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[Dougald]

Fuck that's terrible.

I actually had a very similar situation a few months ago, a couple of travellers in a van swerving into me repeatedly (after trying it with a few cars). They were clearly looking for a rise from someone as an excuse to get in a fight. I just fucked right off as fast as possible, and a very kind bloke in a 4x4 followed suit and kept them behind me

Road rage isn't worth it. Not in a car, and definitely not on a bike.

 

[Dougald]

So the story with that Ducati dealership is, like I thought, they just plain didn't bother to tell anyone it was cancelled. Not just me either, as a few bewildered Ducati riders showed up while I was outside.

They offered me a free T-Shirt, as if that would coerce me into spending thousands of pounds somewhere that can't even cancel a bbq on facebook

 

[Dougald]

Looks like BMW are making the ecall system available for bikes now. Looks a bit like the OnStar service Americans have for cars. Having your bike automatically alert emergency services seems like a great idea.

 

[maxheadwound]

Looks like BMW are making the ecall system available for bikes now. Looks a bit like the OnStar service Americans have for cars. Having your bike automatically alert emergency services seems like a great idea.

yes its on the GT so far I know. This is also going to tie into the HUB they are working on for the helmets. So you would get all the information on the inside of your helmet. Speed alerts, traffic and so on. This is always a good idea it will be make or break about how they implement.

 

[OraleeWey]

So the story with that Ducati dealership is, like I thought, they just plain didn't bother to tell anyone it was cancelled. Not just me either, as a few bewildered Ducati riders showed up while I was outside.

They offered me a free T-Shirt, as if that would coerce me into spending thousands of pounds somewhere that can't even cancel a bbq on facebook

I hope you didn't accept that T-Shirt


They screwed up big time and a T-Shirt is no apology

Edit: This looks like a Buell with the engine of a BMW doesn't it?

 

[SatansReverence]

Another thread in ot with people shitting on riders to the point of saying

But I'm not going to risk another ban for interacting with that sort of shit again.

As for an update from my incident a couple weeks back, had surgery to put 2 screws in my ankle to hold it together, in casts for another 5-6 weeks and who knows how long after that for getting back to work and on the bike again.

As for the bike I should find out today if it's a total loss or repairable. While it's insured for $10k bikes are very expensive to repair and they are easily damaged in ways that prevent them from being road registerable again.

 

[OraleeWey]

Another thread in ot with people shitting on riders to the point of saying

But I'm not going to risk another ban for interacting with that sort of shit again.

As for an update from my incident a couple weeks back, had surgery to put 2 screws in my ankle to hold it together, in casts for another 5-6 weeks and who knows how long after that for getting back to work and on the bike again.

As for the bike I should find out today if it's a total loss or repairable. While it's insured for $10k bikes are very expensive to repair and they are easily damaged in ways that prevent them from being road registerable again.

People like that should be banned. Not sure how someone can come to that conclusion from a car video. Wishing someone an accident because they have loud pipes... I got banned once for a whole lot less... Then you try to challenge them and you end up getting banned yourself, it's just not worth it.

I hope you have a speedy recovery and not too much hassle with your insurance.

 

[Dougald]

I hope you didn't accept that T-Shirt


They screwed up big time and a T-Shirt is no apology

Nope, I'm not taking a 3 hour round trip for a t-shirt

Honestly, I haven't replied, I don't think there's much else to say to them

 

[OraleeWey]

This is a long read but this is exactly why signs are important.

https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/6n0gtr/made_a_small_accident_long_sad_post/

...Anyway, so I'm highway speeds (60-70) heading towards a wicked left turn off ramp (should've went about 10-20 mph), and I didn't see it. No lights were up, no signs were up, nothing. I didn't see the guard rail until it was too late. I instantly said, "ohh shit", as I grabbed my front brake and rear brake.. And then.. I blacked out.. All I remember next is I wrestled my helmet off, looked down.. And.. My left leg femur was completely broken in half, and my right arm elbow was sticking out.. Apparently my arm was only attached by a small piece of skin...

...I'm not mad at anyone, but I am mad at how there were no signs, no lights, no anything for the off ramp. I had no chance. I tried so hard all of ever since owning my bike...

Pretty brutal crash. I feel bad for the guy.

 

[Dougald]

Maybe I'm not understanding that story right, but from a British perspective I don't understand how you can be on a motorway and not see that you're on an off-ramp

Riding at night on rural roads can be downright nightmare-inducing on a bike if you don't know them though. Other than the Street Triple and my Monster, headlights on my bikes have been as effective as a candle

 

[OraleeWey]

From my understanding it appears that he accidentally went to an off ramp. He also claims that there was no mention he was going off ramp from signage. Usually, if you're going off ramp there will be a posted speed limit for the off ramp and if the curve is very sharp, there will also be arrows. Apparently he didn't see anything to warn him about it.

How fast you can take an off ramp can vary. It could be as slow as 15-20mph or a lot faster. So, if there is no sign, then you will easily assume you're going the correct speed for the off ramp.

If it's true that there was no signs, then that's something the state needs to take care of. I'd probably be looking to sue if that's the case. Someone is careless and responsible.

 

[Dougald]

On some roads here you can have off-ramps with corners so tight you need to go about 10mph, so I can understand how terrifying that'd be for sure.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Reading the story it seems like he was distracted from the breakup, might have also drank a few at the party.

I generally avoid riding at night if at all possible.


Anyway check out my custom hardwood bike lift.

New rear rubber and brakes and the all important registration sticker. Only a few months late.

Now I just need the weather to cool off...

 

[Stevey]

This is a long read but this is exactly why signs are important.
https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/6n0gtr/made_a_small_accident_long_sad_post/
Pretty brutal crash. I feel bad for the guy.

It sucks that he might lose his arm, but I can't see how it's possible to be riding along fine and then suddenly you're on an off ramp and over the barrier.

 

[OraleeWey]

It sucks that he might lose his arm, but I can't see how it's possible to be riding along fine and then suddenly you're on an off ramp and over the barrier.

I can totally see it. Most motorcycles don't have adequate headlights to begin with, coupled with, if true, no warning signs, then it was just a matter of time.

 

[Widdle Puppy]

It sucks that he might lose his arm, but I can't see how it's possible to be riding along fine and then suddenly you're on an off ramp and over the barrier.

That's what I'm saying. I need to see the road but I have no idea how it's possible to accidently enter an off ramp if you have your head lights working properly and your eye gear isn't tinted...

Was his high beams on?
Is he supposed to be wearing corrective lenses?
It's 4am, was he very sleepy?
Dui?

I don't buy this as an accident that was out of his control from occurring. I'm not being callous but I'm going to call things how they appear.

He was unskilled and fucked up by his poor riding skills. I really hope he gets better.

 

[opticalmace]

This might be a dumb question, but...

For riding on California freeways (including during rush hour and lane splitting, and normal freeway riding) how much power would you want/need?

I'm thinking about getting a bike here in CA and I feel like having a decent amount of power might be useful here. But, maybe that's a flawed line of reasoning. My last two bikes had about 33hp (Ninja 250) and 75hp (SV650). I love small bikes but worry a bit about being on something too slow around here.

What do you guys/gals think?

 

[Flo_Evans]

You are only supposed to lane split when traffic is moving slower than the speed limit.

For me a 650 is about the minimum I want to ride on a freeway for any amount of time.

My bike is 50ish HP starts to lose steam around 100mph. A 650 twin should do a little better.

A liter bike can hit 180-200mph... In my opinion no one needs that much power/speed but its nice.

 

[Fallout-NL]

This might be a dumb question, but...

For riding on California freeways (including during rush hour and lane splitting, and normal freeway riding) how much power would you want/need?

I'm thinking about getting a bike here in CA and I feel like having a decent amount of power might be useful here. But, maybe that's a flawed line of reasoning. My last two bikes had about 33hp (Ninja 250) and 75hp (SV650). I love small bikes but worry a bit about being on something too slow around here.

What do you guys/gals think?

A 600 I would consider the minimum for when you're spending a lot of time on highways. Something like your old SV is fine not only in terms of power, but decent sized tires and brakes as well.

 

[QualityPixel]

Anything with around 500cc or more should be able to handle the highways all day. It's really more of a question about gearing. I had a 250 dualsport that could do 80 easy because it had a 6-speed (but I wouldn't have considered it a highway friendly bike without street tires and maybe a sprocket change). My Shadow 600 didn't mind cruising at 75. My Kawasaki Versys 650 handled 2000 miles over 5 days with out breaking a sweat.

Edit: just looked up the new Rebel, even that has 45 hp. 5 more than my Versys did.

 

[rockinreelin]

This might be a dumb question, but...

For riding on California freeways (including during rush hour and lane splitting, and normal freeway riding) how much power would you want/need?

I'm thinking about getting a bike here in CA and I feel like having a decent amount of power might be useful here. But, maybe that's a flawed line of reasoning. My last two bikes had about 33hp (Ninja 250) and 75hp (SV650). I love small bikes but worry a bit about being on something too slow around here.

What do you guys/gals think?

From someone who rides in socal I would go with something a lot of low end torque as you need that fast quick speed from a standstill to get past dumb drivers. Street triple would be fine but then you don't have any fairings on it so you will get the brunt of the wind if you plan on riding for long periods of time on the freeways.

 

[SatansReverence]

So the WR is getting repaired!

As big as the hit was it hasn't damaged anything major just cosmetic stuff.

It will be back on the road before I will haha

 

[maxheadwound]

Reading the story it seems like he was distracted from the breakup, might have also drank a few at the party.

I generally avoid riding at night if at all possible.


Anyway check out my custom hardwood bike lift.

That fits perfect with the bike.

 

[Dougald]

Anyway check out my custom hardwood bike lift.

Poor mans Abba Stand... I like it!

Cleaned up my chain last night in prep for the trip down to Somerset tomorrow. Yearly reminder for you all to remove your front sprocket cover occasionally and clean it out... disgusting

 

[Dougald]

Saw this on Reddit, what black magic is this?

Apparently all my years of polishing exhaust headers was for naught when you can do it with toilet bleach.

 

[maxheadwound]

Wow that looks like a much easier way. Will have to try it some time.

 

[Stevey]

My exhaust never gets that dirty in the first place

 

[clockworkinyou]

Anyone interested in a pair of SIDI Roarr boots? Size Euro 45, grey/black. I bought them 2 months ago to see if I liked them better than my SMXs and wore them on the bike twice. They're mint. Here's the link of them at revzilla - https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/sidi-roarr-boots

I can send pictures if someone is interested before I go try the CBR forums and craigslist.

Also have a Ram X Mount for triple tree if someone is looking for one.

 

[QualityPixel]

Hydrochloric acid? No thanks. I'll stick with vinegar and a wire brush to deal with my rust.

 

[opticalmace]

Damn, insurance in the US is so cheap (for bikes).

I tried pricing out a 2013 Street Triple R with maxed out liability/uninsured motorist protection and $500/$500 collision/comprehensive and it's only $500 for the year.

Well, that's cheap to me coming from Canada, anyway...

 

[SatansReverence]

Damn, insurance in the US is so cheap (for bikes).

I tried pricing out a 2013 Street Triple R with maxed out liability/uninsured motorist protection and $500/$500 collision/comprehensive and it's only $500 for the year.

Well, that's cheap to me coming from Canada, anyway...

was about the same for full comprehensive on my WR450 insured for 10k as a learner rider here in Aus.

So glad I got that insurance though cos less then 2 months after getting it I got hit by a car. So 2 months of $44 payments saved me $3400 in bike damage and is getting me about $1200 in gear too.

 

[Dougald]

Just back from my (occasionally wet) day trip to Cheddar Gorge, being a nerd and stopping off at the worlds only Discworld shop on the way. Absolutely great run, especially as you are able to get there from the London area several ways without touching the motorway, which is great. The Monster handled it like a champ.

The road through the gorge is an absolutely fantastic ride if you can time the traffic right, too.

 

[SatansReverence]

Great bit of scenery!

 

[Dougald]

I'd rather have been on the Diavel on that journey though I have to say, much more suited to extended saddle time

 

[OraleeWey]

I'd rather have been on the Diavel on that journey though I have to say, much more suited to extended saddle time

Is that the other motorcycle? Was that bike parked there or was that a buddy? Anyway, nice scenery there. Must be one he of a ride!


My solution to the uncomfortable seat was to add this thing over the seat. It helps but I haven't tested it extensively yet. Today was the first time "using" it.

 

[Dougald]

Is that the other motorcycle? Was that bike parked there or was that a buddy? Anyway, nice scenery there. Must be one he of a ride!

Yeah it belongs to a Ducati-loving mate of mine. He was actually partially responsible for me buying the Monster. Here's a better shot of it, it's a 2016 standard Diavel

You Americans would probably love the ride out there, takes you directly past Stonehenge, and through some of the most stereotypical English countryside you can think of

My solution to the uncomfortable seat was to add this thing over the seat. It helps but I haven't tested it extensively yet. Today was the first time "using" it.

Is that inflatable? I have a similar seat, I find it's not a cure, but it does extend your pain-free riding time by a few hours!

 

[OraleeWey]

Yeah it belongs to a Ducati-loving mate of mine. He was actually partially responsible for me buying the Monster. Here's a better shot of it, it's a 2016 standard Diavel

You Americans would probably love the ride out there, takes you directly past Stonehenge, and through some of the most stereotypical English countryside you can think of



Is that inflatable? I have a similar seat, I find it's not a cure, but it does extend your pain-free riding time by a few hours!

Very nice! It looks a lot like a Monster but a little bigger. That seat isn't inflatable. The materials used, according to the manufacturer, are soft-molded foam. We'll see how it fares over time. Sometimes though, a few hours can make a big difference.

And yeah, I love me some countryside!

 

[Dougald]

It's actually the same engine as mine (they both use the 2012 multistrada engine)... but it has larger injectors so makes more power.

 

[OraleeWey]

It's actually the same engine as mine (they both use the 2012 multistrada engine)... but it has larger injectors so makes more power.

Any details you'd like to share from that trip? I'm all ears

Sucks for me because I work weekends so I can't really enjoy rides like that at all. I'm at work while everyone else isn't and vice versa.

Edit: meant to say share

 

[Dougald]

Here's a rough map of the route we took (clockwise, starting from 2 o'clock)

Went down towards Salisbury where we promptly got soaked. Being as we were wearing non-waterproof gear we ended up hiding in a McDonalds drinking questionable coffee and using their bathrooms hand-dryers to dry off our jackets for half an hour.

Passed Salisbury and Stonehenge, where somehow every single car in the usual traffic jam moved aside to let us through. Felt like the parting of the Red Sea. I'm sorry to say Stonehenge always looks very underwhelming from the road (which runs right past it), but I've never actually stopped off to have a look.

Stopped off in Wincanton at the worlds only Discworld store to pick up a gift for a friend, then up to the gorge for a cup of tea and a chat with some other bikers.

Then we picked a random route home which turned out to be inspired. There was hardly any traffic, nice twisty 60mph roads with wonderful countryside.

All said and done about 240 miles and 8 hours or so.

 

[OraleeWey]

All that sounds wonderful minus the rain (but you're probably very used to that by now) and the questionable coffee from McD's. Thanks for sharing.


Edit: I don't know the situation for you guys, but, are you free to cross to France?

 

[Dougald]

Crossing to France is super easy. The easiest way is to ride to Folkestone, ride your bike onto the train and take the Channel Tunnel to Calais, it's about half an hour. You can also get any number of Ferries to France from ports like Dover or Portsmouth.

The train is the best way with a bike, you don't have to worry about bad weather tipping it over, and you get to ride a motorcycle through a train which is always fun. With a bike its about £40-50 each way.

 

[OraleeWey]

Man that's pretty cool. Describing it as "super easy" is not what an American would say, granted, I'm not born in USA, but still.


So, can you go to Africa if you wanted to? Take a freaking Africa Twin down there and tear up the Sahara desert. Goodness gracious, I'm going to have to stop before I cry myself to sleep.

 

[Dougald]

Man that's pretty cool. Describing it as "super easy" is not what an American would say, granted, I'm not born in USA, but still.

Well, we still have customs to get through in Britain because we have Islander syndrome, but once you're on the continent you can ride between countries easily, the only clue you've crossed a border being a change in language on road signs. When I crossed into France from England on my bike the guy checking my passport couldn't even be bothered to get me to remove my helmet.

So, can you go to Africa if you wanted to? Take a freaking Africa Twin down there and tear up the Sahara desert. Goodness gracious, I'm going to have to stop before I cry myself to sleep.

I highly recommend reading Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon.

If only renting a bike weren't so expensive I'd recommend coming over here and taking a ride. Though I believe that unlike the rest of the continent, it's actually legal to buy a bike in Ireland if you don't live there, there's a company in Cork that facilitates people who want to buy a bike in Ireland, tour Europe and then sell it. But then you need money and a few months off work..

 

[OraleeWey]

Interesting book, I will definitely check it out. Thanks. Also, don't mind me, it's a slow day at work like every other Sunday. I don't mean to waste your time.


Also, that's some good information you're throwing out there too about the legality of buying bikes and the company that facilitates buying and selling one...

 

[Fallout-NL]

People own some crazy shit up here in Norway. Already spotted a Honda CBX (yes, the bike with an i6 engine) and one of those Boss Hoss monstrosities (yes, the bike with a v8 engine). Terribly sorry, no pics, next time I see something interesting I'll take the camera out.

 

[GONZO]

Not. Much of an urban rider but every once in a while I'll go out to get some nice shots.
This was a nice ride with my fiancé.

 

[Dougald]

Lovely shots, always a pleasure to see that Aprilia

Also, don't mind me, it's a slow day at work like every other Sunday. I don't mean to waste your time.

Heh, don't worry I was only spending a slow Sunday evening listing my retro games on eBay...

 

[maxheadwound]

Here's a rough map of the route we took (clockwise, starting from 2 o'clock)



Went down towards Salisbury where we promptly got soaked. Being as we were wearing non-waterproof gear we ended up hiding in a McDonalds drinking questionable coffee and using their bathrooms hand-dryers to dry off our jackets for half an hour.

Passed Salisbury and Stonehenge, where somehow every single car in the usual traffic jam moved aside to let us through. Felt like the parting of the Red Sea. I'm sorry to say Stonehenge always looks very underwhelming from the road (which runs right past it), but I've never actually stopped off to have a look.

Stopped off in Wincanton at the worlds only Discworld store to pick up a gift for a friend, then up to the gorge for a cup of tea and a chat with some other bikers.

Then we picked a random route home which turned out to be inspired. There was hardly any traffic, nice twisty 60mph roads with wonderful countryside.

All said and done about 240 miles and 8 hours or so.

That is a great trip. I hope to do my round trip next month as I currently have the family visiting. Really looking forward to it.

 

[Dougald]

That is a great trip. I hope to do my round trip next month as I currently have the family visiting. Really looking forward to it.

Where are you planning on heading? I'd love to head up to the Horseshoe pass in Wales but its 200 miles each way, so while do-able as a day trip its a bit of a trek, plus its mostly motorway.