Getting back into biking after years away
Discussion
I rode bikes for years in the UK but stopped riding when I passed my car test, age 29, then went overseas a year later, in '90. I rode overseas in several countries, but when we moved back to England five years ago I stripped the bike down and brought it back with us, and in bits it still remains. A much modified Yam SR500.
What will be the biggest differences if a guy took up biking after nearly twenty years away from Englands fine roads and highways? I can see the roads are now littered with speed cameras, and have a gazillion times more cars on than there was 20 years ago, but what else has changed?
There was a time when I could find just about any place in the country from following road signs, and motorways were a simple way to get somewhere fast, but now I see so many signs on M'ways I can hardly find my way when driving sedately in a car.
I'm 47, but not really a 'born again biker', as I've only been out of the game for maybe six years max.
What price insurance too? I used to use G F Bennet, if I remember right, and I see in the bike mags they are still around.
What will be the biggest differences if a guy took up biking after nearly twenty years away from Englands fine roads and highways? I can see the roads are now littered with speed cameras, and have a gazillion times more cars on than there was 20 years ago, but what else has changed?
There was a time when I could find just about any place in the country from following road signs, and motorways were a simple way to get somewhere fast, but now I see so many signs on M'ways I can hardly find my way when driving sedately in a car.
I'm 47, but not really a 'born again biker', as I've only been out of the game for maybe six years max.
What price insurance too? I used to use G F Bennet, if I remember right, and I see in the bike mags they are still around.
I've been riding on the road since 1986 and the only differences are amount of traffic and the speed of modern bikes.
Speeding and two-wheeled tomfoolery are scorned upon even more now than they were then and the rozzers have much more effective ways of catching you with CCTV, scameras and number plate recognition etc.
Looks like you've been riding for years so you should be fine. If you are a bit nervous though either join a local club and go for a few rides with them or go on a refresher course. There are a miriad of refresher and advanced roadcraft courses available if you choose to go down that route.
As for road signs, I've not really noticed a change, but you can kit yourself out with a sat-nav for about £250 that'll sort you out.
Insurance varies wildly but Bennets are OK. The best thing is to phone around though.
Good luck
Speeding and two-wheeled tomfoolery are scorned upon even more now than they were then and the rozzers have much more effective ways of catching you with CCTV, scameras and number plate recognition etc.
Looks like you've been riding for years so you should be fine. If you are a bit nervous though either join a local club and go for a few rides with them or go on a refresher course. There are a miriad of refresher and advanced roadcraft courses available if you choose to go down that route.
As for road signs, I've not really noticed a change, but you can kit yourself out with a sat-nav for about £250 that'll sort you out.
Insurance varies wildly but Bennets are OK. The best thing is to phone around though.
Good luck
m3psm said:
I've been riding on the road since 1986 and the only differences are amount of traffic and the speed of modern bikes.
Speeding and two-wheeled tomfoolery are scorned upon even more now than they were then and the rozzers have much more effective ways of catching you with CCTV, scameras and number plate recognition etc.
Looks like you've been riding for years so you should be fine. If you are a bit nervous though either join a local club and go for a few rides with them or go on a refresher course. There are a miriad of refresher and advanced roadcraft courses available if you choose to go down that route.
As for road signs, I've not really noticed a change, but you can kit yourself out with a sat-nav for about £250 that'll sort you out.
Insurance varies wildly but Bennets are OK. The best thing is to phone around though.
Good luck
I'm not really sure what bike I'd get if I did make the move onto two wheels. I fancy a Harley, but then I also fancy something real fast....Speeding and two-wheeled tomfoolery are scorned upon even more now than they were then and the rozzers have much more effective ways of catching you with CCTV, scameras and number plate recognition etc.
Looks like you've been riding for years so you should be fine. If you are a bit nervous though either join a local club and go for a few rides with them or go on a refresher course. There are a miriad of refresher and advanced roadcraft courses available if you choose to go down that route.
As for road signs, I've not really noticed a change, but you can kit yourself out with a sat-nav for about £250 that'll sort you out.
Insurance varies wildly but Bennets are OK. The best thing is to phone around though.
Good luck
I'm not really nervous, more a bit curious what it'll be like, as I rode on (mainly) the right side of the road for the ten years I lived in the Philippines, and there were basically no real traffic laws there. Best not fall into old habits.
King Herald said:
...and there were basically no real traffic laws there. Best not fall into old habits.
Do we have road laws here? 
Sounds like you'll be fine.
As for the bike, just test ride a few and see what fits you. As I get older my taste in bike has changed and I even found myself looking at the new Harley XR1200 recently. I ran out of money, but still fancy one later.
m3psm said:
King Herald said:
...and there were basically no real traffic laws there. Best not fall into old habits.
Do we have road laws here? Sounds like you'll be fine.
As for the bike, just test ride a few and see what fits you. As I get older my taste in bike has changed and I even found myself looking at the new Harley XR1200 recently. I ran out of money, but still fancy one later.
We also rode a turbo 1200 Sportster, belonging to the English owner of the bike shop, but it felt little different to the rental bike.
The things I think you’ll notice are that the roads are much busier (already stated) and that they are in even worse condition. The other thing you’ll notice is that despite the number of speed cameras etc. traffic is considerably faster than 20 years ago.
In the mid to late eighties, I could ride on a motorway at an indicated 90mph and there were only a few things that would come past me. Now, if you were to ride at an indicated 90mph, there will be loads of cars coming past you. Likewise, taking off from the traffic lights 20 years ago would have a bike steaming away from the rest of the traffic without even trying. Now, cars are generally much quicker away from the lights. Bikes are also a lot quicker but you now have to make a conscious decision to leave behind the rep who thinks he’ll race you away from the lights.
In the mid to late eighties, I could ride on a motorway at an indicated 90mph and there were only a few things that would come past me. Now, if you were to ride at an indicated 90mph, there will be loads of cars coming past you. Likewise, taking off from the traffic lights 20 years ago would have a bike steaming away from the rest of the traffic without even trying. Now, cars are generally much quicker away from the lights. Bikes are also a lot quicker but you now have to make a conscious decision to leave behind the rep who thinks he’ll race you away from the lights.
FM said:
Test rides are the ticket...
Bag yourself a few spins on some rides.
Bag yourself a few spins on some rides.
As far as signage goes, the Mway stuff is still fine, as long as you know which exit you are coming off at - the matrix signs seem to use road numbers, which is useless if you're heading for a town you've never been to before.
And as for in-town navigation, are we under threat of a Nazi invasion again, and nobody told me? Its all good if you're heading for the town centre, but they seem to have removed all the "area" signs from pretty much everywhere, so try to memorise a local point of interest near the destination (football ground etc). Lowest common denominator navigation And dont get me started with garage attendants who dont know where stuff is that turns out to be 200yds away.
And as for in-town navigation, are we under threat of a Nazi invasion again, and nobody told me? Its all good if you're heading for the town centre, but they seem to have removed all the "area" signs from pretty much everywhere, so try to memorise a local point of interest near the destination (football ground etc). Lowest common denominator navigation
And dont get me started with garage attendants who dont know where stuff is that turns out to be 200yds away.I`ve just done this, i stopped riding about 5yrs ago(mortgage,wife,kids etc) then in november i started parking at the mainline station,which was costing £260per mth.
I found a tatty cg125 in december bought and insured it for the same as a months parking,then about 3-4weeks ago i spotted a lightly crashed 91 vfr750, so i bought it and at first it was sooooo heavy(just to add have had over 50bikes and last 2 were pan euro and africa twin) and fast and had breaks that are better than me, I`m getting used to it but i think i need to go on a few rideouts as i only commute on,apart from twich having to go from west mids to london cos of no trains early enough on a sunday, first time it was below zero and i was very stiff(no,no,no)for about 3 days and it was the most unfun i could rember on a bike, i was crapping it in places,basically i was to far out of practice but it was better this week but i still cant lean it over.
Ray
I found a tatty cg125 in december bought and insured it for the same as a months parking,then about 3-4weeks ago i spotted a lightly crashed 91 vfr750, so i bought it and at first it was sooooo heavy(just to add have had over 50bikes and last 2 were pan euro and africa twin) and fast and had breaks that are better than me, I`m getting used to it but i think i need to go on a few rideouts as i only commute on,apart from twich having to go from west mids to london cos of no trains early enough on a sunday, first time it was below zero and i was very stiff(no,no,no)for about 3 days and it was the most unfun i could rember on a bike, i was crapping it in places,basically i was to far out of practice but it was better this week but i still cant lean it over.
Ray
ssray said:
.....,apart from twich having to go from west mids to london cos of no trains early enough on a sunday, first time it was below zero and i was very stiff(no,no,no)for about 3 days and it was the most unfun i could rember on a bike, i was crapping it in places,basically i was to far out of practice but it was better this week but i still cant lean it over.
Ray
I had a mate who used to commute from Stafford, west mids, to London every day, to do despatch riding, on a Yam 750dohc triple. He lasted about three months, then got knocked off by a stray lorry prop-shaft, on the M6! He called it a day then, gave up. Ray
The worst bit was all the cars filing around his broken body/bike on the motorway, and not a one would stop! Finally a huge truck pulled up behind him to protect him and the truckie called the cops and ambulance.
He reckoned despatch riding down the Smoke was bad enough, without adding a 300 mile commute on top five days a week.
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