Forum

[windmill john]

Hope no one takes offence at this. I thought this a number of years ago. I think I started as a category B and over the years have popped into ‘C’ occasionally.


I’ve had a feeling for a while that there are three categories of rider.

A is not top, just three categories; here goes:

Category A - Must be a sports bike. or the latest, must wear Dianese or Arlen Ness, Arai helmet, R&G crash bungs, would kill themselves if panniers were seen near their bike, laugh at top boxes. If you mention you ride something else, they laugh derisely. They might have luggage, but not sure what to do with it.

Category B - Most normal people. A top box is seen a s a sensible addition. Wear Goretex because it generally makes more sense. May have leather as well but wear it when appropriate. Possibly uses panniers, or thinks they're a good idea; and heated grips. Knows a caliper from a carburettor. Will mod their bike for sensible reasons.

Category C - Wouldn't mind modifying an orange crate to make a top box. Might use gaffer tape to hold something to their bike. Function over form. Will adapt anything to fit their bike if it helps.

[Rattlebattle]

Category B fits me best. Also, no offence to be taken, but I think there' s another category, probably with sub-categories - the classic biker. He usually owns two or three old bikes and a few more in pieces together with a mountain of spares in the shed/garage. He knows everything there is to know about the BSA Bombshell Mk 2 and displays it regularly at bike shows. He seldom rides it otherwise and it's often in pieces in thr shed. He thinks there's nothing new under the sun and eschews disc brakes, points ignition, electric starters. His idea of a rider's aid is to have a pillion to push start his bike for him. Don't forget the Harley riders and the BMW riders either. In fact there is an awful lot of tribes and species of rider, but hey, we're all riding, which is the main thing. Live and let ride!

[papasmurf]

Category C - Wouldn't mind modifying an orange crate to make a top box. Might use gaffer tape to hold something to their bike. Function over form. Will adapt anything to fit their bike if it helps.

Category C, That is me. (I have even use Meccano to fit two "universal" coils to a bike.)

[PeteF]

Isn't meccano what you're supposed to use?

[PeteF]

I know at least one biker who has (I think) 8 bikes and NONE of them were working!!
He had to go buy a modern Honda to have something to ride.

[PeteF]

I know one biker who has (I think) 8 bikes and NONE of them were working!!
He had to go buy a modern Honda to have something to ride.

[Bullet Whisperer]

And whats with those massive knobbly tyres some "customisers" like to fit - see exhibit A.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Triumph-Bonn ... Sw6O9eXRQ7

Surley you must get a lot of vibration from these things.

Those tyres will spit you off on wet corners, but I doubt many see any action in the wet.
It says in the blurb of that ad 'It is rare when a FULL D & O custom comes up for sale' - well that could be a blessing, then ...

[Daiwiskers]

I have used all sorts to keep bike's running

Air filter covers and air boxes made out of stainless kitchen ware

Racks made out of bar drip trays and oven racks

[Adrian]

Isn't meccano what you're supposed to use?

When I bought the Electra-X which is now the street tracker project, a previous owner (not the immediate previous owner) had come up with a bizarre twin-clock conversion with a green-painted wooden bung in the speedo hole in the casquette, and the speedo and rev-counter mounted in what looks like a pair of our hosts' re-counter cups, secured to the bung with a base plate made of, yes, meccano. I'm re-using one of the steel cups.

A.

[black fingernail]

Those tyres will spit you off on wet corners, but I doubt many see any action in the wet.
It says in the blurb of that ad 'It is rare when a FULL D & O custom comes up for sale' - well that could be a blessing, then ...
[/quote]
That front tyre will spit you off in any weather, Fat front tyres only go in a straight line, you need arms like Popeye to corner with things like that on.
I wouldn't think they come up for sale, because I cannot see them surviving long.
I just look on these things as Darwinism, if you build and try to ride things like this, you won't have much chance to inflict rubbish like this on the public for much longer.
I cannot imagine the herculean effort it would take to go proper off-roading on a thing like that.