Any Motörbike riders here?

Pwalo

VimFuego said:

/\ /\ now, aesthetically those Royal Enfields are right up my alley. I know less than nothing about bikes, brands, types but I do know that if I get a bike, I want something like those (anything other than a Harley really). 

Be prepared to add 20 mins to any journey with a stop in order to detach yourself from the inevitable "old chap" who had one in Ninety Tickety Two when bikes were real bikes etc etc...

Kittyfrisk

^ To be fair, Boomers & Gen X'ers are a bloody nuisance with their recognition, appreciation, positivity & other such shite 

TheBigDipper

Pwalo said:

VimFuego said:

/\ /\ now, aesthetically those Royal Enfields are right up my alley. I know less than nothing about bikes, brands, types but I do know that if I get a bike, I want something like those (anything other than a Harley really). 

Be prepared to add 20 mins to any journey with a stop in order to detach yourself from the inevitable "old chap" who had one in Ninety Tickety Two when bikes were real bikes etc etc...

It's not just new models styled like old ones that get you cornered at parking spots. Any bike that has a brand name people  recognise will be the object of glances, stares and then an approach for full-on chat. I don't mind it, as usually these peeps are reminiscing about what might have been. One of those people who might have had a bike until they could afford a car and then stopped riding. But never stopped their wistful glances. It doesn't hurt to be nice and talk to them, so I usually do. 

I've always had a bike to ride ever since I inherited my dad's C70 when I was 17. I know how lucky that makes me. 

This boomer was out beating up some high back roads in  Dorset (Shaftesbury/Blandford/Dorchester) yesterday morning on his F900XR before slipping back to Christchurch. Lovely. :-) 

gubble

Pwalo said:

VimFuego said:

/\ /\ now, aesthetically those Royal Enfields are right up my alley. I know less than nothing about bikes, brands, types but I do know that if I get a bike, I want something like those (anything other than a Harley really). 

Be prepared to add 20 mins to any journey with a stop in order to detach yourself from the inevitable "old chap" who had one in Ninety Tickety Two when bikes were real bikes etc etc...

I've now taken to walking away from my bike when I stop somewhere as a lot of older gentlemen take a huge interest in the Enfield.

Most of the time I'm happy to oblige chat with them about it etc - but it happens every time and sometimes i just want to grab a coffee of go to the loo.

One old boy was really excited talking to me about my bike till he noticed the  modern registration, the previously describe lovely bike was now a piece of junk to him and he walked off.

I stopped at my local Triumph dealer for a nosey last weekend and all the staff came out to look at the bike and spent a good 20 mins going over it with the conclusion from themselves being "i'd take this over a bonne" 

@TheBigDipper - did you go to Sammy Miller's yesterday?

TheBigDipper

gubble said:

<snip>

TheBigDipper - did you go to Sammy Miller's yesterday?

No. Was something on? I only live 5 mins ride away, and often use the cafe as a debriefing coffee/cake stop when I've been doing some Advanced training with someone. 

Dominic

Pwalo said:

VimFuego said:

/\ /\ now, aesthetically those Royal Enfields are right up my alley. I know less than nothing about bikes, brands, types but I do know that if I get a bike, I want something like those (anything other than a Harley really). 

Be prepared to add 20 mins to any journey with a stop in order to detach yourself from the inevitable "old chap" who had one in Ninety Tickety Two when bikes were real bikes etc etc...

So TRUE
I've been at so many shows/rallies when an 'old timer' starts the boring chat about when he 'changed the spline of the butterfly on the carb of the Black Shadow ' etc etc 
I always say "Sorry ,mate ,but I hate old British Bikes ".........they look bemused and wander off just in time for some Weekend Warrior  'Hoggie 'on a Blinged -up Harley to start telling me how he insisted the Chrome cover on the regulator was nickel plated before having it re-chromed etc etc ............Bore Off 

Haych

VimFuego said:

Got a question about secure bike storage. I don't have a garage, and living mid terrace there's no realistic way to get a bike round the back. I do have a drive, are there ways to secure the bike outdoors or am I basically kidding myself and should resign myself to either not getting a bike or buying a house with a garage?

The husband of a girl I used to work with had his Harley stolen while they were in the house, and in broad daylight.  The gang who nicked it tied the doorhandles of the house so they couldn't be opened - the pair of them were in the house frantically trying to get out to stop the scum while they just forced their way into the garage, cut the locks off and wheeled in into a van and drove away!

I think it was some kind of reprisal for something he'd done that was not in the rulebook of the particular gang he was involved with.  But, if they want it, they will take it.

At home my mantra is always out of sight, out of mind. If you can cover the bike so it's not visibly identifiable as to what kind of bike it is, that is known to be a good deterrent for starters.  After that, making the bike as unattractive to steal as is possible with various disc locks, chains and ground anchors is a good idea.

A good tracker will probably stand you with a good chance of recovery if it ever is stolen, but nothing is guaranteed.

If you have the space and can afford something like an Asgard metal bike shed then that's probably as secure as it can be if used with other security measures.  CCTV overlooking the bike might be another option worth considering.

VimFuego

I have a fairly wide and long drive (not that I like to boast, I only use the 1st couple of feet) so plenty of room for a secure shed. That, and the locks is probably how I'll go, put it right up close to the house and "hide it" with the car. Them sheds are expensive, and if you never get the bike stolen it's a lot of money, OFC if it prevents the bike getting stolen then they're cheap.

p90fool

Pwalo said:

VimFuego said:

/\ /\ now, aesthetically those Royal Enfields are right up my alley. I know less than nothing about bikes, brands, types but I do know that if I get a bike, I want something like those (anything other than a Harley really). 

Be prepared to add 20 mins to any journey with a stop in order to detach yourself from the inevitable "old chap" who had one in Ninety Tickety Two when bikes were real bikes etc etc...

To be fair I've met some pleasant and interesting old geezers because of the bikes I ride when I have the time to engage with them, but a huge number of liars too, but that covers bikers in general to be fair, not just retired ones. 

I do occasionally tell them to fuck off though, like the last Tetley Tea Folk lookalike who pushed past me, rapped his knuckles on the tank and said "What a waste of a nice bike" a couple of weeks ago - presumably on the premise that you're supposed to keep them at home and polish them, not ride them for hundreds of miles every week. 

The self proclaimed mechanical experts are the funniest though, happy to try and bullshit someone who wears out and rebuilds bikes all the time. 

AK99

^ To be fair  - if you rolled up on that anywhere near me, I'd definitely be among the rest of them torturing you trying to figure out what's where, and why, on it. It's a gearhead's delight

AK99

Haych said:

If you have the space and can afford something like an Asgard metal bike shed then that's probably as secure as it can be if used with other security measures.  CCTV overlooking the bike might be another option worth considering.

The more barriers the merrier. CCTV doesn't really seem to work in this part of the world though, as the scrotes (or at least the professional scrotes) know to park well out of sight and cover their faces with hoodies. There's any amount of home cctv footage of thieves making off with bikes from outside houses on the forums here.

Fwiw my approach for about the last 10 years - at home - is first and foremost make sure you've decent insurance cover, arm the alarm so it kicks off a racket if anybody touches it, cover it, and block the bike in with car / cars if you can so they'll have to either lift the bike or lift a car out of they way. If they're desperate enough to want it despite all that - let them at it. 

VimFuego

cool, thanks. Next question (it's a slow day, humour me) about helmets (it's OK, I won't show you mine if you don't show me yours etc.). Is there a significant safety difference between open face and full face? I get a bit claustrophobic, and I wonder if an open face may be more comfortable. Also, is there any practical difference between a full face and a flip up? I guess maybe a full face is slightly easier on the face in winter?

Haych

p90fool said:

Pwalo said:

VimFuego said:

/\ /\ now, aesthetically those Royal Enfields are right up my alley. I know less than nothing about bikes, brands, types but I do know that if I get a bike, I want something like those (anything other than a Harley really). 

Be prepared to add 20 mins to any journey with a stop in order to detach yourself from the inevitable "old chap" who had one in Ninety Tickety Two when bikes were real bikes etc etc...

To be fair I've met some pleasant and interesting old geezers because of the bikes I ride when I have the time to engage with them, but a huge number of liars too, but that covers bikers in general to be fair, not just retired ones. 

I do occasionally tell them to fuck off though, like the last Tetley Tea Folk lookalike who pushed past me, rapped his knuckles on the tank and said "What a waste of a nice bike" a couple of weeks ago - presumably on the premise that you're supposed to keep them at home and polish them, not ride them for hundreds of miles every week. 

The self proclaimed mechanical experts are the funniest though, happy to try and bullshit someone who wears out and rebuilds bikes all the time. 

To be honest, it was bikers that put me off bikes for decades.  They're a weird bunch who, at the sight of an "interesting" machine, will immediately start talking bollocks.

A friend of my uncle (who we affectionate named Barnyard, because his house looked like one) used to restore vintage bikes and you could tell when he turned up because there would be a circle of middle aged bikers surrounding whatever machine he was riding, telling him how they used to have one when they were 16, or whatever.

Then there was the guy I used to work with who rode some Japanese super bike and he loved to bore tell people of the weird crank angle and over-engineered valve train his particular bike has.

If I occasionally ride out to the Baffle Haus there are herds of them waxing lyrical over all kinds of weird and wonderful bikes.  

Personally, I don't care, I'm not a bike fan per se, I just like riding.  I can't look at a bike and think phwoar, that's nice.  I can appreciate the engineering, and sometimes think about what bike I might get if I had the option, but when grown men start looking lustfully at old Nortons and BSAs I just inwardly yawn, roll my eyes and discreetly wander off.

The advantage of riding a BMW is that NOBODY talks to you.

AK99

VimFuego said:

cool, thanks. Next question (it's a slow day, humour me) about helmets (it's OK, I won't show you mine if you don't show me yours etc.). Is there a significant safety difference between open face and full face? I get a bit claustrophobic, and I wonder if an open face may be more comfortable. Also, is there any practical difference between a full face and a flip up? I guess maybe a full face is slightly easier on the face in winter?

Picture yourself doing a bit of road surfing - and then decide.

As somebody who face-planted off a bicycle going downhill a couple of years ago after a Bstd. dog ran out and got tangled in the front wheel, and has the scars to prove it - much and all as I hate being suited up like an astronaut in this kind of weather, I can't bring myself to lift the open-face helmet off the shelf now.

Haych

VimFuego said:

cool, thanks. Next question (it's a slow day, humour me) about helmets (it's OK, I won't show you mine if you don't show me yours etc.). Is there a significant safety difference between open face and full face? I get a bit claustrophobic, and I wonder if an open face may be more comfortable. Also, is there any practical difference between a full face and a flip up? I guess maybe a full face is slightly easier on the face in winter?

When I started riding I found it very claustrophobic putting on a full face helmet, so I opted for a flip-front helmet for my first one.

I don't think I'd choose to ride with a flip-front helmet now though.  Generally they are heavier, which is a big deal for me, and in the event of a crash they might not remain closed, so your face might become a meat crayon.  I found a test chart online once which had crash test results of various helmets, the particular helmet I had only stayed closed 3.5 times out of five doing the tests!

Same with open face - if your face plants the tarmac you're likely to do a lot of damage.

My first "proper" helmet was (still is) the AGV K6, the only thing I don't like about it is that it doesn't have an internal sun visor.  I also more recently bought a HJC RPHA70 (because it does have an internal sun visor) and while it's still a good helmet I much prefer the AGV.

To be honest, I could quite easily collect helmets, I think they're quite arty.  Other helmets I would like: AGV Legends X3000, Bell Bullit (supposed to be really noisy, but looks so cool), Bell Eliminator, Sheoi Glamster and Aria Quantic, among others.

Pic of my lids, wish I'd chosen a different colour for the AGV but that just gives me an excuse to acquire another

VimFuego

thanks guys, and I guess it's a case of if I had to ask the question like that I probably knew the answer. Will have to see how  get on with a full face before going all in.

jaytmon

Some flip helmets are designed to be ridden with chin bar flipped up, some, like a Schuberth I had, are not. I didn’t get on with it so sold it in the end. Also use an HJC RPHA70. 

There are some, like the HJC I100 that have a chin bar you can flip 180 degrees but after reading the comment above about some of them coming open in a crash I’d be hesitant. 

Personally I’d only wear one that as the gold ACU sticker on as they are track approved and therefore testes at speeds over 30mph (apologies for any factually inaccuracies!)

AK99

If you feel a bit shut-in with some of the helmets, worth having a look at ones with a bigger aperture to increase your peripheral vision - there's just less helmet crowding you in. Some are much better than others.

Just as an aside btw - those lids with the built-in sun-visors don't have the necessary ratings for MCUI (Motorcycle Union of Ireland) licensed events here. If you press on the area where the visor sits, it flexes very easily. Maybe not entirely relevant for road-use, but just sayin..

Kittyfrisk

The best standard for flip front helmets is dual homologation, like my Caberg Duke.
Some examples here (no affiliation with the site)  https://billyscrashhelmets.co.uk/tag/dual-homologated/

Dominic

Caberg Duke is a very good helmet
I only wear open face minimal helmets even when flying around on a supersports/supernaked or the V4S Pannigale because I just can't do with the loss of peripheral vision or the claustrophobia
a full face isn't going to make any difference at the speed I ride .