Any other motorcyclists here?

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Cowsham
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Joined: 4 Nov 2019, 1:33pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Cowsham »

ymfb wrote:
Cowsham wrote:
ymfb wrote:Currently I ride an R1250RT and have 1978 RD250D for a few local runs.

Over the years I’ve tried most marques except Kawasaki, no reason just hasn’t happened. The spread is Honda Cub to Ducati Panigale.

I ride all year and volunteer for SERV Wessex our local blood bike group, I now have a car through necessity but for eight years I didn’t.

Ride safe.


Panigale ! That's exotic stuff Steve.


It was a 50th birthday present to myself, completely indulgent and impractical, wonderful to ride, but I rarely did and eventually sold it.



Sometimes there's stuff you just have to do.
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Tiberius
Posts: 798
Joined: 31 Dec 2014, 8:45am
Location: North East England

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Tiberius »

Cowsham wrote:It was a 50th birthday present to myself, completely indulgent and impractical, wonderful to ride, but I rarely did and eventually sold it.
.[/quote]

How to sum up a Ducat Panigalei in a few words.

Great aren't they ?? !!!
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Ride-sleep-repeat
Posts: 382
Joined: 24 Nov 2020, 11:58am

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Ride-sleep-repeat »

ymfb wrote: 1 Apr 2021, 6:02am
Cowsham wrote:
ymfb wrote:Currently I ride an R1250RT and have 1978 RD250D for a few local runs.
Over the years I’ve tried most marques except Kawasaki, no reason just hasn’t happened. The spread is Honda Cub to Ducati Panigale.
I ride all year and volunteer for SERV Wessex our local blood bike group, I now have a car through necessity but for eight years I didn’t.
Ride safe.
Panigale ! That's exotic stuff Steve.
It was a 50th birthday present to myself, completely indulgent and impractical, wonderful to ride, but I rarely did and eventually sold it.
Recently retired(early at 53) mate at work has a Panegale.He rode it for a couple of years until they stopped making them when he parked it permanently in his conservatory.He's hoping they start to go up in price.He now rides a Ducati Multi-Strada 1200.
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NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
ymfb wrote: 31 Mar 2021, 7:55pm Currently I ride an R1250RT and have 1978 RD250D for a few local runs.

Over the years I’ve tried most marques except Kawasaki, no reason just hasn’t happened. The spread is Honda Cub to Ducati Panigale.

I ride all year and volunteer for SERV Wessex our local blood bike group, I now have a car through necessity but for eight years I didn’t.

Ride safe.
I had several 550 Kawasaki is in the 80s, very quiet engine is smooth as silk for sure best of the four pot Makers for sure.
The Kawasaki 400 750s Where are the same finally made motors.
Kawasaki and Honda yes, Suzuki and Yamaha burble burble pop pop no :lol:
It took a long time for Yamaha and Suzuki made four strokes to catch up!
The single four strokes were diabolical, underpowered too heavy over engineered frames.
The end of the 80s beginning of the 90s Honda could make virtually any configurations they wanted.
For all round enjoy ability V twins With four stroke triples A close second are the way to go.
I always fancied the early Honda Shadow.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Cowsham
Posts: 4951
Joined: 4 Nov 2019, 1:33pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Cowsham »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 10:49am Hi,
ymfb wrote: 31 Mar 2021, 7:55pm Currently I ride an R1250RT and have 1978 RD250D for a few local runs.

Over the years I’ve tried most marques except Kawasaki, no reason just hasn’t happened. The spread is Honda Cub to Ducati Panigale.

I ride all year and volunteer for SERV Wessex our local blood bike group, I now have a car through necessity but for eight years I didn’t.

Ride safe.
I had several 550 Kawasaki is in the 80s, very quiet engine is smooth as silk for sure best of the four pot Makers for sure.
The Kawasaki 400 750s Where are the same finally made motors.
Kawasaki and Honda yes, Suzuki and Yamaha burble burble pop pop no :lol:
It took a long time for Yamaha and Suzuki made four strokes to catch up!
The single four strokes were diabolical, underpowered too heavy over engineered frames.
The end of the 80s beginning of the 90s Honda could make virtually any configurations they wanted.
For all round enjoy ability V twins With four stroke triples A close second are the way to go.
I always fancied the early Honda Shadow.
Was that a 550 zephyr ? -- in 1992 I had a rip round the TT course on a mates zephyr, it was a very nice bike, handled well. At the same event I swapped bikes with another mate who had an RGV250, it wouldn't go round corners.

At that time I had an 82 Elsie 350 it was by far the worst bike I've ever owned. Power delivery like a switch and unstable at speed which it didn't have a lot of. My 88 TDR 250 is a much better bike, the 350 LC wouldn't see what way the TDR went. The 350LC is the most overrated bike I've had. The TDR is much better looking handles like a dream, comfortable riding position and goes like .... off a shovel.
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ymfb
Posts: 39
Joined: 26 Mar 2021, 7:07am
Location: Salisbury

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by ymfb »

I have mainly had 2 cylinder machines, I think the only 4 was a BMW K1300S, an awesome machine, 175 bhp.

I’ve been thinking of selling the RD250D and getting a mid sized adventure like the KTM 790 or BMW 800 GS for commuting and Bike tutoring.
Two wheels preferred.
Rock bus
Posts: 20
Joined: 22 Mar 2016, 10:46pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Rock bus »

I have a hankering to buy a motorbike (classic mid life crisis!)
At moment have my eye out for a decent older Honda cg125 or maybe one of the modern mutt bikes as I like the classic style.
Interested in recommendations for other suitable beginner bike (or if you know someone selling)
ymfb
Posts: 39
Joined: 26 Mar 2021, 7:07am
Location: Salisbury

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by ymfb »

Rock bus wrote: 12 Apr 2021, 10:00pm I have a hankering to buy a motorbike (classic mid life crisis!)
At moment have my eye out for a decent older Honda cg125 or maybe one of the modern mutt bikes as I like the classic style.
Interested in recommendations for other suitable beginner bike (or if you know someone selling)
It’s sometime since I rode a beginners bike and I hired a 125 to practice and do my test. You don’t say where you are based but here in Salisbury we have a couple of local bike groups with a Facebook page and I’ve seen them come up for sale. Good luck and safe riding
Two wheels preferred.
millimole
Posts: 908
Joined: 18 Feb 2007, 5:41pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by millimole »

I've had a motorbike of one sort or another for the last 45 years.
I now have a Sym 180cc twist'n'go which is almost perfect for my limited needs. It'll keep up with motorway traffic, but is well behaved around town. I rarely take long rides on it, which is just as well, because it dies induce rear end numbness
My last couple of machines have been twist & go scooter types, and i wouldn't go back to a geared 'proper' bike now.
I fear this one might start becoming a money pit when i next take it for its MOT (rear shocks to start with) and I'm starting to eye up the Honda Forza range
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider
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Cowsham
Posts: 4951
Joined: 4 Nov 2019, 1:33pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Cowsham »

Rock bus wrote: 12 Apr 2021, 10:00pm I have a hankering to buy a motorbike (classic mid life crisis!)
At moment have my eye out for a decent older Honda cg125 or maybe one of the modern mutt bikes as I like the classic style.
Interested in recommendations for other suitable beginner bike (or if you know someone selling)
Hard to beat a cg125 -- try to get a nice fresh one or a mint old one. Mine had a kick start the later ones were electric start. Avoid the Hondu Indian ones which are the old Honda tooling sent out to India to make 1970's style bikes. Avoid Chinese clones they rust like hell.
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thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by thirdcrank »

I suppose I'm a lapsed motorcyclist. Unlike many of me generation (b 1944) I passed my car test some five years before my motorbike test.

That was unexpectedly fortunate for me in that it saved me from that exquisite instrument of torture - the Noddy bike AKA Velocette.
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NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

hI,
Cowsham wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 11:46am
NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 5 Apr 2021, 10:49am Hi,
ymfb wrote: 31 Mar 2021, 7:55pm Currently I ride an R1250RT and have 1978 RD250D for a few local runs.

Over the years I’ve tried most marques except Kawasaki, no reason just hasn’t happened. The spread is Honda Cub to Ducati Panigale.

I ride all year and volunteer for SERV Wessex our local blood bike group, I now have a car through necessity but for eight years I didn’t.

Ride safe.
I had several 550 Kawasaki is in the 80s, very quiet engine is smooth as silk for sure best of the four pot Makers for sure.
The Kawasaki 400 750s Where are the same finally made motors.
Kawasaki and Honda yes, Suzuki and Yamaha burble burble pop pop no :lol:
It took a long time for Yamaha and Suzuki made four strokes to catch up!
The single four strokes were diabolical, underpowered too heavy over engineered frames.
The end of the 80s beginning of the 90s Honda could make virtually any configurations they wanted.
For all round enjoy ability V twins With four stroke triples A close second are the way to go.
I always fancied the early Honda Shadow.
Was that a 550 zephyr ? -- in 1992 I had a rip round the TT course on a mates zephyr, it was a very nice bike, handled well. At the same event I swapped bikes with another mate who had an RGV250, it wouldn't go round corners.

At that time I had an 82 Elsie 350 it was by far the worst bike I've ever owned. Power delivery like a switch and unstable at speed which it didn't have a lot of. My 88 TDR 250 is a much better bike, the 350 LC wouldn't see what way the TDR went. The 350LC is the most overrated bike I've had. The TDR is much better looking handles like a dream, comfortable riding position and goes like .... off a shovel.
Zephyr...something like.
Z550 a2, pic is A1, mine had grab rail, and rear bulb fail lamp, adjustable rear shocks on rebound, air front assisted forks plus other little bits but looked like this-
kawasaki z550 a2
kawasaki z550 a2
55 bhp at 8500 max torque at 7500 IIRC. Totalled wrecked in a roll over...........ops........
Then a GT 550 G1 shaft drive, more air rear forks that needed 35 psi, 4.7 gal tank, CV carbs which will never drop below 50 mpg flat out, etc etc.- 56 bhp.
https://www.classicmechanics.com/kawasaki-gt550/
kawasaki gt550 g1
kawasaki gt550 g1
Another GT 550 G4? to replace the G1 which an estate agent wrecked :evil:
Then a Honda VF400fd.- 1983 - front and rear air assisted suspension - pro link rear end - anti dive front forks - hydraulic inboard vented disks that worked! - hydraulic operated clutch - v four water cooled 55 bhp at 12500. every thing worked as designed.
Min 42 mpg flat out......................eats RD 350 LC's all day :)
https://www.classicmechanics.com/honda- ... re=twitter
honda vf400fd
honda vf400fd
Aso owned a second hand Z750 E, sit up but 130 in a half mile :)
Too fast for devon roads so went back to mid range bikes.
http://bazamoto.ru/kawasaki/z-750e_1980
Attachments
kawasaki z750 e
kawasaki z750 e
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Cowsham
Posts: 4951
Joined: 4 Nov 2019, 1:33pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Cowsham »

Kawasaki made some lovely looking bikes. The Honda vf400 looks like nothing but probably well screwed together and performs great like most Honda's.
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NATURAL ANKLING
Posts: 13780
Joined: 24 Oct 2012, 10:43pm
Location: English Riviera

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
The Honda VF 400 was very radical for its day.
It had every conceivable thing on that honda could throw at it at the time.
By far the best bike I've ever ridden at the time!
The handling was incredibly neutral, performance was fantastic, it stopped well too.
if you tried cornering on and off camber bend nothing touched down, but I went sidewards a few times, drift.
At today's standards it might not appear to be anything at all, but the roads haven't changed much since then.
Bigger bikes had too much power And didn't necessarily handle any better.
The two smaller bike meant that you were always under powered, made for boring riding.
I always thought mid range bikes more fun simply because you had to work on them a bit to get them to go.
of course if you're just commuting you don't need loads of power you just need economy.
Oh I forgot to mention that the Z550 for some time, Had more break hp and talk up to 8000 rpm than any other bike in the 650 class.
Even the 750 with 74 break hp Peaked at 9000 rpm.
This meant the Z550 was simply in a class of its own, unless you're on a burn up, you're not likely to be averaging 8000+ rpm much are you.
Kawasaki developed the two valve head to the hilt , When all the other manufacturers were running four valve heads.
what made vf400 so good was it had a very straight power curve, nothing like your two strokes, which would come in just at the wrong moment when you didn't wanted to.
Water cooled I'm afraid is the way to go on Motorbikes, why because they warm up very quickly and don't overheat like air cooled motors.
My xlr200r honda I am refurbishing at the moment.
Rattles a bit when it's cold, it's when it's boiling hot down the lanes with no or little cooling it sounds like a dream.
No doubt it was made that way on purpose.
The old 175CD Hondas, Was sad to take at least 10 miles to warm up, me and my mate had several and I can confirm that.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Cowsham
Posts: 4951
Joined: 4 Nov 2019, 1:33pm

Re: Any other motorcyclists here?

Post by Cowsham »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote: 14 Apr 2021, 10:14am Hi,
The Honda VF 400 was very radical for its day.
It had every conceivable thing on that honda could throw at it at the time.
By far the best bike I've ever ridden at the time!
The handling was incredibly neutral, performance was fantastic, it stopped well too.
if you tried cornering on and off camber bend nothing touched down, but I went sidewards a few times, drift.
At today's standards it might not appear to be anything at all, but the roads haven't changed much since then.
Bigger bikes had too much power And didn't necessarily handle any better.
The two smaller bike meant that you were always under powered, made for boring riding.
I always thought mid range bikes more fun simply because you had to work on them a bit to get them to go.
of course if you're just commuting you don't need loads of power you just need economy.
Oh I forgot to mention that the Z550 for some time, Had more break hp and talk up to 8000 rpm than any other bike in the 650 class.
Even the 750 with 74 break hp Peaked at 9000 rpm.
This meant the Z550 was simply in a class of its own, unless you're on a burn up, you're not likely to be averaging 8000+ rpm much are you.
Kawasaki developed the two valve head to the hilt , When all the other manufacturers were running four valve heads.
what made vf400 so good was it had a very straight power curve, nothing like your two strokes, which would come in just at the wrong moment when you didn't wanted to.
Water cooled I'm afraid is the way to go on Motorbikes, why because they warm up very quickly and don't overheat like air cooled motors.
My xlr200r honda I am refurbishing at the moment.
Rattles a bit when it's cold, it's when it's boiling hot down the lanes with no or little cooling it sounds like a dream.
No doubt it was made that way on purpose.
The old 175CD Hondas, Was sad to take at least 10 miles to warm up, me and my mate had several and I can confirm that.
Agreed -- water cooled is best

that z550 looked great too

My old cb500 was a great bike, again the handling was very neutral and the engine bullet proof. Another bike that would have outpaced the old RD350LC's easily ( not the TDR though it's a much better animal ) but the cb500 had almost 20 years more development it has to be remembered.
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