Adventures On Borrowed Bikes?

[Yorick]

From 1982 to 85 I was racing nearly every week and loved it.
At end of 1985 I set off for a year travelling.
August 86 we were at Ayers Rock for a few days and missing riding

But at the campsite we met a lad on a blue GS1000S. He kindly offered me a trip round the rock the next day. It was an amazing 12 mile ride round. Just t-shirt and flip flops.
I still remember the thrill of it and it satiated my bike hunger.
Not every day you ride around Ayers Rock

I remember him telling us about the huge gaps between petrol stations. Some roads he couldn't attempt. His previous day was 50 mph all the way to eek out the petrol to manage the 200 mile gap.

One of the highlights of the whole year.

What you got?

[weeksy]

Mine have been very rare, but one that stands out was where for whatever reason my bike wasn't playing, i don't recall why in honesty, i'm not even sure what bike i had. But the boys were up for a day trip, early start, North Wales. One of the boys had a VTR1000 Firestorm he said, so offered me the day on it...

I'd never ridden a twin at the time and i REALLY enjoyed the bike, it was a 14 hour day around Lake Bala, Bewts-y-coed etc and an absolutely brilliant time.

I've never ridden a Firestorm again since, but when i've been thinking of cheaper bikes, they're always on the list for me because of that 1 particular day.

I guess other than that it was the 1199 Panigale of Fil2, which i've lauded and praised on the internet a million times, but it stands out as the most amazing machine i'd ever sat on, ever ridden and likely ever will ride. We were in the area of the Nurburgring and i knew the roads fairly well, but it made me feel like a novice.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The only time I've done the Nurburgring on a bike was on a borrowed one. Awfully brave of someone to lend me it!

It was kinda damp and greasy too, so I ended up locking the rear on downshifts and (completely unintentionally) sliding it into a corner in front of a massive crowd while I chewed my way through the seat. Coolest looking thing I've ever done on a bike and I couldn't repeat it if I tried.

[mangocrazy]

In 1997 a group of nine of us stayed in a gite in southern France for 2 weeks. 5 of us had bikes; Chris on his ZZR1100, Tim on his ZXR750, Louise on her CBR400RRRRRR, Steve on his RF400 and me on my VFR750. Early in the second week Tim, myself, Steve and Louise went out for a ride and Steve slipped off his bike without damage to himself, but the crankcase cover sustained damage, allowing the escape of oil. We recovered his bike to the gite and tried to figure out the best way to get it sorted. The upshot was that Steve and Louise would take no part in the next day's ride out but would stay back at base and ring round the local dealers.

This left Louise's baby Blade unused for the day and the dear girl asked me if I fancied taking it out for the day. I didn't hesitate for a moment...

I knew that the bike had largely non-adjustable suspension so just contented myself with bumping shock preload to max and checking tyre pressures. We were staying in a tiny village just off the road from Villefranche de Rouerge to Cahors - the D911. It was a cracker of a road, no real straights to speak of, and following what looked to be an old river valley. It was an absolute hoot on Louise's baby Blade. Chris on his ZZR was trying desperately to stay with me, but I could get on the gas so early and brake so late that I was pulling away by multiple bike lengths on every corner. We spent most of the day traversing some of the region's finest roads (and there are plenty) and it was one of those golden biking days that happen once in a decade if you're lucky.

By the time we got back the rear Bridgestone Cyrox was toast. I'd had 4 or 5 rear end slides but fortunately it all stayed shiny side up. My only regret was not convincing Louise that she needed a decent rear shock and some sticky tyres before we all went on holiday. 20/20 hindsight is
a wonderful thing...

[Horse]

I got into bikes in the 70s, just as Brit bikes were in their death throes. But my mates largely had a motley collection of BSA 250s and Triumph 500s.

I had a Honda.

Steve had a Tiger 500 (single carb twin) but enjoyed riding my bike because it just worked, no fuss, so we usually swapped.

It was the first bike I ever did 'The Ton' on, downhill on the A3, leant over the tank, rattling engine, bouncing suspension, bent handlebars askew (from where another Steve had dropped it the week before) and speed worked out from the rev counter because the speedo needle was bouncing +/- 20mph.

That felt fast.

A few weeks later, I bought a 400Four. Whizz. Up to 100. Boring.