Safe Speed Forums

Whilst out in my car on Saturday, I encountered a bloke on a Honda CBR 1000. His riding was, quite frankly, atrocious. Riding at about 25 mph, weaving, 'paddling' away from junctions, riding in the gutter, not one 'lifesaver', wearing slip-on shoes and casual trousers, both feet down at rest, the list went on and on. He pulled in at the 'chippy' next to where I was headed, so I ambled over to him and complimented his bike. He told me that it was his first bike for 25 years, his last having been a CB750 Four, He had passed his bike test in 1969 and had decided to return to biking as his kids had grown up now and he fancied recapturing some of his youth. He had collected the bike that morning and was out 'getting used to it'. When I related my tale of my return to two wheels and ventured that he might find a 'return-to-biking' course of some use, his demeanour changed post-haste. He informed me in no uncertain terms that he had passed his test and didn't need any such assistance. He stormed off, bought his chips and wobbled off into the traffic, another statistic waiting to happen...

I felt so sorry for his family and the families of the thousands like him that are following the same course.

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Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

are we talking CBR1000RR or CBR1000F here? I suspect the later, but either way it sounds like an express trip to A&E to me. Even in Bike mag they (simon hargreaves) were questioning the sanity of them after he chucked that ZX10, and he rides them all the time.

I've got loads of protected NCB all earned on my C90 and could insure a CB900 fully comp for buttons. Do I want one? Yes. Can I handle one? I might, but would get more out of an SV/CB500 summat less intimidating. If I do get some more power I'll be off like a flash to IAM for some help.

Pretty much one of these, but in blue trim.



I agree about the choice of engine size - I had 250's that would exceed the 'ton' and never bothered with my test. I have returned to biking with a Yamaha DragStar 125, I am going to take DAS in the Summer Holiday and will progress to a 650 DragStar in due course - as I feel confident to so do...

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Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Now. I passed my DAS in 2002 on a GS500, and even that scared me a little. Most people don't realise that even a 500cc "commuter" bike can get to 60 in 5 seconds!

That CBR1000F was - in the late 80's - a full on superbike; 165 v-max and 100 in about 7 secs. Personally, if my last bike was a CB750 from 1970 some-odd, I'd be looking at getting a SV650 or something!

I was talking to my step-dad on the weekend, and he's in the process of trading in his Kawasaki 750 Zephyr for a Guzzi 750 Breva. He reckoned that the Kwak was too fast for him these days (he's 55 BTW).

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Simon

You've had the easy life....

16 years of age....Yamaha FS1-E (capable of an indicated 62mph)....turned 17 (L plates)....Kawasaki KH250 (complete & utter animal)....test passed 10 days after 17th birthday....straight on to Suzuki GSX 750 ET (proper hooligan bike)....from that point on, up to the 1 litre plus jobbies.

OK, I was riding from the age of 9 at competition level (late starter), but a lot of my mates didn't have the advantage I had and just had to get on with it.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

Nice trip down memory lane for us old fogies there

Let's not forget the same happens in the car world. I remember an OT from our place who went from a clapped-out Panda to a new Peugeot 405

Also, I see drivers wobble much more than bikers. The reason may be different, (in-car distractions), but a crash is a crash just the same.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I'd still beat you away from the lights on my canary yellow Puch Maxi

I would help a bit by pedaling

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Re vera, cara mea, mea nil refert

Do you mean a 'Maxi', like this one;


Or one of the three-speed 'yellow perils', an image of which I cannot find to post..?

If it was a Maxi, I could leave one for dead on my push-bike! The three-speeders were a bit quicker, but nothing would touch a 'Fizzy' until the Kawasaki AR 50, the Honda R50 and the Fantic-Minarelli GT50 came out. At this point, the Ministry Of Fun said enough was enough and limited all mopeds to 30mph. Not surprising really as I clocked a Fantic on my Kawasaki 250S1 doing 75mph along the A45!

Hey Gixxer!
If you want a trip down memory lane, we've got a Yamaha day at the Ace Cafe on Sunday 27.4.08 - loads of old stuff turns up; Fizzies, YDS250/350's, RD's, RDLC's, YPVS's etc. I'll be there in my car (blue 220 Tomcat) as my daughter is rapidly becoming a bike-chick. If she doesn't want to go , I'll be on my DragStar - come and spread the word with me; more people are getting bikes thanks to Rip-Off Broon, so SafeSpeed should be there for them too.

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Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Count me in too

Sadly the forecast is shite for Sunday But if it is okay I'll be there. I'll wear a pink carnation so you'll recognise me

My first bike was a new Honda 250 G5 back in 1975.

KOG 178P and cost me £520 You never forget your first love

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

One or two extreme responses there and a suggestion that he may be the next one in casualty makes me respond...........However irritating he may be, the fact that he is just pottering along at 25mph and wobbling to boot makes others more aware and caucious as you clearly were, he in fact is probably less likely to be a statistic than someone who rides or drives with over confidence. I do agree that he should take a refresher of some sort though but the bikers you see in casualty are those who have been hit by another road user, forced to take evasive action because of another road user, crashed because of the state of road and their lack of experience and/or skills, diesel spills and of course their own stupidity riding at extreme levels beyond their capabilities. But not many end up in casualty injured or fatal because they wobble arround annoyingly at 25mph.

......Or you could say because he can't manage to ride the damn thing at 25mph, is dressed in appropriately and is unable to take constructive criticism from someone with far more experience than himself, that when he does finally get up to speed he most certainly will be a statistic.

Indeed... the "returner" probably accounts for half the biker stats



Sadly, all this is the same as the returning cyclist saying they "passed cycling proficiency at ages 10-14 years" and the usual complacency of a test passed years ago in the case of returner drivers and bikers





Traffic conditions change. When we practise the skills every day - we sort of "develop and grow with the daily experiences". But a return - requires real lessons and I am afraid this idiot would have got the full blast of an acid lecture ..


At least you tried Aquila Maybe he thought about what you siad after he calmed down and reached home.. One can hope so - bleakly

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

I think this is a product of modern road safety policy, thinking and enforcement- You're legal, or you're illegal, and there's no grey area. He has the legal requirements to ride a bike and thats the end of it.

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

I feel that this is a clear case for driver re-assessment every ten tears or so, to ensure the licence holder is fit to be on the road - and this should be for all classes of driver. I would be more than happy to have my car driving assessed in this way, so that I could possibly learn some new skills, just as I did when I passed my CBT...

I affirm my belief that I will stop learning when they are nailing on the lid of my coffin!

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Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Not if you get Alzheimer's first bud. (I'm such a pedant)

I want to go out quickly, like my dad; not like the 45 screaming passengers on his coach when he fell asleep at the wheel

The old ones are the best eh

(I think I may need therapy)

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Gixxer and folks,

I have returned to biking at age 60 and the Kawasaki GPZ 550 has been a good first step. Problem is that it's too revvy for me, and I just can't get used to cruising along at 5000rpm. Also it's a bit gutless low down until I get on the cam. Brilliant at 10,000 rpm but how often can we get to do that? (Well, as often as possible).

I'm thinking that a Ducati may be more my style but I don't know much about them. It was always Triumphs for me in the old days.

C.

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More rules and regulations please! (Not)

The old biker saying goes 'there's no substitute for cubes' and it's true.

When I rode my friend's R6 a couple of years ago I instantly knew I could never get on with it as an owner. Apart from looking a feeling like a clown, (I'm tall and the bike is tiny), the real power didn't come in until 12,000 rpm - then it went off like a scalded cat! I think the red line was about a million rpm.

My own bike, a KLV1000, (Kawasaki's version of the VSTROM), has power right from tick-over. I don't like having to drop three gears to overtake something or get out of danger and then find I'm looking at the sky instead of the road.

You don't need to get something as heavy as mine to get the same sort of grunt either. When I was in Portugal some years ago I hired a Honda Transalp. Absolutely blazing performance for a 650cc and being a twin it has low down power like mine.

Small multis are a big no-no for me but each to their own...



Nice bras

(For the younger viewer: "Triumph have the bra for the way you are")

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I'm gonna be getting that starting next month Tone....Anger Regresssion Therapy or some such load of cobblers.

My "do-gooder" is in 2 minds as to whether I'm really suitable though after I dissected every single last question on the psychometric test and proved that the questions were flawed

In case you're wondering why I'm having to do anger management, it's because one saturday evening I called the police a useless good for nothing bunch of c*ck sucking c*nts on the phone after they said they were too busy to attend a disturbance caused by youths waving bits of MY fence around shouting "come out if you think you're hard enough mister" and that they would be around any time in the next 24 hours.
I then followed that up with "don't f*cking bother coming at all you useless c*nts, just send an ambulance for these little w*nkers outside" and slammed the phone down.

Lo & behold, less than 4 minutes later there were no less than 3 full on riot vans in my street loaded to the gunnels with cops. I eventually went back indoors and thought nothing of it.

Monday morning (7am), 6 of the pricks turn up and nick me for......



Wait for it.....



Misuse of Telecommunications (swearing on the phone)



Good ol Hampshire Constabulary....we won't worry about the class A drug dealer at number 4 peddling her warez to kids.......we won't worry about the old lady who lives at number 27 who's s*it scared to leave her front door because of drunken youths...........I know, we'll have Gixxer for swearing on the phone

TWATS!

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

& For sticking up for what's right

There but for the grace of god goes the F****n rest of us!

At least now I know how to get the boys in blue out.

Thanks for the tip Gix

Any time you're in the area.. on me.

Edit to add: I mean WTF do we pay our taxes for? I'm sure it's supposed to cover things like police and then the one F****n day in your life you want them to actually serve you - they fob you off.

I may as well buy a dog and bark myself!

(I had similar prob to you - ended up selling my house to get out of the area)

They're good at catching speeders though.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Gixxer,

I once called the police out after I had punched my neighbour for insulting my car. I had just finished a year long restoration job and was admiring my pride and joy outside the house when my neighbour crossed the road, looked at the car, and said "That's a crap car."

I didn't think twice, I just punched him, so hard that I broke my thumb (it's still a different shape today). He went into his house and I went into mine. Then I called the police and they went over to interview him. Turns out he had no complaint to make and that was the end of it.

Twelve months later he died.

Don't know what the moral of this story is, but it really happened.

C.

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More rules and regulations please! (Not)