Fun Ride Today...

[Mikep328]

Today I took the 400 out for a spirited ride to "nowhere in particular."  Basically just headed west and then took whatever little road - some were single track- that I came across and ended up having a very enjoyable couple of hours.  Once again I have to say this bike is the most FUN bike I can remember owning after maybe my first couple of motorcycles when I was very young.  I've owned/ridden bikes from 125ccs to 1250 ccs with the vast majority being 750 and larger sport bikes.

BUT none of those were as much fun as this CB400F on the narrow, twisty roads we like to ride.  Today I was so enthused I'm now thinking of buying a Go Pro or similar camera and mounting it on the bike.  I recently sold my '19 Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe and don't miss it at ALL - this little Honda is just so much more fun.  AND, if I should fall over on it in a pub parking lot - I can actually pick it up by myself!

Re that...

Yeah, I know there are videos of 5ft tall, 110 pound women picking up a big Harley but when I dropped my Kawasaki in a pub parking lot when we stopped to have lunch - foot slid out on the gravel - it took three of us to pick it back up!!!!  But hey, the bartender who ran out to help pick it up gave me a free pint!

Oh...anybody have experience with Go Pro/other similar cameras you'd recommend?

[Athame57]

I often go out on rides of 'no destination' and end up in all sorts of places. The last time I tipped up courtesty failed side stand two girls helped me pick it up! 

[TrickyMicky]

As they say that confession is good for the soul, then I may as well admit that about 8 weeks ago, out for a leisurely ride, I went to pull away onto a roundabout, maybe a bit TOO leisurely, and stalled the bugger. Usual quick reaction being, left leg to ground, pull in clutch, hit the starter button and carry on. I was a bit close to the kerb so the left foot caught on kerb. bike and I continued to obey gravity until a horizontal position was achieved on the pavement.  First time in 37 years ownership that I've dropped it. Bruised shoulder and ribs, sole pulled off ancient boot, two smashed indicators, and very severe damage to my pride.  A ride out to DSS in Leiston to inflict a reasonably small dent in the wallet followed.
   Oh, and yes, 2 cars and 1 motorcyclist stopped and lifted the sod off my leg.  Thanks to whoever you are.  Stay upright everyone.

[Laverda Dave]

About 6 years ago when I first signed up to doing the IAM I joined my local group on a Sunday ride out. We stopped at a garden centre that had a tea room. I was at the back of the group on my VFR. We turned into the so-called car park that was nothing more than an open field covered in large beach type stones. We had to ride to the bottom of the car park past parked cars. As I approached the parking area where the others were a women walked straight out in front of me looking the other way between two parked cars. I was only going really slowly but stopping caused my back wheel to lock up on the loose stones. I put my left foot down but there was nothing there except a large, deep pot hole and that's where my foot went! The VFR slowly went to the left to an angle of about 30deg, by this time I had stopped but my left leg just folded with the weight of the bike and down we went! The women just walked straight past me whilst talking to her friend. A couple of guys from the IAM group came over to lift the bike off me. Not a good first impression to give to the IAM on my very first ride out and this was the first time in probably 20 years I had dropped a bike!

[taysidedragon]

Garden centres are really dangerous!  😫
Avoid them at all costs! 🤣

[Johnny4428]

We are all the same! Don’t always get it right!😳 Fools and Horses spring to mind - “play it cool”

[Mikep328]

Bought a DJI Action Four camera which I will mount to my 400F on my next ride!!!

[Athame57]

Bought a DJI Action Four camera which I will mount to my 400F on my next ride!!!

I refuse to add anything 21st cenury to my bike! 

[Mikep328]

"I refuse to add anything 21st cenury to my bike! "

Yeah, I know the feeling! 

I was very upset when I had to put 21st century air in the tires and 21st century oil and fuel for the engine. 

Life is an endless series of compromises!!   

[TrickyMicky]

21st century fuel is passable if chosen with care, BUT!  I really cannot accept 21st century prices.

[florence]

and don't go on 21st Century roads.  I rode on the M5 from Tiverton to Gloucestershire recently to visit a bike friend.  It was so boring and there were big ruts between the lanes, just the right size for seventies tyres.  Next time will take the A38.

[Mikep328]

 "I refuse to add anything 21st cenury to my bike! "

Might have been good advice!   Yesterday I went out with my new DJI Action Four camera.  I mounted it on a chest harness - tried the handle bar mount but couldn't find a good position - chest mount worked great.  But all did not go smoothly...

Yep, turns out the camera was too advanced for me.  When I got back home, thinking I had a couple of great videos, it turned out that I had confused the setting for recording "on" and recording "off."  So I ended up with videos of sitting in traffic/trundling along through town, when I thought I WASN"T recording, and NO videos of zipping along single track roads/blasting through the gears to redline on a section of dual carriageway that I thought I WAS recording.

I'll give it another try on Monday after some practice at home to be sure I know what to do this time.  That being said, I was impressed by the quality of the video; Sitting at the stop light waiting for the light to change/20 MPH in town looked pretty good!   

[Johnny4428]

Good excuse to do it all again Mike!🤭

[Athame57]

 When I got back home, thinking I had a couple of great videos, it turned out that I had confused the setting for recording "on" and recording "off."  So I ended up with videos of sitting in traffic/trundling along through town, when I thought I WASN"T recording, and NO videos of zipping along single track roads/blasting through the gears to redline on a section of dual carriageway that I thought I WAS recording.

If you were here in central London you would have probably recorded a long list of cyclists running red lights, looking at smartphones on the move, going the wrong way up one way streets, et al , except at night, because more cycles and Ebikes have no lights working either! I think the police have a policy of non intervention now, or maybe they have plane given up! 

[Mikep328]

 Tried to upload a video of my 400 winding out through a few gears but couldn't make it small enough to be within the 5000kB limit.  Oh well...