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[MaxN]

I'd love to have a bike but I have to listen to Leigh on this one when she says no.   

With decent training you can mitigate much of the risks.

Personally i cannot accept that one day I will have to hang up my helmet, I absolutely LOVE to ride and have ridden for many, many years.

[ChrisW]

SWiMBO is an Operating Room nurse, she tells me about various crash outcomes from time to time.

The vast majority of the time the results are amplified due to the riders' safety equipment. Or more, their complete lack of protection.

My absolute minimum riding gear is

Decent ($500+) helmet
Bike specific jacket with aftermarket back protector
Bike Specific armoured gloves
Heavy Jeans / Combats (I have a couple of pairs with kevlar protection.
Bike Specific boots - usually Sidi or Frank Thomas.

But more I feel that my attitude will help me to stay safer than the average rider.

I have taken a lot of training, covered a lot of miles, learned that I can stay safe if I follow the rules.

1) Assume I am invisible
2) Have a couple of rolling plans
3) Always maintain a couple of exit strategies
4) Ride within the limits of the conditions and my abilities
5) Ride unhindered by chemicals

I teach occasionally and take classes when I can - I learn something every time, in fact I feel that I learn something most every time I ride.

I have crashed on occasions, the last time was a super scary 140mph+  high-side, but the combination of my full leathers, decent helmet etc and the relative cushioning of the gravel trap meant that the majority of the damage was to my ego and the bike's cosmetics.

I wont leave the house without:

helmet
jacket with back protector
armoured gloves
boots

I don't always wear heavy jeans (Which I should ).

[ChrisW]

I'd love to have a bike but I have to listen to Leigh on this one when she says no.   

This I will never understand. I would never let anyone have that much control over my life.

[MINIclo]

This I will never understand. I would never let anyone have that much control over my life.

You don't have a darling little daughter who depends on her daddy, Chris.  SB does.  I agree with his lovely wife on this one. 

[ChrisW]

You don't have a darling little daughter who depends on her daddy, Chris.  SB does.  I agree with his lovely wife on this one. 

I guess you're right, So we can throw that into the ever growing list of why I don't want kids.

[MINIclo]

I guess you're right, So we can throw that into the ever growing list of why I don't want kids.

You're still young.  While I never had the "craves a baby" gene, I know it hits folks at different ages.  A smarty-pants dude like you would add to the gene pool, though. 

[SB]

I didn't realize it would be quoted this much.   Lets just say that her mother being killed in '05 by a kid on a bike running 120mph doesn't put the ball in my court.  It made for a very interesting MOTD in 06 until I finally convinced her that not all sport bike riders are squids. 

[MINIclo]

I didn't realize it would be quoted this much.   Lets just say that her mother being killed in '05 by a kid on a bike running 120mph doesn't put the ball in my court.  It made for a very interesting MOTD in 06 until I finally convinced her that not all sport bike riders are squids. 

Oh dear, Steve.  I didn't know the details.  I'm so sorry.  

[ChrisW]

You're still young.  While I never had the "craves a baby" gene, I know it hits folks at different ages.  A smarty-pants dude like you would add to the gene pool, though. 

  I donno about that. While I might be what some consider smart. I have a very dark view on life and I'm very selfish. I know if I were someone else I wouldn't want to deal with me. So the idea of  having a little me running around is less than good. 

[MaxN]

I didn't realize it would be quoted this much.   Lets just say that her mother being killed in '05 by a kid on a bike running 120mph doesn't put the ball in my court.  It made for a very interesting MOTD in 06 until I finally convinced her that not all sport bike riders are squids. 

I am sorry to hear this.

One of the things that generally appalls me in the US is the lack of rider education and the ridiculous lack of legislation regarding uneducated and immature riders on high-powered sportsbikes.

In almost every other country in the educated world there is some kind of graduated approach to motorcycle licencing.

Back home in the UK you are not allowed to even ride on the road until you have passed something called the CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), even then you must be at least 17 years old and you are limited to 125cc and something like 7hp. There are then a couple of options if you are over 21 you can take an intensive, multi-day course called a Direct Access Course, followed by a very, very comprehensive test (30 minutes long with an examiner behind on a motorcycle in radio contact with you). Assuming you pass the test, you are able to ride a 'full sized' bike, with no limitations.

For those under 21, there is no DAC ability, you can take further training and then pass your test, but then you are limited to 33hp for two years.

Technically it is almost impossible to legally ride a high-end sports bike before you are about 20 by which time you will, in theory have spent several years on smaller / slower machines learning your craft.

Over here, anyone with a coupe of thousand dollar$ can go get a bike that has startling abilities

0-60mph in 3 seconds ?
0-100mph in 6 ?
1/4 miles in 10 seconds @ 150+

No the kind of thing for someone that has only ridden a BMX in the past

I simply could no believe it when I took my riding test out here, it took ten minutes to do and I never even left the DMV parking lot - a complete joke.

There is the MSF course though, which I rate pretty highly. But not everyone does it.

Pretty sad really.....

[SB]

Don't even worry about it, Clo.       

Never say never, CW.  My wife and I did for 14 years then one day I found myself trying to figure out how to hold my nose with one hand while changing a diaper with the other.   

Interesting testing there, Max.  To carry it one step further how our laws are more lax.  My drivers license has an endorsement stating I can ride a motorcycle.  I've never taken a motorcycle test or even had a motorcycle to take the test on in my life.   

<edit> I looked at my DL wrong.  It's not an endorsement.  It's a class rating. 




When I was looking I was looking at the Yamaha FZ6. 

[ChrisW]

I guess if it happen it wouldn't be the end of the world but I would have to change my spending habits and that would really really suck ass. So i'm going to stay I'll never want them for now.


FZ6 is a great bike but a little soft for my liking.

[MaxN]

I like the FZ6, I looked at getting one for the commute a couple of years back. For an 'only bike' it is not a bad option, but I too prefer my bikes to be a little less kind and gentle.

I love the Speedy for its 'brute force' approach to the task in hand.

[inioway]

Wow, I thought I'd get abusive laughter for posting I have a Vespa in the motorcycle thread. Others like them too. 

Trouble is the ones I like are all from the 1960's and restored ones cost a fortune.

I hate the looks of the 'modern' ones......

Word on the cost of restored ones. I love the relatively classic look of mine when comparing them to others, most notably the ubiquitous Yamaha Zumas and Honda Metropoli 

Even predating hearing Richard Thompson sing about Vincents I've loved the looks of classic Brit bikes. The old Indians were good enough for James Dean so cool for me too. 

[bamatt]

Wow, I thought I'd get abusive laughter for posting I have a Vespa in the motorcycle thread. Others like them too. 

I was laughing at you... on the inside   

[korby]

SWiMBO is an Operating Room nurse, she tells me about various crash outcomes from time to time.

 . 
 

My wife worked for the law department of Kawasaki  . She saw a lot of crash photo's .

[MaxN]

Ini - isn't it about time you posted a pic of that Vespa ?????

[Pendergast]

While we're waiting for the Vespa pic heres a Triumph Bonneville that I think is about as pretty as a bike can get.  It was a centerfold in CycleWorld a few months ago.  Much upgrading was done as this will explain:  http://www.cycleworld.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=493

[MINIclo]

Ini - isn't it about time you posted a pic of that Vespa ?????

ini is pic-posting challenged . . .    

[inioway]

Clover's right but I'll give it a try. If this links, it's exactly the same model and color.

[MaxN]

I like that !

It is a touch too modern for my tastes, but I am sure that I could have a lot of fun with it

[MINIclo]

Clover's right but I'll give it a try. If this links, it's exactly the same model and color.

  YAY!   You did it!!!    I love your Vespa, Bob.  Did you name her?    I can just see you zipping around on her! 

[MaxN]

  YAY!   You did it!!!    I love your Vespa, Bob.  Did you name her?    I can just see you zipping around on her! 

If/When I get a Vespa, she will be called 'Lynd'

[inioway]

I'm trying to figure out some clever reason to name a Vespa Lynd. Why Lynd, Max? I agree it looks too modern as I tend toward retro looks with many things (an obvious one is the Mini). There is a Vespa out now that recreates the old styling much better. Even if it would have been available last year, it costs a bigger chunk of change than I wanted to pay.

Clover, I haven't named him/her. Now that I think of it, I haven't even sexed the thing yet.

[MaxN]

I'm trying to figure out some clever reason to name a Vespa Lynd

Vesper Lynd was the first of the 'Bond Girls', way better represented in the book rather than the surprisingly good movie though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesper_lynd