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

Got a Virago. Brand new!!!!!!! Luuuurvley!

Got a Virago 535. Really low which is good because I only have little legs. (inside measurement 27.5") (SMALL).

Rides great.

The last bike I had was an Eliminator 400. She was good and was lower than the bike I got now.

Went to a dealership for imports. Didn't take the Eliminator down there, but they offered me £900 for her. Not bad considering I paid £800 for her in the first place!!!!!

I have had my bike for about 6 weeks now. Done around 700 miles on her. Took me for ever to do that. (Don't go out in the rain you see, I'm a wuss. I'm also female).

Nearly got taken off her the other night going home. Women drivers!! Going round a round about took the inside lane which splits into two lanes for the next roundabout. She took the outside lane.

Guess what, she wanted my lane. Didn't look. Just indicated and moved across me. If I hadn't have been quick in slowing down, she'd have hit my front wheel. Silly, silly woman. I decided to make hand signals. Hand signals are very handy tools when you can't should abuse.

BIKES DON'T KILL PEOPLE, HALF-WITS KILL PEOPLE!
And you're right, hand signals can be most effective. I would NOT, however, advise the following:
1. Very cold evening
2. Cut off by Transit van, narrowly avoiding curb
3. Pursuing transit van and slapping metal surface with palm at considerable rate of closure. (remember point 1.? OUCH!)

A wise friend commented that 'acting like they can't see you' is past its use-by date, and with today's crop of insulated road zombies, he preferred the maxim "Act like they can see you, and that there's a new Volvo in it for them if they nail you." Aaah Paully, cynical, but safe.

Cheers!

Just one problem. Some bikers are loons.

Near where I live, a biker doing over 100mph in a 40mph zone hit an old man on a crossing. The old mans hit the butchers window (minus rest of his body). Blood everywhere. The bike ended up about 100 yards up the road near a roundabout.

The biker has lost the use of his arm (shame?!?!?!? I think not). Its still there, just wont work.

There are a few people round the area not happy chappies with the guy who hit the old man. Gives bikers a bad name your know!!

Safe riding.

PS please leave a message with the powers that be and ask for a biker smiley. I have.

The biker smiley has been well and truly been asked for He even has his own thread here somewhere...

Congrats on your Virago - they're nice machines, I just traded my XV250 on Viv, the V4 Honda.

If a bike smiley has been well and truly asked for, why haven't we got one???? The Lord said "Ask and you shall receive". I asked. Ain't got what I wanted!!!!!

ME TOO!

Trade my SV650 (nice bike, but not for 6 footers doing a 70 mile round trip each day) for a Triumph Sprint 900 - A British Bike

Just going out now to do what the manual tells me and to wash it after each ride. Judging by the condition the last owners actually did do this, it's imacualte. Photo on my web page at http://www.chawke.co.uk/others/index.htm along with all my others I've had (except the Z200)

CH

So where's the green with envy smiley?

(it's green, it'll have to do)

Very pretty bike... not sure about the screen though

And just in time for the winter

The screen? Why you not like? In fact getting flipup one soon.

Was about to e-mail you with this news/link but you've saved me the hassle

TTFN
C

Dunno what it is with my dislike for screens in general, maybe it's just something about them that says 'old git riding' to me

I must admit to being able to see the appeal of having the worst of the weather deflected nowdays, but my loathing of screens is just to ingrained for me to actually *like* them.

So does it go like stink then?

Yep

Drinks petrol through Had the tank off today to balance the carbs, my experiance is this is rarely done on a service especially a "free" service before the bike is sold.

Put the tank back on, run engine again and it died trapped the vacuum hose so no vacuum, no petrol, which s why bike still in bits - ran out of time anfd pulled thumb muscle

but alarm and "Nick" Oiler fitted - " Oiler like ScotOilers but made by my mate Nick -its on it 4th bike now.

But tis great fun.

C

So it's a proper brit bike then - in bits already

LOL - yep, but no oil on the ground, so I must be doing something wrong.

C

Hi CH

Just visited your website. Had a good nosy around. You're from Devon! Just come back from Upottery near Honiton. We always go on holiday to Devon or Cornwall about twice a year.

I note your comments on tractors. I would like to tell you a tale.

A friend of my fella's was on his bike going home from work. He was behind a tractor (very dirty) on a road that was very straight but went up and down quite a lot. He decided to overtake the tractor at a particular spot on the road because there were no dips in the road. As he became level with the tractor, it turned into a field. He was thrown into a field approximately 30 yards from the road. The bike was a right off and he nearly was too.

They took him to hospital. He had an erratic heart beat and his lungs had detatched from the lung wall making it near impossible to breath. Because of the erratic heart beat they could not chance giving him a general anaesthetic so they had to repair the lung wall using a hell of a lot of local anaethetic. The tractor driver said he had his indicators on, but the police took one look at the tractor and pressed charges. The police admitted that they couldn't even see when the lights were on, never mind flashing so even if the tractor driver had put his indicators on there was no way that my fella's mate would even see them.

Idiot!!!

Hope you enjoyed the visit down here.

Tractors are something to treat with extreme care, hence my comments (I am guessing you read the biking in Devon article) the same thing nearly happened to me when writing that, but I am a very paranoid rider.

How's your mate now?

CH

My mate is fine now. Made a full recovery. Very lucky.

Both him and his wife rode motorbikes but they have both decided to sell them. His wife had a Virago 535 just like mine!!

I think he was awarded damages of approximately £28,000 so you can imagine how much damage was actually done to him!

Safe riding.

Toni

Forgot to mention. Had a wonderful time on holiday down your way. Always do. The fishing is great!!!!

Hi there Vicki, I'd be pleased to present you with a free MC membership for your birthday - but wait there's more! You also receive a choice of virtual bike, or bikes, and a super-deluxe-extra-large-and-secure virtual garage!

Just let me know if you'd like to join.

Pleased to note your friend's recovery. I guess everyone who rides has a tale like that to tell - near-misses and not...

We've got some interesting road-hazards out our way (apart from errant cows and tractors and four-wheel drivers) - like the kamikaze kangaroo or the speed-hump python stretched across the road...mind you, I always try to move snakes off the road. I once stopped to shift a rather large python and it got run over by a four-wheel drive before I could get to it. Didn't hurt it!

(Oh and I've updated the membership page CH)

Bad

Hi Bad

Thank you for your kind invitation. Would love a virtual Harley (as they are too big for me to ride in the real world - little legs you see).

Would love to joint the club as well. What's the thread called!!

Vicky

Hi Vicki V,

I am 5'2" and weigh 55 kgs ... and have had great fun riding Harley Fatboys ! Pick a softtail model ... they are even lower than my Suzook GN 250 and so can be balanced quite easily. Not sure about the Dyna Low Riders though, they may be alright too ! If you like the retro look (I do !!!) Softtails are the best with their heritage models ! Just make sure you are in the lowest possible gear while taking turnings, for I feel that the Fatboys are the two-wheeled equivalents of the Lockheed Starfighter - they turn like a brick wall ! Even managed to do a 800+ kms trip on a reasonably tall BMW F 650 GS ... of course the only Beemers with a flat twin that I could hold up are the Cruiser models, though the new CL looks promising : have just got them here in New Zealand and I have not had a chance to try one out yet. Have fun mate