Any Motörbike riders here?

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

randomhandclaps said:

Prior to the explosion of the Japanese motorbike industry, all British bikes had gear shift on the right. Some European bikes had left-hand gear shift. The Japanese builders all went left-hand. When they started gaining success British makers feared sales would plummet as people would become used to left-hand and they changed manufacture to the from the right to left and started converting existing bikes.

I think the main pressure came from America. Which IIRC displeased H-D, but the Japanese liked it. Putting the gearshift on the primary drive side severely weakened the castings of the Triumph and Norton gearboxes. It was a bad move.

Old farts like me (although we can get used to upside down gears on the wrong side when we're thinking about it) will always try to change gear with the brake pedal or push the gear shift when reacting automatically to a hazard. 1 up and 3 down made for the fastest accelleration because you didn't spend too many milliseconds between gears (and hence slowing down again). On the right made sense because the primary drive was on the left and you didn't want the gearshift shaft going through the primary chaincase before it could get into the gearbox. Another advantage was when your final chain broke it wouldn't take the clutch pushrod with it, as the clutch pushrod was operated from the timing side and went through the gearbox i/p shaft from the back of the clutch so it was fully encased and protected.

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

octatonic said:

Anyone have opinions on the Triumph Thunderbird?

Been reading that it is a better ride and better equipped than the Harley equivalent.

Deffo. Harleys don't handle, they don't hold the road, and they shake themselves apart. Triumphs always scored on the first two, and it would seem that the new ones also score on the last.

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

hywelg said:

1974 it was when I got rid of my leaky noisy unreliable BSA B25 and got a beautiful Kawasaki S3 400 triple in red. Rocket ship! Outgunned my mates Bonneville. By that time Japanese bikes were everywhere.

Shame about the B25, it were a good handling bike, and easily serviced, but unfortunately badly engineered. The Kwacker triples had a hinge in the middle, and yes they went like snot off a stick, but they could equally spit you off as soon as look at you.

chillidoggy · November 2013

My mate's a paramedic. He says there are only two types of biker: Those that have fallen off, and those that are going to fall off.

octatonic · November 2013

You can have my retinas, chillstoid!

randomhandclaps · November 2013

There I was expecting the retort - "There are only two types of biker: Those that have had your Mum, and those that are going to have your Mum." - I'm disappointed.

Grunfeld · November 2013

octatonic said:

Decided to get a bike license for my daily commute.
I'm not from the UK so not entirely sure of the process- can someone who rides give me a summary of what I need to do and what sort of bike I should learn on?

I'm a big guy- 6ft 2, 100kg so not sure if a 125cc is the way to go.
I'm assuming I'll get a bike to learn on before getting something bigger but I don't know exactly what sort of thing.

I'm not interested in racing type bikes- I like custom cruisers and the like.
Can anyone help me out here?

I'm 6ft. When I was despatch riding I was doing between 700 and 1000 miles per week. Mostly in London, but inevitably some long-distance too. That kind of riding kills a lot of bikes so choosing well was important. I found that the best despatch bikes also made really good commuter bikes too.

Much will come down to personal taste but as I was earning my living riding I needed bikes that were going to be comfortable (cos I was riding 8-10 hours a day); and very reliable; and economical.

Having tried all sizes I settled on a string of mid-range Japs. All around the 500-650 cc mark. For despatch work I came to strongly prefer shaft drives. For commuting it wasn't so important.

I don't know what the favoured despatch bikes are now but if I were looking to get a bike again that's where I'd start looking. My last commuter bike was a Honda CB 500. Boringly reliable. Plenty rapid up to 60mph (obviously it goes faster, about 110mph iirc, but that was where the quick acceleration ran out on the stock bike). Economical. Cheap enough and parts cheap too. The only problem with it was journeys over 100 miles in length felt a bit cramped, but there was no problem at all with comfort with journeys below that distance.

chillidoggy · November 2013

octatonic said:

You can have my retinas, chillstoid!

The kidneys would be better, thanks.

octatonic · November 2013

Is there any reason why I shouldn't buy one of these?

http://www.triumphrocket.com/images/r3_2_1024x768.jpg

jd0272 · November 2013

It's the size of a house may do it..

boogieman · November 2013

The Rocket is a monster of a bike and it weighs a ton, almost literally. Drop it and it'll need three people to get it back up. If you really want a Triumph, the Street Triple is the way to go, great bikes.

IMO you'll need to go 500/600 cc after you pass the test, the difference between a 125 and even a 500 is immense. The acceleration, brakes and handling are all way better and you need to get used to if before you buy anything massively powerful. The Suzuki Gladius is a great in between bike, very forgiving but with enough grunt to get out of trouble if you ever need it.

Btw I did a refresher course before I went back to biking as I hadn't ridden a geared bike for over 30 years. I used an outfit based at Kempton racecourse, can't remember the name but they were excellent with great instructors. Worth looking up for doing the CBT or DAS.

octatonic · November 2013

I wasn't completely serious.

A Thruxton would be nice though.

It is all a while away.
Trying to book cbt for Thursday.

randomhandclaps · November 2013

I've ridden a Rocket on several occasion (still haven't plumped for one) and it does indeed weigh a ton but the balance is phenomenal for a big bike and it pisses all over any equivalent American bike for handling - probably not a first bike mind. I know you were kidding.

Myranda · November 2013

Triumph ran courses for years (I think they still might) on riding the Rocket III...

See, there's so much torc available that no matter what speed you're at (up to the top speed) or where in the rev range you are there's more power to be had. Bikers have been taken by surprise by this at times - flinging them into bushes, sliding it sideways down the road, flinging the rider off etc... so Triumph started the Rocket training courses - marketing genius really they get to highlight how much fun these things can be...

If I had a lot of spare monies I'd buy one in a shot

octatonic · November 2013

2400cc is as big as my car.

randomhandclaps · November 2013

Myranda said:

Triumph ran courses for years (I think they still might) on riding the Rocket III...

See, there's so much torc available that no matter what speed you're at (up to the top speed) or where in the rev range you are there's more power to be had. Bikers have been taken by surprise by this at times - flinging them into bushes, sliding it sideways down the road, flinging the rider off etc... so Triumph started the Rocket training courses - marketing genius really they get to highlight how much fun these things can be...

If I had a lot of spare monies I'd buy one in a shot

And that was still with a low gear torque limiter. I've chatted with several guys who were desperate to remove theirs - I'm not sure why. For as much fun at a fraction of the cost a Yamaha V-Max could be had.

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

Its funny how names survive. The original Road Rocket was the A10 BSA*. Then when in the late 60s, the 3 cylinder engine was introduced, the BSA version was the Rocket-III. Now Triumph are using the name, presumably because they have the rights descended from the BSA-Triumph group which collapsed in the early 70s.

*EDIT

There was nothing wrong with the A10 engine, it was a sound design. Look for the design flaws in the Ed Turner engine and you won't find them in Bert Hopwwod's A10. I read somewhere that when the BSA engine went to unit construction (A65), the BSA-Triumph group gave (yes gave) the A10 drawings to Kawasaki, who built one. The difference between theirs and the BSA original was the tight engineering tolerances available from new (not pre-war) machine tools. Whereas BSA's would pull the bike to an indicated 110mph (once, maybe twice if you were lucky before it blew up), the Kwacker went round a race track all day at 120mph and wasn't knackered afterwards.

randomhandclaps · November 2013

When they launched the Rocket, although the 3 is also being because it's a triple cylinder, I'm sure they mentioned that it was a homage to the last of the old school Triumphs in the BSA Rocket 3/Trident. My uncle used to have a Road Rocket and I loved that bike. Sadly it's long gone.

Myranda · November 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rla9KU0m808 this is the one I want

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

@Myranda Oh Yes!!! Whats the point of a motorbike that doesn't scare you witless

When I first straddled the "850" Commando (wasn't it really 824?) it scared the willies out of me, but I didn't buy it because by then, the dreadful left-foot gearshift had been perpetrated. I ended up with an ex proddy-racer, a 750 Roadster in Combat spec (square cams, mountainous pistons and big carbs. I loved it!

octatonic · November 2013

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

randomhandclaps · November 2013

This video is really informative -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPeyhiD7KYw

randomhandclaps · November 2013

octatonic said:

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

You just need a fat arse.

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

octatonic said:

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

depends on the available torque, so you presumably slip the clutch to the right engine speed if you have to. I did it once on a Norton Commando with handlebars so low it made you lean on the front end, but it still lifted me up in the air!

Myranda · November 2013

octatonic said:

That is a pretty cool bike.

How do you get the front wheel off the ground on a bike that heavy?

With torque ... lots and lots of torque. Which interestingly the Rocket III has in spades

Phil_aka_Pip · November 2013

@randomhandclaps I wish I could give you more than one LOL for that video

)

Myranda · November 2013

I want a new bike

Triumph Rocket III or Speed Triple

Ducati Diavel, Streetfighter or Monster

MV Augusta Brutale 1090RR

All bikes I'd sell my grandmother for, but couldn't afford

That said... I could afford a finance deal on any of them... a shiny vroom vroom would be awesome

ddlooping · November 2013

Any interest in my Yamaha XVS125 Dragstar?

octatonic · November 2013

Decided I am going to book in for a 1 week intensive Direct Access course.

Won't be cheap- I think around a grand- but I come out the other side with a full license.

It saves a lot of hassle about buying and selling a 125cc.

Probably going to buy a 500-600cc bike.

Not a lot of cruisers around that size.

Maybe a sports tourer is the way to go?

littlegreenman · November 2013

Just to derail the thread a touch, but which are the best "learn-to-drive-a-car" equivalents? If indeed such a thing exists...

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