born again biker - maybe

[st13phil]

Cheers. My visor has Pinloc I think I was breathing too heavy at times and didn't always open it when approaching junctions (too much else to think about). Plus it was full of finger prints, which added to the reflections. As I relax it should improve.

Earplugs is a good suggestion

As you've already found out, having the visor and the Pinloc both scrupulously clean makes a real difference. Ideally, you want to keep the visor closed rather than keep opening and closing it because each time you open it more cold moisture gets in and makes matters worse. If it's raining then opening the visor allows water to run down the inside of the visor from the top which is also a pain. You'll find that as you gain experience and confidence you will become quite adept at holding your breath at critical moments to avoid visor misting

Regarding earplugs, if you don't want to spend most of your later life saying "pardon" then they're an essential part of motorcycling. The disposable foam ones work well, but custom moulded ones work best and are often more comfortable too. A good local supplier is ACS at Banbury.

 

[johny342]

I started on a Honda Cbr600 then blade then back to the Cbr600! Hornet would be a good bike too! i now have a Yamaha FZ1! its a beast and a Suzuki GSF1250 Bandit. Torque is good to have on a bike as means less gear shifting if you wnat to go steady

 

[Charles Morgan]

if you don't want to spend most of your later life saying "pardon"

I should hope Will would go around saying What! instead.

 

[wemorgan]

Satisfying day in the garage. New chain and sprocket set put on and the rear brake caliper replaced and put back on with new disc and pads. I'll sweep under the rug the previous w/e where I cracked the original caliper. Automatic chain oiler to put added next w/e.

 

[wemorgan]

I've hit the grand total of 500 miles since buying the bike! I even give and receive a few nods from passing bikers. I'm part of the club now!

 

[Giantvanman]

Next stop, the IronButt challenge………ironbutt.co.uk

 

[V12]

500 miles... so you've done one trip on it then?

 

[redcalibra]

I too am a born again biker, my first bike was a honda cbr 600 1999, fabulous bike try it or honda 600 hornet £2000 upwards now you will not regret it.I am 62 yrs old by the way.

 

[st13phil]

500 miles... so you've done one trip on it then?

In one day ;-)

 

[wemorgan]

......it's been the best day on the road so far. Warm and sunny. I took a detour on the way home staying on the Fosse Way to the Cotswolds . So far it's been the best motoring ~£2k I've spent so far. The only negatives being that cars feel less exciting than they used to and the SLK stays on the driveway more often than not.

 

[wemorgan]

2500 miles now, or as V12 would put it, 5 trips
MCN classifieds are often being scanned through for a possible replacement.
KTM 990 Supermoto Touring has my attention for the moment......mmmmmm

 

[wemorgan]

1st major near miss today. Filtering through slow moving traffic I accelerated into a closing gap. It closed faster than I anticipated and I thought I was going to crash into the back of a car. ABS and luck meant I slowed down enough to swerve past the car and in between the on-coming car. Stupid mistake, bad judgement, glad to arrive home. Lesson 100% learnt. I've read before of confidence rising faster than ability. It's true.

 

[V12]

An event that brings you back down to earth without injury is good. Glad you're well. How's the KTM 990 coming?

 

[wemorgan]

An event that brings you back down to earth without injury is good. Glad you're well. How's the KTM 990 coming?

Yep. In some way glad I've had the experience to make me realise how I was riding. Time to calm it down and make better judgements. Maybe book a Bike Safe course.

KTM 990 SMT feelings are moving more towards BMW R1200R feelings. Both seem quite rare on the 2nd hand market @ £6k which I'm looking to spend. I need to step away from the internet and actually book a test ride.

When not making mistakes, biking offers me so much more enjoyment than driving ever did.

 

[Giantvanman]

Bikesafe is only a short, basic awareness course. You would be much better doing IAM or RoSPA advanced bike instead.

It is amazing how much more fun biking can be and with the added bonus that the observation skills (traffic, road surface, events etc), road placement etc etc are all transferable to car driving.

 

[tonyc280]

Not been out on my immaculate ZZR 1100 for ages now. Just not felt like it at all, will wait till i'm feeling a bit better.

 

[Ted]

Good lesson learned, Will.
Confidence may save your life.
Overconfidence may kill you.

 

[frog-n-flymo]

Have a look at training, the police run some excellent courses (there was nothing quite as satisfying as following a police bike at 100mph down an A road, ie proper training) as do independents. Don't forget your licence means your trained up to 40mph, there is an huge reward waiting out there following upgrade training, and all courses will keep you focused on relevant hazards.

Money on a course is well spent as not only are you 100% guaranteed to improve your riding and safety! but the instructor will have a sensible conversation with you about choosing the best bike for you.

 

[mat8n]

i passed my test about 6 years ago, i'm 42.
i've had bikes all my life but only 125s as i was a complete nutter!
first big bike was a gsx750r which i enjoyed riding fast but was uncomfortable as i'm 6'2" so i got an old zzr1100c1 which was beautiful and a lovely ride. I've had a 650 single enduro and a 750 hardtailed stretched lowrider too, so i've done pretty much all types of bike

But i feel they are all dangerous and can catch you out either by car drivers or simply not realizing you're doing 120mph+!

so i sold the zzr and i've got myself a mint 1995 anniversary model 1500 goldwing!!

I'll never go back to a sports/tourer after riding the goldwing, you get the buzz but you also get the comfort and you just plod along.

i love bikes, i'm a biker at heart but i'm to old now, i go to the meets on the summer evenings now with my light weight gear on and my p*ss pot lid and look at all the old men clad in leather struggling to get their leg over the latest 1000cc monster sports bike and ride off at 30mph everywhere! makes me chuckle... i'll not go any faster but i'll put my feet up on the highway footrests, back against the backrest, cruise control on, tunes blasting and the wind in my face.

and i aint no fuddy duddy either! that's my bmx in the photo (my youngests vespa)

 

[Chalpkin]

i passed my test about 6 years ago, i'm 42.
i've had bikes all my life but only 125s as i was a complete nutter!
first big bike was a gsx750r which i enjoyed riding fast but was uncomfortable as i'm 6'2" so i got an old zzr1100c1 which was beautiful and a lovely ride. I've had a 650 single enduro and a 750 hardtailed stretched lowrider too, so i've done pretty much all types of bike

But i feel they are all dangerous and can catch you out either by car drivers or simply not realizing you're doing 120mph+!

so i sold the zzr and i've got myself a mint 1995 anniversary model 1500 goldwing!!

I'll never go back to a sports/tourer after riding the goldwing, you get the buzz but you also get the comfort and you just plod along.

i love bikes, i'm a biker at heart but i'm to old now, i go to the meets on the summer evenings now with my light weight gear on and my p*ss pot lid and look at all the old men clad in leather struggling to get their leg over the latest 1000cc monster sports bike and ride off at 30mph everywhere! makes me chuckle... i'll not go any faster but i'll put my feet up on the highway footrests, back against the backrest, cruise control on, tunes blasting and the wind in my face.

and i aint no fuddy duddy either! that's my bmx in the photo (my youngests vespa)

Hi,
Too old at 42! I'm 52 been riding bikes since I was 16 started on a Honda SS50 (I wanted a FS1E but my dad Insisted four strokes were better), progessed to a SUZUKI X7, Terry Beckett tuned Yamaha RD350LC (absolute rocket ship), YZF750 which I kept for 15 years then a few years on a FZS600 Fazer as a despatch rider, then in 2005 bought an R1 that I still have today, I love my sports bikes, I feed my adrenaline addiction by doing track days. I will only stop riding when either I physically cannot swing my leg over the seat or the SWMBO says enough is enough and I'm sure any true biker would agree.
Regards,
Chalpkin.