The moaning old git thread

[UK_Vstrom650]

I can't see the appeal of getting into biking for the young anymore. The testing system is a joke - three sets of tests, each with a theory test to progress up the different stages of licence, whereas you can just do a car test and be done with it. You also have (illegal) ebikes that all the Deliveroo folks etc ride around one which are relatively cheap to buy with zero maintenance . Or you have the (illegal) e-motorbikes that are cheap to buy online and are ridden illegally until you crash (I would say caught but the number who ride around here doing wheelies when they see police cars and nothing happens makes me unable to type it)

[2112]

I fully agree with the above. The licencing laws were brought about to reduce deaths in younger riders, which it has because there hardly are any of them! You can get a cheap 1.0 car for less than a second hand 125cc bike, take one test and then you're done. Unless the law changes (unlikely) the decline in biking will cnntinue. As we get older and less able the latest batch of 400/500cc bikes might keep us on the road for an extra few years, but the death of the UK bike industry is nigh unless there are some radical changes.

One bright spot is that there are more ladies taking to biking now than ever before. That's a big change and very welcome, but they seem to be in a similar demographic to most males (over 40). It's a start and some of the new 400/500cc bikes have very low seat heights to accomodate their needs, another plus point.

[Sir Trev]

I agree again Pete, they are great for people like me getting older. My 800, Bullseye, will probably be my last biggish bike, which I'm well aware of and fine with. Lady Poppy,  my lovely wife, keeps hinting she might like to get a bike again, 25 years after selling Eve, her beloved GS500E. If she does then the Speed 400 or similar would be perfect for her.

I seriously doubt I'd consider a bike for transport if I was a spotty 17 year old these days. Simple, cheap, utilitarian... none of those apply to bikes any more (although RE is going a fairly good job on cost with some of their models).

[Pete O Tube]

With all this tiddler talk, I was discussing with my brother earlier our impending CFMoto 450MT's (should be here for registration some time in March), that discussion lead to who's making what out of these bikes, our conclusion was, after the manufacturer, HMRC are probably the next to make the most out of the bike sale in VAT and duty, certainly more
than the dealer makes (I suggested earlier that Triumph dealers make less than £500 from a 400, I'd heard from 'someone in the know' it was actually around £400) - a sobering thought what HMRC receive without lifting a finger.

Just waiting for the local Honda dealer to receive a demo Hornet 1000SP and, subject to test ride, I'll think about chopping in my 765R.

[nigel s]

Hmmmm.

Fs1E, Cb100n, Tsx125...passed test.
250 superdream, Cj 360, 250 superdream,Xl 185, 400 superdream x2, Rd400, GSX 400f, Sx 250, Gs 550 X2 and on and up.

The point being apart from the TSX 125 ( a mistake ) they were all bought well used.
If older riders with more cash  than me had not bought those bikes originally, I would not have been able to buy them used at a price I could manage.

I may have had to get a Fiesta 1.1.............................................FFSake.

So... thank you to the blokes that  originally bought those " tiddlers"   

We need cheap used bikes like this for the younger riders to come up on.

So.. all good.

Ho Hum

[2112]

Yes, I followed a similar route starting with a free CD175 (I was robbed at free...) my first road bike an SS50 and then my first ever new vehicle a 1983 (Jan the 1st registration) CB100N in silver. Burnspeed in Newcastle were selling them for just £399, about £50 LESS than a year old one in brown! I actually made £25 on that when I part exchanged it for a two year old 250 Superdream. Then it was up to a Kawasaki Z750L2 (thank you K plan insurance, remember that ?) and then a Z1000MK11 - all before my 19th birthday! Happy days and everything seemed so much more affordable despite being on apprentices wages. Parts, tyres, petrol it all seemed manageable back then. And I still had hair...

[Brockett]

First bike at age 16 and a few days in 1964 was a 1958 BSA Bantam 175 D5. Passed my test in 1965 and in 1966 I bought a 1961 Royal Enfield 350. In 1968 I bought a 1954 BSA B31 in a number of boxes of bits and with a pair of flywheels a barrel and cylinder head, I converted the engine into a 500.  All new bearings , rebored, new valves guides and springs and it was good as new. Still had the 350 gearbox and gearing but it get a new clutch.  I had the wheel hubs laced onto 16inch Borani Alloy rims. I bought a single seat sidecar and chassis and fitted it to the bike. Max speed was about 65 which it would do up most hills due to the low gearing. I got a seat and fuel tank from an abandoned gold star (long story) and fitted flat trials bars. I used that outfit for four years as a commuter and for awayday trips to the coast etc. Then The baby arrived and something warmer was needed and bikes were off the menu for a couple of years.

[Pete O Tube]

Ahhh, the old days - they've been and gone and the ain't coming back, the kids of today just aren't interested in sufficient numbers regardless of how little a 50 or 125cc costs.
Look at the MCIA figures broken down by manufacturer and capacity, even the likes of Zontes aren't tempting enough and there just isn't the good secondhand stuff available to tempt someone away from buying a car first, which lets face it, has far more practical use and with 'comfort and luxury'.

On another note, but related, I bumped in to my neighbour in town who was running Pidcock Group (BMW, Triumph and Ducati) when they went bust, we went for brew, I wish I could repeat what was said but things like the manufacturers have their head in the sand in forcing dealers to do certain things e.g. they dictate staffing levels and obviously don't allow single site, multi franchise operations which has significant impact on overheads.

[nigel s]

 As to cars,  recently ,  a friend wanted to hand down his knackered  '02 Toyota Celica 2.0 to his 18 year old son after passing his test.....Till they found out the cheapest insurance quote was well over £2000 , more than the car was worth...   

That 1.1 Fiesta I mentioned ....  In  '84 The local Co Op insurance bloke came round ( remember when that was a thing  ) to quote me on a bike and said  " when you are ready " ( cheeky sod ) it would cost £110  TPFT for the Festa.

I tried telling that to an apprentice I had a few years ago when he got one ........he thought I was pulling his leg.
His premium ( a curious word for it  ) was 10x more!!!

Ho Hum

[nigel s]

I feel the need ...the need for speed

Mine was go faster silver too!

Complete with cable operated disc " brake "

Ho Hum

[NeilM]

This is on subject, but far from a moan.

A mate recently suggested VMCC insurance for my 2005 1200GS, so I gave them a ring.

The scheme is run by Peter James Insurance and ringing them was like going back in time, to when you could walk into your local insurance broker, have a chat and they'd sort you the most appropriate policy (Norwich Union rider policy anyone?).

So often these days, when you ring an 'insurance company' they are just a call centre and the person on the other end is just trying to flog you the highest price policy they can to make maximum commission, and even if they're not, that's what it feels like. Well, the ladies I spoke to at Peter James were the complete opposite.

In the end I joined the VMCC and insured both the Beemer and my near complete Triumph T140 which I have just 'refurbished'. We don't use the word rebuilt near the DVLA, not if we want to keep the original reg.

VMCC membership was £47 and VMCC, unlimited mileage fully comp was £167.04 (love the 4p) for both bikes. That's against quotes I had for the Beemer on 5000 miles limit of £189 to £250.

Since joining, the VMCC have also helped me with advice regarding changing the V5 of the Triumph to historic, which it now is. So I've had my membership money's worth already.

[crump]

Yeah I'm with Peter James, have been since my sidecaring days. You can talk to an actual person who actually knows their stuff and all my quotes and renewals have been very competitive.
Don't think you have to be members of any organization's but it sounds like that helps too.

[2112]

My Mrs reminded me that there was a picture of me on the SS50 in an album. Turns out there was, so here I am at 16 ready to tear up the highway ! Note - Centurion Sprint helmet & Morpeth market 'leather' jacket...

[nigel s]

  I had a jacket just like that, but mine had tassels.......I know....I know ..no excuse...

Must have really annoyed you 2112.............being left behind by all the Fizzies........... 

 Ho  Hum

[2112]

Very rarely did to be honest, the little SS could fair hustle along. The one I couldn't get near was a Puch Grand Prix, that thing was a rocket and it was still quicker than my CB100 !

[Brockett]

Today's date.... it must be science fiction and me, explaining a telephone box to my grandson and what a milkman was and why I did not have a favourite computer game when I was young.

[Brockett]

I wonder why the nearside of my car gets much dirtier than the offside. What's the science?

[Rusty Nuts]

"The Tip." A true story.
Our local tip no longer accepts ceramics. Apparently it's to reduce landfill. Out of curiosity I emailed my council to ask how I should dispose of an old wash basin and pedestal.
"You can't take it to the tip, but you can pay us to collect it."
"OK, I'll smash it up into tiny pieces and put it in my bin. Or dump it in a hedge."
"Fly tipping is illegal."
"What do your men do with it when they collect it?"
"It goes in a special skip and when full that skip goes to landfill."
"OK, where's this secret skip? I'll bring it down."
"There is no public access to this skip."


Is it any wonder people cart their bulky waste to the kerb and leave it there?

[Brockett]

Yes. Same as where I live. It's another racket so we pay the council to do what we already pay the council to do when we pay our council tax.

[Upt North]

Also a true story of tippiness.
Changed the coolant in The B.
Me....I'm going the tip anyway I'll take the coolant too, it's horrible nasty crap and I've probably polluted the earth enough already.
Tip operative, jobsworth, PITA....we can't take that ere it's orrible!
Me....any suggestions operative.
Tip operative....I tip mine down the drain.