Any bikers here???

[shropshireman]

just picked up this thread.. last year sold my vtr1000 sick of aching back and wrist bought myself a new yamy xt660z not the power of the vtr but its sooooooooo more user friendly
anyway am planning three trips to scotland this year i have friends in dundee any suggestions where bike and hammock are welcome on the way up to scotland from shropshire cause i tried a few places last year but no where to set up tarp and hammock ?????????

 

[robin wood]

I have had a bike in the garage for the last 25 years, cb100n, gsx250, T140 Bonneville, cb250rs, Morini 350 sport, sv650 and current sv1000. All used all weathers mostly for transport rather than play but do try to get a couple of trips a year in. In May heading to Venice with a mate on his 883 sportster (we'll not be breaking any speed limits then) and will be traveling light with bivy bag throw over panniers and a bit of cook stuff. Spent a while in the US when 20 and ran a Kawasaki z400 twin from Cocoa beach to New Orleans for Mardi Gras (cheap mans version of Easy Rider) and then all the way up through the Appalachians to New York. It may not match the feeling of freedom of a canoe trip in Canada but as an 18 year old on a tight budget loading camping gear on the bike on a Friday night and heading off was a great feeling. Shame biking has got so high tech and expensive now really.

 

[Tony]

I keep thinking about getting a bike again, the last one was a GL1200 plain Jane,I've always been tempted by the Guzzi California like your wicca but there's never enough money and i'd not ride it a lot to justify the outlay, too many little windy roads around here in rural Wales, although there are some around here that obviously don't mine if they die

Umm, now i want to go looking at the cost of bikes again..........I should be spending on my defender......Umm..

 

[paolo]

99 Honda Transalp with home made aluminium panniers.
Here going to mount Nemrut, in Turkey, last year.

 

[GearGuru]

99 Honda Transalp with home made aluminium panniers.
Here going to mount Nemrut, in Turkey, last year.

Could you give me some info on the home made panniers as I can't afford the ridiculous prices they charge for the bought ones - and yours look about the same

Cheers Chris

 

[maddave]

I suppose I better post a couple of my recent rides

Suzuki Vstrom 1100

BMW R1150GS at the bushmoot

And my current steed XVS 1100

 

[Robbi]

here's mine !

 

[paolo]

Could you give me some info on the home made panniers as I can't afford the ridiculous prices they charge for the bought ones - and yours look about the same
Cheers Chris

Hi Chris, you can check all the facts about my panniers with pics here: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/0ravem/valigie.html (the first link is about the parts that make the panniers, the second about the closing system, the third about the suspension choiches, the last about the result).
It's in Italian, hope you can understand, otherwise let me know and I will translate.
I have made them from 2mm thick aluminium foils, machine folded and then soldered, nowadays the full work should cost about 150€.
They have survived 4000km in eastern Europe with a week of heavy rain and two Turkey adventures, with a collision with a car, so I can tell you they're quite sturdy and waterproof

If you need to save some money check also this ebay seller:
http://stores.shop.ebay.de/motorradalukoffer__W0QQ_armrsZ1 or http://motorradalukoffer.de for good prices and nice made panniers.

Feel free to contact me for any information!

Cheers, Paolo

 

[tytek]

Well I've had an 'off'.

I was riding home from work (takes 6mins normally) 4 mins into the journey a taxi decided to do a u turn in front of me and I went over the bonnet and landed 30ft further down the road (I actually landed on the pavement).

I spent the night in hospital and am now home and in agony. I managed to fracture my heel and break my little finger. I have a pair of handlebar shaped bruises on my legs and various scuffs and scrapes all over.

My legs feel like 'dead legs' if you know what I mean???
I'm not getting on with my crutches and can't wait to get back to normal and get the bike fixed.

Oh and it's my birthday on the 8th - My first in plaster...

 

[Robbi]

well happy birthday mate !!

glad you're reasonable OK and still walking ( ish ! )...hows the bike ?

 

[Biker]

Paolo Good tutorial mate. Love those heavy duty panniers! I think my old nail would bottom out if I had a set of those. Bad enough wobbling down the road with a set of loaded throwovers.

Tytek, sorry to read you're down. Taxi driver's eh? Nuff said methinks.

Just remember the timing when using crutches while going downstairs. My brother broke his heel falling off a low roof and ended up in plaster, he mis-timed putting the crutches first down the stairs and stepped first instead, he soon found himself with them jacked up under his armpits and his feet several inches off the next step. His forward momentum did the rest

I heard the rumble as he fell down the rest of the flight.

I really, really did try not to laugh, but failed miserably.

He was fine, no further injuries and his plastered foot was undamaged.

Get well soon mate. Ummm should I say "put your feet up"?

 

[tytek]

well happy birthday mate !!

glad you're reasonable OK and still walking ( ish ! )...hows the bike ?

The bike needs a new pair of forks and a mud guard at very least.
Then there's my clothing, loss of earnings, personal injury, etc....

I hope the taxi was well insured because I'm going to be throwing the book at him.

The Police are charging him with 'driving without due care and attention' .

 

[GearGuru]

Hi Chris, you can check all the facts about my panniers with pics here: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/0ravem/valigie.html (the first link is about the parts that make the panniers, the second about the closing system, the third about the suspension choiches, the last about the result).
It's in Italian, hope you can understand, otherwise let me know and I will translate.
I have made them from 2mm thick aluminium foils, machine folded and then soldered, nowadays the full work should cost about 150€.
They have survived 4000km in eastern Europe with a week of heavy rain and two Turkey adventures, with a collision with a car, so I can tell you they're quite sturdy and waterproof

If you need to save some money check also this ebay seller:
http://stores.shop.ebay.de/motorradalukoffer__W0QQ_armrsZ1 or http://motorradalukoffer.de for good prices and nice made panniers.

Feel free to contact me for any information!

Cheers, Paolo

Cheers For the links - good advice

chris

 

[Surrey Yeoman]

BMW R1150GS Adventure in silver. Love to post a picture but can't as I'm not a full member. You know the one, Ewan & Charlie's steed in Long Way Round.

Planning to ride down to Gibraltar and back in May.

Want to stay off the motorways as much as possible.

Planning to roughly follow the coast roads down through France, Spain and Portugal.

Any tips from anyone?

Cheers

 

[Biker]

BMW R1150GS Adventure in silver. Love to post a picture but can't as I'm not a full member. You know the one, Ewan & Charlie's steed in Long Way Round.

Planning to ride down to Gibraltar and back in May.

Want to stay off the motorways as much as possible.

Planning to roughly follow the coast roads down through France, Spain and Portugal.

Any tips from anyone?

Cheers

Hiya,
Tips? Ride on the right, trust me, you'll thank me once you're here in mainland Europe.

Following the coast down to Spain eh? I envy you that adventure. Hmmm you'll be about 40miles from me when you're riding along the D-day beaches in Basse Normande. I'll wave as you go by.

As for posting pictures, you don't need to be a full member to do that. I'm not. You just upload them to an onine photogallery such as flickr, photobucket or some public access place and link to your image for it to appear in your posting. You have to "go advanced" and use the little mountain range icon along the top. Easy peasy.

Ride safe mate and don't forget what I said about riding on the right.

 

[wicca]

Yeoman. When you get South of Aljezur on the main coast road the N120, which runs North-South down the Portugese coast, don't be tempted to turn East at Alfambras Continue all the way South to Sagres on the N268. Capo St Vincent is only a short ride from Sagres and if you're lucky it will be a wild sunny day and the big Atlantic seas will be at their most impressive as they run by the Cape.

When you eventually make your way East along the Algarve towards Gibraltar, I assume on the motorway the A22, don't bother looking for signs for Gibraltar when you cross the Spanish border. They're very shy about advertising it until you're just a few K from the place. They're still not happy bunnies about the flag that flies there and the chances are you'll see a whacking big rock sticking up before you see an obvious sign for it..

The other option for going East from Sagres is the N125 past the South coastal towns, good for local campsites etc: and keeps you off the motorway until about Villa Real De Antonio

 

[Stingray]

[quote any bikers on here]
........... yes-

Good man.
We tend to be on 'let's say ,not the most modern bikes'
We wander without aim.....with perhaps somewhere to sleep at the end...

 

[wedgie]

well iv just got back from Belgium and France 5 days ssssshhhhhh we tarped up at an old Napoleonic star fort in Dunkirk then on to pops and wipers before dropping down to arras and then back home yesterday in that rain
top tips get dry bags from dive shops as you can get all sizes and they seal better than the ones sold in bike shop's
iv'e used throw overs and hard panniers throw overs can stretch a bit you loose a bit with hard cases but you tend to be moor stable at speed.but you always need bin bags in either kind to keep things dry and the hard cases do make useful crash bungs lol don't ask
just got to sort some of the thing found and the photos taken

 

[Asa Samuel]

Just applied for my provisional licence with the intention to be riding motorbikes, can't wait!

 

[gsfgaz]

see u on the road m8 , u cannie beat the sound of ur can ......