Originally Posted by Thewatchbloke
I was there it was a brilliant night.
The best looking bike was the BSA Desert Racer,the Suzhonda wasn't far behind.
Did you go for tea and cakes in the Church,Best cuppa and Victoria sponge ive had in years?
Some damn good blues and a wonderful ambience,best bike night this year.
What where you on?
I never go on big ride outs, I dont see the point.
I went on one where everyone seemed to be making mistakes running into things and each other.
Then riding gets silly people copying dodgy overtakes to keep up rather than riding to the conditions.
3 or 4 people of a similar style once in a while but mostly its solo for me and meet at the destination.
I recall that TZ ride too. Think me and my novice riding friend Adrian were lost off the ground fairly quickly too. I recall being in a group of 3 ... myself a chap on a BMW and a guy on a lovely CCM
I think the chap on the CCM left us and I then lost the BMW. I then got lost and called my friend from a supermarket. He found me half an hour later and we then rode together to the café for coffee around midday I think.
I used to ride in biggish groups but now prefer to ride solo or just with one mate. I ride and pace I'm comfortable with. I stop when I like just to take in the view or grab a drink etc. My pace is quite moderate too and I avoid filtering as it's always been something I was never comfortable with.
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Last time I rode with a big group I was left behind due to a wobble box dawdling along. At the first occasion to pass I did, straight into a radar trap. As it was the IOM I had to attend court that week and empty my pockets of spending money.
Since then I have seen the shear maths of the last riders speed required to get back in touch with the lead group, which in a more serious case than mine could result in some major risky overtakes. So when I ride in a group now, I do so on my terms and ability’s, you always catch up at the coffee stops anyway;)
Apart from DGR events, I’ve only ever ridden with a group of two.
I know it’s not the same, but many years ago I was in a Lotus group run and some of the overtakes I saw were ridiculous. There’s always an element of mad people on these runs with some sort of point to prove.
To compound things, it was cold/wet and my steed was wearing Toyo 888r rubber… lost the back end big style on a roundabout only doing about 20mph trying to keep the pace… no amount of opposite lock and throttle was catching this.
The wife’s face was white as a sheet !
Whilst I enjoyed track days back in the day I decided there and then that group road runs were not for me. I bowed out 20mins later and continued on my own run which was much more enjoyable. Seem to recall that one of the Exiges in the group crashed later that day.
Never done a group run with a car or bike since.
Andy.
I saw the white SuzHonda, interesting looking machine! There was a cracking XT500 there with the gold rims so must have been about a 1980 model, but I was geeking out on the vintage/veteran iron.
I didn't eat at the church, we had a steak burger and chips at the Fleur De Lys.
It was a great night, and the good weather helped of course.
I was on my Rapide, what were you riding?
I know I'll never make use of them, but I've always wanted to own the set of 3 Motorcycle Tuning books by John Robinson; chassis, two-stroke and four-stroke.
They are very much of their time, complete with BASIC programs to type in and use, and at best they'll be used as an occasional reference, but I now have them on my bookshelf.
As the sun was shining it would have been a shame to not make the most of it...
What started as a ride to Rykas turned into a slightly longer jaunt to Loomies (only about 200 miles all round).
'Twas a nice day out, but spoilt a little by so many of the roads being either disappointingly busy or covered by crazy low speed limits.
I hope you saw the recently installed average speed cams on all approaches to Meon/Loomies....
On the subject of disapointing rides, i`m finding more and more often that i`m getting home after a ride out on the bike disapointed, frustrated and unsatisfied and wondering whether its worth it.
All the usual annoyances and obstacles to a decent ride seem to be getting to the point of saturation - idiot drivers/dawdlers, crap roads in poor condition, excessive traffic etc etc etc.
You`ve got to plan and time a ride carefully these days if you`re not going to arrive back home wondering whether it was worth it.
As bikes get better and better, the environment we`ve got to use them seem to be getting worse and worse...
I think (hope) so
Perfectly summed up!
I know what you mean. Modern bikes are too good, too easy to ride and not that much fun, at legal speeds anyway. Nowadays I get much more enjoyment out of vintage bike than I do out of modern ones for all the reasons you mention. The vintage bikes I ride are all too slow to worry about most non-urban speed limits and all the traffic is behind you so you mostly get the road to yourself. Plus you actually have to use some skill to ride them (on account of their general crapness). Slow bike ridden fast and all that.
Wait a minute I think I talked to you as you where starting it up and rode off.I saw the white SuzHonda, interesting looking machine! There was a cracking XT500 there with the gold rims so must have been about a 1980 model, but I was geeking out on the vintage/veteran iron.
I didn't eat at the church, we had a steak burger and chips at the Fleur De Lys.
It was a great night, and the good weather helped of course.
I was on my Rapide, what were you riding?
let me see if I have a photo.
I was on a big green Kawasaki but I park up at the school, more space less hassle.
Here you go I had some more but deleted them.
I was watching to see if you had to tickle the carb, my gloves used to reek of petrol with my old RE.
I love the old stuff I was at the Banbury run and all the old bike meets at Cassington,low key on a Saturday at the old pub.
Last edited by bwest76; 10th August 2023 at 21:54.
^^^ That's definitely me, I remember chatting to a few guys as I was getting my gear on to leave, so you were one of them!
No tickling involved with the Vincent, it does run slightly rich so usually a priming kick using the decompresser will do the job.
The combination of so many potholes and the poor resurfacing practice of just leaving grit loose on the surface is causing numerous 'offs' down here in Devon and Cornwall. Even the (few) potholes that get repaired are done in such a poor way as to have them re-appear within months.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
This is exactly the reason I bought my CCM (well, one of the reasons anyway).
50mph feels just right, it handles beautifully, has all the acceleration you need but over 70mph isn’t really an option, and it’s not geared for much more than that anyway. Short jaunts are all you really want to do and they’re always fun, even when you get stuck in the inevitable traffic.
yes perhaps this is the answer,74 years old, unrestored but good mechanically ,interesting brakes ,no rear suspension apart from the springs on the seat,but great fun to ride,might do 70mph if you ring its neck but it deserves more respect than that.everwhere i go on it people say why dont you restore it,but i say i like it as it is.on this old girl every journey is an adventure.,...
Last edited by greasemonkey; 12th August 2023 at 09:03.
Aged 18, on a Honda Cub 90, on the flat but with the following wind at just the right angle, I hit 60mph, and it was utterly thrilling. Couldn't see a thing in the mirrors, mind.
greasemonkey
I agree, leave it as it is it looks perfect ready to ride and no fuss.
There really is nothing quite like it to blow the cobwebs away
Nice little bike meet tonight at Montford Bridge near Shrewsbury
From one extreme to another. Rat bike BMW that looked like it had been dragged out of a skip..
ZZR1400, that wasn’t quick enough so the owner added a turbo.. it’s running in excess of 300 Bhp
Thanks Tony,
I’m really happy with it, there are a few more farkles that I could add and there’s always a mod or two that would be nice but overall, it is where I want it. It is just so nice to ride.
Last edited by Craizeehair; 15th August 2023 at 21:09.
Nice one Greg
Interested what people think of this, I have got a vested interest
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/...-visor-insert/
It seems very expensive for what it is. The double glazing system (I forget the name but most visors have mounting points for it these days *) works ok and is only about £10.
*Pinlock, as has been mentioned by others here
I guess that the stick on screen is available separately for when you replace a visor? I’m assuming that’s about £50 a throw as the power pack is £135?
Also charging extra for a usb charging cable is a bit mean although most people probably have spare cables in a drawer somewhere.
Other than that, it’s a good idea for those riders who ride when their visor is likely to suffer from fogging.
You could buy something similar in the seventies to stick on a car rear window before heated rear windows became standard fitment.
Last edited by Dave+63; 16th August 2023 at 16:08.
I’ve been using pinlock which never steams up, so not sure I see the need. Off road riding could be different of course, when you’re working hard and sweating inside the helmet.
The are working with some helmet specific ones, so will be a whole visor, the electronics are very clever, that’s how it can last for eight hours, it took a long time to develop
I understand pinlock is very unreliable and break easily, I haven’t got it but then again I only go out on sunny days
I also use Pinlock. No significant issues, so I can’t really see the need for another gadget.
Now, if someone could invent something to prevent rain getting on the inside of the visor (for example when the visor is lifted for a breath of fresh air), I’d be very interested.
I honestly don’t think that you can go wrong with either approach Tony, eminently customisable or stone cold classic.
I have kept everything that I have swapped on the bike, I have a sneaking suspicion that in 20 years time I will want a completely original T120, just as it left the factory!!
Hope you’re getting some miles under your belt and all is going well.
Not sure where that info comes from, but as someone that rides all year round and in some horrendous conditions, I’ve never had a problem with pinlock and I’ve never had a steamed up visor whilst using one.
I suspect the heated visor will appeal to the GS owners out there…. They love every accessory going😆😆🤪
If the Visor insert can be moved from visor to visor as the visors get replaced then maybe it's a viable product for some riders.
I used to commute year round and pinlock & a foggy mask prevented most of the misting up & also works with glasses.
If the visor insert is thick enough to rub glasses it won't sell to glasses wearers.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Ditto
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
I have pinlock on my Shoei helmets for 15 years. Works perfect. Never broken something.
Difficult to say without trying it, but it looks as though the field of vision is made smaller by the fogged part. If so it's a no from me, although as a fair weather fun biker it probably wouldn't apply anyway!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
What is the ‘space tech’ connection?
Never had a problem with Pinlock's on any of the helmets I've had them fitted to over the years.
That heated gizmo seems a lot of money to spend on a problem that can be fixed for a lot less £.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
"The Visin Heated Visor Insert is the brainchild of Jason Eite from West Midlands-based Diamond Coatings Ltd which supplies the aerospace, automotive, military and medical sectors with coating solutions for demanding applications. One recent project saw them supply custom coatings for the European Space Agency and NASA’s Solar Orbiter which is exploring and observing the sun"
From that statement - there does not appear to be much of a link. A paper aero plane made by a NASA engineer could still just be a paper aero plane.
Went for a spin to scrub in a new rear on my GS. Stopped for a brew at the 1066 cafe and spotted some beauties parked up:
Not sure if these were Vipers or Venoms.
This is, apparently, a BSA Spitfire.
Look up Diamond coatings, they ITO coat things, including spacecraft windows,
In this case it's likely that there is a link, beacuse the product they provided for the Solar Orbiter is also a conductive coating.
I’ve found myself drawn to the HD Pan American
I know what you mean; it’s definitely a slow burn design.
Every time I drive by the local HD dealership and see one, it looks a little better.
Are you near Sykes? I called in Tuesday on my way to the new forest they have 1/2 dozen used
Yes, I seem to spend half my life driving past there, they’ve always got one or two out on the forecourt.
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