The Bikeshite Thread

[Jazoli]

30 minutes ago, Flashband said:

My personal opinion is crash helmets should not be compulsory.  Yes the benefits are self evident and given a choice to wear one or not I would wear one most of the time, but why should the state arbitrarily dictate bikers wear one.

One of the usual responses is NHS resources, my reply to that would be contact sports or dangerous sports (rock climbing, hand gliding etc) haven't had state intervention

Ok then, I've never heard anything so ridiculous personally.

[Flashband]

1 hour ago, Jazoli said:

Ok then, I've never heard anything so ridiculous personally.

I see it as a matter of choice

[Jazoli]

5 minutes ago, Flashband said:

I see it as a matter of choice

There is no choice, not wearing a helmet is probably the most stupid one you can make, my cousin fell off his pushbike at 5mph and cracked his head wide open, he now lives in a wheelchair and was lucky to live, on the other hand my daughter fell off her pushbike on a rocky trail, she smashed her head into a rock and left an ostrich egg sized dent in her helmet, she walked away (she sustained other injuries but was ambulatory), without the helmet she was wearing she'd have been dead, so I'm speaking from experience and not being sensationalist.

Your head your choice, its an easy way to spot the muppets

I also believe gloves should be compulsory PPE on a motorcycle btw

[Sir Chocolate Teapot]

I find it difficult to understand not wanting to wear a crash helmet, on any two wheeled thing,  bicycles and electric scooters included  , plus gloves !

Here in italy it makes me cringe the complete lack of glove wearing on bikes (motor), i understand it in summer as it is baking hot but the standard of car driving terrifies me, especially in towns, there must be loads of italians with scarred hands !

Even on a moped, helmet and gloves always is my motto.

Sometimes free choice  needs to be taken away !

[hairnet]

numerous things in at least the last 20 years of in the usa at least

people dying cos of no requirement for helmets (in certain states)

https://abcnews.go.com/US/york-rider-dies-protesting-motorcycle-helmet-law/story?id=13993417

where doctors have said after if theyd worn one thered be no victim

 

[Jerzy Woking]

There is also a push to get riders to wear air vests/jackets too.

All well and good , but you are looking at £400 plus for even the most basic vest.

Can anyone tell me why air vests (such as the Helite) are subject to VAT in the UK? It's a safety product, and hardly something you would put on for a night down the pub. The VAT adds nearly £100 to the price. Scandalous.

[mitsisigma01]

Speaking from personal experience I'd say you have to be nuts if you don't want to wear a helmet. I had a dozy bint pull out in front of me and stop. With nowhere to go I laid my bike down and went along the tarmac on my arse and body slammed lengthways down the side of her vw. Amongst my injuries was my jaw broken in six places, 5 teeth out, nose hanging off, lip hanging off, the helmet had to be cut off my head because it had gone sideways with my face inside it. It was a brand new Shoei £300+ (1997) full face helmet that probably saved my life. I was only doing 30 mph. I have a pin and three plates holding my face together, a fucked jaw and teeth and head problems. 

Don't be a dick, wear a lid. You might not appreciate your own life but I'm sure your family and friends might. 

 

[yellowperil]

On 3/16/2021 at 11:46 PM, Barry Cade said:

Spotted this today.. had to stop for a pic. Didnt ask the price though!..

 

My mate had one of those about ten years ago and it blew up.

Even then Honda didn't supply pistons for them unbelievably, for a two stroke.

I remember him searching for months

Eventually I managed to find a second-hand piston and barrel on eBay, they weren't great, but they had to do.

He fitted those and got rid of it, a bloody shame because it was a pretty decent bike, with a fair amount of power and hardly any weight.

[yellowperil]

The feller in the first few seconds of this video is sitting astride a Honda C90 going down the road without wearing a crash helmet, totally legal.

Always makes me laugh.

[New POD]

2 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

There is also a push to get riders to wear air vests/jackets too.

All well and good , but you are looking at £400 plus for even the most basic vest.

Can anyone tell me why air vests (such as the Helite) are subject to VAT in the UK? It's a safety product, and hardly something you would put on for a night down the pub. The VAT adds nearly £100 to the price. Scandalous.

Same reason why sanitary pads are subject to VAT.... Because they are

.

[New POD]

15 hours ago, Flashband said:

My personal opinion is crash helmets should not be compulsory.  Yes the benefits are self evident and given a choice to wear one or not I would wear one most of the time, but why should the state arbitrarily dictate bikers wear one.

One of the usual responses is NHS resources, my reply to that would be contact sports or dangerous sports (rock climbing, hand gliding etc) haven't had state intervention

If you want to organise rock climbing, through a club, through a climbing centre you will need insurance. The requirements of that insurance dictate a level of training and PPE for those in charge and those participating. 

With rock climbing there are risks associated with your own ability, with the suitability of the equipment and the unknowns of the rock face. That does not stop accidents, but then again, nobody tried to pull out in front of a moving climber in a  pink.metro from a side road, with the excuse "Sorry mate I didn't see you" 

It would be almost impossible to police.  

[plasticvandan]

In this country at least,I'd want a helmet solely to keep the weather out,let alone the obvious safety reasons.i wear gloves 99% of the time,but will admit on the on or two scorchin days of the year to nipping out to the shop without.I had a 50mph off after hitting a dead deer,and aside from an eye injury,was lucky to not break or rash anything,for the record I was wearing a budget (but ACU gold) helmet,40 year old German police leather jacket,ex army goretex over trousers,Derri boots and polish police gauntlets.

[Jerzy Woking]

2 hours ago, plasticvandan said:

In this country at least,I'd want a helmet solely to keep the weather out,let alone the obvious safety reasons.i wear gloves 99% of the time,but will admit on the on or two scorchin days of the year to nipping out to the shop without.I had a 50mph off after hitting a dead deer,and aside from an eye injury,was lucky to not break or rash anything,for the record I was wearing a budget (but ACU gold) helmet,40 year old German police leather jacket,ex army goretex over trousers,Derri boots and polish police gauntlets.

Anything covering the skin will save the immediate loss of skin when hitting the tarmac, even Derri boots!

[martc]

On 3/19/2021 at 3:54 PM, Flashband said:

My personal opinion is crash helmets should not be compulsory. 

Flashband, yesterday.

Actually a MAG Rally in London 1981. The slogan they used was ‘Helmets yes, Compulsion no’.

[martc]

Dave Aldana on a Norton.

Beryl Swain, in 1962 she was the first woman solo motorcyclist to finish in an IOM TT race.

[martc]

A Moto Guzzi GT17 fitted with a Breda 30 gun.

[twosmoke300]

Finally got to take the two KE’s out together . Missis took the yellow one and did really well. She hasn’t ridden for years and was super nervous . Bike was a bit tall for her too . Going to go from a 4.00 18 to a 3.50 18 rear tyre to lower it a bit for her . Also got a spare seat which I will chop down 

[andyberg]

Nice, always liked the KE over the newer 80s off roaders. There is something special about an air cooled 2 stroke. 

One day something similar will be mine 🤞🤞🤞

[twosmoke300]

Yellow one might be for sale yet !

[andyberg]

1 minute ago, twosmoke300 said:

Yellow one might be for sale yet !

😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

[AlsoMike]

My SV disgraced itself at the weekend, seems like something major has happened with the gearbox or clutch. I was merrily blatting along and it made a screeching/crunching noise and then the engine cut out. I coasted to a stop and got off the road ok, but now while it will start it wont go in gear or roll freely... Not taken clutch cover off yet, not sure I want to.

[Jazoli]

20 minutes ago, AlsoMike said:

My SV disgraced itself at the weekend, seems like something major has happened with the gearbox or clutch. I was merrily blatting along and it made a screeching/crunching noise and then the engine cut out. I coasted to a stop and got off the road ok, but now while it will start it wont go in gear or roll freely... Not taken clutch cover off yet, not sure I want to.

Oh dear, parts are cheap and plentiful thankfully, it sounds like the clutch basket has disintegrated.

[brandersnatch]

On 3/21/2021 at 4:54 PM, martc said:

Flashband, yesterday.

Actually a MAG Rally in London 1981. The slogan they used was ‘Helmets yes, Compulsion no’.

MAG run London 1982? I’ll be in that lot somewhere on my Moto Guzzi Le Mans. 

[yellowperil]

On 3/19/2021 at 9:43 PM, yellowperil said:

My mate had one of those about ten years ago and it blew up.

Even then Honda didn't supply pistons for them unbelievably, for a two stroke.

I remember him searching for months

Eventually I managed to find a second-hand piston and barrel on eBay, they weren't great, but they had to do.

He fitted those and got rid of it, a bloody shame because it was a pretty decent bike, with a fair amount of power and hardly any weight.

I was talking to my nephew on the phone last night, about the old Mtx200 he said it was the first bike he ever rode.

I mentioned the lack of pistons and he did a bit of Googling and found some, it seems someone is manufacturing them again, the listing also mentioned Lambretta's, so that is probably where the market lies.

It was over a decade ago when we were looking for one.

 

[yellowperil]

When I was a CBT instructor, as part of my safety talk I used to talk about protective clothing, I knew it would fall on stoney ground a lot of time, especially with the 16 year old lads, but I would try and make it interesting and make them see the point in wearing it.

I used to ask them "what's the first thing you do if you are running along and you trip?"

The answer was generally "You put your hands out."

 if there was no answer I would put my hands out in front of me and say "that's what you do, it's instinctive, now imagine doing that at 30mph or more."

 I would then talk about all the grit and muck you would get in the wounds in your palms and the unpleasant ways the nurses would deal with it, basically trying to make it sound as unsavoury as possible.

One day I had three sixteen year olds on their first CBT and a thirty something who used to ride in the eighties and now wanted to get his full licence, so was taking his first steps towards that by doing his CBT.

While I was talking I suddenly realised that he had extended both arms out and had his hands on the table, palms upwards and was just looking at the three 16 year olds.

I cottoned on quite quickly.

So I said to him... "You know what I'm talking about from experience, don't you?"

 He  replied,  "Yup, RD125LC, no gloves on, when I was 18."

 So I let him take over for the next few minutes and he described exactly what it felt like when his hands slapped the hot tarmac, and what it felt like when they were cleaning up the wounds and trying to get all the bits of gravel out in A&E (they failed, there were still a few bits in there, you could feel them), every little detail, right down to going to the toilet with heavily bandaged hands.

I think it was they only time I ever managed to get the message across to everyone.

 

[AlsoMike]

On 3/22/2021 at 12:26 PM, Jazoli said:

Oh dear, parts are cheap and plentiful thankfully, it sounds like the clutch basket has disintegrated.

Hopefully thats all it is and its not chewed up anything else!

On a more positive note, I bought this a couple of weeks ago to tinker with:

[martc]

The French 'Majestic' produced from 1928 to 1933 in the art deco style. Roughly 100 machines were made. They used 350cc & 500c single-cylinder engines from Chaise, JAP V-twins, and four-cylinder engines from both Chaise and Cleveland.

[yellowperil]

1 hour ago, AlsoMike said:

Hopefully thats all it is and its not chewed up anything else!

On a more positive note, I bought this a couple of weeks ago to tinker with:

I had an old Z400 a few years ago.

It had straight through "silencers" on it, I think they were Dunstall Decibels.

 It had a mechanical regulator/ rectifier on it and in pre internet days I couldn't find any parts for it, or even a manual. The Speedo never worked,  but it would buzz along happily flat out as long as my ears could take it.

I used to ride around with a spare battery and swap them over when one went flat.

Couldn't wait to get rid of it especially as it was my only transport and after a year I bought  a 350LC and gave the Zed to my brother.

The funny thing is after I had tidied it up and got rid of the ridiculous rear mudguard for a shorter one, it was a real.looker, I always used to look over my shoulder at it when walking away.

Never liked it when I had it, but for the last few years I wish I still owned it as a second bike.

These days with the internet and a bit more knowledge and money in my pocket it would be fixed and maybe I would enjoy riding it more.

[Jerzy Woking]

BT cancelled my contract when I moved, so lost access to MotoGP. Found out that Servustv.com in Austria have it showing on free to air all season. That includes practice and qualifying sessions too.

Can either download their app or just go to servustv.com to watch. BUT you will need to have a VPN to show you are in Austria. All legitimate too.

Perfect coverage, commentary is available in English too, using Dorna's own commentators Matt Birt and Steve Day.

 

[andyberg]

Nice, on it 😁👍