Tempt me with a new bike

[KungFooBob]

Get a cruiser.

Bolt on a load of screaming eagle stuff, make it your own.

Wear a leather waistcoat, hang out at The Blue Oyster Club.

[Dodgy69]

[Mr Moofo]

I have taken early retirement - grand plans to travel and all that have been somewhat canned by Covid. Anyway - my bother has a very nice Jeaneau 33 ft Bermudian Sloop boat, that he keeps at Brightlingsea. Being retired, is is out on it maybe every other day ... so I decided to get back into sailing ( all my previous experience were dinghy soloing, fast dinghy sailing, RYA sailing instructor, then may years of windsurfing. And a little bit of big boat sailing thrown in.
We've done a few trips this year ...

TBH, I find it like watching paint dry ...

I'm exactly the opposite, I can sit all day watching the water go by, my favourite thing is to get out so there is nothing on the horizon in any direction and just sail, there is nothing to look at except the water and the odd dolphin. The time goes by in a flash and 8hrs seems to turn into 1hr.
Occasionally I'll pull the sails tight and put the boat on it's rail close hauled and have some fun, but it's mostly just about taking it steady and enjoying being on the water.

I've always been fine with my own company and I've sat alone in jungles or deserts for weeks on end, it just suits me.

I guess it is horses for courses. My brother is absolutely obsessed with every aspect - and especially navigating the mud channel of east England. I cam imagine sailing in the balmy blue waters of Southern Turkey, or Chesapeake Bay would be different?
I do envy you ownership of a heritage boat.

[G.P]

Tbf a lot of it is the roads, no country lanes or countryside to enjoy. I could head up into the mountains and it's epic, but it's 1.5hrs of dead straight road there and then the same back, which is a pain.

It's funny, I think sitting on long straight road on a motorcycle for an hour or two to be quite a peaceful experience. Get your hands on an 80's Paris Dakar style bike of your preferred flavour and disappear into the mountains with your own company

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

1.5 hours of straight road would bore me rigid, I'd get a van and take the bike to the mountains in that.

[weeksy]

1.5 hours of straight road would bore me rigid, I'd get a van and take the bike to the mountains in that.

I'd buy a quad and piss about in the dunes instead.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I'd buy a quad and piss about in the dunes instead.

Nasty dangerous things, motorbikes are far safer

[Horse]

I'd buy a quad and piss about in the dunes instead.

Nasty dangerous things, motorbikes are far safer

The trikes were supposed to be worse and quads 'safer'.

[weeksy]

I'd buy a quad and piss about in the dunes instead.

Nasty dangerous things, motorbikes are far safer

There's a guy who lives over Harrys way and he has a 350 and a 450KTM and his missus has a 350 quad i think... They both seem very happy.

[Potter]

I do envy you ownership of a heritage boat.

I bought it based on the price, the fact that it's old is a happy coincidence

[Potter]

How about a Triumph rocket 3. The new one.

Bit different.
Looks ace
Plenty to polish.

If someone turned up at my door with one for free and £5000 to kit it out with any fancy bits I wanted....I'd try to hide and pretend I'm not in and be pissed off all day that they think I'm the sort of bloke that would ride one.

1.5 hours of straight road would bore me rigid, I'd get a van and take the bike to the mountains in that.

Too much hassle, as soon as it involves a chore to get to where I want to be then I can't be arsed.

[Nidge]

6BC429EB-EBEE-4B5B-BF06-E36F731B87C1.jpeg (696.25 KiB) Viewed 974 times

In the old tradition I feel compelled to recommend my current modern bike: Triumph Speed Twin, retro without trying to be an ersatz classic, loads of fun to ride with plenty of torque and sufficient top end to keep it interesting.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Is it purple?

[Nidge]

No it’s silver grey- dunno why it’s got the tinge to it

[asmethurst99]

I was going to make a facetious reply about getting an outfit.
Today I saw a bloke riding one up Hackney road (looked like a new Dnepr or similar) with a Great Dane in the sidecar -the dog was wearing goggles ...

[KungFooBob]

While we're talking of NEW bikes, have you seen the finance deal Honda have on the AfricaTwin, I don't know if I'm missing something, but it seems a bit silly, you have to REALLY want an AT and pay as little monthly as possible.

They've combined HP, with the balloon payment from PCP over 12 months.

https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/ran ... ym-lp.html

The headline figure is £27 month.

You've got to put £5.5k down deposit and pay £6.5k after a year to keep it.

Makes no sense to me?

[wheelnut]

I think you maybe need to have a think about what you want to get out of riding; is it the speed and chucking a bike through the bends, is it touring, is it having the satisfaction of chugging an old bike along the road? Once you decide then the bike will pretty much choose itself. Perhaps it’s your environment isn’t that conducive to biking?

That said I think we all go through stages, it’s no good trying to force it.

[Bigyin]

The TDR is a fun bike to ride and I enjoy being on it, but it's on the UK.
I only have the CBR out here and it's a cracking bike, so it's not the bikes fault.

Tbf a lot of it is the roads, no country lanes or countryside to enjoy. I could head up into the mountains and it's epic, but it's 1.5hrs of dead straight road there and then the same back, which is a pain.

Sounds like where you are, not the bike that you might need to change. Or adapt to where you are with a different bike. Why do a 3 hour boring ride for an hour fun on twisties

From memory you rode MX so why not get something like an ADV bike with a decent set of knobblies and go play in the wilderness closer to home. New Yamaha Tenere or if you are feeling flush a KTM 450 Rally replica

[Potter]

I think you maybe need to have a think about what you want to get out of riding

Sounds like where you are, not the bike that you might need to change.

I think there is something in both those comments, plus I just don't feel like it atm.

I've got a good friend that can get me a deal on stuff that would make most people reach for their wallets, I'm talking 40% discount on showroom prices of big red bikes. I have to admit I was tempted, still am, but I'd be buying it because it's a deal hard to refuse and the money is sitting there, not because I really want one.

If I was sat in the UK then one of the two strokes would be coming out and I'd be going for a ride down the country lanes. Earlier this year when I did that I was about as happy as one can get, but you have to play to your audience and adapt I suppose, out here I don't have country lanes, but I have a brilliant place for sailing, so that's what I'm off doing today.

I might treat myself to something red for Christmas, or do something with the CBR and put a set of Renthals on it, that might be fun.

[Mr. Dazzle]

While we're talking of NEW bikes, have you seen the finance deal Honda have on the AfricaTwin, I don't know if I'm missing something, but it seems a bit silly, you have to REALLY want an AT and pay as little monthly as possible.

They've combined HP, with the balloon payment from PCP over 12 months.

https://www.honda.co.uk/motorcycles/ran ... ym-lp.html

The headline figure is £27 month.

You've got to put £5.5k down deposit and pay £6.5k after a year to keep it.

Makes no sense to me?

Probably targeting PX owners who change bike alot. Chop in your old bike and pay £27pcm for a spanker.