Biker Thread

[Banbeer]

I was told I couldn't ride it anymore as first child was on the way. So I sold it. I wonder what it would have been worth now?

A child is priceless isn't it? does the bike still leak oil?

 

[terrym]

A child is priceless isn't it? does the bike still leak oil?

My experience of old British bikes was they all leaked oil after a while. When I was thinking of getting a bike again nearly 20 years ago I considered buying an old British bike but someone said to me, what do you want from a bike do you want ride it or spend half your time putting it right?. I then remembered the hours I spent as a teenager keeping my bikes on the road, so I bought a modern Japanese bike and haven't looked back since.

 

[Old Geezer]

My experience of old British bikes was they all leaked oil after a while. When I was thinking of getting a bike again nearly 20 years ago I considered buying an old British bike but someone said to me, what do you want from a bike do you want ride it or spend half your time putting it right?. I then remembered the hours I spent as a teenager keeping my bikes on the road, so I bought a modern Japanese bike and haven't looked back since.

Wasn't that half the fun though stripping them down and rebuilding them. It was for me

 

[VW911]

(oh, and there's an XT500 in the garage too).

Nice! Always fancied an XT. Used to have a KLR - wish I'd kept it now...

 

[nixhaz]

Nice! Always fancied an XT. Used to have a KLR - wish I'd kept it now...

No jokes, the bikes and cars I've had over my lifetime, if I'd kept I'd be a millionaire!!

 

[dad_of_jon]

new bike in front, old bike behind having been involved in RTA. both powered by a 50+ yr old 0.1 horse power (0.2 turbo boost at roundabouts) engine. Clocked at 25mph passing a speed camera down hill. The engine was good for 40+ mph when installed on an o' brian clubman in the mid 80's but thesedays is only good for about 12-14mph

 

[Satellitemark]

Here's a list of some of the bikes I've had over the years,

Yamaha FS1E
Yamaha RD250
MZ supa 5
MZ ETZ250
Suzuki X1
Honda C50
Honda C90
Yamaha T80
TGB 303 SPORT
Yamaha AG100 farm bike (much loved by australian sheep farmers !)
Beamish Suzuki 250
Yamaha RXS 100
Honda CB200
Yamaha 350 YPVS
Honda CX650
BMW R80RT Mono x 3

Mark

 

[Satellitemark]

48, 675R, Suffolk (oh, and there's an XT500 in the garage too).

Like the Honda C90 the Yamaha XT500 seems to be a much admired bike, I've never owned one, but have ridden one when I was around 18 it was a beast it left it's mark on my memory and on my leg ! Ive always lusted after one !

Mark

 

[Rigsby666]

...the Yamaha XT500 seems to be a much admired bike, I've never owned one, but have ridden one...

Never had an off-road bike that big, the old Thumper look a pleasure to ride, but I do own a rather well used 1979 DT175, which is still great fun. :-)

 

[DavieC]

1979 DT175

I had a DT175 on the fields when I was younger, also an NVT rambler 125 which was a Yamaha in disguise.
When I was 13 ,I used my paper round money and pocket money which I saved up and bought a Honda SS50 for £20 which had seen better days .I had to bump start it to get home along the canal towpath and had never ridden a motorbike before,I think I fell off it five times just trying to get it started and learn how to change gear! I used to tinker about with it and sold it for £30 and did the same with a few other bikes eventually working my way up to the Yam DT which I swapped for a Suzuki GT250 X7 fitted with nobbly tyres...that thing was super scary across the fields.
On the road I had a Suzuki Bandit 600 and then a Kawasaki ZX636R .Ive not ridden for 17 years now but have kept my helmet...interestingly I sold the Bandit to my neighbours son who has since moved to America.As far as I know the Bandit is still in next doors garage,unridden for 14 years.Shame really it was a great bike.

 

[terrym]

As far as I know the Bandit is still in next doors garage,unridden for 14 years.Shame really it was a great bike.

Whats stopping you?
But if you do get on two wheels again buy a new helmet. The old one is well past its use by date, even though you might have stored it properly.

 

[Dwtty]

Hello. I have been riding off and on for 33 years. I have 3 on the road a T100 outfit, a CMX 500 and a XV535 and do being built, a Speedmaster lowriders and a LS650 flat tracker. Seems like most of us of a certain age here, beer and bikes, nothing changes.

 

[Gerryjo]

Yeah, it's in mint condition, the OH did it up over lockdown. It's a US import so hasn't been subjected to rain/salt/frost thankfully!

A mate of mine had two FT500's at different times and both had cracked the frame at the headstock due to shear animal power.
Another mate had an RS250 with an SR500 plant and what a beast,it literally took years of your life when you had ridden it.

 

[Cwrw666]

Francis Barnett Falcon. Second bike I ever owned. 197cc of Villiers `power'. Good for 50mph if the hill was steep enough which makes it slower than my bicycle.

Followed it with this one - MZ250. Great little bike even if the handling was a bit novel at times.

 

[Rigsby666]

Francis Barnett Falcon. Second bike I ever owned. 197cc of Villiers `power'. Good for 50mph if the hill was steep enough which makes it slower than my bicycle.

The chap across the road has a Francis Barnett of some sort, not sure if it is 149 or 197cc, I can't remember the model. I should do really as I've had a ride out on it - getting forgetful in my old age I guess. He also has a James. I'll have to go over and have a chat (social distancing of course).

I was born and bred in Coventry, where they were made both, so have a bit of a soft spot for them, although I was only a small child when they ceased trading in 1966. But, when I was younger, I worked at companies that were using their old buildings and/or in the same road to where the factories were, they remained remarkably unaltered. Also, worked at the old Rudge works in Coventry, which was a multi-story building and the original wooden floors were said to be soaked in oil from production over many years. The story goes that building was one of the greatest fire risks in the city and cost the companies using it a fortune to insure, right up until sadly it was demolished in the 1990's.

So, what bicycle are you riding that gets to 50mph? Is it an eBike or do you launch yourself off cliffs whilst onboard? ;-)

 

[Cwrw666]

So, what bicycle are you riding that gets to 50mph? Is it an eBike or do you launch yourself off cliffs whilst onboard? ;-)

Just a cheap road bike but with a 30mph tail wind and a roughly 20% initial gradient mellowing out to a mile or two of gentler gradient I regularly clocked mid fifties. Benefits of gravity! BTW my landrover, knocked out of gear , same road, same winds would barely scrape 40...

 

[terrym]

Just a cheap road bike but with a 30mph tail wind and a roughly 20% initial gradient mellowing out to a mile or two of gentler gradient I regularly clocked mid fifties. Benefits of gravity! BTW my landrover, knocked out of gear , same road, same winds would barely scrape 40...

If you come off at that speed even with armoured biking gear and a helmet you are likely to cause serious injury to yourself. Gravel burns can be horrendous let alone anything else.
I've had a couple of minor < 30mph offs on my motorbike in recent years, one on ice with minor abrasions to my gear when I slid down the road, but the other on a normal road surface and it wrecked my gear. With due respect its like seeing these blokes riding an old Fireblade on a hot day in shorts and a tee shirt and no gloves.

 

[VW911]

Always amazes me when I see muppets riding around in T shirts, shorts and flip-flops.
Even on the shortest trip, I wear proper boots, gloves, jacket etc...
I have gear for most conditions, but this time of year even my "Air" jacket (basically an armoured string-vest type material jacket) is hot. But seeing the mess that tarmac makes, I'd rather be safe than sorry!

 

[nixhaz]

Like the Honda C90 the Yamaha XT500 seems to be a much admired bike, I've never owned one, but have ridden one when I was around 18 it was a beast it left it's mark on my memory and on my leg ! Ive always lusted after one !

Mark

I had to ride it back from Norfolk when the OH bought it, 2 hours. I felt like I'd done 20 rounds with Tyson the next day!

 

[DavieC]

Whats stopping you?
But if you do get on two wheels again buy a new helmet. The old one is well past its use by date, even though you might have stored it properly.

It got me feeling quite nostalgic thinking back about motorbiking, I had a look for some photos from the time..the Bandit was from 2000, the kwaka is from 2003...