Those who ride motorcycles

phil

phil

G'day guys,

I have again recently been toying with the idea of purchasing a motorbike so I can go on some long rides with friends who ride bikes. I am currently almost 38 and origianlly planned to get my licence when I was 17 (back in 1987 :p ) I was looking at this web site the other night and really like this bike. http://www.triumph.co.uk/australia/Bonneville T100_3778.aspx

Needless to say, my wife came in and immediately displayed her disapproval at the idea.

The thing is, I still feel very young and I really want to have that freedom of riding through country towns / roads, staying where I want to, doing a bit of camping and enjoying the experience of being on the road. I feel that if I don't do it soon, I never will. Are there any other members that ride bikes? Do you enjoy getting 'out and about' ? and do you have any encouraging words for me that will get me down to that Triumph dealer ? ;)

Cheers,
Phil.
 
When I moved to Melbourne, many moons ago, I sold my bike. The car drivers down here have very little respect for motorcyclists and I don't bounce like I used to.

Trust your wife - she loves you very much!
 
I'm pretty new to the scene myself and have the Bonnie "America" and consider it a bit "agricultural" if you get my drift.

I bought the cruiser because my knees don't bend the way our maker meant them to, but my next will have a shorter wheelbase (the America is about 6" longer than the standard Bonnie) so it will corner better and it will be fully fared. The Honda ST 1300 springs to mind but that's an old man's bike so your peers may scoff.

I'm still working, so my bike is just a weekend toy so it's OK, but I got caught in heavy rain once and the harley style saddle filled with water and the water poured off the tank onto the plugs. Less than satisfactory. :(

If, as it sounds, you are starting out you should go lighter though. Mine was a handful for a while. Even if you can step up past the 250cc limit, don't go bigger than the Honda deVille (?) a nice 600cc fully fared bike which is easy to ride but will be OK on club runs such as "poker runs" and run as fast as you will want for a while.

You'd have to spend over 100k to get four wheels which can "perform" but you can get a bike for a fraction of that. I think it is possible to have fun and stay cool and alive at the same time. :D

Bikes are a very personal choice though, so in the end you just have to suck it and see.
 
phil said:
G'day guys,

I have again recently been toying with the idea of purchasing a motorbike so I can go on some long rides with friends who ride bikes. I am currently almost 38 and origianlly planned to get my licence when I was 17 (back in 1987 :p ) I was looking at this web site the other night and really like this bike. http://www.triumph.co.uk/australia/Bonneville T100_3778.aspx

Needless to say, my wife came in and immediately displayed her disapproval at the idea.

The thing is, I still feel very young and I really want to have that freedom of riding through country towns / roads, staying where I want to, doing a bit of camping and enjoying the experience of being on the road. I feel that if I don't do it soon, I never will. Are there any other members that ride bikes? Do you enjoy getting 'out and about' ? and do you have any encouraging words for me that will get me down to that Triumph dealer ? ;)

Cheers,
Phil.
Click to expand...

I've been riding motorbikes for 17 years and I would highly recommend it. It is great to go around town without getting stuck in a traffic jam and to go for a nice, relaxing ride on country roads on the week-ends.

I like the bike you've you've chosen. A nice-looking, comfortable, general purpose bike.

A few things to keep in mind:
Riding a motorbike is much demanding that driving a car. You have to be much more alert and drive much more defensively. Taxis and vans are the bigger source of danger, but so are standard drivers who simply don't look for bikes.
Getting a license is not easy theses days. It takes quite a few tests. You can't start on a 1000cc bike. You are limited to a 650cc bike maximum. This is a good thing mostly in order to get used to riding a motorbike safely.

In summary, I would say that riding a motorbike is a lot of fun, I have very much enjoyed it. However, it requires a bit more skill than riding a car. It takes time to learn it learn. For me, it has been worth it.

Cheers,
 
Sunfish said:
I got mine the week I turned 17. (nearly 50 yrs ago) Couldn't ride for sh!t. LOL
Click to expand...
From memory 18 and that was over 30 years ago. Like you, my skills were abysmal - in fact I borrowed the bike (50cc Honda) the night before the test! Last bike I had was a 1000 cc Vincent.
 
cava said:
Last bike I had was a 1000 cc Vincent.
Click to expand...

Mate of mine has a Vincent HRD. Took it south to an international meet last year and met some Yanks who have invited him as their guest for the next one in the US. They will even find him a bike to ride.:D
 
Sunfish said:
Mate of mine has a Vincent HRD. Took it south to an international meet last year and met some Yanks who have invited him as their guest for the next one in the US. They will even find him a bike to ride.:D
Click to expand...
The HRD was a nice bike with a norton featherbed frame so it could go around corners better.

The one before that was a Moto Guzzi that I bought in London and did the Isle of Man circuit with it - that was a very comfortable bike and handled as good as most Ducati's of the time (Founding member of the Ducati club of NSW:D). Did Liverpool to London two up, panniers fully loaded in the pouring rain 1 hr 27 mins (151 mls) and I had slowed down considerably. Young and very foolish!!!

I still like bikes, but I don't bounce like I used to.
 
There's a small mountain near Brisbane called Mt Glorious, a favourite ride for motorbikers. Almost every weekend the ambulance is up there.

Those who think it is cars or trucks that are the major risk to bikers, think again.

On the Mt Glorious road, most bike accidents are single vehicle, or bikes hitting each other from opposite directions, one on the wrong side of the road.


No matter how careful you are, never forget that there are youngsters out there full of testoserone and junk food and bad attitude...there are tired middle aged parents and farmers, there are aging half blind half deaf pre senile geriatrics.


And then there are the neglectful road workers who didn't patch that pothole right or get the camber on the curve right with the new layer of bitumen...or left the 3/4" boiler plate over that hole overnight.

there are forgetful people who don't tie things down properly on their roof racks or in the back of their utes.

there are roos and wombats and rabbits and cows and bush turkeys and crows

there's water and oil on corners.

All these can see you in an ICU, a rehab unit, a nursing home... forsaking the very freedom you have craved so long.......

the paradox of it!!!
 
Nice looking bike the triumph you have linked, but to be honest it wouldn't jump out as the most practical looking bike for camping and long distance travel/riding. Make sure you take a few bikes out for a test ride, I've found when I was recently shopping around that bikes can feel very different. Not only the riding style, but also the responsiveness from he engine. Everyone will like things a little differently setup, so make sure you have the right bike before making the purchase.

From what you have suggested you don't currently have your motorbike license? Have you ridden on the road before? It's certainly not for everyone....so be sure you are ready for the challenges that come with riding.

As WinstonWolfe there are certainly many traps on the road to watch out for, but if we lived life worrying about everything/anything that could happen we would sit at home doing nothing, paralysed with fear. You certainly need to be the eyes for everyone else on the road as well as yourself.

I have only been riding for around 5 years now (on the road, many years before that on farm bikes) and I love it. I don't actually have my car license, haven't seen the need for one yet.

I went from a sportier 2000 Suzuki SV650S to a brand new 2007 Suzuki DL650 (vstrom) recently and am loving it, it has guts to get up and go, but has an upright seating position for commuting and long rides. Also at the time it came with a $1500 Givi luggage set for no extra cost which has been awesome. Top box which I leave on 24/7 and side panniers which I put on/off as needed hold plenty and are great for keeping overnight gear in.
 
phil said:
I am currently almost 38 and origianlly planned to get my licence when I was 17 (back in 1987 :p )
Click to expand...

Hiya Phil, sounds like you and I are almost at exactly the same stage in life.


phil said:
I feel that if I don't do it soon, I never will. Are there any other members that ride bikes? Do you enjoy getting 'out and about' ? and do you have any encouraging words for me that will get me down to that Triumph dealer
Click to expand...

I've been riding bikes for over 20 years now, and always enjoy it. I agree with others that you need to be alert and aware at all times out on the road.

Just get out there, buy something you like and get out there and give it a crack. Bought myself a brand spanking new 2007 Fatboy.....the only vehicle I've ever owned from new. Planning on ripping off the conforming environmentally friendly exhausts that the bike comes out with, and replacing them with some outrageously loud shotgun unbaffled pipes to get right up the pleasant elderly neighbourhood I live in.

Sounds like you've got the same hurdle to getting a bike that every married guy has to overcome. If ya can't get around the squaw, it sounds like ya don't deserve the freedom it'll bring ya. ;)
 
Just take care, twentieth birthday was waking up from a big sleep after some long long time. The car behind me thought he could make the light on the yellow
 
Doing the w'end bike ride to destinations unkown is HUGE over here.

Everywhere we go on the w'ends we see swarms of grey-haired, bearded older bikers cruising around, portable head-sets on so they can talk as they ride, with their equally as grey (but not bearded) wives or girl-friends on the back. Or, the wives/girlfriends often have their own bike.

They all get dressed up in the full-on leather ensembles, drive Harleys mostly which are immaculate, stop for coffees every hour or so it seems, and have a great time.

I can't wait.

Now I just have to get 10 years older and some grey hair, a Harley Electro-glide or a Fat Boy and I'm in.
 
I own a Bonnie T100. Its a fantastic, easy to ride bike. And looks great. I have had quite a few Jap bikes over the years with much more power but i'm at a stage in life where my boy racer days are over (leave that to the 20 year olds) and the Bonnie has heaps of style.

I love the feeling of riding a bike on a warm morning. (or any time really)

Time away from business, the kids & wife and time to think. I find it really clears my mind like nothing else. Maybe only surfing matches it.

As has been posted here, be a defensive rider and don't overestimate your skill.

btw: If you do buy a T100, pm me and i'll pass on a few post purchase mods that will improve your bike.
 
I've got an older 800cc version of this:

http://www.triumph.co.uk/australia/America_3253.aspx

Looking at the specs, the America is 6" longer than the T100 but I'm intrigued by the 360 deg firing interval for the T100 and 270 deg for the America. That must mean that on the T100 the pistons rise together and the Am. they do so alternately. This would give better mechanical balance (thus higher revs) and an uneven beat at idle, a little like a Harley. Cunning. :)

I've still got the original pipes but should fit Staintune ones and make a little noise. LOL

Edit: Should check before posting: The T100 has the higher power/revs but the America has the torque 1200 rpm lower. Fits the "cruiser" style, I guess.
 
A friend of mine has an America and we swap bikes on rides occasionally. The America is definitely tuned different in the factory. It has a much flatter power/torque curve and feels a bit lumpyas a result of the firing order you mention. To give it a bit of a Hog feel i think.

I have to drop back a gear (raise revs) and give it a handful to get some real go but on the America its pretty much just twist the throttle in most gears and go due to the flat torque/power curve.

I still cant get used to putting my feet up the front of the Am. Its just not natural.:D
 
Dazzling said:
...Sounds like you've got the same hurdle to getting a bike that every married guy has to overcome. If ya can't get around the squaw, it sounds like ya don't deserve the freedom it'll bring ya. ;)
Click to expand...

:D So true I feel. (With apologies to my wife if she ever reads this :p )

Perhaps it's the onset of an early 'mid-life' you-know-what, but I really want to start doing the things I wanted to years ago. I recieved an e-mail from a single friend of mine today (who travels quite a bit) wanting to know if I would like to go to Nepal with him in 2009. Although I do love my home life, I was thinking, "wow, I would love to just make decisions like that and do it".

I remember seeing on one of those travel shows (Getaway or something like that) that some company organises bike hire and tours over in Nepal. Now that would be very cool. I think I will look into doing the 'Stay Upright' course soon.

Phil.
 
Hi Phil, nice bike and i hope you get it
smallthumb.gif


You can tell the wife that riding with your mates is safer in numbers and it's also important to make memories and not just house payments :p

But obviously do it safely (have the attitude that you're invisible and everyone wants to kill you) and make sure you keep plenty of space around you for a safety buffer. Great idea to do a defensive riding cours. Your roadcraft on a bike is something you should practice every time you get on it.

We've been copping a lot of bike deaths on the gold coast here lately. So far this year there have been 72 motorbike rider and pillion fatalities, compared to 52 in the same period last year. I've read that bikers make up 40% of the road fatalities on the gold coast / tweed region although this probably has something to do with a 28% increase in motorcycle registrations in the past 2 years. A lot of young guys are getting powerful bikes that they can't control and are wiping themselves out.

The QLD government recognises this and will be introducing a new graduated licensing system for all new riders on july 1, 2008.


There's a lot of good info and motorbike forums on the web including:

http://www.netrider.net.au/forums/
http://www.overclockers.com.au/mc/forums/
http://www.ozsportsbikes.com/index.php

I'd also take up your mate's offer to visit Nepal, you'll love it!
 
phil said:
I remember seeing on one of those travel shows (Getaway or something like that) that some company organises bike hire and tours over in Nepal. Now that would be very cool. I think I will look into doing the 'Stay Upright' course soon.
Click to expand...
The company you're thinking of is www.ferriswheels.com.au

I've been hanging out for years to do one of their trips. I'm thinking Bhutan :)

I've been riding for nearly 10 years now and currently have a Honda VFR800. I mainly tour - I don't take the bike out for anything less than 200km as it's just not worth it to me - heheh.

I have travelled about 150,000km over the past 10 years, met some amazing people, seen some amazing sights and done some amazing things. None of these would have happened without my bike. There is a certain sense of freedom riding a bike and it's hard to explain to the uninitiated. I once saw a sticker that said "if I have to explain it, you won't understand" which means to me that you have to experience it for yourself.

Lucky for me, I met a guy a year ago that rides trail bikes. He now has his road bike licence and is planning to tour with me. Woohoo !!

My main advice would be to keep up to date with your skills (Stay Upright, Australian Superbike School). And just because you're a good rider doesn't mean squat. We lost 3 fantastic riders in a period of 5 weeks around 2 years ago. They were all things that came by suprise (engine seizure, leaf litter on the road, pot hole).

I say go for it. We're here to live. Just introduce your wife to it slowly. Maybe treat her to a harley ride one day, or a trike ride etc, then maybe go to a bike show and take it from there. Show her how safe you will be by buying the right gear, doing courses etc.

Have fun...
 
Those who think it is cars or trucks that are the major risk to bikers, think again.
Click to expand...

A mate of mine did a riding course recently. They were asked by the instructor what was the biggest danger riding down street with shops on each side. Shopping trolleys being pushed across the road? Nope. Car doors opening? Nope. Kids darting onto the road? Nope.
The biggest danger to bike riders came from them watching their own reflection in shop windows and running into the back of a car.

I rode for about 10 years - did the lap around Australia etc. Over those ten years I came off a couple of times, but nothing major. I always had a car as well and used the car if it was raining and always on Friday or Saturday nights.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Ruby
The Player Interview
Replies
0
Views
11K
Ruby
Ruby
David E-Noosa
What I do in my free time
2
Replies
34
Views
4K
fokas
fokas
redwing
Where are the bargain properties?
Replies
4
Views
3K
jaycee
jaycee
Back
Top