I cut my teeth on a variety of 50’s, 100’s and 125’s in the early 80’s and then went to 4 wheels. In 1997 I took my DA course on a GN124 and a Suzuki GS500.

My first “real” bike was a 600 Bandit that I near wrote off after 3000 miles and 6 months! As soon as the injuries healed (4 weeks – broken arm and lots of bruises) I picked up a brand new GSXR600WW that I owned until about 3 months ago. At the moment I don’t really miss it as there’s too much else going on at home and at work but I’ll probably start pining next year when things calm down! During the same period my other half had a CBR600 (1989 model – too heavy for her), SV650 (not fast enough) and an R6 (she loved that).

I would really like a trackday bike – roads aren’t fun. I’ve lost too many friends and aquaintences recently on the roads, mostly through poor car drivers (how about someone changing the wheel on their caravan on a blind bend. Rider paraplegic, pillion killed) 🙁

JC
BIKELESS

Definitely – what a muppett! Doing it is stupid enough, admitting why is priceless!

http://www.darwinawards.com/

JC

Just remember that 99% of everything mentioned so far wouldn’t have a prayer against a sports bike over 600cc on the road 🙂

Just trying to think of the worst car that I’ve owned – most embarrassing was a Nova Saloon, but the most unreliable and frightening was a Dolomite 1850. That car (when it ran) would understeer at ridiculously low speeds and the rear didn’t slide, but hopped. I owned it for 9 months and managed 200 miles (Engine blew, gearbox broke, clutch seized, starter motor was intermittant and it would eat condensors every 30 miles causing the points to weld shut.)

For really bad cars see http://www.barryboys.co.uk/mx/

JC

Wasn’t the chap in the middle of the group photograph in Robbie Coltrane’s Planes Trains and Automobiles programme about Supercharged engines? Had his garage full of DB 60(lots) engines.

Top beastie that. Looks the business.

JC

Beat me to it Steve – the Lada Niva is truly appalling. Followed closely by the Riva. Whilst at Lotus (1990) I once drove a Niva from the workshop to the gate, and that was enough for me. I also drove a Niva from my Parents house to the MOT centre – 2 miles. I walked home. My father decided that cheap and cheerful would do – not a good move!

Best that I’ve driven? The latest Jaguar XJR. Stunning. On a more realistic note, the Mondeo TDCi is amazing – cruises at NSL + 30, wheelspins in the wet in 3rd gear and returns 40+ mpg. It might be a boring Ford but I’d have one tomorrow..

After nearly 17 years in the car industry it takes a lot to impress this jaded old cynic 🙂

JC

Hi John C,
No offence taken; but this type of resoration isn’t going to use modern materials for parts – the work done is to an originality requirement. Nothing wrong with GRP, but it’s not appropriate on this a/c from this company!

Hence the apology 😀 It’s just that the pointy spinner ruins the look for me! When I win the Lottery I promise to commision a short production run of blunt Hurricane spinners (in the original alloy of course!!!) 😉

JC

IMHO the blunt spinner is the better looking – the sharp item spoils the lines of the thing.

What airworthyness requirements could there be for a spinner? All it really does is covers up all of the scruffy VP gear and reduces the drag. So long as it stays attached to the aeroplane that’s all that really matters surely… Wouldn’t a GRP item do the job? Given an original, any good fibreglass fabricator would be able to reproduce them. Ok it’s not to the original design but it’s a lower cost option.

As I’m asking questions (again), how were the originals manufactured? They must have been pressed from aluminium, but do they need balancing? Are there high dynamic forces at work in the spinner area?

JC
with apologies to whoever I may have offended by suggesting that restorations can use GRP parts.