Do you ride a motorcycle?

[Peter Mackin]

Not to mention the cost of repairing them, a clutch lever can be over £100,,and the plastic parts are eyewatering.

 

[barnabus]

But there's one thing, I like to know!

I'm lightweight person and handling my 108 kilograms scooter is fine. But how do you handle motorbikes with weights up to 200 kilograms, especially, when you're in a stop-and-go traffic intown with much stops on traffic lights?
A Royal Enfield 350 classic for example has 195 kilograms full fueled. I could surely not hold such a weight in my hands. That would be 130 kilograms more than my own weight.

Is there any trick??

You don't have to actually carry the bike. A lot of the weight is borne by planet Earth herself.

All you have to do is stop it tipping over, and that's not so difficult on something that's been literally designed to balance.

Edit: that said, I'd never choose a bike I couldn't at least tiptoe with both feet at the same time.

 

[Yango]

View attachment 814762
90 K's round trip today for bacon 'n egg rolls at our fave northern coastal cafe.
10C to 27C today.

Dig the helmet!

 

[Oil Tanned]

I ride (primarily) an HP2 Enduro and off the showroom floor it had a seat height of 37". I've shaved the seat and tweaked it a little to tailor it to myself but it's a single cheek event at a stop light for sure. I've crashed it and picking it up takes some strong language and a grunt. Because they look the part and scream like a scaled cat in the desert it's easy to assume that it would be a capable dirt bike and that's not so true. There will always be somebody like Simo Kirssi that might make that seem incorrect but it's a rarity to find anyone on a large displacement bike giving it the berries off road for the reasons others have mentioned above. That, and the laws of physics won't be bending for anyone I've met, myself included. You can push them to a certain point and then you need someone to screw you back together while you take a month or two off.

I've seen several smaller framed guys that rode really tall bikes. Some that were absolutely incredible riders and you know they crashed often enough and that picking up the bike must have been something they got good at.

A lighter bike is a better bike if you think you might be tossed off and need to wrestle it back up. I also have a CRF450 that is much friendlier to hoist.

This guy was a professional Paris / Dakar entrant for BM.

 

[Peter Mackin]

I now ride a bmw r9t scrambler, brilliant bike on road, but take it off road,not a chance, love the look, the torque and the low seat height. Some option 719 parts etc just to make it mine,great fun on a summers day,ps,also fitted nitron shocks and front springs, rides so much better. Still not the most comfortable bike ive owned,but it makes me smile every time I open the garage.

 

[lina]

I find it stupid, concentrate the road, and im not a safety freak, far from it, but i see people do it across the highway, on bends, ridiculous.

Stupid? Come on now.. it doesn’t matter to me whether you do it or not, but no need to call those of us that do stupid.

 

[theeprimitivesound]

Stupid? Come on now.. it doesn’t matter to me whether you do it or not, but no need to call those of us that do stupid.

i didnt call anyone stupid, the act of waving is stupid to me, but if you wanna wave, go right ahead.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Sometimes, I just do the four-finger-up greeting on my handlebar, but this could be overseen, so mostly I do the palm-out. Many motorbikers do the Victory-out.

 

[Peter Mackin]

i didnt call anyone stupid, the act of waving is stupid to me, but if you wanna wave, go right ahead.

I knew what you meant and respect that's how you feel.love the look of your bike especially with the tyres, I contemplated getting michelin Anakee wild fitted, but unfortunately as I ride the r9t 100% on the road,they wouldn't work in Scotland,,far too much rain,look awesome though

 

[barnabus]

I knew what you meant and respect that's how you feel.love the look of your bike especially with the tyres, I contemplated getting michelin Anakee wild fitted, but unfortunately as I ride the r9t 100% on the road,they wouldn't work in Scotland,,far too much rain,look awesome though

I used to have Anakee Wilds on my Bonneville. I couldn't get rid of them quick enough.

Nothing looks cooler, but even on that old tank the full destruction of anything close to handling was horribly obvious.

 

[barnabus]

I now ride a bmw r9t scrambler, brilliant bike on road, but take it off road,not a chance, love the look, the torque and the low seat height. Some option 719 parts etc just to make it mine,great fun on a summers day,ps,also fitted nitron shocks and front springs, rides so much better. Still not the most comfortable bike ive owned,but it makes me smile every time I open the garage.

I missed these pictures yesterday, somehow.

What a lovely looking bike. I do love a gold rim.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Now, this was my 50 ccm scooter's fuel consumption over the last 214 km:
2,07 L/100 km
113,3 miles/gal

So I could reach 300 km with the 6,2 l tank, not bad!

 

[Bawheid]

Local coastal run this morning.
Rain forecast by 2pm.
So a 40Km round trip for an easy dash home if required. Home by 1.30.
Safety margin haha...

 

[barnabus]

Test rode a couple of bikes today. I'd gone to the dealer with the intention of coming away owning this, a Triumph Daytona 660.

But I didn't like it at all. It's smooth and comfortable and balanced and feels very "mature".

But that's not what I want. I want something thrilling and exciting that you need to take by the scruff of the neck. Something you can feel you're really riding.

So then I tried this, which is very much the opposite of the Triumph.

And it was hilarious. Fun to ride at any speed, even at 30mph in sixth. So I came away with lots to ponder.

So for the time being I'm still a KTM owner.

 

[gearfreakny]

Italian passion = Ducatis

 

[barnabus]

Italian passion = Ducatis

Is that what you ride? Let's see some pictures please!

 

[Trenchfriend]

But I tell you this one!!

In the hypothetical case, our german legislature would say, you can ride EVERY motorcycle, you want, with your M(oped) license, just have it restrained to 45 kph, I would do that!!

What a cruising dream that would be, JEEEESSUS!!

 

[postpaper]

Just wanted to ask if anyone here is into repair/customizing bikes? It is my bucket list to buy one and try to work on one myself (one day when I finally have a garage)

Is it quite an intense learning curve? what would be the best way to get started? Thanks!

 

[barnabus]

Italian passion = Ducatis

I've just realised. You're just bumping up your post count with nothing-y comments so you can sell in the classifieds.

I feel such a fool.