Born Again Bikers

[russ3311]

I earned my full motorcycle licence in 1976. I sold my last bike (Laverda 3CL 1000cc) in 1984.

 

After a very long gap I now feel a need for another 2 wheeler in my life. I'm thinking of getting the new Triumph Speed 400.

 

But first I should get some training so I don’t have an accident as soon as I start riding again.

 

I'd love to hear from other born again bikers about how they prepared to return to biking after a long absence.

[Gerontious]

Many schools offer the kind of refresher training you might need. Or think you need. I passed my test in 1980 and my first bike was actually manufactured during the long hot summer of 1976, a 2 stroke triple 250. Things have come a long way since then. Bikes are generally reliable. Brakes actually work. And so on. So throw away any expectations you have based on memory. Give your local schools a call and see what they can offer you.

[russ3311]

Thanks. Actually my third bike was a Kawasaki S1C 250cc triple. Bought it brand new in June 1975 for £509. Loved it.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, russ3311 said:

Thanks. Actually my third bike was a Kawasaki S1C 250cc triple. Bought it brand new in June 1975 for £509. Loved it.

Wow that was cheap but what would it be in todays money with inflation?

JJ

[curlylegend]

6 minutes ago, janinej said:

Wow that was cheap but what would it be in todays money with inflation?

JJ

£3,960.00

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, curlylegend said:

£3,960.00

Give it another month and it would be £6000 and half the size 

[curlylegend]

Or £4,280.00    Hard to believe any of these bean counting bast*rds !

[Guest]

1 minute ago, curlylegend said:

£3,960.00

I just found one on Ebay and it costs more now than it did new.  I think, my maths isnt' great.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/196010979506?hash=item2da32a30b2:g:-aAAAOSwGx5lHA9g

 

£4200

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

The new Triumph 400s look great. For someone returning to bikes they are an excellent choice.

 

You can pick up a lot from YouTube channels, eg Nottingham Roadcraft,  Canyon Chasers, DanDan the Fireman, Fortnine, Motojitsu, YammieNoob etc.

 

Going on a refresher course is a good suggestion. 

 

See if there is someone local you might be able to ride with. We've had a couple of returning riders join us for days out which has given them confidence and a bit of guidance. But choose wisely....one of my mates is an IAM instructor and he's a nightmare to ride with. 

 

Have fun. 

[russ3311]

17 hours ago, janinej said:

Wow that was cheap but what would it be in todays money with inflation?

JJ

Roughly £5,000 according to the officialdata.org CPI inflation calculator.

Edited October 28, 2023 by russ3311
More information

[keith1200rs]

It does seem cheap. In 1976 I bought a Kawasaki KH100 for £285 and that was with a bit of discount - list price was over £300

[russ3311]

6 hours ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

The new Triumph 400s look great. For someone returning to bikes they are an excellent choice.

 

You can pick up a lot from YouTube channels, eg Nottingham Roadcraft,  Canyon Chasers, DanDan the Fireman, Fortnine, Motojitsu, YammieNoob etc.

 

Going on a refresher course is a good suggestion. 

 

See if there is someone local you might be able to ride with. We've had a couple of returning riders join us for days out which has given them confidence and a bit of guidance. But choose wisely....one of my mates is an IAM instructor and he's a nightmare to ride with. 

 

Have fun. 

Thanks. I'll spend time this weekend checking the suggested YouTube channels.

[V650]

I would say also make sure to buy some quality bike gear 

Jacket, boots, gloves, trousers  & of course a good quality Helmet 

Not saying you should buy the most expensive but don,t go for the cheapest  

 

I came back to bikes after a 30 year gap on a Versys 650 

Recently sold that and got a Honda CB500X which is a few KG lighter and considerably better mpg 

 

I was lucky enough to have a road nearby with a roundabout at each end an close to 1 km of good straight road in between with little to no traffic 

so I got quite a few hrs practice till I got my confidence and put about 50K  KM on the Versys before selling it on 

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by V650

[russ3311]

17 hours ago, V650 said:

I would say also make sure to buy some quality bike gear 

Jacket, boots, gloves, trousers  & of course a good quality Helmet 

Not saying you should buy the most expensive but don,t go for the cheapest

Thanks. There's a J&S shop near me, which I'll visit soon.

17 hours ago, V650 said:

 

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, russ3311 said:

Thanks. There's a J&S shop near me, which I'll visit soon.

@raesewell posted this link in another thread;

 

https://www.jtsbikerclothing.com/

[Isla]

5 hours ago, russ3311 said:

Thanks. There's a J&S shop near me, which I'll visit soon.

Bought most of our gear from J&S. Another shop I have used is Via Moto in Sheffield who usually have a good sales section to help ease the hit of buying lots of new gear in one go!

[V650]

6 hours ago, russ3311 said:

Thanks. There's a J&S shop near me, which I'll visit soon.

There can also be bargains to be had in the secondhand / used market for some good gear at cheaper prices 

And there is also the security of your bike to consider you can often get good disc locks and chains at good prices in the used marked 

[Trooper74]

Great fan of the 2nd hand market me ... my RST boots, well padded in by the first user ... Jacket, stretched and made soft by another man ... Gloves, Helmets and underwear ..... always new..

Always wanted an AEROSTICH suit ... £1200 ... too much for me ... so I bought this ...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351694515074?var=620659346592

Made to measure, with body armour, company takes the orders in Cornwall ( just) ... and during the worst rain of the year, 20th October... kept me dry .... OK the neck leaked ....

I know they're made in Pakistan by 10 year olds ....  Remember the Chile  brick kids !!!

Edited October 29, 2023 by Trooper74

[curlylegend]

3 hours ago, Trooper74 said:

 Remember the Chile  brick kids !!!

Who on earth are they ?  A pop group ?

Enlighten me, please ?

[Trooper74]

On 29/10/2023 at 22:47, curlylegend said:

Who on earth are they ?  A pop group ?

Enlighten me, please ?

Some years ago Save the Children started a major campaign to stop children between 4 and 7 working in brick works in Chile.

There was a press and tv campaign and the Chilean government were starting to cave in when a reporter from ITN went to one the brickworks and interviewed the mother of one of the children.

She was heart broken that they where trying to stop the children working in the brick yards,

The children all had little steel wheelbarrows and transported bricks 1-2 at a time around the yard ... human conveyor belt.

They did this for 2 hours in the morning and an hour in the afternoon ......

But here's the thing ....In return they where provided with breakfast and lunch and 3 hours professional schooling per day....

Parents where queuing up to get their children working there as they could not pay for school and the children had regular food.

 

And Save the Children wanted to stop that ????? They ended their campaign and children still work in brickworks in Chile and other countries in South America.

 

 

 

[RideWithStyles]

And of course itv was more concerned about covering a scoop than addressing the real problem.

Dont think many will say its right but when there isn't the infrastructure of public schools, meals, nhs as like in richer country who could blame the parents as Its a better option for their kids when your in a flatline poor country.

 

Did STC do anything to actually help or address short or long term? Alot of Money probably went to top level management.

Edited October 31, 2023 by RideWithStyles

[curlylegend]

Interfering busybodies. And even worse because they were only doing it for money.  The Victorians did a similar thing in India when they forcibly stopped the practice of Sati. This was when Hindu widows tossed themselves onto their dead husbands funeral pyre.  The Victorians did it out of sheer pompous ignorance.  They had no idea how other cultures worked.  To this day, in Hindu society in India, widows are treated like lepers and have to resort to all manner of dreadful things to stay alive.

 

So never expect me to give anything to any so called CHARITY.  Another bunch of parasites.

 

Steady on, that was nearly a full blown rant !!  Sorry about that, let's get back to motorcycles....

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

9 hours ago, curlylegend said:

Interfering busybodies. And even worse because they were only doing it for money.  The Victorians did a similar thing in India when they forcibly stopped the practice of Sati. This was when Hindu widows tossed themselves onto their dead husbands funeral pyre.  The Victorians did it out of sheer pompous ignorance.  They had no idea how other cultures worked.  To this day, in Hindu society in India, widows are treated like lepers and have to resort to all manner of dreadful things to stay alive.

 

So never expect me to give anything to any so called CHARITY.  Another bunch of parasites.

 

Steady on, that was nearly a full blown rant !!  Sorry about that, let's get back to motorcycles....

I remember raising funds for UNICEF and then travelling across parts of what was then Zaire and Zambia on a tiny Honda which broke down in a remote area of Zambia. I got a lift on a truck into a village where UNICEF were providing medical treatment to families in a malaria belt. It was an incredible feeling being part of raising the funds and then by accident seeing the work on the ground happening.

 

 

[keith1200rs]

I'm confused. What has all this got to do with "born again bikers"?

[Guest]

2 hours ago, keith1200rs said:

I'm confused. What has all this got to do with "born again bikers"?

Some of them were linkboys  in Victorian London and lament that those days are gone. Oh wouldn't it be luvverly.