Motorbikes

[TheForce]

seriously, just ten minutes on that thing would be worth ending up in a wheel-chair with no face.

yeah, and you would, have you seen the brakes on that machine ? ... only one disc at the front wheel, it has mucho power and only one brake disc ? ...

I'll be on one of these Hayabusa things over on your private race-track faster than you can say Leidseplein. (is that actually the red light district? I recognise the reflection in the window )

yes it is on the Wallen (red liht district),
and better not go with a Hayabusa to the race tracks.... it not made to handle corners very well .... if you really want to be fast get a Supersport.

Last year I saw a big idiot on a Hayabusa on the Ring thinking he was Valentino Rossi, he was going to battle on the track with a guy on a Fireblade......... on the straight he was fast but at the first chicane he crashed out and his bike was wrecked...... ****ing idiot

[charlesr]

I fell off a few years back. Before that I was a nutter, leaning it right to the edge, but now I can't relax enough near the edge to actually get there without bottling it. This is probably a good thing, but I do feel my riding skills have been compromised by fear. Weirdly on uphill corners I crank it right over without realising. Any hints?

PS. That pink Hayabusa looks rubbish. Totally ruined in both form and function, imo.

[Eps]

Last year I saw a big idiot on a Hayabusa on the Ring thinking he was Valentino Rossi, he was going to battle on the track with a guy on a Fireblade......... on the straight he was fast but at the first chicane he crashed out and his bike was wrecked...... ****ing idiot

Substitute that with me on my Ninja 250 vs. almost anyone, irrespective of what they ride,* who laughs at the small bike and thinks they can beat me round the twisty roads, totally unaware of the fact that although my bike isn't so fast in a straight line, boy, can it corner


* - I say "almost" because of course the truly clued-up riders could both defeat me round the corners, and also don't feel the chip-on-shoulder need to on the street because they know what riding a motorcycle is really about

Edit: Has anyone here replaced the horn on their bikes? Does it make any significant difference? I'm thinking of replacing my bike's beepy little horn with a nice loud one, but I wonder if people will actually notice me (in traffic) or just think it was a truck or something!

[NaveT]

Just got my motorbike learner's permit in Oz. Practical and Theory, which allows me to drive anything up to 250cc.

I am after a scooter though. Thinking a Vespa 125 or possibly the Piaggio Fly 125.

Anyone got any experience of these? I am just using it to go around my local areas. (3miles max)

[charlesr]

I've some vespa experience. I wheelied it through a closed garage door. Oops. How we laughed. My nads hurt a bit though.

Replacing the horn? I don't think I've ever used mine. When are you supposed to use it? (apart from in quiet elderly neighbourhoods )

[MartyG]

When people start moving from a junction because they haven't looked properly to stop them in their tracks before they enter your lane

Or if someone has been watching the other direction for ages because a queue of traffic is passing and coming to an end, and they haven't glanced in your direction at all.

Or if someone is reversing out of a driveway and clearly can't see you very well.

Or a car is trying to pull through a gap in stopped traffic and hasn't got a proper viewpoint of the road

A quick blip of the horn normally stops them, or makes them look and if not a longer blast, a wave when they then acknowledge you.


The horn is there to use as warning to show that you are there, though most people only use it as a show of anger at other people's driving.

[charlesr]

In all those cases, I'd be hard on the anchors rather than the horn in case it doesn't do the trick. Perhaps I should do both. I really don't think I've ever used it apart from to see what it sounds like

[MartyG]

There'd be no need to be on the anchors, the whole point is to stop you needing to brake, to stop the driver making the maneuver, not reacting to it, because by then it's too late to use the horn anyway.

[MJ]

Go Rossi!

[Pavey]

I rode Vespa's for 6 years before motorbikes,and still have a 1976 Rally 200.

NaveT, are you going for gears or a twist and go? If gears, i would go for a px200.

No longer in production, but you should be able to find an 04 model easily enough.

[DUKENUKEM2UK]

got a suzuki gz125 marauder coming home last night i noticed the speedo was not lighted up any clues on how to fix this

[Eps]

got a suzuki gz125 marauder coming home last night i noticed the speedo was not lighted up any clues on how to fix this

You can usually take the front off the panel. There are bulbs behind the "dash" on some bikes that have one. Otherwise, if it's a stand alone unit like on some scooters and cruiser bikes, you might just have to suck it up and get a new speedo.

Re: horn - it's very VERY useful down here, where drivers are about 10 times worse than anywhere in the UK. There are so many huge cars, pick-up trucks, 4x4s and etc. that half the time they don't notice you even when you're literally right there in front of them. Headlight modulators (used sparingly) are somewhat popular here for the same reason, but of questionable legality, so I prefer the horn method.

Going on a long errand tomorrow - nice 200-mile trip along Route 19 through the small towns on the Gulf Coast of Florida! Should be a four-hour ride, or five with breaks. Really looking forward to it.

[Vince]

I've been reading this thread a bit recently as i am thinking about getting a motorbike now i have a local job. I have never ridden one (i've ridden the odd scooter) so i need to get my CBT but after that i'm a bit stumpted about what to buy. I want to start with a 125 so that i can get used to riding, plus the smaller outlay is a bonus but i was wondering if anyone has any recommendations?

[Eps]

Well, you don't have a choice, mate: in the UK you have to ride a 125 for your first two years of riding, unless the law's changed. There are some nippy 125s about, though, so don't feel too discouraged by that. I think you can do a direct access course to ride larger displacement bikes, though, if you're over 21. To be honest, unless you wanted to ride on the motorway all the time, you might as well stick with the 125 at first. Not only will it give you great fuel economy (over 70mpg is common) but it'll also prevent you from getting into too much trouble with a twist of the wrist.

With some bigger bikes, you can be going along at a safe speed, hit a pothole, as a novice be gripping the throttle in a death grip so the jolt results in an involuntary throttle twist, and bam - you're suddenly going 40mph faster in less time than it took to realise what's going on. To give another example, my bike is "only" 250cc (the smallest engine class commonly available in the US), but it does 0-60 in about the same time as a Porsche 911 and has a top speed of well over 120mph. Big-displacement bikes are dangerous for new riders.

[charlesr]

Big-displacement bikes are dangerous for new riders.

Not sure I'd agree with that. I went from never ridden a motorbike before to having a zzr600 (100bhp 160mph sports tourer) in 5 days (direct access test). It was easy to ride it slow or fast. It would have been dangerous if I was a complete idiot. Oh hang on

As for 125cc, get a motorcross or supermotard style one - you'll laugh yourself silly. Or a 125cc moped for easy riding, rain protection and a bit of storage.