Gerontious

Before Forums and back in the day when the GS was a very rare bike and 'adventure' as a word was more associated with Enid Blyton than motorbikes I joined a BMW-GS group that was based in America. I was the only UK member. (I think)

This would have been around 1997/98 - probably.

I lasted about two months before being banned.

The reason given was as a result of my response to a discussion about riding history. How long have I been riding and what bikes Ive owned and so on.

I got such a shocking response to that post it went absolutely ballistic and I was called all sorts.

I can remember almost verbatim what I wrote.

"Started riding on my 18th birthday on a jap 250. then after I passed my test moved on to Brit Triumphs. a T160 then a T140TSS followed by 3 modern Triumphs and now on a R1100GS - which was lent to me as a curtesy bike and I just had to buy one."

Thats what I wrote and that is what caused all the problems which soon escalated out of hand..

I made just one reply in the ensuing mayhem, but it was completely drowned out and I got kicked off.

No great loss.

There is only one reason I would claim (in this kind of situation) and that's if the bike has gone.

4 nights from tonight with the rampaging schizophrenics. finish Tuesday morning. deep joy. in theory Im on holiday from the 17th. in theory.

15 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

No cat so unfortunately I don't see how it can be.

that’s of no import. De-catting a bike is quite normal. Not part of the MOT and nobodies business but your own.

1 hour ago, S-Westerly said:

Saw an absolutely gorgeous exhaust system for the Guzzi but unfortunately it has no catalyst so probably isn't going to be insurable or legal for that matter. Soo beautiful though.

Don’t tell em.

Specs should tell you if it’s road legal. 

Tucked it up for a couple of months. Priorities can be tough. (Especially self imposed ones)

MOT expired yesterday. Too bad. So sad.

insurance expires next week. Ditto.

1 hour ago, Capt Sisko said:

Given '93 was over thirty years ago and a Trident was going to cost you £5,499 and the new Trident 660 cost £7,895 it shows just how manufacturing cost / Far East procurement  etc have come down. According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, £5,499 in '93 is equivalent to £11,264 now.

They were expensive at the time. But, exclusively produced in this country and it was another 7 years before Triumph made a profit. In 2020 manufacturing ended at Hinckley - aside from assembly of factory specials and prototypes. One factory in 1993. Six in 2024. The more bikes you can produce the lower the cost. Is almost £12,000 actually high for a 750cc Bike made in the UK? It’s impossible to know. Because none are.

It’s a risk. But the only way a copper will pull you is if you have a cop car behind you. And the ANPR flags you up. Other than that a mobile roadside ANPR camera spots you. (Unlikely at an early hour) and be careful not to have an accident!! 

if it was me then I would do what you’re planning.  But then I’m a risk taker and sometimes - needs must.

Thought this might interest some of you. Having a root around I came across a price list dated 10th of May 1993!!

A time when Triumph only made 8 bikes. 8!!  All made in the original Hinkley factory.

To make it easier - here are the models and prices (inc VAT)

Trident 750 £5,499

Trident 900 £6,099

Sprint £6.699

Tiger £6,549

Trophy 900 £6,999

Trophy 1200 £7,599

Daytona 900 £7,449

Daytona 1200 £8,149

I bought the cheapest, a year later, my very first 'new' bike... kept it for a couple of years and it looked exactly like this.

The List.

There aren’t many, in fact I can’t think of any offhand that come with a centre stand as original from the factory. It’s a real sign of the. Profound change in tastes in bikes that centre stands (or the lack of them) are an issue. When the world was sports bike mad - back in the day. There were all sorts of ingenious ways of oiling a chain easily. I liked the spinner!

The move from shaft bike to chain in 2018 meant I had to get a centre stand. It’s ok - but definitely takes more effort to get the bike onto it than my much heavier BMW. And the balance is shocking by comparison. I could lift the front wheel of the BMW off the ground with one finger. It takes quite a bit of effort to do the same on the Honda. Cleaning the front wheel is an effort. It’s almost like the centre stand on the BMW was designed in from the start - whereas the Honda was almost an afterthought. I had to have one though. Fitted from the start.

12 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

I use pay at the pump fairly regularly especially at supermarkets where its just a kiosk and no handy loo. Some of the Asda are purely pay at pump, that or nothing. I've not had an issue with excess deductions. Even in France last year although that may have been the card I was using.

you won’t notice unless you check. But they have to do it. There’s a reason they say you can take £100 of fuel. Because you’ve promised to pay up to that amount. The alternative just opens them up to people not paying. If your account only has £20 in it and you fill up and buy £50 of fuel - what’s going to happen? They don’t want the hassle of chasing customers for money owed. This way prevents that happening. It would be better if you could tell the machine how much fuel you want to buy. £20 they just take £20 and the pump shuts off at £20. But that’s not the way they do it - they take £100 and refund £80 so fast it doesn’t even register. Worst I had in France was money taken on the Saturday and only returning the following Tuesday.

2 hours ago, Nick the wanderer said:

Are you sure? Usually they show a notice saying you can fill up to £100 worth of fuel. It only actually charges you for what you put in. 

its completely normal and has been for years. The money going out then returning is normally instant. It only becomes problematic when you go abroad - France in particular. The money goes out and can take a few days to return. This is of particular issue if you use one of those holiday cards and haven’t loaded them sufficiently to cope. @smallfrowne had this happen to him a few years ago. He had something like £70 on his card and the fuel refused to flow. So guess who paid for his fuel!! It could have been bad if he was on his own. In this country it might be an issue if you use a card with little cash in it and no overdraft. Even if the overdraft isn’t touched the system insists on a certain amount of guaranteed payment until the transaction is completed. It takes a £100. Subtracts the value of the fuel bought and returns the balance. This should all happen in seconds. It happens every time you use pay at the pump. Unnoticed. Usually.

If it’s a pay at the pump I sit on the bike and use something called “care and attention” and brim it as I don’t want fuel on my lovely paintwork!! if it’s pay indoors then I usually use the side stand unless I need to brim it and will pop it onto the centre stand. Tend to brim it when I need that 300 worry free miles. Never really measured how much extra fuel can be squeezed in. But it’s definitely enough to warrant the extra effort. Bemused by the paranoia. You should see the conditions people fill there tanks in, in Italy!!

been doing it this way for quite some time. Nobody fried. Or died. Or… whatever. And my lovely paintwork is still lovely.

Today, for the first time in more than 10 years, I think. I’m sitting downstairs on my couch listening to music and not over earphones. I pulled out my (spare) 2012 Mac mini and am using that as a source for now. The speakers look great - not overwhelming the eye. The little 30w amp is doing well. Though all the cabling is a bit of a dogs dinner. I’ve got a fortnight off from the 17th using up the last of my annual leave and plan to do some decorating so it’s all just temporary. And will do just fine until I get a proper CD player at the end of this month.

1 hour ago, S-Westerly said:

Fortunately as I'm next to tone deaf I can't tell the difference between music on a high end system or a pair of headphones on a phone. Saved myself thousands. 

Not sure about the lack of mortgage and credit rating - I've not had a mortgage for close on 20 years and my credit rating is as good as it gets really. 

You’re probably right. I read something and got muddled. It happens. Still, I’ll stick with the plan anyway. It makes me feel exceptionally smug to have a mortgage and stop paying it for a year. I think back to the years of struggle. Hard times at times. A different world.

2 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

Even pre-loved that's almost what I paid for my bike....

I'm not ignorant enough to dismiss the incredible quality of build and components involved in the manufacturers and listeners quest for audio perfection.

 

I too would love such a  system.

The best chance I have of listening to reasonable audio is using some fairly good (to me) headphones, I was almost tearful when I got my headphones and the first thing I put through them was War of the Worlds......

 

 

 

 

 

One of the benefits of a mortgage that's so close to being paid off.. I've stopped paying it for a year. apparently its generally a bad idea to not have a mortgage as your credit rating suffers. once its ceased to be. I owe (today) £213.56 and its not due until September next year. Though I might throw in a few quid here and there.

Also I have nobody nagging at me. "you can't buy that!!".

And sadly my outgoings have reduced somewhat with no 4 legged friend to feed anymore.

anyway, speakers have arrived and are out of their box. looking very pretty and strange on my sideboard. Kef LS50. white so they will kinda disappear once set up.

No council tax to pay either this month or next, so though Ive got them on 0% I'll likely pay them off next month. or near as dammit. Then start looking for a CD player or Transport.

Im quite good at being patient. sometimes.

quite amused by the last few days antics with a couple of sellers on eBay. In my bid to put together a new hifi system, I was looking at two CD players second hand. both mint and fairly recent. The first I made a not unreasonable offer for. and added a message that if my offer was accepted I would be able to collect the player either yesterday or on Sunday. The seller rejected my offer. and then yesterday he messaged me to ask if I was still interested. He has now relisted the item and said that the buyer pulled out. he can sod off.

The second was a really glamorous cd. made in Italy. and at a very good price. but the seller wanted to send it via Royal Mail!!! - I messaged them and said I was ready to do a buy it now, but I would rather collect it in person than risk it being dropped or thrown about in the post. the seller replied. "sorry I dont want anyone coming to my home." - no suggestion of any kind of an alternative, so I didn't bid. its still for sale. Plonker.

Overwrought at all this plonkerishness. I decided to delay the CD until step 3, I got an amplifier last month and paid for it, and yesterday I ordered Speakers and Stands and they arrive today. and of course.. as luck will have it, another CD player thats at the top of my wish list appeared on eBay at a really, really good price. but, hey ho - the deed is done and I'll have to pass. until next month. step by step its coming together. Im going to have to start thinking about cleaning all my cds as they have been gathering dust - literally. mostly untouched for almost 10 years - probably. aside from those that were copied onto the computer.

shame about the Italian. it was really lovely. with valves!!

40 minutes ago, Blackholesun said:

I like to look at the sharps ratings and noticed none of the ls2 ones scores higher than 3 stars.does anyone else pay any attention to sharps ratings 

Not really. what is important is that the helmet is genuine and has the ECE standard. this means that a helmet from every batch has to be tested to that standard.  this is what matters also crucially that it fits properly.  oddly,  Arai helmets seem to have a fairly bad sharp rating for some of their helmets. but nobody could say that Arai don't know how to make safe crash helmets. same for Shoei and many other top flight brands. when I used to pay attention to such things I did think that some of the tests that Sharp used where, shall we say 'somewhat unrealistic". I gave up paying them any attention. My own helmet is 5* on sharp. and is in the budget class.  whereas Schuberth average 3* and are considerably more expensive. it seems meaningless to me and just another added complication paying serious attention to what they say.

Ive more important things to concern myself with than the age of my crash helmet. I have two. one for general use and another that's only worn for touring. I tend to replace them when they no longer fit properly - this happens - usually if they deteriorate. - or are dropped badly.. I'm in no rush.

one of the best things about riding a bike that's impossible to stall* are hills.. or rather mountains where the roads have some really quite nasty sharp bends with cambers that are the stuff of nightmares. S2 and whoop. My mate is oblivious (obviously) he just takes it all in his stride on his barge (pretending to be a tractor) and whoops anyway. so irritating.

*impossible to stall assuming its working properly. who woulda thought that maintenance was important.

2 hours ago, Talha said:

Can I import Motorcycle clothing to the UK if the whole garment ais not CE certified for PPE but only protection armour of the garment are CE certified?

Theres nothing to stop you importing anything. (within reason) but nowadays its largely pointless. as the added costs are (or can be) hefty.

ive seen this once, where a fella had his ignition key at one end of one of those curly whirly disc lock reminder things. one end attached to him and the other end to the key. I thought at  the time that there must be some horror story behind his decision to ensure the key was never left in the bike. I didn't ask.

In 1995 there was a 'special' Daytona called the "Dr John" a real collectors item now. selling for upwards of £20,000. and a lovely thing it was.

this is number 3 of the 20 that were built.

2 hours ago, Fiddlesticks said:

I do like the idea of progressing up the categories without retaking the MOD1 and MOD2. It does sort of leave it open to the scenario whereby you could pass your test at 16 for a moped (or 17 for a 125), not bother riding for six years, then go buy a Hayabusa having had no training in between. The issue is flying hours/experience, not the passage of time. Maybe if that could be suitably demonstrated without it turning into another big bureaucracy...

 

There are always details that would need to be thought through. but as you hinted at with your opening question the problem seems to be the complete lack of joined up thinking. but thats always been the case, you might remember that time in the 1990s when a provisional license only lasted 2 years and then lapsed for a year. what was gained by that?

The insurers have your history. So does DVLA and VOSA. (now DVSA)  should be quite simple to target the outliers. if you haven't ridden for 6 years then its unlikely you will have been paying for insurance all that time. or tax. or the MOT. or bought and sold/traded and bought again. its all on computer. every detail. (or lack of)

people who play by the rules would have just one test. for either a learner. a restricted or a full.

people who for whatever reason fall outside of that standard learning path. have them evaluated... it could be something as simple as an  evaluation by an external agency. like RoSPA. or at worst a minimum number of lessons ending with a test "light".

dont we normally advise riders who haven't been on a bike for a long time to get some refresh lessons?

and dont get me started on the delivery riders.  mmm.. bring back the 1990s

17 minutes ago, RideWithStyles said:

gero just decided to do the opposite of the question and just made it even more ridiculous, because like some OP politician view of "its not my problem because i'm already old and got my license thanks /screw those lot" 

 

 

 

Wrong. I know you sometimes have difficulty with comprehension, so as Im a forgiving soul. patient to a fault. I'll make it simple.

my answer is about fixing the licensing system going forward. unless you want to be rather draconian and make these changes retroactive.

10 separate tests. this is the ridiculous state of affairs being at the heart of the question.

maybe I should spell it out. I used the word TEST. singular, not  TESTS as in plural. (plural being more that ONE.)

There would be one test to achieve the right to ride a bike above 50cc. (moped)

maybe I should add a clarification.. make it simple for you to understand.

I would remove the requirement for anyone to take more than 1 full test.

so.

a test to ride an A1 bike

a test to ride an A2 bike.

a test to ride an A bike.

I do not see why someone who has passed a full test and then ridden a 125 for however long would need to take another test to ride on an A2

Nor do I see why someone who has been riding an A2 bike need to take another test to ride an A.

obviously you would need to legislate a minimum amount of time for each license.  but then movement upwards should be automatic if desired by the rider.

The only fly in this scenario is if they were to ever bring in motorway riding as part of the test or intrinsic to training.  then something would need to change regarding 125cc bikes. (in my opinion)

3 hours ago, Fiddlesticks said:

I posted this in another thread. It got me thinking how the current system is a bit mad.

 

Imagine being 16. Wanting to ride. You'd get your CBT and pick up a 50cc scooter. Not happy with the L plates, you could take a theory, MOD1 and MOD2 to get your AM license.

You get to 17 and want to upgrade. Another MOD1 and MOD2 - now you have an A1 and can ride ac125cc.

At 19, do it all over again for an A2 licence.

And again at 21 for the full A.

I make that ten separate tests!

 

OK, in reality you'd skip the AM license, but you get the point. You have delivery drivers on L plates, people doing multiple tests, people doing repeat CBTs.

 

How to strike the right balance between protecting people from their own stupidity, getting rid of unnecessary red tape, and good road safety? You're King for the day, what would you do?

I also addressed the question about "delivery drivers on L plates - people doing repeat CBTs"

Get rid of L plates, by following the European model. simple as that. delivery riders get a full license for the size of bike they are riding as part of their work.

ONE FULL TEST. and then progress based on age and experience. upwards through the engine size. engine power whatever way its regulated.

I did one full test. and I was prevented from doing it in the way I wanted to by my Dad. I wasn't allowed to have a motorbike until I was an Adult. 18yo. and only if I saved and bought it entirely myself. Then, soon after the clock started to tick. I was staring into an abyss where actually riding my bike would become illegal overnight. I had slightly less than 2 years to pass my test. on that bike.  So, in my life I just did one test. And my proposal is for everyone else to do just one test. so Im unsure how that squares with your rather insulting line "because i'm already old and got my license thanks /screw those lot"

comprehension eh..  and there was me thinking my first post was simple to understand.