Motorbikes....what am I missing. (1 Viewer)

[johnp10]

What were you doing riding on the garage roof?

Good idea at the the time.
The following month driving a wheelchair and crutches was less fun.

Good point.. was it a cunning stunt ?

Turned out to be a real c stunt, John.


My son told the neighbours my new hobby was base jumping.
Never did like him!

 

[Jaws]

ROFL !!!!

 

[colinw]

Bikes are great , until it goes wrong !
I now have a car , but it does nothing for me ,although it is quick , there is no involvement , no rush , no sense of freedom .
I said to my wife the other day that I would rather go on my 250cc scooter than go out in our car .
The desire to ride a bike never leaves you !

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[Jaws]

You are so right

 

[MichelleRyall]

Motorcycling is addictive and it's in the blood. I have ridden bikes since I was 16.... So over 30 years. My husband and I have owned over 30 bikes over the last 28 years. The independence and freedom is exhilarating and I still thoroughly enjoy the buzz of being able to get to places a little quicker and with less stress than in my car. I have ridden bikes from 50cc to our 696 Ducati but the most fun is on my Hinda XL 250, it's such a laugh to buy. All this said I am a careful rider and consider all other road users as idiots and not to be trusted. This way I tend to keep out of trouble. Don't knock until you try it. Ride safely folks .

 

[TheCaller]

My god....what IS that kid taking ?

Pure unadulterated joy, I would think.

As @TheTwoOfUs said of the original question .... if you have to ask ....

I was trying to remember when I was last that excited about something. The sad thing is, I can't remember.

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[PP Bear]

 

[robnchris]

Ahhh.. the Black Bomber !! First bike I ever did a ( indicated ) ton on !!
On the A127 it was..

I remember two Suzuki`s giving the Honda CB450 a good run for it`s money, The Super Six and the T500, my super six was ridiculously fast and didn`t weigh anything which was scary when hit by a side wind.
I also owned a CB72 and the Cb77 both very reliable machines and sounded fantastic.
My personal favourite which I owned up into the 80`s was an Aerial Golden Arrow.

 

[Jaws]

The T500 was was about 3 years after the 450 .. But yes, totally mental bike !! They just took a T200 and scaled everything up a bit !!
last one I had I remember going for a thrash and when we got back a refill revealed it had done 12 miles per gallon !!

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[Spanishsteve]

I've ridden bikes since I was 16 and rode bikes at work for 20 years. My last bike was a Yamaha R1, a 1000cc, relatively light bike with fantastic acceleration. I sold this about 6 years ago and have sold most of my bike kit since. I've had a few accidents,none my fault, I have been hit up the ar5e on bikes on 3 separate occasions.

I bought myself a Bmw 645ci convertible, this has a V8, 4.4 litre engine, and sounds wonderful. This does 0-60 in approx 6.2 seconds which is not bad for the size and weight of the car.

The only cars I've driven which have put a smile on my face like a fast bike has were a Jaguar XJR, Bmw M3, M5, Porsche 911, 944.

I won't let my sons have a motorcycle, and any vehicles I buy in the future will be automatic with air con, because I'm turning into an old git.

 

[barsteward]

I sometimes hire a bike or scooter in sunnier parts but only for the convenience of getting around. You could have a bike that reaches 100 in 2 seconds it is pointless nobody can see you through your helmet and car drivers are just not interested in how fast your two wheels can go, they are just grateful that you get out of their way as fast as possible.

Do you wnna bet? Ive met people in their fancy, expensive, Diablos and the like they've given the nodd (cos their so cock sure) and my 14year old Blackbird leaves em for dead up to 70. They can do what they want after that I've proved the point. And the number of people in a" people carrier" on a country road with kids in!!!! absolutely unbelievable, the kid s must be screaming in fear at the antics their parents get up to just to stop you going past.
Motorways!! dirty word to someone stuck in a traffic jam. If the traffic is doing less than 30 miles an hour I have a perfectly legitimate right to safely pass those vehicle's no not according to some, they are going to pull out and make the space as small as they can. Ohh don't set me off I see it from both sides I do actually defend Motorhomesrs as well but I think some road users have so little tolerance for people the can go faster or can't go as fast.

 

[tonyidle]

This must be a wind up !! Surely.
View attachment 82748

I could still adjust the clutch on that ...............

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[tonyidle]

The T500 was was about 3 years after the 450 .. But yes, totally mental bike !! They just took a T200 and scaled everything up a bit !!
last one I had I remember going for a thrash and when we got back a refill revealed it had done 12 miles per gallon !!

I did a check on mine Kendal to Shap A6 return tank brim to brim. Did better than yours at 18. 'Normal' use gave 25-40mpg. Best bike I've owned.

 

[buttons]

Do you wnna bet? Ive met people in their fancy, expensive, Diablos and the like they've given the nodd (cos their so cock sure) and my 14year old Blackbird leaves em for dead up to 70. They can do what they want after that I've proved the point. And the number of people in a" people carrier" on a country road with kids in!!!! absolutely unbelievable, the kid s must be screaming in fear at the antics their parents get up to just to stop you going past.
Motorways!! dirty word to someone stuck in a traffic jam. If the traffic is doing less than 30 miles an hour I have a perfectly legitimate right to safely pass those vehicle's no not according to some, they are going to pull out and make the space as small as they can. Ohh don't set me off I see it from both sides I do actually defend Motorhomesrs as well but I think some road users have so little tolerance for people the can go faster or can't go as fast.

Sorry barsteward you are living a fantasy Even Diablos drivers are just not interested, your Diablos man probably had a twitch or maybe was winking at that gorgeous bird sitting next to him talking dirty.
Personally I will always give a bike a wide birth and let them past asap. They can fantasize how ever they like about how they passed me but if it makes them feel good then so be it. Dream on.....

 

[barsteward]

The gorgeous bird is usually sat on the back of the bike

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[Jaws]

The ones I find always wanna race ( poor deluded fools ) are the BMW and Merc lot.. Especially the SLK wallahs..
One memorable occasion in a 30 mph area in a very busy town !!
I just let him do his thing until we got out tother side..

 

[jockaneezer]

I won't let my sons have a motorcycle

Me and the wife have both had bikes since our teens, Mrs 'neezer was a qualified police motorcyclist. Our son got his first bike at 4 years old, never had a worry when he got his first road bike at 16 and ported and jetted it to the max for him. First time out after passing his car test, crashed his car mostly due to inexperience but a big part of it was peer pressure from mates in the car and showing off. Worried a lot when he was late getting home, something that we'd never experienced when he was out on his motorbikes.

 

[Spanishsteve]

Me and the wife have both had bikes since our teens, Mrs 'neezer was a qualified police motorcyclist. Our son got his first bike at 4 years old, never had a worry when he got his first road bike at 16 and ported and jetted it to the max for him. First time out after passing his car test, crashed his car mostly due to inexperience but a big part of it was peer pressure from mates in the car and showing off. Worried a lot when he was late getting home, something that we'd never experienced when he was out on his motorbikes.

I too was a qualified police motorcyclist that's probably why I won't let them have a bike. However, as you said peer pressure plays a large part in this, even as we get older.

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[robnchris]

Motorbikes apart from being easy to carry on your motorhome I have never seen the attraction, they are uncomfortable wet cold windy noisy, you cant ride them without a helmet they smell, list of negatives goes on. What is the attraction?
I enjoy fast cars and speed but I'm afraid that motorbikes dont do it for me at all.
What is the attraction of a motorbike........

Going back to the original post my answer to "What is the attraction"

Growing up with bikes as I did, having a 350 Enfield bullet on the fields as a 12 yr old, (Had to have help to pick it up if I fell off ) back in the 60`s if you owned a motorbike you pretty much served an apprenticeship in motor cycle mechanics and you became part of the bike.
An old adage was driving a car moves your body.
Riding a bike moves your soul.

In my past I have owned and repaired 100`s of motorbikes and at the ripe old age of 64 still have a schoolboy attraction for them.
Cars are something I have to own as a utilitarian vehicle.

A previous post mentioned the fuel consumption of the Suzuki T500, I remember taking my first Honda VFR 750 in for it`s service and they explained sorry their loan bike was out and the only bike they had available was a battered RG500...ha what a manic machine, difficult to ride and keep the front wheel on the ground, grab a hand full of throttle and warp speed was readily available but you wouldn`t get much more the 100 miles per tank full.

 

[Enword]

My god....what IS that kid taking ?

Adrenalin! What a start he got though pappajohn.

 

[Jaws]

Going back to the original post my answer to "What is the attraction"

Growing up with bikes as I did, having a 350 Enfield bullet on the fields as a 12 yr old, (Had to have help to pick it up if I fell off ) back in the 60`s if you owned a motorbike you pretty much served an apprenticeship in motor cycle mechanics and you became part of the bike.
An old adage was driving a car moves your body.
Riding a bike moves your soul.

In my past I have owned and repaired 100`s of motorbikes and at the ripe old age of 64 still have a schoolboy attraction for them.
Cars are something I have to own as a utilitarian vehicle.

A previous post mentioned the fuel consumption of the Suzuki T500, I remember taking my first Honda VFR 750 in for it`s service and they explained sorry their loan bike was out and the only bike they had available was a battered RG500...ha what a manic machine, difficult to ride and keep the front wheel on the ground, grab a hand full of throttle and warp speed was readily available but you wouldn`t get much more the 100 miles per tank full.

Spooky that.. my first road legal bike ( well almost legal .. It was registered as a 250 and I rode it on L plates.. It was not until long after I sold it I found out they never made a 250.. It was a 350 !! )

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[PeteH]

The most dangerous thing about riding a motorbike is the car driver with the cheery greeting "Sorry mate, didn't see you" after pulling out across your path.

I know it's not practical but, if everyone had to ride a motorbike or scooter for a year before being allowed to drive a car, they would appreciate how dangerous they can make roads for other users. Riding in a tin car doesn't make you invulnerable. It just makes you think you are.

Now your ARE bloody Right. NO ONE should get a car licence without producing a Motorcycle One!. (With an obvious exception for Disabled) Although I knew a Guy with one leg who rode!.

Pete

 

[PeteH]

I could still adjust the clutch on that ...............

I`ll Bet you get the timing wrong though?

Pete

 

[mustaphapint]

I've ridden bikes since I was 16 (well 15 actually but we won't go into that) I passed my test when it was still legal for a learner to ride up to a 250. I've ridden them as daily transport to work, I've earned my living riding them (I was a despatch rider for 2 years). I've travelled on them in the USA, India, Thailand and most of Europe and I ride them for pleasure. I currently own a Harley and 2 Royal Enfields. Nowadays I ride my bike for pleasure but I only drive 4 wheels to get from A to B. We now have our motorhome for travelling but I have every intention of using it in conjunction with a small motorcycle when we reach our destination. If you have to ask what the attraction is you won't understand.

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[GWAYGWAY]

I could still adjust the clutch on that ...............

Only if you have the tool for the 1000s of springs under the plate, it was a damn awful design and fiddly to do.
Same bike belonging to a friend sucked loose nut into the bellmouth and I had to tow him home with my Super-six, We went past an outing of the Vincent owners club stopped in a village, OHHH! the shame on his face, no full face helmets then, to hide in.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

I have always had bikes, but do not enjoy it now as they are all out to kill you or maybe just blind, I passed my bike test 6/12/1965 on 1099 KO, my dads bike (it had brilliant brakes unlike mine) I still remember that day I had waited for a LOOOOOONNNGGG time for my 16 birthday and took the test two weeks that, after passing it first time, it was the first day appointment I could get, but it drove my mates mad that I had done it first. I joined to GPO later and had to park my 500 Norton and get on their Bantam with L plates then do a test with them, an examiner following me with moggie van as I had to push it up a really steep hill, as it wouldn't do it with me on board, The 150 cc GPO bantams were DETUNED from pathetic to useless.

 

[maison]

In my dim and distant past I had a Lambretta Li150 scooter. (I know. Not a motorbike but I was young then).

I lived in Cumbria and my girlfriend moved to Edinburgh. Young love was such that every other weekend I would set out on Friday, after work and return Sunday evening, in all weathers.

On one occasion I was setting off back and it was forecast to rain. My girlfriend lent me a silk scarf to cover my face. On the way home the rain started and I learned that the rain saturates silk and you cannot breath through it. Gloves meant I could not get it off quickly so emergency stop required.

On some occasions, in winter, I got home so cold I had to thaw out in front of the coal fire before I could straighten up!

It did me no harm. Fifty years later I am still riding motorbikes and have been married to my then girlfriend for 46 years.

Two wheels rule!

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[GWAYGWAY]

The ones I find always wanna race ( poor deluded fools ) are the BMW and Merc lot.. Especially the SLK wallahs..
One memorable occasion in a 30 mph area in a very busy town !!
I just let him do his thing until we got out tother side..

In Italy with my BMW bike, I had an Italian stallion pull away from the Peage alongside me and tried to race me with FIAT 850 or similar, I just played along as we accelerated away me gently him revving the balls off it, up to 80 or so and he would not give up he crept up the side and I opened it a bit and he fell back again, he was going mad and was not going to give up until he had passed. He must have driven passed 3 exits after he wanted to go to until I let him passed, and he went straight off the return exit to go whence he wanted.
Why try, I had loads more speed and power (+50mph over his car) but he HAD to do it.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

My god....what IS that kid taking ?

SPEED! he is wetting himself with anticipation but he does go quick.

 

[buttons]

In Italy with my BMW bike, I had an Italian stallion pull away from the Peage alongside me and tried to race me with FIAT 850 or similar, I just played along as we accelerated away me gently him revving the balls off it, up to 80 or so and he would not give up he crept up the side and I opened it a bit and he fell back again, he was going mad and was not going to give up until he had passed. He must have driven passed 3 exits after he wanted to go to until I let him passed, and he went straight off the return exit to go whence he wanted.
Why try, I had loads more speed and power (+50mph over his car) but he HAD to do it.

Dream on you lot.......car drivers don't give a shite how fast your two wheels can go, your fiat driver probably had his gas peddle stuck. If we had any interest then we would have duel racing on the tele. It just wouldn't have any audience......We just don't care...........dream on

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