Motor bike.

[Digit]

Bikers can have a bad rep matt, I walked into a pub with the wife once clad in m/c gear and was refused service, till I took my helmet off and they saw my grey hairs that is.
But if you ride then you are 'in' and a friendlier bunch would be hard to find so the repairs to the 50cc come as no surprise.
Reluctantly yes jenx. One the other hand as the kitchen roof has no insulation at all and soaks up my heating fuel I'm currently working on which bike I can buy with they heating savings once I've done it! :lol:
Thanks for the info, I hadn't thought about classic status.

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

Roy's bob-on Matt ... biggest 'family' in the world, and 'stuff happens' that caravanners & 'cagers' couldn't ever dream of.
There's no barriers, when you got flies in your teeth :wink:

 

[Digit]

Never mind the flies! The fastest braking I ever did was with a Wasp inside my helmet!! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

Of course, that DOES open up a world of potential schoolboy humour !!! :lol: :lol: :lol: ....
At this point, I believe its customary to offer to get ones coat. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Nice one roy, been there too.. ( on the bike ) :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Digit]

From where you are Jenx a cloud of midges can be fun as well, but my worst experience was from a brick wedged between the two rear tyres on a truck. As it speeded up the brick departed! :lol:

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

Thats uncanny... i have experienced exactly that ! .... brick missed me by a few feet, but very scary !

Have been clobbered by the odd discarded coke can, fag end, sandwich etc tossed out of car windows.. and of course the old favourite... stopped behind Johnny silly person that uses his screenwashers that fly right over his roof and get you square in the face, when your visor's up

 

[Digit]

Ah the dreaded fag end. Motorists don't seem to realise what happens to their rubbish once they've discarded it do they?
Any non biker must be questioning our sanity by now Jenx. :lol:
I'll hazard a guess that you've been riding for some years?

Roy.

 

[Tom K]

Bird hit a glancing blow to my helmet never found out what type.
Almost broke my kin neck :lol:

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I had a was hit my shoulder then sting my on the neck, ouch.


Pete

 

[johnny.t.]

I 'parked' my last one in the side of a peugeot at 85mph, my mate behind missed it by a couple of inches. I drive a Landrover now...Nuff said.

JT

 

[Vormulac]

I had a motorcyclist crash right next to me while I was unloading the car on Saturday. Heard the noise, looked up in time to see her sliding along the road towards me on her face (helmeted, thankfully). I don't think she was seriously hurt, the paramedic was there in less than a minute and the ambulance about 4 minutes after that, I think they just checked her over and she went home. Nasty moment though, perfect weather, low speed, no one else involved, a nice new bike and the bloody thing still sent her down the road on her face - I love the idea of motorcycles, but there is no way in **** I'd ever ride one!

 

[Tom K]

Its all part of the fun :shock: One of my crash helmet's had a neat gouge right on the top, from travelling several feet in a headstand position.

 

[Jenx]

Any non biker must be questioning our sanity by now Jenx. :lol:
I'll hazard a guess that you've been riding for some years?
.

A wee while Roy, yes !
Legally since 16 with a wee 50,
then onwards to the (ripe old) current age of 44 and a bit... with a 5 year lay off ( couldn't afford the bike ! ) when I was in my early 20's.

Some years see more mileage than others.. just depends on all the usual circumstances really, how much free time is available, what other demands there are on that time.. how much spare cash to devote to weekend rallies etc...
They''re seldom a decision thats taken with the head... much more of a 'heart & soul' based 'investment' 8) :lol: :lol:

Tom - in 'headstand' position ha ha ha ha excellent !

 

[Digit]

I moved here two up Jenx on Honda FT 500 engined Honda CB250 RS, the snag turned out to be a lot of the local police are keen bikers.
The number of times I was pulled up for a routine check, ie 'chat', drove me to sell it!
But going by some of the other posts, yes, we are insane! Frankly I think we are still teenagers at heart.
And the roof looks worse by the minute, rot all over the place now, damn it!

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

tut tut Roy :lol: :lol: :lol: Had you put a 'naughty mill' into a frame & rolling chassis that indicated a slightly lesser-performing machine, with the intent of hoodwinking the authorities ? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I sort of 'missed it' by a few years, but a lot of 'irresponsible fellows' did enjoy the practice of a 250 / 400 being shoehorned into a 125's frame, in an effort to squeeze a wee bit more 'wheelie-potential' out of their bikes
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I guess no more naughty than when we 'big-bored' our 50's out to the (vast) 75 or 80cc with outsize pistons, rings etc etc .. ha ha , that takes me back a bit ! Almost always ended in an unmitigated disaster of some kind, usually a very oily leg of your jeans,
or 'fire' eminating from below and encircling one's nethers like some "devils revenge" for interfering with the 'stock' machine,
or a "Jenx & FIZZY" Shaped hole in a hedge.
... none of which were part of the plan for 'enhanced performance', when the bigbore kit was bought ! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

great days, great memories, and hopefully there's a few more left in us all yet .. there's nothing like knowing we're growing old (dis)gracefully to ensure the smile stays every bit as wide as it was at 16 8) 8) 8) 8) :lol: :lol: :lol:

Have you got that insurance in place yet ? ... I bet it will be , before the weekend !!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Digit]

Naughty, me?
No way jenx.
It all started the day I hurt my back heaving my Kwak upright for the umpteenth time.
Being a short buttocks I found a 31 inch seat heigth, combined with a wide seat, meant putting a foot down at traffic lights etc was fraught with disaster, and this morning I parked at work, lost it and buried one handle bar in the grass!
I had previously had a 250 RS and I knew that the FT engine could be persuaded into place, with certain mods.
So I sold the Kwak, bought a CB, and an FT engine from the breakers in Telford and set to work.
Only 40 HP but a very handy bike, I'd do it again if I could get the engine.
I'll be checking insurance this evening, now it's off to buy roof beams!

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

I think we must be related Roy... 795mm seat height is about my maximum, which I think is just about 31" !!!

all this 810mm stuff is just plain 'elite-ism by thos lanky japanese' :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


From another shorty ( but wide-y ) :wink:

 

[Digit]

I watched a programme a while back and this chap was looking for a new bike, he was only 5ft 2 so had a real problem.
Bikes have got physically smaller in recent years but back in the 80s they seemed to be getting bigger and bigger!

Roy.

 

[Jenx]

Yes, Definately smaller in wheelbase, steeper steering-head angles ( for more responsive turn-in )... I was on my pal's R6 recently, and the rate which it drops into a corner is so rapid its disconcerting ! ....

And 'odd' ways of trying to keep the centre of Gravity low .. like the Buell's with their "Fuel in the Frame / Oil reservoir in the Swingarm" design quirks ... yet seat-heights seem to keep creeping up and up..

I quite fancied changing my XJR1300 ( Seat height 795mm ) for an Aprilia Tuono, because I quite liked the idea of going back onto a big twin again, but the seat is up about 830mm and I physically struggle to get on it... and this is becoming the norm. Cruisers aside of course.. and one day I may feel the need to go for the 'Hardly Driveable', but not yet :wink: ..
Yes, the 'fashion' certainly has become shorter wheelbases & taller...
which all work against the design of human which I am !

 

[Digit]

Good handling is more important round here than flat out speed Jenx. Sharp bends, high embankments, suicidal Badgers and sheep, not to mention homicidal motorists of course! :lol:
The roof has now become a complete strip and rebuild damn it!
I needed a battery strap to finish off the CB but hadn't been able to source one anywhere, so Sunday evening I E-mailed David Silver's.
9.30 Monday morning a Mr Tim Whiting E-mailed me back to tell me that a specific one was not on their books, but if I cared to give him the dimensions he would see what was available.
Less than an hour after my reply he was back with a part no, complete with pics against a steel rule, of a suitable item.
How's that for service?

Roy.