Any Motörbike riders here?

Phil_aka_Pip

@P90fool good lookin' bike! what engine is it?

p90fool

It's a 500 Bullet engine and frame, bits from all years from the '30s up. I built it as a fun work hack when I ran a bike shop years ago, but it's become part of the family

http://imageshack.us/a/img607/1240/e769.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img839/5449/hwjl.jpg

Phil_aka_Pip

@p90fool it's a well cool bike

octatonic

Very nice @p90fool

BenSirAmos

These guys run a basic maintenance evening which is very good:

http://www.ovalmotorcyclecentre.co.uk/web/index.php

But you should still get a Haynes manual

I've also been to oval to do more challenging jobs - you can hire a bike lift and do it all yourself in the knowledge that if you get stuck there will be someone there to help get you out of a fix (and I did get stuck and they did help me out).

octatonic

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

Will do 6 months or so on one of those and then I'm getting this bike in that exact colour.

http://www.jamesrichmond.com/misc/bonneville.jpg

Bonneville T100.

strumjoughlamps

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

not tried an Aprillia RS 125 then? I took a Rieju 125 for a test and that could shift.. I cannot get on with sports frames though much prefer being a bit more upright hence why I chose a YBR

octatonic

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

not tried an Aprillia RS 125 then? I took a Rieju 125 for a test and that could shift.. I cannot get on with sports frames though much prefer being a bit more upright hence why I chose a YBR

I rules out the RS125 early on as they are expensive to maintain and tend to be owned by 17 year old racer types.

I got on the Honda CBR 125r and it was like riding a mini-bike- or a clown bike.

Did you have a YBR custom or the regular YBR?

strumjoughlamps

octatonic said:

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

not tried an Aprillia RS 125 then? I took a Rieju 125 for a test and that could shift.. I cannot get on with sports frames though much prefer being a bit more upright hence why I chose a YBR

I rules out the RS125 early on as they are expensive to maintain and tend to be owned by 17 year old racer types.

I got on the Honda CBR 125r and it was like riding a mini-bike- or a clown bike.

Did you have a YBR custom or the regular YBR?

I do have a normal YBR, I find it comfy, nippy around the city and more than acceptable on longer journeys.. its dirt cheap to run and keep and super reliable.

octatonic

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

not tried an Aprillia RS 125 then? I took a Rieju 125 for a test and that could shift.. I cannot get on with sports frames though much prefer being a bit more upright hence why I chose a YBR

I rules out the RS125 early on as they are expensive to maintain and tend to be owned by 17 year old racer types.

I got on the Honda CBR 125r and it was like riding a mini-bike- or a clown bike.

Did you have a YBR custom or the regular YBR?

I do have a normal YBR, I find it comfy, nippy around the city and more than acceptable on longer journeys.. its dirt cheap to run and keep and super reliable.

Okie doke.

Any desire to get a bigger bike?

Do you get on motorways at all?

Myranda

octatonic said:

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

not tried an Aprillia RS 125 then? I took a Rieju 125 for a test and that could shift.. I cannot get on with sports frames though much prefer being a bit more upright hence why I chose a YBR

I rules out the RS125 early on as they are expensive to maintain and tend to be owned by 17 year old racer types.

I got on the Honda CBR 125r and it was like riding a mini-bike- or a clown bike.

Did you have a YBR custom or the regular YBR?

It was one of those crappy CBR125R things that I rode for day one of DA... and has given me my opinion of 125s ... they're horrid little things that seem to weigh less than a fairies thoughts

octatonic

Myranda said:

octatonic said:

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

Went shopping for bikes today, saw loads and made some decisions.

Definitely NOT buying a 125cc sports bike- they are tiny and slow.

I got on a Honda CBF and a Yamaha YBR- they were both a decent enough size for me.

not tried an Aprillia RS 125 then? I took a Rieju 125 for a test and that could shift.. I cannot get on with sports frames though much prefer being a bit more upright hence why I chose a YBR

I rules out the RS125 early on as they are expensive to maintain and tend to be owned by 17 year old racer types.

I got on the Honda CBR 125r and it was like riding a mini-bike- or a clown bike.

Did you have a YBR custom or the regular YBR?

It was one of those crappy CBR125R things that I rode for day one of DA... and has given me my opinion of 125s ... they're horrid little things that seem to weigh less than a fairies thoughts

Yes, I didn't like at all.

The CBF, although cheaper, felt like a more substantial (if basic) bike.

Myranda- do you have photo's of your bike?

I'd be interested to see it.

strumjoughlamps

octatonic said:

Okie doke.

Any desire to get a bigger bike?

Do you get on motorways at all?

not really, if I could afford to do DAS and run a bigger bike we would be running 2 cars instead I think..saying that I do really enjoy grabbing my camera and heading off somewhere..

cannot go on motorways but I am regularly on the dual carriageways around the Midlands,  65mph with ease so I keep up with a majority of traffic..

if you are only planning on being on a 125 for 6 months why not just get a cheap banger and not overthink what you want out of a 125? save you money for your DAS/bigger bike?

octatonic

strumjoughlamps said:

octatonic said:

Okie doke.

Any desire to get a bigger bike?

Do you get on motorways at all?

not really, if I could afford to do DAS and run a bigger bike we would be running 2 cars instead I think..saying that I do really enjoy grabbing my camera and heading off somewhere..

cannot go on motorways but I am regularly on the dual carriageways around the Midlands,  65mph with ease so I keep up with a majority of traffic..

if you are only planning on being on a 125 for 6 months why not just get a cheap banger and not overthink what you want out of a 125? save you money for your DAS/bigger bike?

Fair question.

Mrs Oct is going to do her CBT so she will (probably) inherit my 125 for a bit and I want her on something decent as she might not go for direct access.

holnrew

This is making me want a motorbike.

octatonic

holnrew said:

This is making me want a motorbike.

Once I'm on my Bonneville I'll organise a road trip.

p90fool

Count me in!

strumjoughlamps

are you thinking of buying a bike from a dealer or private? if you haven't got your riding gear already quite a few dealers will throw in £200 odd quids worth of gear to get the sale so factor that into the cost of buying private and then needing to buy gear as in some occasions you might find the cost not that different..

octatonic

strumjoughlamps said:

are you thinking of buying a bike from a dealer or private? if you haven't got your riding gear already quite a few dealers will throw in £200 odd quids worth of gear to get the sale so factor that into the cost of buying private and then needing to buy gear as in some occasions you might find the cost not that different..

I didn't really have a firm opinion either way but I was tending to go with dealer for a degree of warranty.

The Bonnie is 6-12 months away and the 125- I'll probably just get whatever YBR or CBF I can get that looks in good repair/condition around the £1000-1300 mark.

I did think that I would try to buy in the colder weather.

I figure that bike sales will be down at this time of the year- and maybe there will be less bargains about as the weather gets better.

Do people agree with this?

boogieman

Yes, you'll get a better deal in the winter. I bought my Honda 1000 in January and it was a good £500 cheaper than the summer price. Dealers usually have more stock in winter too due to lightweight nancyboys who only want to ride to Box Hill to pose about in their leathers on warm dry summer Sundays.