Hairy Bikers and Other Petrol Heads

NHY 581

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Thought I'd pop in and add to the chaos.....

A few of mine......

To start here's the current ride. Owned from new and a constant companion for the last 19 years of my 35 years of riding.

We've had quite a few adventures over the years including several visits to the Dragon Rally, touring to the Czech Republic and a run to the Elefant Rally at the Nurburgring in Feb 2015.

I've just fitted new wheels, silencers and generally had a fiddle and a tweak.


Rob. 20200830_134122-04.jpeg
 
SimonT

SimonT

Western Thunderer
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I've done the A5 Pass from low level, but not this low! In a fast jet, when you are abeam the rock on the right, you turn the jet upside down to pull down and around the bend into the valley 500ft below the dam wall. In Albert, one goes to about 60 degrees of bank to avoid spilling the cup of tea.
 
NHY 581

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
Once, when working as a dispatch rider, my work bike let me down. I wheeled out my 1978 XT500 as a substitute. Large alloy tank, 'less restrictive' exhaust, lumpy cam, hi-comp piston......it flew, embarrassed a lot of bigger stuff and sounded great but was a tad moody at times. Successful starting relied on effective use of the valve lifter.........and paying attention.

In my haste I rushed to start it. My warning came in the form of an enthusiastic 'kick back'. I chose to ignore this in my rush to get going. Boot slipped off kick start on the downward swing. Kick start returned, with some vigour, striking me across the shin.

Bike back in garage. Day off, leg up.

Lesson learnt.

Rob.
 
Eastsidepilot

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
NHY 581 said:
Large alloy tank, 'less restrictive' exhaust, lumpy cam, hi-comp piston......it flew, embarrassed a lot of bigger stuff and sounded great but was a tad moody at times. ...................
..........In my haste I rushed to start it. My warning came in the form of an enthusiastic 'kick back'. I chose to ignore this in my rush to get going. Boot slipped off kick start on the downward swing. Kick start returned, with some vigour, striking me across the shin.

Bike back in garage. Day off, leg up.

Lesson learnt.

Rob.
Click to expand...

My last Triton was like that, not a daily user to get to work !, 11.1 comp., high lift cams and big carbs etc. ...
very often involved the old Le Mans style start !

Scan_20200530 (8).png

Col.
 
simond

simond

Western Thunderer
Likewise.

I don’t doubt the Bridgestone BattleAxes on my Guzzi & F650 are better in lots of ways, but since I’ve got older, my boots seem to last longer...

I doubt I’d have lived this long had I had something like your Triton back in my teens.

Atb
Simon
 
Eastsidepilot

Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
simond said:
...........I doubt I’d have lived this long had I had something like your Triton back in my teens.

Atb
Simon
Click to expand...

Do you know what Simon I do often wonder how we survived, I know of a few who sadly didn't. But when you consider some of the bikes that we rode compared with today's offerings.
I started out in the 70's thrashing round on beat up Triumph and Norton twins etc. not that powerful to be honest, then the Jap's gave us the likes Honda CB 750 ,Suzuki GT750 and Kawasaki Z's etc.
70 and 80 BHP rockets with a drum brake on the rear and a single disc up front if you were lucky, scary stuff really. Today's superbikes have proper brakes to be honest. I got away with it on the Brits with there feeble brakes but on the Japs they weren't that much better , you felt you could push the limit further and all the Guy's I remember that never came home all died on those early Jap's.
The Tritons where in my latter days of riding and highly tuned ( 12s standing quater at Santa Pod :D ) and I could lose my mate on his big Kawasaki through the twisty stuff , he couldn't believe how much gas he had to give it to catch me on the straights but he could out brake me all day long:rolleyes:

Col.:D
 
simond

simond

Western Thunderer
I was lucky, I didn’t lose any mates in accidents, though we all lost some skin here & there. I had a long gap between the 250 and my Guzzi, which I bought when I was 31, by which time I’d grown up a bit...

When I bought it, I was living at a mate’s place whilst studying again (perpetual student) and he bought a really nice Kwak 900 - 4, it had a 4 into 1 which he replaced with the proper 4 into 4 pipes. We went out for a blast and a jar after work/college every once in a while. Whilst it was undoubtedly a thing of beauty in mirrorflake green and gold, it galled me that everyone who saw the bikes parked together raved over the Kwak, and almost ignored the Guz...

I suppose good taste is a product of education :)

Atb
Simon
 
Peter Cross

Peter Cross

Western Thunderer
NHY 581 said:
Once, when working as a dispatch rider, my work bike let me down. I wheeled out my 1978 XT500 as a substitute. Large alloy tank, 'less restrictive' exhaust, lumpy cam, hi-comp piston......it flew, embarrassed a lot of bigger stuff and sounded great but was a tad moody at times. Successful starting relied on effective use of the valve lifter.........and paying attention.

In my haste I rushed to start it. My warning came in the form of an enthusiastic 'kick back'. I chose to ignore this in my rush to get going. Boot slipped off kick start on the downward swing. Kick start returned, with some vigour, striking me across the shin.

Bike back in garage. Day off, leg up.

Lesson learnt.

Rob.
Click to expand...

I have a very bumpy right shin, from my younger days.
 
NHY 581

NHY 581

Western Thunderer
A couple of years ago I popped into a bike shop with my lad. As we arrived, a young looking sales assistant was wheeling out a very nice SR400 alongside of which walked the new owner. We stopped to admire what was a bike which was right up my street.

I commented to my lad ' This could be interesting' as the somewhat spotty sales assistant unfolded the kick start. The SR 400 did not have a lecky foot.

Several animated leaps, a largish crowd and one hefty kickback later the spotty chap retired hurt leaving the new owner looking a tad anxious.

Spotty chap returned with older colleague. Correct use of the valve lifter and sight glass in the cam box later and the SR came to life. Happy owner rode away.
A somewhat scathing look between colleagues followed by an uttered 'Fanny' between said colleagues and they returned to the shop.

My lad summed things up with a simple,

'That could have gone better'
 
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