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The Motorcycle/Motorbike Thread (MERGED)

bingeciren said:
In my 46 years of riding, mostly on the street, I've never had a close call or a single scary moment so to speak.

But then, speaking of statistics, the longer you ride the closer you become to have an incidence. Sure enough, an idiot, totally DUI and on some heavy drugs as well, ran into me from behind 5 months ago. Perhaps due to my off-road riding skills, I did not even fall down but my bike was practically totalled. There was nothing I could do to prevent this from happening because I did not even see him coming. I cannot classify this as a "bike accident" because the same idiot could have killed me even if I was walking on a sidewalk.

That's why I enjoy riding my dirt bike in the woods where there are no unguided missiles to run me over.
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I always preferred dirt over street bikes, mostly no cars. :)
 
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an-other said:
Been riding for decades. Love it. A couple of suggestions from my experience.
  • Wear a full face helmet and gloves. The local motorcycle shop I go to has a full face helmet practically torn in half with a plaque below it: Would you rather be your face? Makes the point clear enough

  • Wear something visible. I prefer fluorescent designed helmets. There are other options like hi viz vests. Being on a black bike wearing all black looks way cool for sure. I'd prefer to seen myself.

  • Never ride unless sober and awake. I think the cliche is: never ride to the bar.

  • Know yourself. If you can have rage whilst driving, recognise you have to manage it riding. You are more vulnerable

  • Ride defensively, and avoid being in blind spots. Avoid being alongside trucks until you can zip past them

  • Understand it's a skill you have to both mentally and physically grow into. Your body is not used to the forces of a bike at the start or when you get a new bike.

  • Stow your gear on your bike before riding. When riding, ride.

  • Use judgment when you can when choosing routes. For example, I tend not to drive on the motorway during rush hour.

  • When facing off against a car/truck/etc. You will lose.
I get it. Many people view riding as an expression of personal freedom. My objective isn't too preach to you. It's just to share what I've learnt. Maybe it'll be useful. Maybe not. Over time you will develop a few war stories. You have them whilst driving, too. They're just more heightened as your ride.

There's a lot of great times ahead. Perhaps we'll waive when we pass....
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helmet is white & modular full face. working on better lights & perhaps some reflective vest/decals.
I don't drink/smoke/do drugs
will wave once I am comfortable :D
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steve knight said:
they call you an organ donor.
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already listed on my DL.
 
Along with cars, watch out for all the other asshats on bikes too. From experience, many harley riders and crotch rocketeers act totally stupid on the road.

Awareness is absolutely everything. Never stop scanning like they teach you in MSF classes (this makes you a much better car/truck driver too!). Make sure you have a helmet with a built in shade, and/or really good sunglasses. Carry a basic toolkit along, as well as a hazard cone or similar in case you get stuck on the side of the road. Do a basic check of everything on your bike every time you go out. It only takes a minute at most and it can easily save your life.

Make sure your horn works at all times. It has saved me once, and probably will again. If you're using a stock one, rip it off and buy a louder one online. I cannot overstate this enough.
 
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Used to ride and track day a Ducati 748s. Hung up my helmet in 2003 when the Mrs shed a tear as I was about to leave for a Sunday am ride. When asked what was up she said she was just wondering if she'd see me alive again and that most of the time she tried not to think about it. I stopped riding right then.

Couldn't do that to her so I rode it again only once, 6 weeks later, to take it to the dealer to sell it. Boy do I miss it though.
 
I've always wanted a Harley, but the circumstances were never right. And then there's all the horror stories about accidents. I don't know the first thing about motorcycles (brands, features, etc). But i've been thinking about getting myself a weekend toy, and came across the Indian Motorcycle company, and specifically the Scout.

This is still a thought bubble, so was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the brand?

Cheers

all-indian-motorcycles-receive-all-new-remus-exhausts-video-photo-gallery_11.jpg
 
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neilg-uk said:
Had this for about 10 years or so now, Kawasaki ZZR1400. This is in the Pyrenees, on a recent trip to France and Spain. Been riding bikes since 1974, including a few years of National level racing here in the UK. This is the best bike I’ve ever had to be honest.

View attachment 841350
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Pretty pic!
Is it 2 or 4 cycle? Way back in the day, I drove a Kawasaki 500, fastest street bike in production to high school. Yes, my parents were nuts, but I had earned their trust not to kill myself. ;)
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hawkeye_a said:
I've always wanted a Harley, but the circumstances were never right. And then there's all the horror stories about accidents. I don't know the first thing about motorcycles (brands, features, etc). But i've been thinking about getting myself a weekend toy, and came across the Indian Motorcycle company, and specifically the Scout.

This is still a thought bubble, so was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the brand?

Cheers

all-indian-motorcycles-receive-all-new-remus-exhausts-video-photo-gallery_11.jpg
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Pretty bike. Are they still made in Minnesota?
 
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hawkeye_a said:
I've always wanted a Harley, but the circumstances were never right. And then there's all the horror stories about accidents. I don't know the first thing about motorcycles (brands, features, etc). But i've been thinking about getting myself a weekend toy, and came across the Indian Motorcycle company, and specifically the Scout.

This is still a thought bubble, so was wondering if anyone here has any experience with the brand?

Cheers

all-indian-motorcycles-receive-all-new-remus-exhausts-video-photo-gallery_11.jpg
Click to expand...
it's solid, I would get one if I could.
 
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not any more
i did on the streets a lot with a sport bike, an R1. Also had a gixxer
never had an issue on the street.
i started to race some, for sure did the test & tune. the great recession closed most of the amateur race tracks here and i myself did not have that type of money

i always wore the full helmet,
kevlar gloves, boots, crash jacket/body armor or full leathers...
 
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I still miss mine...
48030972138_f3d895f490_o.jpg

I sold it for more than I paid for after 3+ years. Only to find out the new owner put it into the back of flat bed, shearing the top. Fortunately the rider was okay, but I don't think the bike is. Never had a day's problem with it.

If I had a garage in my current place I think I'd be on a new ride.
 
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