OzSTOC
Welcome - Getting started & FAQs - Read Here First... => Introduce Yourself & Your Bike => Topic started by: spanner on February 19, 2014, 09:20:33 AM
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Howdy,
I have left a description of where my nickname came from in the other posts so Ill not do that again here.
I am a father of two young-uns and unfortunatly am still working .... and working a horrible roster of 28 days working and 9 days home ....
I love the 9 days home thing because I can fully imerse my self in the role of Dad and hubby b=ut the four weeks away can be a bit tough.
I have owned a few bikes but none of them very noteworthy apart from my very first bike .... a kawasaki 100cc bike. It was so under powerd that I had to help it off the lights like a Flintstones car BUT I loved it .
I then had a CD250 and now have a CB400.
I have ridden both of them until they have or are about to die. I have seriously underestimated the toll doing long distance riding has on the smaller engine.
I have done the Bris / Townsville trip 5 times on the 250cc and 8 times on the 400 as well as riding out to Wandoan every three weeks for my last job...... each trip FULLY overloaded with gear ...... and I mean over loaded!
I now want to get a decent and comfortable bike as I am getting less able to deal with the naked upright battering on my rides so I have extensivly researched and the ST's have won out. Sporty enough for comuting and comfortable enough for long rides.
My kids have just reached the age where they can ride as my pillion so i am looking forward to taking them on rides and teaching them about roads, rules, cars and maniacs. When and where to 'bend' the rules safely will also be tought along with a very good explanation of consequnces. Learing should never be dull, should never stop and most importantly be useful.
I have a wife who does not ride, will not willingly be a passanger but supports my riding habit and my desire to have our kids on board. How lucky is that!
anything else about me will no doubt be forth comming in my future posts.
Cheers,
Spanner ( Dave )
:wht11 {------- this is what I want!
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Woot... welcome aboard buddy
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Welcome On In Spanner :clap
:slvr13
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G'day Spanner, great intro :thumbsup
Welcome to the forum, I'm sure you'll love the ST when you get one :hatwave
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Thanks for the intro mate......goodluck with your search :thumbs
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Spanner Dave, welcome and happy hunting - you won't be disappointed. Not that I've ridden that many bikes, but I can genuinely say buying my ST1300 was the best choice I could have ever made. :blk13
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Welcome Spanner from the east coast.
Great intro. Happy wife = happy life, and happy kids. :thumbsup
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Hi Dave and welcome to OzSTOC from the SA crew. :hatwave
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Welcome spanner from Toowoomba Queensland :hatwave
Hope you find a ST . Enjoy the forum :thumbsup
:beer
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G'day Dave. Welcome from a very wet Canberra
You still have time to buy one and make it to the National Rally
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Welcome Spanner. Very good insightful intro.
I did Tours internationally for 9 years and loved it, but there are drawbacks.
Being able to commute on a bike would be a plus.
You'll find the ST1300 (and even the 11 a bit less so) a fantastic load carrier. There are bigger panni9er and top boxes on some much more expensive (to buy and maintain) bikes.
The ST13 will do it all for you, in comfort. Be aware, these fully-cowled bikes do direct a fair bit of heat onto your legs- moreso than naked bikes. A pair of highway pegs are very helpful in getting out of the hot zone.
Heaps of info in here, and 95% of us are great guys.
I'm trying to get into that bunch. :grin
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Be aware, these fully-cowled bikes do direct a fair bit of heat onto your legs- moreso than naked bikes. A pair of highway pegs are very helpful in getting out of the hot zone..
This is certainly an issue for me but I have read that you can get air deflectors to bring in cooler air. I am correct in that arn't I?
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Nice intro Spanner, welcome, enjoy your time on the forum :beer
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The heat is only an issue if you ride in shorts and thongs. With a decent pair of asbestos n kevlar armoured jeans, the heat aint so bad. Although the leg hairs may singe slightly on a long ride in heavy traffic...
I just rode home on the 1100 in the sloway traffic and hell heat, and hot legs were not the problem, melting was though.
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Be aware, these fully-cowled bikes do direct a fair bit of heat onto your legs- moreso than naked bikes. A pair of highway pegs are very helpful in getting out of the hot zone..
This is certainly an issue for me but I have read that you can get air deflectors to bring in cooler air. I am correct in that arn't I?
Welcome Spanner.
The heat issue is usually only a problem when riding slow, and all I do on my 1100 is to stick my knees out into the breeze to direct cooling air into the most important parts. Have not ridden a 1300 to be able to compare how engine heat effects the body. I also use a shorter 'summer' screen for the hot days.
:bl11
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I am only going for the 1100 as that is where my budget will allow me to go.