Bike buying - head or heart

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Dusty
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#76 Post by Dusty » Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:50 am

Indeed, Andy, and that's a much nicer car than mine! When you factor in tyres, servicing and road tax, the car looks even more attractive. My commute was, until recently, over 500 miles per week and, even if I'd wanted to rack up that many miles on the bike, I couldn't afford to!

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#77 Post by randomsquid » Thu Feb 19, 2015 5:49 pm

I agree a nice little c*r would be more sensible and probably cheaper but a lot of my journey skirts or crosses the M6 and I don't have the patience for sitting in the queues of traffic that build up at the drop of a cyclist. Also I never got round to learning how to drive. Maybe this year I'll do it.

On the snow/slush front we don't get much. This winter I've ridden in snow once and found three small icy bits. We're in the middle, the weather is worn out by the time it gets here. We get year round grey mush that sometimes gets a bit warmer or colder.
Where ever I lay my hat.....

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#78 Post by MartDude » Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:23 pm

randomsquid wrote: We get year round grey mush that sometimes gets a bit warmer or colder.
You eat grey pays all year round? That explains a lot. It's not your bum filling those jogging pants, it's the fermentation products of the grey pays.
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#79 Post by mangocrazy » Thu Feb 19, 2015 9:12 pm

MartDude wrote:You eat grey pays all year round? That explains a lot. It's not your bum filling those jogging pants, it's the fermentation products of the grey pays.
The only pays I want filling my pants is Vin de Pays, preferably red... :smt003

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#80 Post by randomsquid » Sun Feb 22, 2015 5:39 pm

mangocrazy wrote:
MartDude wrote:You eat grey pays all year round? That explains a lot. It's not your bum filling those jogging pants, it's the fermentation products of the grey pays.
The only pays I want filling my pants is Vin de Pays, preferably red... :smt003
And the award for most perverted post goes to Mango.
I've made my mind up, I'm going to buy -































A Honda.
If the weather brightens up a bit next weekend I'm going to go see the big Honda shop in Bromsgrove, bounce on stuff, sort test rides.
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#81 Post by HisNibbs » Sun Feb 22, 2015 6:47 pm

And they say that you'll meet the nicest people on a Honda...
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#82 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:24 pm

HisNibbs wrote:And they say that you'll meet the nicest people on a Honda...
I've had lots of Hondas. A C200, a CD175, a CB77 and three (3!) VFR 750s. Not sure what that proves, mind. There is always the exception that proves the rule, I guess...

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#83 Post by D-Rider » Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:55 pm

I've only ever had one bike that wasn't a Honda .... my Falco

Started on a C50 .... then a CB175 ..... that was nicked so I bought a CB250 ... then a CB400F ..... then a VF750
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#84 Post by randomsquid » Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:56 pm

I've had the occasional Honda and I'm the nicest people.

C90 - old and very worn, 2 x CB500T - piss poor, CB360 - Horace the horrible Honda and a GL650 which kept trying to kill me. Hmm, I have terrible taste in bikes.
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#85 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Feb 22, 2015 11:16 pm

D-Rider wrote:then a VF750
Did yours suffer the dreaded chocolate cams? I liked the look of them, but was heavily into two-strokes (350LC et al) at the time...

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#86 Post by D-Rider » Sun Feb 22, 2015 11:49 pm

mangocrazy wrote:
D-Rider wrote:then a VF750
Did yours suffer the dreaded chocolate cams? I liked the look of them, but was heavily into two-strokes (350LC et al) at the time...
Yep.

It was a poor buy - a bit of a dog.
Gave it away to a mate in the end.
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#87 Post by flatlander » Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:25 am

I had a cx500 which didn't like anything that wasn't straight lines and fair weather and I'm definitely not nice used to have bits of blanket taped to it to soak up the oil leaks
For the avoidance of doubt and for the benefit of my wife, not everything I may say here will be absolutely true I may on ocassion embellish a little for effect.
That said when it comes to motorbikes, I like to ride side saddle with a nice frock

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HisNibbs
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#88 Post by HisNibbs » Mon Feb 23, 2015 8:31 am

And I've never owned one...

In the early days I worked on and rode a couple and thought them awful on both counts so prejudice was formed. The early twins were made from cheese and I know it's sacralidge but I found the 400/4 totally gutless and the cb750 fat and bland. I liked the cg125 and cb900 mind, so on reflection and general reputation, they have made some good bikes.
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#89 Post by D-Rider » Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:01 am

HisNibbs wrote: and I know it's sacralidge but I found the 400/4 totally gutless
Sacrilege indeed Mr Nibbs.

OK there wasn't much below 7,000 rpm but from 7,000 to 10,500 it certainly gathered up its skirts.
It was the fastest of the 400cc class bikes of its day (even though it cheated a little at 408cc). Best of all it had a really sweet chassis and handled better than the opposition.
I expect perceptions of capability may have been down to its 4-stroke power delivery compared with the 2-strokes step-change power band.

Yes, just like the Falco, I'll defend the 400/4 with (almost) every fibre of my being. On the twisty roads I used to ride, nothing could live with it - so I owe it to stick up for it.


There again not all bikes suit all people so if it didn't do it for you, that's OK.
:smt004
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#90 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Mon Feb 23, 2015 10:27 am

IMHO

400/4 was a nice bike but compared to the other light weights it was only a winner in handling - pure speed - or rather the illusion of - the rd400 and kh400 were more attractive

Having owned a kh350 and 400 they were quick but.... The handling was scary when I roder them (around 1983/4) and I reckon would scare me shitless now


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


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