Any Motörbike riders here?

boogieman · December 2013

Heard a lot of folk on the bike forums recommend an SV as a first big bike. As well as all the benefits explained above, they sound great too. There's something classically " motorbikey" about the sound of a V engine. The Honda 800 v4 I had a while back had the best exhaust note I've heard

And yeah, go careful out there folks. I've had several offs in the past, including a nasty one when I was 17. Went straight over the bars when an old dear pulled out in front of me without looking and I landed on my head. If I hadn't been wearing a helmet (not compulsory at the time but my parents insisted) I'd probably be dead.

octatonic · December 2013

Tone71 said:

I read about your tumble on the LB forum, glad you`re o.k especially after the A3 news, I passed the police boards asking for information today, very very sad.

Im yet to get out on a LB ride out but well done for you going out, I waited until the sun was up high and then went for a ride:

Dont overlook an SV as a starter bike, massively forgiving, the front wheel wont lift and the rear wont spin out, plus pretty light and the engine braking is ideal especially going into corners.

Hi Tone,

I'll check out the SV's- they weren't on my radar.

Fusionista · December 2013

Interestingly, it's not just about 'not looking' although that does happen a lot. It has a lot to do with the eye/brain not actually working while the head is moving, so unless you stop your head and actually look, you think you are looking but you are not seeing.

The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), also known as the oculocephalic reflex is a reflex eye movement that stabilizes images on the retina during head movement by producing an eye movement in the direction opposite to head movement, thus preserving the image on the center of the visual field.

BenSirAmos · December 2013

Tone71 said:

I read about your tumble on the LB forum, glad you`re o.k especially after the A3 news, I passed the police boards asking for information today, very very sad.

Im yet to get out on a LB ride out but well done for you going out, I waited until the sun was up high and then went for a ride:

Dont overlook an SV as a starter bike, massively forgiving, the front wheel wont lift and the rear wont spin out, plus pretty light and the engine braking is ideal especially going into corners.

The only thing I would check with an SV is how easy it is to work on. It looks like Octa wants to do his own maintenance. The only time I tried to work on an SV, I found access to some things tricky (that's tricky for an amateur without an extensive workshop) but that might be because I wasn't used to a V engine.

Fusionista · December 2013

I'll check out the SV's- they weren't on my radar.

Speaking as one who favours metal over plastic and vintage styling rather than modern, I didn't get an SV, but it is a light and forgiving ride.

strumjoughlamps · December 2013

bloke down the road has a SV650, bought it quite cheap with 32k on the clock and its now over 65k, he says its easily the most trouble free bike he has owned.

compared to the other major brands they do seem excellent VFM

Drew_TNBD · December 2013

I've played Trials HD, does that count?

octatonic · December 2013

It does not.

I don't think Trials HD gives you the hard, cold, rough feeling of scraping along the tarmac.

IanSavage · December 2013

boogieman said:

Heard a lot of folk on the bike forums recommend an SV as a first big bike. As well as all the benefits explained above, they sound great too. There's something classically " motorbikey" about the sound of a V engine.

That's a large part of the reason I went for the NTV (that and the shaft drive); I used to ride through the tunnels in the middle of Birmingham five times instead of once on the way to the ex-girlfriend's just for the noise that my Virago made going through 'em

cruxiform · December 2013

Tunnels bring out the worst in most of us. I can't resist it on my fireblade when I ride through the Hindhead tunnel in Surrey. I never get out of the first 2 gears >:D<

IanSavage · December 2013

Too true

can't wait to pick the new bike up, brum-brum-brum-RRRRRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH etc...

Tone71 · December 2013

Hindhead tunnel is fun, and yeah the SV has a "real" bike sound especially with an aftermarket exhaust, depending on the way I go to Loomies I can go through it......it also "pops" if I ride at low revs in third, not sure if I like it!

holnrew · January 2014

I want one again now.

Fusionista · January 2014

Yeah. That's my problem. I stopped twice already. Only gave up smoking once.

Drew_TNBD · January 2014

octatonic;118610" said:
It does not.I don't think Trials HD gives you the hard, cold, rough feeling of scraping along the tarmac.

Pretty sure you can buy a seat to emulate that

holnrew · January 2014

I'll get a 125 in the summer, if I have the money. I fancy a BMW tourer type thing eventually.

Hmm, all this talking of motorbikes reminds me of BlindLemonAde. Has he been spotted?

Fusionista · January 2014

That's what I've got. Threw over the big fast bikes 5 years ago saying it was madness to put oneself in such danger with the traffic, weather and state of of the roads, then bought myself an R100RT last year. Doing it up this winter. If anyone knows where I can get some nice s/s headers let me know.

HNY a todos on this first post in 2014

57Deluxe · January 2014

Yeah me givin it some past me Dad's Vauxhall Viva...!

octatonic · January 2014

Fusionista said:

That's what I've got. Threw over the big fast bikes 5 years ago saying it was madness to put oneself in such danger with the traffic, weather and state of of the roads, then bought myself an R100RT last year. Doing it up this winter. If anyone knows where I can get some nice s/s headers let me know.
HNY a todos on this first post in 2014

I'm definitely considering some sort of stability control & ABS.

littlegreenman · January 2014

octatonic said:

I'm definitely considering some sort of stability control.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nYiKfX2DBu4/TJL0mrXNPXI/AAAAAAAAARs/oJqAGOa9PS0/s320/cow-sidecar.jpg

octatonic · January 2014

Also has ABS- A Bovine Sweetheart.

boogieman · January 2014

57Deluxe;119834" said:
Yeah me givin it some past me Dad's Vauxhall Viva...!

That a Fizzy?

57Deluxe · January 2014

boogieman;120003" said:
[quote="57Deluxe;119834"]Yeah me givin it some past me Dad's Vauxhall Viva...!

That a Fizzy?

[/quote]

Yeah - I loved my FS1e - took 2 years saving to buy it - 7 day a week paper rounds and working in shitty shops on Saturdays...

This was it a day before I sold it for £5 less than I paid for it a whole year earlier - that's how popular they were!

Was good for 56 mph+ but my mates mongrel bitsa pile of crap did over 60 mph... bastard... but he is dead now though, so think I can call it quits....

57Deluxe · January 2014

...but then I got this a week later on 17th B'day

Loved this even more! It was monster fast 0-70 - K3's - no prob - RD250s - piece of piss, Commando 850s - pffff, E types and a Jensen Interceptor - easy - even 2-up... ran out of puff at 90 though...

RD200 Electric Torque-Induction Twin

johnnyurq · January 2014

Ooh I had a bored out souped up FS1e (a clapped out was all I could afford back then) and a few RD's. One shed of a 400, a 350 and a couple of 250's.

One of the bastards seized in mid corner heading out to Nairn, new pants time but managed somehow not to crash which was more luck than judgment.

cruxiform · January 2014

FS1e-legend. My first bike in 1985, built out of two bikes that I (well, my dad) bought for £50. 57mph downhill.

cruxiform · January 2014

My trip to the Isle of Man TT in 2012. Heading back in May 2014. Can't wait.

boogieman · January 2014

I lost all the photos of my early bikes after my first marriage went tits up

I had a BSA Bantam 175 that I passed my test on. Awful thing: underpowered, looked like crap (it was a 30 year old design by the time I got mine) and the paint was so thin it was almost transparent. In contrast my mate had a Suzuki Super 6 that was beautifully engineered, looked superb and went like shit off a shovel. I upgraded to a Velocette Venom after I passed my test. The Suzuki was still way quicker but at least I looked cool now.

The Velo got wiped out in the accident I mentioned earlier. The insurance covered the rebuild but it never felt the same again and I sold it not long after. I got £120 for it. They go for £thousands now :-S

Fusionista · January 2014

57Deluxe said:

...but then I got this a week later on 17th B'day

Loved this even more! It was monster fast 0-70 - K3's - no prob - RD250s - piece of piss, Commando 850s - pffff, E types and a Jensen Interceptor - easy - even 2-up... ran out of puff at 90 though...

RD200 Electric Torque-Induction Twin

Had an RD250B in the 70's (my one and only excursion into the then-fashionable 2-stroke fad) and recall it would do over the ton, so presumably this thing had better low-down acceleration. As it happens it seized on me on the M4 heading for Gloucester one rainy day (straight line so no drama, just a lot of waiting around on the hard shoulder). Thems were the days, not. Like gfs you remember them all, good and bad.

boogieman · January 2014

At last a decent bit of weather today, after the last few days of constant rain, so I took the Black Beasty out for a spin.

A couple of things that occur to me:

1. Our roads are appalling. Bloody tram lines, pot holes, cracks, Rainbows of Death everywhere. Luckily I rode like a nun.A nun on a moped. Actually a nun on a moped with a basket of eggs and a phial of Jebus's blood.

2. I'm a big bloke. I'm six foot odd and 15 stone. I look like a day-glo version of Jabba the Hutt when I'm in my riding gear. Despite this, and a bike with permanently-on lights, I become invisible to most other road users when I'm on a bike. Got cut up twice today by a couple of complete twats who weren't looking. One, a taxi driver chatting on his mobile :x the other a skip lorry driver who was just away with the pixies.

3. I love biking.

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