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Starting to get warmer... any other motorcyclists gearing up on here?

I told myself two and a half years ago that at 70 I'd reached the age to stop riding. With reluctance I advertised the Guzzi, half hoping that no-one would be interested. Someone was.
For all my adult life, during the times I was without a bike I always knew there was one in my future. But as soon as the Guzzi was taken away, for the first time since I was 16 I didn't feel like a motorcyclist. I no longer buy bike mags, I no longer look at bikes as they pass me.
I still have the helmet, the gloves, the boots and the leather jacket. It's time they went.
 
/\ Great post:) glad I'm not the only one daft enough to have always had bikes and no car.... so if I HAD to go from Newcastle to Essex in February....

Keep it up guys and get me inspired to get back on the road.. you're getting there:):)

Was just thinking about which bike I most miss and would want back from all the machines I've had and it's a bit weird really... are you sitting down...? good. MZ TS250 Supa 5

I'll get my coat:D

Have we done enough for you to get your mojo back yet!?...
 
I sold my Guzzi California 1100 at 71, but the SV stays until I physically (or mentally!) can't ride any more. They(?) say you don't stop doing stuff when you get old, you get old when you stop. And stopping doing trackdays has definitely had a mental effect, but luckily building speakers and amps, which I have done for longer (50 years now) has given me something to keep getting my teeth into. Being retired makes it hard to keep motivated and moving.
I no longer look at bike mags, too, but fortunately my wife has become almost as passionate about MotoGP as I am, so we share that, We rode to Mugello once, and went to Donington once (horrible compared to Mugello), so we both have a feel for it. I'm lucky, as my wife properly got me into music, and I got her into bikes.
Although my parents both rode (scooter and moped) for a while, and an uncle ran a bike school, I had a bike at 16 for only one year, and never rode again until '92, when I took my bike test, aged 43, And did my first trackday aged 51! Reading back my posts, it might almost sound like I am a good trackday rider; I'm really not, just done quite a few and learnt a bit, but was always inconsistent. And usually had the slowest bike. But a faster bike, a '93 Blade, just gave me concussion and several fractures, So I went back to an SV, but one with a 700cc engine and race exhaust system. I managed to redline it in 6th only once, at the new Anglesey, so that might, just, be 140, but maybe not, but never faster than that. But going round Gerrards kneedown most of the way is fun enough for me. And having to hit the throttle at the bottom of Paddock Hill to stop the forks bottoming, too. Mind you, the 'Ring as my first trackday almost killed me. Over the grass at Adenauer Forst and NOT crashing was a bit too exciting. Have a look at the You Tube videos there, if you haven't already.
The pleasure I have had, and hope to continue to have, has outweighed the pain by a good margin, despite there being too much of the latter.
So I ain't stopping until forced to. Probably by my wrists!
 
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My last bike. Back, knee and shoulder issues ended my biking days 3 years ago, but I still miss it. Fond memories of touring Germany and France, the Tarn Gorge is an absolute must on a bike tour, spectacular scenery and wonderful towns and villages for overnight stops.

Last trip was to Fort William to tick Ben Nevis off my bucket list...which did for my knee once and for all
 
All the braking in a straight line is the safest bet. Not the quickest, but least risky. You can help avoid the forks springing back up at you problem by being gentle on letting the brakes off and also a little more rebound damping if you have adjustable forks.

Thx - yup, noted.

Watched a few more track technique vids there. I think another way to smooth the transition and/or 'blend' the two approaches is to brake harder earlier, and tail off the brakes from further out, to reduce the lift as you come off them.

(Having spent most/all of my car time on track in Lotuses of various hues btw, I tend towards being the last of the late brakers as it's often the only way to make up for the lack of poke. Generally not as much of a show-stopper if/when you overcook it on 4 wheels tho :))
 
Cracker looking bike that KS :)
Very purposeful looking, in a way that not all big bikes manage. Is it easy to fit luggage on one ?

For the luggage I used SW Mototech pannier rack with Givi hard luggage and a tank bag. Hated the look without the seat hump so bought a spare hump and cut slots out to fit over pannier rack. Worked well.
 
So the weather is beginning to improve (at least up here in Manchester) and I'm starting to get the motorbike out of hibernation ready for a spin out (COVID restrictions allowing of course).

Wondered how many other motorcyclists are on here?

My current bike is a 2000 Honda Blackbird, carefully tweaked to be a bit more 'sports' than 'tourer'.

Anyone else looking forward to getting out again?

I am slowly returning to riding a bike in my older age after a 25 year break. I am doing the opposite to you though and tweaking a sports tourer to be more tourer than sports: comfortable raised handlebars, brackets for easier attaching soft luggage (no interest in hard luggage),...

I used to go club racing when young but have little interest in riding large heavy road going 4 strokes round a track. Mind you, if I was richer and could afford a small racing 2 stroke that would be different. To echo what someone mentioned earlier, when I went racing I lost all interest in riding quickly on the road. This was normal and at the end of racing it would be the spectators that drove quickly on the roads not the competitors with perhaps the odd youngster as an exception.

When the restrictions ease sufficiently I will be doing a fair amount of visiting friends and relatives that are not local and intend to do so largely using the bike rather than the car. Looking forward to it.
 
On the topic of linked brakes I found them to be a bit dangerous when I had a Guzzi for a while. If one has learnt to brake conventionally then in an emergency when one pulls the front brake and little happens the brain registers confusion and automatically pulls harder then, assuming the bike has dived a bit, you apply the rear brake to steady and lock the front wheel. Also when you find yourself on snow, ice or mud and need to just dab the rear brakes doing so will usually lock the front wheel and down you go. Perhaps not as dangerous as the feebleness of front brakes on many off-road bikes when on the road but unnecessary.
 
As I mentioned, I only had the one incident where the linked brakes wouldn't work. But then, I hadn't spent years with conventional brakes. Using just the front brake would cause the forks to twist too.
The one thing I couldn't get used to was upside down gear changing. I had to quickly change it back.
 
I sold my Guzzi California 1100 at 71, but the SV stays until I physically (or mentally!) can't ride any more. They(?) say you don't stop doing stuff when you get old, you get old when you stop. And stopping doing trackdays has definitely had a mental effect, but luckily building speakers and amps, which I have done for longer (50 years now) has given me something to keep getting my teeth into. Being retired makes it hard to keep motivated and moving.
I no longer look at bike mags, too, but fortunately my wife has become almost as passionate about MotoGP as I am, so we share that, We rode to Mugello once, and went to Donington once (horrible compared to Mugello), so we both have a feel for it. I'm lucky, as my wife properly got me into music, and I got her into bikes.
Although my parents both rode (scooter and moped) for a while, and an uncle ran a bike school, I had a bike at 16 for only one year, and never rode again until '92, when I took my bike test, aged 43, And did my first trackday aged 51! Reading back my posts, it might almost sound like I am a good trackday rider; I'm really not, just done quite a few and learnt a bit, but was always inconsistent. And usually had the slowest bike. But a faster bike, a '93 Blade, just gave me concussion and several fractures, So I went back to an SV, but one with a 700cc engine and race exhaust system. I managed to redline it in 6th only once, at the new Anglesey, so that might, just, be 140, but maybe not, but never faster than that. But going round Gerrards kneedown most of the way is fun enough for me. And having to hit the throttle at the bottom of Paddock Hill to stop the forks bottoming, too. Mind you, the 'Ring as my first trackday almost killed me. Over the grass at Adenauer Forst and NOT crashing was a bit too exciting. Have a look at the You Tube videos there, if you haven't already.
The pleasure I have had, and hope to continue to have, has outweighed the pain by a good margin, despite there being too much of the latter.
So I ain't stopping until forced to. Probably by my wrists!

Indeedy! I want to nip it in the bud:)
 
I have a weird thing against the SV650 which isn't grounded in logic, but more in the fact that so many of them were crashed by folks in the group I rode with. They were an exceptionally popular "first big bike" (with good reason), which was of the course the reason behind the crashes rather than anything wrong with the bike. My first big bike was also a 650cc V-twin - the Honda Deauville - and for a number of reasons I preferred that to the SV650. Shame they don't make it any more as I kept mine for 10 years, commuted on it in all weathers, and it was an excellent bike.

There aren't that many bikes that interest me at the moment, not even from Honda, so if I was replacing my CBF I suspect it'd be with a BMW as there are a few interesting bikes in there range. When my son passes his test I'm also thinking a BMW as his first big(ger) bike - their G310GS.

Interesting Steve. One observation I had about the SV was I felt the lack of width of the rear tyre. When keeled over it felt like it was on the edge of the tyre, I felt it before I realised it had a narrower profile the my own bike.it may of course have been the 60kg lighter SV feels less “planted”!

On reflection, maybe the SV is more of a “weapon” than we’re giving it credit for. I suspect as mentioned before a talented rider ( much more talented than me) on the road on an SV could cover ground very quickly. Depending on the road conditions having bottom end grunt out of corners is a great way to make progress.

I’ve never done a track day, not something that appeals really but I did search YouTube for someone using my bike on track. Once warmed up the guy made some good progress for a touring bike! Maybe if I was 20 years younger!

 
........ Mind you, if I was richer and could afford a small racing 2 stroke that would be different.

When the restrictions ease sufficiently I will be doing a fair amount of visiting friends and relatives that are not local and intend to do so largely using the bike rather than the car. Looking forward to it.

Agreed - I'd love a go on a decent two stroke. It's one type of road bike I've never ridden.

And me too - can't wait to get out and visiting people again, plus ride-outs with my biking mates.
 
Agreed - I'd love a go on a decent two stroke. It's one type of road bike I've never ridden.

Working hard to get something like this swiftly round a track would be fun even in my old age. When I was club racing on a single I was rather envious of the rich boys on these expensive twins having their own race at the front.
 
Doing one trackday at the old Anglesey, the classic racers joined in, as a practice session for the next day's races. A guy I knew, on a 250 (I think) Gilera ran totally different lines, sweeping right out and in to maintain corner speed. He was pretty quick, but it really screwed with our heads, as he carved through everyone. Hilarious but scary; didn't bother him one little bit. :D
 
This is my no.1 bike, which I normally keep road legal although the MOT has lapsed so will need to get that sorted post-lockdown:

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It's a 2009 Honda CBF1000GT which I've owned from new. It's based around a very detuned Fireblade engine with around 100bhp (the 'blade would have been more like 150bhp). It has masses of torque though, so feels like gear changing is optional. It's still 100% standard although I have got heated grips for it which I haven't got around to fitting, and I've considered a higher screen but haven't really felt the need for one. It was bought to replace my beloved Deauville and like the Deauville it might not be the most exciting bike in the world but it is very effective and useful.
 
Agreed - I'd love a go on a decent two stroke. It's one type of road bike I've never ridden.

I've had a couple of little 2-stroke road bikes as a teenager. My first bike was a Suzuki X1 50cc, and my 3rd was a Kawasaki AR125LC (with a Honda CB125TB 4-stroke twin in between). About 10-15 years back I came very close to getting an Aprillia RS250 as a fun/trackday bike and went as far as getting a test-ride on one. It was horrible to ride around town though, plus it ran out of fuel during the test ride as it was on reserve already and they hadn't told me (fortunately it was mostly downhill from where I was back to my house!). Lovely looking bike but very impractical although I'm sure it'd have been great fun on a track, although probably not that fast compared to a modern 600cc 4-stroke sports bike.

I've had a few 2-stroke road legal trail bikes as well (including the Gas-Gas Pampera which I still have) and the choice of them was definitely the Honda CRM250R - it was great on-road and off-road and pretty quick.
 
I’ve never done a track day, not something that appeals really but I did search YouTube for someone using my bike on track. Once warmed up the guy made some good progress for a touring bike! Maybe if I was 20 years younger!

I just watched that video. What's with all the mirrors? And none of the trackdays I've been on in recent years allowed helmet mounted cameras.
 


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