VTR1000.ORG

Pete.L wrote:Thanks you lot,
Well done Kev, best post on here in a long time
Not quite sure where I fit in to what category - nearly 45 but only manage 6-8 k a year (used to be 18K), riding since I was a teenager, love to laugh at all the "got the gear but haven't got a clue" brigade but I don't really mind if people don't nod back. I think a wave means more myself and piss myself every time you see the guy who tries to wave back but can't take his hand off the bar for more than a millisecond I enjoy bikers of all backgrounds and have found tossers in all of them, fortunately, like most things in life it's only a minority and occasionally I still enjoy being a juggler myself
God I love Bikes


Pete.l

occasionally I still enjoy being a juggler myself You and me both, my wife wishes I would grow up but then again she loves me for being a child

I seem to see people having a fit trying to acknowledge another bike, or perhaps they have a wasp in their jacket

Whats wrong with a wave, ok its not always safe in Central London, but in the 'burbs?

I always nod and most of the time get a response. If anyone sees a red storm in the Bedford area with a nodding rider it's probably me.

When I use to commute on my scooter no bikers would nod back. I don't think it's a big issue I they don't nod back.

Anyway if anyone wants a beer in the Bedford area give me a shout.

Four for a beer now
chi kung
BigVeeGrin
Twinpotter and me.
any more?

Back to our EU foe
Have you seen the latest from them?
ABS on all bike above 125cc
Anti tampering laws
see here http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-new ... 14520.html

So my point is again welcome anyone on a bike or scooter (Moped) and enlist anyone to join us before we're pushed from the roads..

Your Country Needs You!!

Styler4077 wrote:Four for a beer now

see here http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-new ... 14520.html

So my point is again welcome anyone on a bike or scooter (Moped) and enlist anyone to join us before we're pushed from the roads..

Your Country Needs You!!

regarding the compulsory onboard diagnostics.... this i suspect, is not to make bikes easier to service lol, but to allow police to read off logs and tampering data, speed records etc when they do the proposed roadside bike checks...

how can they do this to classic bikes??? i can see this only being applied to bikes registered after a certain date, so it looks like the used bike market will be very healthy then cos i certainly won't be buying a bike like that!

Thanks Pete L, very high praise from the forum H&S advisor,it's just something thet interested me. I have ridden on the roads since 76 and have noticed the decline, particularly since bikes have become more acceptable to society and in particular some minority groups. Bikes appear in rap videos and films more than ever and particularly as the heroes choice of vehicle where once they would have been the villains.
On a similar vane how many on the forum are members of the BMF or MAG. I have never got around to joining but always feel guilty whenever I read articles which threaten the future of bikes. I will get around to it one day soon.
Beamish, there is a little of the juggler in all of us, thankfully. Without it I think life would be extremely boring. Blokes don't grow up, the toys just get bigger

The last Gixer I had was a 91 750M, spankers on a J plate. Got me done for speed after three months of trying, then after a year or so spat a valve, lunching the motor. Never really trusted them since and stuck to Yamaha & Honda.

Furrybiker wrote:I seem to see people having a fit trying to acknowledge another bike, or perhaps they have a wasp in their jacket

Whats wrong with a wave, ok its not always safe in Central London, but in the 'burbs?

The Bummers/Ducati squad dont wave cos the colour matched jackets are too stiff to be able to raise a hand as they only do a trip to waitrose on a sunday.................. POOOOOOOOOOOOFS

TBH if I had the dosh I'd have about 7 bikes One for each day of the week/different weather and conditions

Which "category" or "class" would I fit into if that were the case? If I had 50K disposable I'd have a desmo just because I could

It's each to their own for me-you'll get different people from any walk of life. I never bother getting in a twist about it

I still nod or wave regardless. It's just the way I am. If someone doesn't want to acknowledge me that’s they’re beef I really don't care. I enjoy the fact bikers/motorcyclists are all different. It makes me appreciate what I want from riding and allows me to question what I want from it through different challenges.

Sling, you crack me up!

A beer next weekend it is then, four and counting.
Anyone else for Operation Out of Bed?
I'll file this in the Days Out Dept.

It's definitely changed since I left in 2006. I've noticed some changes with british driving/riding, bikes are much less inclined to nod, just sportsbikes - sportsbikes etc. But the biggest change is how many cars pull over for you to pass, pre 2006 it would have been bikers in their car who did it, now it's 70%. I'm still overtaking and showing my leg french style (habit), I bet they're thinking 'Are you alright? oddball'
Has it ever been the same as the continent though, with all bikes showing acknowledgment to each other? I started riding in 1988, and it was still pretty much sportsbike - sportsbike and harley - harley nods.
I don't know if it's a cultural difference, as european biking is seen as a hobby or interest, a good/nice/enjoyable thing to do by everyone, but for some reason that escapes me, it's not the same over here. I filled up at a sainsbury's petrol station in Didcot, oxon the other day and the lovely lady dropped the change into my hand with a scowl! That's been a long time since that happened, charming!

I filled up at a sainsbury's petrol station in Didcot, oxon the other day and the lovely lady dropped the change into my hand with a scowl! That's been a long time since that happened, charming![/quote]


She probably rides a Ducati................

futterbingers wrote: I filled up at a sainsbury's petrol station in Didcot, oxon the other day and the lovely lady dropped the change into my hand with a scowl! That's been a long time since that happened, charming!

£50 note for £2.30's worth of unleaded?
It's a wonder she didn't keep the change.

Or was it the porn mag you also bought at the time and asked her was she in it?

I always nod or wave regardless of what the other person is riding. Interestingly enough, I had an Intruder alongside my Speed Triple. When I was on the Intruder, I got no acknowledgement probably as it looked just like a Harley - on the Speed Triple, always got the wave. There is a certain snobbery with some people, what I call 'the new trainer brigade', but the fact is that most bikers are a good sort.

If you see a red SP1 or a Speed Triple in Mid Wales with a bloke smiling like a loon.... It's probably me...

Still get the odd wave or nod here in Aussie, lots of them seem to just give a withering stare tho if one dares a nod in their direction.

Those in colours, don't bother, they just give ya the forks and are more interested in scaring women and small children.

I have many mates on BMWs these days and they can be a bit funny at times, which is good as I like to laugh at them.

And the Ducatisti nearly as funny as those in colours. I used to have a VFR750 in the late 80s, they only came in white or blue out here. I bought mine from the HONDA NSW State Sales Manager who had it specially imported with some trick bits on it (wish I never sold it), also it was red.

So it was one of a kind and in those days most red bikes were Ducatis. Now traditionally Ducati riders only wave/nod to each other only and make a big obvious deal out of it.

The red VFR tricked so many of them, they would wave but could not get their hands down quick enough once they realised it was a Honda they were waving at, it was a good laugh!!!!!

Oh one more. Many years ago Was coming back from a bike rally and our group had stopped to have a solid fry up breakfast at a roadside diner. My mate Pete and I had ventured outside after eating to soak some sun. Two lads in colours rode by and duly gave us the forks. We fell about laughing.

About five minutes later they were back and demanded to know what we were laughing at and it had better not be at them! (True). We politely assured them we would never laugh at them. Now I could not help but follow them into the diner where I admit, I had the protection of about twenty of my mates.

I have called for everyones attention and drawn their attention to our "new friends".

I say "Just met these guys out side and they asked me make sure no one laughs at them." You can imagine the response....

Happy to report that up here in north Yorkshire all 99% of bikers are friendly as. I'd even go as far to say that the car drivers are alright on the commute, getting out of the way, flashing the lights if the cops are up ahead... can't really comment on whether it's changed much over the years, I've only been up for two and half but it's very different to the 10years riding about in London, where everyone hates you. If you ever get to buzz about on the continent it's a different matter. Been to couple of GPs (Mugello / Assen / Vanencia) and without a doubt once you get away from the ports everybody loves a motorcycle. French and Italians I would say are the kings in this regard, everyone on a bike waves at each other even the bike cops wave. If fact on the way through southern france one time this guy in a car pulls out to stop me going past .... throws the hazzard warning lights on and starts o slow us down. I thought here we go some do gooder stopping the noisy two wheel scum ... but nope, we went around the corner and there was a police speed trap. Once we were out of sight of the rozzers he pulls over, winds the window down and gives it the all clear. Whata gent!..... having said all this it may help that my petite shapely leather clad wife is usually sitting on the back