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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 02:47 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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You've got me going through my scrapbook now..
https://i.imgur.com/hlZE2k0.jpg
Left: R1100GS in France with jailbait
Middle: the GS being washed by Martin Child of Bike magazine after I've ridden into a tree in Wales.
Right: a rented 750 Genesis in Bangkok during the monsoon. (I didn't crash it, it was like that already.) It seemed to be the only bike over 100cc in the city. The Thais put a huuuge import tax on bikes to protect their home grown brands. A big bike got VIP treatment, with police wanting to guard it wherever I parked it. |
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 03:04 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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My first bike, a CD200 Benly. Electric start, enclosed chain...sheer luxury. I got it up to eighty something downhill on the M6 and bent the valves.
And the Hafren rally on a borrowed Honda. The Hafren is an enduro. Exhausting, goes on and on and on. Probably the best day I ever had on a bike. I should have moved to Wales forthwith so I could ride through mud full time. Much better value than buying an MV Agusta and trying to get it to finish an endurance race.
https://i.imgur.com/6KYupvh.jpg |
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 03:37 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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The 1100GS and an 1150, at Brands Hatch I think. I upgraded the shocks and put road wheels and MHP pipes on them. Endless fun. I did the Nurburgring course on the 1100 a few years before I did it on the MV. (Another year I did it on an RSV Mille.) The rest of my group had an R1/Blade/916. I got the prize at the end of the week. I'm not sure what for, but I think it was mainly for not holding up the others. The cup was presented by Steve Parrish, who was there for truck racing practice on the GP circuit.
https://i.imgur.com/RlKibcP.jpg |
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DUCAUDI |
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DUCAUDI World Chat Champion
Joined: 17 May 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 05:46 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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Coming from someone who grew up in a big city and moved away - I couldn't think of anything worse than going back or living in London. London is ok for a day or night out but you wouldn't catch me living or working there for all the tea in China. Living in the country can be just as interesting but without all the crime, congestion, pollution and non-English-speaking treefrogs, there are other things to do in the country besides sitting in cafes wanking over the talent that walks by. It's a safe place to raise a family. I don't worry that when my eldest goes out to work or into the nearest town at night, or when my youngest goes out to play, that they might not come home and I won't see them again. I've got a 2,000 square mile playground/garden at the end of my driveway. I wouldn't trade that for concrete and congestion. No way pedro. Each to their own but I think you need to pull your head out of your arse. Just sayin' |
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chickenstrip |
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chickenstrip Super Spammer
Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 08:34 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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Undinist wrote: | The 1100GS and an 1150, at Brands Hatch I think. I upgraded the shocks and put road wheels and MHP pipes on them. Endless fun. I did the Nurburgring course on the 1100 a few years before I did it on the MV. (Another year I did it on an RSV Mille.) The rest of my group had an R1/Blade/916. I got the prize at the end of the week. I'm not sure what for, but I think it was mainly for not holding up the others. The cup was presented by Steve Parrish, who was there for truck racing practice on the GP circuit.
https://i.imgur.com/RlKibcP.jpg |
And you still say London has great biking roads? Nope, I don't get it at all. Name a few you have in mind perhaps? Or at least give some explanation of that statement? Surely you can see why people disagree?
I wouldn't disagree so much if you'd said you can have fun on a bike in London, but that's not the same thing. ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
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Easy-X |
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Easy-X Super Spammer
Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 13:31 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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For me if I'm out in the countryside it's about zooming round some nice corners, taking in the scenery a bit and generally chilling out. The words I'm thinking of are grace and art, with regards to riding.
Suburban is a plod. The roads are pretty shitty, the car drivers are all oblivious and busy texting on their phones. The only highlight is road works: the smug feeling zooming to the head of the queue but even then you have to be on the lookout for spontaneous U-turns from the impatient.
City though is full hooligan mode Once you get into the right mindset you mostly keep going at a constant 30 ~ 40 mph weaving in and out of traffic, overtaking, undertaking and all manner of stupidity. Rather like the mad courier rider in Premium Rush. Relative to a bike the rest of the traffic is effectively static. It certainly keeps you on your toes watching out for rogue pedestrians and mini cab drivers ____________________ Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter |
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DUCAUDI |
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DUCAUDI World Chat Champion
Joined: 17 May 2019 Karma :
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 15:43 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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chickenstrip wrote: |
And you still say London has great biking roads? Nope, I don't get it at all. Name a few you have in mind perhaps? Or at least give some explanation of that statement? Surely you can see why people disagree?
I wouldn't disagree so much if you'd said you can have fun on a bike in London, but that's not the same thing. |
I enjoy pretty much all of the multi-lane roads, unless they're solid with traffic. My favourites include Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner, some of the bits near the Westway, Euston Road, Earls Court Road and Redcliffe Gardens, the stretch from Royal Dock Road to the Limehouse link, the North Circular and A1 near Brent Cross and the A41 down through Swiss Cottage and St Johns Wood. Moderate traffic makes them more enjoyable. Maybe I find them more fun because I used to be a courier? It's very satisfying keeping a rhythm going and picking the most efficient line. Very relaxing and therapeutic if you avoid conflict with drivers. There can be grace and art when it all comes together. Certainly better than any computer game. I feel lucky to have it on my doorstep. The fun starts at Vauxhall Cross, which is only a couple of minutes away, |
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chickenstrip |
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chickenstrip Super Spammer
Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 16:15 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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Undinist wrote: | Moderate traffic makes them more enjoyable. |
I get where you're coming from here, but it doesn't prove the "great biking roads" statement. To me, that means that the road itself is enjoyable to ride, for the fun of getting corners right, everything flowing from one to the next, more like the race tracks you have ridden. Such roads for me would include the Crossgates to Newtown road in Wales, the southern part of the Route Napoleon, the road between Potes and Riano in the Picos de Europa, some parts of the N260 down the Spanish side of the Pyrenees...
The fun in London I think comes from the separate skill set of avoiding obstacles, out-dragging other traffic - sharp manoeuvring skills at generally slower speeds in other words. That's not down to the roads themselves being great for biking. ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
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wr6133 |
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wr6133 World Chat Champion
Joined: 31 Dec 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 16:25 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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You had separate forks and swingarm for the road? |
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 17:30 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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chickenstrip wrote: | Undinist wrote: | Moderate traffic makes them more enjoyable. |
I get where you're coming from here, but it doesn't prove the "great biking roads" statement. To me, that means that the road itself is enjoyable to ride, for the fun of getting corners right, everything flowing from one to the next, more like the race tracks you have ridden. Such roads for me would include the Crossgates to Newtown road in Wales, the southern part of the Route Napoleon, the road between Potes and Riano in the Picos de Europa, some parts of the N260 down the Spanish side of the Pyrenees...
The fun in London I think comes from the separate skill set of avoiding obstacles, out-dragging other traffic - sharp manoeuvring skills at generally slower speeds in other words. That's not down to the roads themselves being great for biking. |
But the roads should get some credit. If they were ordinary urban roads with one lane in each direction and junctions every few yards they'd be very mediocre. But the big multi-lane roads are similar to tracks. If there's not too much traffic you can ignore the lane markings and use the full width. If you look at Hyde Park Corner just as a section of tarmac, is it really so different from Brands Hatch? Of course it's not in the class of the Route Napoleon or all the other greats on the Continent or in Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Wales, Scotland. I just try to make the best of what's nearby. I went out late last night for a sort of lap of London on my K1100RS....bliss. |
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chickenstrip |
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chickenstrip Super Spammer
Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :
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Posted: 17:43 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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Undinist wrote: | I just try to make the best of what's nearby. |
That's fair enough, but you should probably understand I'll argue my point till I'm blue in the face and you've got bored and wandered away ages ago
You could say that a great biking road is purely down to the approach of the rider, but I think there ought to be some kind of standard we can all agree on
One of the big problems I have with calling city roads that, is that too much is potentially outside your control.
Btw, I hope someone answered your insurance question, but I prefer this discussion ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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chickenstrip |
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chickenstrip Super Spammer
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Posted: 18:00 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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I got to that point with the Fazer 1000s. Just seemed to suit me so much, and that's actually how I decided to do all the mods to it. I thought the base was good enough to justify spending the money on.
Then I went out seeking all the great biking roads to put it to the test I've settled down a lot more with it now though. ____________________ Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE! |
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Robby |
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Robby Dirty Old Man
Joined: 16 May 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 22:03 - 05 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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Whenever a thread comes along this way, I always find it amusing that London is assumed to be one homogeneous city, and all of it with similar crime figures and insurance prices to Brixton.
It isn't. It's more like 200 small towns packed together, with a city covering the 20 square miles in the middle.
Back to the original question, Brixton is notoriously awful for insurance. Few providers will offer TPO on bikes worth serious money, because its a bad idea - and insurers are least meant to pretend to do the right thing and not sell totally inappropriate products, like an insurance policy that will leave someone 20k out of pocket when the bike gets nicked. Particularly if it's very likely that the bike is going to get nicked.
Also consider that if the bike is stolen and hurts or kills someone, the insurance company is still on the hook until they can shift the blame on to someone else.
You options are move, pay a lot for a garage, pay even more for insurance, or choose a different bike. |
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
Joined: 08 Oct 2013 Karma :
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P. |
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P. Red Rocket
Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :
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Ste |
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Ste Not Work Safe
Joined: 01 Sep 2002 Karma :
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Posted: 20:52 - 06 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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Staging a fake accident on a motorbike sounds unnecessary dangerous and stupid. |
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
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Posted: 21:09 - 06 Nov 2019 Post subject: |
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andyscooter |
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andyscooter World Chat Champion
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Undinist |
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Undinist Nearly there...
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 4 years, 140 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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