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General Category => Everything Else => Topic started by: cthulhu on September 21, 2020, 06:40:05 AM

Title: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 21, 2020, 06:40:05 AM

Any bikers around here...?
After more than 10 years without a drivers licence (a very loooong story...) i finally got my car-licence back in oktober '19, i also made the theoretical test for bikes, but the weather didn't allow for driving and we said that we'd do the bike test in spring this year. And finally i got my licence for motorbikes back.

At first i thought i'm going to buy a cheap used bike, but when i went to a store and sat on that one..i immediately fell in love with it...the brand new Kawasaki Z650.
My first and only motorbike was the Kawasaki ER5 in 2003. It was a long decision process, i searched for used bikes and the price went higher and higher, you don't want accidents-bikes or those who have no ABS or have millions of miles already driven. And a bike just has to look good!;-)

Then i found a shop in Hannover, which is about 300km from here, who had a special offer in cooperation with Kawasaki, which promised new drivers 1€ per ccm. And the main price was also 300€ less then almost every other offer.
So 650€ less because its a Z650 and a cheaper start price made an offer of almost 1000€ less for a brand new bike. So i went there and bought it! Hell yeah!

(https://i.postimg.cc/yYNT46dX/14-637090869605219363.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/FsJQZv4G/z650.jpg)

What i didn't think about was that the bike is brand new, it had 17km driven, and you have to prepare your machine driving carefully the first 1000km, and that meant that i had to drive back home that bike with max. 80km/h for more than 300km...;-)
It was a nice ride, about 4hours, riding behind the trucks..but the sun was shining and i loved every minute of it. well sort of until my butt began to feel weird;-)

Since july i've driven 3500km and i love it.

I had to buy a vehicle, because i found a new job about 20km from my home, but it is almost not reachable with the bus. And i have to be there at 6 in the morning. So i thought about a cheap car, just because i have to have a vehicle, but a bike was what  i really want! It was not the most logical decision, but it was a good decision;-)

I love to drive that bike and i've noticed that i'm kind of morphing into it, becoming one with the machine. Driving a bike is so much different than drivin a car. It's so direct, you feel everything. The power, the street, the air, the physics of cornering, lying in a curve feeling the centrifugal force...

So are there any bikers around here? And if so, what about a magic bike tour next year..;-)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: Bever on September 21, 2020, 08:39:29 AM

I started with a Vespa PX 125 5 or so years ago:

(https://i.ibb.co/Vm2Mqmg/IMG-20160824-200325.jpg)

I wanted to spice it up a tad with a 177cc, and decided to go for my motorbike drivers license (in Belgium you can drive up to 125cc with a normal drivers license). So I upgraded the Vespa, and enjoyed riding a real motorbike so much, that I bought a Triumph Street Twin 3 years ago:

(https://i.ibb.co/BjQ6CRH/IMG-20180609-154126-1.jpg)

Now that that is payed for, I'm kinda dreaming of a Harley :) Went to the dealer this weekend to get a quote for the new Low Rider Special. But with the changes I'd make to it, I'm coming in the Road King Special price range which would need little changes. So we'll if and what will happen there ;)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 21, 2020, 08:54:50 AM

Sadly your pictures don't show in my browser. Did you check in your preview of the post if it works?

But i think i know how the triumph looks and i much like that style. I'm also very curious about a lowrider, never have driven one. Hope i will get the chance someday.
So, like me you seem to play around with offers and then in the end just go for the better big thing;-))
How much ps has your triumph?

In germany you now have two licence for motorbikes: A and A2. With the A2 you can only drive machines with max 48ps and after two years you can go to A. Or that's how i remember it.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: Bever on September 21, 2020, 09:37:45 AM

I fixed the links so you can see them :)

We have different A licenses as well here. But we get to drive 125cc with a B licence that is older than 2011. It has 55 ps, but enough torque for such a lightweight bike.

I will test ride the LRS, I don't have any cruiser experience.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 21, 2020, 12:41:08 PM

Yeah, now i can see them and both look really good. And the Vespa with the NMA sticker on it..fits perfectly :)

I always wondered how that lowrider thing with the handlebar being so high would work. It often looks as if those riders have to stretch their arms.

My friend has the Kawasaki Versys and it was a real pleasure to drive that tourer. I think i will need someday another machine, to drive longer distances, with some suitcases on the side and back. He has electric handle warming 8) and of course the bike is more shielded against the wind.

I want to buy a tank back and i need better gloves, it gets cold in the morning. Maybe it will be a back-case, i don't know, but a system to have bags on the side would be too expensive for me.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: jc on September 21, 2020, 08:02:29 PM

Another biker here, I have a KTM Superduke R for play and a scooter for around town.

Cheers

jc

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: fiddlesticks on September 21, 2020, 09:09:31 PM

Failed my test three times. Thought it was probably a sign. 
 :)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 22, 2020, 03:27:32 PM

@jc
KTM Superduke for play?!! :D

Wow, that Bike seems to be a real Monster. Very, very cool..you must be flying around on it. What do you mean by "play"? Do you go to race tracks?

@fiddlesticks
 ;D
sorry, just a little having fun. what was the problem for you, if i may ask? the driving? or just a nervousness while being tested?
in germany you have to do some "stunts", real driving lessons, like slalom, hard breaking and evading, etc..
and i bet it will beeverywhere like this, because you cannot just sit on a bike and go ;-)
 

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: fiddlesticks on September 22, 2020, 04:42:15 PM

  :) I'm over it now, it was getting on for 20 years ago.

I actually bought a 600cc Yamaha in anticipation of passing, but my driveway was gravel and I dropped the blasted thing on my leg. Had a bruise like you would not believe from foot to thigh for about half a year.

In the end, it was just silly mistakes and inexperience. Foot down on a U-turn, misjudged manoeuvres, that sort of thing. The only thing that went smoothly was selling all the gear. Some things just ain't meant to be.

Nothing's ever wasted though, I always do my lifesavers when driving, and I've drilled them into my kids as I've taught them to drive.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 22, 2020, 06:28:37 PM

Ouch...damn! But understandable, makes sense that you chose to sell the gear. And who knows...after all those years...it's never too late to... ;)

I'm very happy with the weight of my machine, it's about 180kg, but to imagine your accident, i bet your machine was more than 200kg falling on your leg..ouch, ouch.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: Phill on September 23, 2020, 11:02:44 AM

Used to be upto about 4yrs ago - had an accident and never got back round to getting one.
Had various machines over the years, but last couple were 1200 Bandits.
Good machine - have to be thrown into corners plus plenty of power if needed.

Keep wanting another one - but would need a sidecar to get both kids in, or a trike with a double back seat which you don't seem to see about much now-a-days.

Maybe will again when they finally grow up & leave home

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: jc on September 23, 2020, 12:42:37 PM

Quote from: cthulhu on September 22, 2020, 03:27:32 PM

@jc
KTM Superduke for play?!! :D

Wow, that Bike seems to be a real Monster. Very, very cool..you must be flying around on it. What do you mean by "play"? Do you go to race tracks?

@fiddlesticks
 ;D
sorry, just a little having fun. what was the problem for you, if i may ask? the driving? or just a nervousness while being tested?
in germany you have to do some "stunts", real driving lessons, like slalom, hard breaking and evading, etc..
and i bet it will beeverywhere like this, because you cannot just sit on a bike and go ;-)

Hello Klaus, I use the scooter for commuting or any trips in to town to avoid public transport, I use the KTM when I go out for a ride in the countryside. I used to do a lot of track days including MotoGP tracks abroad but they are now a thing of the past due to noise restrictions (I like fruity exhausts) and I don’t bounce as well as I used to.

Cheers

jc

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 24, 2020, 05:27:20 AM

@jack
That sounds great and really like a pro-driver. I'm just beginning and i'd really like to do a race track someday. Have driven 3500km in 3 months now and i'm feeling that i'm learning and getting more confidence.

I do think about an accident. It's like everybody tells you, that you will sometime have one, you will fall with your machine, kind of an inevitable thing.
Hm..;-)

@Phill
Hope your accident wasn't too bad for your health and that it hasn't left any permanent harm.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: Pol on September 24, 2020, 08:53:58 AM

Do my mountain bikes count lol , still have a old giant- still rides excellent,  mainly riding a btwin rockrider,  bit more modern n better looking but prefer the gears on the giant tbh , very much still trying to build up fitness tho

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 24, 2020, 11:35:33 AM

I'd say that if your legs have more than 125ccm, we could count it as a motor-bike ;D

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: jc on September 24, 2020, 05:12:22 PM

Saw this elsewhere but many a true word spoken/written in jest.

The laws of motorcycling 🏍

Counter Steering:
If you push the left bar, the bike goes left.
If you push the right bar, the bike goes right.
That is, unless you keep pushing the right bar all the way, then you will probably go left while the bike swaps ends.

Crashing:
Remember riding isn't inherently dangerous...crashing is.

Fuel:
The ONLY time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

Rides:
A 'good' ride is one you can walk away from.
A 'great' ride is one you can walk away from and use the bike again.

Getting Hit:
They can't hit you if you're not there.

Mistakes:
Learn from the mistakes of others. You won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

Traction:
When traction is sparse, the probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of lean. Large angle of lean, small probability of survival and vice versa.

Your Brain:
Never let a motorcycle take you somewhere your brain didn't go ten seconds earlier.

Fog:
Stay out of fog. The single red taillight you think is another rider ahead that you can catch, might be the red portside light of a docked boat.

Parking:
Always try to keep the number of times you park the bike equal to the number of times you've ridden it.

Luck & Experience:
You start with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience before you empty the bag of luck

Mirrors:
If all you can see in your mirrors is the direction you were previously traveling intermingled with sparks, things are not at all as they should be. See also: Going forward.

Other Objects:
In the ongoing battle between objects made of metal, rubber and plastic going dozens of miles per hour, and the ground going zero miles per hour, the ground has yet to lose. Same holds for cars, trucks, walls  and most animals.

Judgment:
Good judgment comes from experience. Unfortunately, experience usually comes from bad judgment.

Going Forward:
It's always a good idea to keep the headlight end going forward as much as possible.

Looking:
Keep looking around. There's always something you've missed.

Laws:
Remember, gravity and centrifugal force are not just good ideas. They're laws not subject to repeal.

Cheers

jc

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: fiddlesticks on September 25, 2020, 08:21:13 AM

Brilliantly put.

 :D

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on September 27, 2020, 10:55:23 AM

 8)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: Silver Cloud on October 20, 2020, 11:36:15 PM

Some weeks ago I took my Simson Schwalbe (one of three working) after 8 years of sleep out of the garage,
cleaned up the fuel system and brought it back to road. It is from 1974
and runs very well …

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: Red on October 21, 2020, 11:57:59 AM

I have an old 1962 Lambretta, tuned to hell and unreliable as f**k!!

Had scooters since 1984 so it's been a good time of my life

But I enjoy it, well most of the time apart when I'm sat at side of motorway waiting for yet another journey home in a recovery truck

I also have a 1981 Honda CB250RS that I restored a few months ago

It had been stood fro 38 yeras and has a genuine mileage of 3500 miles

I bought 2 more CB250RS's a couple of months ago to build one decent flat tracker style and then I ended up buying yet another Honda, a FT500 US Import with a XL500 engine

This is going to be yet another project

And just to carry on with the spending spree I bought a Skyteam 125 Monkey bike last Monday

Well if I can't spend my money going to gigs etc I need something else to channel my time :)


Thankfully I have the space as my wife also has 4 motorbikes :)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on October 21, 2020, 05:45:23 PM

I would love to have some pictures here of your wonderful bikes. I gugld (googled;-) some of yours, and they all look great. It seems the old school style is a favourite of you..old guys;-) pretty amazing that your wife, Red, has 4 bikes :D

Some pictures i found:


lambretta
(https://i.postimg.cc/9M7HpJr1/lambretta.jpg)

ft 500
(https://i.postimg.cc/2S0Y81sd/honda-ft.jpg)

skyteam
(https://i.postimg.cc/q7Ydy9Mz/skyteam.jpg)

schwalbe

(https://i.postimg.cc/VN58SYwx/simson-schwalbe.jpg)

The skyteam looks to me the most special and weird. It seems pretty small..? Kind of a bike you would use to go in a loop..;-)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: sparks68uk on November 20, 2020, 05:01:06 PM

 How do I post a picture within a reply to this thread?

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on November 22, 2020, 09:54:12 AM

hi sparks68uk,

posting a picture is not that hard:
all pictures you have, you'll need to upload first to a host who provides you with a download link.
postimages (https://postimages.org/[/url)
it's free.
you'll see a preset box and before you upload the pictures you shoud set how big they will be. i use the 640x480 (for message boards) preset.

after you have uploaded your picture you'll get different options to use a link. use the "direct link" option and you'll have copied the link.

then here you have to choose the madonna icon - insert image, press the button and then directly paste the copied link in between the code. so you'd have to press the button and then strg-v your link.
use the preview feature befor posting and then you can see, if it fits.

hope this will work for you and i'm looking forward to some more pictures here;-)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: sparks68uk on November 22, 2020, 09:36:18 PM

 Thanks for walk through,but
I need more help,could'nt find anywhere that said direct link or Madonna ?
Did get photos up onto the site you said though......

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on November 23, 2020, 07:33:48 AM

when you reply to a post, there are the options above the box of the text. to the left, above the  :) and under the fat B there is this button with, pardon me, the mona lisa...not the madonna :o

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on November 23, 2020, 07:39:11 AM

(https://i.postimg.cc/Pxs0NZY4/screenshot.jpg)

this is what it should look like. from there you should be able to upload it there, even without registration.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on November 23, 2020, 07:43:00 AM

after uploading this screen will appear:

(https://i.postimg.cc/hjbn02TK/screen.png)

there you should use the second option from above, it says direct link.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: sparks68uk on November 23, 2020, 05:00:46 PM

  Many thanks  ,are you in Germany then?  Oddly I had a missed call from Berlin earlier !

(https://i.postimg.cc/2y1yhxtV/cbr3.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/MHgTDQkt/VX-camp-2.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/7Z8hJ0nZ/VX-camping-5.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/zXR3f0WQ/VX-no-fairing-2.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/6QBQYKSs/WP-20180326-12-18-55-Pro.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/qvsRsq1X/WP-20180326-12-19-03-Pro.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Y2PhkJ4g/FAZ1.jpg)

(https://i.postimg.cc/sX61MLwk/Fzs2.jpg)

  All but CBR are on the road.........


  How many of you can name the model of the V Twin?


  Many thanks for the help .

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: sparks68uk on November 23, 2020, 08:16:43 PM

  PS: Totally envious of JC's KTM Superduke , I wish I had the folding to afford one ,Kudos that man!


  Four Wheels good , Two wheels BETTER EVERY TIME !!!

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: cthulhu on November 25, 2020, 07:59:46 AM

I see it worked, great pictures, thanks for sharing! I like the one with the tent the best, it has this being on the road feeling. I'm looking forward to do a tour with a tent next year, will be my first bike travel tour.

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: sparks68uk on November 25, 2020, 01:23:45 PM

  Thanks for the help,I got very frustrated trying to get them up.

  None  of the pics were anything other than a quick snap at one time or other,none were set up to do the bikes justice.

  You can't beat a bit of Motorcycle Camping/Touring call it what you will.
   Weather permitting I've taken to Wild camping the last few years, sleeping bag and mat, and a Tarp rather than a tent. Cooking stuff as well obviously .I keep forgetting to take pictures though.

  Whatever else you do or don't take when you do it DO NOT FORGET YOUR LOO ROLL!

  Heres a couple of really bad pics taken in the very early AM one time we were out.

  As you can see very basic set up in some woods. It was high summer n very mild through the night,as you can tell by the lightweight sleeping bags.

  I hope you can get out next year yourself.Here in the UK it  was virtually impossible this year du to restrictions on travel etc in the UK due to Covid. hoping next year will be better!

  (https://i.postimg.cc/TP5ZT57K/Toby-B-W-2.jpg)


  (https://i.postimg.cc/cC7W0tJR/B-W-Toby-Camp.jpg)

Title: Re: "You and me and your motorbike..."..any Bikers around?
Post by: sparks68uk on November 25, 2020, 06:41:06 PM

cthulhu , In addition, love your Z650,not ridden one (Modern) ,but, have fond memories of mine from the 80's.My first "Big bike"  . Me and a friend shared it.He had passed his test,I had'nt. he and I paid halves on it n shared his license!

  You could do things like that in the UK back then (I'm sure similar where you were living.
  I would have him turn up n produce documents if I was stopped by the Police, Bikes were pulled often then.On the premise of checking that your Helmet was certified, questioning then got much more involved once pulled over. Great times      lol

   This Motorbike should also make reference to the song "125mp" (Just saying)  lol

  Hey,if you ever want to chat bikes,bikes n camping,bike camping gear (needed , good to have n absolutely needed)  drop me a line.