Motorbikes

[Eps]

Idiot count today: four. Sunglasses, baseball caps, shorts, sleeveless tops, flip flops, powerful bikes, unable to ride. Can't wait til Florida brings in the compulsory MSF course. That should weed out these dicks who think they're too good to spend a few days on a 250cc Nighthawk learning how not to die.

Oh, and I got my bike. Cosmetic damage (that I'd been told about) was indeed consistent with being dropped from a standstill and not low-sided at speed, so I bought it (after haggling to get a slightly better deal). Just over 600 quid. Total bargain.

[Eps]

Sorry for the double post, but does anyone have one of the older (pre-2000) 600cc CBRs? Thoughts? Friend of mine is thinking about buying one.

[charlesr]

Any old cbr6 is going to be fairly reliable. The F3 and F4 are mean't to be fun but not nuts. Which probably suits most people. The F4 styling is better than the F3 imo.

[charlesr]

I can understand people riding around in shorts and Ts, but flip flops? WTF? How are you possibly in control? I also don't get riding without gloves. Not from a safety point of view but just from gripping the bars - it's so much more comfortable with gloves.

[VR46]

I even saw a guy with no top on at all the other day. Madness, they'll only crash once without leathers believe me.

Flip Flops is taking the pee though.

[MartyG]

Got forwarded this in email this morning - can't vouch for its authenticity but it seemed feasible.

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For Sale

06’ Suzuki GSXR 1000

Fourways Johannesburg

This bike is perfect! Only done 3000 kms and has had its 1500 kms dealer service. No fall/scratches. I use it as a cruiser/commuter. I’m selling because it was purchased without proper consent of a loving wife. Apparently “do whatever the f*** you want” doesn’t mean what I thought.

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I've seen a fair few of the t-shirt and short brigade out this last week, though they tend to be mostly scooter riders around here rather than R1 jocks. Still, I wouldn't be wearing shorts even on one of them.

[Alastair]

All the scooter riders round here are gear free, most don't even do up their lids or have visors. They have no road sense and no skill. I really disagree with the CBT system being enough to allow 16 year olds or people that can't drive onto the roads. Bikes that can do 32mph (although 90% will be derestricted to allow closer to 50mph) are dangerous things. I don't overly care about them but to other people too it's a serious risk.

In the hot spell a few months ago I saw a guy on a Hayabusa in loose trainers (no socks), tracksuit trousers, a vest and a lid, that was all, no gloves, no sleeves. I thought fair enough, maybe he's only going round the corner but he was ahead of me all the way to the A27 and then shot off at speed limit speeds and over. As David says, you'd only fall off once without gear.

Personally I always wear as much as I can, if I'm only going the couple of miles into town on the 30 roads I may just have jeans but even when it's boiling I'm still sweating in jacket, boots, gloves and lid, anywhere over a 40 road and I'm in all the gear and a back pro too.

[Eps]

I usually prefer mesh gear here (in Florida) due to the climate. However, back in the UK I'd always opt for more substantial gear. It's just that down here wearing full leathers or a full synthetic suit can do you more harm than good, due to the heat affecting your riding. So it's mesh for 9 months of the year and leather for the other three or so (when wearing it becomes tolerable). I do always use proper leather boots though, and leather gloves. I don't really like non-leather gloves. And needless to say I wear a full-face helmet.

Which brings me to another odd point. In the UK the motorcycle police tend to be fully kitted out. Full face or flip-top helmets, proper jackets and trousers, proper boots and gloves, the lot. And obviously they're good riders. Now, Florida Highway Patrol are good riders too. In fact, they tend to do the training courses over here. But:



That's what they wear. I know it's hot here, but ffs!!

[TheForce]

my girl works at the hospital at the Intensive care, she has told me a few stories of fools on bikes that fell off wearing no protective gear.... and it didn't look nice at all...
You won't see me riding without my leather gear for sure.

tomorrow we're going to the Nordschleife, excellent weather, should be great fun again !

this was taken at our local "race track" on an industrial park...

[fragmast3r]

can never understand people riding with inappropriate gear on, here its mainly the 16 - 17 years olds on the 50cc scooters,

one such lad today, i was in car moving away from set of lights probably 6 foot between me and the car in front, next thing twat on a suzuki moped decided to shoot up the inside of me and cut into the afforementioned gap, didnt even look to see how much room he had given himself, no lifesaver undertaking, actualy clipped my left hand bumper and fell off!! shorts, sandles and a sleevless t shirt........... nice bit of blood, cracked plastics on his bike. slight mark on my bumper, got out my car picked up his bike and just said i hope youve learned your lesson, to me surprise he started mouthing at me saying i should of let him in!!!

hope wasnt like that when i was 16!!

[thegreathopper]

Bikes.

can never understand people riding with inappropriate gear on, here its mainly the 16 - 17 years olds on the 50cc scooters,

one such lad today, i was in car moving away from set of lights probably 6 foot between me and the car in front, next thing twat on a suzuki moped decided to shoot up the inside of me and cut into the afforementioned gap, didnt even look to see how much room he had given himself, no lifesaver undertaking, actualy clipped my left hand bumper and fell off!! shorts, sandles and a sleevless t shirt........... nice bit of blood, cracked plastics on his bike. slight mark on my bumper, got out my car picked up his bike and just said i hope youve learned your lesson, to me surprise he started mouthing at me saying i should of let him in!!!

hope wasnt like that when i was 16!!

Did you not see him in your wing mirror? I ride a motorcycle to work every day but drive a car at weekends, I am always on the look out for youngsters on scooters. In fact where I live in North London it is not unusual to see them wearing no helmet and jumping the lights.

I think when you ride a bike it makes you more aware of your surroundings.

[MartyG]

I think when you ride a bike it makes you more aware of your surroundings.

I agree - that doesn't stop 16 year olds on scooters being incredibly stupid.

[fragmast3r]

Did you not see him in your wing mirror?

first i saw of him was literaly level with passanger window, as there was a left turn presumed he was going left, sorry but if you ride your bikes lke twats you sometimes get what you deserve.

[Crisp_Rapper]

sorry but if you ride your bikes lke twats you sometimes get what you deserve.

yup, sounds to me like he barely had enough room to get through anyway and caught a case of the wobbles and took himself out on your car. the fool.

[Eps]

It's hard to spot the scooters sometimes; they can hide in the blind spot pretty well. And you can bet these kids don't know about proper lane positioning and that.

Passed my advanced skills course today. Well, I say "advanced" - it's not a track course. It was more a course on finicky / low-speed / tricky techniques useful on the street, in confined spaces, etc. Totally opened my eyes as to how slow you can go and still lean all the way, with proper technique. Weather was completely horrendous though. Riding for five hours a day (while concentrating on the exercises) in 42 degrees of Florida summer heat and then having to ride in a tropical rainstorm really sorts the men from the boys. Particularly when the rainstorm coincided with the high-speed-with-tight-turn cornering drills

Oh, and I rode a Honda Nighthawk 250 on this course (my bike's in Tampa at the moment). Absolute ****e. Front brake (drum!) is about as useful as holding a bit of tissue against the wheel