Coming to the end of the 2022 'season', how was your year in biking ?

[wull]

In terms of on the road, then I haven’t done as much as I would have liked. I forced myself to get out and about initially whilst running the bike in then after that it was mainly used for commuting to work.

As for track days I managed 3, which is more than the originally planned 2 so that’s a bonus, next year the plan will be to do more track days, I imagine road riding will be the same, commuting at best.

Mileage is roughly 1850 miles give or take a few hundred.

[G.P]

Its been good.
I moved house in January so no longer have my lovely double garage but I have plans at my new place for a workshop etc so I can ressurect both Ducati Projects and I have a single garage just up the road for the Monster and the Tiger to live in.

Highlight of the biking year was riding down to the Pyrenees Atlantiques with the Wiltshire contingent.a great time was had by all.



Got to 2 MotoGPs - Portimao and Silverstone. Again, both great weekends away with the lads.

Didn't do too many rideouts and commuted a bit but not the usual mileage I do on the bike.

The Monster isn't really getting used to its going. an old school mate is interested in having it so hopefully staying in the family.
The Tiger has 58k miles on it now but I think it will stay for another year or so.

[Trinity765]

Started the year with a working Street Triple but towards the middle of the year it sounded like a cement mixer full of nuts and bolts (again)............but at least it's headers were clean

I'd lost my mojo at one point, understandably under the circumstance. I asked myself life's most important questions - "What do I like about riding motorbikes" and "Why would anyone put themselves through this shit". I still managed a couple of lone ranger tours of Wales, lolloping around, sitting on mountains, enjoying the peace. And I did a group trip there, taking fellow bikers on all MY favourite roads, shits n giggles, great company, good food and had a wonderful time.





Ended the year with an awesome, orange parallel twin and I can't wait to do some proper miles next year.

[Bustaspoke]

It's been a pretty good year for me.
For the last 20 years I've spent most of my leisure time either mountainbiking or road cycling & struggling to get the spare time to go out on my motorbikes,but this year I've prioritised the motorbikes.
New years day & I was out on the Street Triple



Start as you mean to go on

I then bought a SV650s for hacking around on the back roads around here.
For the best part of a decade I had been nagging a couple of my old mates to do a trip before we're all to old & in 2019 they finally agreed to do a Scotland trip with me the following year,then the pandemic struck
We finally got to do the trip in May,it was great,we did a week based around the 'Crieff Cloverleaf',good weather,good company & good roads.
The next trip of note was going back to the Isle of Man for a few days at the Classic TT.By this stage I was enjoying the little SV650 so much that I took it instead of the Street Triple



It was good fun on the back lanes & I did a few enjoyable laps of the course on it.
After taking years to persuade my mates to go on a bit of a tour with me,they're now wanting to do more & when I said that I'd be going to mid Wales for a few days around the Elan Valley they were keen to go,so in mid September we had a excellent weekend & they already want to go back in the spring
Once again I took the little SV650,anyone recognise the arch?



Here's the 3 bikes loaded up on our way back home & looking forward to next years trip

[MrLongbeard]

Was OK, not what was planned but OK.
I was planning on spending a week riding the Welsh coast and another more messing about on the east coast, but life, work, family and the weather all got in the way, so maybe next year.

As it was I spent most of the year Cafe hopping, pick somewhere within an hour or 2 of home from https://ukbikercafes.co.uk/cafe-map and off I'd fuck for the day.

Also not helped by the unexpected arrival of a bike for the wife, which has been a challenge as she's been out of the saddle for many many years and wants to build up her knowledge and distances gradually (and bloody slowly )

BBQ place I like, eat good food sat by a big river
PXL_20220430_114945103 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

Ironbridge
PXL_20220318_130214938 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

Local place, good spot to chill and sit with the sheep
PXL_20220415_111011543 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

Metric & imperial in one house
PXL_20220820_113204637_2 by MrLongbeard, on Flickr

[rodbargee]

mr LB STILL GOT THE COOLEST BIKE PIC even if he was chasing sheep when it was taken

[MrLongbeard]

mr LB STILL GOT THE COOLEST BIKE PIC even if he was chasing sheep when it was taken

You don't need to chase 'em, the cattle grids make it impossible for them to run off.
I really should try and get the bike up on Titterstone which is just up the road away's

[ninja]

T'was alright. Three foreign trips this year. Two where I trailered my Z1000 down to the Provence Alps and one where I rode My Fireblade to the Pyrenees and onto the Alps and back again. Lots of miles and smiles and worn out tyres.
Bizarrely all three trips were cooler in temperature than I have experienced at the same time of year before.

[cheb]

None too bad, spawn the younger took her CBT and I actually rode my bike to and from the MOT test this year.

[Scotsrich]

On the whole quite good.

Did about 4k on the GS which is more than usual including a couple of trips with the lads which is the bit I most enjoy.
They seem to know roads I’ve never been on before.
I can only place this pic as ‘somewhere near Fort William’

8EEE5BDD-3E2F-478D-8026-0993BBAA1432.jpeg (172.78 KiB) Viewed 307 times

Even washed it a couple of times. Under strict supervision of course.

‘oi you’ve missed a bit’

A89707EB-3D64-45A1-BDB7-D0BD050D6937.jpeg (135.42 KiB) Viewed 307 times

[Wscad]

Completely lost my fizz with biking. Put the triumph trophy into hibernation November 2019 and it didn’t come out of the garage till Easter this year. It’s back in hibernation and we will see what the world looks like when the clocks go forward next spring.

Did 3 rally’s this year. Farmyard, pissed as a newt and Yorkshire pudding . One ride out to hawes where fish n chips cost a tenner Maybe done 500 miles in 3 years

[Skub]

Even washed it a couple of times. Under strict supervision of course.

‘oi you’ve missed a bit’

A89707EB-3D64-45A1-BDB7-D0BD050D6937.jpeg

That mitt looks suspiciously like a cat toy!

[Yorick]

I don't think I actually rode a motorcycle in 2022, I moved some about and I think I tested a bike before I sold it, but not proper riding.

That sometimes happens though, I've been riding motorcycles since I was <10yrs old (so that's about 40yrs) and since sixteen I think I've always had at least one knocking around somewhere, even if I wasn't riding it much. Some years are busier than others and sometimes I'm not in the right country to enjoy riding bikes.

I have bought some bike bits and I do have a week planned soon where I'll be on my own and I intend to work on the bikes as a means of relaxation. I probably won't ride any unless it's a nice sunny day though.

I have toyed with the idea of a seasons club racing once I've properly retired,

That's awesome, but be careful.
A race is world's apart from a trackday. Unless you're running at front of the fast group on a trackday, you'll be right at the back of a race.

And 50ish is maybe a bit late to start.

But hell, go for it.

[KungFooBob]

I don't think I actually rode a motorcycle in 2022, I moved some about and I think I tested a bike before I sold it, but not proper riding.

That sometimes happens though, I've been riding motorcycles since I was <10yrs old (so that's about 40yrs) and since sixteen I think I've always had at least one knocking around somewhere, even if I wasn't riding it much. Some years are busier than others and sometimes I'm not in the right country to enjoy riding bikes.

I have bought some bike bits and I do have a week planned soon where I'll be on my own and I intend to work on the bikes as a means of relaxation. I probably won't ride any unless it's a nice sunny day though.

I have toyed with the idea of a seasons club racing once I've properly retired,

That's awesome, but be careful.
A race is world's apart from a trackday. Unless you're running at front of the fast group on a trackday, you'll be right at the back of a race.

Not if you pick a sensible class that's not full of youngsters with something to prove.

[Yorick]

I don't think I actually rode a motorcycle in 2022, I moved some about and I think I tested a bike before I sold it, but not proper riding.

That sometimes happens though, I've been riding motorcycles since I was <10yrs old (so that's about 40yrs) and since sixteen I think I've always had at least one knocking around somewhere, even if I wasn't riding it much. Some years are busier than others and sometimes I'm not in the right country to enjoy riding bikes.

I have bought some bike bits and I do have a week planned soon where I'll be on my own and I intend to work on the bikes as a means of relaxation. I probably won't ride any unless it's a nice sunny day though.

I have toyed with the idea of a seasons club racing once I've properly retired,

That's awesome, but be careful.
A race is world's apart from a trackday. Unless you're running at front of the fast group on a trackday, you'll be right at the back of a race.

And 50ish is maybe a bit late to start.

But hell, go for it.

My first race was at 18yrs old and I had a national licence a year afterwards.
To be fair I packed short circuit racing in when I was in my mid-20's and only raced motocross after that, so I might be a bit 'born again'.

I have no illusions about winning, but I managed a couple of trophies.

When I raced motocross there was a bloke in his 60's racing with us, he was quick enough to race but usually last and I often lapped him, but I always said that I'd be very happy if I was still riding motocross at 60yrs old, even if I was finishing last.

Sorry. I forgot you raced. I only remembered your MX racing. Sorry

[Yorick]

Sorry. I forgot you raced. I only remembered your MX racing. Sorry

No worries mate, I was never any good, got a couple of podium finishes in club races, but that was all.

Once you've raced, it's in you. Can never get it by just doing trackdays.

[asmethurst99]

Had some good days out on both bikes but family got in the way forcing a cancellation of a long anticipated wales trip but there always next year.
Will take the CBR out on Saturday early doors as I’ve not ridden it in a few weeks and top it up with fresh petrol (and add some stabiliser to it as well)
I’ll keep commuting the short trip to work a couple of times a week throughout the year.
I’m doing a motorcycle maintenance course at my local FE college in the new year (I did the beginners course in the Autumn) great mix of people as well as learning something

[Bigyin]

Spent most of the year riding round on my Fazer 600 at 30 mph trying to stop kids/novices kill themselves on their very first time on the road. Occasionally managed to get to 70 mph trying to help novices get through their full bike tests while keeping them alive and getting them to realise 600cc can go quite badly quickly compared to the 125 they have ridden before.

Apart from that ridden around locally with eldest who passed his license in January and got himself a ZX636R. Had days out myself on the Ducati but no real trips apart from the 750 mile weekend trip to Pembrey for the annual RTTL Trackday going round and round in circles all day

[Whysub]

In February I rode up to Sos Del Rey Catolicó (fantastic roads arounf there, north and south) to meet up with a couple of mates who came over from UK. Had a week riding around the Pyrenees and the Toulouse area, before I headed home via the Saint-Lary tunnel, which is the highest tunnel in the Pyrenees. Bit odd riding up above the ski slopes to get to it.

In May a mate came down to my place and then a 30 day trip commenced through Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Andorra and back south to Spain.

Both of these were on my old, cheap Honda Deauville, boringly reliable, but not that economical.

In September I rode my Speed Triple up to Flash's in Melle, France. Crossed the Pyrenees on the western side at Valcarlos, a great road, twisty and deserted. 4 days thrashing the bike was great, and after 2 years of ownership, we finally gelled. It's a great bike, but will be changing the rear shock soon, as damping isn't great.

Next trip is up to Valencia for the MotoGP this weekend, and the mad Saturday night in Cheste isn't to be missed.

After 20 years of commuting 120 miles a day from Essex to Tower Hill, I now enjoy riding purely for leisure since retiring 3 years ago. Being out here, I can ride all year road in comfort.

Looking to get another Sports bike this winter to join the fleet. Fancy another GSX-R1000, as my favoured RC8's are extremely difficult to find, and I have only seen one for sale here in 3 years.

[Deadpool2]

I have hardly ridden at all due to various health issues, maybe next year will be better. Fingers crossed.