What's with this biker thing nowadays?

[lights.out.london]

I asked a few friends if I could join them on the bank holiday run and was kinda laughed at? The bike I'm riding easy does 75mph so I don't get it?

 

[Cloud]

I was really looking forward to the bank holiday, managed to find a few local lads with 125's via the net but I'm sure it's going to piss it down and spoil me fun


I'll have you on the bends London

 

[baffled]

Keep an eye on the Events Page at the Ace Cafe as they have regular bike meets and often have ride outs to various places.

The Ace is always busy even if there isn't an event on that day.

 

[Jambooboo]

The bike I'm riding easy does 75mph so I don't get it?

The 125 scooter I'm using does about 60 flat out on a straight, will keep pulling over 40/50 on a steep hill but it wouldn't do 75mph easily. Mine is only a fairly cheap bike (Benzhou - a Chinese brand), and it's not been properly run in yet (just less than 1000km on the clock so far). Maybe it's also been restricted - think it might have to be as I've only done my CBT so far.

Anyway, I've found bikers to be really friendly sorts, acknowledging you when you pass each other, leading the way through traffic, general pleasant etiquette and friendliness. It's the drivers who are the cunts (and pedestrians to a much lesser extent).

I imagine some bikers are snobbish towards smaller bikes (especially scooters). But I likes me scooters - wouldn't mind getting myself one of the new Honda Silverwings or Suzuki Burgmans (both about 600cc I think) when I get my Direct Bike license. Sports bikes just don't do it for me - the riding position looks uncomfortable to me. Maybe a chopper or a cruiser would be fine.

 

[chymaera]

Sports bikes just don't do it for me - the riding position looks uncomfortable to me. .

The shitting frog riding position on sports bikes is only comfortable at speeds above 160mph.

 

[Cloud]

The burgman has quite a following

I'd love to go down the supermoto route myself but not untill I can afford the relevant security to own a potential offroader where I live. It's a pain in the arse that offroaders get nicked so much.

 

[ddraig]

Fuck, timing.

Just had a call at work to say one of my colleagues has just been involved in an RTA with a motorbike on the A470.

FFS

really hope it's not this one mate http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6696197.stm

sounds grim

Driver appeal after biker deaths

Police investigating the deaths of two motorcyclists in a crash on the A470 in the Brecon Beacons are trying to trace the driver of a van.

The crash involved five motorcycles and a Volkswagen Passat north of the Nant Ddu Lodge at 1500 BST on Friday.

Police said a British woman and an Italian man died at the scene - just north of Merthyr Tydfil - and three others were taken to hospital.

Officers said the driver of the slow-moving van may have information.

 

[ICB]

really hope it's not this one mate http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6696197.stm

sounds grim

Afraid so, my colleague was in the Passat and one of those taken to hospital but he's OK, just shocked and minor back injury.

Apparently a female biker hit an oncoming car which span and another biker hit it side on, those two were the fatalities. I would guess that the two other bikers are in a pretty bad way.

And the Bank Holiday has officially started That's nasty ICB, I hope both your colleague and the biker are ok.

Time to stay off the roads for 4 days, or at least today and Monday evening. I wouldn't fancy the A470, A5 or A55 to be honest at the moment. IMO BHs bring out the worst in wankers or unsafe/unsure drivers, both on 2 wheels and 4

Ain't that the truth.

 

[bikergrrl]

I went out to a local biker spot yesterday on a 125 but felt totally alienated from the rest of the bikers there as they were almost all on either 1000cc sports bikes and a few of the 600cc class or massive choppers. Everyone had full Moto GP race suits or looked like a leather clad american.

I remember it being much different in my youth, used to see loads of RD350's and all the rat bikes painted black. Big gangs of 125 youths, even 50cc riders. The main dress was a paddock jacket, some jeans and trainers.

I asked a few friends if I could join them on the bank holiday run and was kinda laughed at? The bike I'm riding easy does 75mph so I don't get it?

Why has everyone forgotten the simple joys of just being on two wheels (I like bicycles as well) and why does everyone want a huge superbike if they don't go on the track? I've ridden large bikes extensively up to 1300cc and got the same good feeling (almost) on a moped. Most riders on the sportsbikes can't even ride, I feel it is just an image thing or cock extension.

I have no intention of riding anything bigger than a 500 in the future. Will I ever fit in with the current breed of "biker"?

Any links to zany small bike clubs appreciated as I am not going to buy a sportsbike and knee pads just to get a some riding buddies. I'm actually a good sports rider but I don't want a hugely powerfull superbike to ride on the road.

Knew I shouldn't have bought Superbike mag, the mentality in there is depressing.

You think that's bad? I used to ride a 400cc ZXR which easily did 140mph, and I never felt like I was welcome on a ride-out. The really annoying thing was that I could easily keep up with the blokes on the 600cc, 800cc and 1200cc bikes on the corners, I just couldn't match their acceleration on straight patches.

Or maybe it's because I'm a woman, I don't know. I just got fed up of feeling like I had to "prove" myself to be allowed in their "gang".

I just put it down to the fact that you meet knob-ends in all walks of life.

 

[chymaera]

I just put it down to the fact that you meet knob-ends in all walks of life.

There are a large proportion of knob-ends in some motorcycle clubs, which is why I am not a member of one anymore.
(There are also a lot of iffy 40-50 something blokes still living at home with mum in the biking fraternity).
One of the best rallies I go to is organised and run by just two people.

 

[Cloud]

Well since looking around on the net I have managed to find at least ten people who want to go on ride outs with me ranging from other 125 riders to guys and girls on large sportsbikes

My faith in motorcycling is restored

 

[Janh]

Here's one guy who won't make it though.

A 71-year-old man died from excitement the first time he went out on his new motorcycle, says a coroner.
John Parsons, a retired engineer from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, suffered a heart attack on his 125cc Honda and fell into the path of an oncoming car.

I was touched by this story on BBC's newsite. New biker, 71, died of excitement

 

[Orang Utan]

Just reacting to the OP - wearing leathers is just common sense - you'd have to be a bit of a nob to wear jeans, even on a 125. Hell, if I was the kind of lazy bastard who rode a scooter, I'd probably leather up too

 

[djbombscare]

Sounds like you ended up at the wrong place. One of those media circus ( like Ace cafe when theres nothing proper on ) places full of people with all the gear and no idea. Just cos its cool


Its the same in most "cool " sports mate. Surfing Mountainbiking, skateboarding snowboarding etc etc. the second they become a little bit cool the knobbers move in

 

[subversplat]

Just reacting to the OP - wearing leathers is just common sense - you'd have to be a bit of a nob to wear jeans, even on a 125. Hell, if I was the kind of lazy bastard who rode a scooter, I'd probably leather up too

There's jeans for every occasion

 

[djbombscare]

I ride in these mate