DELETED_5350

Bet you had the chicks dropping at your feet :cool: :p

Draeger said:
and white, yes white for gawds sake, Alpinestar carbon fibre boots
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Don't talk about white :o
I spent my early years in one-piece white leathers :/
 
Freefaller said:
I feel pretty safe. I've learn to anticipate the idiots who pull out without looking, or people who swerve without realising what's around them. I just asume that no one has or can see me, so I make sure I don't take stupid risks. Every single time I've had a close call it has always been the other person's fault. Now I'm not saying I'm mother theresa when it comes to riding/driving, but dammit when I'm on my bike I don't like putting my life in the hands of strangers. (Though I have jumped out of planes when other people have packed much 'chute... talk about hypocricy :p).

I do like to give it some beans, I do like filtering past slow moving cars, and stationary vehicles, and I am perfectly entitled to do it. However I don't do it at 100mph. I keep the difference in speed enough to make the manoeuver safe and quick, but not stupidly fast to cause trouble for myself.

At the end of the day we all share the road and we have to take responsibilities for our actions, however bikes are more vulnerable and it would be nice if car drivers did actually accept the repsonsibility of not seeing the person and admitting it's their fault.

Part of the thrill of a bike is that a quick wrist movement can have you hurtling down a road almost instantly at obscene speeds. Also the g forces, and the vulnerability adds to the thrill of it all. I also feel there's a lot more skill and generally it's more exciting - it's generally faster too.

I get a lot of people flashing their lights at me thinking I'm on full beam, but then I turn on full beam and they realise that actually they're being erratic and not concentrating on the road ahead (whilst may I add, being stuck in the middle land instead of moving over ;)). The front suspension on a bike twitches a lot more than on a car and a bit of extra weight on the back will lift the front light beam a bit - there's no easy way of adjusting this whilst riding. Hey if you're getting blinded at least you know there's a bike behind you and you can leave it to pass without playing silly buggers eh?

Frankly I think too many car drivers use excuses to put their lack of driving skill on show. I'm not saying all bikers are angels, in fact I'm sure most aren't - but why fight over it? Is it REALLY such a big deal? For the sake of someone's safety, let your egos go is what I say.

Anyway, my skills aren't that of Rossi, and often I feel a little bit overwhelmed when I'm going for it on my bike, or just pootling through town. However most of the time, as long as I'm observant and don't go OTT I feel really safe, even in the wet, though I've had the front slip out on me and the rear wobble on me a few times, but that's generally owing to me not being smooth enough, or hitting a road marking or a pothole or manhole cover.

Riding a bike is safe, as long as you ride within your skill, and are observant, defensive, and make no assumptions that people can see you. :)
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Word...

And the main beam was exactly my point earlier, 60% using main beam is a made up number imho

:o
 
Desmo said:
I'm coming up to nine years now :eek: Didn't realise it had been that long.
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tis amazing how quick the years pass, got my bike licence in '87, 2 months before i passed my car test.

As for Draeger, i remember seeing all the gear at the time. Doohan rep was the in thing for lids.
Paddock jackets were the uniform of the "elsie" riders, along with Simpson bandits and doc martins.

Them were the days.

Robb
 
Desmo said:
I'm coming up to nine years now :eek: Didn't realise it had been that long.
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I am 29, i past my bike test 3 days after my 17th birthday.

It does go quick, my son turns 9 this year, i remember it like yesterday, half the time i keep thinking it WAS yesterday.
 
I doubt any biker feels 100% safe on the road, I know I don't.

You just have to think that everyone else on the road is an idiot and ride accordingly.

TBH I have never had a problem riding in the wet, but I am very wary of frosty/icy roads, I ride to work every day on my bike except when the roads are icy, only missed one day this winter.

For added safety I wear a day glo vest and have flourescent stickers on the front and back of my bike and on the top box, some people think I look like a copper but that only makes it safer for me;)

Also fitted a pair of PIAA spots for added visability.

Nige.

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I've been riding since 1980 and passed my bike test in '84, just after the two part test came in, having failed the one part test about 8 months earlier (not giving parked vehicles enough clearance), and didn't pass my car test until '89.

Back in the days when the coffin tanked RD250 was THE learner bike to have ...
 
Treefrog said:
Back in the days when the coffin tanked RD250 was THE learner bike to have ...
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Used to have one of them, the old aircooled RD's were brilliant.
The one i wanted was the RD400, with its cast wheels.

Robb
 
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OMG!!!......I found more!!! :eek:

First ever "brand new" bike I owned back in 1989, a Kawasaki GPX600R:-





This was the bike I sliced an old farts Ford Fiesta in half with after about 3 weeks of ownership. :rolleyes:

Look at the nick of me in those pics!!!. I must have been a 32" waist back then and the lack of any grey hairs oan ma napper is slightly disturbing!!!.

BMW K100RS about 4 years later:-

 
had loads of bikes over the years, currently a gsxr1000, which went to OCuk the other day as it happens.
my advice is-get used to the brakes before you get used to the power
avoid knobs in volvos
take care in the wet especially where buses are using roundabouts a lot (diesel spills)
take good care of your feet (sorry that's lieutenant Dan in 'run' forrest gump)
no seriously take good care of your chain
 
MouseMat2004 said:
I hope we dont look back at the latest GSXR/R1/ZX10R etc in 20 years and think 'God that is dated!' and 'What was I wearing!'
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Was going through old photos in the loft other week from when i first started going up to Devils Bridge.
Back in them days, seeing a Harris Magnum was pretty common. Turbo charged GSX1100's would be around. Lots of RG250/RD350's. Gpz550 was the middle weight bike to have. Gpz1100 was the Gixxer 1000 of the time, then the GPz900R arrived.
Then the nutters would arrive on RG500's, trailing a wake of Castrol R (mmm, nice smell.)
Remember an old bloke turning up on a TZ350 race bike one day, had a day time MOT, the cackle from the race pipes was enough to make your ear's bleed!
Then the first FZR1000's and GSXR1100's appeared followed by the 600's, CBR and GPz and the teapot shaped GSx600.

Been great over the years watching bikes evolve.

Robb
 
fireblade900 said:
Even if it's dry you still have to be wary of things like diesel spills on bends or roundabouts.
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I had a minor spill in November last year but didn't hurt myself and all that happened was my leggings got a bit torn.
I was coming home from my afternoon shift and it was around 10.20 pm and it was raining.
I had no chance of seeing the diesel in this weather :mad:

Fortunately I had crash protectors fitted which saved my bike's bodywork from getting scratched.
 
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