Steve_M

Perhaps an early electric bike as a curio?

A friend is looking for a car in the hope that he can find a “future classic”. Which got me thinking about the bike dealership I was in yesterday which had bikes that are already classics (eg RC30) or seem to be suitable candidates. A hypothetical question. Which bike would you buy as a potential classic for, say, under £5k? I think I’d go for something low production, and a bit different. A Buell Firebolt, for example.

I once put my thoughts down in blog post... like most blogs it didn’t make it past the third entry, but this is what we do. Mostly. Link: Plans are useless but planning is essential.

Thanks. Will do. It’ll be next year by the time we’ve got it ready.

Shame you’re not closer. We’ll be looking for someone to keep beehives on our field. We’re planning to make it a wildflower meadow so, hopefully, it will be a good environment. We’re not prepared to keep the damn things ourselves, though.

And it’s goodnight from him...

We had an enjoyable and interesting ride through some of Cumbria and Northumberland. He rates the pillion seat on the GS higher than any of my bikes since my CX500... high praise indeed. Though, to be fair, he didn’t ride on the ST1100 nor the FJR1300.

Good morning. Today I’ll be going for a short run out on the bike, taking my son as pillion for the first time in many years.

They’re on the list...

Building a, hopefully, deer proof fence around our soon to be veggie garden.

Thanks. I’ll have a word with them see what they can do.

I’m looking for a company to supply and fit tyres on the GS. I want a ride in ride out service (yes, I know, it’s expensive) and they need to be within 50 miles of Carlisle. And, no. Not the local Motorrad dealer. Thanks.

Just as an aside. What you ride isn’t important, though probably best to have a bike over 400cc just due to the pace needed for some of the bends . Photos from my first time with Hopp (VFR800, Novice group) and last time with Hopp (FJR1300 Advanced group).

If you’re not a track day fiend but want to improve your cornering with a chance to ride at speed on track, this is the day for you. It’s road bikes only and their safety record is second to none. I’ve taken part with this lot probably a dozen times and learnt so much from them. The email I received from them in the last hour said they have two places left... Hopp Rider Training at Cadwell June 1st.

Good afternoon. Today we have mostly been building terraced / raised beds. However, hail stopped play. Fingers crossed so it eases and we can finish phase 1.

My first motorbike, a 125, was bought for a 14 miles each way commute on a mix of roads including a single lane stretch of the A47. It was just about adequate for that purpose. This was 30yrs ago when traffic was much lighter than it is today. I would say it is possible to do the sort of commute you mention, and it may be worth giving it a shot... if it works then all’s good, if not you’ve gained valuable experience ahead of looking for something a bit larger. I’ve done a quick search on BikeTrader and for your budget you can get range of bikes in the 250 - 400 cc all of most of which would be a good choice (I’d go for something like this... https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202105212911845

There was a woman on a 125 going over the top on the B797 near Wanlockhead when I was there yesterday (the guys I was chatting to knew her). It’s a fairly steep road and quite high but they seemed to be doing ok. No luggage, mind..,

I do like my bike, it’s practically perfect for me as a bike to ride. But washing it is a right royal pain in the posterior, which is what I’ve done to it today. Too many nooks and crannies!

Good morning. It’s cold and hissing down here... I may postpone washing the bike until tomorrow.

My GS has 125 horses in a bike weighing a great deal more than the Z900 and, on the road, I’ve never felt more to be needed. Perhaps on a track day... though that hypothesis goes out the window if you’ve ever tried to keep up with Dave Halsall (instructor with Hopp Rider Training) on a GS around Cadwell Park...

Today I had a fine day out on the bike. Much fine scenery, some rather splendid roads, and good weather. 230 miles covered in total.

Good morning. The weather’s looking fine and I’m all dressed and ready to go out on the bike. So WTF am I doing typing this? Seeya...

Having a little jaunt over to Dumfries and Galloway on the bike tomorrow, if the weather isn’t horrendous. On Sunday I may well start putting up a fence around the area that’s to become a veggie garden. Again, if the weather’s not too bad.

I’ve been pretty fit right up to my early 50’s, having trained with area and national judo squads, and taken part in category C triathlons. Even in my late 40’s I came second in a British Masters judo event. I did physical work, as a gardener, from the age of 60 for four years, and have been working renovating property since. I’m one of those lucky sods whose weight stays reasonably constant so I don’t have to worry about that. My late onset asthma, though, concerns me, as my peak flow level has been dropping over the last few years. Exercise, they say, helps. I’ve done three sessions so far. None of them even come close to what I did previously as a warm up. However, I’m only looking for incremental improvements and, ultimately, relatively modest levels of fitness.

Do it... But make sure you pick the right audience to announce it to... you need people who are supportive and can provide expert guidance. Oh, and at least one who’ll give you a hard time if you don’t (my son, in my case).