Jeez, how the biking demographic has changed - when I started on my Fizzy pretty much everyone I saw on a bike was close to my age, at least under 25.
Now, everyone I see in the photos of the Wales trip is pretty much still around my age - old bastids! Where are the youngsters on bikes? I guess it's the culmination of successive government policies to reduce the two-wheeled casualty numbers - some prick in a suit in Westminster can point to a graph and congratulate himself on reducing the casualties amongst 16-24 year-olds on two wheels, only they've managed it not by making the roads a safer place for bikes, and training car drivers to be observant and not drive like dicks... no, they've made it so difficult for youngsters to get on two wheels that all but the most committed won't bother. Two wheeled casualties amongst the 16-24s will be reduced because there are barely any of them on the roads in the first place.
Discuss
"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting"
Steve McQueen
Wheelies - they ARE big and they ARE clever
Not only that they have made it so expensive with so many test and categories I was lucky i took my test after 2 years on a cbt then could own any bike i wanted my younger cousin done his test and had to get bike restricted power to weight ect just makes you not want to bother .way before my day if you failed you just chucked a staberlizer on and all was good
It all started to go down hill fast when they changed mopeds to slow peds by restricting them to 30mph and making them even more dangerous , alright 250cc for a learner was getting a bit much with the likes of the TDR/TZR yamahas RG suzukis etc producing 50+ bhp . but restricted 125,s cannot really keep with the traffic on a fast main road ,
Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles,
Hunter S Thompson
Also, the youngsters don't like to ride bikes as it messes up their hair, they can't take selfies constantly and besides, most of them don't have the strength to twist a Scooter throttle let alone a proper one.
07977507395
don't forget we are onX and Instagrambelieve it or not !!! southwestbikers@southwestbikers (original, I know.)
KTM 990 superduke R,
Zx10r trackbike, ktm 350 excf muddy
Suspension and bike work undertaken.
Another difference between now and then is that it was cheap and easy to get on a bike, but now either a car or a bike is expensive so most cannot do both tests and afford to run, so like my grandson they choose the car.
First wheels were bikes because car ownership was beyond our finacial capability. All we could afford was an old nail like a Bantam or C11G, then we caught the bug and were hooked. There was no such thing as finance unless you could get the old man to sign as a guarantor. You saved for what you wanted. And also our older brothers were rockers, so we had to follow suit. We passed our test by riding round the block while the examiner watched as he strolled along the pavement, then we could go on to bigger old nails like my Triumph 3TA. Not a single one of us greyones could successfully negotiate the hoops to get a bike licence nowadays. The demographic has changed, the youngsters that do have money now go straight to cars. Those that don't have money steal cars. The first nail in mass youth biking was the 250cc learner law for 17 year olds and the moped law for 16 year olds.
old and disgraceful so doing what I can while I can before I can't
07949879213
Has anyone seen the price of a new bike? Over £2k for a Chinese 125 POS, £3.5k for a race rep cool bike and north of £10k for anything bigger. Combine this with the irrational hatred for all things bike from most parents who would rather pay for and run a car for their kids than have them on bikes. So between cost and parents there is no chance. Lastly everyone now wants to to go to university and you're a failure if you don't. So by time they are done with education with their degree in media studies, if they had the bug they've probably got over it.
ptolemyx wrote: ↑Oct 2nd, '20, 14:51
Not a single one of us greyones could successfully negotiate the hoops to get a bike licence nowadays.
I'd like to try and pass my test again.
Maybe we could sort something out with a school? Do a charity thing, sponsorship for how many points you kept etc.
Could be a giggle.
07977507395
don't forget we are onX and Instagrambelieve it or not !!! southwestbikers@southwestbikers (original, I know.)
KTM 990 superduke R,
Zx10r trackbike, ktm 350 excf muddy
Suspension and bike work undertaken.
billinom8s wrote: ↑Oct 1st, '20, 19:48
Also, the youngsters don't like to ride bikes as it messes up their hair, they can't take selfies constantly and besides, most of them don't have the strength to twist a Scooter throttle let alone a proper one.
I notice the difference the old RD,s with 2 carb cables pullng up the slide in each carb and an oil pump cable are a lot heavier than more modern bikes with just one cable and vacuum carbs
Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles,
Hunter S Thompson
07977507395
don't forget we are onX and Instagrambelieve it or not !!! southwestbikers@southwestbikers (original, I know.)
KTM 990 superduke R,
Zx10r trackbike, ktm 350 excf muddy
Suspension and bike work undertaken.
ptolemyx wrote: ↑Oct 2nd, '20, 14:51
Not a single one of us greyones could successfully negotiate the hoops to get a bike licence nowadays.
I dunno.. I reckon I could.
I did my test later than my mates so the test had already got harder. For mine an instructor followed me whilst giving me instructions via an intercom.
I also passed the BMF test before applying for the actual test.. so that was 2 tests I did.
What is encouraging is that more people are getting 125's now as due to covid there is a long waiting list for driving tests. People want transport, and 125s are comparatively cheap and can be ridden after just a CBT... which isn't actually a test.
1190 Adventure S, 990 Superduke, DRZ-400E - all the bases covered.
