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Deleted member 1258
Guest
A common story I suspect, I met a woman and wanted the marriage home and family, sold the bike to help with the costs and went back to cycling, 35 years on we're still together.
A question for ex-motorbikers...
- Thread starter yello
- Start date
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Cubist
Still wavin'
- Location
- Ovver 'thill
V50 ii? I had one of those. It wasn't all that quick, top speed of about 100 if memory serves me, but you didn't have to slow down for corners, unlike other 1970s middleweights. My Mk2 Lemon on the other hand, top speed of 130, and out handled everything any of my mates rode, except Pip's 900 SS Desmo. Now, that was my favourite of them all. In the late 80s the insurance hike for under 30s meant I had to downsize and I got a GPz 500s, absolute screaming fun. I rode it into the ground, and was eventualy taken out at Signpost Corner on the IOM course by a woman riding a Yam TZ250. I used the insurance payout to buy a ZXR 750 H2 as soon as my fractures healed, and eighteen weeks later the SMIDSY in my previous post. The compo for that bought me an old Range Rover.
Crankarm
Guru
- Location
- Nr Cambridge
I had a Yamaha RD350LC hooligan bike back in the day, then a Suzuki GS750 then a Yamaha 125 unrestricted. I packed it in as I was smidsy'd and the bike went under the front of a car that pulled across me. I can still vividly recall it. The driver stopped at the last second half way across the road but by then I'd lost the front wheel as I had no chance, the bike went down, I managed to jump off at 45mph and slid by inches from the offside of his car. Luckily I was wearing full leathers with a Kevlar jacket over the top and good motorcycle boots and gloves which saved me from losing half my body as I slid past the car. The bike and car were a write off, but as he pulled across me it was his fault. I gave up after that having cheated death by inches. Nearly bought a new Honda VFR about 10 years after but didn't in the end as my heart wasn't really in it any more and couldn't justify the risk or the cost! Now I just stick with the car much safer and practical with family commitments and of course cycling, although I have been knocked down 3 times cycling, frikin numptees just driving into the back of me which I have tried to convince myself if I got another motorbike wouldn't happen, but of course there are other far greater risks that could easily get you killed. A motorbike is just about ok on a dry sunny day, I couldn't ride one in all weathers like I used to in London. You see lots of born again bikers on super bikes on a sunny sunday riding at insanely fast speeds across the Fens which scares the crap out of me when they pass me on blind bends where if something were on coming they would be killed instantly. Pretty irresponsible and selfish. Don't want to be part of that brigade.
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GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Lolz. I still remember the screams from TLH the first time she did the ton on the pillion of my R100RS. But they were as nothing to the squeals of delight as we hit 140mph* on the RGS Jota on a deserted A24 early one Sunday morning.
*I used to be a very naughty boy.
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Elybazza61
Guru
Well I had an R1(2005 model) but unfortunately it was written off after an altercation with a Renault Scenic,my friendly bike garage (Wheelfit nr Cambridge)said that they and the assesor stopped when the bill got to3.5k
.Anyway got the book price back for it but to be honest I was falling out of love with riding it due to a mix of costs,paranoia(it is actually quite hard to keep an R1 under some limits)and not enjoying riding on the road;did do track days but the costs of those was getting too much for me and I was only doing 1 or 2 a year.
So have traded that all in for self-powered two wheelers,dunno if I'm actually saving that much now though
.Anyway got the book price back for it but to be honest I was falling out of love with riding it due to a mix of costs,paranoia(it is actually quite hard to keep an R1 under some limits)and not enjoying riding on the road;did do track days but the costs of those was getting too much for me and I was only doing 1 or 2 a year.So have traded that all in for self-powered two wheelers,dunno if I'm actually saving that much now though
A very familiar story.
I bought my bike from a Gendarme. He wife was expecting and the money was going towards baby things. I'm not sure how much stuff €2500 would have bought but I suspect it's been spent now. Still, I felt my money was going to a good cause!
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Mine was a CB200 too... the green one. Taken out on mine the week I'd agreed to buy a CB500... so that never happened.
Vapin' Joe
Formerly known as Smokin Joe
- Location
- Bare headed cyclist, Smoker
There's a lot of crossover between biking and cycling, makes sense I suppose as two wheels get in the blood whether powered or not.
There are a lot of vintage bikes in this part of the world, a mate has a V50 and a '63 Enfield Bullet. For all the faults of old bikes they had a beautiful simplicity about them and could be maintained with a Meccano toolset. Modern road rockets are more reliable and have fantastic performance but as a cheap hobby or mode of transport you can forget it.
There are a lot of vintage bikes in this part of the world, a mate has a V50 and a '63 Enfield Bullet. For all the faults of old bikes they had a beautiful simplicity about them and could be maintained with a Meccano toolset. Modern road rockets are more reliable and have fantastic performance but as a cheap hobby or mode of transport you can forget it.
Fnaar
Smutmaster General
- Location
- Thumberland
May I just take this opportunity to post Chris "Speeding" Spedding? Thank you.
A friend of mine used to compete in British superbikes and he used to get people coming up to him between races to buy his (very worn) kneepads.....
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Easier than taking an angle grinder to em ( Bike magazine @1983)A friend of mine used to compete in British superbikes and he used to get people coming up to him between races to buy his (very worn) kneepads.....
wait4me
Veteran
- Location
- Lincolnshire
After 15 years of biking I sold the commando due to a cash shortage. After just 600 miles between MOT's it was hard to justify keeping it. 
etc.
etc.
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
The V50 MkII was an amazing bike. Mine got through bends far faster than my CBX550X and CB400F. It's weakness was the electrics - the merest sniff of salt and any exposed copper wiring turned to dust. I became an expert at continuity testing and electronic fault diagnostics. I still have a CB500 in the garage that does about 150 miles between MOTs.
I fancy a Morini 350 or another V50.
I fancy a Morini 350 or another V50.
Stu Plows
Coming soon: Bonking on a hill near you!
- Location
- Sywell, Northampton
Packed it in because I had one big accident 4 years ago that I still feel today. Plus I love my car too much now.
Found a little pleasure racing at Stourport last Tuesday because the hairpin bends require a lot of corner speed and it reminded me of being back on the motorbike.
Found a little pleasure racing at Stourport last Tuesday because the hairpin bends require a lot of corner speed and it reminded me of being back on the motorbike.
A friend of mine used to compete in British superbikes and he used to get people coming up to him between races to buy his (very worn) kneepads.....
Oh i can belive it...i caught a freind of mine on all fours dragging his knees along the garage floor... I kid you not. The amount of piss taking from us was too much for him, he never came riding with us again after that.
