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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
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| There are some truly brilliant things about bikes; as the great Colin Schiller once explained his epiphany in words something like "I just ****ing love motorcycles!". Not his most erudite statement, but without doubt from the heart! One of those would be The Noise (although not the Peter Hammill album of the same name, which is still recommended for a listen anyway). I live beside the A259, a fairly dreary stretch of one-and-a-half-lane blacktop in overcrowded urban Sussex. There's a steady hum of traffic maybe 18 hours of the day, mostly dealt with by the double glazing, broken by the occasional howl of a proper engine. Lovely, especially when (usually late at night) you can hear the pilot really going for it on and off the roundabouts. Some nights (sorry officer, couldn't help myself) that'll be me - don't know if my neighbours appreciate it in the same way, though! Fair play to the manufacturers in fact, for having managed - despite the increasing regulations - to make bikes sound good again. One of the nicest things about my GSXR is how it sounds: a mixture of induction howl and snarling, surprisingly loud for standard, exhaust. Wind it up to the redline and it is just vehicular rock'n'roll plugged straight into the adrenal gland. (I sometimes wonder, on the daily commute, how much resentment from the four-wheelers is down to carving through their static lines and how much is because it looks and sounds like it's fun doing it?). Favourite road bike noise of all, in my opinion, was my VFR750FP with a Micron 'zorst of gasometer proportions, untroubled by any kind of baffling whatsoever. The offbeat lilt of a V-Four amplified to enormous levels, gear-driven cams whining like a circular saw and a noise like World War III on the overrun...damn, that was nice...
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
Posts: 637,
Visits: 1,168
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| Spring. The track, sorry road, is dry and grippy. There's a full (bad) moon rising, the traffic's died down and it's not too cold for summer gloves and garments approximately the same shape and size as one's own body. Time to phase out the winter caution and slow, unpredictable feel for grip: bring out summer confidence that the tyres WILL hold the line, that they and the chassis have more roadholding power than I have recklessness; then unleash the throttle... It's been a busy week. Allegedly on leave, still had to go into work, got a touch of man-flu and am in the middle of directing a play (yep, am-dram, luvvies and dahhhlings) so the scenic route back from dress rehearsal was exactly what was needed. Big smiles, particularly for the chavved-up old Jap sportscar thingy whose driver was under the misapprehension that he knew all about fast. Not that I normally care less about cars - most of 'em really don't stand any kind of chance against a half-decent bike and pilot [in the dry], so it's not proving anything - but it's rude not to respond to a direct challenge... Not that I would encourage any sort of vehicular misbehaviour: each to their own limits and attitude. It's just so nice when the bad-weather slog through winter is finally over!
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
Posts: 637,
Visits: 1,168
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| Winter. When it's good, it's very good. I took the opportunity of the wife visiting her dad to get out for a blast on Christmas Day. A bit chilly, but the roads weren't bad for grip and delightfully empty of traffic, even on the normally-busy main coastway A-routes. Took the RF, of course, and let it get up a bit of a head of steam: nothing too ridiculous [by the standards of 938cc of brute force and ignorance] but fast enough to feel fast. It's still a pokey bike, no doubt about it, and a lot of fun to unleash. The handling works, but is just enough of a challenge to make the rider feel manly and tough for wrestling it around like one had to in the old days. Managed to keep pretty snug and warm, too: I've got a new Alpinestars textile jacket which is fantastically warm and my Rev'It gloves (highly recommended) were good for the first 50 miles. Fingers started to suffer a bit after that, so I headed for home. Excellent fun, and the low winter sun over the South Downs was a rather beautiful sight to enjoy.
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23rd August 2010 20:19
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| One of the nicest things about my winter commute is that it is generally in the dark, both ways. My current job means I have to use the A40, which is a reasonably fast single-carriageway, and unlit for most of the journey. I hadn't ridden at night much since I was much younger, and had forgotten what fun it was. (I had ridden plenty after dark, but usually on well-lit roads.) But there is a certain feeling about setting off, and leaving the lights of your work or home behind you. The darkness closes round you and, unlike being in a car, it is to either side of you, behind, below and above. The first couple of times it felt a bit lonely and a feeling of what climbers call 'exposure', but after a couple of days I got into it, and started to look forward to the journey. On a clear night with no other traffic about, there is just you, the road surface, the pool of your main beam, and the moon and stars over your head. You can't go fast, so you just whistle along at 50%, enjoying the scenery and the hum of the engine. You welcome the occasional roundabout, with its fierce lighting allowing you to swing it around a little bit more, but then you get back on the A road and the darkness closes in again. The lights of home (or even your workplace) when you reach them are welcoming and you get off the bike with a little bit more relief and feeling of achievement than in the summer. Side-note: the XT's headlight is crap, but I have fitted one of Halfords '90% brighter' bulbs and it has made a heck of a difference, from crap to adequate. The Pan's dipped beam is a bit disappointing, but main beam is like daylight and is good for a safe and confident 70 on A roads.
--
2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
Posts: 637,
Visits: 1,168
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| I love night riding. I'm sure I've said so before, but certainly down here on the overcrowded South Coast, it's far and away the best chance to get a good run at some of the better roads that are usually clogged with crawling commuter traffic. It's interesting how different they look at night, everything seems slightly skewed and - to me anyway - in sharper focus. Perhaps that's because visibility is lower and the corresponding reduction in input means there's more opportunity to process near detail than usual, probably it's also down to travelling at a lower speed. Nice when it's flooded with moonlight, but also - to quote King Crimson - when it's starless and bible black and you're the only thing in the world... Perhaps not surprisingly, I also rate the Halfords bulbs, which aren't a bad price at all, especially for the improvement they give. I did try their "rally-use only" ones once, but actually felt a bit guilty about how badly they dazzled oncoming drivers...
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 21st November 2010 21:17
Posts: 292,
Visits: 1,311
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| I have just had to start a little dark time riding and I have to agree with all you say. I do however find the light to dark suden change, say from the exit off a roundabout, a little bit stark and each time it hapens it sharpens the senses, especially the eyesight. I am into the dark and salt becouse Random saddly ran into another car with hers and its off the road. She needs transport to get her to Uni and her placement school so she gets my car and I am on my bike! Something good comes of everything eventually.
Don't slide unless you mean too. Be sure, ride safe and enjoy 
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
Posts: 637,
Visits: 1,168
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Hey rebelman, was wondering how you'd been keeping - guess we know now! Sorry to hear about randomgirly's misfortune - guess it's not the weather to be sending her out on the Marauder while you keep the car...anyway, reckon you're better off on two wheels. How does the Trumpet behave itself? I've heard they're meant to be quite capable in poor conditions, but - to be honest - I always thought they might be a little top-heavy to be completely comfortable.
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23rd August 2010 20:19
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| Bad luck Randomgirl, and hope you are OK. Well done Rebelman, for a) being a total gent, and b) not flinching from your manly duty to ride in all conditions. I always think (and have said a few times in this forum) that I quite like riding through winter, ice and fog being at all times most especially excepted. But recent weeks have been truly horrible round here. There has been a fair bit of ice, especially first thing, and even when it warms up, the roads have been greasy and mucky and generally draining of confidence. I haven't ridden the Pan much lately, so I can't tell how its 020s would cope with being hurled about in these conditions, but the XT on a pair of worn TrailWings has been sliding all over the place. So riding has been fun, in the sense that sitting on a bike and tootling along is always fun and better than being in a car. But it's not been fun, in the sense that flinging a bike about on warm, dry tarmac is fun. My hero blobs are getting rusty, and the chicken strips are a mile wide. Roll on Spring.
--
2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 21st November 2010 21:17
Posts: 292,
Visits: 1,311
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| Hi guy's. I got 020's on the trumpet and although it feels planted it does get upset easilly. This morning a wet muddy site entrance had me clenching tightly as the rear tried in vain to break away whilst passing a parked lorry, it slid sideways about 3/4 inches and then got traction, but in saying that I expect any bike going over such a bad surfice to have had the same reaction. These incidents are what make us into a more careful riders with eyes peeled in all directions for anything that might upset our normal riding style's i supose. I enjoy all of my rides, even the one's that just take me the 6/7 miles to work and this morning whilst walking the dog it was pouring with wet stuff and I was dreading getting on the bike but once I doned the kit I was looking forward to the challenge. Still need to invent a visor wiper............................ Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm me thinks there could be money in it LOL
Don't slide unless you mean too. Be sure, ride safe and enjoy
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Supreme Being
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 16th May 2010 15:09
Posts: 637,
Visits: 1,168
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| Well, it's felt rather like Spring this weekend. I'm very happy with my Alpinestars textile jacket, but it was an absolute pleasure to get the leather out for a change. Even if it is new and therefore horribly in need of breaking into a shape something like mine. It just feels right, somehow: bike plus leathers...maybe I'm just old-fashioned! So much so that the high-tech and doubtless safety-enhancing back protector might have to come out of it for reasons of comfort and style. If God had meant me to look like a tortoise, he'd have made more of a effort to give me a shell of my own, I reckon. Speaking of which (and the happy corner is definitely the wrong place for this!) - airbag suits. What a truly, appallingly, insultingly ar*e idea. Made the headlines again because doctors think they're a good idea to make compulsory. Well, they would, wouldn't they? Obviously, there's nothing like asking somebody with a vested (sic) interest to get an objective and unbiased opinion. But I think I'd rather carry out my own risk assessment, thanks very much: and I'll try and avoid telling them how to do brain surgery if they stop telling me how to operate a motorcycle...
>> ex silens nox noctis <<
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