Motorcyclists Corner.....

[logjam]

I see they're actually making a law to make lane splitting legal. I suppose they always did it, but there was no specific law making it legal. I know in the Vancouver area, they always did it, but if an accident occurred, they made the motorcyclist liable. I was always scared that jealous car drivers would deliberately cut me off or open their doors just as I was passing. Reminds me of the time I got stuck in a traffic jam for 2 hours(in a car) I was bursting for a P and just had to go. Of course, while I was doing it, some motorcyclist had to be sneaking past.

[expat]

Lane splitting is illegal here in Germany.............But all bikers do it.

Matt

[Fozzer]

Lane-splitting/filtering

I occasionally do it, but with extreme care, in stationary, and slow moving traffic.
You never know when someone is going to open the door, and step out of their car, etc, to see what the hold-up is!

I've even filtered carefully past stationary Police Cars in a traffic queue...with no problems.

Some bikers go crazy when lane-splitting, and that's what scares me...and motorists!

Paul....doing the splits.... ...!

[expat]

Lane-splitting/filtering

I occasionally do it, but with extreme care, in stationary, and slow moving traffic.
You never know when someone is going to open the door, and step out of their car, etc, to see what the hold-up is!

I've even filtered carefully past stationary Police Cars in a traffic queue...with no problems.

Some bikers go crazy when lane-splitting, and that's what scares me...and motorists!

Paul....doing the splits.... ...!

There are a few videos of Russian bikers lane splitting...........I can only think that they have a death wish.....

Matt

[Fozzer]

Latest upload, (not involving lane-splitting!).
A trip around the Herefordshire countryside very early in the year, 2016, shortly after purchasing my "new" Honda Rebel cruiser in late December 2015.
A cold, wet trip, in the watery Winter sunshine, along some of the narrow, muddy country lanes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yulEbQrM_n8

...A nice trip, ending in a visit to Sainsbury's Superstore to buy some goodies to warm me up after the cold journey!

Paul.... ....!

[Hawkeye07]

I just read this in a history website and thought you guys might be interested...


Lawrence of Arabia’s Motorbike Returns Home

T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, owned a 1929 Brough Superior SS-100 motorbike, nicknamed George VI. It was one of 10 motorbikes on display in Clouds Hill, Bovington to commemorate 100 years since Lawrence’s involvement in the Arab Revolt of World War I.

Among the other motorbikes on display was George IV. It was customized to fit Lawrence’s height, with the top of the fuel tank cut away to allow for the lower saddle. That motorbike is still locally owned and ridden.

Lawrence owned seven of the bikes manufactured by hand by George Brough of Nottingham. They were expensive machines, costing £100 to £185 – the equivalent of a year’s wages or the price of a small house in the 1920s.

Lawrence came to Clouds Hill after enlisting in the Tank Corps in 1923. George VI was a gift from George Bernard Shaw and his wife Charlotte in 1929, after Lawrence returned from his duties in India. He was uncomfortable with such generosity, though, and insisted on paying for the bike himself.

One of Lawrence’s first trips on George VI would have been to Clouds Hill; he often traveled between Plymouth and London as well. He could make the 235 mile trip in under 5 hours while traveling in excess of 90mph. Lady Nancy Astor was also seen riding pillion through Plymouth, where she was an MP. This was a source of bemusement to the locals.

While riding George VII, Lawrence was fatally wounded on May 13, 1935, just a few hundred yards from his Clouds Hill home.

[Fozzer]

Hello Hawk....

We Brits are well versed in the marque, and history of; Brough Superior Motorcycles!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brough_Superior

My 1948 HRD (Vincent) 1,000cc Rapide, 125 MPH Vee-twin was/is in a similar class!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Motorcycles

Funnily enough, because of its complexity, it was the most troublesome motorcycle I ever owned!

I finally sold it, in bits, to buy my 1992 Honda CBR 600FM Supersport Motorcycle in 1992!

..no more problems then..until it got stolen in 1995, from my front garden in broad daylight!

Jap Bikes from then on...with really big locks and chains...!

Paul....2 Honda's, and 2 Yamaha's!.... ...!

P.S...Hawk: Lawrence; He wasn't wounded...he fell off his bike and died. When I fall off my bike I try to live... ...!

[Hawkeye07]

"P.S...Hawk: Lawrence; He wasn't wounded...he fell off his bike and died. When I fall off my bike I try to live.."

Hi Paul! I immediately raised the B.S. Flag when I read "wounded" too. I think whoever wrote the original article must have been on a deadline crunch and didn't proof read the finished copy.
I fell off my bike once too. I was banged, broken, bruised, battered, scratched and scraped but never wounded.

[Fozzer]

Another one of my many motorcycle trips down Memory Lane in the 1950's for me!

Part of the 12-mile run from the village of Pontrilas to the town of Abergavenny, on the A465 Trunk Road, with the original road appearing and disappearing along the way!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwEMEbzL5lk[/youtube]

Amongst my Herefordshire roads, most of which have changed dramatically over the past decades, from when I remember travelling them in the early 1950's on my various Motorcycles!

Paul..... ...!

[Flacke]

Fozzer, that was very nice, AND I LOVED THE BACKGROUND MUSIC!
Normally I detest the noise in the background of youtube videos. It often has an irritating pounding sound and other racket. Its even worse when it drowns out the sound airplane engines etc.

By the time I was born, the World had already gone full-color. So it was nice to see in your video what British roads looked like in the Black and White era!

As usual, I added a "Like" thumbs-up vote on your video in YouTube.

[Fozzer]

Fozzer, that was very nice, AND I LOVED THE BACKGROUND MUSIC!
Normally I detest the noise in the background of youtube videos. It often has an irritating pounding sound and other racket. Its even worse when it drowns out the sound airplane engines etc.

By the time I was born, the World had already gone full-color. So it was nice to see in your video what British roads looked like in the Black and White era!

As usual, I added a "Like" thumbs-up vote on your video in YouTube.

Many thanks for your support, Flacke!.... ...!

I could do with a few more "Thumbs up"; but as you notice, I have opted to prevent any text replies to my You-Tube video posts.....

...for obvious reasons to anyone who regularly watches You-Tube videos... ... ...!!

It always nice to see that other You-Tubers are "enjoying" my videos, but my main object was/is to post "links" to the Videos, for my friends (Sim V and others) and my family to view, ....with no fear of crass replies!

Re: The "background music". Neither of my Bikes exhibit a nice "Harley-Davidson" exhaust sound, only a wind and engine drone for the length of the video which can be rather annoying, so I add either Text or Music or both, to the video.
My recent experiments with my Camera's external Microphone for speech, etc, have proved to be unsuccessful so far.
It still picks up unwanted background noise...(my voice).... ....!

I used to use "Dropbox" to store and display my videos, but as they have a 2GB limit on storage, I had to keep deleting previous posts to make room for new ones, which results in a "Dead Link" for anyone attempting to view the older ones!

After overcoming the initial complications of signing up to You-Tube, I now have no storage problems with my videos!... ...!

Another advantage of You-Tube, is that I have now become "Immortal", and will be available for centuries to come!... ...!

Paul....I like being Immortal!.... ...!

P.S...More stuff coming up...Watch this space.... ...!

[Fozzer]

The Joys of Kick-Starting.... ....

.....Japanese-American style!....>>>>

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfCu44sQeVA[/youtube]

I have great fun identifying all the different models:
Flat heads, Iron heads, Knuckle heads, Pan heads, Shovel heads, Evo's, etc....

There must be some extremely wealthy Bikers amongst that group owning those vintage machines!

Lots of Biker Enthusiasts, always with big grins, in Japan!... ....!

Paul.... ...!

Awful wet day, today, so no biking.... ...!

[logjam]

Just have to laugh watching all the "Men" kick starting their Harleys the girls way. I have yet to find a you tube vid showing the correct way to kick start. ie kicking whilst astride. Has the world gone mad or something?

[Fozzer]

Just have to laugh watching all the "Men" kick starting their Harleys the girls way. I have yet to find a you tube video showing the correct way to kick start. ie kicking whilst astride. Has the world gone mad or something?

Hello Log!.... ...!

...the funny thing is, even the knowledgeable Vintage Harley owners in America, North and South, always seem to start their bikes by laying them over onto the L/H kick stand/prop stand, standing on the R/H side, and leaping up and down on the R/H kick-starter.

It always amazes me that the kickstand, and its frame-mounted bracket, survives the weight of the bike, plus the weight of its owner applying enormous stress to it without breaking off!

I start my Yamaha by sitting astride the bike and kick-starting it, but as the bike is a low compression 2-stroke single, it is very easy to spin over!
Big Harley's don't "spin"...they just go "plop"....once.... and always at the wrong crank angle to fire the mixture!.... ....!

There is a certain technique to kick start a big 4-stroke engine on a motorcycle...
...I learnt that lesson on my 1948, 1,000cc vee-twin, Vincent HRD Twin!
Get it on the wrong stroke, and it will NEVER start!.... ...!

I think that all naked bikes should be fitted with BOTH electric AND kick starters, for times when the battery is flat!
I can always start my Yamaha in the depths of Winter with a flat battery...bless her!

"Magnetos" and weak sparks, were always the problem when starting old Motorcycles....I know!
No such problems with simple, low-cost, modern electronic CDI (Capacitor Discharge) ignition systems!

Paul....occasionally a bright spark..... ...!

[expat]

Here is a funny one.........Observe when people start their bike. Start and then they push back to their starting point....Why, not like you need power steering
I always push back and then start........Or am I the odd one.....

Matt