Born again bikers

Assuming bike costs £6k (dunno, just guessing), how many miles would you have to cover to make the fuel savings cost effective?

the problem these days is that speed cameras are everywhere and i reckon id lose my license within 6 months !

quote:

id lose my license within 6 months !

more likely to lose your life.

I would have thought RD would have a few anecdotes about BABs being involved in accidents

Bikes are safe, unless you crash.

Rockingdoc be careful out there.I managed 23 years without a crash,until one fine summers day when the c*** drove out in front of me,(says the sun was in his eyes).my left foot came up thru my gear lever.However, managed to get it attached again(not very pretty).2 months in hospital,14 months on the sticks,but i'm working again and only walk with a slight limp.well done the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast

Hi Rockingdoc,

I've been riding for about 30 years now and currently have a sports bike (Kawasaki ZX-9R) and a cruiser (Honda F6 Valkyrie). I live in Dallas, Texas now but spent my first 28 years in London and still visit from time to time, so I know what it's like on the roads there.

For what it's worth:

1) The BMWs are nice, but the current range have had chronic and ongoing issues with the shaft drive and the programming for the fuel injection. I've ridden the K1200S (with latest program) and the fuelling is appalling under 4,000 rpm. Stay clear of them.

2) The Hardleys are OK as long as you don't want to go anywhere too quickly, - especially around bends. The Harley wannabes like the Honda VTX1800, Yamaha Warrior, and Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 are faster, more reliable, and considerably cheaper to buy and maintain, - both in the UK and US.

3) Ducatis are terrific for a good thrape around the lanes but are expensive to buy and maintain. Their Desmodromic valves need a quite a bit of time to adjust during a service and the mileage intervals between services are relatively short. The dry clutch can also sound alarmingly odd. However, for fun they're hard to beat.

4) You say you haven't had a bike for a few years, and being in the UK I'm assuming it was a sports bike you used to ride? The newer sports bikes are *nothing* like they were say, in 2000. Models from the 'big four' such as the GSXR1000, Blade 1000, ZX-10, and R1 can get away from even an experienced rider *very* quickly. If you go for a sports machine I'd highly recommend looking at the 600cc to 750cc class, especially the Honda 600RR and the Suzuki GSXR-750. These smaller machines will still give you more thrills than you can wave a stick at but they're not as much of a handful as the litre bikes.

5) Whatever bike you get, definitely take one of the approved bike courses as a refresher, and *always* wear the right gear.

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn

quote:

Originally posted by Rockingdoc:
Not had a motorbike for a few years, but the increasing fuel prices mean I can convince myself that I need one again.
I've only had Jap bikes in the past, but am thinking BMW now that I'm middle aged. I like a few of the retros too eg; Ducati, Moto-Guzzi, and the whirring Bonnie. Hard to ignore the noise from the huge Harley brigade too.
What are you born agains riding? All R1s and Blades I suppose.

Hi Rockingdoc,

Whatever bike you end up with, i would recommend you getting some 'refresher course' training...

http://www.iam.org.uk/

They will point out all your bad riding habits (even if it hurts your feelings) but it's well worth the experience of learning a better, safer way of riding.
They're also a very friendly bunch of bikers in the local I.A.M. groups, and well worth getting in touch with.

Take care! : )

nymph

Rockingdoc

I'm no biker but a very good friend is, so more often than I would prefer, I am on the receiving end of bike updates!

Essentially what Mark says above is bang on what I have been told - the BM's look fantastic but their quality control is letting them down very badly - only the fact that they have a devoted following probably lets them get away with it.

Any of the sports bikes mentioned by Mark are frankly likely to scare the bejezus out of you (or worse) and I would be tempted to suggest that you 'dip your toes' with a more moderate bike with less extreme tyres and riding position now through to next spring before plunging into the world of sports bikes. I think there have been many folks who dived in and unfortunately haven't made it very far down the road. So to speak.

Peter

Won't save much with a bike! My Zx9r does about 42 mpg, the rear tyre is 130 quid and lasts about 4k and the servicing is between 230-400 quid a pop. But well worth it for the kick in the pants acceleration! love it but unless you go CG125 there is not much saving. Fozz

Hi Fozz,
Which year / model ZX-9R do you have? Mines one of the very last built, a 2003 F2.

For tyres I would recommend you try the Pirelli Diablo Strada. It's more of a sports-tourer tyre, but to me seems to give as good handling as the previous Metzeler M1s I had, and they look like they're going to last around 7K miles. I do all my own work on the bike except for the valve check / adjustment which comes due every 7.5K miles, - in fact mines in the shop for that right now.

I get around 42 mpg on a U.S. gallon, which is only around 7/8 of an Imperial gallon, so perhaps you ride in a more spirited fashion than I ;-)

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn

As someone who has had the misfortune to scrape more than my fare share of bikers off the tarmac, beware of right hand bends.
Your wheels maybe on your side of the line but your body is not

Hi Doc

I'm not born again,but love having a bike. Would agree with Nymph's comment in that if you've been away from bikes for any length of time, you should get some refresher lessons. Even if you don't do an advanced course, most bike instructors would be happy to do some simple lessons to get you back into it.

I have an Aprillia Tuono and love it. Got rid of a Blade which was getting too small and uncomfortable for my, ehh, expanding size. Like hi-fi, suggest you find a good dealer where you can try before you buy.

Best of luck.

Hi RD,


I have riden bikes for 21 years and have as my job for 14 and for me I'd by a KTM they are fantastic bikes. In town they are as quick as anything else, you sit above the traffic so can see everything and they are seriuosly robust, thats why they win the Paris/Dakar all the time. So be a little different from the crowd of fair weather (Ooo I shit myself in the rain) riders and get a Supermotard or proper Off Roader.







Dean..

Chaps

I am 59 years of age and have have a motor bike of some description since 1966.

I currently run a 1959 BSA B31 350cc single, more as a hobby then anything else.

I would advocate caution against using a bike for commuting because motorist just forget that you exist.

You will be travelling in the two worst rush hours and everyone is in a hurry to either get to the office or home. Car owners will just not notice you and that is a recipie for a collision.

Regards

Mick

Hi Mark, I have an E1 Model. bought s/h but nearly new and came with full akrapovic system which is nice. Picture below. I use the Brigestone Battlax tyres forget the number but I trust them. All the best, Gaz. ooh you will see I am not that fussy about cleaning it and I ride through winter!

Thanks for the replies chaps.
More info about me; I'm not really expecting to offset the cost of biking with fuel savings, it's just an excuse. I commuted to central London for many years on a CB400 and XS750, covering at least 100,000 miles in my time. My biggest/fastest bike to date was a Laverda Mirage.
I used to be an instructor for the RAC/ACU learners scheme, but at ten years since I've been on a bike, some re-training for me is in the plan.
I find most modern sports bikes have too extreme a riding position for my stiff old neck, so am looking for a more old fashioned upright stance. But, bad neck or no, I'm not convinced that having my feet in front of the handle-bars Harley fashion is for me either.
The risks are real, but my children are grown now, and I do cycle every day so am used to dodging white vans.

Shame about the BMWs, they were looking more and more like my ideal (R1200 R). They must still be put together better than Harleys or the world really has changed while I wasn't looking.

Mick's suggestion of a classic isn't out of the question, and I have half an eye open for a very clean 1950s Norton Dominator.

p.s. Any good m/cycle forums worth a trawl?

Hi Rockingdoc,

If you're not into the 'head down, arse up' poition but would still like a sport bike, try a second hand Kawasaki ZX-9R (like Fozz and I have). The riding position is a little more towards the sport-touring side of things. I'm 47 and can easily do 300 miles with just a stop for petrol.

Talking of sport-tourers, you might want to check out the Yamaha FJR 1300 and the Kawasaki GTR 1400. Both bikes have around 130 bhp at the back wheel and handle like a sport bike of only 3 or 4 years ago (that's a big compliment). They're also good for picking up babes and taking them for a comfortable ride.

A good site for sport touring is

http://www.sport-touring.net/

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn