h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

How do we join?

Just say that you'd like to join

Oh, and if you'd like, you can tell us what was your first bike, what you're riding at the moment, and what sort of virtual bike you'd be on...

If you don't ride, you can join too!

First RD250
Now Thunderace
Bike of my dreams RC45 RVF750

Join 'em up BadZen this one has Nice Dreams

Forgive my ignorance but what is the Thunderace??

Oh and welcome onboard
Pond_Rat

900cc yam

I took the 1000cc version (I think - it's fully faired?, nifty blue coloured front brakes?) for a spin south of Darwin a few years ago on the no-speed-limit roads

Unfortunately, the road wasn't in the best shape and I kept getting airborne going over bumps at 260. I really wanted to get up to 280, which I reckon the beast would have done easily...

Welcome to the club, by the way


There's a vote on for the club name happening at the moment, so feel free to have a vote!

280? You must have very short miles out there

Precursor to the R1 wasn't it? Certainly a bargain in the used bike market over here.

Just a shame I can't stand plastic-fantastics!

ah yes that would be kilometres per hour

Shhhhh!

Just say you turbo'd it or something, they'd all be in awe by now!

I suppose this would be the place -
Id like to join too..
(Damn, we need some appropriate smilies- crash helmets, tyre tracks, vroom noises etc !)
Used to work saturdays in a bike shop.
Learnt on an XL100 - I doubt if there are any left, no great loss to the world..
Got a CD200 Benly - brilliant budget student bike. Wrote it off and landed in hospital (oops). Parents got me a 2CV. Wrote that off running an artic into a ditch. Got a CD185 with a knackered engine and built one good bike from the bits. Better than before - modified for ground clearance, lightened, engine tuned, practical luggage rack, good for 85mph with a 6v moped headlamp.
That got written off by some fool on a ZX1000 who drove into the back of it at 70mph when I was about to turn right. Bent the handlebars into a u with my knees embarking on flight.
Got another CD200, best of the 3.
Learnt to outrun 250 & 350 sports bikes, and fell off a lot.
Had a CB550 for high days and holidays (re dodgy insurance). I sprayed it red,yellow & green and turned it into a streetfighter. Unfortuately it burned more oil than petrol so I took it to bits, rebored it, lost half the bits and there it still is in boxes.
When I was 22 and emigrated to Germany, I welded a luggage rack onto it to carry two suitcases (one for clothes, one for tapes & CD,s)and drove it to Bavaria, which took three days.
Sold it after getting a GS400, after finding how cheap insurance is over there.
Still got the GS, got to get around to registering it properly in the UK (its still legal- so long as I can pretend to be a german on holiday!). Now im a low risk person im looking to get something exiting soon..
(any tips ? - I will soon have a 50 mile commute, mostly on motorways- i am thinking of a RF900 or VFR750, got to be reliable, comfortable and fun..)

I'd lik eto join too.

1st bike - Honda CM125 (ahh bless it's little rotten swinging arm)

Current bike - Anyone got a 600 Eliminator, EN500, VTShadow, VS Intruder or summink similar for sale?

Dream Bike.......As above but very cheap, very reliable, never fails MOT, never gets nicked.

Hey Ackalon,

What is it with painting CB550's 'orrible colours and hacking them about?
I remember mine used to run on total-loss oil as well! Still, I did once get 110mph out of it with a hole in the No.4 piston!

So you gonna rebuild it then?

Welcome to the club, both of you!



Have you thought about a suzuki gsx750f Ackalon? Or a sv650s?

I've ridden both - I had the gsx for about 8 years from new, it was a great all-rounder, and cheap. The best solo trip I've had was from Cairns to Brisbane and back again on the gsx. The sv is smaller and lighter and a lot more fun for short trips (I commute about 25k each way). Mind you those VFRs are pretty nice. I'm dodgy about the combined braking system, though...

A mate of mine's got a VFR750 sitting in his garage that he hasn't ridden in years! It's only done about 10000klm...

No combined braking on the 750s, of course...

Make that-

1st bike - Honda CM125 (ahh bless it's little rotten swinging arm)

Current bike Suzuki VS600 Intruder. Had to miss the Reading Meet-Up in order to go and buy it but well worth it.

Dream Bike - Possibly just bought it

Thanks for the tips
A GSX would probibly be a good bet also (and cheap!)
CB550s were just asking to be messed about with !, Just by replacing the side panels with aluminium plates you change the look from 1980-ish sensible bike to something altogether more purposeful. Encouraged by this mod, you then spot 5 more you can do ..ditch the airbox, ali chainguard, twin front disks - mounting points for the 2nd were already there... then the seat looks all wrong.. Front mudguard got metalworm...
I paid £120 for it in the first place, probibly 3 times that playing with it. I think that I will get it back together sometime- I need to find someone who can turn boxes of bits and a modest bundle of notes into a working motor....
Probibly by the time it happens it will be something of a rarity....

BadZen,
I like the sound of your mates 750 (wrestle it from him !), but I suspect it might have a geographical fault (ie. being in oz?)

Be careful Ackalon, I've had dealings with the odd -cum-Mechanic, who specialises in converting boxes-of-bits into motorised death machines
They certainly know how to make one's wallet lighter


Pond_Rat

Ah yes, but the 550 is so easy to work on!

Did it go bang or is it all working, just in bits?

Great thing I found about them is they're so modular, think I ended up with an F2 frame, a late K series engine, and then the cb900 forks and swing arm with weels and brakes and so forth pretty much just went straight in. Mind you, did give it HUGE ground clearance as the rear shocks were about 1inch longer and the front forks were 2.5 inches longer. Centre stand was no use after that

Apparently you can get 650 over bores for them as well.

Might have to get one again some time!