Yeah, had a Bandit 1200 a few years ago. Stonking engine.
I think this time round im after the full musty garage, leather jacket and open face helmet experience.

That just doesn’t work with a Bandit.

So my uncle has offered me a Z1300 for £1800. He lives out of the country at the moment though, and doesnt know what it needs to get running again.

He has a lock up with various American muscle cars and 70s/80s superbikes in various states of repair. In fact he’s the reason I have an incling for older bikes – he has about 5 GT750’s, including one minter with about 4000 miles from new,

I remember seeing the Z1300 a few years ago and it was an impressive looking bike. In great cosmetic shape too. Seems they dont sell for much less than £5k these days.
Worth considering?

Given the choice, i’d pick shaft still. Less mess being chucked about, less hassle post riding in rain etc.

But yes, not a dealbreaker.

My uncle has stockpile a bunch of GT750’s , Z1000 and Z1300’s. Im tempted to break the bank and go for one of those.
Would just prefer an easier life! (not sure he’s ever had them on the road for more than a week at a time).

Vinnyeh – which models are the 650 engine found in? Shaft drive appeals, chains are a pita

Ha, the maggot looks fine to me – i’ve always preferred my vehicles a bit ‘different’.

appalling reputation for reliability

Everything i’ve read claims the complete opposite. ~Asides an early camchain tensioner issue that seems to have been rectified fairly quickly.

Suzuki GS500E

Passed my test on one of those. Can’t say it would stoke my enthusiasm unfortunately.

You sure you can’t up your budget a bit more and get something a bit newer?

Yeah, probably. Can’t see me spending much less than £1500 at this point.

I see the one side of the discussion where all these bikes are now 30-40 years old, will have seen neglect, wear and tear etc – but on the other hand, you also hear of ‘bullet proof/rock solid’ reliability claims, and some of the less complicated engine designs have about a thousand less moving parts than their counterparts.

I was thinking that a 500/600cc aircooled machine would be a safer bet. I’ve been reading horror stories about valve shims and adjustments etc though.

Aren’t there any ‘go to’ reliable models?

I’ve been recommended a Honda CX500 or GL500 (same 500cc twin) as a reliable old work horse. Gotta say, I think its a handsome looking machine:

The more I read the more off putting it becomes. It would appear that most 70s bikes spend more time being fixed than ridden – and that’s according to competent mechanics!

Aren’t there any genuine super reliable retro classics that a spanner monkey is able to maintain?

Any good reasons not to buy a CB750?

Someone above mentioned an importer in Brighton, I’ve been meaning to check them out for a while. They have a few CB400 NC36’s in stock straight off the boat. Now that’s a smart looking bike, good blend of old and new tech. Alas, way out of my price range

As long as it’s easy enough to strip down and fix I have no problem with some tinkering. In fact, I’d quite like to do a full strip down and rebuild at some point. But initial roadworthyness would be a bonus.

XJ550s look really nice. Not that many around though it would seem

What forums would you recommend for ads? MCN is a bit thin on the ground. Others seem to have mainly very old British classics.

I kinda like the GT550s. Boxy and very 80s looking, fugly in a good way?

Man, those are some brilliant films right there. Great legacy

I did used to fancy a ZZR but I think I’m more keen on a naked look now, and air cooled. I’m hoping I can source a runner that I can tinker with.

Early GS750s look nice

Air cooled would be nice. Belt or shaft drive appeals. But as long as it’s a strong engine and looks the part I’m not looking for ballistic pace

Cute. Still available around £1k?

I’ve been saying for years now that standards have massively dropped in pretty much every curry house I’ve tried in last 10-15 years.
When I was younger we used a couple of local places (Hounslow) and I thought light fluffy and deliciously fragrant pilau rice, crispy delicious naan bread, big crispy bhajis, meaty fresh currys, and spicy Bombay potatoes all perfectly cooked were the norm.
Nowadays is a pale imitation. Usually Luke warm, swimming around in a nuclear coloured gravy for a morsel of meat, unfragrant, bland, un-spicy (I usually demand phal these days just to remember what spice was like). Even the mint dips barely taste of mint anymore!
I’ve tried to put my finger on why this has happened. Economy/ingredients? Generational standards?
It’s a crying shame. Curry used to be by far my favourite eat in and take out. I pretty much avoid them all now.

Glad someone else has mentioned it though, Its a bitter pilau to swallow but it’s good to chaat about it.

Is the clue in the product name?

You youngsters don’t know you’re born. In my day it was an M5 nut and a ruddy good poke in the eye!

Nay bother, it’s just hanging on the wall as a nice spare part so won’t be heading anywhere.

Nice mod Kayak.

A couple of years ago we watched the depart at Versailles then hopped on a train to Paris, giving us plenty of time to reach the Arc and see the peloton arrive and come round 5 more times. Worked out nicely.

thread resurrection..

how many of you have had the chance to try out a set of cowchippers yet? If so, how have you found them?

I haven’t been able to source 46cm versions anywhere other than the US or a pricey German set as yet.

I’m heavier than the lot of you and smash berms out on 2.4″ 650b chunky monkeys.

With a bit of Jedi training I’ve been reveling in full speed cornering. Can’t say I ever burp tyres nor suffer with pinch flats (I run tubeless).

Can’t help but feel the efforts being mentioned in this thread are a bit overkill?

I run my fat bike on 80mm/4″ tyres at around 11/12psi front and rear and have also been looning about in grip. Off camber grip is brill.

Cat AIDS.

I have a good as new 35mm available if feeling any braver?

I’m not sure that I’d describe anything to do with driving a car as instinctive.

Was refering to drumming – but ok, yes, driving a LHD car for the first time is weird – but as a left handed person I expect I found handling the gearshift ‘slightly’ easier when I was learning to drive as a right handed person is liekly to have done.

Being a pedant – i’d also argue that certain aspects of driving are more instinctive to some than others. ie, the ‘feel’ of the limits of available grip and feedback through the wheel – some people I know have literally no idea what this means and are perrenial Ms Daisy’s.

I completely agree that we can reprogramme our brains – but it would seem that there is a ‘left handed set-up’ for drummers, so there must be something about the left hand being dominant coming into effect.

Put de lime in de coconut?

You win the internet today NW

right handed people in the UK manage to change the gear in a car using left hand left foot with no real difficulty

Instinct, innit.

I’m actually ambidextrous (freakishly) in most activities but favour my left.
In fact, as a reasonably sporty person my afliction has had various coaches scratching their heads in confusion.

Javelin – Left Hand
Discus – Right Hand (can switch)
Shot Putt – Left Hand
Snooker/Pool – Left Hand (can switch for certain shots)
Darts – Left hand
Bowling – Right of Left
Archery – Right hand
Food shovelling – Left Hand (knife in right hand)
PC Mouse – was left handed for years until tutor at college lost her shit with me for ‘moving the mouse to the other side’ – now use it on the RHS
Writing – Left hand
Self Pleasure – depends who’s watching

Drumming, I break to the left more easily than the right. Hence OP. I must add, I am a totally shit drummer with no coaching experience.

thread lock?

I really like my knuckleball on my Dune. I have the 777mm one.

The El Guapo stem is super stiff, just not available quite long enough for me.Quite a chunky beast too. Like me.

If only Labour could find a principled man of belief with tons of grass-roots party support

Ha!

I like the stuff. Makes a change from tap-water. Not so good at room temp though, much nicer ice cold.

A guilty pleasure of mine is Cradle of Flith’s cover of Temptation: http://youtu.be/MfMa2lrFxhY

Conversely, I only just found out that China Girl by Bowie is a cover(!!). Well, a cover of a… Bowie track.. Performed by Iggy Pop. Still, weird to think Iggy’s version came years before.

I often wonder how long it would last if you could fart out your actual entire lifetimes supply of farts, in one long continuous mega fart.

Imagine the sheer joy. Every fart you’ve ever done, and ever will do… A fartathon to end them all

You used to be able to ride in Tilgate Forest, but it’s been trashed by logging.

When did this happen? We used to head from the office in Crawley out to Tilgate Forest, but that was last year mainly.
Is the whole Forest now unrideable?

To the OP: It quite a nice ride on road, down to the South Downs – Devil’s Dyke/Dichling Beacon for example are almost due south.

If you think for a single moment that there was a realistic race on to get to the Geneva show – and that all the shots weren’t filmed in good time pre-post Geneva.. well.. you’re a ninny.

Every single plot / section / story is produced to the hilt. Always has been.
The Jag phonecall raised the deepest sigh. ‘Rory – the car simply has to be here’

Right-o Mr JLR, we won’t let you down Sir, the multimillion pound show WILL go on, or we’ll die trying.
Pfft.

Years ago a couple felleas on a Ford forum I once frequented had their 80’s hot hatches used for a TG section in which the idea was to demonstrate new domincance over old, or vice versa, whatever. They essentially filmed the drag races etc and re-ran them until they got the results they wanted to show.
TG has never been a realiy show.

He’s ginger

rocketman – you are knob

Are you a ginger surroundedbyhills?

LeBlanc is clearly the surprise hit – his humour comes across as natural and he has a real charm. Once he learns to loosen up a bit during presenting he will be ace.

Harris – fits in really well to be honest. He can clearly hoon about on a track, and has good enthusiasm – but got really carried away on lasts nights episode as is coming across as a bit of an Evans MKII occasionally.

The Rory chap – he’s good as getting you to appreciate the car he’s raving about, but his mannerisms, particularly the mock ‘huh huh huh’ laugh is beginning to boil my piss..

..which leads nicely me to Evans. Wanted to like him, am finding his presenting style massively out of date, and his high pitched whiny shouty voice is just not comfortable. I think he should be given one sketch a week where he big’s up whatever vehicle he actually has an afinity for – because I enjoy his petrol head enthusiasm. But as the lead presenter.. no thanks.

They also need to try and avoid these utterly pointless references and ‘drama packed’ deadlines etc.. Such a load of tosh. The voice over of the old Jag hero last night ‘you just dig deep and get on with it’.
Must’ve been a reall ball breaker, thrashing the best production cars in the world all over the place for a living.
The story lines are really quite crap. But then they always have been really.

In which sense? A paperwork descrepancy?

Man you guys are easily pleased.
I think I’m yet to hear a good mixing, the sound seems all over the place on every set. Have the BBC screwed up here?

Muse, sounded drawn out and quickly got bored – as usual.
Adele, pfft, whatever. Is she doing some kind of an impression between songs, or is that genuinely her personality?
New Order, took me a while to get into it – probably till Tempation. Again, sound was a bit crap.
Mercury Rev – better, uplifting, good effort.
Underworld – FFS, One irritating hit massively overplayed 20 years ago. Give us a rest.
Foals – good performance, sound a bit all over the place again.
James – I’m a huge fan but Tim seemed to struggle last night. I’ve heard him complain of voice problems this year, hope he’s ok.

If it wasn’t for my amazing little lad and the fear of completely letting him down I’m petty sure I’d have ended my life 2 years ago.

I lost all contact with my close friends and my family at that point. That was, and still is sometimes, very hard to come to terms with.
I’ve found it very hard to get out of the ‘what’s the point of anything?’ mindset. Again, my son was my best answer. CBT can also help.

Went to buy an 8ft paddling pool today for the lad, then remembered my garden is on a proper slope – not a good combo for level water.

Need to get creative.

I’ll be happy when the rain stops and allows me to get on hacking away at the garden

How can you turn your nose up to fungi but relish the clotted blood? Is weird.

Don’t forget the Sunday roast, if you skip veg at brekkie you’ll be needing extra Brussels for dinner

Most old bikes get left to rot or stripped to bits and eventually binned. Many retro finds are gathered from recycling centres.
If it wasn’t for the collectors there wouldn’t be any left to ogle in the future – I see little harm in the garage queen collection. Heck, imagine if we all just kept and rode the one bike we purchased?! Not sure the industry would appreciate that.

I agree with it

I think we pretty much unanimously agree with the sentiment that modern bikes ride much much better. But one mans light hearted jest is another’s dig in the ribs. one thing this scene isn’t short of is opinions. Granted.