How passionate are you about riding?

[Carl 350]

Even the UN back in the 1970's declared that lots of island communities would be submerged by now, but it hasn't happened.

Yes it's happening.....

NASA Analysis Shows Irreversible Sea Level Rise for Pacific Islands

Climate change is rapidly reshaping a region of the world that’s home to millions of people.

www.jpl.nasa.gov

Climate Change: Global Sea Level

Global average sea level has risen 8-9 inches since 1880, and the rate is accelerating thanks to glacier and ice sheet melt.

www.climate.gov

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Lots of this happening and being reported online or in the news, land worldwide is being lost to the sea and it's forcing people to relocate.
There really is no argument any more that it isn't happening, of course you don't have to read it.


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[jadorff]

don't know about Europe but here in South Australia they are going to charge 1400au dollars to do the riding test and 2 years before you get a full bike licence .

 

[windmill john]

It’s a shame that market forces, marketing, making the world go round now dictate ’advancements’.
Whilst I poo pooed fuel injection etc for a long time, when working, it is a lot easier. The point I’m making is I think cars and motorcycles have gone way passed the point of any more ’advancements’. I switched off way before rider modes for example, kicked in. I’m still on the fence regarding disc brakes, due to the ease of maintenance of drums. Yes I understand brake fade, performance etc, so why are any of you riding 350 Enfieldo; rhetorical.
I think many things have reached their point of perfection, but I guess until we change the whole way of thinking, it’s not going to change.

 

[Carl 350]

It’s a shame that market forces, marketing, making the world go round now dictate ’advancements’.
Whilst I poo pooed fuel injection etc for a long time, when working, it is a lot easier. The point I’m making is I think cars and motorcycles have gone way passed the point of any more ’advancements’. I switched off way before rider modes for example, kicked in. I’m still on the fence regarding disc brakes, due to the ease of maintenance of drums.
I think many things have reached their point of perfection, but I guess until we change the whole way of thinking, it’s not going to change.

"It’s a shame that market forces, marketing, making the world go round now dictate ’advancements’."
Isn't that what's always fuelled "advancement"? Market forces. Manufacturers ultimately want to sell their products, making a "new model" even when it's not new but only has new cosmetics is a way to sell...

The fact we're on a Royal Enfield forum means most will have the same sentiments as you thought, part of the charm of these bikes is their old fashionedness!

But, advances in vehicles is a funny thing and fuel injection is a good example, from introduction (when it was the norm to have a badge on the boot so everyone knew you had Fi, heck even have it written out in full in huge graphics down the side!) some people were wary of it or didn't want it, but now it's standard on any new vehicle and let's face it it's bloody good & reliable! (OK, the very rare time it's not reliable it can be a P.I.T.A).
Drums are OK (and look better to my mind) but being honest, for use on the road I want at least a disc (or two) at the front, I think a drum can still be good at the rear though.

"I think cars and motorcycles have gone way passed the point of any more ’advancements’"
This has most likely been said since shortly after the second ever vehicle was made, and will continue to be said till the extinction comes! . It's the world gone mad (tongue in cheek) is one of my favourites! And true!

 

[Carl 350]

don't know about Europe but here in South Australia they are going to charge 1400au dollars to do the riding test and 2 years before you get a full bike licence .

Wow, that's quite a bit of money if you're young and it kind of goes against the cheap transport philosophy side of a economical bike.
Staggering the ages at which you can ride different powered bikes (UK) seems like a relatively good idea in theory, but nothing is "one size fits all".
By the time me and my friends could get on the road (UK, 80's, 16yo, 50cc) we could all ride as we'd all had "field bikes" or MX bikes if we were lucky, but none had road experience except for bicycles...
At 17 a two part test was all between us and any bike we wanted (well, any old knacker we could afford!). The test can't have been very expensive as I'd have remembered!
Times have-a-changed.

Who did a (UK) 250 as their first road bike?

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[Scramjet]

Wow, that's quite a bit of money if you're young and it kind of goes against the cheap transport philosophy side of a economical bike.
Staggering the ages at which you can ride different powered bikes (UK) seems like a relatively good idea in theory, but nothing is "one size fits all".
By the time me and my friends could get on the road (UK, 80's, 16yo, 50cc) we could all ride as we'd all had "field bikes" or MX bikes if we were lucky, but none had road experience except for bicycles...
At 17 a two part test was all between us and any bike we wanted (well, any old knacker we could afford!). The test can't have been very expensive as I'd have remembered!
Times have-a-changed.

Who did a (UK) 250 as their first road bike?

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I had a Fantic GT50 as my first non leg assisted mode of transport, back in 1976, swiftly followed by a Suzuki GT250 on my 17th birthday, in 77. I had to travel to the next town to take my test, as there were no traffic lights at the time in my own.

 

[Carl 350]

GT250 at 17....you owned the road!

I had a knackered purple (that I painted rattle can red) 70's FS1E, drum brakes & welded up pedals, bought for £30..... 60cc "kit" fitted by me that the needle bearing little end fell apart on, pick up magnet into the crankcase to pick up the bits and then the 50 fitted back on, carried on running..
Rode it one day from 150 miles using minor roads from Yorkshire to Cumbria beating an old truck that took main roads (A1m, A66), the truck driver couldn't believe it, he shouldn't have had such a long bacon butty break at Scotch corner I commented!

 

[windmill john]

Drums are OK (and look better to my mind) but being honest, for use on the road I want at least a disc (or two) at the front, I think a drum can still be good at the rear though.

My hatred started when I got brake fluid all over a certain caliper and it stripped all the paint off!
Let’s not get off topic, but the rear should be a drum on all bikes. They DO NOT NEED a disc. You never use the rear brake to that extent. Look at Moto GP riders, the rear wheel spends so much time off the ground.
Normal riding is at the most 50% at the rear and Winter time plus crappy weather, less than 25%.

 

[Turbofurball]

On road in normal driving at fully legal speeds the rear could be a drum and should be doing about 10% of the braking ... if you're off road, riding on a circuit, or doing Moto Gymkhana then you definitely want a disk at the back.

Royal Enfields seem to have this weird thing where the back brake is very powerful and the front weak, so I'm guessing in India that may be a different case entirely.

 

[BSA Biker]

Wow, that's quite a bit of money if you're young and it kind of goes against the cheap transport philosophy side of a economical bike.
Staggering the ages at which you can ride different powered bikes (UK) seems like a relatively good idea in theory, but nothing is "one size fits all".
By the time me and my friends could get on the road (UK, 80's, 16yo, 50cc) we could all ride as we'd all had "field bikes" or MX bikes if we were lucky, but none had road experience except for bicycles...
At 17 a two part test was all between us and any bike we wanted (well, any old knacker we could afford!). The test can't have been very expensive as I'd have remembered!
Times have-a-changed.

Who did a (UK) 250 as their first road bike?

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My test bike, at the age of 16 was a 250cc AJS -- model 14 if memories serves, it would show 85 on the speedo flat out so to me it was fast -- probably 75 mph actual.
The test centre was in Bournemouth and the test consisted of riding around the main road and side roads in a square with the examiner walking around in various places watching my progress. He had warned me that at some stage he would walk out in front of me and I had to make a controlled stop without staling the engine and not hitting him. After the riding part I was asked various questions from the Highway Code and hay presto I'd passed. In those days a wait of about a month from applying before actually taking the test was normal.
You then received a pink form which with the provisional licence could then be exchanged for a full motor cycle licence after that you could get a bike of any size.
Back in the 1950's at 16 you could use any bike with L plates on to ride with a provisional licence. That changed because of the amount of accidents by 'Mule Headed Motorcyclist's' as the TV advert told us.
Also if you had a motorcycle and sidecar combination then it was okay to ride that on L plates.

 

[windmill john]

... if you're off road, riding on a circuit, or doing Moto Gymkhana then you definitely want a disk at the back.

Purely out of interest, why?

 

[Carl 350]

AJS 250, brilliant @BSA Biker . 75mph sound pretty good too.

And funnily enough you pretty much described the bike test I took in around 1988ish (so things didn't change much) at 17 on my YB100, the examiner also sent me riding round a route and told me to expect him stepping out for an "emergency" stop, thing is I saw him from about a 100 yards away so was well prepared when he raised his clipboard at the side of the road.... But, I did have to go to a few (can't remember how many) CBT, Compulsory basic training classes first, they were actually fairly enjoyable.

Late 80's at 16 we could ride 50's on L plates then a 125 at 17 or unlimited with a sidecar (with a provisional license) as most probably know, but who remembers the pivoting excuse for a sidecar called a Sidewinder? Basically a long hinge with a wheel that still let you bank over!!
A (un-tested) 17 year old on any capacity/power bike with a dodgy little sidecar, what could possibly go wrong?




Sometimes laws did change for the better!
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[windmill john]

Like BSA Biker, I’m glad I took my test on a 250; KH250 triple in my case in 1980. Bought off a colleague who couldn’t afford the repayments.
Those were the years they talked about bringing the limit down to 125cc.

 

[windmill john]

Actually, before turbofurball comes back, I initially started riding in the dirt. Many years later, here’s me luckily on one of three trips to portugal off roading. Still would have no issue with a rear drum.

 

[Carl 350]

The rear brake type is preference, as both work and both have pros & cons, no amount of discussion will get a correct answer as there isn't one.

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[Bluestrom13]

But I think we're stuck with discs because they're easier (read cheaper?) to integrate into ABS systems.

At any rate, I think it was 2017 when EU made ABS obligatory on anything more than 125cc and since then anything larger seems to have rear disc brakes.
My car has hydraulic operated drums on the back, with ABS, but they are as complex as my bike's disc and caliper.
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I took my test on a lowly Lambretta 150cc. in 1967.
Emergency stop experience as @BSA Biker and @Carl 350, and then onto a Matchless G5 ("Lightweight" 350). £90 on hire purchase.
It was garbage!
I literally gave it away to see it gone, when I could ill-afford to.
But that is the only bike I've owned that I truly hated. Been on 2 wheels,(Maxi Scooters and "Proper Bikes") continuously ever since.
I have always self-maintained though, and my present Himalayan is the only new bike I've owned. Probably the last, too.
These days retirement means that I put many more (pleasure) miles on my two bikes than on my car.
(Just wish that my better half could still share them with me).

 

[windmill john]

Sorry to hear Bluestrom13…

Just moved into enforced early retirement and am still amazed/confused that I am happy with my Hunter’s power.
When I was commuting, well…. I’m not sure I would have ridden the Hunter then. But now…. I love it Like you, I do all my own maintenance and have for decades… on too many bikes Be Interesting to see how I’d feel if I went down to Switzerland again on a bike. Actually that’s not correct. We toured abroad a number of times, but now my wife has said and I agree, we’d rather do a big slog in a car and use a bike for local short trips. Once did 700 miles in a day… NEVER AGAIN!

 

[Bluestrom13]

But now…. I love it

Having owned and ridden Hunters when they were all Red ones, and manufactured by Ariel, the new RE Hunter compares well to those with its "speed".
(My pal has one, downsized from a Suzuki 650cc).
In most other aspects the modern bike(s) far exceed the old stuff. Suspension, lights, economy.
But back in the day, a 70mph top speed was acceptable, because traffic was slower....Reps in Cortinas being the most common speed merchants.
These days, I have to ask what people do with all that time they "saved".

Stick to "B" and "A" roads, and your Hunter will cover ground at a rate not much different to bigger bikes.
You'll certainly appreciate the journey more - and not be worrying about your license!

Enjoy your retirement.

 

[Turbofurball]

Purely out of interest, why?

On the track you're often rubbing the back brake to control the diameter of your cornering, so on either a fast or very twisty circuit the back brake is going to get hot after a couple of laps, with a drum that's going to be inconsistent just when you want to be cutting the same lap times as much as possible. Same goes for Moto Gymkhana, to the point where some competitive types fit brake fluid coolers to their rear calipers. Off road, aside from using the back brake a lot more during hard braking, when a drum brake is full of water it doesn't work for quite a while afterwards (never mind the nightmare that is how it all falls apart when you don't notice there's sand inside the brake and your hub gets destroyed in an afternoon, lol)

Interestingly you can get a new electric Cupra with drum brakes on the back because thanks to the drag of regenerative braking it doesn't need more power, so it's by no means a dead technology.

 

[Carl 350]

I still have a car with drum brakes all round and no servo.


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