Geordie Oldie

Never had one on either a car or a motorbike, I like to be as anonymous as I can on the road in case I do something wrong. I can see why others like them and if I could get a decent one cheap I might, but decent ones seem pricey. I loathe the ones where people mess with the plastics screws to change numbers to letters, if you can't afford the right thing don't fake it. There was a small fiesta size car knocking round here a few years ago with the reg X3, that must be worth a fair bit.

Spennymoor, I thought about the A68.

I filled it up before I set off. Also it was 80 miles round trip.coming back was quicker but still best part of an hour.

Went out for a proper ride on my Hornet, filled her up, it must be the first time in 30 years I have put petrol in a bike, maybe longer. Only took 6 litres, I will have to check the volume of the tank. Rode down the A1 from Northumberland to my mates house in Durham, rather foolishly I had forgotten what the A1 is like on a Friday afternoon ( retired) it was at a virtually standstill and difficult to filter due to narrow lanes and road works. Took me 90 minutes to do 40 miles. One scary moment where I had turned the fuel tap to off instead of normal and I thought I had broken down. My hips were hurting from the riding position, hopefully that will get better with time. I am totally besotted with biking again and that bike in particular.

Not having a centre stand is a pain but you can buy paddock stands for next to nowt and pretend you are a racer.

I am struggling to copy a link from the Amazon app, but mine is very similar to this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Security-Cameras-Wireless-Outdoor-Tracking/dp/B0D2KGF8BY But there is so much choice out there. Mine doesn't always ping my phone when it's triggered so I need to work out why, I have also had to turn down the sensitivity at night as flys were triggering it. I do find it reassuring when I am out and about I can check she is still ok.

Honda 50 cub, stolen recovered but wrecked, Yamaha RD 250 never heard of again and it wasn't insured, Honda 750 SOHC K7, engine turned up in someone else's frame but way after the insurance had paid out, he had bought it from a very well known breaker local to me.

For the miles the OP is traveling and the speeds they require, an electric post apocalyptic bike makes more sense to me. You can make your own electricity at home much easier than you can make your own petrol.

I think a considerable part of the cost of insuring motorcycles is theft cover. I have never had a car stolen but had 3 motorcycles stolen. The sort round here who would steal a bike want it for riding around on for fun, they want a small bike like a 125, they simply wouldn't know what to do with a big bike. Having said that, my Hornet is garaged, chained to a ground anchor, disk alarm fitted and a camera connected to my phone 24/7. Garage is pretty secure too. My 3 Third party fire and theft cover after a 30 year lay off was £104 quid.

My interest in motorcyles was kindled by buying a " Bike" magazine around 1977, the cover was " A £50 box of Triumph parts becomes project Bike" as far as I can remember. Since then I have been an avid consumer of motorcycle literature even when i didnt have a bike, Bike remains my favourite but going back I liked Superbike, motorcyle mechanics, Motorcyle sport, MCN, The used motorcyle guide. Magazines are so expensive now, I subscribe to Readly. Off the top of my head, Bike,Classic bike,Classic bike mechanics, Fast Bikes, Ride, road rider ( Aussie), motorcycle sport, MCN, More bikes, there may be more. Readly costs me 12 quid a month but I can share it with my wife and son, she likes knitting and crochet magazine, plus all the misery porn ( Take a break, Bella, Best, loads more), my son likes Viz Comic and history magazines, there are loads of them. I like the shooting and gun magazines both US and UK. If you search " Readly" you will see adverts for a short free sub, I think I got 3 months free. I have no connection with Readly other than thinking is very good value.

I am new to the forum. I can recall pre internet days the furore in MCN over a letter lambasting people for not riding like lunatics away from race meetings, went on for months. I hadn't realised how few young riders there are out there now, so few young uns coming through, what will it be like in 20 years time? off topic, but I well remember a Mark Williams running out of road article in BIKE magazine, " Don't wave me down" about not acknowledging other riders, that caused a storm too.

As a result of the internet being aware I have rekindled my interest in motorcycles, I am seeing a lot of near miss/ accident motorcycle videos on my you tube feed. I am not defending others ( mainly cars) poor driving, but in so many of these videos you can see what is coming way before it happens and it often appears some riders are looking for a reason to be angry and a possible confrontation. Defensive driving/riding seems an unknown concept to some. If you can see a car nosing out of a junction or changing lanes without indicating and apparently unaware you are there and generally behaving like an ignorant ar*ehole, assume that is what they are and approach accordingly, don't just ride blithely on because you are in the right. Being in the right doesn't matter, getting home safe does. You can't re educate the ar*eholes with righteous anger. Don't even bother getting angry, just pity them. Prepared to be flamed for this.

This thread made me smile, on my first bike I went from first to second but hit neutral by mistake, massive over revs, I thought I might have bent a valve! It was a 2 stroke. Or the time 2 up on a Honda 50 cub, as a joke I "raced" a hot hatch away from the lights. Automatic clutch,3 speed with neutral at the bottom ( I think?). Revs the balls out of it in first and second, then instead of changing up to third, went back to first, managed to stay upright but only just.

I was just thinking were I to break down a long way from home I would be stuck. Did a compare the market search, I would like me to be covered for all vehicles so if I broke down in my lasses car it would help. It is relevant that my bike is 25 years old which some cover excludes. What do others use and how much do you pay? Cheers, John.

Indeed, Christmas morning all I had were tea towels ( I do all the washing up), I was happy enough but then she pulled a helmet out from under the tree!

First time out proper since I bought my 1999 Honda Hornet earlier this year, only done short rides just to test it and get used to a bike again, it's been 30 years, my last bike was a Honda 500 \4 . I will only go out when it's mild and not raining, getting soft in my old age. So not much chance so far this year. Left Newcastle at 1pm then a ride up the A696, called in at Belsay to visit the final resting place of my best mate, sat with him for half an hour. Then a bit further up the A696 and off at Capheaton, a place we used to camp at as kids, over half a century ago now. Home with a massive grin on my face, I had forgotten how much fun motorcycles are. The hornet was faultless other than a little brake drag which is easily sorted. So fast, just stuck it in top once over 40 and rode it on the throttle. The bike was my wife's idea at Christmas.

As title, I am aware it is complex now to get a full licence. How many hoops did you have to jump through? I bought a brand new 250 in 1980, back then you could just turn up with zero experience and ride forever on L plates and a provisional licence, but you couldn't use the motorway, I had done a few hundred yards on the road on a mate's 125 as practice. Took my test in 1981, examiner was on foot, I rode round the block twice, second time he did an emergency stop by jumping out from behind a hedge. A couple of questions and that was it, took less than 10 mins. If I recall correctly it cost me a fiver, which according to the bank of England inflation calculator would be about 18 quid now.

As I have mentioned on the Newby thread, I bought a 2002 Honda Hornet yesterday, 30 000 miles on the clock. Barely 1500 a year, I did 13 000 on my first bike in the first year. Spent today checking it over and small jobs, tightened up mirrors as they were loose, throttle was turning on its rubber so cleaned it out and put nylon tape in, nice and tight now. It's got heated grips which is new to me and I nearly took them off, but decided against it. Lubed up switches and chain , took some pictures of my grandson ( aged6) sitting on it. Adrenaline still rushing.

Thanks for all the input. Today I bit the bullet and bought a 2002 Hornet, immaculate, 30 000 miles, 1500 quid which I am happy with. Never been catergory anything. Nearly full MOT, dear god it's quick and the brakes are superb. Insurance was £105! I paid more than that for a 250 in 1980. Last bike I owned was a Honda SOHC 550/4 which used more oil than petrol. Very happy bunny tonight.

Did an HPI check and put the number in wrong the first time, so that's a tenner down the drain, decided against it.

Still looking for a bike, done a check on a bike I was interested in looking at, it has come back as a catergory C write off, would this put you off? Does it significantly affect the insurance?

I wonder If Hunters still owned by the people who had it in the 80s?

I am 62 and hoping to make 63. I won't be pushing it.

Been thinking, I can hire a van with a tail lift for four hours, 50 quid I think it is. Checked on tail lifts and they are good for 500 kilos.

Her car doesn't have a tow bar.