Withdrawal Symptoms

[UK Pete]

I am getting well pissed off with the snow now, most of my bikes will not see tarmac till spring , but even my old winter rat bikes are marooned in the back yard waiting for snow and ice to clear, i need to get out and ride
Pete

[honda-san]

Hi Pete,
Been to work on my 400/4 every day this week here in Sheffield. NOBODY could get in by car.

Interesting to say the least riding through 12" of snow - but at least you can push a bike out of trouble. No plans to go out this weekend though!

Cheers - Chris R.

[UK Pete]

 Your a brave man chris, i used to be a die hard all weather biker but i must be going soft as i get older  the thing is even though its possible to ride its not really enjoyable, a friend of mine trashed his 1200 bandit this week in the ice, you have to be so carefull
Plus the salt water eats the bikes alive
Pete

[andy120t]

I've installed myself in the cellar with a goal to finish my 650 project, music on the stereo and warmth....makes up for not enjoying riding on ice.

[honda-san]

You are right, its what every one else does on the roads that can be the problem. But, I have never owned a car (commuted by bike for 34 years now), and faced with a 7 mile journey to work, no buses or trains, no holiday left and wanting to get paid, I made the best of it. Enjoyable - No! Necessary - sadly, yes.

The salt is indeed having a good time with the 400 - its on its second frame already, the other having rotted through at the rear shock mounts. Hopefully it will last till retirement and can then go for scrap! Can't save them all.

Chris R.

[AshimotoK0]

Wow Chris - now that is dedication. I used to commute everyday from 1977 till about 1991 about 8 miles but my wife put a stop to it when my 400/4 got stolen and I bought a Z650B1 as a temporary stopgap. The 400/4 looked tiny compared with it and for some reason she thought that the bigger the bike, the more dangerous it is.

I have your solution for next winter until retirement - turn a Sandcast into a trike  

Cheers

AshD

[UK Pete]

I bet the sandcasts dont come out in the winter Chris
Pete

[florence]

I normally ride through the winter but even I am having a rest at the moment, it's just too cold even with several layers of tweed.

The local authority haven't bothered to salt the local roads so until I reach the B roads it's like riding on an ice-skating rink and I'm getting old; I used to bounce more easily.

[Bryanj]

Old Age, dermatitis and arthritis stop me riding in the winter, Its bad enough piloting 53 ft long 8 ft 6 wide and 44 tonne bending things in this weather, just come back from a 500km run to find 1/2-1 inch of ICE buildup on the mirror backs (NO SNOW ON ROUTE) from the freezing fog----thank god for 12 ltr diesels with good heaters!!!

[SteveD CB500K0]

Bryan - how come your truck is measured in feet and inches but tonnes and ice is measured in inches but distance in km?

That last one got me - the last thing I can think of in metric is distance (that and mpg anyway)

I one was told by a gas pump attendant in the USA: "We're going metric - inch by inch" !

[Bryanj]

Its cos I am a geriatric old fart and the speedo/tacho(Time/distance/speed spy not revcounter!) is in KPH and KM and Vosa work in Tonnes-max gross 44 which is 43.3 real tons.

Anyway how often you gone out and bought a 2mtr length of 2x1 timber? (or 4x2 if the teenager is being a real pain!!)

[SteveD CB500K0]

So when you are on the road and the sign says "Gloucester 44" - do you mentally convert it to km or just know that it is 44 miles?

[K2-K6]

Once got stuck in the snow on my K6 back in the eighties, bloke on a C90 helped me dig it out and get going again, then fell off outside the pub on same trip but still got to work.

Also riding K6 home the night of the big storm in 87, couple of re-routes to get past fallen trees at about 4.00 am, thought it was a bit blustery! Barber poachers jacket but no tweed Florence.

It amuses me that an American friend buys "two by four" as I buy "four-b-two" in meters.

My VW shows me MPG but I only buy diesel in litres

Hard to judge the grip level as tyres stay cold and it's seems hellish greasy with all the  stuff that's flung onto the road.

[Bryanj]

I just look at me sat nav mate as i have that in Miles, its crazy what we have done to weights and measures in this country isn't it, neither one nor the other---its getting to the point where you don't have to be talking across the pond to be divided by the same language

[AshimotoK0]

Bushels .pecks. furlongs, dynes Oh those were the days. When I did my 'O' level physics im 1970 it was the year we were changing over to SI units. The text books were in imperial , some questions in metric and some in imperial and we had to use log tables! Nightmare !!

Cheers

Ash