Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

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Le_Fromage_Grande
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Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I've been offered a go on a race motorcycle which is one of 6 of that type of motorcycle ever made, it belongs to a mate who raced it very successfully 25 years ago, I've politely declined because I'm far too nervous of binning it, what would you do?

It's worth about £15K, so I could buy it off him if I did crash it, so for me it's not about the money, but more about that I know he cares about that bike (he has a few more bikes)
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by mangocrazy »

I'd be scared of binning it, as well, and considering the rarity of it I'd be even less likely to take up the offer. It's a shame as bikes as ornaments are sad things; they really only exist to be ridden.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Skub »

Sometimes you make your own luck.

The thing is,you can afford to give him the value of the bike,but if it's special to him for other reasons and it goes up in a fireball,you can't give him that back.

I might be tempted anyway,just to say I've ridden it,then if I have to,just try to crash it very lightly.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Cousin Jack »

I would ride it, but very carefully, and not too far.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Mr Moofo »

Just ride the tits off it !
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Skub »

Mr Moofo wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:59 pm Just ride the tits off it !
Someone had to. :lol:
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Noggin »

Years ago a friend took my Blackbird for a ride and told me to ride his Ducati. I knew nothing about the bike, the make or the model. I could see on the side it was a 916 and that was it

It was way too high for me but once going I really enjoyed it (even with the extreme to me position).

Only when we stopped and swapped back did he tell me that the SPS bit after the 916 meant it was a limited edition :shock: :shock:

Had I known that before I'm pretty sure I'd never have ridden it (I didn't have the money to replace it or mend it!) - but I'm kinda glad I did!

He's still got it. Think he's sold it to buy newer models a couple of times but sold to mates and managed to buy it back each time!!
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Mr Moofo »

Skub wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:03 pm
Mr Moofo wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:59 pm Just ride the tits off it !
Someone had to. :lol:
TBH, I was offered friend's MHR to ride when I was at the Manx GP. I guess it is '80s , but worth 20K ish. I did ride it - it was low, long, footpegs with no spring return on them, and steered at slow speeds like a bus. But I could see how they got to the 916 from there.

And no, I wouldn't have ridden the tits off it!
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by ZRX61 »

I put a mates VFR750 in a 5ft deep ditch. Luckily(??) the ditch was full of water/mud & after we'd hauled it out & hosed it off there wasn't a mark on it.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by weeksy »

Every time we went to Euro Trackdays my mate talked me into riding his MV Augusta, 1000, or 312R, etc. I enjoyed it lots.

Tricky let me loose at Pembrey on his MT10-SP which I deffo couldn't afford to crash
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Ian »

What is the bike?
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Horse »

What's the context?

Would you be riding a few laps or lanes at a pace you can decide, or fairing-bashing racing etc?

If it's a bike you don't know, dial it down a bit? Otherwise, ride it.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Ian wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:41 pmWhat is the bike?
1996 MuZ 690 works race bike, they made 6 of them, no one knows where the factory development bike is so there are 5 left, Brian's is no.3, he intends to race it again later this year, apparently it can go in the class for older single cylinder bikes, but it's faster than the Kramer KTMs that are currently the single cylinder bikes to race. Brian had it from new, raced it in 98 and 99, sold it so he could buy an Aprillia to race, he bought it back off the bloke he sold it to, apparently it hasn't been ridden since 2001. We've gone over it and it's nearly ready to ride.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Sadlonelygit »

70 hp sledgehammer
I rode Mick Bird's Spondon 690 Crawford/Moodie bike. 1/1
Came back with oil all over my boots and tyre and swingarm!
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by formula400 »

Do it, might never get another shot.

I’ve been fortunate enough to take a few tasty bikes up the hill at Goodwood.

Also, shat my pants being in the fast group at Donnington on a NSR500 and getting lapped.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Rockburner »

formula400 wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 8:09 pm Do it, might never get another shot.

I’ve been fortunate enough to take a few tasty bikes up the hill at Goodwood.

Also, shat my pants being in the fast group at Donnington on a NSR500 and getting lapped.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by KungFooBob »

So it's a MuZ Supermono race bike... with a tuned Yamaha lump?

It's hardly an Ernst Degner original.

I'd give it a few laps at 8/10ths.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by porter_jamie »

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 7:20 pm
Ian wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:41 pmWhat is the bike?
1996 MuZ 690 works race bike, they made 6 of them, no one knows where the factory development bike is so there are 5 left, Brian's is no.3, he intends to race it again later this year, apparently it can go in the class for older single cylinder bikes, but it's faster than the Kramer KTMs that are currently the single cylinder bikes to race. Brian had it from new, raced it in 98 and 99, sold it so he could buy an Aprillia to race, he bought it back off the bloke he sold it to, apparently it hasn't been ridden since 2001. We've gone over it and it's nearly ready to ride.
Dangerous Brian? Green something surname? It's a race bike it's meant to be crashed. He could pedal that back in the day.
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

porter_jamie wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 8:48 pm
Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 7:20 pm
Ian wrote: Sat Mar 16, 2024 6:41 pmWhat is the bike?
1996 MuZ 690 works race bike, they made 6 of them, no one knows where the factory development bike is so there are 5 left, Brian's is no.3, he intends to race it again later this year, apparently it can go in the class for older single cylinder bikes, but it's faster than the Kramer KTMs that are currently the single cylinder bikes to race. Brian had it from new, raced it in 98 and 99, sold it so he could buy an Aprillia to race, he bought it back off the bloke he sold it to, apparently it hasn't been ridden since 2001. We've gone over it and it's nearly ready to ride.
Dangerous Brian? Green something surname? It's a race bike it's meant to be crashed. He could pedal that back in the day.
Yep, Dangerous Brian, we've been mates since about 1990
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Re: Riding irreplaceable motorcycles

Post by Ian »

If Brian's going to race it anyway, do it !