Do you ever envy those rocket ships with 1WD?
Discussion
In this day and age with the amount of traffic and complete and utter 
ends on the road I would rather be surrounded by lots of metal and airbags. If you ride a bike every day, in all weathers I doff my cap to you.
But I can appreciate the performance they offer for the money compared to cars, the way they can accelerate is mind blowing at times.
ends on the road I would rather be surrounded by lots of metal and airbags. If you ride a bike every day, in all weathers I doff my cap to you.But I can appreciate the performance they offer for the money compared to cars, the way they can accelerate is mind blowing at times.
JonoG81 said:
In this day and age with the amount of traffic and complete and utter ends on the road I would rather be surrounded by lots of metal and airbags. If you ride a bike every day, in all weathers I doff my cap to you.
But I can appreciate the performance they offer for the money compared to cars, the way they can accelerate is mind blowing at times.
+1 ends on the road I would rather be surrounded by lots of metal and airbags. If you ride a bike every day, in all weathers I doff my cap to you.But I can appreciate the performance they offer for the money compared to cars, the way they can accelerate is mind blowing at times.
I've done both. Did litre bikes for about 15 years. Have always been a car guy at heart though. I look back fondly on my bike days, but not a chance in hell do I miss it, given the increase in traffic volumes, decrease in road standards and accountability, plus the distraction of in car 'tech'.
Yes, every time I need to get somewhere on single-carriageway roads and end up averaging <30mph on well-surfaced, well-sighted A-roads because of the vast amount of HGVs, knackered old vans and numpties trundling along at walking pace. A steady stream of them coming the other way as well so no chance to overtake in anything less than a sportsbike.
Gimp suits are optional nowadays, there is a decent range of Kevlar jeans, and textile jackets/ trousers for the rider who wishes not to be confused for an S&M participant.
Anyway, I ride bikes and drive cars - cars for long boring motorway journeys and bikes for A&B tarmac roads, Byways and dirt tracks- they are a million times more fun than being sat in a seat surrounded by a cocoon of explosive bags.
Especially if you go 2 stroke.
Anyway, I ride bikes and drive cars - cars for long boring motorway journeys and bikes for A&B tarmac roads, Byways and dirt tracks- they are a million times more fun than being sat in a seat surrounded by a cocoon of explosive bags.
Especially if you go 2 stroke.
I can see both sides of the argument.
The acceleration is awesome, being able to filter through traffic is great, however there are a huge amount of idiots on the road, quite a few of whom when they see a bike filtering will try and block you.
Driving standards appear to be falling and people are becoming more and more selfish behind the wheel so sometimes being in a warm metal box is much more preferable.
Though going back to the positives - the sense of freedom, the technical aspect of riding (getting a corner right, being in the right gear, feeling part of the machine, etc) just can't be beaten.
The acceleration is awesome, being able to filter through traffic is great, however there are a huge amount of idiots on the road, quite a few of whom when they see a bike filtering will try and block you.
Driving standards appear to be falling and people are becoming more and more selfish behind the wheel so sometimes being in a warm metal box is much more preferable.
Though going back to the positives - the sense of freedom, the technical aspect of riding (getting a corner right, being in the right gear, feeling part of the machine, etc) just can't be beaten.
I grew up around sports cars and always held an affinity for TVRs in particular. As far as I was concerned, cars had personality and bikes all looked the same.
I did my bike test earlier this year and bought my first bike in July.
There is no feeling quite like being on a bike; the sheer acceleration, noise, handling and freedom is absolutely intoxicating.
I've been out in my TVR and my old man's one recently; they feel slow. That's how warped my sensation of speed has gotten.
Don't get me wrong, spending 30 minutes putting leathers on and sitting in the heat is a st; but the bits in between are so great that it makes it all worth it.
I did my bike test earlier this year and bought my first bike in July.
There is no feeling quite like being on a bike; the sheer acceleration, noise, handling and freedom is absolutely intoxicating.
I've been out in my TVR and my old man's one recently; they feel slow. That's how warped my sensation of speed has gotten.
Don't get me wrong, spending 30 minutes putting leathers on and sitting in the heat is a s
t; but the bits in between are so great that it makes it all worth it.Cyder said:
No I don't envy them as I sit there in my leather heated seat, listening to the radio and drinking coffee.
I also can't see the appeal of needing to dress up in a gimp suit every time you want to go on a journey.
Kevlar Jeans Textile Jackets mean a "gimp suit" isn't required I have a heated seat The pipes that run under the seat see to that. Bikes aren't just fast in a straight line they're fast full stop, being on a bike allows you to enjoy good A & B roads more often despite the increased traffic as well as the fact you can access the bikes performance more often. I also can't see the appeal of needing to dress up in a gimp suit every time you want to go on a journey.
As for the radio I'll give it a miss & listen to the exhaust note instead.
Edited by ZX10R NIN on Thursday 1st October 08:48
I've been off bikes for a couple of years now, but it's not even about speed or acceleration
it's such a tactile thing, tiny movements of fingers and toes, natural shifts of body weight for instant response, like an extension of yourself - whereas in a car you are wholly separate from the movement of the car, all you can do is press the pedals and turn the wheel
oh and wheelies, definitely wheelies
it's such a tactile thing, tiny movements of fingers and toes, natural shifts of body weight for instant response, like an extension of yourself - whereas in a car you are wholly separate from the movement of the car, all you can do is press the pedals and turn the wheel
oh and wheelies, definitely wheelies
Hugo a Gogo said:
I've been off bikes for a couple of years now, but it's not even about speed or acceleration
it's such a tactile thing, tiny movements of fingers and toes, natural shifts of body weight for instant response, like an extension of yourself - whereas in a car you are wholly separate from the movement of the car, all you can do is press the pedals and turn the wheel
oh and wheelies, definitely wheelies
All you do is press pedals and turn a wheel? You need to learn how to drive and not just be an operator. it's such a tactile thing, tiny movements of fingers and toes, natural shifts of body weight for instant response, like an extension of yourself - whereas in a car you are wholly separate from the movement of the car, all you can do is press the pedals and turn the wheel
oh and wheelies, definitely wheelies
As a 16 year old I had a Kawasaki AR50 (with a sneaky 80cc pot and piston*) for getting to and from my apprenticeship at a power station, 12 miles away on very rural roads. I came off it twice through the winter on icy, untreated roads. That was enough to put me off for life.
I know the speed, freedom, etc is intoxicating (on something bigger than an AR50, that is), but I would run out of talent or someone else would and then you're dead, or worse. I am tempted by a big cruiser like a Harley, but not enough to go to the lengths and expense of passing my test and actually buying one.
I know the speed, freedom, etc is intoxicating (on something bigger than an AR50, that is), but I would run out of talent or someone else would and then you're dead, or worse. I am tempted by a big cruiser like a Harley, but not enough to go to the lengths and expense of passing my test and actually buying one.
- Kids; As a, now, grown adult I do not condone illegally modifying any vehicle even if it increases its top speed by 50% to 45mph.
Cyder said:
I also can't see the appeal of needing to dress up in a gimp suit every time you want to go on a journey.
Bikers don't (generally) wear leathers because it appeals to them, they do it so they have a chance of surviving when a half asleep driver does something silly.The Beaver King said:
Don't get me wrong, spending 30 minutes putting leathers on and sitting in the heat is a st; but the bits in between are so great that it makes it all worth it.
t; but the bits in between are so great that it makes it all worth it.
Even the very best sports cars feel numb compared to the connection to the road and it's environment that a sports bike gives you.Edited by Mr2Mike on Thursday 1st October 08:58
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