I got back into bikes 20 years ago after a 15 year lay off and never been without one since ! Started with 600 sport tourers then up to powerful 1000cc sports bikes. Tried the off road thing but not for me. So now I have a Ducati sports tourer with all the latest technology on it and love it. I don't do many miles on it (certainly not in winter months) but its there to just get away for a few hours or a weekend. And also its worth saying they don't depreciate like cars either. Roll-on summer !
Well as you can see from my avatar very keen biker been riding for ever it seems, always had bikes had a break when daughter came along now at 59 I have a bit of spare time as daughter have grown up and gone away (at last) partner used to come on the back but not anymore had enough I think likes her garden now would rather dig holes, as living in n wales had a great run at the weekend rhyl betws y coed porthmadoc, ponderosa Llangollen then home roundabout 150 miles totally knackered first ride out this year am only a fair weather now .
Good to hear from a fellow biker @Nick. Being a Cheshire motorcyclist, most of those places in N. Wales are a regular destination for rides, and also in the Peak District Derbyshire etc. I was out on a 140 mile run yesterday with half a dozen biking friends, around the moorlands and villages close to the Woodhead Pass and Holmfirth. It was icy cold over the tops but we soon warmed up around a log fire in the pub at lunchtime. Most of us are retired and manage to get out for runs most weeks in summer. Motorcycling provides a camaraderie, whether it's with friends or just meeting other bikers at the usual hangouts like the Ponderosa.
Yeah its a great crack, lots of different ages young and old me being fart now ! hope to get out this weekend to.
I haven't got a clue. I didn't notice any street urchins, eating wholemeal bread, while riding a bike down'th cobbled street. But it may be the place. That's going back in time a few years, John. I do remember though, the music was Dvorak's "New World" Symphony, played by a brass band.
I've just checked on T'internet and it was filmed in Shaftsbury, Dorset. You were only 250 miles out. I think that you're getting mixed up with 'Last of the Summer Wine' which was filmed in Holmfirth.
I’m 36 with a couple of young kids. I have always wanted a bike but somehow listened to advice given in my early 20s and refrained from it. The advice was correct at the time. I had no responsibilities and just lived for the moment. The throttle would have been a switch (off-on). I too had doubts about getting on a bike. I did my DA test about this time last year which took more lessons than I thought and cost considerably more than I wanted to pay. It was also much more difficult than I ever imagined. It is so different from car driving and I found it difficult to enjoy it as there was so much to do. Anyway I had no plans to purchase a bike once I passed the test until I came across a deal last August. Long story short I effectively got a Suzuki SFV650A for a couple of hundred quid on the road. A little scruffy but perfectly reliable. An ideal first bike. I only really started riding regularly when the weather warmed up in April. I’ve found that my older now responsible self rides with the respect that biking deserves. Life preservation etc. It has taken a few months but I’ve started commuting in fair weather and I’m starting to feel more and more comfortable with every ride. I’m still very much a novice and I do press on at times but I’m conscious to ride to my ability and within my comfort zone, it’s just my comfort zone has widened considerably with my limited experience. I always ride at a speed that I can stop in the distance I can see in, I maintain observation which I feel I am reasonable at anyway, I ensure I position my bike so that people emerging from junctions can see me for the longest possible time and ensure when following vehicles that I’m in a position that they can see me in their mirrors. My commute to work is no faster than by car as I live and work in a fairly rural location.(everyone thinks a bike is quicker but if obeying traffic laws in light traffic it’s certainly not). My commute home is a little quicker as there are more overtaking possibilities. If adding the gearing up time it’s slower over all. My advice would be that your anxiety about the what ifs is your self preservation. It is unlikely that you will do anything stupid and you would be safer than most on a bike. Yes car drivers can be careless but you can ‘control’ everything in front of you and behind with observation and reactions. By careful positioning, signalling and matching your speed to the conditions you greatly increase your chance of survival and enjoyment of biking. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have been riding for over 30 years now winter and summer, on road and off road and have done advanced training for the road and off road courses. Like many others my parents forbid me to have a bike, despite my dad having one when he was younger. I rode friends bikes at 16/17 and finally bought my first bike at 24, a brand new DT125R and passed my test on it. I have owned Fireblades, Trail Bikes, VFR's over the years and now have 5 bikes, a BMW R1250 GS Adventure Rallye, KTM950 Supermoto R, Honda VFR800 VTEC, Suzuki DRZ400 Enduro, with a kick start! and a Yamaha IT490, the last of the 500cc big bore 2 strokes that I have almost finished a nut and bolt restoration on. I agree with a lot of the comments on here including about riding on your own at first as while riding in a group is brilliant, especially on tour in Europe, it can become competitive and you need to ride your own ride. The group I ride with, we are all similar ability levels and have ridden together for years including off road and track days so the competitiveness on the road is long gone and saved for the right place. I also think, although it sounds corny if biking is in you, you will do it no matter what. If it isn't you won't. People ride bikes because they want to, most people drive cars because they have to. I have lost friends, had 2 big accidents, both with broken bones, 1 with a year off work and I won't give up. I have been through the young kids thing as well. The advice about good kit is also invaluable, but also to wear it and not think Oh I'm only popping down the shops. I have ridden in 38 degrees plus in Germany a few years ago in full leathers, boots, helmet and gloves sweating my nuts off. But I have had an incident early on when my injuries were worse because I didn't put my boots on, I rode in trainers because I was in a hurry and paid the price and I have had incidents where good gear most definitely reduced or eliminated injuries. I spent over 30 years in the Fire Service so have been there and done it re attending RTC's and I still do it. With regards to partner/wife pressure my ex wife was ok with it and pillioned occasionally. Since then with new partners my feelings is, the bikes are part of me, take or leave the package, not parts of it. My current partner loves the bikes and we have been all over Europe together over the last 6 years, in groups and on our own. It is a great way to see a country. My views may sound selfish to some and they are entitled to their opinion, I prefer to regret the things I have done, not those I haven't. You can negate a lot of the dangers of riding with training, attitude and good kit. A throttle goes 2 ways and remember there are old riders and there are bold riders, but there are no old bold riders! Hope this helps. Nigel Here are my current bikes. l
