Andy in Bored of Bikes shock
Discussion
What's wrong with me?
I am not finding the DRZ fun at the moment (Yes, I've stopped wheelie-ing it)
The ZX7R is ill and I will probably sell it for parts.
Test rode a 2000 model R1 yesterday. I rode it around pretty close to the speed limit and although it was a good bike, it seemed pointless buying it as I felt stupid riding such a powerful bike at legal speeds.
(Obviously gave it a proper test down a private track that I know.. was great but if I did it on the roads I'd lose my license too soon and I could achieve the same speeds on a sports tourer anyway)
Right now I'm thinking a nice convertible car would be more enjoyable...
Have I turned into some sort of poof? Does anyone else have moments like this?
I am not finding the DRZ fun at the moment (Yes, I've stopped wheelie-ing it)
The ZX7R is ill and I will probably sell it for parts.
Test rode a 2000 model R1 yesterday. I rode it around pretty close to the speed limit and although it was a good bike, it seemed pointless buying it as I felt stupid riding such a powerful bike at legal speeds.
(Obviously gave it a proper test down a private track that I know.. was great but if I did it on the roads I'd lose my license too soon and I could achieve the same speeds on a sports tourer anyway)
Right now I'm thinking a nice convertible car would be more enjoyable...
Have I turned into some sort of poof? Does anyone else have moments like this?
I went through this a few years ago and although I've always kept a bike, my use plummeted. I just got bored of them and used the bike whenever I had a meeting in London and that was about it.
When I got a new job in the city I had to use it every day and started to enjoy it again.
Now I have the VFR I actually look forward to the ride to and from work
The problem is that with fun comes speed and with speed comes points. I've had between 9 and 13 points on my licence for ever and only in the last 5 years have I had a clean licence. Within a week of owning the VFR I picked up 3 points.
Just have to keep myself in check, but even within "reasonable limits" I still enjoy it.
What I would suggest is that you keep the bike, or at least keep some description of road legal bike for the times when only a bike will do. Otherwise you could find yourself a born-again in 10 years time with more memories than skills. Keep your hand in.
Alternatively, if like me, you only ride for work, then go out for a "fun only" ride occasionally. That's partly what switched me on again.
When I got a new job in the city I had to use it every day and started to enjoy it again.
Now I have the VFR I actually look forward to the ride to and from work
The problem is that with fun comes speed and with speed comes points. I've had between 9 and 13 points on my licence for ever and only in the last 5 years have I had a clean licence. Within a week of owning the VFR I picked up 3 points.
Just have to keep myself in check, but even within "reasonable limits" I still enjoy it.
What I would suggest is that you keep the bike, or at least keep some description of road legal bike for the times when only a bike will do. Otherwise you could find yourself a born-again in 10 years time with more memories than skills. Keep your hand in.
Alternatively, if like me, you only ride for work, then go out for a "fun only" ride occasionally. That's partly what switched me on again.
Edited by m3psm on Monday 19th May 13:30
I went through this over the last couple of years. I let the gixxer go a bit and last summer decided to sell it. It need a new fork stanchion and MOT etc. As soon as i got on it (having not ridden for probably about 6 months) after the work had been done, I realised there was just no way I could sell it. The feeling of freedom, and being able to overtake whenever I want was just too much to resist.
If you're a biker, you will always be a biker and I made that realisation last year... Hence why i'm now spending a bit to make a her fresh for another couple of years. I fully intend to get as much use as possible out of her this summer.
Hang on to one bike as i reckon this is just a passing, fleeting flirt with gayness, not a full-on coming out, and you'll be right as rain in no time
Cheers,
Johnny
If you're a biker, you will always be a biker and I made that realisation last year... Hence why i'm now spending a bit to make a her fresh for another couple of years. I fully intend to get as much use as possible out of her this summer.
Hang on to one bike as i reckon this is just a passing, fleeting flirt with gayness, not a full-on coming out, and you'll be right as rain in no time
Cheers,
Johnny
Let's see . . . I would prescribe a dose of KTM Superduke, with added Akras and suitable down-gearing; a bit like a DRZ on steroids!
If that doesn't cure you of this terrible illness then you'd better go out and buy a dress and pair of high heels cos you are indeed a poof!!
Good luck!!
If that doesn't cure you of this terrible illness then you'd better go out and buy a dress and pair of high heels cos you are indeed a poof!!
Good luck!!
I think the bikes you have are already spot on. Problem (and good thing) is that they're completely different. The R1 would just be a faster ZX7R and hardly flickable through the traffic, although loads do commute on them.
I don't think the bike is the problem. It's the riding you do.
See if you can get together with a few biker mates and go out for a blast somewhere for a day or two to re-charge the enthusiasm. That or meet up with some of the PH bikers who will have more meets now the sun is shining.
Bike shows, races etc are also a good way of re-igniting that biker spark.
I don't think the bike is the problem. It's the riding you do.
See if you can get together with a few biker mates and go out for a blast somewhere for a day or two to re-charge the enthusiasm. That or meet up with some of the PH bikers who will have more meets now the sun is shining.
Bike shows, races etc are also a good way of re-igniting that biker spark.
Have you thought about more training??
I flick through the police riders handbook from time to time. It's got exercises to practice. Then I use the system on my commute. It's like a game and makes a mundane journey interesting. Helps to unwind after work too because instead of thinking about today/tomorrow/whats for dinner it focuses 100% on riding.
My riding gets smoother, feels good.
Then I get bored of that and razz it everywhere for a bit, the cycle continues.
I flick through the police riders handbook from time to time. It's got exercises to practice. Then I use the system on my commute. It's like a game and makes a mundane journey interesting. Helps to unwind after work too because instead of thinking about today/tomorrow/whats for dinner it focuses 100% on riding.
My riding gets smoother, feels good.
Then I get bored of that and razz it everywhere for a bit, the cycle continues.
I have in the last month and a half managed to pick up 9 points on my licence. 3 of these will actually not go on, as I am doing one of these speedchoice courses.
After many years with no points, having 6 is a bit of a shock, and I've found that most of the fun from driving and riding my firestorm seems to have disappeared.
Two of these we 37 and 38 in a 30mph area that used to be 40mph not very long ago. So very frustrating.
So I am considering selling the bike !!!
After many years with no points, having 6 is a bit of a shock, and I've found that most of the fun from driving and riding my firestorm seems to have disappeared.
Two of these we 37 and 38 in a 30mph area that used to be 40mph not very long ago. So very frustrating.
So I am considering selling the bike !!!
It's the nanny state, I tell thee!
I'm not fussed about keeping the DRZ as I share lifts into work now so it doesn't get used more than once a week.
Not enough places round here to bother getting dirt wheels and off-roading it.
So, current thinking is sell/break the zx7r, sell the drz and get the R1 for touring,blasts and trackdays.
And yeah, I've got my first sky dive booked now but it's only a tandam one...
I'm not fussed about keeping the DRZ as I share lifts into work now so it doesn't get used more than once a week.
Not enough places round here to bother getting dirt wheels and off-roading it.
So, current thinking is sell/break the zx7r, sell the drz and get the R1 for touring,blasts and trackdays.
And yeah, I've got my first sky dive booked now but it's only a tandam one...
AndyDRZ said:
aeropilot said:
That's it.........definate gayness 
Be a man and do a proper static line jump course
This was bought for me as a birthday present. What's a static line jump course? Is it fun? Will it actually get the adrenaline flowing? Be a man and do a proper static line jump course
None of this nancy boy style being strapped into the crutch of a big hairy arsed tandem jump instructor......
Most people get bored of bikes simply because their ability is such that they don't really have any fun. E.g. the average guy or girl passes the test and then buys a sportsbike. They then want to ride the bike in a sporty way but find they cannot corner particularly fast or they run wide and scare themselves because the basic training doesn’t teach you this.. It's also a case of most people are busy so finding time to ride is difficult. When you ride on your own with no destination it can often become a bit dull when you couple with the fact your ability is low. I find riding with mates transforms riding because you often have a set time where you all meet up and you learn from each other...
aeropilot said:
It's proper para jumping, i.e. you have to have the nerve to jump out the plane solo on your own (rip cord is attached via a static line to the a/c) and opens the chute. Once a number of jumps done like that you can progress to solo jumps and pulling the rip chord yourself. Oh yeah, plenty of anal puckering.....
None of this nancy boy style being strapped into the crutch of a big hairy arsed tandem jump instructor......
I'm up for doing that. Sounds like a lot of fun. Do you have details of getting started or should I use the power of Google?None of this nancy boy style being strapped into the crutch of a big hairy arsed tandem jump instructor......
Y2Blade, If I was, surely I'd like to hang out with men wearing leather not be getting bored of it!
Shot2Bits, I see what you're saying. I'm bored though because I find it so easy to maintain good speed and so it's fear of losing license that slows me down rather than fear of bends! I will go along to the next TVAM meet and join up though as training always helps.
AndyDRZ said:
I'm up for doing that. Sounds like a lot of fun. Do you have details of getting started or should I use the power of Google?
Probably best to have a chat with the instructors at the place you do the tandem jump, they will be more than happy to talk to you about how to go on to do solo jumps and the costs etc involved.I go thru this every few years, sometimes I sell the bike and make the switch,at every occasion thou ive regretted it and sold the "sports" car and gone back to the bike.
I have around 8-9K to spend on a toy and for that money its an old M3,an Imprezza or what have you...or a top of the range jap litre bike/whatever you fancy.Old hat engineering and years of stone chips on soggy suspension or THE latest high tech bike made from exotic metals ,sharp looks and "stuuf" like high and low rebound/compresion damping, OK I dont need it but you get the idea .
The cars cost more to run,insure,use more fuel and you MUST have a FSH and run it on super duper unleaded and be run or turbo nutter fully synthetic oil or your some kind of social outcast....and then theres they fun factor which isnt so easily measured, sure you may have not felt that excited on the R1 on that occasion but after a fast bike most cars feel like there running on 3 cylinders after a bike...
What you need is to go for a blast to a chosen destination with some like minded mates, have a purpose for your spin out if you like, something like the London to Brighton run from the Ace Cafe is unbeatable IMHO(next to a trip abroard maybe)
You couldnt consider driving to North London, then to Brighton with a few mates in cars and all expect to arrive at the same time and within a few hours of leaving home.
Bikes just give me thrills no car has ever come close to.
Thou perhaps if your considering a convertible there is no hope for you?!
Keep us posted on what you do anyway..
I have around 8-9K to spend on a toy and for that money its an old M3,an Imprezza or what have you...or a top of the range jap litre bike/whatever you fancy.Old hat engineering and years of stone chips on soggy suspension or THE latest high tech bike made from exotic metals ,sharp looks and "stuuf" like high and low rebound/compresion damping, OK I dont need it but you get the idea .
The cars cost more to run,insure,use more fuel and you MUST have a FSH and run it on super duper unleaded and be run or turbo nutter fully synthetic oil or your some kind of social outcast....and then theres they fun factor which isnt so easily measured, sure you may have not felt that excited on the R1 on that occasion but after a fast bike most cars feel like there running on 3 cylinders after a bike...
What you need is to go for a blast to a chosen destination with some like minded mates, have a purpose for your spin out if you like, something like the London to Brighton run from the Ace Cafe is unbeatable IMHO(next to a trip abroard maybe)
You couldnt consider driving to North London, then to Brighton with a few mates in cars and all expect to arrive at the same time and within a few hours of leaving home.
Bikes just give me thrills no car has ever come close to.
Thou perhaps if your considering a convertible there is no hope for you?!
Keep us posted on what you do anyway..
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