Boats, Bikes & Brain Damage...

Truly a fool. The thing I don't get about these crotch rocket guys is why they wear the full helmets. Not like there's a brain in there to protect. All guts, limited skill and no brain. I flipped to the "final ride" and noticed in that he almost took out another biker along the way. He's nothing but a reckless fool. Be a man, put a muzzle in your mouth. Don't endanger the innocent to do the deed.

I cant compete with the hardware, but I can put up some mean hair.
17, green, pure AE bait. And I was in there regularly.
I can honestly claim that every crash I had was due to hitting something hard.
I saw most of these hard things coming, most of them did not see me.
My two wheel adventure started mid '70s and ended Sept 23 1980. Choice was easy...after I got out of hospital, I could buy another bike, or keep the girl.
I've been on four wheels since, but still have the odd days when I seriously consider another bike. Statistically, not a good idea.

They don't go away. I quashed mine for about 25 years. Then my neighbor (who's in a wheelchair at the moment ) got his, and I'd hear those Harley pipes every day. Next thing you know....

Given the field we live, play and/or work in, How many of the things the members here do are? Raise you hands guys if you drink, smoke, stick 40 tons of fiberglass into little spaces, mess with big machinery, fly, dive. Unless that girl is still with you, give in. (I been known to be a bad influence once in a while. )

The girl is still with me. She's asked many times that I don't get another bike, but who knows. And if I did, I'd be so leathered and helmeted up I'd seriously not feel the magic anymore methinks. Maybe.
Fair do's to those less bothered by such trivial reasoning, and who still have such a strong pull toward two wheels.
She does like Caterhams though.

That bike is still missing in my collection. I have the 1978 Honda 550 K3 but now doing the paperwork to get a '77 Kawa Z1000 here. They were still building real bikes these days...

That Kawa was getting to be a popular bike for the PDs here for awhile. Then they decided that they weren't about to run 120mph chasing some fool anyway and HD's gave a better impression for crowd control and escort work (plus there's just something wrong about American cops not riding American iron, especially once AMF got out of the picture). Those Kawas were nice riding bikes though.

CODOG, it's admirable to take responsibility for one's own actions.
In your case, however, it's not necessary to do so.

Unless the KAW engineers redid the frame geometry from the evil-handling Mach III H1 in 1969 (likely they didn't, to save a nickle, on their march to undercut the reigning Brit bikes of the era), your KH 250/400/whatever had all the speed necessary to get you deep into Speedwobble Country. Even at slow cornering velocities, you were taking a leap of faith to twist the loud handle too quickly.

No,no Loren,

The Kwack team knitted the frame from liquorice string and added a hinge in the middle for extra drama.

In the UK in the '70s, you could legally ride a 250cc machine on the street from the age of 17, on a provisional licence. The KH 250 you see in the pic was bought the day of my 17th birthday in '76. As I was green, I had nothing to compare the handling with, but yes, it wobbled and squirmed a fair bit.
I'm sure it was better than its predecessor though, the S1 250
It was the largest framed 250 at the time, and I fitted it better than the other small stars of that time, the Suzuki GT 250 and Yamaha RD 250. The Honda CB 250 was four stroke, and for some reason it didn't call to me. I also though the KH had the nicest styling of the bunch.
After I killed it, there was an old H1 500 which was indeed made from damp spaghetti. The then fiance would not even get on it.
After I killed that one, I test rode an older H2 750 (what I believe was the model named the widow maker). That short ride was the scariest experience of my life, but I'd have bought it had they not had a newer KH 400 for sale too, and my lady not run out the shop crying.
If I remember correctly, the power output went down between the older S models and newer KH models, maybe for the better.
RIP KH 400, and hello Yamaha RD 350 LC. This wee bike was a revelation, and IMO the best looking bike of the early '80s.
It was this bike that I had most fun on, and also my biggest interface with a solid object. This time round it was a car pulling out on me, and I started car driving lessons straight after being able to pee clear again.

I've got a '92 CB 250. I take this one when I anticipate traffic jams. It's probably the best sold bike ever as they are everywhere in Asia. Also probably the most reliable bike ever build and dirt cheap to maintain. The fact that they're so reliable also makes them the most boring bike I've ever owned.

If you don't have a grin at this, then you are officially an old fart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r-1t6D5E6U&feature=youtu.be

Hooligans!
You kids get off my grass!!
[grumble...]

An answer to the age-old question.....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5ohOawkLos&feature=related

Judy,

I take it that its not you test-riding the new Fat Boy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrUiPPGKaO8