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What did you guys do on your bikes today?

49/49
  • T4
    T4
    5 days ago
    Ya, an S&S E (running slightly rich; '95 model, and our combined ages makes 99 years)

    TBH I wasn't looking at the tach, my peepers were scanning the scenery for the things that leap out when you least expect them (and cages, esp ones with candy lights and stripes)

    But it was fun, and that's why I ride.

    Cheers, Will
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    4 days ago
    Started off with a round trip to Kilcoy, with a planned detour along some bush roads through Arababy Ck on the return. Coming back, was just changing down a couple of gears and turning off the highway onto Spring Ck road when the motor died. Was pointed onto the dirt road and didn't have enough bitumen left to try a roll start.
    Bugga! But there was some short grass in the shade just off the road under an Iron Bark, I was carrying tools and water and a hat, about as good as it gets for a break down so I rolled into the shade. Only about 30° and I had phone reception. Getting better.
    Tried the float bowl drain screw, full of fuel, and it died without a splutter so reckoned electrical. No lights or horn. Pulled the battery out far enough to check battery lead tightness, all good. I've got a manual start button on the end of the solenoid, so let the exhaust pipes cool down  and hit it.  Bugger all.
    OK, apply the final test, Swiss Army knife direct short, not even a crackle. Completely stuffed battery, went from an immediate start in Kilcoy, some enjoyable pulling against the 21/40 high gearing passing double Bs at 140, to dead as a.mutton 25 kms later.
    So the ride of shame. Got an eta of 2 hours for a tow, after an hour got a text that the truck had just left Lowood 90 kms away, then 10 minutes later it arrived, warp speed driving!
    That's Shane in the pic, 2 weeks on the job with Clayton's, first bike tow, and proud 1200 Iron owner, all round nice bloke.
    He took extreme care getting it on, all done by the book, not a chance of any towing damage. Even pushed it into the shed for me when we got home.
    He liked the Sporty, but got a look at the Victory High Ball and it sounded like love at first sight, so who knows what the future holds.
    2 years and 2 month old SSB AGM battery. I put it on the charger but it didn't show any current going through so I'd say it's shaken it's plates loose. Wasn't impressed last time I tried the brand either.
    Think I'll go back to Motobatt.
    And think I'll put a longer + lead in the Sporty so all 3 bikes take the same battery. Physical size, CCA and Ahr are the same, but terminal polarity is different between brands.


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  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    4 days ago
    Typical softcock fuckin Queenslander !
    Down here in gods country we would push it home. 
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    3 days ago
    Mate, you're right, I feel so fkn embarrassed and inadequate! In the mid 90's I did start to push it home from just north of West Wyalong but only got about 7kms before reaching enough of a hill to do a roll start. But that was a long time ago, combined age of bike and rider is now 107 and I dunno which looks uglier.
    Might have to sell all my American bikes and buy a Kawasaki Vulcan, a vest with fringes and chains, and some fingerless gloves. Reckon that would make me more hard core? I could pm you and come down to visit, go for a ride together.
    Or maybe not. Getting a new Motobatt Friday, will check the regulator output on both the Sporty and the Husky mower once I fit it.
  • evo94
    evo94
    3 days ago
    may i ask how much Claytons charged?
  • Hilly
    Hilly
    3 days ago
    I been wearing fingerless gloves when it's warm enough for 30 years, In the two big get offs I've had on road bikes mine where ripped to shreds but I could still wipe my own arse, good compromise I reckon, bit of gel in the palms to help with the carpel tunnels, win win in my book, gloves shit me like full face helmets and I'm not knocking anyone that uses either, just not a fan.
  • beaglebasher
    beaglebasher
    3 days ago
    Quoting obisteve on 29 Jan 2025 04:54 AMedited: 29 Jan 2025 04:59 AM

    Mate, you're right, I feel so fkn embarrassed and inadequate! In the mid 90's I did start to push it home from just north of West Wyalong but only got about 7kms before reaching enough of a hill to do a roll start. But that was a long time ago, combined age of bike and rider is now 107 and I dunno which looks uglier.

    Might have to sell all my American bikes and buy a Kawasaki Vulcan, a vest with fringes and chains, and some fingerless gloves. Reckon that would make me more hard core? I could pm you and come down to visit, go for a ride together.
    Or maybe not. Getting a new Motobatt Friday, will check the regulator output on both the Sporty and the Husky mower once I fit it.

    Combined age of the bike and rider is 107 years old is it?  OK then , I will let you off for not pushing it home.
    My combined age is 80 ( the bike is a 2002 model and I am in the prime of my life ! )
    I did push a bike home about 4 miles when I was 16 years old, I got a flat back tyre and didnt want to destroy the tyre so I put the bike in first gear and started running  along beside it. I got to a big hill and I was getting a bit tired so I jumped on it side saddle and just my fuckin luck PC Plod came over the top of the hill. He gave gave me a dirty look and done a u-bolt and came back and told me to get off the bike and push it the rest of the way home.  
    I said to the big fat prick how am I supposed to push the bike up that fuckin hill and he told me to leave the bike there and get it towed.
    I said right O mate and waited until he fucked off and jumped on it side saddle all the way home.
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    3 days ago
    Like you say Hilly, it's all personal choice. My wife wears them on the bike. Used to ride without gloves myself, until a moments carelessness had me sliding along the bitumen with the back of a hand taking some weight, by the time I finished sliding, you could see the bone in the middle knuckles of 3 fingers. Hurt like a bastard, took a while to heal cos the scabs broke every time I bent my fingers. Almost took my mind off the pain of having half my back look like a pizza, because I was only wearing a T shirt. Wear riggers gloves in summer now. Funny though, since choosing that a couple of drops have just scuffed the gloves over the ball of my thumbs, fingerless gloves would have done just as well. We all make our choices, go to hell in our own style, nobodies choice but ours. Don't have anything against people who ride Vulcan's either. They seem to be insanely reliable, 1500 and 1600 ones anyway. Only thing I've heard of is camchain stretch, and a Canadian mob makes adjuster extenders that just drop in and get you another 80,000 kms. I think you've got me sussed anyway, I can be a bit mouthy. Whenever I've gotten in trouble it's always been my mouth that's done it. Probably shouldn't have told a very young country copper in Taroom in 78? that he was ugly and his mummy dressed him funny and asked when he was gonna do something about all the pimples. Only thing that saved me that day was the old sergeant that was minding him started pissing himself laughing, otherwise I think I would have tasted the old style wooden truncheon.
    Probably shouldn't have told the packed public bar in Brewarrina in 94? that I understood why they had the shits with a mate and I drinking there, that yes our mob had stolen their country, shot a lot of them, borrowed their wives and daughters and their boats, and we'd never even said thanks, so thanks for the country fellas. Thought we were going to cop a serious flogging that night,  I'd have deserved it although my mate was picking up his helmet to start using it as I was putting my mouthguard in, when an older bloke called me a cheeky bugger and bought us a couple of beers. Things settled down a bit then although it got to be expensive as I shouted the bar a few rounds. At chuckout time we asked for advice about a good place to throw our swags down by the river, then backtracked 20kms towards Walgett and camped off a side road.
    So yeah, a bit mouthy, probably should apologise in advance if I step on any toes on here, but fuckit, think I'll have another beer instead.
    And EVO94, I bought RACQ membership 3 months ago when my wife got stuck 100 kms away in her Amarok ute. The tow was covered by that, for my membership level I get up to 60 kms of towing, with a tow truck callout distance of 120 kms. Can't really help with any tow price info. Claytons would be happy to talk about their rates, give them a ring.

  • evo94
    evo94
    2 days ago
    "And EVO94, I bought RACQ membership 3 months ago when my wife got stuck 100 kms away in her Amarok ute. The tow was covered by that, for my membership level I get up to 60 kms of towing, with a tow truck callout distance of 120 kms. Can't really help with any tow price info. Claytons would be happy to talk about their rates, give them a ring."

    cheers
  • Hilly
    Hilly
    2 days ago
    When I rode jap bikes I only wore gloves if it was freezing, wasn't until I got my sporty in 96 that I came across the gell palm fingerless things, so I was a "Michael Jackson faggot on a girls bike" according to the fuckers I hung around with in Kal back then, maybe that's why I felt the need to defend my position! interesting.....
    Sliding on ya back brings up another old gem, the sleeveless vest, I never used to wear one, was never in a club, if it was hot I wore a t shirt or a flannel, dumb, but as you say we all go to hell in our own way, I went for a ride with RT when I first met him, he said to me don't you get sick of your shirt flapping around like that? It was a fair point as it sometimes makes me itchy where it slaps on me constantly, That's why I wear a vest he said, plus it'll help keep a bit of skin on if I go for a slide, made sense, I got one after that but still didn't use it very often in Townsville as it was still bloody hot with it on around town, I do put a normal jacket on if I head outa town, open all the vents and at the legal limit the air flow makes it bearable.
    I brought one of those Kevlar shirts awhile back, haven't worn it in anger yet, looking at it I wonder how well it would work in a slide going feet first, I reckon it would ride up ya back pretty quickly even if it was tucked into the jeans. Anyway I'm just rambling on here, out.
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 days ago
    Nothing wrong with rambling.
    "I was born a ramblin man..."
  • evo94
    evo94
    yesterday
    cheap lightweight denim vest over l/s shirt in the heat to carry my shit inside /outside pockets - simple & convenient
    work pants with all their pockets - same logic
    used to ride up far n/w no gloves no worries, but remember moving here & backs of our hands burnt like crazy when riding for whatever....so lightweight gloves its been since - easy
    maybe skin has just sooked up with age, but shitloads of BCC & SCC cut out these last 20 years, gloves etc no brainer
  • Hilly
    Hilly
    yesterday
    Set of Blackstone rims and the carbon fibre look will be rockin 😁
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