do you ever let mates ride your bikes?

[chickenstrip]

[A100man]

[Islander]

[Islander]

[reavsie]

No, never.

When I was younger I never trusted my friends enough to let them ride my bikes.

Now I'm older and more discerning, I don't trust anyone enough to be my friend.

[RhynoCZ]

There's only one friend of mine, who I let ride my bikes and he let's me ride his bikes. I've known him for years, we've been riding and fixing bikes together ever since we were 18. There is a mutual trust. We're both, I dare to say, well seasoned riders as well.

Other people? Well, I don't trust them. I would feel responsible if anything went wrong.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[thx1138]

my dirt bikes yeah, I lent my CRF250L out loads of times, but I was always riding alongside them on something else.

My mate disappeared from view, and was really worried cos he'd bent the gear lever, I just laughed about it. We hammered it straight-ish with a rock, he bought me a better replacement lever, but he didn't have to.

Actually he lent me his ZZR500 for a week to be fair.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[recman]

Only once. A mate and I swapped bikes for a few miles while on a ride out.
While I was getting to grips with his GSXF750, he absolutely flew past on mine.
I did laugh. I have as much confidence as one can have in his riding abilities and with the exception of one other of my friends, he's the only bloke I'd trust with it.

[Pete.]

Definitely not! I mean I let Paddy use my bike for his IOW trip and I loaned it to Kris for a week when his broke down but let's face it - they're not the sort you'd want as mates

Besides, it was a Bandit 600 so it wasn't even that much of a favour
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[superstacker]

I'm not really comfortable riding someone elses bike, they are easily crashed/dropped and I just don't want the hassle.

Ive ridden my late uncles Hayabusa after he insisted, my brothers ZX9R many moons ago and thats about it.

I got my Vulcan new, my brother was interested in buying one so I let him test ride mine rather than messing around at a dealer, otherwise we pretty much dont ride each others bikes.

Cars on the other hand...im not really too fussed

[struan80]

My mates on the Fireblade insurance. He has only had his licence for 2 years and it cost nothing more to add him. Every now and then he'll have a blast on it. Me on the Babyblade him on the Fireblade. Both of us 50 odds and look it, get some admiring glances from fellow bikers. So do the bikes.

[Skudd]

[Diggs]

Swapping bikes is part of the fun for me. I wouldn't have ridden half of the weird and wonderful things I have done over the last few years if my mates and I stuck to our own bikes. I trust certain people and they trust me, but this trust only comes from riding with them for decades...

I like to think that if I binned someone else's bike, I would do the decent thing and offer my wife as compo
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Now - Speed Triple, old ratty GS550, GSXR750M
Gone (in order of ownership) - Raleigh Runabout, AP50, KH125, GP125, KH250, CBX550, Z400, CB750FII, 250LC, GS550, ZXR750H1, Guzzi Targa, GSX750F, KH250 x2, Bimota SB6R and counting...

[wr6133]

I used to be quite precious about it. If you asked to ride my bike I'd answer with "more chance of riding my cock", and could list 3 people I'd let ride my bike. Back then though my bike was not only my hobby but my only transport, if someone bent it and didn't have one to lend me till they fixed it I'd have been unable to get to work.

Now I have a few in the garage and they are all purely toys, I'm far less wary.

[hellkat]

If i were to get my shit together and get a stable of bikes, i reckon the pleasure for me would be being able to say to your mates Yeah, you wanna go.

I lent the Snarley to that loony ruffian i had staying for a couple of weeks. I was pretty sure he'd bring it back ...

And anyhow, if he'd ridden off into the sunset, I have a friend or two that might successfully make inroads into finding him and suggesting nicely that he bring it back, so it wouldn't have been a sensible thing to do
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[1198]

Lent my Street Triple owning friend have a ride on my Monster (oooh errr!). She hated it, it’s about as far removed from her electronic controlled everything as I think it’s possible to be...

[recman]

[chickenstrip]

[1198]

[chickenstrip]

[spikey34]

I'm also very reluctant to share my bike - even with my best friends. It's such a pricey investment (racing bike) and I have spent a good amount of time looking for the perfect bike for me. Not mentioning finding the right height settings.
So no, I usually don't let anyone ride my bike - I would feel responsible in the case of an accident.
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Biking isn't a sport, it's a way of live.

[blue_painted]

"If you bend it, you mend it.
If you break it, you bought it.
If they catch you, you nicked it."

I've got one friend I'd still swap bikes with.
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GP-100 -> CB250RS -> CBX550F2 (pause) KR1S -> RD350YPVS -> ZX6-R (pause) CD200 ->Mash 400 -> T100 (current) & (R1100RT scrapped pile o' shite) (CB250 Nighthawk - SORN in shed) Meteor 350 (current)

[Hong Kong Phooey]

I've ridden loads of bikes this way, I think there's a natural instinct to avoid crashing any bike as you know it's going to hurt a lot more than crashing a car.

I've swapped bikes a lot more times than anyone has driven any of my cars.

I think in doing so, I've realised I have more fun riding the tits off the lower powered stuff, than reigning in the big power bikes.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[ThunderGuts]

Swapped bikes once; it was a bike that had three times the power of the Bonneville I was riding at the time and I had only passed my test 6 months previously. I didn't dare go beyond halfway through the revs and even then it was pretty brutal! He clearly trusted me though as correctly assumed I wouldn't go nuts. He's probably the only person I know who I'd trust riding my bike too.
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TG.