Thumper Club Forum
Club House => Chatter => Topic started by: pete on April 10, 2010, 08:56:17 AM
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Just thinking of when i was a youngster, on the way back from Devon to London.Pulled over for a smoke and checking my breaks etc to kill time, spotted a group of hells angels breaking off the pack and heading for me in the bush in closed lay-by.Oh cr4p thought i.As they pulled up one guy got off his bike and asked if all was well with the bike.Scared to death, i grinned and confirmed i was just stopping for a breather.Which way you goin?London Staines area i said.If you like join us for a bit of company .Well! as a 17 year old on a Honda cm125 back in the 80's i jumped at the chance and rode all the way back and had my 1st ride out with style.Never forget that day and admire the thought they spared for a two wheeled brother, no matter how small,that seemed to be in a spot of bother.NEVER judge a book by its cover!
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Quality, had a similar experience in OZ when on a little 250 learner. It's funny the way respect and courtesy and a little kindness has become note worthy. It is also interesting how much of an impact it has on people. What brought that incident to mind then?
Steffan
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No great mystery really,just one of Kerts jokes mentioned Windsor Castle and they were headed that way.Though i must say i guess, as many bikers do, i would always pull over and see if i can help when i see another two wheeler, small or big, looking stuck on the road side.Like to think people would still do the same for me?
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It's a dying tradition, I suspect.
steffan
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It's a dying tradition, I suspect.
steffan
Especially among the fashion conscious, techno junkies, blinkered by concentrating on getting from this world to the next at Warp Factor 8.
"Sorry, can't possibly stop your bike/helmet/leathers look used, and they are so not this years model(s)!"
Boyd
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That's a little dark and twisted Boyd my old friend..... ;)
Steff
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Not dark and twisted, just a little pi$$ed off with the antics of some of the biker fraternity. Today seems to have been the "The Temperature is Above 15C and It's Not Raining, Lets Get the Bike Out of Hibernation Day", as hoards of ar$eholes seem to have been using the local bypass as a test track. Even had some c0ck doing extreme tyre-warming-weaving behind me as I drove into the city centre. When in actual fact it was Grade A kn0b acting like a complete t0sser, fuqing it up for less transient bikers.
I feel sooo much better for that.......
Boyd
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Rant Forum for you sunshine! ;D
Past the house today we have had the road race syndrome! Worst offenders for crass moves have been the BMW 1200 cross-continental types with insulated school dinner bins providing aerodynamic stability!!
The Aprilia 50cc squad (4) were out 'slipstreaming' again and a goodly selection of other bits of kit! ;D ;D The most vocal being a Suzuki TL1000 thingy with race pipes on a rising throttle at warp factor>>>>>>>>>>> early this morning. Bootiful!!!! ;D ;D ;D
Must away and ready 'Sally', tweak the Bros, the Funday is off to Cezk(?) Republic tomorrow and waiting for a man frae Fife to pick-up a Funday motor. Soon be room and maybe a bit of dosh to start on 'il Duca'. ;D Now that would be nice.
Regards, Bill.
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Same here and +1 to the comments about the tin box brigade. All the ones who probably kept falling off CBR's seem to have dropped umbrella girls in favour of Ewan and Charlie.
The best bit of riding I saw yesterday was a group of eight or ten Vespas. Not one looked over thirty, mix of blokes and girls and they were just having their ride, no drama and no bother to anyone even if they were in a group at 55 mph.
Andy
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Just got back from the cafe. Sun was shining.
Loads of bikes there. Mainly plastic jobs and Hardleys having a ploughing competition. Lots of elderly types walking around in ill fitting corporate ' Live to ride, Ride to live' leather wear. Fantastic!. Made me smile.
Highlight was a Metisse triumph in red and nickel.
Oh and Clarkie's Hardley Fat Poo. In Bronze apparently. { S**t Brown :D }
Rob .
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Just got back from the cafe. Sun was shining.
Loads of bikes there. Mainly plastic jobs and Hardleys having a ploughing competition. Lots of elderly types walking around in ill fitting corporate ' Live to ride, Ride to live' leather wear. Fantastic!. Made me smile.
Highlight was a Metisse triumph in red and nickel.
Oh and Clarkie's Hardley Fat Poo. In Bronze apparently. { S**t Brown :D }
Rob .
Do I understand that you do not like Harleys. ;D
Mark
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Most of the guys I know do the Harley thing with bobbers and stuff. They ride them all year round and do proper distance. Not check the barometer/ met office before venturing out, having properly accessorized themselves.
I'd love a sportster as per Deus.
http://www.deus.com.au/#/bikes/motorcycles/customs/deus-v-twin-special/
http://www.deus.com.au/#/bikes/motorcycles/customs/deus-1200-streettracker-mk2/
However............
Rob.
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Oh and Clarkie's Hardley Fat Poo. In Bronze apparently. { S**t Brown :D }
Rob .
Must say it does look good !
And I confess.......I have his old Harley Bars on my Bonnie...!
I hang my head in shame :-[ I have a Hardley bit on my Bike.
Jethro
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Glad it's not just me who has issues with the toy brigade.
I was asked to vocalise why I disliked this element of motorcycling and couldn't in all honesty put it into a coherant arguement. I was left saying "I just do OK!" When I think about it, why shouldn't any one do whatever they like? If someone has worked hard and decided to spend his/her cash on the latest, fastest bike so they can enjoy their leisure time charging around the roads for no other reason than personal pleasure, who am I to pass judgement?? I don't understand the joy of golf, but I don't dislike anyone who plays. I see kids who look like badly dressed clowns and might well think what a kn0b, but I don't hate them for buying what they believe to be fashion.
But the fact remains that when some plonker on a toy comes into view either on a pocket rocket or pretending to be a "Bad Boy For Life" [actually saw that as a back patch on an immaculate leather waistcoat worn by someone who wouldn't fart without a note from his mother] my skin crawls.
Whilst I'm in the mood, another pet hate is motorcyclists who can't perform their own basic maintenance. If your rich enough not to have too, well done, I doff my cap to you. But if you don't even know how to adjust the chain, or check the oil you shouldn't be allowed a licence!
There, It's all out now and I can go for a lie down. ;D
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But the fact remains that when some plonker on a toy comes into view either on a pocket rocket or pretending to be a "Bad Boy For Life" [actually saw that as a back patch on an immaculate leather waistcoat worn by someone who wouldn't fart without a note from his mother] my skin crawls.
From my point of view that is probably because when non motorcyclist/biker joe public sees them they also see you and me and they lump us all in together as one.I'm no racer or bad assed dude,just some bloke who happens to ride bikes.
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I agree with most as stated, and without malice or rant I cannot abide by the Richard Craniums who cannot see the advantage of wearing decent protective clothing, as when they do come a cropper it is the motorcycling fraternity as a whole that suffers in the eyes of the statiticians, medical profession, law makers wowsers and the general public, by all of us being branded as wasting public resources on treatment.
Mind you though when mentioning this to the squids, they invariably throw out a plume of very brightly coloured profanities that would make a serious bikie blush.
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I agree with most as stated, and without malice or rant
Well I'm not promissing not to rant >:( :-[ ;D
It's that time of year. As the weather changes my commute becomes fun again. All the cagers who've been decent enough to give me a bit of space on icy mornings start to see the fun in it and are probably sat there hacked off with Chris Evans and the traffic wondering if they might switch to two wheels. We all get along with our own thing and get to work. People at work are happy to see the open face out, they know if there was evil weather due it'd be the full face and the outfit (which BTW prodded buttock in the snow and gave us a right laugh when I offered to help the Landrover dealer next door tow his useless customers on their stupid low profile tyres up the slope).
A few weeks later it all changes. Out comes the power rangers at 5 AM waking up Mr. Commuter with 15 cylinder wasp in a jam jar open exhausts. If that isn't enough some clown with a seven foot wide meals on wheels BMW filters between two cars and then stops because he can't get a two ton behemoth through a four foot gap. The shame of it, bikes queueing! Finally, some idiot will fall off because he hasn't ridden 500 miles in ten years and 7000 HP is simply too much for the rush hour. We all end up staying late at work while the police shovel remains into an ambulance. The "public" barely recognises the difference between the different breeds of bikers. They come to hate us all because some idiot wants to get his adrenaline rush on the way to the office but hasn't the road time to do it without causing problems.
I wave to a lad on a 125 most evenings. He has L-plates and doesn't filter because I guess he doesn't feel the need or doesn't have the confidence. He's been there all year. I have more respect for him than all the CBR's, Harleys and other shiney machinery that will be coming out over the next few weeks and simply causing chaos. I am BTW not against all summer bikers. A new ER-6 complete with matching riding kit seems to have joined the commuter run over the last week. That guy/girl can ride and I get out of his/her way.
Do I get to go to the rants section now ? ;D
Andy
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ahhh...let em go - I have a new bike and its lovely
Steff ;D ;D ;D ;D
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ahhh...let em go - I have a new bike and its lovely
Steff ;D ;D ;D ;D
Oh Yes ! Prey Tell what is it ?
Just sold my GS500.....that'll go towards payment of the CG.
Jethro
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It is not a thumper.
It's red.
It comes from a country that is famous for famous red vehicle. Another hint: If it wasn't for the CIA this county would have had the first freely elected "Red" government after the war.
It doesn't have a chain.
She was born in 1981
She is not a sports model
She is not a motorcycle - she is a passion
Any guesses?
Steffan
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Guzzi something or other but not a LeMans?
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Ah! Beware Steffan, "beatitudine appassionato". :-* :-* :-* :-* "Godetevi il sapore!"
Ciao, 'Il Duca' ;)
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Sounds more like a Vespa
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"Long legged and easy to live with ?"
Richard
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It is not a thumper.
It's red.
It comes from a country that is famous for famous red vehicle. Another hint: If it wasn't for the CIA this county would have had the first freely elected "Red" government after the war.
It doesn't have a chain.
She was born in 1981
She is not a sports model
She is not a motorcycle - she is a passion
Any guesses?
Steffan
Guzzi !..??
Jethro
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HMMMM! Morini 350 perhaps? :-*
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HMMMM! Morini 350 perhaps? :-*
Got a chain ! So has a Guzzi if you want to be technical
Jethro
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Unless it's a V7 of course which had steel gear drive to the camshafts rather than a chain as used in later models, all down to cost, don't use alloy ones!!. And as it's not a bike its one of three things; an Alfa Romeo, a Fiat or a Lancia.
Jez
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OH NO!!!!!! :o Not an Alfa CRUD!!!! ::)
I still think it's two-wheeled, inspite of "She is not a motorcycle - she is a passion".
On the other hand, Lancia Zagato, Ferrari Mondial, Alfa Spyder Veloce or Alfa GTV? A Lancia Stratos is probably stretching it a bit. ;)
Ciao, 'Il Duca'.
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No, it's a Moto Guzzi T4 ;D
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No, it's a Moto Guzzi T4 ;D
And thanks to me he now has plenty of room in his workshop to look at it. (since I emptied it of all the Enfield parts yesterday)
Thanks again Steffan,
Mark. ;D
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Gambe lunghe, curve, l'italiano e il rosso. Meravigliosa! :-* :-*
Ciao, Il Duca.
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No, it's a Moto Guzzi T4 ;D
And thanks to me he now has plenty of room in his workshop to look at it. (since I emptied it of all the Enfield parts yesterday)
Thanks again Steffan,
Mark. ;D
I still have an item or two.....of the Enfield persuation
Jethro
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No, it's a Moto Guzzi T4 ;D
And thanks to me he now has plenty of room in his workshop to look at it. (since I emptied it of all the Enfield parts yesterday)
Thanks again Steffan,
Mark. ;D
I still have an item or two.....of the Enfield persuation
Jethro
Ummmm, whats your coffee like? Steffans was good.
Mark.
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No, it's a Moto Guzzi T4 ;D
Nice one.
Hope it's easier to work on than the old boys Nevada. That has some design and production features that explain why they go bust more frequently than Triumph (or even BMW).
Andy
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I am hoping that I can get some serious riding in before I need to do any work...
Steffan
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Enjoy it, I still miss my V11 Scura, even though I had to fix something every weekend. They like being used.
Here it is on a wet narrow road in the Pyrenees after having a new reg/rect fitted in Toulouse.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/phatphord/millau/DSC00089.jpg)
It then went on to destroy a rear wheel bearing on the way to the ferry in Bilbao. Before I'd left I had to strip, clean and rebuild the starter motor as the solenoid had got clagged up with clutch dust and the bike wouldn't start.
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I love that photo - it is so evocative..you can smell the rain and the damped down dust...and the bike? Well what can one say - perfect! Thanks for sharing it.
If you miss it can I ask what happened to it?
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I love that photo - it is so evocative..you can smell the rain and the damped down dust...and the bike? Well what can one say - perfect! Thanks for sharing it.
If you miss it can I ask what happened to it?
It's a long story, maybe get a brew and a biscuit, maybe three biscuits.
Ready?
After my tuned Firestorm sold for a good amount I had set my heart on a V11. I really wanted a Le Mans Nero Corsa, but they weren't in my budget. I spotted the Scura on ebay and it hadn't sold, so I fired a few emails of and headed down to Brighton with a wad of notes. After some haggling the 4,500 mile old bike was mine. Problem was it obviously hadn't gone much further than the seafront in the 5 years it had existed so far. The tyres were hard and square and the steering damper was wound fully on leaving the bike feeling terrible. Still, despite getting lost on the way home in the dark, in late January, in jeans and jacket, I loved the bike.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/phatphord/bikes/IMG_0678.jpg)
After doing the (apparently) unthinkable and removing the steering damper, coupled with changing the tyres, the bike felt good. Actually it felt great. It felt so very good, the handling was sublime, the brakes fantastic, and the sound was nice.
After I swiss cheesed the airbox with a holesaw, fitted and mapped a Power Commander, added an FBF crossover and a pair of Mistral ally race silencers the bike was very much improved.
I think the first thing to start playing up was the battery fuse/main fuse. The plastic of the fuse would melt, and then the relay would trip. So I removed the fuse box and fitted a new one, with a heftier in line fuse. I then changed the relays.
Then the neutral switch went.
Then the clutch switch went.
Then the speedo cable snapped.
Then the inlet manifolds began leaking after cracking.
After I serviced it at 6,000 miles I noticed the cardan bar bushings had gone. I checked to see if I could buy a new set, but could only get the complete bar from MG, or an aftermarket from Rosspuro. Both were a lot of money.
So I measured up and made one, with greasable rose joints either end, cost me about £20. The bike was improved.
Then the bike would refuse to start in the morning. I checked the (Odyssey) battery, and cleaned all the terminals, as well as applying sliver dielectric grease to all of them. After needing a jump start leaving Trac Mon I decided to strip the starter motor and see what was what. I'd bought Guzziology, but very little of it seemed to apply to the V11, so I was on my own. With no real idea of what to do I removed the starter motor, striped and cleaned it, before greasing things that looked like they needed greasing and refitting.
Hurrah it worked!
I set off for France and Spain the next weekend with my mate.
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/phatphord/millau/DSC00069.jpg)
Rain in Millau
Encountering the worst rain I've ever ridden in just outside Albi saw the reg/rect pack in and the bike and I being recovered. A friendly garage let me use their tools to work on the bike and check to see what the problem was. With the bike in a few pieces I thought it was the alternator, as no charge was reaching the battery and it wouldn't run on it's own for long. With the nearest MG dealership in Toulouse, and my mate now met with his dad and staying in Carcassonne, I spent two dry days shooting between Carcassonne and Toulouse checking on bike progress. Finally it was done, and I set of solo to meet them the other side of the Pyrenees.
Coming into Spain through the tunnels and into misty rain, the bike coughed and I could've cried. No more came of it, and although the temperature had dropped 10'C we were ok, but boy was it wet.
It was actually the most rain Spain had had for 50 years.
By the time we had met up (I fortuitously followed them into the town we were going to meet in), and then found our place to stay for the evening I'd noticed a clicking coming from the rear end. I checked the bevel box for oil, and it was fine, but I couldn't discern which side the noise was coming from, and the next day on the run to Bilbao it was getting worse. I was really concerned in case it was within the bevel box and the debris was making a mess of the bevel gears.
As we arrived in Bilbao-
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/phatphord/millau/DSC00091.jpg)
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/phatphord/millau/DSC00092.jpg)
the next day-
(http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/phatphord/millau/DSC00093.jpg)
I got recovered from Portsmouth once we landed.
I ordered a new bearing from MG (£20ca from memory) and fitted it, thankfully it wasn't within the bevel side.
That bearing lasted 300miles, before dying as I was leaving south Lincs with the g/f on the back after we'd gone up to visit friends. Another recovery truck.
I ordered a higher spec SKF bearing for £6 and fitted that, and then ran the bike for another 500 miles with no problem, but the damage was done and I had no faith in the bike. I sold it and bought a Hayabusa.
So I owned the bike for 6 1/2 months, and did 6500 miles on it in that time. I'm convinced that I'd ironed all the bugs out but it was no good, that trust bond had gone. I'm also convinced that it had so many problems as it hadn't been used frequently before I got it.
I'd love another, I really want a Tenni, but next time it will have at least 15,000 miles on the clock, and someone else can have dealt with the issues...
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Aye shedbrewed,
MMmmmm!
I shall impart another tale, this about a Guzzi Classic V7 recently purchased by a friend.
Delivered to his door in the back of the dealers van with ~1 mile on the clock. He waited until the salt had been washed off the road by some recent rain and then went for the inaugural run. Within 5 miles of leaving the house, he was only able to select 4th and 5th gears! ??? Managed to get back home without anything else 'stopping' working. Dealer uplifted bike and rang MG, who authorised strip and re-build of transmission with use of new parts where required! ??? I have heard no more. Next time I speak with my friend, I shall find out what the craic is. I suspect he may loose faith too, if his performs similar stunts.
Agree with Steffan about the Pyreneese image. Smudge and Simon will remember something similar coming down into the Brig O'Brown a few Augusts ago! ;)
My regards, Bill.
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Belter of a story!! Well done that man.
Love that little screen - would suit my Skorpion down to a tee.
Thanks for sharing the story
Steff
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. Within 5 miles of leaving the house, he was only able to select 4th and 5th gears! ??? Managed to get back home without anything else 'stopping' working.
The old boys first one had 49 miles on it when it locked up. We couldn't even get neutral so it had to be dragged off the road. Right in the middle of the Peaks at 5.05 pm on a Saturday too so it had to wait until Monday. Fair do's to the dealer they brought a replacement which has had no gearbox issues.
Andy