Safe Speed Forums

Bought one of these at the weekend. P!ssed off with sitting in congestion generated by 'traffic calming' idiocy and fuel going over £1 a litre, I'm returning to two wheels after 20 years. Wish me luck!

_________________
Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Welcome back MG. I would suggest that you go out and get some basic training on the bike before using it for commuting.

_________________
Prepare to be Judged

Seconded. Things have changed a lot in the last 20 years. A day or so spent with a good instructor getting back 'up to speed' (as it were) should be a good investment.

Don't count on the bike being much better on fuel than a small (modern) car though and don't forget that you need to add the cost of getting some warm and waterproof bike gear that you would not otherwise need. It would probably worthwhile getting a new helmet after 20 years as well.

Still saving money?

I'd say watch out for confidence and renewed experience changing at different rates.

For some reason confidence seems to come up faster than experience, so there's a window somewhere between perhaps 2 weeks and 2 years where confidence levels may well lead you into situations where your (renewed) experience is inadequate.

I've noted this effect in various studies, although it's not usually specifically explained.

Perhaps someone with good biking experience can peg the danger zone a bit tighter?

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Great choice. I had one back in 1998. Loved it to bits. 100mpg and no problem finding free parking.

One word to the wise. Keep the engine cases and chrome coated in wd40 over the winter months.

_________________
Speed camera policy Kills

Not my kind of machine I'm afraid (yeah a heathen I know ), but enjoy your new found freedom and take it easy.
Some of these damned cagers....

_________________
Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Thanks for your support, all. I have been toying with this idea for some time now and I have come to the conclusion that it is the way forward for me. My Tomcat is one of the nicest cars I have owned and I am doing it no favours subjecting it to the morning crawl each day. I did not pass my car test until I was 21 as I was a biker and happy to ride 250's - speed on a bike has never been an issue; I did not break the 100mph mark until I had my MkI Mexico some three years after passing my car test.
My Tomcat is in need of some TLC and I have decided to take it off the road and restore it; hence the necessity for the bike, which is offered for sale by a mate of mine whose brother-in-law lost the fight to cancer earlier this year.
As I am now 50 and not suicidal, I have arranged some 'return to biking' tuition that I will be starting in a couple of weeks time.
I know that the road conditions have changed beyond recognition from when I was last on two wheels and my reaction times can now be measured on a calendar, but I have always tried to be a responsible road-user, so I am supporting the SafeSpeed ethos by 'dipping my toe in the water'.
Bikes are not toys and I recognise the need for me to be a safe road-user to myself and those around me. But DAMN - I am going to enjoy myself...

_________________
Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Good lad! Have a bloody good time, and don't be a "born-again"!

Whenever I hear that expression I think about resurrection

_________________
Prepare to be Judged

Well, at last the odyssey reaches an end...
Having agreed to buy the bike, I asked for the current owner to get it MOT'd. When the bike shop came to collect it, it was found that one half of the rather wierd carb wasn't working ( I had thought that it was a bit gutless, but as I said in my OP, speed is not a requisite). Meantime, I ordered a Kevlar armoured leather (which came with free Thinsulate gloves) and a new skid-lid. The jacket turned up quick-smart, but the lid was dispatched today! The carb fault required bits from Yamaha in Japan and the repairs/MOT were finished yesterday. On top of this, I have discovered that, as I never finished my test, I will have to consort with a load of 16 year-old Chav dribblers on Chinese step-thru twist'n'go's to obtain my CBT! Oh, the embarrassment!
All being well I will have the bike this weekend, do my CBT on the following Thursday morning and spend the afternoon on a one-to-one return-to-biking session.

Watch this space...

_________________
Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Or even better acf 50 or the scottoiler stuff

_________________
"Are you sh**ing me?"
"John Spartan, you are fined one credit for a violation of the verbal morality statute."

Good on yer mate for being a "B-A-B" as I was one a few months ago (am now pushing 50+ish nearing 60!) and did the self same thing purely on cost grounds as my V70 petrol only does about 25 mpg as most of my 15 minute journey is on winding country lanes

I plumped for a 650 Honda Deau Ville as I didn,t fancy the idea of oily chains etc. (could be my age or the Victor Meldrew syndrome so my offspring says) and I get the best of 50+ mpg if I ride gently and a little less if I have silly moments trying to relive my younger days but without being condescending to you "ride within YOUR limits" so don,t try to emulate the race track antics of the younger riders also "Matron" says she wants me home in one piece, don,t know why as I am well covered by insurance / pensions etc. so am better off (financially) dead than alive to her could it be love

I have had the odd hairy moment with car drivers who think you are
a) a target to be beaten or b) "sorry I didn,t see you" syndrome and unfortunately you have to virtually think for the other drivers as well as for yourself but as my mate says that is the fun me thinks not

The only thing I do, due to my location is check the roads in the morning to see if they are fit to ride in the winter months as most of my journey is on untreated country roads so I don,t want to end up as a casualty statistic at the local A&E

_________________
"There But For The Grace of God Go I"

"He Who Ain,t Made Mistakes Ain,t Made Anything"

Spannernut