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[guest7]

Do you ever suffer from peer pressure?

When you are parked at a set of traffic lights and a brand new sooperdoooper sports motorcycle pulls up alongside, do you ever feel that your thumper is a little inferior?

I only get it with cars, which is funny because I rarely drive. When I had an office job I used to sometimes get a bit freaked out by the fact that my colleagues all drove nice shiny posh cars and there I was on a ramshackle old 500 single. I have to admit that it got to me.

These days I have developed a thick skin because just about everyone who sees my sidecar outfit just laughs out loud. But even now I find myself wishing that I had a brand new bike.

GC

[andy0405]

Nope never bothers me, the simplicity, fun and low running cost of my bikes has me laughing in the aisles. 

[pigafetta]

My XBR does look a bit insignificant parked up outside the local bike shop with all the big sporty jobs but as far as I know, I've got the only one in my neighbourhood and I'm quite proud of it. People keep trying to buy it off me. I was offered a straight swap recently for a pretty tidy GSXR750. I have to admit I was tempted but I couldn't do it. I'm very fond of my bike and it suits me well. If I had anything too impressive I'd probably just break it.

[SteveC#222]

No not really, I enjoy looking at bikes at shows, and there are several I would love to try, but own one.. oh no.

I'm quite happy with my 20 year old 500 thumper, I enjoy it, I can tour on it, i can take it for a sunday thrash and still keep my license!!...I can even stand a good chance of fixing it most of the time.

Sports bikes do nothing for me, don't like the styling, don't like the fact that you carn't really work on them and I'd look a plonker in humpy back one piece race leathers!!

GC, your outfit may be a bit scruffy ( no offence) but it's been to more places and done more things than most modern sportsbikes could ever dream of doing. Like Bruce's Norton,its a proper 'used' bike. Be Proud!! ( and if they laugh and point, laugh & point back...it really upsets 'em)  it has what MZedders would call 'Zed cred'.

[squirrelciv]

Not really, but I know what you mean. It's the dismissive snort you get when talking to another rider who's just asked "So what bike do you ride?" Always end up in a long winded explaination as to why I own a 13 year old thumper.

Still you get your moments every now and then when the conversation swings around to service costs/tyre costs/winter riding etc. etc.

[Steve Lake]

Not me...never had a brand new car or bike....oh...thats a big bluddy lie.....when I returned from an overseas posting loaded with enuf moolah to buy a house...I bought a ......  Cooper S.....and loved it...had it for 10 years wish i had it now.................but apart from that... all my transport has been on average 7 or 8 years old, and bikes generally older 15 to 20....the point is....I just don't fancy any of the new stuff....I mean all the bikes look much the same.....with the exception of maybe the 916 and a couple of bimota's......all blummin plastic, impossible to service, expensive to run....no I feel eminently superior on my 23 year old SRX and in my N reg volvo (cars are just an evil necessity to me these days, roll on retirement...then i won't need one)
pip pip

[Andy M]

Couldn't  really care less what people I don't know think (it's probably a good thing really). I'm one of those people who can always come up with a theory as to why my 13 year old zed is better than a brand new Moto Guzzi Quatrofoggione (or some other type of Pizza-like name), anyway the new GS looking one. Parts prices, insurance etc. will always spring to mind. I tell people I ride classics 

The problem with me is probably as near as you can get to internal peer pressure. It goes: My MZ broke down and a new Guzzi would be under warrenty and therefore a quick phone call would be easier than stripping the (insert whatever broke). You can then come up with a massive long list of how MOT's are a pain and £8000 isn't that much if you e-bay a kidney etc. The result is change for changes sake and the momentary wow factor or new-bike day.

Call it age (yet to achieve anything like maturity), but the idea never matches the theory in my experience. I'd fall out with that Guzzi the first time I had a close call with plod's cameras or dropped it on the ice and did £1000 worth of damage. I've had six new bikes, one nearly new and three second hand, which I don't consider a good record. I've kept the nearly new one (MZ I've had 13 years), a seconds hand one (in bits still, also an MZ) and one I got new (Bonneville) and they now have a combined age of 31. To be honest I've never been happier, most things work and I know why and for how much and how long. Give me a new variant of a bike I know (FI Bonneville looks OK) and I might be interested. Wait 3 years until I can buy one for a lot less and I might go for it, but I'm just going to keep looking at the Guzzi's unless I get six numbers on Saturday (Even then I might buy a Bacon Slicer one)

If you've got the price of a new bike, IMHO get a good second hand one and take it for a really, really long ride. The good feeling will last longer.

Andy

[mini-thumper]

Do you ever suffer from peer pressure?

I had a Marquis and a Viscount squash me once. Does that count?

Boyd

[jules]

Do you ever suffer from peer pressure?

I had a Marquis and a Viscount squash me once. Does that count?

Boyd

trust you to turn it to food,they are types of chocolate biscuits, minty too!

[guest295]

I have the best of all possible worlds: When a member of the crotch-rocket brigade comes up to pass he knows a long way back that there's a real motorbike ahead. As he goes past the thunder rattles his plastic. There may be a new bike that's as good, but they must be keeping it secret.

[guest40]

yeah, I get that a lot, every time I eat pears, man they build up good pressure.

[SteveC#222]

GC,  you were thinking of a new bike that would turn heads, not stomachs?  ...how about a new outfit?.....




...not too sure about the colour though

[themoudie]

Kitch or to much kirsh? That's just bogging!

[Andy M]

I think someone got an air brush/paint booth for Christmas !

Andy

[Steffan]

I was smoking along one day (2T), headed for Pat's shed meet I think and was in the queue of traffic, anyway this guy on the latest bavarian thingee went past so effortlessly but I wasn't bothered and waved him on his way because he'll have changed it in short order for the next latest and best. But I know my bike from the ground up, I built it with my own two hands, I can tell you what oil and what brand of oil is in it, which fasteners are stainless and which are not, in some sense it is part of me and the same applies to the Skorpion and the increasingly to the Bullet too. There is a fondness and a familiarity that people like that rider will never have.

I have a thing about old Guzzis, small sexy Italians but apart from that I am content

Steffan