Any motorcyclists on here as well?

[Cosmin_M]

I was riding a 1998 Diversion 600 for about 2 years and a 2000 gsxr600 for 1 year. Enjoyed every second with them, not the speed or acceleration but the sensation of freedom. Never had a serious accident but always understood the risk involved and prepared me and the family for the worst. I no longer feel that there is enough satisfaction to justify the risk so I am not planning to own a motorcycle in the near future. I still have my helmet and gloves, as a reminder of the good times

 

[Binnedit]

IMG_0571

• Binnedit
• Dec 22, 2020

This was my last steed. Sold it a couple of years ago now, and not replaced (yet). It did a couple of Euro tours & the NW500 with the missus. Just a brilliant machine - arriving in Dover as fresh as a daisy, after 6 hours on the motorway.

No current plans to replace, as it seems I spent more time watching and anticipating numpties actions, than enjoying riding.

 

[Frontstep]

I was just unlucky in burying so many of my younger days friends and having a mishap myself to carry on biking.
There is no doubt you get enormous bang for your buck with a bike and a nice day.

Now you can buy a hurtling ship electric one, but it's not for me now.

The medical community doesn't need me on a bike

 

[A.J.]

I was just unlucky in burying so many of my younger days friends and having a mishap myself to carry on biking.
There is no doubt you get enormous bang for your buck with a bike and a nice day.

Now you can buy a hurtling ship electric one, but it's not for me now.

The medical community doesn't need me on a bike

Like you we lost three of us, two not their fault and one taking a right hand bend too fast and hitting a car coming the other way. Shortly after that I gave up riding.

About 16 years ago I took a job as a Dealer Principal at a Triumph dealership. Amongst others we had a Bonneville demo. I donned a helmet one day and decided to take it up the road for nostalgic reasons to see if I still liked it, it was only a Bonny but I nearly wet myself so that was the end of that.

We also had a Rocket III demo, people came from miles around for a demo ride. We knew full well that very few of them would be buyers although we did sell 4 or 5 whilst I was there. We used to direct them up the dual carriageway through to Great Yarmouth because it was a straight piece of road knowing they weren't very good on the bendy bits. I remember a couple of them saying that their feet came off the pegs when accelerating and they couldn't get them back on again

All just memories now

 

[Frontstep]

The turning right accident figured as well as a few others and I have just heard an ex-employee has been hit hard and has many fractures but has survived.
I visited another lad who worked for me and walked past his bed went up to the nurse and said he's not here must have been moved but that man in bed x looks like the elephant man what happened to him ?

She said that's him !!!!

There are surely a few still alive because of the Isle of Man being cancelled.

They're good fun bikes but a fearful risk and I am not anything like as capable anymore.

 

[sonic]

The turning right accident figured as well as a few others and I have just heard an ex-employee has been hit hard and has many fractures but has survived.
I visited another lad who worked for me and walked past his bed went up to the nurse and said he's not here must have been moved but that man in bed x looks like the elephant man what happened to him ?

She said that's him !!!!

There are surely a few still alive because of the Isle of Man being cancelled.

They're good fun bikes but a fearful risk and I am not anything like as capable anymore.

Knowing your capabilities is the absolute key, once you are out of your comfort zone you are in real danger. Unfortunately a lot of younger rider don't appreciate it & see the red mist.
I have mentioned elsewhere I am over 70 still riding regularly, & I cant think of an occasion when I didn't think I was in full control of the situtation. When that day comes its the day I will retire from biking.

 

[DSK]

Sonic makes a vital point. Knowing ones limits. What amazes me is, I can understand as youngsters we step over the line (part of the learning curve I guess) but, for grown adults to do it boggles the mind.

Today, I cannot even ride to within 80% of what I used to be able to ride. Back in the day, I will say I got away with a lot. Flying over crests at 160+mph and smoking on landing, tearing through country roads so hard, the bike bucks and weaves under you kicking the stones out from the corners of the kerbs means that luck and skill will run out at some point.

Coming to the realisation, that it would be something as silly as clipping a kerb at xxx mph that takes me out and that riding like your on the isle of man should be left for such events, not a daily joyride commute. One day, I said to myself, I cannot risk putting my parents through the grief of loss due to my antics, parking up the bike immediate and putting it up for sale.

Now I am not ashamed to say that, today, I'm the slowest superbike rider on the road. This is because I have gained self control and can stick to the speed limits, spend more time anticipating and watching others who will take you out or, due to their own crap driving cause a chaos which will include me and I don't have a get ahead or overtake everything attitude. I just appreciate the difference of motorcycles. Additionally the choice of bike, same as a choice of car, will have an impact on you, whereas some bikes are like fighting a lion and others are like lounging around in slippers. As an example, the 2007 GSXR-1000 is just an awesome jack of all trades whereas the 2007 pre big bang R1 I had was a PITA (painful at anything less than flat out).

 

[A.J.]

Sonic makes a vital point. Knowing ones limits. What amazes me is, I can understand as youngsters we step over the line (part of the learning curve I guess) but, for grown adults to do it boggles the mind.

Today, I cannot even ride to within 80% of what I used to be able to ride. Back in the day, I will say I got away with a lot. Flying over crests at 160+mph and smoking on landing, tearing through country roads so hard, the bike bucks and weaves under you kicking the stones out from the corners of the kerbs means that luck and skill will run out at some point.

Coming to the realisation, that it would be something as silly as clipping a kerb at xxx mph that takes me out and that riding like your on the isle of man should be left for such events, not a daily joyride commute. One day, I said to myself, I cannot risk putting my parents through the grief of loss due to my antics, parking up the bike immediate and putting it up for sale.

Now I am not ashamed to say that, today, I'm the slowest superbike rider on the road. This is because I have gained self control and can stick to the speed limits, spend more time anticipating and watching others who will take you out or, due to their own crap driving cause a chaos which will include me and I don't have a get ahead or overtake everything attitude. I just appreciate the difference of motorcycles. Additionally the choice of bike, same as a choice of car, will have an impact on you, whereas some bikes are like fighting a lion and others are like lounging around in slippers. As an example, the 2007 GSXR-1000 is just an awesome jack of all trades whereas the 2007 pre big bang R1 I had was a PITA (painful at anything less than flat out).

In my day if you had a bike that would do 100mph that was a good-un

 

[coxyhog]

In my day if you had a bike that would do 100mph that was a good-un

My old Bonnie used to start to self destruct at about 80.In 1983 rode my mates 900SS Ducati flat out at 130 from Oxford to Denham on the M40,it was fun at that speed but a handful in town.I've had 130 indicated on the Harley but only once & it wasn't very comfortable.

 

[sonic]

Only managed 155mph on quiet autobahn 20 years ago, & thats quick.

 

[Frontstep]

A friend was hurtling on the autobahn to catch a ferry and was overtaken by a big BMW with the kids playing on the back seat whilst he was clung on for grim death on some type of Kawasaki ninja kickboxer or something.
He decided to catch the next one.

 

[Jimbo1959]

Only managed 155mph on quiet autobahn 20 years ago, & thats quick.

I remember I hadn't long had my VFR 800 my mate and I were heading up the town, him on his R1, he'd been using the R1 for a good year or two so was well used to it, I on the other hand had had the VFR for a couple of months and was still getting used to it.

We had just got to the bypass when he more or less lay down on the tank and disappeared. Without really thinking about it, I did the same thing, trying to catch up to him, aye right!

I am crouched down in the nose cone and out of curiousity I look at the speedo.... FFS!!! I'm doing 155mph!!!......Slowly, roll off the accelerator.... slowly, sit up trying not get blown off the back.... and the cars in front of me speed up and stop going backwards at a rate of knots.

All the while thinking... for Christs sake Jim, you're 48 years old now, you're not 18 anymore.... BEHAVE!!

 

[ajlsl600]

Thats the problem with bikes ..we can. They handle n shift often way past our ability. If circumstances allow the trailer plus two bikes will be heading to uk n sold in spring.
Like flying I loved doing it ,bikes, since 11but comes a time to understand. the odds and walk away whilst one can. Just too many idiots on road esp in the uk.

 

[Blobcat]

Only managed 155mph on quiet autobahn 20 years ago, & thats quick.

I had 6 minutes at full throttle in 6th on the GSA 2 up and full luggage... speedo oscillating between 125 and 135 which considering the shape of the GS was pretty good. M3 behind and a 911 in front
I perhaps also remember an indicated 176 on the 996 in North Wales...

 

[Jimbo1959]

I perhaps also remember an indicated 176 on the 996 in North Wales...

A waking dream perhaps Russ?

 

[A.J.]

Not on a Bike but in my mid 20's when I was a sales bod in a high end Sports Car Dealership. Myself and Danny, father of F1 and Indycar driver Mark Blundell and owner of the dealership went down to Winchmore Hill in North London to pick up a Ferrari Dino and a Maserati Ghibli. On the way back up the A1 I was clocking 145mph in the Dino and Danny in the Ghibli was getting away from me. You couldn't do that to-day there wasn't the traffic around then

About the same time as that a mate of mine had an Aston Martin DBS V8. We clocked 152mph on Topplers Hill on the A1 near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire and that is the fastest I have travelled in or on anything

 

[Blobcat]

A waking dream perhaps Russ?

Only comfortable above 90 officer...

 

[Jimbo1959]

A waking dream perhaps Russ?

I meant that in the sense of trying not to get you into trouble Sir, not cheekily, as it came across when I reread it.

 

[Blobcat]

I meant that in the sense of trying not to get you into trouble Sir, not cheekily, as it came across when I reread it.

I don’t often take the gate as well as the fence...

North Wales was never the place to get caught, I’m only surprised Brumstrom didn’t bring back hanging...

 

[sonic]

I had 6 minutes at full throttle in 6th on the GSA 2 up and full luggage... speedo oscillating between 125 and 135 which considering the shape of the GS was pretty good. M3 behind and a 911 in front
I perhaps also remember an indicated 176 on the 996 in North Wales...

I have had 140mph on the FJR full luggage & topbox, rock steady. In Germany of course.