Bike the answer to the road pricing Nazis?

[jaker]

with the spectre of road pricing looming and our thought police government intent on taxing us to emigration, I was thinking that maybe a 'bike would be the answer? Surely if the scheme is about 'congestion' (yeah right), they cant hit bikers can they?

anyway, my question to the motorbike riders is what sort of bike should I look at for:

a) maximum self preservation (i.e: least likely to get me into an accident)
b) doing 15,000 miles a year!

I was maybe thinking a big beemer?

ta

jaker

[RemaL]

Nice bike


should last for a long time

But for what you may want I would also look at something like



with details

www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/vehicles/road/bikes/Honda_ST1300_Pan_European.html

[jaker]

RemaL said:

But for what you may want I would also look at something like



with details

www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/vehicles/road/bikes/Honda_ST1300_Pan_European.html

The Pan European has a bloody brilliant engine!! i have a pipe dream to build a car with a 1300 PE engine in it!

Edited by jaker on Saturday 24th February 19:11

[RemaL]

as for you questions about "less likley to get you into a accident"

Just like to add, throttle works both ways, and you cannot do anything about a fecking dumb car driver who does u-turns in front of you . I know it happened to me a month ago and car drivers who just don't look or take care which did not happen to me yet, thank

apart from that enjoy

Edited by RemaL on Saturday 24th February 19:21

[jaker]

RemaL said:

as for you questions about "less likley to get you into a accident"

Just like to add, throttle works both ways, and you cannot do anything about a fecking dumb car driver who does u-turns in front of you . I know it happened to me a month ago and car drivers who just don't look or take care which did not happen to me yet, thank

apart from that enjoy

Edited by RemaL on Saturday 24th February 19:21

Absolutely agree re smidsys, but for me I guess I was thinking, a lowish power to weight (temptation is so hard to avoid ) and maybe a loud exhaust so at least you can be heard... also, at a guess, I suppose on a cruiser type bike, you are less likely to want to go banzai, as it's not in the bike's character. I like the idea of Harleys, but I just feel I'd look like a bit of a plonker turning up to customers on one... so maybe I am looking for a Harley without the image...

[aeropilot]

jaker said:

I like the idea of Harleys, but I just feel I'd look like a bit of a plonker turning up to customers on one...

Hardly......

Depsite what all the power ranger dressed sportbike owners think of them, a Harley will have more cred with a non-biker than anything else, as I've found out...

[RemaL]

aeropilot said:

jaker said:

I like the idea of Harleys, but I just feel I'd look like a bit of a plonker turning up to customers on one...

Hardly......

Depsite what all the power ranger dressed sportbike owners think of them, a Harley will have more cred with a non-biker than anything else, as I've found out...

I like Choppers, been watching too much American Chopper but never liked Harleys. Seen too many guys at my local Harley/Duke dealer and I wonder why they get a strange look. may be in the US Harleys get cred from NON bikers but I have never really thought they could be good for doing 15K a year etc etc... I may be wrong. Just thought Pans are cheaper to buy for a better spec

Ony my opinion

worth asking this questions on another forum I visit very often for information and help
www.superbikeforums.co.uk/index.php

regards

[aeropilot]

RemaL said:

may be in the US Harleys get cred from NON bikers

No, over here. In the US it's just another Harley, people don't tend to bat a eye. Not so over here.

With the help of a mate at work who has a SV650, over a few weeks we did an experiment of the two of us seing what the reaction was in people when finding out we rode was. The 'I ride a Suzuki SV650' didn't really mean anything much to any non-biker, unlike, 'I've got a Harley' usually being greated with a smile and a 'Oooohh lovely', especially from girlies, much to his annoyance....

RemaL said:

but I have never really thought they could be good for doing 15K a year etc

With the rubber band drive, 15k is easy, don't forget they are designed for eating up the huge milage's done in the USA.

RemaL said:

Just thought Pans are cheaper to buy for a better spec

I wouldn't however disagree with that though in terms of everyday useability in the UK.

however, I do know many that do use them everyday though, but generally, Harley's are really a weekend toy more than everyday transport, more because of keeping them clean unless you buy one of the blacked out models.

Edited by aeropilot on Saturday 24th February 21:12

[wedg1e]

jaker said:

RemaL said:

But for what you may want I would also look at something like



with details

www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/vehicles/road/bikes/Honda_ST1300_Pan_European.html

The Pan European has a bloody brilliant engine!! i have a pipe dream to build a car with a 1300 PE engine in it!

Edited by jaker on Saturday 24th February 19:11

The old ST1100 engine sounds nicer than the ST1300 though. I suspect there'd be a ton of tuning potential in the V4, if only anyone could be arsed. The throttle bodies are a paltry 36mm, while the Blackbird running fewer cc's gets 42mm TBs.
You have a quad-cam, injected 16v with chain-driven cams, bucket'n'shim tappets, lightweight pistons, dual balancer shafts, gear-driven alternator and a cassette gearbox... sounds like it should be the next Fireblade but no; they put it in the PE instead
117bhp from 1261cc, it's not even breaking a sweat...

[jaker]

I was thinking along the lines of a couple of small turbos

[jaker]

another question (from a non biking type bloke as I am)... many of the more cruiser-type bikes have smaller engines: 650s, 750s etc. Would these smaller lumps cope with the mileage? would they be a pain in the neck four four hours on the motorway?

ta...

[aeropilot]

jaker said:

another question (from a non biking type bloke as I am)... many of the more cruiser-type bikes have smaller engines: 650s, 750s etc. Would these smaller lumps cope with the mileage? would they be a pain in the neck four four hours on the motorway?

ta...

It's not the engine size so much that's is the problem with coping with higher mileage, but the drivetrain, and especially chain maintainence and the frequency you will have to replace.

That's why shaft drive Bimmers and the few shaft drive Jap stuff are so popular for long distance work. This is why a Harley isn't that bad a proposition with it's rubber band drive belt, but, you would need to choose carefully the right model as the vibes on some will kill you spending too long in the saddle.....

[steverod]

Ultimate mile eating Harley 'all rounder' is the 'Road King'... Great residuals too.....

Forget preconceived car based notions about needing big power.. bikes are all about average speed and on our congested roads you will be able to get from A to B quicker than anyone in any car.. no doubt a car person will be quick to suggest that a Veyron on the Autobahn will get there quicker...and yes! they would.. but in the real world bikes rule..apart from winter..which is where global warming starts to come in handy...

[6x6]

If you've never had a bike before look at a Honda Deauville.

Dull as hell, but it's like a slimmed down Pan Euro. Loads of fairing to keep the weather off, built in luggage, not enough power to get you into real trouble, totally bomb proof and shaft drive.