"Over the top"? Not even remotely This is over the top http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6K3C8avQUw&feature=youtu.be
Some motorcyclists are completely blinkered to scooters. I have a mate who I normally respect as a biker and he has no time for scooters. I think he's an idiot for thinking that way. One of my first bikes was a proper scooter, a Lambretta GP125 De Luxe, and that little baby flew. Great scooter in its time and it still exists in Southampton, as I occasionally see it running about, which says something for its original build quality. In fact, anyone thinking of taking up the commute to work on a bike, but feel a bit intimidated by them, let me thoroughly recommend the scooter. Enough performance to beat the traffic, even with the basic models, and usually between 60-100mpg depending on the performance level. You'll only get stuck in traffic if you allow yourself to, and you might even learn to filter or even potter down the outside, as they say.
I've got two scoots. The one in the picture is more of a toy really, mostly for show. It goes well enough but every time I hit a bump I'm waiting for something to fall off I also have a modern Vespa, 300cc, fully automatic, with all the acceleration you could want. That would be my transport of choice but I have to be honest, when it is raining, or when it is icy, or when I'm transporting my golf clubs then I use the car.
Of course. But can you imagine what the traffic would be like in Southampton, during the morning rush hour, if all those that could ride a bike, motorbike or scooter, actually did..? There would hardly be a traffic jam in the city, because the parents with their obese children could deliver them to school in their 4x4s unhindered, except by all the other 4x4s. The buses wouldn't have cars trying to crowd their lanes in an effort to get somewhere. The trucks and vans could have free passage, and people would get to work in a fraction of the time. It's actually the obvious way to cut travelling costs and get to a destination faster. And without road rage being a potential part of it.
Great day for it today, just got back from a nice rideout. 10 bends & the mad mile was my choice today
Yeah, I've thought about going out for a pleasure ride, but I've got plenty of things to do to keep me indoors, and there's loads of sports on today [qualifying MotoGP, Moto2, etc...] for the races tomorrow at Le Mans. Then there's the NorthWest 200 going on too. And lastly, I've a severe mistrust of the weather. It isn't going to stay dry today, by my reckoning. I think I might get a ride in the middle of the week, when not so many people will be out and about. Probably New Forest, then Applemore for a swim.
I ride a Honda Varadero but don't know how to put a picture up here. I use it for pleasure and touring and it has taken Mrs saint and I to Ireland, the Alps and the Scottish Highlands in the past few years. Of course I break speed limits. That's what they are there for. If they want me to keep to them, raise them. 70 on a motorway? Do me a favour. 90 would be far more reasonable. And filtering in queues is part of the fun. Going to Cornwall in the summer, riding past miles of cars stuck behind caravans..... bliss. Never fails to put a smile on my face.
Always liked the Varadero. Am I right in thinking it has a 650cc V-twin on-board, the same as the old NTV650..? When I get too old to lug my VFR around, I'm thinking about going for a middleweight adventure style bike too. please log in to view this image
The weather held off here, kind of wished i went for a bit of a longer ride now in a couple of weeks taking her down to the west country (somerset) the mrs doesnt know we're going on the bike yet, she thinks i'm driving, she's not a fan of being a backseat passenger, i ride to fast she says!
And it held off here apart from a few spots, but I really wasn't in a position to go out so there was only a tiny bit of regret. Ooh you need to nurture that pillion. Just take the aceleration and braking a bit slower. It's lack of smoothness that a pillion always hates. I have to say, I used to suffer from being a bit choppy in my two-up piloting.
When i was a teenager in the early 80's,most lads had mopeds as 16 year olds,then quite a high percentage went on to have bigger bikes as 17 year olds. You could ride up to a 250cc as a learner,which when the Yamaha RD250LC came out were capable of going well over 100mph. I myself had a Suzuki 185 off on/off roader while i passed my test,then had a Yamaha 500 moto x bike that was lethal on the road, as it was geared up for racing,and you had to be so careful as the front wheel would lift in any gear if you were to heavy with the throttle. It was fun in the forest and over the gravel pits at hardley though. I then had a Kawasaki 650 for a while, but then came to the conclusion that you got more "action" if you had a car, so converted to 4 wheel transport and never went back. But having ridden a bike,i think it makes me more considerate when driving,as i always try to look out for bikers.
The GSXR I know, but how do you find your company Beemer flat twin..? I once rode its ancestor, the famed R90S, and I must say I was slightly underwhelmed by it, even as a impressionable 20 something. BTW, I take it that it's a fast response paramedic's bike, or are we looking at the other company bike with similar colours..?
The company bike is the Police spec BMW RTP1200.....a slouch in my opinion, very heavy for slow manouevres but suprisingly nimble on the go....but it's not a rapid bike more general purpose... still, to get paid to ride bikes suits me!
Hmm, been watching the MotoGP at Le Mans today. Normally, I might think something like that would be the best way to get paid and ride bikes, but after seeing that bad weather I might prefer your way. Trouble is, I couldn't show the same endless discipline that you have to. You can't be seen to be even remotely enjoying a corner without it being duly noted. Mind you, I expect that's what the Suzy is for.
One of my instructors was also a police motorcyclist and he said the same thing to me just prior to my mod 2 test, 'you need to make progress - get upto speed', then I fail my mod 2 for speeding. No excuse the road signs were there - however they did recently change them from 50 to 30 on a dual carriage way approaching a motorway junction. My next mod2 used the exact same test route so I was not caught again and passed without any faults. I had a nice two hour blast yesterday around the Somerset countryside after watching MotoGP.
