Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Just ride it around matey. Will be my first bike with flat bars (aside from MX'rs) since 1996!

After that brief flurry of activity, no more progress to report and I'm out of town for work again this weekend. Bummer. So near, yet so far....

Vespa MoT'd for another year.
I have done 24 miles on it since my last MoT.

Terrible. Get out for a razz. I need to get mine back in one piece after those vandals did their work and go and enjoy the sun at some point next week.

I have a unnerving urge for an ancient BMW bike.

I've always loved the K1, but would happily settle for an old R75.

There's a hipster tax on them now. I think that really smart, original ones will be worth something in years to come: 99% of them will be cut-down customs that date terribly.

Surely there's no hipster tax on K1's? To most people they're universally acknowledged as being as ugly as Satan's rectum.

I meant the R75. I just googled the K1 and see that they are a... divisive design.

Paddock Stands

I am planning on changing my oil, and from a quick hunt people recommend a rear paddock stand.

Plus long term is seems like a sensible thing to have. Cheap and cheerful is the aim.

I was going to pick this up from Gumtree, but I'm having second thoughts as I need to take a tube, which will cost a fiver. So I thought having a new one delivered might be easier. Plus I'd be waiting for a new filter to be posted anyway.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Red-Heavy-Duty-Universal-Motorcycle-Rear-Paddock-Lift-Stand-Race-Track-Workshop/200821718822?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D36559%26meid%3Ddf60b1c5e1c741888c5b61a9160438bc%26pid%3D100009%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D10%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D191860168694

Vs.

https://www.gumtree.com/p/accessories-styling/motorcycle-stand-paddock/1167312240

The Gumtree one is solid, so I guess stronger. The eBay one is back able, so weaker but more compact. Are they all much of a muchness?

I know a lot of you guys have got properly drool worthy bikes, this isn't much but I'm pretty happy with it. It lived outside for a while and suffered a bit, have had some work done on it and have been trying to tidy up the corrosion and rust.

It's not the fastest or best handling bike by far but it's all I want from a bike for the time being.

Currently debating removing the cb500 decals.

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S'all that really matters in all honesty.

Now with pics, always struggle uploading from phone.

A nice cafe racered BMW, a speed triple, a monster or a GSX1400 would be lovely... Maybe one day!

Point taken. I no longer have the need to get to anywhere quicker than anyone else, so a cruiser/commuter is probably best for me.

It's only a wee 500 but still moves faster than the majority of traffic! I think with bigger bikes you're consciously reigning it in where as with this you can be a bit heavy handed and not get into too much bother.

That is really nice, when I can move on from 125cc something like this would be a dream.

@TM I learned to ride on a CB500 and have a soft spot for them. If I found a tidy one in a nice colour that hadn't been couriered to 100,000,000 miles then I'd snap it up.

Now everyone and their mum is riding bikes to work and filling up the bays I'm actually pretty glad of having a small bike that can be slotted into tight spaces.

Ideally I'd like something a relaxed like a Bonnie. Fingers crossed they plummet in value with the new range coming our. A mate with a street triple says he always feels like he isn't ragging it properly. Ultimately almost all bikes are quick.

Quick question, is there any difference between bicycle grips and motorbike ones? Pretty sure I saw some sort of custom bike with ourys the other day.

Motorbike grips have a larger internal diameter on the right hand to fit over the throttle tube. You can make bicycle grips fit with a bit of lubricant (spit) and some swearing and the difference in external diameter isn't very noticeable.

Sticky rubber, tail tidy, new can, lithium ion battery, quickshifter and an ECU reflash tomorrow. :)

High mileage..

Skinny bikes are great for commuting.

Have a look for the later s with the brembo front brake and rear disc not drum. Mileage isn't a problem on a looked after engine, regular oil changes and things like worn discs, swing arm bearings worn shocks. Exhaust systems rot too.

There is a race series and those bikes are a real laugh.

I have a massive soft spot for CB500s - it was the coolest proddy race series in decades. pure mayhem and the bikes were so much fun to rag. Max throttle, all the time. Super capable little bikes.

If anyone spots a good one...

Have you seen the Nija 300 series, FB is taking part. Now that looks fun, quite cheap too.

Bet that's good. CB500s had just the right amount of grunt though. I bet those little 300s are literally wrung out everywhere, probably fun at brands Indy, maybe less so at Snet. That said, I had a total gas there on a 125.