Twice a year I drive across europe (not this year of course). In June I drive to the Lemans 24hr race, then after I drive down the mountain passes and Alps into Switzerland & Italy for 10 days Absolutely love driving and riding in and around the various Alps. Really got to do American one day though🤔
Now you have me dreaming of a swap since I want to drive all the places you just mentioned! You'd need to budget more than 10 days, though.
We tour as you described. And while we take it easy, avoid major highways, and really see the local sights, we can still cram 350 miles into a day. Those are the times the Goldwing really shines and is unmatched in its capabilities.
I love to ride. Since my wife wouldn't let me park the bike in the living room, I sold it in order to pursue another interest of mine - building guitars.
Also, for me, it seemed like a matter of 'when', and not 'if', so I have not purchased another bike. Instead, I have dozens of guitars now and an altogether different problem.
OK, so bikers question, and this is loaded for the sport bike crowd, what is the highest speed you have hit? For me it was 150mph, quick squirt of the throttle on a 1 liter engine and then backed it down. Back country road on sunny day with clear view ahead and no intersection for many miles. If a deer had crossed I would have been screwed, but that is the case at most speeds!
OK, so bikers question, and this is loaded for the sport bike crowd, what is the highest speed you have hit? For me it was 150mph, quick squirt of the throttle on a 1 liter engine and then backed it down. Back country road on sunny day with clear view ahead and no intersection for many miles. If a deer had crossed I would have been screwed, but that is the case at most speeds!
Not too many deer here in Tampa.
Had my M109r up to 135. Felt like it could keep going but I didn't like it. I was like a human parachute. Neither me or that bike are too aerodynamic.
Honestly I'm really not into high speeding on the bikes for reasons mentioned earlier in this thread.
I've had the Jag up plenty higher than that though on rare trips to Mexico.
I said some words at his wake as his family told me he apparently he thought me 'a God', no idea why
The reason you'll never find me on powered 2 wheels
Thread killer or what?
Honestly you'll be hard pressed to find a rider who hasn't thought about this aspect of riding. Some decide to give it up, some don't. My GSXR1100 is known as the death bike as the two owners who owned it before me died on motorcycles (not this one, but other bikes). I've owned the bike 12 years now. I have known friends who died in car crashes; and none who died in bike wrecks. I think that is more related to me being in a generation with a lot fewer motorcyclists, and the fact most of my friends are women and they ride less overall than men.
So not really a thread killer; we all know the risks.
BTW - The fastest I've gone is on my GSXR, and it was an indicated 160ish (was more focused on other things!) on a track (yes not just as a joke, a race track). The fastest I've gone on the road was on a friend's R1 at about 110 and am just not a fan of crazy speeds on the street on a bike; it was just a see what'll it do roll on the throttle on the highway.
Had my M109r up to 135. Felt like it could keep going but I didn't like it. I was like a human parachute. Neither me or that bike are too aerodynamic.
Honestly I'm really not into high speeding on the bikes for reasons mentioned earlier in this thread.
I've had the Jag up plenty higher than that though on rare trips to Mexico.
Agreed about deer, until a guy at my gym hit one on his bike! Hadn't seen him in a while, when he came back he had been laid up with injury for quite a while. My first thought was "oh crap, another thing to worry about on a bke?" and then moved on.
I always went for longer, small group of 2 or 3 rides up in Zephyrhills, Spring Hill, Brooksville, and for high speeds runs we road trip to Mexico. In those rural areas there is the possibility of wildlife but thankfully nothing to the extent of up North. Just earlier this year I was on South Mobley Road (a slightly country road) and this mobile speed bump was just hanging out sunning himself in the middle of the lane. Imagine hitting that 4' guy at a rapid pace on a bike after coming around a curve!!! In my Grand Cherokee not a big deal, navigate around and have the Wife take the photo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 80sRule
Honestly you'll be hard pressed to find a rider who hasn't thought about this aspect of riding. Some decide to give it up, some don't. My GSXR1100 is known as the death bike as the two owners who owned it before me died on motorcycles (not this one, but other bikes). I've owned the bike 12 years now. I have known friends who died in car crashes; and none who died in bike wrecks. I think that is more related to me being in a generation with a lot fewer motorcyclists, and the fact most of my friends are women and they ride less overall than men.
So not really a thread killer; we all know the risks.
BTW - The fastest I've gone is on my GSXR, and it was an indicated 160ish (was more focused on other things!) on a track (yes not just as a joke, a race track). The fastest I've gone on the road was on a friend's R1 at about 110 and am just not a fan of crazy speeds on the street on a bike; it was just a see what'll it do roll on the throttle on the highway.
OK, so bikers question, and this is loaded for the sport bike crowd, what is the highest speed you have hit? For me it was 150mph, quick squirt of the throttle on a 1 liter engine and then backed it down. Back country road on sunny day with clear view ahead and no intersection for many miles. If a deer had crossed I would have been screwed, but that is the case at most speeds!
I've never been into bikes for the speed - I just like the engagement. Some of my favourite riding is on the "Green Lanes" (ancient highways) of the British Isles - rarely hitting 20mph. I love the engagement of being on 2 wheels, that feeling of being at one with machine and the elements.
I love the way bikes are put together, seeing the engine, the frame, the whole geometry. I love how bikers don't have class boundaries, pretty unique in the UK at least to have an interest with absolutely no class distinction. I love the freedom of riding on my own on a motorbike. I love watching the craft of anyone racing a motorbike.
I don't do big speed. When I was racing we didn't have speedos, so how fast did I go? As fast as the bike would carry me I suppose.
I've had a lot of biker friends come and go, some treat biking as the current hobby, then replace it with something else (like I do with some other interests). Some people are born into it, and just never stop being bikers even if they stop riding them. I will always have my bikes, I will always live in a biking world...I just may not ride much further than the next couple of villages these days.
I have lost more friends to illness than biking, taken long before their time - far far more. You live once, you're dead a long time.
Regarding how fast one might have gone on a motorcycle.
I have been lucky enough to own this once fastest motorcycle in the world for over 20 years now, the Hayabusa.
You can only imagine how many busa owners have put that to the test😂
WSN03, that is a real passion for sure. For me biking young was about utility and later about adrenaline. Never felt that level of engagement, matter of fact I would put every person I know who has owned or still owns a bike in the hobby crowd like you say. Not throwing shade at them as it applies to me as well, I was in and now I am out. Your connection to the machine and the road is very cool!!!
Rode sometimes with a group of Harley friends, you don't see that too often here, mixed sport bikes with Harleys. What always amazed me is that they would cruise for an entire day, bar to bar, getting drinks at each stop. Now I find that crazy!
I never touched a drop of alcohol, on a motorcycle you need to be razor sharp IMHO.
[QUOTE=wsn03;2319921]Not sure if I'm allowed a question like this in here, but here goes
/QUOTE]
Well, I'm pretty sure this will be divisive but here goes... I curate the Chopper Life Studio where we Rescue, Restore and Ride vintage choppers. This bike is a regular show winner, once a 1963 Bonneville, now a great example of a "Digger", a drag themed style popular in the 1960's . I have several examples of highly modified show Triumph's, they make a great custom bike outside the (too) traditional Harley Davidson mode.
The bike below was once a 1965 Bonneville, now an example of the proper "bobbing" of an English machine. Yes, it is hard to ride, and the bars are way high. Once mastered though, it is a great vintage ride and gathers thumbs up from passersby all day long.
Vintage choppers are an acquired taste, I hope you enjoyed looking at these examples!
My theory is that you just drive with confidence then when you get into trouble, which is inevitable instincts take over and you figure a way out. OTOH, being on the lookout constantly means you will avoid trouble but when you do get into trouble which is coming, you freeze and the outcomes are worse. The fastest I've done is about 125mph on a Kawasaki Ninja 650R, it kinda topped out around there.
Drove various versions of that for many years. I had a few spills, the worst was on I76 between consohocken and bala cynwyd exits. I've always been completely dressed/suited on a mcy and the worst injury had been a small skin rash on that spill. Surprisingly not that spill, but one many years later where i didn't even get hurt at slow speed was the one where I lost my nerve. I rode a couple of times after that but I felt like I was constantly on the edge looking out for risks, rather than simply driving.
I've known how to drive a motorcycle since I was 12/13 years old. I grew up in India, so driving one was not unique, but was unique at that age. This was during the time when my feet would not reach the ground and my dad let me control the motorcycle while he sat behind me, we'd go for about 8 km round trips, it was an enfield explorer
My first Jag was an '83 XJ6, no pictures, this one is a '97, we've had it nearly 20 years. My bikes, 2002 Fat Boy, 2006 Ultra Classic w/2005 Ultra Classic side car. We used to love traveling on the bike, but now too old to sleep on the ground...motorhome and trailer...
Not sure if I'm allowed a question like this in here, but here goes:
There seems to be lot of reference to motorbikes, particularly when talking of battery maintainers.
I'm a motorbike fanatic (I come from the Isle of Man, home of the famous TT road races, so it's usually a given), I raced them, I restored them, toured on them, live by them.
As a biker the XK is the one and only car that appealed to me enough to lose some garage space.
Wondering who else is a biker? What do you ride? What are you into? And which XK do you have?
My XK is the XKR 4.2.
Bikes - I have: GSXR mk1, Triumph Speed Triple mk1, Bandit 1200 mk1, TZR250 mk1, XL400 for trail riding, Velocette KSS 350 to restore, and my old FZR400 race bike to restore.
My main interest is real roads racing, though I like following motogp, wsbk and British Superbikes.
I presently own 2 Jaguars and 1 motorcycle. My 1995 VDP is my daily (54,000ish on the clock) driver. My 1989 XJS is in my garage getting torn down for restoration. I ride a 2007 BMW F650GS. We Jaguars owners and lovers tend to be a crowd of motorsports enthusiasts, in general.
I say "Ride On" Jaguar owners. We happy few enjoy fine motoring on 2 and 4 wheels.
Not sure if I'm allowed a question like this in here, but here goes:
There seems to be lot of reference to motorbikes, particularly when talking of battery maintainers.
I'm a motorbike fanatic (I come from the Isle of Man, home of the famous TT road races, so it's usually a given), I raced them, I restored them, toured on them, live by them.
As a biker the XK is the one and only car that appealed to me enough to lose some garage space.
Wondering who else is a biker? What do you ride? What are you into? And which XK do you have?
My XK is the XKR 4.2.
Bikes - I have: GSXR mk1, Triumph Speed Triple mk1, Bandit 1200 mk1, TZR250 mk1, XL400 for trail riding, Velocette KSS 350 to restore, and my old FZR400 race bike to restore.
My main interest is real roads racing, though I like following motogp, wsbk and British Superbikes.
I have a 2012 XK , and a BMW F700 GS bike and my newest acquisition is a 1969 Morgan 4/4 bought last year.
I love all of them.
I am 67, and had bikes since I was 33, and mi first XK was a 2007, 4.2
My XK8 coupe is the tenth Jaguar I have owned, The oldest Jaguar was a 1948 3 1/2 Litre DHC and the current 1999 XK8 is the newest. In the early 1980s I owned a pair of E Types: a 1964 FHC and a 1961 OTS, the 275th E Type built. I sold the pair after the roadster was struck parked on the street by a drunk driver.
But like Sir William Lyons, I started my love of motorized vehicles with a motorcycle: a 1955 Harley Hummer around 1960, followed by a new 1968 Honda 175CL. Uncle Sam invited me to spend a few years on an aircraft carrier and I brought back a new 1970 Honda 450CL along with around 700 shipmates whose crated Japanese bikes were stored on the hangar deck as the ship returned to the States. Next, I bought a 1971 BMW R75/5 that I owned for about 10 years. Later, a dear friend was killed in an auto accident and his widow gave me his 1985 Honda NightHawk 450 that had sat unsed for a decade or so prior. Another good friend and I brought it back to life and it is now virtually like new. Another buddy had a 1971 Triumph Tiger sitting in his barn (yes, an actual barn find) that I bought from him and made roadworthy again. Then I spotted a one-owner near duplicate of the '71 BMW that had a number of interesting accessories and a massive folder of information/receipts from the day it was delivered in Munich. It also sat unused for a number of years. Another good buddy and I are just beginning to bring the BMW back to life with the heads going into a local BMW guru for machine work, new valves, hardened seats, etc.
I was never a long distance rider, just loving the terrific acceleration a motorcycle provides for short rides. As I age, riding is less attractive but working on bikes is so much easier than working on a car (maybe with the exception of my Triumph Spitfire 1500 with the bonnet hinged forward like my E Types did.)
I have decided to keep most of my vehicles going forward after having regrets for selling many of my past rides. A photo of the three bikes and a single shot of the BMW show my two-wheeled ones. BMW R75/5, Honda NightHawk and Triumph TR6R 1971 BMW R75/5 with all accessories
WSN03, that is a real passion for sure. For me biking young was about utility and later about adrenaline. Never felt that level of engagement, matter of fact I would put every person I know who has owned or still owns a bike in the hobby crowd like you say. Not throwing shade at them as it applies to me as well, I was in and now I am out. Your connection to the machine and the road is very cool!!!
Thanks Tampamark - when you are raised in a place like the Isle of Man the whole bike thing is the biggest thing that happens - its the only big thing that happens in fact - the whole biking world descends on this sleepy rock for 2 weeks - its a really big deal, and the longest motorbike race circuit in the world - 37 mile per lap on public roads with bus stops, letter boxes, houses, stone walls etc, a real relic these days. The whole place explodes into life, and you grow up thinking that is the real world coming to visit.
I had a strange childhood too - in amongst a world of motorbike racers. Biking then becomes the central theme of life - you work on them, ride them, watch them ... everything else is just the stuff you do around it all I guess, so I don't know any different!
When I go back to the Isle of Man to watch the races these days I use a car - but I still get my bikes ready for that week in a big panic, just to leave them in the garage - its a bit odd really! One particular racing accident in my circle of people caused me to stop everything for 5 years, riding, following racing, the lot, but I still had to keep my bikes and rode them to the annual test inspection once a year - getting rid simply wasn't an option. I sometimes wonder what being normal would be like.
