Any motorcyclists here....?

Harley's are definitely more suited to straight lazy US road cruising than over here (IMO of course). My bro in law lives in Florida and his neighbour is an ex motorcycle cop.... I couldn't believe it when he told me that they use Kawasakis at work rather than HD's! Anyway, he had a beautiful Harley himself, custom paint, chromed everything, custom seat and panniers, you name it. He offered to lend it to my wife and I for the day! I didn't take him up on it, I would've been mortified if I'd dropped it. :(
 
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Buells sort of make sense over here. Wouldn't mind an old but well built Shovelhead (again) but the investment in terms of purchase, work and time I'd want/need to spend on it to get it "right" wouldn't really be worth it.
 
Seen a Ford motorbike when shopping earlier

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I've parked my bike behind cars that have parked in clearly marked motorcycle only spaces.
 
boogie man said:
Harley's are definitely more suited to straight lazy US road cruising than over here (IMO of course). My bro in law lives in Florida and his neighbour is an ex motorcycle cop.... I couldn't believe it when he told me that they use Kawasakis at work rather than HD's! Anyway, he had a beautiful Harley himself, custom paint, chromed everything, custom seat and panniers, you name it. He offered to lend it to my wife and I for the day! I didn't take him up on it, I would've been mortified if I'd dropped it. :(
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I've a friend in Tampa. He's got a couple of jap bikes which we sometimes ride. He made me go in shorts tshirt and sunglasses, no helmet or protective gear, but it felt so wrong. I wasn't comfortable.
Last time we went I hired a couple of fat boys for the day, as neither of us had risen Harley's. No filtering allowed there, but good fun otherwise.
 
Presently looking at buying a used Suzuki Burgman 400cc (big) scooter, my partners car has given up the ghost and now driving my car, so a big scooter will have to fill a gap etc...

Need to sell my Sigma 150-600mm/Sigma converter/dock to cover etc...
 
macvisual said:
Presently looking at buying a used Suzuki Burgman 400cc (big) scooter, my partners car has given up the ghost and now driving my car, so a big scooter will have to fill a gap etc...

Need to sell my Sigma 150-600mm/Sigma converter/dock to cover etc...
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My wife used to have the Burgman 400 (before someone t-boned her on a mini roundabout). Brilliant tool, great 2 up and very comfortable. She added a Givi screen for extra wind protection. I've been toying with getting a scooter as an all weather hack to get into town etc. I hate cleaning my bike after riding in the wet. I was quite taken with the Vespa 300 GTS or, something a little smaller, a Peugeot Django.

Currently have a Honda CB1000R (below) and recently acquired a 1984 BMW R65 which has been partially converted to a cafe racer and needs finishing off. Should be an interesting project for the next few months.

CB1000R LP lq by Mark Guppy, on Flickr
 
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Byker28i said:
I've a friend in Tampa. He's got a couple of jap bikes which we sometimes ride. He made me go in shorts tshirt and sunglasses, no helmet or protective gear, but it felt so wrong. I wasn't comfortable.
Last time we went I hired a couple of fat boys for the day, as neither of us had risen Harley's. No filtering allowed there, but good fun otherwise.
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Back in the late eighties, I went for a ride down to the coast and back in shorts - and it didn't feel right - nver did it again.
 
Very nice Mark, like those CB1000R's, nice looking naked stealth machine. I test-rode a Suzuki Burgman 400 scooter about 18 months ago and loved it, it's the relaxed twist n' go riding style I really liked, and actually quite quick to be honest.
 
Ridden bikes since 1971, almost constantly till now, currently have a Sprint 1050GT, nice bike.
Matt
 
Sleepydawg said:
Like the pipes Keith. fancied V&H but after all the other changes (rebore 1450 to 1550 ) lower progressive shocks, cam, carb and air filter change and OH I almost forgot the corbin seat (which her indoors wasn't impressed with:D + all the extra chrome, the screaming eagles stayed. They sound great not as good as the V&H though
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The V&H are nice but are a bit too noisy, they have the baffles in but can still make your ears ring after a while :)
I have come to the conclusion you can end up doing a fortune on Harley's, I bought a sundowner seat for my g/f but it was so uncomfortable for me I took it back off.
 
Was out today on my Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 for a we 30/40 mile run in the nice weather, t'was simply marvellous. I still get a buzz and excited about selecting 1st gear leaving home...........that's a good thing!!!

My chain is moist, love it, I'm so fussy about a nicely lubed and properly adjusted chain. A nice way to be, I've noticed talking to other bikers that they seem to ignore their bike chain for both tension and lube......... lazyness to be honest.

:)
 
Just about to replace the front tyre on my Suzuki V-Strom DL1000, I keep an exact mileage list of when it was last replaced, and it works out I got 13 thousand miles from the fitted Metzler Tourance, I'll be fitting the newer Tourance 'Next' version within the next couple of days.

Superb!
 
Rode over to Crieff (Central Scotland) this afternoon and got a new Metzeler Tourance 'Next' fitted to the front of the Suzuki V-Strom DL1000, £85 all in, such a difference driving it home, felt so good..........again.

:)
 
Found this old photograph this morning when I was clearing out a cupboard upstairs. It's grainy because I remember shooting this with Kodak Tri-X 400asa 35mm b/w film, I'm guessing I shot this with a Nikon FM from (vague) memory around 2004 ish. I hand printed this myself at the time in a darkroom I had set up in our garage........oh the vivid memories, I can still smell the chemicals.

This is a crude photo I took of it with a standard lens on a tripod.




GS Adventure by Macvisual Photography, on Flickr

My 2004 model GS Adv, such a brilliant bike!
 
I've been riding since 1975 . Many bikes over the years. Currently riding a 25 year old FJ1200 ( I've had several FJ's over the years. ) If there's one bike I wish I still had. Probably my BSA A65 Thunderbolt, that I restored to Concourse condition. I spend a lot of time with bikes, I'm the Darley Moor club photographer.

Here's my current FJ, looking good for her 25 years.

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and here she is in the Dark Hedges , doing a bit of touring between the Tandragee and Cookstown race weekend.

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Very nice FJ[emoji41]

I passed my test in January 1996 aged 17, and have had bikes more or less ever since. I'm a bit odd (as anyone who has seen my onesie pic in the funnies thread will testify) so I tend to like oddball bikes.

My current collection is a mix of odd and conventional. I have a Ducati 900ss injection model which I've owned for five years now, a Benelli Tornado TRE900 which I've owned from new (on 15 plate - got the very last new one) I also have a CBR600 which I restored from a hound, and an early FZR600 which is my summer runaround / cloudy day bike - much less mint, but still great fun to ride.

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That GPz behind your CBR looks either interesting (extended swing arm) or someone's half inched its rear wheel! It's also hiding a nice looking bike!!! :p

Not sure I can justify any more toys, although if I show Mrs Nod your collection, I might be allowed one more...
 
Nod said:
That GPz behind your CBR looks either interesting (extended swing arm) or someone's half inched its rear wheel! It's also hiding a nice looking bike!!! :p

Not sure I can justify any more toys, although if I show Mrs Nod your collection, I might be allowed one more...
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Hehehe, I love being a bad influence [emoji48]

The Kawasaki in the background was indeed quite a tool, it was a street / strip tool, hence the extended swing arm. Photo was taken at the Super Sausage Café on the A5 between Milton Keynes and Towcester - I go there quite regularly.
 
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Can't get the hankering for Rocket 3 out of my system. Ridiculous, really but I just want one!!!
 
macvisual said:
My chain is moist, love it, I'm so fussy about a nicely lubed and properly adjusted chain. A nice way to be, I've noticed talking to other bikers that they seem to ignore their bike chain for both tension and lube......... lazyness to be honest.

:)
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Those of us who commute have scottoilers with the high capacity reservoir. ;)
 
Been riding now for 34 years, just got back from 3 days in Wales 900 miles in three days with my stepson on the back. Hopefully he will be the next generation of biker!
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[GALLERY=]Untitled by Riareab, on Flickr[/GALLERY]
 
He certainly is, we had an off on the way up there when a old motorhome stalled on a very steep hill, I stopped the bike but couldn't hold it up on the camber. My fault for riding to close.(stupid idiot) Never phased him at all, we rode the next 60 miles in Snowdonia without a front brake! Really proud of him. This was his first trip of over 50 miles, a true baptism of fire. But he loved it and can't wait for his next birthday when we will get him his licence and a bike.
 
Started riding in 1960 with my first bike being a Velocette and now 15 or 16 later I still have one along with an 1100 BMW. I've owned, and certainly ridden most makes over the years at one time or another and there's just nothing like the enjoyment to be got from swinging a bike, of any size through a series of nice bends on a sunny day. Our all time best holidays have been the one's touring Italy on our last BM, a week there, a week say on the bay of Naples and a week back, perfection.
 
Yardbent said:
Tiger 90 350cc Sports Twin prob early 1960's --- upgraded from a Tiger Cub ....:)
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Never actually owned a Cub, but the T90 I bought new in 1965 was one of the best bikes I ever owned, the other being the BMW R80/7. Seeing as how I ended up doing a straight swap with that for a 1955 Series D Black Shadow which after a full rebuild I sold for to pay the deposit on a house though, I can't complain.

Around 300,000 road miles on bikes over 26 years, some of them as dispatch rider for a TV news crew, and all but two of those bikes British. Never broke a bone on the road but made up for it on the track ...
 
Fitted a manual cam chain tensioner to the CBR today, the standard (new) one was struggling to maintain tension when the engine was started hot. The APE unit can't back off, so doesn't have that issue. Now quiet as a lamb on a hot start. [emoji4]

 
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Byker28i said:
Quite a few Harley owners. Mid-life crisis? :D
Ridden a few in the states, kinda make sense there in the sunshine, never really fancied one here

but then you see the vrod customs, different exhaust, low bars
http://imgur.com/gallery/JvD5D
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I grew up with bikes; had a Suzuki 50 at age 13, then a Bridgestone 125, Honda CB750 Supersport, Yamaha XS1100 (really loved that bike) , Honda XR 500. When I moved back to the UK I didn't ride for 20 years, then in Qatar bought a Harley Sportster, so I guess I qualify in the mid-life crisis category. Now I have a Softail Slim, bought in Qatar and shipped over here when I left.

I find the Slim handles pretty well, and is very comfortable for long rides (off to Scotland for 10 days touring on it tomorrow). I use the Sportster for round town.

I hate the seating position on sports bikes (pointy bikes, as my wife, another Harley rider calls them). I also don't want that much horsepower; the 110 of my Slim is plenty.
 
Almost bought a 1/2 Harley (Sportster :p) but after about 1/2 a mile, my hip told me I should turn around and take it back before it (my hip, not the bike) seized solid. That's why I ended up with the Triumph instead. Loved the 88" Shovel I had custody of about 25 years ago but couldn't afford it when the owner sold it.
 
Here is a few Iv'e had in the past and finished up with the Busa.




 
Mine went like this:
Honda melody
2x Rd 50'south
Rd 125lc
Then got into cars then passed my direct access.
Got a gsxr 600 arad
Then brought a band new car 600rr had that for 8 months and some f****r stole it.
Brought a gsxr 600 k2 loved it. Then broke my ankle not on the bike.
Sold the bike as I'd be out on it whenever it wasn't raining and became a magnet for cars almost hitting me, so I sold up.
With the state of the roads around here I wouldn't get another one.
 
kingo15 said:
With the state of the roads around here I wouldn't get another one.
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The standard procedure around me seems to be rather than repair the roads, drop the speed limit :(

As to bikes, I've had a couple.

Currently have a VTR SP2 in White :)
 
I 'failed' my CBT at the first attempt back in 2010. I was so bad, they wouldn't take me out on the road. I'd done downhill mountain biking for many years and I should've flown my CBT but I just couldn't put it altogether on the day. I did get my CBT at the 2nd attempt, just.

Unbelievably and after some extensive and intense quality training, I passed Mod 1 and Mod 2 first time in 2011. Scary to think I could barely ride a motorbike just about a year before and now I could go out and buy a 200mph+ machine.

Anyway, after passing my CBT, I bought myself a Skyjet 125. It was made of cheese but it taught me a lot about riding and also maintenance, as it was in bits more than it was on the road. I rode it even after passing my tests but finally gave in to the lure of a bigger machine and bought myself a second hand Bandit 600. It was mint when I bought it, the owner was 70 and had it from new, it was his baby and despite the bike being 11 years old when I got it, it only had 6,800 miles on it. I still have it, it's still mint and I love it, I can't see me ever parting with it.

My made of cheese Skyjet.

Stilton Skyjet by Dale, on Flickr


The Lady, as she is known.

The Lady. by Dale, on Flickr

I've changed the indicators for smaller ones, put on a hugger, removed the bag carrier and the collector box to muffler joint has been modified to stainless rather than the manufacturer mild steel version. The whole exhaust is now stainless. I've had to replace the oil cooler, tyres and battery but apart from those little changes, it's as it came out of the factory.
 
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