Have you got a 10 footer?
Discussion
I'm not sure if this makes mine a garage queen but where I live it's currently the sugar beet harvest and the roads are covered in mud. I avoid going out on the bike at least in part because the bike will be filthy within 2 miles but mainly because of the huge risk of ending up on my arse. I'm too old to bounce and the bike is too expensive to fix.
Cars have a use.
Cars have a use.
I only ride on dry days and my bikes get a wipe over after every ride, so they are always clean. The dirtiest they get is when I go on touring holiday for a couple of weeks at a time.
I ride for fun and live in a rural area, im not going out on muddy wet roads intentionally, I have a 4x4 for daily use.
So yeah "garage queens", but they do get ridden for 1-3k miles a year each.
I ride for fun and live in a rural area, im not going out on muddy wet roads intentionally, I have a 4x4 for daily use.
So yeah "garage queens", but they do get ridden for 1-3k miles a year each.
I can’t deal with corrosion or the bike looking rough, to the point that I’d have to fix it or sell the bike.
For me the bikes are for fun, if I had a regular commute and needed to leave the bike outside and unwashed I’d buy something specifically for the job that I didn’t really care about.
For me the bikes are for fun, if I had a regular commute and needed to leave the bike outside and unwashed I’d buy something specifically for the job that I didn’t really care about.
black-k1 said:
I'm not sure if this makes mine a garage queen but where I live it's currently the sugar beet harvest and the roads are covered in mud. I avoid going out on the bike at least in part because the bike will be filthy within 2 miles but mainly because of the huge risk of ending up on my arse. I'm too old to bounce and the bike is too expensive to fix.
Cars have a use.
There used to be a sugar beet processing plant in the town where I live, the fallout from the plant settled on the roads making things verrrry slippy. Plus tractors and the odd errant sugar beet (fruit? vegetable?) in the road.Cars have a use.
My bike looks OK from 10 feet but up close you can see the chips in the paint, discoloured metalwork, results of insufficient cleaning, crusty exhaust headers etc. It's OK, it's all part of the character and since it gets used for commuting it's to be expected anyway.
I wouldn’t call my Pan that in person as I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings, but yeah he’s a bit long in the tooth now…
I do what I can, but looks aren’t my main concern - he’s mechanically sorted, and at 32 years old has newer suspension/brakes/fluids than most garage queens.
I do around 2k a month - never misses a beat.
Same with my Fazer to be honest - I think bikes are a lot more robust than people think and a little surface rust doesn’t bother me at all.
I would rather that than a bike that’s not used and has tyres/fluids that are 4/6/8 years old as ‘it’s hardly used’
I do what I can, but looks aren’t my main concern - he’s mechanically sorted, and at 32 years old has newer suspension/brakes/fluids than most garage queens.
I do around 2k a month - never misses a beat.
Same with my Fazer to be honest - I think bikes are a lot more robust than people think and a little surface rust doesn’t bother me at all.
I would rather that than a bike that’s not used and has tyres/fluids that are 4/6/8 years old as ‘it’s hardly used’
the cueball said:
I would rather that than a bike that’s not used and has tyres/fluids that are 4/6/8 years old
I think you'd be surprised... because IME it's much worse than that I recently took a 13k ZX-6R in PX he rode it every year and thought it was a great bike - the front tyre was 15 years old and visibly cracking
Another was a KTM 250 EXCF one owner from new "really looked after it" yes it had plenty of oil changes but in 6yrs and 5k that was all it had
Original clutch fluid, brake fluid & fork oil, filthy & torn air filter etc
KTMsm said:
I think you'd be surprised... because IME it's much worse than that
I recently took a 13k ZX-6R in PX he rode it every year and thought it was a great bike - the front tyre was 15 years old and visibly cracking
Another was a KTM 250 EXCF one owner from new "really looked after it" yes it had plenty of oil changes but in 6yrs and 5k that was all it had
Original clutch fluid, brake fluid & fork oil, filthy & torn air filter etc
Yup, I see it every year when the Summer Wobblers come out to play...I recently took a 13k ZX-6R in PX he rode it every year and thought it was a great bike - the front tyre was 15 years old and visibly cracking
Another was a KTM 250 EXCF one owner from new "really looked after it" yes it had plenty of oil changes but in 6yrs and 5k that was all it had
Original clutch fluid, brake fluid & fork oil, filthy & torn air filter etc
They don't see the irony in saying their bikes have "full service history" as well..
I just keep well back from them, which of course in their minds means that they are super awesome fast and god's gift to Sunny Sunday riding.
I remember checking out one bike, I won't say what type it was <cough> gixxxxxxxer <cough> and the guy was all over the place on his 'pride and joy'.. you couldn't spin the front wheel the brakes were binding on that much... and as above, really old cracked tyres etc..
I used to get a lot of bellends in for training when I was doing the blood bikes, you get knack for spotting them a mile off....."thanks mate, we'll give you a call if we need help"....
of course not everyone is like that...
dibblecorse said:
This time of year my Hyperstrada looks like a shi**er even from 10ft, looks ok from 30ft in the dark
My Tiger is the same. I do look after it well mechanically, so consumables and maintenance are always spot on, but it's permanently grubby apart from lights and mirrors. And when I do clean it, one non-dry commute and it's right back where it was so what's the point?Had bikes like this in the past.
VFR800 that i paid £1800 for. Rode in all weathers. 10k pa. Never missed a beat. Covered in scratches, and the paint had dulled on the tank thanks to a magnetic tank bag. Looked ok from a distance.
Likewise a Blackbird that i treated similarly. But that always cleaned up really well thanks to the amazing fairing. I treated it to repainted fork legs (hondas of that era always have this issue) with some hammered textured hammerite (looks identical to factory finish). Also cleaned up the exhaust downpipes while i was at it with some black harpic. Then for some unknown reason i got bored and sold it. Wish i still had it.
Currently not got anything like that but wish i had. I fancy riding out when the weather is crap and getting lost in the Wolds.
Looking for a winter/touring hack, preferably something with a thumping (twin/single) soundtrack.
VFR800 that i paid £1800 for. Rode in all weathers. 10k pa. Never missed a beat. Covered in scratches, and the paint had dulled on the tank thanks to a magnetic tank bag. Looked ok from a distance.
Likewise a Blackbird that i treated similarly. But that always cleaned up really well thanks to the amazing fairing. I treated it to repainted fork legs (hondas of that era always have this issue) with some hammered textured hammerite (looks identical to factory finish). Also cleaned up the exhaust downpipes while i was at it with some black harpic. Then for some unknown reason i got bored and sold it. Wish i still had it.
Currently not got anything like that but wish i had. I fancy riding out when the weather is crap and getting lost in the Wolds.
Looking for a winter/touring hack, preferably something with a thumping (twin/single) soundtrack.
I'd rather have a bike (or 2) or a car that have a few marks on them because then I don't have a problem using and abusing them. Small scratch? blob of paint and all's good and no worries. They are all clean and tidy though and some have even been clayed, machine polished, polished and waxed.
A few years ago I had a nearly new Polo GTI, it was unmarked and I used to hate leaving it anywhere just in case it got damaged or a car park ding - that got replaced by a well used cheap Mini convertible with 120k that I cared less for and enjoyed more
A few years ago I had a nearly new Polo GTI, it was unmarked and I used to hate leaving it anywhere just in case it got damaged or a car park ding - that got replaced by a well used cheap Mini convertible with 120k that I cared less for and enjoyed more
A500leroy said:
So if you do have a 10 footer where do you draw the line?
Fork rebuild?, steering head bearings, new (expensive) rear shocker?
there is a big difference between not caring about cosmetics and not maintaining your bike. Fork rebuild?, steering head bearings, new (expensive) rear shocker?
my monster is literally mint and will stay that way as it doesn't rain here and there's no mud. bit of dust is the worst that can happen to it.
the cbr is a different story, been dropped a couple of times by its previous owner [no papers, pure track bike] and despite having 1/4 of the mileage has had rather a hard paper round. cosmetics don't matter as i bought it knowing i'll probably drop it as well. still, every bearing & seal has been replaced, calipers and master cyls rebuilt, new head bearings, brake lines, forks rebuilt etc. and i haven't even ridden it yet. it might look like a 10 footer but it [hopefully!] won't ride like one.
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