I Just Wanted To Say... Ya Can't Hijack This!! :-))

[Biggles]

This might become a "pinned" thread.

I'm proposing it for anyone to write anything they want that doesn't warrant a topic/ thread all of its own.
Some posts will be replies, but it doesn't matter what trend the topic takes, because THERE ISN'T ONE 

The idea came to me when I was riding home thinking about what happened to me on my Newcastle overnighter.

I arrived there at 4:00 PM and thought I remembered where my motel was.  It was a very windy day yesterday (was again today!) and I rode along Zaara Street towards the Esplanade.  About 20 metres from the corner I encountered wind so strong that it threated to blow the bike over.  I stopped and put both feet down and tried to walk the bike backwards.  The wind was being funnelled into the street between the buildings and every time I took the weight off a foot the wind would gust from the opposite direction and threaten to blow us both over.  Thankfully, three blokes helped me turn it around and I was able to escape.

These 300+ kg bikes are a handful at the best of times, but when they want to act as a sail, they are impossible to manage.

[Biggles]

On my way home up the Pacific Highway today I say two wrecks, both involving a semi-trailer and a car.  The first was a fatal involving a B-Double that was completely off the road cabin-first into a tree.  There were two heavy-lift mobile cranes on site, and thankfully only one lane was closed so traffic was moving.  The second one was an 18 wheeler off at 45^o into the ditch with a car parallel to it in the canefield.

Gotta feel sorry for truck drivers, as I'm sure a lot of the time it is the car driver who caused the prang- like the family of 4 killed up north QLD in the head-on with a truck while overtaking a semi.

[Biggles]

To keep the thread variable...

How the heck do LD riders get snacks into the mouth?  I have a Shoei helmet and I can barely push a peanut into my mouth while standing beside the bike, let alone doing 100 kays down the road.  This is predicated, of course, upon wearing a full face helmet.  Save your electrons and don't tell me you wear a flip-up or open-faced jobby.

That may well be the easy part.  I still don't have a system for picking up a Menthos from anywhere to try and feed myself.  Do you use a tankbag?  A joey pouch (for those who fraternise with Roos)?  A bike side pocket?

[alans1100]

To keep the thread variable...

How the heck do LD riders get snacks into the mouth?  I have a Shoei helmet and I can barely push a peanut into my mouth while standing beside the bike, let alone doing 100 kays down the road.  This is predicated, of course, upon wearing a full face helmet.  Save your electrons and don't tell me you wear a flip-up or open-faced jobby.

That may well be the easy part.  I still don't have a system for picking up a Menthos from anywhere to try and feed myself.  Do you use a tankbag?  A joey pouch (for those who fraternise with Roos)?  A bike side pocket?

If I remember to get those bags of glucose or barley sugar lollies I'll put some in the LH pocket (1100). I don't have a problem slipping my fingers between the raised visor and helmet to put lolly into mouth. I also push helmet down a little as I do so.

Same for breath test, just enough room if I push helmet down a little.

When Heather is with me she'll have some in her pocket and if I want one it will get handed to me so I can see it.

[alans1100]

These 300+ kg bikes are a handful at the best of times, but when they want to act as a sail, they are impossible to manage.

I had a triple road train push my bike over one day.

On the way back home from a river where I use go for a swim I had to enter the main highway from a dirt track.  It also meant going up a 30 degree slope before getting to the tar which if all was ok if I didn't need to stop for any traffic.  One time I had to stop to let the road train go before I could go.  One or two trailers would have been fine but the third trailer added more air pressure into the mix and pushed the bike over. No way could I stop it from falling but I tried to lessen the impact by keeping hold of the bike. Had there been a lane width between the bike and road train it may have been a non issue and so it's a live and lean learn thing. Two guys in a small 4x4 saw the bike and me so they stopped and help get it back on its feet.

[Biggles]

[bike and road train it may have been a non issue and so it's a live and lean thing.

That's a horrible pun!   

[alans1100]

[bike and road train it may have been a non issue and so it's a live and lean thing.

That's a horrible pun!   

pun unintended.........spelling corrected.......lol

[Biggles]

No one else has taken up the challenge to make this a gossip thread, so I'll ramble on.

Tomorrow I'm riding as Moto-crew for the Brisbane RTCC- Ride To Conquer Cancer.  About 1500 pushbike riders ride 100 km raising sponsorship money for cancer research.  I did the same thing last year for the inaugural one, and I see Sydney, Melbourne and Perth have one this year also.  The major sponsor is Rio Tinto who pour a lot of money into making it happen.  Everyone camps out at Lake Wivenhoe tomorrow night then ride all the way back to the starting point at the University of Queensland.

As Moto-crew we ensure safety at intersections and ride up and down the column helping anyone in trouble and encouraging those who are struggling.  There are three pit stops, including a lunch break.  The route takes in Chelmer, Richlands, Ipswich and Fernvale.

A mate whose wife had breast cancer which metastisised to her liver put up his hand to raise the minimum required to qualify: $2500.  Last time I saw his webpage he had $11,600.  That's the sort of friends he has! 

The homepage is here:
http://www.conquercancer.org.au/index.html

If anyone in Perth would like to help out, yours is October 20-21st.  Sydney is October 13-14.

Believe me, it's a great experience.  I found it very moving when I did Moto-crew last year.

Don't be put off by the "Harley Crew" thing.  They were going to supply 40 crew this year in Brisbane and managed to muster 13.  It was HD Aust trying to do a bit of promo work while putting up the $50 per rider that we each paid last year.  So this year we "miscellaneous makes riders" get our fee paid by HD.  Gotta laugh!   

[sargent]

No one else has taken up the challenge to make this a gossip thread, so I'll ramble on.

  biggles 

Great to see, just did a cycling charity ride myself only a couple of weeks ago.
Things only happen when you just get up and do it...

[Brock]

Sounds interesting, but I aint joining HOG....

I may just look int it.

[Gavo]

I have noticed that in the My Profile im still 45 it doesnt seem to update automaticaly

Im deffinatly greyer than before

Especialy hangin with the old timers                                         

[Brock]

I think it will click over in about three weeks Gavo

[Gavo]

Im a 66 model                                                                     

[H3NDO]

To keep the thread variable...

How the heck do LD riders get snacks into the mouth?  I have a Shoei helmet and I can barely push a peanut into my mouth while standing beside the bike, let alone doing 100 kays down the road.  This is predicated, of course, upon wearing a full face helmet.  Save your electrons and don't tell me you wear a flip-up or open-faced jobby.

That may well be the easy part.  I still don't have a system for picking up a Menthos from anywhere to try and feed myself.  Do you use a tankbag?  A joey pouch (for those who fraternise with Roos)?  A bike side pocket?

If I remember to get those bags of glucose or barley sugar lollies I'll put some in the LH pocket (1100). I don't have a problem slipping my fingers between the raised visor and helmet to put lolly into mouth. I also push helmet down a little as I do so.

Same for breath test, just enough room if I push helmet down a little.

When Heather is with me she'll have some in her pocket and if I want one it will get handed to me so I can see it.

Ive got a new Shoei Flipface helmet ...  I think they are 

I'll often flick on the cruise control, flip the face up, lift the windscreen and puff away on a durry on long rides 

[Maverick75]

Back when I used to smoke (holy crap, 10+ years ago!) I had a CX650C with a bloody huge fairing (windcheater??) that had both an ashtray and a cigarette lighter in it. Was never able to successfully smoke smoke whilst riding as I kept getting ash blown into my eyes. The fact that I had a non-flip full face lid didn't help either 

Maybe I should have drilled a 1/2" hole in the chin bar.

[Biggles]

Without the huge screen the wind would fan the ciggie like a bellows in a furnace.  The baccy would burn away faster than you could drag on it.
Never tried it myself, but then my bike didn't have a screen at all.

[Maverick75]

I found it was awful difficult to roll them as well.  >:(

[Gavo]

Easy in the car just hold the wheel with your knees  Dont think that would work on a bike

dont tell                                             



                                                                                                           

[Biggles]

Most bikes will track straight and true with your hands free to roll durries etc.
Mine is one of those ST13s that wants to cross over to the RH side of the road when I give her a hands-free.

[Diesel]

Someone out there....  find me a link to buy the ALDI MAGNETIC TANK BAG and I will try and be your friend for a while.

They are great bags, but I can't find a link, and they weren't part of the the MC Gear sale that Aldi had on.

(Hey - this is fun, being immune from those nasty mods who wanna 'move your thread to a more suitable and pertinent location!')       

Nice idea Biggles.

Anon.         

[Biggles]

It's manna for the post whores (and we seem to be afflicted with a few of them recently).

I believe most posts should add something constructive to the Forum.  That may include telling someone (nicely) they're wrong.
Not a big fan of "Me To"  (sic) posts.   

[Brock]

Tried to find anything to do with the Aldi tank bags,... Nuffin..

Biggles,

Me too

[Biggles]

I can't help but love the Telstra version of Colin Hay heading up his own song "I Come From A Land Downunder".
I grinned every time I saw it during the Olympics.  Everyone in the vid is having such a great time.  And the schoolgirls' choir are a great bunch of personalities.

Play it again for yourself:

Down Under Ad for London 2012 Olympic Games - Telstra

There!  Wasn't that the happiest minute you've spent for a while?

[Brock]

Yet another quality post Biggles.

[alans1100]

I took the 1100 down to the supermarket last night and when I came out I noticed a few bikes had parked behind the car that I was parked in front of.

One of the guys walked  towards me and the first words out of his mouth were "Oh!!! it's a Honda". Not "hi" or "hello" or words to that effect but, "Oh!!! it's a Honda".  Then I looked at his, it was a Beemer, and the other two were beemers. Can't please everybody can you. Maybe this guy thought he saw another BMW and it was not so he just spoke his thoughts:- out loud...so I could hear. 

What they really wanted was directions for something to eat so I sent them down to the closest hotel.