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Your favourite riding memories...
So...just posted in another thread and it made me think.
I decided to give up road riding after AR10. I found the speed too comfortable and it was all too easy flinging the bike around the roads like I had a rocket in my ar$e. I do not want to come a cropper on the roads and I think it would only have been a matter of time, despite how sensible I was in where and when I pushed it...before something went wrong and I paid the price. However...depsite only passing my test last April and giving up 4 months later...I did 5000 miles which involved some very memorable rides and moments. Here are my favourites...go ahead and share yours too:smt040 1/ First ride on the babyblade a week after passing test. Rode with Stretchie to Squirrel_Hunters house. Stretchie let me past to "look after me" as idiot behind was a tail gaiter. Got to Squirrel_Hunters and all I heard was, "what the hell was that? I let you past and when I looked up I just saw you cranked over and whizzing around the bend into the distance". The grin was on my face for days. 2/ Going down one of the 270 degree constant radius bends in South Wales and overtaking Squirrel_Hunter AND Beenz...two of the best riders I have ever seen...mega big head moment, lol. 3/ Riding home from Abergavenny with BaP and Squirrel_Hunter and being slowed down in the twisties by Mr. Squirrel_Hunter. Yes, he was on a Blackbird and is FAR superior to me in riding skill....but for those few miles, I felt like a riding god! 4/ This is probably the best of all of my riding memories. It was on AR10. We were coming back along thousand sheep road and I could see another kwak behind me keeping pace. I looked at the road ahead and thought to myself, "why not" and then opened up and let rip...what followed was awesome...and so was the grin on the face of Treacle...who had been only too happy to make chase...lol Yes...this thread may read a bit like a "oooh, look at me, I am awesome thread" but that is the point. Share your memories of times you felt like you were put on this earth to ride a motorbike. Whether you are/were good or not is irrelevant...they are YOUR memories, tell them like you feel them! |
Re: Your favourite riding memories...
Strangely enough my 125 days.
Me and my best mate both flying around on our CBR125s having a brilliant time. Every Wednesday evening riding out to the local meet for fish n chips. Twas a brilliant summer weather wise and I was out whenever I could finding new roads and having a right laugh. Laughing to myself in my helmet, grinning all the way round. Squeezing every last ounce out of that poor little bike. Cleaning it religiously if it got even a speck of dirt on it. Not a care in the world. Then I did my test. Got my SV and was blown away at what a bigger bike can do. Then got the restriction off and got blown away again. But even though I have been in love with biking since I started, my 125 days were some of the most memorable. I dont plan on the good memories stopping there though. Still plenty more to be made. Im only 21 so plenty of years left to enjoy it. Providing a car doesnt ruin thing and petrol supplies stay around. |
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Probably Scotland... for the past 3 years. But have to say in particular 2010 as I had a full 6 days or something up there along with Pete and Leesa and their son RavingDavis. We were covering good miles, and doing it fast; I think we averaged around 300 miles a day and the roads and weather were beautiful all along. The scenery was breathtaking, at some points I had to physically force myself to look at the road. It was like we had the roads to our selves for a week, cars and caravans didn't really register, every road was amazing and it was mostly perfect riding weather. Remember looking at my speedo after passing a 'maximum (advised) speed' sign round a lovely sweeping bend and it being around triple it.
Happy memories Didn't realise you'd stopped riding Grunty! :( Noticed a few less posts though. |
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Crikey! Loads and loads of great memories.
Having a "spirited" ride with two other large bikes between Selby and York. My bike was less than half the size of their's, and I caned 'em on the twisities but when we got to a decent straight stretch they gave me the bird. My first two years of biking was in the Lakes, almost every day was a great day. |
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On your bike! :smt082 I would supply similar tales, but they are few and far between, it's all the bike. You see where your skills fall short of the limits of the machine, even on roads or track pushing far harder than is sensible and realise the squishy bit in the middle falls short of what the metal can do. I don't think I've ever done a bit of a ride and thought "by f*ck I'm good", always "could have gone faster", "why didn't I see that sooner, I could have opened throttle earlier/stayed on it/not braked". It's sad that the one thing that makes you properly alive is always tinged with shortcomings. But sometimes you get that zen like clarity where nothing matters but the ride, nothing exists but tyres, tarmac and speed. Doesn't matter if that's on a rideout overtaking your mate or riding home on a frosty night fighting for grip, but the moments of perfection are rare. #ommmm# |
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I could feel myself thinking that it would only be a matter of time before something happened. I will no doubt get on again in future, but probably just on track. Not been posting much at all anywhere really...just took some time out I guess...did you enjoy the peace ;-) |
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The point of this thread, as it says in the first post is not that you think you ARE awesome....but that you have felt awesome. Two very different things. |
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My favourite riding moments? The one that started at 12.01am on 6th April 1978 and ended when I got home about 90 minutes ago
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Riding our Fizzies, AP50's and SS50's in a swarm back in the late 70's.
One our our team tipping his heavy fibreglass helmet back to shake the last of the sherbert fountain into his mouth, not looking and riding headlong into a phone box. I've laughed at that for over 30 years. |
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Most of my favourite riding memories have been on the track, 2 days in the Nurburgring on a closed circuit with some brilliant people was awesome. Also commuting on A13 from Southend to City and all the near misses and traffic light races made the journey whizz past. Some of my worst memories were on track too
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Much like Lozzo, far too many to recount in one post. I'll keep my favourite riding moments as anecdotes for the pub, where I could recount a different one every night.
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Everytime i'm out on the bike. For me it's the best way to clear your mind and enjoy yourself
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The first time I ever rode on the motorway on my own - to Southampton (270 miles away). Was very proud of myself that day.
Following Wideboy from here to Shropshire and back. When we were coming back I kept up with him. Keeping the bike upright whenever I stop (I know Im not the only one thats vertically challenged :p ) |
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Following GG and being just astounded at what she was doiong after being on a bike for a month or two...
Absolutley amazing |
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Been riding for a loooooong time so have many, many good memories. Probably one of the best was going to Le Mans on the Firestorm back in 2005 and having a pair of Gendarmes come up by the side of us on the peage and flagging us into the next service area. We thought we were in for a major rifting - we had been making rather dramatic progress - and started to get the bike documents out. Turns out they were only wanting to tell us about a speed trap further on. They told us to keep it at the speed limit until we saw them again, which we did. We eventually saw them again just south of Rouen. They pulled in to the services (lousy tank range on the 'Storm!!) behind us, had a smoke and a brew with us then rode with us for about 50 miles. Was some of the fastest miles I've ever done with a police escort!!:cool::cool::cool:
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most memorable moment in my biking history was the first day i went out on the main roads. 1984 on a Kawasaki KH100 EL that i had to build from a basket case my brother discarded. ever since that i have always had a grin on my face when out on a bike. and if i remember right my insurance was about £20 for a rider policy from Norwich Union.
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Re: Your favourite riding memories...
Ooo so many.
As pillion with YC - 1) First ride ever on a bike - on the Isle of Man, and leathers way too big for me as borrowed, doing the Southern 100 course, hitting big speed and me with the biggest grin. 2) Kinlochleven loop chasing Luckypants on his Viffer at one of the GMs, YC sliding off the bike at every angle imaginable and me resisting the urge not to slide off with him :D As a rider - 1) Getting up our drive of doom first time I'd sat on, started and ridden the bike :cheers: 2) Riding up to Mallaig and back on my todd, first long trip away just me and the bike. Loved it, riding those roads I'd been on for the last three years as pillion. 3) At this year's AR when we separated off back to the campsite, fab ride even in the pouring rain. Treacle and Messie behind me, and a handful of others in front. Went to get feedback from both lovelies that night, Messie not realising it was me, eeee made my night :D |
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I had to get Dan or Steve to ride mine out of the garage and up to the flatish part of the drive. I could manage no probs with the babyblade as could plant both feet firmly on the ground...but the kwak being so tall, my legs so short and very deep gravel on the drive was almost a guaranteed recipe for a drop. Saying that, the little tilt where they had to park it up for me and the fact that there was a little gravel there too meant that even then, I had to put a block next to the sidestand so I could push it upright easily when I had got on. I really need to grow a few inches ;-) |
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Hmmm its not so much that I have specific memories of great occasions but I do have memories of times which were significant.
When I think of riding my mind always goes back to the first Carlsberg run, davenumbers and myself were seperated from the group thanks to some slack junction marking. Until that day I'd only ever commuted on the SV and the square tyres were a blatent display of it. The first part of the morning had been eventful enough with Orose trying to merge his GSXR with a Golf. I'd spent most the morning learning that a bike can be leant over a damn site further than I thought and still grip, this lesson became an important one when dave and myself were trying to play catch up with a group 20mins ahead of us. We rode mile after mile of unknown roads heading "that way" which we hoped would eventually bring us into site of the rest of the group. For about an hour or maybe more, Ive honestly no concept of time my brain was dealing with too much for the duration but lets say for an hour; Throttle, Brake, Turn, Throttle, Brake, Turn... you get the picture. The point is its nearly 3 years on from that day and I still smile when I think of the fun I had and the joy at finding Hovis sat on his bike marking a juntion in Layburn a genuine cheer could be heard from dave and myself who by now were riding too hot to take it down a notch and continued to progress through the group before the next stop. Fitting then that this was the same route which 18months later on the pointy I'd find myself having my second riding epithany, fitting because this was the day I decided I shouldnt have a bike capable of those speeds if I cant be responsible with it. Although my riding had become more controlled and less based on luck. I was very aware it only takes one mistake to cost you the lot. This became a risk I wasnt too keen on taking anymore in light of other developments in my life. This moment of clarity was brought on after I found myself topping out the pointy (Im sure you all apprechiate that few of our roads have 140mph limits) while playing catch up after a pee stop. I wont name names of those riders which I was playing catch up with but they're not known for been slow. Anyway I found riding that fast felt far too "normal" despite the speeds involved, on once again relativly unknown roads. Although prior to that day I knew my riding had come a long way since the previous Carlsberg ride and that I now had some degree of ability I was suprised that I was taking the (standard sv) bike to its limits... this was the day I decided to buy a drz supermoto. Now the bike is the restricting factor and I've never enjoyed riding as much, even the commute is a bloody hoot. Stoppies at traffic lights failed wheelie attempts on any clear road. Not that it slows me down too much either as those on AR11 may have bore witness to. The only difference is the expression on my face is now BIG GRINNNNNSSS rather than focus. I hope this is just the first chapter of my love affair with riding. Ride safe! x |
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My first ride was as a pillion on my mates SV650S. We went from Portsmouth where I live to Birmingham NEC and back for the bike show. It hurt like hell, but it was awesome and i was hooked.
I had many epic ride outs with my mate TeeJey (with a few other members on here) both domestic and abroad. Toured the Ardennes, France etc, but the best one was when we went down to Millau. The Gorge du Tarn was simply stunning, the scenery was fantastic and breath taking, the riding was epic and the company magnificent. RIP TeeJey. Loved our riding together. See you again one day. |
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First ride in the Dales on my Bandit 600, pulling up at temparary lights and two chaps asked if I wanted to follow to a cafe and have a brew. Turned out to be the best ride ever and still follow the same route 5 years later!
Road trip around Germand and riding the Black Forest and Nurburgring. Crashing into a sheep's backside and ripping it's tail off with my front wheel. Far too may!!! |
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Except for the me being their son bit. No, not true! |
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For me it'll be Europe, but I also had fun in the Phillippines without a licence...
Edit the fun never stops. |
Re: Your favourite riding memories...
a couple stick in the memory
1) First time up the Hartside on a 125, my god pilot sporty tyres are good! 2) Chasing a mate on a R6 doing a gentle pace on the 125 again and it hanging on at 50mph around some tight corners 3) Rothbury week after the Moat incident. Making the SV jump as high as a tractor cab (and the farmers look) off a humpback bridge, and Rothbury carrying on as normal with the annual folk fest 4) Up and over the pass going through the lakes to AR11 some of the best roads in the country in 150 miles |
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Best ride ever for me was riding back from Fort William to Mallaig at midnight with Quiff.
We left our B&B early in the morning for the ferry to Skye. A day on Skye, and back over the bridge. A blast down the A82 and then we stopped here:- https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...02010_2304.JPG A curry in Fort William, and then we started the 43 mile ride back to the B&B. The perfect end to a great day, the sound of a V4 and a triple being ragged down long lochside straights, and through the twisties. Quiff was absolutely caning it - it was only when we got back I found out why (he was busting for a p!ss :-) ) |
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My favourite moment would have to be hearing the words "I'm happy to tell you that you passed" and then my instructor who had another pupil to wait with, telling me I could ride back on my own to the shop.
There's been lots of joyous moments since involving rideouts but I still treasure the afternoon I got my licence. |
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Summer 1976 In Cyprus,I was about 6-7 years old my uncle Polis took me to Larnaca Docks on his Mobylette. Everytime we came to a steep hill we got overtaken by everything, poor thing did not have enough puff to get up the hill, going down hill my heart would skip in leaps and bounds at the excitement of travelling at what seemed like a million miles per hour, probably 30 in reality :)
On the way back I sat in front of uncle Polis his arms over my shoulders holding me in place, my arms outstretched holding on to the handlebars, I felt as though I was in control, Wind in my face shorts and t-shirt, heat haze wafting up from the dusty roads, That thought will remain with me for ever.. Thanks Uncle Polis x |
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That's made me all warm inside Peg, thanks for sharing that :)
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