Biking in Britain Today - Discuss

[XT Alan]

I saw the BBC thing. Yep! We are seen as BAD. Why?

Simple. The Nob Heads who ride sports bikes at ridiculous speeds with loud cans down to "biker friendly" meeting places and back are using the same roads as the Boring Old Farts who clog up the roads with their caravans. The Nob Heads never actually go anywhere, their reasons for biking are down to their Mid Life Crisis. At home they have boring wives, lawns to cut, IKEA furniture to polish etc,. So when they get on their bikes, which have to be the latest, fastest and coolest, and put on their replica helmets, leathers and boots, they have a point to prove. "We aren't really boring middle aged men like these caravan drivers, we are hard and fast living rebels"! Pathetic!

The British magazines feed these bikers with endless articles about the same few bikes to these sad fashion victims.

Real bikers, however, are everywhere where these Nob Heads aren't. They avoid caravan routes. They actually go somewhere. Shock, Horror! They travel, they go on holiday, they explore the countryside. They actually love bikes for what they represent in terms of freedom and not for their pose value. They ride everything from Tourers, to Harleys (I've never personally been able to get my head around Harleys), to Trailies: TDMs, Transalps, Goldwings, Trophys, Beemers, old, new - you name it.

The Nob Heads only ride GSXRs, R1s, R6s, CB600s, Blades and ZXs. As brilliant as these bikes are, they are NOT suitable for the road. They are racers and should be ridden on a track where they belong.

This is a British problem. Biking is alive and well in the USA, Europe and beyond. Here in Britain, this activity that I have loved for so many years is being ruined by a few, mainly fat, middle aged, morons.

Well this should get a few people going :wink:

[Pete]

You gotta stop reading my mind Alan.

Those of us who were around in the 60's and 70's are still doing what we've always done. We tend to be viewed as a bit odd cos we don't conform to the modern stereotype......but we've never changed.

It's motorcycling that has changed, and not for the better either. :cry:

[monty_onna_divvi]

I use my bike for a couple of reasons..........1 it is my way of getting to and from work through the pile of metal boxes that are clogging 95% of the roads in my area, the second is it's nice to be able to enjoy me time away from the chores of lawn mowing, polishing the IKEA furniture and the missus nagging.......BTW i'm in my 30's does this mean i'm mid life????

As for the Harley thing.......It's a nice way to ride many miles comfortably whilst not going over the speed limits.....I used to own one....I admit it....I like 'em and would still have one now if it were more practicle, but i spent more time cleaning it than riding it so i bought me divvi which i clean once a week.

[Pete]

BTW i'm in my 30's does this mean i'm mid life????

Yes, you are monty.

Face it, your best days are behind you now. 8)

[monty_onna_divvi]

Well if i'm mid life then that would explain why i carry the spare tyre round me midrift

Anyone got a razor blade they can lend me???

[XT Alan]

Monty, You've got a few more years to go. The signs are: Rossi replica helmet, beer gut, and when you arrive on your 1000 miles a year R1 at some "biker spot" you spend your time talking about getting your knee down.

Definition of Mid Life Crisis: Although you can get your knee down, you can no longer get your leg over. :wink:

[Pete]

Don't worry monty, compared to me and Alan you're a nipper!

Anyway, most of these guys today have done more mileage on Internet Forums than they've ever done on the road.

[XT Alan]

PS It's not the beer gut per se that is the problem. It is the beer gut wedged into skin tight brightly coloured leathers. The "let it all hang out" beer gut is the sign of a life well lived

PPS I do like those "Does my stomach look big in this" tee shirts that you can get.

[N_Tart]

Hmmm... I've got an R1, leathers larey lid and get me knee down (on the track) does this mean I'm a middle aged man??? My bike does do more than 1000 miles a year though... And I don't do Biker Hotspots.... I did however find myself boring a young man on an RD500 with stories of the old days on saturday... Does this mean...

1. I'm a power ranger

2. I'm a young "real" biker

3. I'm turning into my grandad

Help!! #-o

[YamaHead]

Open Season on Wannabe's!!! :twisted:

A REAL Biker is the guy who'll still be out there on the road.......6 months from now :wink: 8)

[N_Tart]

I think we should all remember that we were newbies once and if we give them a bit of time maybe some of 'em might turn into real bikers that are worth our time!

[paul]

The Nob Heads only ride GSXRs, R1s, R6s, CB600s, Blades and ZXs. As brilliant as these bikes are, they are NOT suitable for the road. They are racers and should be ridden on a track where they belong.  

most sports bikes today are just mostly weekend toys 8) where the riders watch bike racing on tv then go out on their favorite roads to play rossi and biggi or yes and doctors and nurses :amb if they are lucky

if women had wheels we could ride them all day.....

[XT Alan]

1. I'm a power ranger

2. I'm a young "real" biker

3. I'm turning into my grandad

Help!! #-o

Nothing wrong with R1s. They are beautiful, awesome machines, as are GSXRs, CBRs and the ZXs. The problem is the old men who wobble around on them pretending to be biking Gods.

Real bikers ride anything, even R1s . Biking is a mindset that these Wannabies just don't understand. Ride safe and you will live long enough to turn into your Grandad.

We were all, even me and Pete, young and crazy once. I rode the fastest, maddest machines that I could afford. But, we slowly built up our skills and after many years, in my case 40, we are still alive. We were lucky. Through the 60s and 70s, bikes developed from slow (100mph downhill with a following wind, flat on the tank), non handling, skinny tyred things into the 130 mph Z1s and the like. We grew and learnt with the bikes. Nowadays, anyone with a decent credit rating can be let loose on the public road on machines that can lap the TT course at 110 mph in road trim, do 0-60 in 3 seconds and top out at 160 mph +. Crazy!!!.

Within a couple of miles of where I live, there are several deaths a year. Almost always it is a middle aged biker who has lost control of a Sportsbike. It just isn't funny. If this carries on, we are going to be banned from the public roads.

[N_Tart]

I agree with you. I work in a dealership we see it here all the time people who are new/ coming back from a break can afford the insurance. Our most said saying here is "give it a month it'll be back for a crash repair. 9 out of 10 times it is! Sometimes I feel responsible I will always try to talk them into something I think is more suitable but at the end of the day it's their money and if they don't buy from us they'll only go somewhere else. There are a few that are sensible though so all is not lost yet.

It's the youngsters I feel sorry for they have high insurance because they a "high risk" but as we all know it's not actually them doing most of the crashing!

[Guest]

@ XT Alan, I know what you mean, there are quite a few young, fast riders around here, yet nearly all of the high death rate around here (About 12 a year sometimes!), is made up of middle aged men. The Biker hotspots are full of them, and whenever I am roadside it is the slower groups, older men or younger guys that stop to check all is ok.

However, in a few years biking probably will go "out of fashion" and these hotheads will be off the road

[R1caz]

However, in a few years biking probably will go "out of fashion" and these hotheads will be off the road

Let's hope so!

[XT Alan]

Interesting Fact: At 100 mph, assuming that you have hair trigger reactions and you take 0.4 secs to react and then BEGIN responding to a situation, you will have travelled 360 feet.

Even an Olympic Sprinter is deemed to have false started if he/she moves within 0.11 secs and ALL they they have to react to is a gunshot. We have to react to all sorts of situations.

So, boys and girls, no wonder high speeds on public roads are extremely dangerous. 360 feet is a long way.

[Pete]

That's it you see....anything could happen.

Only last week I nearly ploughed into a troupe of performing penguins.

And even worse, one of them was carrying what looked to be a young baby and a fluffy kitten.

[liquidcooled]

good thread alan 8) as you all know, or should by now, my opinions are exactly the same as alan/petes(and dont think i'm copying them, i've been saying these things since the forum started :roll: ) so i aint going to write it all out again 8) ride safe, ride smooth, enjoy yourself, know where the right place and time is, know that you're not rossi and this aint a race track, keep the real biker spirit going, take a leaf out of my book and you'll do fine :roll: one last thing, dont let the bastard on their crotch rockets grind you down! 1 real biker with a xj(just an example ) is worth 10 power-rangers!

[Pete]

Here's a point! I've argued with many Internet Assclowns on their perception of what motorcycling is all about.

They always say it's about speed.

But it's nothing to do with speed. And anybody who thinks it is, is into bikes for the wrong reason, and has totally missed the plot. You want speed and thrills? Ride Nemesis at Alton Towers or the Big One in Blackpool all day....that'll give you all the buzz you need. :roll:

One word sums up motorcycling to me:

FREEDOM!