes to mind is the links to the Baker website for parts. I believe it just tells you to call on the phone or something like that... I would think some amount of sales are lost right there.

If I may be so bold... It would be nice if things just worked (as they did before the change) instead of having to jump through hoops to post anything. And I take it the pictures were deleted to save space on

Simply put: Stop using your word processor. It's likelier to serve up stuff the Forum cannot digest.

You know everyone wants simple instant gratification!

[Narada]

Ok, for some reason, that quote from Bilgemaster just popped into my text as I was typing a sentence. Not sure why. 

To finish the sentence...apparently the pictures were deleted to save space on the server?  That may have been neseccerry, and I am grateful for what we do have left, but it is confusing and frustrating.

[Arschloch]

It's a great forum, but signing out now too. I realize I know about the GT as much as I possibly need...

Bye Guys

[Kevin Mahoney]

I can understand the frustration. Let me see if there is anything I can do.

[Kevin Mahoney]

I contacted Michael Baker who is the owner of the forum and has contacted brother Rhett (guy that set this up and has maintained it when prompted) about fixing the issues. Rhett works slow usually but it is critical that you outline your issues. Doesn't have to be lengthy (probably better if it isn't) so he knows EXACTLY what you see as issues. I am going to point him toward this thread but more is better.

[upintheair]

All he has to do is go to the Forum Improvement section and he could see the list of what most of us complained about.

[Adrian II]

Kevin,

thank you for your intervention, it would be great to see the database error and missing pictures issues sorted.

A.

[Richard230]

Simply put: Stop using your word processor. It's likelier to serve up stuff the Forum cannot digest.

I only use my Open Office Writer word processor when I type something into the message box and then get the "database error" message because I have done something bad when typing the message. Sometimes using my word processor works to defeat the system (as it did earlier today) and sometimes it doesn't. I just can't find much of a pattern, other than maybe typing more than one paragraph at a time.    I haven't had any issues when posting attachments, though.

[Beardo]

For what it's worth, I cannot post pictures from my Samung photo.

Other than that, this has been a terrific forum. Thank again.

[Bilgemaster]

I contacted Michael Baker who is the owner of the forum and has contacted brother Rhett (guy that set this up and has maintained it when prompted) about fixing the issues. Rhett works slow usually but it is critical that you outline your issues. Doesn't have to be lengthy (probably better if it isn't) so he knows EXACTLY what you see as issues. I am going to point him toward this thread but more is better.

Thanks for nudging these issues into the right direction.

Rhett is more than welcome to PM or email me a number I can reach him and a convenient time if he wants me to give him a call to discuss sorting out the character mapping issues.

[gizzo]

I would not call this forum shitty. Sure it's not as easy to use as before the "upgrade" but it's free, an excellent resource for RE owners and is populated by some very civilised and helpful people. Owning an RE would be a lot more difficult without this forum.
I own 8 bikes from 5 manufactures and this is the only brand specific forum I can be bothered with.

[Guaire]

Photo Gallery recovery would be great!

[Bilgemaster]

This handy Table for Debugging Common UTF-8 Character Encoding Problems might be useful to whomever will be sorting out the Forum's database errors experienced by many users since upgrading to SMF ver. 2.0.15, as described earlier in this thread.

It will definitely help them globally-replace the gibberish now displayed instead of many special characters as now found in the Forum Archives, which were posted under the old system, such as "’" instead of that British style keyboard apostrophe (Unicode U+2019), as seen in this example from 2017.

For readier reference, I will also be cross-posting this in the Forum Improvements  section.

[9fingers]

I have trouble complaining about a really informative forum that is free to use.
9fingers

[wildbill]

well I hate to disagree-lol but i've been on car/watch and bird forums which work well and still do and one forum in particular i actually ran a car build thread for 130 pages and no real drama - here i strike drama in  just uploading a few words. anyway it no longer matters.

all good that bikes been sold and ready to be collected soon and i am now on the hunt for a good watch.

by the way this thread would have been gone long ago BUT again a problem. for some reason seeing i started the thread ...it wouldn't let me delete it...lol