Motorcycles - who's got some?

[Miker]

I'm interested to see how many of those here who have the best little pocket cruiser on the planet also enjoy the thrills of the wind in their hair on motorcycles?

I've just sold one of my current three, a wee dirt bike that wasn't used much any more. My 1982 (same year as my Top Hat supposedly) Harley is having an engine refresh before Christmas. The daily rider is a 2005 Triumph Tiger 955i.....

So, what's in your shed?

Michael.

[bearmcnally]

Mike

No point Bear getting a motorbike .haven't got much hair up top !
What about wind in your nasal hair ??
Maybe that's no good ? wouldn't it tickle make your eyes water and then you would sneeze and blow snot all over yourself ? Think I'll just keep the old Ford Ute and wind the window down !
Bear

Whats in my shed ? now that's a great topic .

[Shaun]

G'day Mike,
I reluctantly sold my last motorcycle many years ago, as my mates sold their bikes I found it a bit boring riding around on my own. It was a Kawasaki ZX10 (predassessor to the ZZR), & I read somewhere that the life expectancy was only 3yrs for owners of 1000cc motorcycles, that also aided the decision to sell it....

My interest started at a young age, my grandad had a BSA(I think an ex british army bike) in his shed, I had quite a few dirt bikes before getting into road bikes.

cheers

[Miker]

Shaun, I thought I'd picked you for a rider!

I started when I was a wee tacker too, dirt bikes were part of the fun until a year or so ago. Just don't seem to have time now with a boat and a surfboard!

Bear, wind in your nasal hair is a good reminder to get the nasal hair groomer out!

Michael

[Shaun]

I used to enjoy the comaraderie of riding out to motorcycle events at Oran Park etc.

Like most people we rented scooters up on the Gold Coast, that was very good fun, but I reckon the best trip I have done is when we rented Motorcycles from Ao Nang(nr Krabi) in Thailand, (I got a TT200 or something similar & a friend got a slightly larger Honda road bike, & we rode to Phuket to stay the night there, wearing just shorts, singlets, thongs & sunglasses, stopping at little Monk monestries & having races with local's with 3,4, or 5 people on little postie type bikes, will never forget the huge smiling faces of locals as they were encouraging us to race them, as they overtook us!

cheers

[storm petrel]

I have had motorcycles on and off since the 1960's. My first road bike was a BSA Starfire and I have had a string of Jap and European bikes since. But about 18 moths ago I had a bit of a 'mid life crisis' and sold my last bike, a Triumph Sprint that I had owned and ridden daily for almost a decade. I just got sick of paying ridiculous amounts for tyres, rego, insurance, etc. When I started riding bikes they were much cheaper than cars to run, but it costs much less to run a car now. The other advantage is that I can get things down to the boat now without doing a two wheeled juggling act or borrowing my wife's car.

Bottom line is that I can put the money I save (from not having a bike) into super and with retirement not too far away this is probably a good plan, especially if I want to keep yachting into my dotage.

Do I miss having a bike? Only every sunny day! Mind you, I am not that taken by the current crop of bikes anyway. The early Tigers were good looking/comfortable bikes and I can appreciate why you would have one for a daily ride. I am not crazy about the latest incarnation of the Tiger, which seems to be a clone of so many current bikes.

Cheers,
Mark
'Storm Petrel'

[Miker]

Do I miss having a bike? Only every sunny day! Mind you, I am not that taken by the current crop of bikes anyway. The early Tigers were good looking/comfortable bikes and I can appreciate why you would have one for a daily ride. I am not crazy about the latest incarnation of the Tiger, which seems to be a clone of so many current bikes.

I was waiting for you to chime in Mark, I see your point. I take the Tiger to the boat sometimes and use the top box instead of a bag to take stuff aboard, but usually only if I'm going solo. You're right about the latest Tigers, nice, but no individuality from the beemershcoooter.

Shaun, on my recent trip to Bali I rented a little Honda Vario and found it the very best way to get around, shorts and thongs, and the obligatory poor fitting helmet. My mate Mick had his wife and 6 year old on his and we went all over the place day and night. Once you get into the minds of the people in the traffic and do as they do, it's easy and heaps of fun.

We're thinking about doing the "Top Gear" trip through Vietnam sometime in the next few years, without trying to rebiuld the bike into a boat at Halong Bay though.....

Michael

[Tales]

Here's a pic of my "64 Velo Special. Mostly Thruxton gear fitted and I have replicated the "67 IOM Production Race winning engine. Squish head etc.

Sold my R6 a couple of weeks ago.

Used to race scrambles, short circuit, long track, clasic road race, solo and sidecars when I was younger. Mostly on pommy bikes, BSA, Ariel, Panther, JAP and Velocette.

Have owned BSA, Panther, Matchless, Triumph, Harley ("38 U Model with sidecar), Honda, Yamaha and Velo.

Cheers,

Tom

Velocette '64 Special.2.jpg (132.71 KiB) Viewed 8261 times

[Miker]

Tom, that Velo is gorgeous! It seems you're in a very similar situation to a lot of us crusty old blokes.

I have a good friend who has had a similar quiver of bikes to you over the years and currently rides a 1971 Tiger and is restoring a BSA M20.

I'm about to do a top end refresh on my 1982 Harley, and possibly sell my 2005 Tiger and get either a modern Bonneville, or similar for commuting.

[frank]

I had dirt bikes during my 20's then in 06,I bought a DRZ 400 sold that and bought a 900 Hornet did two trips on it from Vic to QLD to see my folks, sold that last year and bought a 650 v-strom Suzuki. But I say that will go and I will buy my Top Hat. Still have about 9 surfboards and surf every week.