Any bikers on here?

[HFE Signs]

Just wondered if anyone here shares my passion for bikes, if so what are you riding?

I've always loved bikes, at 16yrs I had an AR50 then at 17yrs an RD125

Various bikes and settled on a TL1000S - Agreed with the wife 1 child and bike goes

12yrs later I had permission for a Harley VR must admit, it wasn't really me so sold it after 18months.

Just collected a Triumph Bonniville T120 Black 2017 What a bike! Love it.

 

[IanSuth]

In the house we have

gs125 (was wifes 1st bike, may become younger daughters first)

xl125v varadero - elder daughters bike (she is 6'2" so needed a tall ulez compliant one)

GS500 (sat in conservatory in need of a new alternator for when elder daughter wants a bigger bike not in London, was wife's)

T509 Speed Triple (Wife's bike that I am not allowed to touch)

Gpz900r A1 will be 40 next year and historic vehicle status when i will start riding it again so I can go into London without Ulez

XJR1300 my bike

Have had bikes since i got a PC50 when i was 16, have had cg125, gt200x5, cb250n, gt550 then the gpz900r. Didnt get a car licence until i was 28.

I also had a fs1-e for a while as a winter bike about 10 years ago that i got off my brother in law - it was an original 1973 orange one with pedals, pre mix and drum brake. No wonder they stopped 16 year olds riding them, it was more hairy than the gpz

 

[HFE Signs]

In the house we have

gs125 (was wifes 1st bike, may become younger daughters first)

xl125v varadero - elder daughters bike (she is 6'2" so needed a tall ulez compliant one)

GS500 (sat in conservatory in need of a new alternator for when elder daughter wants a bigger bike not in London, was wife's)

T509 Speed Triple (Wife's bike that I am not allowed to touch)

Gpz900r A1 will be 40 next year and historic vehicle status when i will start riding it again so I can go into London without Ulez

XJR1300 my bike

Have had bikes since i got a PC50 when i was 16, have had cg125, gt200x5, cb250n, gt550 then the gpz900r. Didnt get a car licence until i was 28.

I also had a fs1-e for a while as a winter bike about 10 years ago that i got off my brother in law - it was an original 1973 orange one with pedals, pre mix and drum brake. No wonder they stopped 16 year olds riding them, it was more hairy than the gpz

Amazing, thanks for the reply - I remember the FS1-e my best mate had one of those, I had a CD175 very similar to the CB back in the day - GPZ900 was a nice machine though

 

[IanSuth]

Amazing, thanks for the reply - I remember the FS1-e my best mate had one of those, I had a CD175 very similar to the CB back in the day - GPZ900 was a nice machine though

Ihave a mate with 9 or 10 gpz's. He buys barn finds and does them up but has kept one each of a1-9 and a 1000rx

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Do they no longer name bikes by their brand? I haven't a clue what make any of the above are!!

PS: I had a P200 once

 

[IanSuth]

Do they no longer name bikes by their brand? I haven't a clue what make any of the above are!!

PS: I had a P200 once

a gpz900r is a bike that started life in the early 80's - proper name Kawasaki Gpz900r the first big Japanese water cooled 4 cylinder sports bike as immortalised by Tom Cruise in Top Gun. https://bikeswiki.com/Kawasaki_GPZ900, 115bhp & 155mph in 1984 was ridiculous - the sports car to have at the time was the ferrari testarossa with a 0-62 of 5.8s, the Gpz did the same in 3s ! (not that i have ever seen 150mph on mine as i don't have death wish)

You have to be precise with the letters as the GPZ range were air cooled and were superseded by the Gpz range (called Ninja in the US) which were water cooled - look at these links about the evolution of the 750's from 1980 to 2003 to see why all the letters and numbers (using 7850's a clearer lineage).

https://bikeswiki.com/Kawasaki_GPZ750 (air cooled 86bhp 134mph)
https://bikeswiki.com/Kawasaki_GPZ750_Turbo (air cooled with a turbo 112hp 140mph)
https://bikeswiki.com/Kawasaki_GPZ750R (water cooled 92 bhp 139 mph) (called zx750 ninja in US)
https://bikeswiki.com/Kawasaki_ZXR750_(Ninja ZX-7 in us) (water cooled 118bhp 152mph
https://bikeswiki.com/Kawasaki_ZX-7R (water cooled (122bhp 155 mpg)

 

[HFE Signs]

I took my Suzuki TL1000 up to 140mph when someone passed me on a R1 like I was standing still, he was also in shorts and t-shirt, at that point, I decided to slow down and let him go, clearly a lot braver than me!

I later took it up to 160mph - things are coming at you a bit fast and you have thoughts like, what if a tyre blows or a pigeon steps out on you. These days 120mph is plenty

 

[IanSuth]

I took my Suzuki TL1000 up to 140mph when someone passed me on a R1 like I was standing still, he was also in shorts and t-shirt, at that point, I decided to slow down and let him go, clearly a lot braver than me!

I later took it up to 160mph - things are coming at you a bit fast and you have thoughts like, what if a tyre blows or a pigeon steps out on you. These days 120mph is plenty

Just after i got the gpz i pulled onto the a329m at winnersh and headed towards Reading, opened it up and when i looked down realised i was doing 135 and the "slight bend" felt like a hairpin, i rarely go much over 100 nowadays (and on the unfaired xjr that is plenty) the gpz is too old (and appreciating in value) to want to really rag when i get her running again.

https://goo.gl/maps/jb9jV24JycUoVuTbA (this bend)

I know what you mean about others - i was once going along the road from Henley towards Nettlebed which is dead straight (but has side roads and potholes) I was sat at a lot worrying I ought to slow due to those hazards and a Ducati that wasnt in my mirrors seconds earlier came past me in a howl of open exhaust like i was stationary.

 

[Ozzy]

First real bike was a Fazer600 I used to use to commute from Luton to Camberley every day rain, wind, snow or rain. Eventually got myself an R1 but that got stolen (thrown in the back of a van in the office carpark!). In my teenage years I used to nip around an an AR50 bored out to 80cc with a hair dryer exhaust for those extra 1 or 2mph
Current ride is the limited edition 2008 R1 race prepped, a little bit mental so doesn't see any wet tarmac. Don't think I've ever gone above 3rd gear in it. Also doesn't do my back and wrists much good riding it with the raised pegs and ride position, not as agile as I used to be but can't bring myself to sell it.

 

[HFE Signs]

First real bike was a Fazer600 I used to use to commute from Luton to Camberley every day rain, wind, snow or rain. Eventually got myself an R1 but that got stolen (thrown in the back of a van in the office carpark!). In my teenage years I used to nip around an an AR50 bored out to 80cc with a hair dryer exhaust for those extra 1 or 2mph
Current ride is the limited edition 2008 R1 race prepped, a little bit mental so doesn't see any wet tarmac. Don't think I've ever gone above 3rd gear in it. Also doesn't do my back and wrists much good riding it with the raised pegs and ride position, not as agile as I used to be but can't bring myself to sell it.

Hey Ozzy, My AR was upgraded too, I go a lot of parts from a breakers and put all the AR80 head and carb on it, along with the micron and racing reeds, I got mine to do about 65mph

I know what you mean about the wrists and back, my old TL was a bit like that, a day of riding with the lads and I was done in. The T120 is much more comfortable though, ride it for 2-3hrs no problem.

 

[Ozzy]

Yeah I keep on going to P/X the R1 for something more comfortable for a man of my years and condition, but I go into the garage and look at the bad boy and I'm like "Nahhh, I'm still ok".
My daughter would love to take the bike off my hands but she's her mothers height and cannot reach the floor when sat on it, she's a bike lover herself but needs Japanese imports as she's only a short one.
Funny as my son and wife are not keen on bikes at all, but my daughter would take a bike over a car any day.

 

[Mark T Jones]

I own a good quality, if ageing racing bike (Ribble)
A knock-about Marin road bike.
A slightly problematic MTB.

The wife has just the one electric bike.

 

[bodgitt&scarperLTD]

I own a good quality, if ageing racing bike (Ribble)
A knock-about Marin road bike.
A slightly problematic MTB.

The wife has just the one electric bike.

Possibly you misunderstood the term ‘biker?’ ?

I’m a big single fan myself. Have an original BMW F650 Funduro (it’ll be a classic one day!) and also a Honda SLR650. Air cooled simplicity.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Possibly you misunderstood the term ‘biker?’ ?

I’m a big single fan myself. Have an original BMW F650 Funduro (it’ll be a classic one day!) and also a Honda SLR650. Air cooled simplicity.

I'm easily confused

 

[HFE Signs]

Possibly you misunderstood the term ‘biker?’ ?

I’m a big single fan myself. Have an original BMW F650 Funduro (it’ll be a classic one day!) and also a Honda SLR650. Air cooled simplicity.

You can’t beat the sound of a big single ?

 

[IanSuth]

one bike i always fancies but never got (and now they are all a bit old) was a trx850, looked like it would be a bike you could actually get a fair amount out of on a uk rd (unlike that race prepped r1)

 

[HFE Signs]

one bike i always fancies but never got (and now they are all a bit old) was a trx850, looked like it would be a bike you could actually get a fair amount out of on a uk rd (unlike that race prepped r1)

I felt the same about the ZXT750 loved them back in the day, never had one though and once you've gone over a 1000cc there is no going back

 

[IanSuth]

I felt the same about the ZXT750 loved them back in the day, never had one though and once you've gone over a 1000cc there is no going back

Actually i find my daughter varadero 125 a really good antidote to the xjr1300, it is so laid back and chilled. I feel like i am sat upright like at a desk and could just pootle along at 50-60 all day (it does nearly 300 miles on a tank so it would be all day as well), there is no incentive to rag it really so I don't (and I just ignore the mt/r125 & ninja125 lads wanting a race at every set of lights)

 

[IanSuth]

I was on this yesterday - have been almost every year since i moved to Reading in 1989 (when it was 30 bikes)

Hundreds of bikers join annual Reading Toy Run

About 1,300 motorcyclists took part in the convoy to deliver children's presents.

www.bbc.co.uk

You could hear Greta cry when they all started up (1228 bikes and just under 350 pillions)

 

[MBE2017]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ci-h7HCj0v1/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

[siangana]

I'm not a bike guy, but my brother is
his garage is full of circa 10 bike

unfortunately I don't understand the obsession
I love cars

 

[Ray272]

I ride every day. City rider mainly. Yamaha N Max 155. I prefer this scooter position much more than riding a traditional motorbike, i like quiet rides too so mine suits me well.

 

[Marantzdigital]

If late 90s to mid 2000s Piaggio vespa gilera aprilia twist and go count then yes

 

[HFE Signs]

I've been looking for another bike myself, I love the T120 but it's a dry sunny day bike that I like to keep mint - I'm seriously tempted to get a V-Strom 1000 for all weather riding

 

[IanSuth]

I've been looking for another bike myself, I love the T120 but it's a dry sunny day bike that I like to keep mint - I'm seriously tempted to get a V-Strom 1000 for all weather riding

What kind of riding do you want to do and I may have some ideas

 

[HFE Signs]

What kind of riding do you want to do and I may have some ideas

I really fancy something I don't have to worry about getting dirty, all weather bike for a comfortable ride. The V-Strom ticks the boxes, just have to persuade the wife to let me have another bike without selling the T120

 

[IanSuth]

Do you want new or willing to look back a few year - if so a fazer or an sv650 are equally durable and plenty of spares/low mileage ones around. A lot depends on your height as well and i think the Sv is quite low compared to a V-Strom

 

[HFE Signs]

Do you want new or willing to look back a few year - if so a fazer or an sv650 are equally durable and plenty of spares/low mileage ones around. A lot depends on your height as well and i think the Sv is quite low compared to a V-Strom

I'm just over 6ft, I've sat on the V-Strom and it feels good, they are very wide though so I can't imagine it being the best for weaving through traffic.

 

[IanSuth]

I'm just over 6ft, I've sat on the V-Strom and it feels good, they are very wide though so I can't imagine it being the best for weaving through traffic.

I can filter my xjr1300 at speed and it has Renthalls, usually mirrors are the widest point, when you are sitting on a bike see if there is a transit or equivalent nearby, wheel it to by that - the height difference between the bikes mirrors and the transits will likely be the determining factor on filtering/weaving in traffic, closer they are the less usuable space there will be on the roads

 

[HFE Signs]

Update: I collected my V-Strom 1000 on Friday, all I can say is wow! Defiantly the best bike I've ever been on, it handles superb for quite a tall bike and the v-twin gives buckets full of power, absolutely love it.

I'm keeping the T120 for sunny dry days and the V-Strom will be my regular bike.

 

[Scottishgifts4u]

Had bikes all my days and got a new GS1250 a year ago.

Last few bikes have been sports cruisers but I wanted something a bit more upright.

I bought a GS 1200 that lasted 6 weeks before I wrote it off. S/H prices were so strong that I bit the bullet and bought new.