Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

Bet you miss the shit weather 😂😂😂😂😂
No one have mentioned two strokes to Dammit yet. A nice RGV or KR1S 😁

Probably shell product as you say.

Think there was a drainage issue to, comparable to the permiable tarmac (?) that if not maintained can cause issues of reduced grip and increased damage/higher maintenance costs.

IOM don't count as there roads are race tracks ;)

Aprillia RS250?

I remember my Cagiva Mito 7 speed. Maybe great on a race track but not on the road with a clueless idiot riding it.

I admit, the bike I'd most like is the Ducati 916 - which tells you where I grew up, and how old I am.

Currently got a 4 year old who's quite keen on her cars so far, assuming that continues I'm aiming to get a Caterham kit once she's old enough to properly assist in the build, fingers crossed!

I expect that that's the ideal first bike.

There a load of race tracks here - Norn Iron. Scary places TBH and I’m too old now!

I had an RGV 250M with L plates. Wish I still had it now. Again, really a track bike but fun on the roads here. Second power band was almost unused which seems such a waste.

That’s a lovely bike. It’s my era too.

The Shell Grip answer -

https://youtu.be/2oSO2zJM0OI

I have to presume the family are in the IOM 😁
The textured surface is defo available in other formats now as a friend of mine used to apply it to road surfaces locally - crossings etc.

Start now...

How old are you ;) Or are NI rules different.

Aprilia took the rgv engine and made it better. Think people have made the aprilia bits fit the rgv engine.

EDIT: Also road racing is a real other level.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7Lw0x0vnGA

That’ll be ace mate. My near 4yo is keen too, though I reckon I’d be in the ground before I could finish building a car. Anyway, as he’s keen on reminding me, I have plenty of motorbikes to fix…

UGP is back on this year - you ever go up and watch?

I’ve very old - 54 a few weeks ago! And I don’t like being reminded. Settled with family and that is my only reluctance to buying another bike. It’s really dangerous! I had an accident when I was in my early 20s - GSXR and me vs a wall at 130. The wall won. Operator error.

I learned on the RGV - insurance was mental at the time but I loved the bike and still do.

I have previously posted about lottery win bikes - CBX, GSXR M, GSX 1000 etc etc. Those are the bikes of my youth and now I find that RDs are mad money never mind good RGVs.

I think the pic was the day of my test - hence the massive L- plate. 😁

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I’ve been at the UGP numerous times along with all other road races here. It’s a young mans game!!

We did a club run - a lap of every road race circuit in a day. That was great fun and very, very frightening. Speed limits were basically ignored except in built up areas (Portstewart being the main one). An unreal day which almost ended up in tears when I ran off the road onto the grass at Tandragee and LUCKILY (not skill) managed to get back onto the tarmac before ending up in a ditch.

Sorry.
Was a wry comment that you were allowed 250cc bikes as learners.

250 was the limit then. Really madness, the RGV did over 130😁. First ride on it - started on a gravel hard shoulder - wheel spin and away. Looked at the speedo 70 ish. Slowed down for mate to catch up and then stopped to wait for him. Could I get the bike to go on a tarmac surface??? Noooo. Maybe 10 stalls before I got going. From there it was reasonably plain sailing and at that time speeding wasn’t really a thing as the country had bigger issues - lucky me. Things have changed - mostly for the good now. Speeding is defo now a thing!!!

Motorbike thread is that way >>>>>>>>>>>>>

Over 5000 people a year die off motorbikes.
I just find the numbers stunning.

Not suprising considering how many of them speed and overtake when they could wait a while..

Anyway back to cars:
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1299726

The lease on our Skoda Octavia estate ends in June.

Need something to replace it with.

Not sure leasing another car is what I want to do.... So. Used estate cars. £10-15k.

Passat / Superb
BMW 5 series
E-class
A6

Something else...?

What's likely to give me the least grief?

What did you like about the Skoda?

Don't have a lot to compare it to but it wasn't that boring to drive. Always felt utterly dependable.

I'm currently looking for similar. Front runners are Skoda Superb & V70

I bought a Passat B7 to replace my Fabia Estate (outright).

I sort of wish we'd gone for a Superb if i'm honest, the space would have been useful.