Motorbikes

I'm not allowed to sleep on my left side - it directs my snores into Mrs Nod's ears!!!
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Thank you. Feeling a lot less painful now. I’m down to taking the meds only when I wake up and when I go to bed. Still can’t sleep on my left side though.
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I broke collar bone and a couple of ribs in 2012/13 (can't remember exact date) and had to sleep on my left side for months. Now I can't sleep comfortably any other way. [emoji37]
 
Mr Bump said:
yep i had an old kawa er5 for my hack as it was and my z750 got tucked up in winter.
had a set of engine bars that could have been made by vickers.

once that got to the end of its life, actually i sold it to a riding school for barely £200 than i paid for it keeping it for 3 years i got a honda CBF600 (old carbs version) seen below top left.

you can just see the massive crash mushrooms sticking out.

View attachment 304481
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4 bikes and in the kitchen...well played sir well played
 
Got a dogleg between the front door and living room, otherwise... :)

Very tempted to knock the garage back door and window out and to put double doors in instead so I can get the bikes through to the back garden.

A mate was very unpopular in his shared house when he stuck his (rather leaky [and it still is, 30+ years later!]) T100 motor in the only bath in the house. Showers were still possible but people got fed up with oily feet!
 
clutchfingers.png
 
A old biker stops at a country pub after a long summer ride . When he goes through the doors, hanging over the bar is a menu that says
Lager £2.00
Hamburger £2.50
Cheeseburger £3.00
Chicken Burger £3.50
Hand Job £50
There is an exceptionally Attractive Barmaid serving a couple of old farmers at the bar.
The Biker checks his wallet to see what funds he has and calls the Barmaid over.
"Yes," she says with a knowing smile "How can I help you?"
The old biker leans over the bar "I was wondering young lady" Then whispers "Are you the one that gives the hand Job?"
She looks into his eyes and with a big smile says "Yes, that's me!"
The old biker moves closer to her left ear and whispers "Well, wash your hands really well because I want a cheeseburger"
 
Years of all weather riding in relatively poor gloves have left my fingers very stiff so I can barely play bass these days. Not that I was that proficient at my peak!!!
 
Nod said:
Years of all weather riding in relatively poor gloves have left my fingers very stiff so I can barely play bass these days. Not that I was that proficient at my peak!!!
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Before the days of heated grips and heated gloves too I guess.
 
Yup. The only set of heated grips I had just got too hot to hold so kept going from frozen to scalding, especially when the gloves got wet!
 
Well, I ride Triumph cruisers (mostly!)...

bikers.jpgriders.jpeg
 
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Nod said:
Years of all weather riding in relatively poor gloves have left my fingers very stiff so I can barely play bass these days. Not that I was that proficient at my peak!!!
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Sad to say, that's probably maturity - I've not ridden much since the early 90s and my fingers are now too stiff to play guitar like I did. I'm trying to turn vice into virtue and now play slide more instead. ;)
 
The only way I've ever been able to play 6 string is by using barre chords on an open E tuned guitar!
 
Fat fingers make finding a slide that fits... interesting! Tried with a pedal guitar slide on my lap but not worth the ear-ache!
 
While we're talking music in a bike thread, this brought back happy memories of Hatfield tunnel and a mate's 88" Shovelhead Harley with straight through pipes.

hatfield.jpeg
 
Ricardodaforce said:
On the subject of museums, if you’re ever in province of Alicante in Spain, this museum near Guardalest is a little gem.

Museo Vehículos Antiguos Guadalest | Automoción, aviación y navegación en Guadalest

www.museovehiculosguadalest.com www.museovehiculosguadalest.com

Here are some photos I took there:

www.flickr.com

Museo Vehículos Históricos Valle de Guadalest

Explore this photo album by Fotomondeo on Flickr!
www.flickr.com www.flickr.com
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Best one I have been to is the Schiumpf Collection in Mulhouse, France. It's a great motoring museum and it's in the Alsace, which is my favourite part of France.

Cité de l'Automobile

National Museum | Schlumpf Collection
www.citedelautomobile.com www.citedelautomobile.com
 
goodtriumph.jpg
 
To be fair, that last one could be anything Italian. I loved my Aprillia Falco, but the reliability was worse than the rust on a 70's Morris..... Especially in cold weather when the starter solenoid would just stop working.
 
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Jelster said:
To be fair, that last one could be anything Italian. I loved my Aprillia Falco, but the reliability was worse than the rust on a 70's Morris..... Especially in cold weather when the starter solenoid would just stop working.
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I've had 2 Ducatis and had no reliability issues with either of them.
An older 600 monster and a 996.
 
I Don't Always Need Another Bike....jpg
 
Well my promise to myself to spend less on bike bits this year is already in tatters.

I bought some Bark Busters hand guards. They are a lot stronger than the ones supplied with the bike.

IMG_0639.JPG
 
A worthy addition but consider rotating them so the top of the metal section is just above the height of your knuckles when resting on the grip, they are deflectors.

Last September on a narrow lane blind bend in the Lake District a campervan came towards me, he was half his side of the road and half on mine - clearly overcooked it.
The campers door mirror (they are large) grazed my knuckles and spun my mirror round, it could have been a lot worse! I was wearing Dainese gloves (can't remember the version) with a metal knuckle guard, nevertheless my hand was numb for quite a while

I ordered barkbuster storms and a Innovv k2 camera system the following day.

My 2p :)
 
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Any owners of Suzuki V-Strom's here ?
I'm thinking of selling my old Honda CBF1000 and getting one, most likely the 650 for weight and money reasons mainly, though the 1000/1050 really appeals, but that's the heart talking, and wallet says 650, as does getting anything past my wife...
I'd be interested in hearing anything you have to say about them - thanks !
 
stevewestern said:
Any owners of Suzuki V-Strom's here ?
I'm thinking of selling my old Honda CBF1000 and getting one, most likely the 650 for weight and money reasons mainly, though the 1000/1050 really appeals, but that's the heart talking, and wallet says 650, as does getting anything past my wife...
I'd be interested in hearing anything you have to say about them - thanks !
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Before buying my bike I test rode the 650XT and loved it. Very responsive and gorgeous to look at in the yellow option.
It’s pretty heavy though, 9kg more than my 900cc bike.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Before buying my bike I test rode the 650XT and loved it. Very responsive and gorgeous to look at in the yellow option.
It’s pretty heavy though, 9kg more than my 900cc bike.
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Ahh. I thought it was fairly light compared to others, it's certainly lighter (from my memory) then my cbf1000. What do you have (my memory tells me it is a Tiger of some sort)
 
stevewestern said:
Ahh. I thought it was fairly light compared to others, it's certainly lighter (from my memory) then my cbf1000. What do you have (my memory tells me it is a Tiger of some sort)
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Yep, Tiger 900 GT. The other thing about the V-Strom is that it doesn’t come with any of the nice toys (heated grips, cruise control etc).
But, as I said, they look gorgeous!
 
Did my CBT for the first time in 2010. 'Failed' it at my first attempt, got through the second time a few weeks later. I bought a 125, a Chinese Skyjet CBR knock off, it was made of cheese. Decided to get my test done in 2011, passed Mod 1+2 first time.

Sold the Skyjet, bought a 600 Bandit, crashed that in 2019, hurt myself a bit but my helmet saved my life, of that there is no doubt. The visor aperture was 1cm narrower after the crash. Briefly unconcious and swore I'd never ride again, 3 days later, I was rebuilding the Bandit, my first ride after the crash was to 'Crash Corner', just to finish off what I'd started and actually make the corner.

I lost looks on the Bandit though, it was never the same. I over engineered the rebuild and it was probably a better bike to what it was pre crash. I soon traded it in for a 2003 Honda CBR 600, Rossi replica, which has done just over 300 miles in 18 months. :oops: :$

Skyjet,




sizIMG_8447.jpg


Bandit,


bandit pre first ride 3 copy.jpg


CBR,

IMG_0677[1] rt.jpg
 
Dale. said:
Did my CBT for the first time in 2010. 'Failed' it at my first attempt, got through the second time a few weeks later. I bought a 125, a Chinese Skyjet CBR knock off, it was made of cheese. Decided to get my test done in 2011, passed Mod 1+2 first time.

Sold the Skyjet, bought a 600 Bandit, crashed that in 2019, hurt myself a bit but my helmet saved my life, of that there is no doubt. The visor aperture was 1cm narrower after the crash. Briefly unconcious and swore I'd never ride again, 3 days later, I was rebuilding the Bandit, my first ride after the crash was to 'Crash Corner', just to finish off what I'd started and actually make the corner.

I lost looks on the Bandit though, it was never the same. I over engineered the rebuild and it was probably a better bike to what it was pre crash. I soon traded it in for a 2003 Honda CBR 600, Rossi replica, which has done just over 300 miles in 18 months. :oops: :$

Skyjet,




View attachment 308737


Bandit,


View attachment 308738


CBR,

View attachment 308739
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Cool.
I didn't realise your bandit was fully faired....
 
I’ve got some time off at the end of April. If allowed I’m hoping to do the NC500.
 
Ricardodaforce said:
Yep, Tiger 900 GT. The other thing about the V-Strom is that it doesn’t come with any of the nice toys (heated grips, cruise control etc).
But, as I said, they look gorgeous!
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A big problem for me is the cost - I had one of the original Tigers, which was SO top heavy, but a brilliant bike, as was my BMW GS1100, but I'm talking 25 years ago I guess...
I'm not sure how many toys I want or need, I've spent much of the last 35 years recovering from a bike smash with a drunk driver, so these days am a slow dry day rider, and want something reasonably light, very comfortable, but I'm not ready for a cruiser, and hope I'll never be in some way... The Suzuki seems to fit the bill, could almost be affordable and won't make me want to go fast, which may be the most important thing.
 
stevewestern said:
A big problem for me is the cost - I had one of the original Tigers, which was SO top heavy, but a brilliant bike, as was my BMW GS1100, but I'm talking 25 years ago I guess...
I'm not sure how many toys I want or need, I've spent much of the last 35 years recovering from a bike smash with a drunk driver, so these days am a slow dry day rider, and want something reasonably light, very comfortable, but I'm not ready for a cruiser, and hope I'll never be in some way... The Suzuki seems to fit the bill, could almost be affordable and won't make me want to go fast, which may be the most important thing.
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Sounds like it’s the bike for you!
 
Got fed up with the rubbish alloys that Triumph use for their engine casings (they pit as soon as you look at them) amd went for a "black conversion" on the Thruxton R (clutch and ACG covers, air intake covers and sprocket cover). Very happy with the result, although I need to decide whether to do anything with the heel guards as Triumph don't make them in black.

i-W3p3zzf-M.jpg
 
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