HELLO! I'M NEW HERE.

[Andy M]

So how long have you all been on the road and what has been your best bike so far?

Riding since 1992.

Best bike would be a toss up between BMW F650, Bonneville and MZ 301. I ought to pick the F650 as it went from the North Cape to the Sahara and was near enough a proper Thumper, but the final death of my second one (by waterpump failure) has put me off. The MZ appeals to a certain (probably sick) mentality that makes me ride like a nutter but it was my first proper bike and I love my full throttle ride to work. On current form I'd go for the Bonneville, does everything well. The only thing I've known to stop it was a Blizzard this January.

Andy

[guest27]

Hi there
Passed test - oh bottom just gone to check licence to see whan it ran from and cannot find it... oooops

R

[guest27]

Phew - in the school Better Reading pack - why?  ummmmmmm

Riding since May 83,
DT125 - DT175 - (GT250 CG125 both on loan)
RD350LC
GS750
CZ350 twin
ARE750 Triton
KH250
CD175
RD500LC
Superdream X 3
CB200
T500/GT250 hybrid - never yet run
CB350K4
DT250
XT250
Jawa 500 R
CB125/CG125
Triumph 900 Sprint
TZR250
TZR250/Jawa500 Hybrid - coming together

Best - all of them.  Well superdreams were ride to work things.

Triton, RD350 RD500 and DT250 all have a particular place in the heart.

R

[Bill Rutter]

AAh the venerable KH250. My first bike SGY 320R (and I dooo so wish I'd kept it) Candy red and that wonderful exhaust note. Much much better than any Yam or Suzuki of the day....and better looking. So the X7 managed the ton, but it was dull as dishwater compared to the Kwak IMHO

[squirrelciv]

Got to say my current ride is my all time favourite, a '95 Dommie  :-) First bike I've kept over 2 years, and I just can't think about replacing her. Had a wide range from a fizzy to a Gixer with the odd CX thrown in for good measure. Always found something I didn't like with all of them, but Dolly does all I want, how I want it done. Content me :-)

[guest7]

First starting riding (legally) in the early 80s. I don't enjoy it and only ride because I like the smell of leather and petrol.

Ridden lots of horrible bikes that were poorly maintained and unreliable (or at least they were when I'd had them a while).

I currently favour sidecars because it's not natural to lean over in corners.

I had a girlfriend who was 5' tall and she rode a 750 Bonnie with no worries (although a cut-down saddle helped).

My brother's partner rides a nice XBR that has had slightly shorter shocks fitted and the forks dropped through the yokes. A handlebar conversion helps because it makes the riding position better for keeping the bike upright at a standstill.
Here they are:


Where are you based? I'm sure all sorts of bikes could be sampled if one of our shed meets is held near to you.
Cheers
GC

[TOAD]

YES I HAVE CONSIDERD THE XBR.THE REACH TO THE BARS IS MORE OF A PROBLEM THAN SEAT HEIGHT ON THIS MACHINE AS IS THE CASE WITH SO MANY OTHERS. I AM IN KENT.

                                                                                                      TOAD...

[srx6]

Hi Toad
Ceck out item No 300094661364 on ebay.Ignore the kickstart part as they are electric boot,great little bikes.If you look in the projects part of the site you can see what remains of my Suzuki Goose,I decided to fit a bigger engine etc.
Regards
Alan

[TOAD]

Thanks for that.I've had a look at it and think its a good possible if I could change the bars,they look beyond my reach.
                     Cheers!                    TOAD...

[guest7]

A handlebar conversion on the XBR is fairly easy - aftermarket handlebar clamps that clamp to the fork legs are the easiest option.

My brother had the XBR top yoke welded up underneath to increase its thickness then drilled holoes for aftermarket (bolt through) clamps.

It may meant that some of the cable have to be extended, but this is hardly a hassle. Venhill do one-off cables.

Cheers
GC

[Steve Lake]

Hi toad................not from toad hall i hope......very bad driving record i hear barp barp

first bike...bsa bantam......1962

best bike.. difficult.... vincent comet 1979 to 1981, Velocette viper  1970 to 1975, yamaha srx6 1997 to present

love the all

[hondamichael]

hello again i have something else you should consider
its a bike from BETA they are known for theire trailies but they also do a bike called Jonathan
looks like a chopper but handles like a supermoto , ok its only a 350cc , and the engine is from the suzuki dr350 so spare parts easy to come by if needed
they dont turn up often but if they turn up you can crab them realy cheap


they also do one called EURO basically the same bike with a more compphy pillion seat
and as you can spot it seems to be very low so ideal for you i suppose

and there is one on ebay like i said cheap for what you get  a 04 reg bike with 1700 miles on the clock for buy it now £1250
they are quiet rare in but the engine is good as its a suzuki engine
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BETA-EURO-Italian-Made-Cruiser-not-jonothan_W0QQitemZ300095252931QQcategoryZ424QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[MrFluffy]

Hi, im new here too, Had a full license now for ummm 18 years.
First bike, a fs1e but in mini cafe race style with rearsets, clipons and a A100 engine bored to 120cc with matched spanny the lot that I did all the proper calculashuns for valve openings and cone lengths etc in college (still said 49cc on the book though *whistle*). Used to terrorise the local 125 mob on this tiny little flea of a sports ped, until it blew up again (which it did almost weekly), and had to carry a few spare magneto woodruff keys under the side panel at all times
Best bike, hmm most competent bike has to be my bimota YB8, 1000 yamaha exup engine tuned a bit in a superb chassis that saved my neck during the sillier of some of my antics, so good Im almost afraid to saw it up to make it better (y'know a blower on it would be nice, but I probally will just opt for a more tuned engine) Most fun probally my kawasaki turbo when its running strong with a fresh turbo. Most lifesaving my sp400, because I had it through the lean times and the good, and in the lean times it ran very very cheap but was still good fun, Im treating her nicely now, although Im on my 3rd engine so far, its probally the bike Id part with last out of my fleet too cos of the times Ive had on it...

[guest27]

Rearsets, rearsets, rearsets, dont you just love Mr Mircrosoft, or who ever.  I bought a set of rearsets in Scunthorpe...

Buddy looked through the Organic chemicals in the Org lab to find the one with the highest calorific value or the like (combustability etc) knicked it and loaded it into the tank of a fizzy along with the petrol - went like a bomb up until the piston melted.  Mind did run better than the one that I know of that had a load of Red Hermit5h1te put into the tank with the petrol and left running - the owner deserved all he got BTW.

R

[SteveC#222]

Hi Toad
               Check this out  on Ebay  270110443690   

                Lowered seat and possibly shorter shocks