Motorcycles
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looks comfy. and i definitely wouldn't mind a v8
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It was 37°C / 99°F today, so I took my bike out to see how my leathers would cope with hot weather. Here's a photo of my in my get-up, but trying on my IHV-24 over the top. I left the vest at home, because I would have suffered heat stroke if I'd worn it.
The suit is made by BKS Leather in Exmouth, and they offer a full bespoke service. Mine is optimised for hot weather in the following ways:
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It's made of white leather, which is very Evel Knievel. However, it also reflects a lot of the sun's heat, which keeps me cooler. Yes, I know that the First Commandment of biking is "Thy leathers shalt be black"…
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The lining is an Outlast bubble-mesh. This is a smart fabric that regulates body temperature, so keeps you cool in hot weather, and vice-versa
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There are patches of perforations, which you can make out on the thighs and upper arms. The theory is that you need some airflow to evaporate sweat to cool the body. But too much ventilation will result in reverse windchill (i.e. heating) once the air gets hotter than skin temperature.
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I wore a set of Skins compression garments under the suit. These wick sweat away from the skin, and should help the evaporative cooling cycle.
The set-up worked well. I didn't get too hot, although people who saw me when I got off the bike at Altona Beach thought that I'd be cooking.
In terms of tweaks, I want to add a couple of rows of punch holes to the upper chest, as it felt a bit hot and sticky there. A little more airflow should make it a bit more comfortable.
I also need to get a hydration pack, and have my eye on the Mission Workshop Hauser. I didn't get a speed hump on the suit, which means I can carry rucksacks or wear cool vests over the top.
Oh, I managed to get a pre-production set of the Knox Micro-Lock armour in my suit. It's really comfortable, and I can highly recommend it.
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BikeEXIF have published their Top Ten Custom Bikes of 2016, and whilst there are a few things that I really like on their list (Revival's BMW Landspeeder, Auto Fabrica's gorgeous CX500, and the BMW R5 Hommage), a couple of the choices feel a bit safe and uninspired.
Here are a couple of bikes that I think should have been on it.
The Urban Motor Jawa racer. This competed at the Glemseck 101 sprints, and is a really radical build.
Optimus PRAËM. Whilst it might look like a 1970s or 1980s endurance racer, it's actually a BMW S1000RR underneath. One for @louisbosco?
The Ballistic Trident, by Rough Crafts. It looks like something from the 2050s, whereas most custom builds hark back to the 1950s. It might not be to everyones tastes, but I like the fact that they're trying something new.
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i have to say, i like that colour scheme. the way it's built with the front fairing and windshield looks amazing!!
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i've been seduced..
took it out on my off day on friday. absolutely a beauty to ride. way more comfortable than the 1299s i rode the week before and less stressful on the wrist. power output is pretty linear and smooth compared to the 1299s. i think this might be the one..
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damn. what happened? what caused the fire?!?! thanks for the heads up, i'll definitely check insurance…
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McQueen is oversold these days, and therefore not as cool as Lemmy.
. When I was a kid,seeing Steve McQueen in The Great Escape made me want to ride a motorcycle. Hence my soft spot for him. Never knew Lemmy rode before you posted. A couple of years ago Triumph had some Steve McQueen t-shirts,but I don't see much else over here.
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damn. what happened? what caused the fire?!?! thanks for the heads up, i'll definitely check insurance…
No idea, possibly an electrical fault. I don't think that the bike actually caught fire, but it started smoking heavily.
Baron von Grumble, a vlogger, does an comparison between the S1000RR HP4 and Panigale in this video. He reckons that the BMW is a better bike, but the Ducati has more of a warm glow associated with ownership, and not because it's set on fire!
As a new rider, insurance on a top end sports bike is likely to be in a bracket generally reserved for jet fighters and space shuttles. Some of the hyper-nakeds, such as the S1000R or Super Duke, might be cheaper. In part it's because of rider attitudes, but also because they're less likely to damage expensive plastic bodywork in a crash.
When I was a kid,seeing Steve McQueen in The Great Escape made me want to ride a motorcycle. Hence my soft spot for him. Never knew Lemmy rode before you posted. A couple of years ago Triumph had some Steve McQueen t-shirts,but I don't see much else over here.
I didn't know Lemmy rode either, or even if that photo is just him posing with the Triumph.
Steve McQueen became a posthumous brand ambassador for Triumph, Barbour, and TAG Heuer a few years back, and there was a time when he was portrayed as being the pinnacle of cool. When you push someone's image that hard, they become a commodity, and lose a bit of the mystique. Hence my comments about him being oversold.
He was fantastic in The Great Escape though.
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BikeEXIF has posted an alternative list of top bikes for 2016, which includes Optimus PRAËM and the Urban Motor Jawa racer.
I like Icon's Major Tom, which is a retro sci-fi GSX-R 750. With nitrous.
But I think that Icon did a better job with Three Martini Lunch, which is a radically reconfigured Thruxton. It's certainly got a better name.
Marcus Carlsson's Honda Street Tracker is weird in a very good way.
But it's positively conventional in comparison to Roel Scheffers's Yamaha GTS…
OK, it's a very conventional custom, but Fred ‘Krugger’ Bertrand built a very cool supercharged Yamaha SR400 as a part of the Yamaha Yard Built programme.
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well, at least ducati's red matches the fire. that way, you could be ghost rider and no one could tell the bike is on fire.
damn. uk (well, london's) roads seems stressful to ride. there's almost no gap between lanes and traffic's just everywhere!!
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damn. uk (well, london's) roads seems stressful to ride. there's almost no gap between lanes and traffic's just everywhere!!
You're missing the "everyone is aggressive and trying to kill you" part. :o
I've ridden into London a few times, and never enjoyed the experience.
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You're missing the "everyone is aggressive and trying to kill you" part. :o
I've ridden into London a few times, and never enjoyed the experience.
i can imagine. the amount of times he called someone a wanker, slut or prick. it seems every car driver in london thinks cyclist and anything on two wheels are aggressive and vice versa..
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My modest contribution
Honda Super Cub 1975
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As a new rider, insurance on a top end sports bike is likely to be in a bracket generally reserved for jet fighters and space shuttles. Some of the hyper-nakeds, such as the S1000R or Super Duke, might be cheaper. In part it's because of rider attitudes, but also because they're less likely to damage expensive plastic bodywork in a crash.
or they simply don't insure it at all. guess it's mainly compulsory third party (CTP) for now..
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Ewan MacGregor's Indian Larry Panhead is up for auction at Bonhams on 26th January.
The price estimate is between $22,000 and $26,000, which doesn't seem too bad. However, the bike was built in 2010, and, as the listing points out, "Indian Larry" Desmedt was killing in a stunt riding accident in 2004.
There's a bit more of a write-up at Silodrome.
