Mr Bignel

i think the main thing about sheds is that sense of escape, an illusion - somehow you are uncontactable for a while away from the stresses and stains of modern life. garages are a close second...

thanks for the reply snakebite, I was mulling over buying another thunderace, one with less miles but I don't think I will, hence mulling over what sort of miles one might expect. Chains do have to be kept lubed of course and any wet weather seems to take the lube off so remembering to attend to that after a wet weather episode is the trick I think.

mileage, saw this recently:-

they don't often go wrong in my experience although it makes a difference i believe if a bike has been left out in cold and damp conditions, vibration and age take their toll too I suppose.

oh dear, good luck. often somewhere near the battery box.... my bikes have been 30 yrs old though lol, the ECU needs power so it is likely to be connected to the battery by a red wire.

my old sheds - now gone

he also avoided using the brakes to conserve energy.

yes, one has to keep those things maintained - what actually finishes motors, probably missing gears and the g/box not worth pulling apart and smokey exhausts, loss of compression I suppose. What do you reckon one can get out of a Thunderace?

never mind mately, the romance of the shed was the subject but, really they are hot in summer and cold in winter so not actually that useful lol.

apart from bascis like regular oil changesand bigger engines being more capable generally speaking - what do you think is a reasonable expectation for a 1000cc bike please? 1000cc bikes should do 50K without anything serious if they have been serviced imo, possibly up to 75K but what do you reckon? Of course, there's other related items, bearings for both steering and axils, clutches and final drive transmission but I'm on about the engine, carbs and gearbox.

customised xj900 s diversion

Sad is the Shed Man - not What could be nicer than your own shed? Of course it depends on circumstances but, hopefully, all of us will end up with our own shed at some point. In today's world, more than ever, you need a retreat, not exactly a hide away, but your own space, surrounded by your own things, be that only stuff salvaged from the house, knick-knacks, bits and pieces and stuff rescued from the bin. This will inevitably, for the likes of us, include large quantities of motorbike bits, or as your other half probably thinks of it, 'that useless rusty old scrap'. If you are indeed blessed, you could even have one shed as a chill out zone, and with another for actual storage. Once you've got one shed, you invariably need another, almost for its own sake, like another motorbike. It's so restful down there, a real haven, just the sound of the birds and the buzz of an occasional aeroplane. On a sunny day it is fantastic, basking in peace, out of harm's way - it is fairly screened and inaccessible although enough room for a bike or two. A timeless world out of the hussel and bussel, away from household duties and disturbances yet within reach should one hear a call for 'lunch'. Shed life can have similarities with camping, it doesn't hurt to have a camp stove and a kettle on hand but it's better than camping as there's the house, with its toilet and kitchen, just a few minutes away. That garden path, linking the shed and the house is more than just a path; it's a bridge between quiet on the one hand and the real world of responsibilities on the other. Separate, yet tantalisingly close at hand. The downside is that sheds tend to be hot in summer and cold in winter. However, you can leave the door open when it is hot, and maybe wear thermals when it's chilly if necessary. Mainly a day time thing though, as hooking up power is a pain, plus bugs tend to be drawn by the light. A torch or lamp is really all you need for the inevitable evening rummage. Now, a radio. That's different. You'll definitely need a radio, battery or wind-up. Maneuvering bikes in and out of your average garden-type shed can be a bit of conundrum, but where there's a will there's usually a way. A friend is carving out a new opening in one of his shed walls, but me, I just heave bikes around as best I can and normally manage it through the existing doorway after a bit of minor straining. I tend to use one shed more for a workshop as it is less confined than the other. Bike fettling and messing with parts mostly, for taking engines out the garage is better, as I can fix a hoist and use mains power as required. The shed is therefore primarily for fiddling, mulling things over, cleaning and painting components maybe but mostly day dreaming. A tranquil place surrounded by bike stuff, to contemplate rides, go through boxes or just day dream. There was a time when the boss wanted a document produced, in a hurry. The office was noisy, not an environment where you could think clealy for something like that. The shed was the ideal solution with its old basket chair, a discarded cushion that doesn't match the others in the living room, and a redundant waste bin for the false starts. The document got written, slowly to be sure, and with pauses for a stroll across the divide for a cup of tea or to use the bathroom, but it got done. Best thing I've written. Once, tracking down spares, I ended up outside someone else's shed while they hunted a part down. It was full of used motorbike stuff, with a couple of half-dismantled machines nearby for good measure. From where I was standing, looking in, I could see the legend, "I'm OK, they know me here", painted on one of the roof beams. At the time this seemed slightly odd, but now, in retrospect, I can understand and endorse the sentiment. The shed is a highly personal place where interference is not expected, a friend was rebuilding an old motorbike, he had carefully placed all the engine parts in order pending the rebuild, some on shelves but mainly on nails tapped into the shed wall frame. Somehow, when children were playing in the garden, the shed took a blow or two. Small components ended up on the floor, out of order, oh dear. Sheds, bikes, a dog, wives and kids. They go together for a rounded life - you need the first three to be at your best with the last two. It's yin and yang, two different but complementary worlds. More than one shed and bike is good - however, generally speaking, one dog, one wife and one set of kids will suffice. The dog hasn't taken to the shed for some reason, so it's old bikes for company. A shed is more than four fairly insubstantial walls, a plank floor, and a flimsy roof. It's a mini holiday, a private zone, somewhere with its own sense of mystery and promise. Am I mad to imagine these things? I don't think so. There's definitely something magical about 'escaping' to a shed and, in my opinion, it's definately better with a motorbike or two to share the space with. Icing on the cake, as it were. You have to love your shed, and the slower pace of life it represents, down there at the bottom of the garden, somewhere to collect your thoughts and come away refreshed, better able to face life's facts. figures, problems and aggrevation. In fact, it is relaxing simply to envisge the shed and it's pleasant ambience.

talking of colourful bikes....(no yamahas though unless the first is one that I can't recognise)

no, the 750 I'm afraid, it is a cramped arrangement, rather track like imo. not comfy over distance. belongs to the tall guy to the far left in the same photo, lovely boke.

wire wheels much nicer imo. one a donor? put all previous bikes you list down in your prolie, copy and past 😊

one of these, or rather two? did they come with wire wheels at all? best wishes and welcome on behalf of the management lol.

today I had to nip up a few bolts round the back end of my bike yesterday after my Sunday ride as some of the minor roads in the cotswolds are in a terrible state, I doubt that they have been resurfaced in years and are unlikely to be any time soon 😒 This is even worse in a group ride situation when one is more distracted and in a cluster I find.

This one looks great value, seller is in Hereford UK _ like that neat grab rail for the pillion. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/177269857462?itmmeta=01K0PVCG9B9Y4QG97NAZ6A8GFD&hash=item29461b5cb6:g:WU4AAeSw1D9od85n&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4MHg7L1Zz0LA5DYYmRTS30k5MrRfWaYzkCfNDlH8g5Qzefl3MoA4ja9tTUojeBoj4MY4tNSgcgCPUazVe3JNLyfRbc60weON0%2BhDsM9mVKoHyLVl63Y7fzypn1d%2F28QKmhJCmO%2BkBQApxjGeqY09zutZkdDr3kEwGH9WVQVWg8wpUi6RePE4xWFIrStkLKxN%2BzTG%2F%2BJWsSpXz2Ypqrkg2YE2VKYs9jfKSZbXLY20bKjIZSE01Xl4Tm%2B9U1l3CrCiCL06vkVPFM4%2FBrRdk5NTgA7gIpHmHKn5c1vvhq4vQUvD%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-CEstuFZg

i seem to get a few frowning type looks from some nr neighbours when i take off on one of my days out touring about, do you think it might be resentment? 🙂

Below is a consideration of that 'always wanting the bike you haven't got' feeling, which, thankfully, has now disappeared - anyway this was published in the VJMC magazine some time ago when I was in that unfortunate mode:- The possibility of the grass being greener on the other side of the fence is the motorcyclists bane. It is what we do, we look for that next or better bike then regret selling the one we had. A new bike to try out, talk about, tinker with, admire and be proud of. Seemingly, what could be nicer? Maybe this comes from one's early days, working up to a bigger capacity machine. There are any number of reasons why these thoughts might continue in later life. It may be to do with technological improvement, your preference changing, a chance to buy an earlier model that you liked or simply force of habit. The grass could be greener on the other side but then it might not be. Will that new to you bike make you happier? Conversely, is there anything wrong with the one you've got? I have three motorbikes; one works, one is half restored and the other as spares but I still search around, like a demented hoarder! It is hard not to be inquisitive about other bikes, to ask owners questions and compare both the look and performance of their bikes to your own. This fascination can go forward into the future or back to the past, for a given amount of money there is a choice between the latest look or nostalgia of yesteryear. Looking at motorbike advertisements can initiate a drift off into a personal reverie that may not have a firm grounding in reality. What it would it be like to own those other bikes and would they live up to expectations? Unfortunately, the need to be rational, practical and avoid financial excess drags one back into the land of the present. Magazine reviews, exhibitions and dealers showrooms don't help of course and maybe the bike you have has lost its novelty. There is a relentless quest in the back of our minds for that intriguing and elusive motorcycle, the mix of horse power, weight, handling, practicality and economy. So it goes on, round and round, in a confusing and unresolvable muddle of indecision. At a bike meeting, someone was talking about upgrading to another model when a club member said that they should try giving their own bike a clean and polish as he found that this helped him appreciate the bike that one has already. Taking it a bit further, you could invest in your existing bike, a rebuilt seat, superior tyres, spot lights or engine overhaul might restore interest in the old steed. Reinvigorated and revitalised for a further spell of useful service might satisfy the wonder lust for a while. Then that irritating little voice comes back urging you to check out some detail or other of a bike you saw mentioned somewhere and before you know it back come the day-dream, mulling over what might be available. You can call collecting motorbikes a hobby but really it is buying old motorbikes for its own sake. It's not about status, next year's design, new equipment or a more competent ride. With us, it's more about intrinsic attributes, fascination and elegance as opposed to the fast or the new. The difficulty is knowing when to stop. The majority of us have a limited budget and finite storage not to mention a partner who may take a dim view of family funds being depleted in this way. We have to be careful. Even then, owning a number of motorbikes can mean that some get neglected, you can only ride one at a time and it costs to keep several on the road. Restorations can be expensive and buying a machine as an investment means keeping the bike pristine by avoiding road salt and winter grime. Yes, one might be able to justify their purchase although it is tainted by the need to maintain it to a high standard. Most of us want everyday use and accept that conditions will not always be fine. Indulgence and temptation are terrible things and owning several motorbikes is a pleasant prospect. My boss had 17 classic motorbikes, gathered over time, then his second divorce and wife no 2 took them to auction. It didn't matter that he had built up the collection before he got married again. Message to Self: Forget the hype, stay off eBay and keep focussed on the existing bikes. In my case it is the style of bike that I have come to regard as my type of machine. I am lucky to own them and be fit enough to ride. I should be content with fettling and adjusting my bikes rather than hankering after more. Still, if the right one came along at the right price then it's hard to say no, of course it won't be one of those unreachable ones that I dream of unfortunately. They probably aren't the bikes that I think they are anyway and possibly, just as important can be the journeys themselves rather than rather than the bike so lets all enjoy the here and now, for the time being.