Bikes are SOOOOO last decade...

lingeringstin... · Spanner Monkey Joined: 01 May 2014 Karma :

Been really noticing the trend of "bike rallies" being mostly car rallies the last few years. One bloke running the gate at a recent rally said the MCC on his club leather now stood for Mostly Cars and Caravans, which was funny but sadly true.

The last couple of bike rallies I've been to were pretty much 50/50 cars and bikes now, and I see almost no young people on bikes at them. The only young people on bikes these days seems to be little bastards who nicked them.

Personally I blame everybody else in the entire world apart from me for this demise, especially the midlife crisis sportsbike nerds who buy 1400cc for nipping down the shops for a pint of milk on a sunny day once in a while during summer, and all the classic restorers who think something like a CX Plastic Maggot or a GT550 is in any way the least bit interesting or worthy of a several thousand quid total refurb back to (ugh) "factory standard". You've killed it for everyone you bastards!

I think the main problem is there's no longer a source of cheap midrange bikes like what we all had when we were teenagers. These days it's either a disposable scooter on an "L" plate or a ripsnorting 200mph monster knobsbike that puts potential new riders off.

wr6133 · World Chat Champion Joined: 31 Dec 2013 Karma :

I don't think a shortage of bikes is a problem. Having to jump through multiple expensive flaming hoops (3 times) before you can ride a Firebusa Ninja 1400 is a problem.

If you were an impatient 17 year old again.......... the choice of 1 car test drive wtf you like, or 2 part bike test stuck on 125cc till 19, 19 2 part bike test stuck on restricted licence, 2 years after that another 2 part bike test and finally can have whatever bike you want................ what would you do?

It's basically been legislated out of young peoples interest.

RhynoCZ · Super Spammer Joined: 09 Mar 2012 Karma :

The laws are made by car driving, motorcycle despising people.
I do not mind the licensing system, Am, A1, A2, A. But it does feel a bit odd, that in the era of very cheap 90's V6 and V8 cars, there's only one car licence.

I was just looking at used cars market the other day and I was surprised what £2,500-3,000 can you buy these days. Bear in mind, in CZE you inssure the car, not the driver, so the maximum of what one can pay for insurance is approx. £400 p.a., and we do not have the road tax. Thinking

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~~'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI~~, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Why isn't driving test tourism a thing?

We're all one big, happy EU now and I'm pretty sure the 3DLD implimentation won't have been as gold-plated in other EU countries.

You can go to Bulgaria and do a cheap veterinary/dentistry degree that allows you to practice in the UK. Why not do the same with a driving licence? Weekend holiday in Budapest and ride home with your shiny new EU driving licence?
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

wr6133 · World Chat Champion Joined: 31 Dec 2013 Karma :

Alex A · World Chat Champion Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Karma :

Itchy · Super Spammer Joined: 07 Apr 2005 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

It's tough to strap a Holocaust Denial Gazebo on the back of a Firebusa, and it's all about the Glamping these days.

But yes, it does seem to be a bit like going to a music festival just to listen to your own mp3s on your iFad.

Is veterinary/dentistry pulling teeth out of animals, or out of vets? Thinking

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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

I think this may actually be 'user error'.
I suspect you're going to an event that doesn't actually have much to do with bikes.

If you go to an actual bike 'rally', you should still find plenty of bikes Thumbs Up

.

https://i.imgur.com/WL9GcYc.jpg
Wink

Boxing · World Chat Champion Joined: 13 Mar 2012 Karma :

I've done the exact same thing, got my car license out the way. Then will do my bike test at 24. And save myself a nice £1,000 or so.

Not only is it all two parts, it's two payments as well. And in Leicester I can't find any of the solo places that'll let you do it without "tuition" Rolling Eyes

So rather than doing that, I'll get the practical car to do my shopping and what not, and the bike for pleasure on the weekend on the country lanes. Very Happy

Would be nice to have a bigger bike though, I'll probably end up doing my A2 in a year or two through a school anyway.

Near enough everyone that has a motorbike has a car or van of some shape or form anyway.

Although I'll never turn up to a bike meet-up in a cage. Laughing

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I stopped going to rallies mainly BECAUSE I was getting old and fat and didn't want to be uncomfortable on a cold ground in the English summer any more. Plus, the time I nearly had a metal spike through my skull at the Mucky Duck site in Ockham kind of put me off rallies on "waste ground".

The bloke I was with in the early part of the 2000's was into rallying and majorly pissing it up, at one point he also wanted to have a rally stall, so I spent a few rallies being the "back-up" car - and I fucking hated it. That fucking site in Keston - I went to a rally there once, speeding me tits off all weekend to help run the stall (very rare for me to do that sort of stuff) and couldn't sleep for three days after the end of the rally. Fuck that.

I much preferred to turn up on a bike, overendowed with dangerously bungied-on inadequate equipment, chuck the tent up, get twatted on a joint, then wander round grinning inanely at people, stroll around looking at the bikes, and inhaling burgers and coffee all weekend.

But nowadays I'm too old for crawling around on all fours trying to take a dump in a Sainsburys bag just cos the toilets are about 50 miles away. Rally tip: never camp near the bogs, even at a small rally. Your morning lie-ins will be ruined.

Once all my mates started bringing garden chairs and duvets (what?!!) and scented candles for their weekend rallying experience, I gave up going. One night too many in a leaky tent on cold ground. If I am gonna go to a rally, I might ride down, but more likely that I'll stay in the hotel down the road and pay the day rate to visit me more intrepid mates, ta.

I think the last rally I went to (if you can call it that, they don't like it when you call it that, fuckin LOL) was the Bulldog, Turned up, blagged a ticket, spent all weekend watching the dragstrip or in the rave tent; maybe in 2005 or 2006, hmmm, not sure when: only remember it was the year before Gerry Tobin was killed. Kind of lost me heart for the Bully after that...

I do miss the cameraderie and I've contemplated riding over to (whatever that island is called) for maybe one last "Bum in the Mud", but I was never really much of a drink for two days and ride home twatted type. I like a few bevvies in a field with me mates, but not that much.

If I happened to be back in NZ/Aus in the right end of the summer, I might go to another one, but I suspect my knees aren't really up to getting out of a tent more than once every 10 years.

People who bring caravans to bike rallies should be rode out of town with many outriders and extreme prejudice.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

hellkat · Super Spammer Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Jerry B · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 27 Mar 2015 Karma :

The lack of younger riders is a sad turn of events, not sure I really care that much about going to rallies, anymore, too old for that shit, perhaps a daytrip to one once in a while.

The cost and legislation these days does seem to deter many younger bikers, certainly wherever I go most are my age or older, though perhaps the younger riders have better places to go to.
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Regards, Jerry BB
81 z650F2, 82 GS650GLZ, 90 Revere 600K