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Attention automotivebicylist infidels

By Rogerborg (Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:46:12 AM EST) (all tags)

Would you recommend it as a mode of transport, or just a way to avoid finding out whether there's going to be a pensions crisis or not?

I ask because I am seriously pondering having a (second) mid-life crisis, and it seems more efficient to buy a poorly built unsafe menace to life and limb than to build one myself.

I've juggled the stats, and while the headline is "ZOMG UR DED", it seems like in my age group and wearing hi-vis gear while riding during the day in fair weather (all givens), it's no more dangerous than being a cager.

Bloody cagers. The worst ones are the type who know they are much better than the average driver, by which I mean that they think it's skill rather than good luck that removes obstacles from their path, but when they do eventually have a prang it'll be down to bad luck. Still, we don't get a lot of Corvettes or whatever Blixco drives over here, so I might get away with it.

Since it's fun, it's obviously more or less prohibited by European law, and set to become more so later this year, so I'd best get a move on. On the other hand, I could just keep sitting the CBT every 2 years and trundle around on a ridiculously pimped out 125 indefinitely.

Cowboy hat and latent homosexuality strictly optional, I hope.

What say thee, peons of HuSI? Death, or dullness?

< George, post-morted | Just one time in your life. . . >

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Attention automotivebicylist infidels | 31 comments (31 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

Attn Webwench infidel by anonimouse (4.00 / 2) #1 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:49:37 AM EST

Troll here

Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL

: Some ammo from Farmgirl by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #26 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:33:13 PM EST

Apparently, I'm only lacking the cowboy hat, not the other.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

ObTopGearArielAtomLi by yicky yacky (4.00 / 2) #2 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:56:03 AM EST

----
Done.

: Nailed me with the intro by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #5 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:25:34 AM EST

Uncannily so, in fact. The Atom looks fun, but I've pretty much got that out of my system. Mine had a windscreen of sorts, granted.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

Remember that anyone driving rather than riding by wiredog (4.00 / 1) #3 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:00:52 AM EST

is one or more of

blind
drunk
stoned
stupid

Riding is fun, in good weather, and not too extremely dangerous. Probably safer overall than wizard and hobbiting. If you ride paranoid.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}

Paranoia pre-emptively engaged by Rogerborg (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:26:47 AM EST

I already drive as though everyone (else, obviously) is blind, drunk, stupid and stoned. And that's just the men.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

: One more assumption by wiredog (4.00 / 1) #11 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:55:08 AM EST

The roads are maintained by people who are not just idiots, but evil anti-motorcycle activists who want you to be hurt. They will do this by, for example, milling the pavement on a curve, leaving loose gravel on the milled pavement, and not putting up warning signs. Or by allowing oil that drips from cars stopped at a light to accumulate, on a steep hill, in summer.
Both of these things will cause a motorcycle to go down.

Earth First!
_{(We can strip mine the rest later.)}
[ Parent ]

four wheels good by Merekat (4.00 / 1) #4 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:03:23 AM EST

two wheels better?

On the other hand, Google Ads seems to suggest you should get a horse.

No horses by Rogerborg (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:27:39 AM EST

Where would I apply the chrome polish?

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

: I thought that was Farmgirl's job.. by sasquatchan (4.00 / 1) #14 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 10:15:55 AM EST

polishing your chrome indeed..

[ Parent ]

The Hurt report is the gold standard by georgeha (4.00 / 3) #6 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:25:53 AM EST

but a middle aged man wearing proper gear, having training and not drinking is low risk. I'd recommend a Royal Enfield, made with the same tools and machines, but now made in India. It's like supporting the Empire, outsourced.

: Thanks, that's interesting reading by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #10 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:50:03 AM EST

12. Most motorcycle accidents involve a short trip associated with shopping, errands, friends, entertainment or recreation, and the accident is likely to happen in a very short time close to the trip origin
Most automacar accidents too, IIRC. I get even more paranoid than usual within a mile of Castle Borg.
Oh, hang on...

female motorcycles riders are significantly overrepresented in the accident data
I'm sorry, I thought we were interested in a factual discussion, not in spreading unsubstantiated misogynist propaganda.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

Blimey by Phage (4.00 / 1) #9 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:41:40 AM EST

Fatboy vs 916 is a big bloody range. What sort of thing did you have in mind ? A scooter is a $deathmachine, but a Bonnie is always a cool choice.
I would recommend professional training (not some twat from the DMV) whatever you choose.

The Czar of Accounting. No Nit Too Small To Pick

I was thinking of a Ribbed Tickler by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #12 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:58:03 AM EST

Do. You. Know. Anyone. Who. Speaks. English?

I'm more of the mindset that the way to get round a corner is to slow down, make some hand signals, perhaps pull over to light a pipe and read the paper first.

I suspect that folks who possess the desire to learn how to corner fast on their KamikaZe ZZ600Z may be slightly overrepresented in road accidents.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

Ahem by Phage (4.00 / 1) #16 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:26:06 AM EST

Fatboy = Big ugly american bike. Think Easy Rider.
916 = Totally impractical Italian racing machine. Think a red razorblade.

The skills learned in such a school apply to safe handling of any machine. If you're thinking a pipe in your gauntlets, you'll want a Bonneville. The Enfield is a nice idea, but I'd like a bike with modern brakes and electrics TYVM.

The Czar of Accounting. No Nit Too Small To Pick
[ Parent ]

: Hey! OLD GUY! by Rogerborg (4.00 / 2) #24 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:18:22 PM EST

If we can stop talking about the bikes that folks were lashing with their buggy whips back in Nineteen Dickety-Six, for a proper mid-life crisis, I have to ride what the young shavers are riding these days, and that's Asian, all the way. Jinlun is the new Triumph.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

It's hard to get a leg over wearing a skirt by georgeha (4.00 / 2) #13 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 10:12:20 AM EST

err, kilt, so step throughs make a lot of sense.

[ Parent ]

My mate's got one by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #15 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 10:25:11 AM EST

Dead good for urban driving, cheap on petrol, if it's a decent enough size you can go long distance as well. I think safety is the only worrty really.

Obviously with death and injury statistics, you have to look at how many of those people are complete idiots and whether you are a complete idiot as well. They tend to skew things a bit.

Going down the A13 on the bacdk of my mate's bike at 100mph is fun, but not something I want to do too often statistically.

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It's political correctness gone mad!

Nobody thinks they are the idiot by garlic (4.00 / 2) #21 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 01:55:58 PM EST

It's everyone else. Bikes are dangerous because they're harder to drive, and harder for other drivers to see. Add in no belts or balloons, and any accident is much more dangerous as well.

given all that, they are a load of fun in good weather. Pretty miserable in cold or wet weather though.

[ Parent ]

: I thought the Gold Wing had airbags? by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #25 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:21:55 PM EST

Maybe I'm thinking of AirCon.
Oops - life imitates satire.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

You need by Breaker (4.00 / 2) #17 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:36:19 AM EST

A Vincent Black Shadow.

Go for it!!! by ad hoc (4.00 / 1) #18 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 11:48:57 AM EST

I can't wait!
--
The three things that make a diamond also make a waffle.

How can this film exist by Rogerborg (2.00 / 0) #22 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 02:54:43 PM EST

And yet I have never heard of it? Something is wrong here. Has Spock grown a Van Dyke overnight?

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

: And by ad hoc (4.00 / 1) #27 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 05:11:28 PM EST

it has Ed Harris nekkid.
+1
Actually, it's not a bad movie. A bit dated with the hairdos and the Billy Jack ethos, but pretty good.

--
The three things that make a diamond also make a waffle.
[ Parent ]

The only dead motorcyclists I know of by ammoniacal (4.00 / 1) #19 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 12:53:44 PM EST

were killed in the EU. Think about that for a minute, then resume your frippery.

PMSbuddy.com -- Saving relationships, one month at a time!

I see your point by Rogerborg (2.00 / 0) #30 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:51:34 PM EST

In a civilised nation, they'd have been packing heat and able to defend themselves.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

: In our enlightened Nanny State... by ammoniacal (4.00 / 1) #31 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 09:00:34 PM EST

sure, you can carry your Gat to the range like that, but if some random Soccer Mom "fears for her safety" after viewing it, then it's the joint for you.
PMSbuddy.com -- Saving relationships, one month at a time!
[ Parent ]

That looks like my wife's motorcycle. by blixco (4.00 / 1) #20 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 01:33:26 PM EST

I'd totally peg you for one of those Classic Bike chaps ("Real bikes for blokes with spanners") riding a Norton or a BSA, or going really left-field into Jawa or Laverda territory.

God, what I wouldn't give for a Norton Commando 850 in decent running order. OH WAIT, they wer e*never* in decent running order!
---------------------------------
"You bring the weasel, I'll bring the whiskey." - kellnerin

Slow, badly made, unreliable, expensive by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #23 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 03:13:00 PM EST

China is flooding the market with bikes that achieve 3/4 of that list, and I think I can live without the expense. I'm pretty much past the stage of punching myself in the happy sack just so that I can sport a "Classic" badge.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

Well, by ni (4.00 / 2) #28 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:26:00 PM EST

I'd totally peg you for one of those Classic Bike chaps

I certainly misread that.

"These days it seems like sometimes dreams of Italian hyper-gonadism are all a man's got to keep him going." -- CRwM
[ Parent ]

: Naughty. by blixco (2.00 / 0) #29 Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 07:48:31 PM EST

---------------------------------
"You bring the weasel, I'll bring the whiskey." - kellnerin
[ Parent ]

Attention automotivebicylist infidels | 31 comments (31 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback