And today's commuting highlight is...

[Cbull]

Lee540 said:

All the gear.. No idea (how to ride through London rush hour) If you aren't sure how to filter, where to stop at lights etc, the box at the front is for cyclists only. Then just sit with the cars.

Once filtered to the lights, I almost always park up in that box to get ahead of the cars or to let fellow bikers through. To be fair it's a rarity that any cyclist are in it too as cycling is not as popular up in the northern territory.

[Lee540]

Cbull said:

Lee540 said:

All the gear.. No idea (how to ride through London rush hour) If you aren't sure how to filter, where to stop at lights etc, the box at the front is for cyclists only. Then just sit with the cars.

Once filtered to the lights, I almost always park up in that box to get ahead of the cars or to let fellow bikers through. To be fair it's a rarity that any cyclist are in it too as cycling is not as popular up in the northern territory.

You do whatever you need to do to justify your needs.. but if caught, if does carry £100 fine and 3 points. Rule 178 Highway Code.

[BigMacDaddy]

Wasn't too bad coming in through Hackney/Shoreditch this morning, although as per the above definitely a few less confident riders back out for the first time in a while I'm guessing. Looking like a cracking few days of weather coming up though

[cat with a hat]

BigMacDaddy said:

Wasn't too bad coming in through Hackney/Shoreditch this morning, although as per the above definitely a few less confident riders back out for the first time in a while I'm guessing. Looking like a cracking few days of weather coming up though

Jumping on a bike after not riding for a few months and dodging through tight gaps in traffic + filtering certainly feels a bit 'sketchy'. Will probably be back to normal in a few days.

[outnumbered]

I cleaned the ACF50+accumulated winter crap off my bike at the weekend, so it's almost back to being a GS "triple black" as opposed to being a GS "single black and various shades of salty mud".

The commuting highlight was dry roads for a change.

[DirtyHarley]

smiles1 said:

If it's any use I have a brand new (never used) Xtreme XR600 battery that I no longer have a use for. I have one on my current bike and it has been great.

http://batterystore.co.uk/default/xr600-xtreme-ser...

Appreciate that, although I've already got a replacement on order. So my commuting highlight at the moment is rubbing shoulders with the great unwashed masses - and oh what a joy that is

[dibblecorse]

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seen to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

[Dakkon]

Second day of no rain.....seems weird having an orange ball of fire in the sky, I have even stopped wearing my fleece under my jacket.

Sadly, looks like all the winter salt and grime has got into the rear hub, the chain adjustment is frozen solid and my chain is getting fairly slack, so its off to the garage tomorrow to see if they can fix and I have bought a new chain & sprockets just to be thorough.

[Biker 1]

dibblecorse said:

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seen to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

My thoughts exactly! I simply can't understand all this 'retro' thing - why would you want a perfectly good, modern motorcycle, but looking like something from 1960 & costing at least £1,000 more? e.g: Kawasaki Z900 or Z900 RS?

[black-k1]

Biker 1 said:

dibblecorse said:

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seen to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

My thoughts exactly! I simply can't understand all this 'retro' thing - why would you want a perfectly good, modern motorcycle, but looking like something from 1960 & costing at least £1,000 more? e.g: Kawasaki Z900 or Z900 RS?

You'll always struggle to justify fashion using logic.

[Bumblebee7]

I was going to say the same thing. I got 'into' biking if you can call it that in October on a manual 125 that I use every day for commuting. Despite being on the horrendous L plates I found other bikers in the winter were very courteous, always say thank you and even the occasional short chat about how cold it was when stopped at lights. I'm neither the fastest or slowest at filtering and always let other bikes through when I see them coming up. In winter I'd get a wave of thanks, thumbs up etc. Now it's warmer the biker brigade seem to think of everyone as an inconvenience on their crusade to get to work. I can't remember the last time I got a thank you for letting someone through. Don't even get me started on the middle age fatties riding the super bikes, sitting an inch from my back wheel revving when there's absolutely nowhere for me to go.
Anyone else experiencing this or is it just me?

[sjtscott]

Strangely lighter traffic in East London for some of my commute today - rest as normal. My highlight following a dirty white proper commuter GS from towerhill to southwark bridge being ridden better than 99% of them usually are, riding at a pace a bit quicker than me but because they are a barge him being held up with gaps his wide bike couldn't get through, but he had no panniers and he went for the gaps to make progress as soon as they were available. Refreshing change following someone extremely competent

Edited by sjtscott on Tuesday 17th April 16:05

[Lee540]

dibblecorse said:

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seen to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

and those baby Harley Davidsons.. Sportster things..

[Dakkon]

Lee540 said:

dibblecorse said:

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seen to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

and those baby Harley Davidsons.. Sportster things..

Harley sales are on the decline and the Sportster things are a bid to attract newer, younger riders to their brand.

[gareth_r]

Dakkon said:

Lee540 said:

dibblecorse said:

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seem to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

and those baby Harley Davidsons.. Sportster things..

Harley sales are on the decline and the Sportster things are a bid to attract newer, younger riders to their brand.

Do you mean the new(ish) liquid-cooled 750s, the Street 750 and Street Rod?

[jrich123]

Bumblebee7 said:

I was going to say the same thing. I got 'into' biking if you can call it that in October on a manual 125 that I use every day for commuting. Despite being on the horrendous L plates I found other bikers in the winter were very courteous, always say thank you and even the occasional short chat about how cold it was when stopped at lights. I'm neither the fastest or slowest at filtering and always let other bikes through when I see them coming up. In winter I'd get a wave of thanks, thumbs up etc. Now it's warmer the biker brigade seem to think of everyone as an inconvenience on their crusade to get to work. I can't remember the last time I got a thank you for letting someone through. Don't even get me started on the middle age fatties riding the super bikes, sitting an inch from my back wheel revving when there's absolutely nowhere for me to go.
Anyone else experiencing this or is it just me?

I do agree with you there, different biker brigade noticeably over the past week.

I still see usual crowd on my way in who are as pleasant as ever.

But there is a new tool on the block, riding a NC750 with the brightest led "flood lights" strapped to the frame.
Thinking his is a filtering god risking life and limb trying to save few seconds on his journey to work darting inbetween trucks and buses going around the South Circular... ah well

[Lee540]

gareth_r said:

o you mean the new(ish) liquid-cooled 750s, the Street 750 and Street Rod?

No, those 800cc ones.. about 15bhp, all show and no go..



Must wear jeans, tan leather gloves, new jacket which has been made to look old and worn and bubble screened visor

[Cbull]

Filtered through to the front of the que this morning. Waited a few minutes until eventually the lights went on green. Stalled it. First time since riding and I felt like a right tit doing so. Suppose that's what I deserve being a middle aged fatty on a sports bike

[gareth_r]

Lee540 said:

and those baby Harley Davidsons.. Sportster things..

Dakkon said:

Harley sales are on the decline and the Sportster things are a bid to attract newer, younger riders to their brand.

gareth_r said:

Do you mean the new(ish) liquid-cooled 750s, the Street 750 and Street Rod?

Lee540 said:

No, those 800cc ones.. about 15bhp, all show and no go.
Must wear jeans, tan leather gloves, new jacket which has been made to look old and worn and bubble screened visor

The Sportster has been around for 60 years. The 750s are HD's attempt to access a new market (or, more accurately, to steal sales from Triumph ).

[Pothole]

Biker 1 said:

dibblecorse said:

The Cafe Racers are out in force today ....... like going back in time .... and none of the riders nod, acknowledge the world and just seen to scowl at anyone brave enough to 'admire' their contrived piece of history ......

Nuggets, the lot of them .....

My thoughts exactly! I simply can't understand all this 'retro' thing - why would you want a perfectly good, modern motorcycle, but looking like something from 1960 & costing at least £1,000 more? e.g: Kawasaki Z900 or Z900 RS?

I think the Z900RS looks fab. I'd love a "real" 70s (not 60s, youngblood) one but I don't have 15 to 20 grand to spend on a bike I can't really use every day.

Could we just live and let live, do you think? (obviously it's OK to laugh at and slag off scooterists)