Stupid things about motorcycles.

Scroll to see replies

With the amount of resistance to things which should be standard it's funny some people aren't asking to go back to having no mirrors or indicators like the 60s.

Lol electric heated grips,you don't see heated steering wheels as a necessary addon because car makers didn't bother with a heater.

Decent gloves do get get cold,perhaps people are confusing astronaut gloves with motorcycle ones.

Another annoying aspect is helmet visors. When they aren't steaming up at inopportune moments they don't do a good enough job of blocking car headlights at night especially if there's a bit of rain.

No, you don't see car drivers fitting heated steering wheels, but I have seen them fitting aftermarket heated seats, replacing headlights for better ones, etc... because what the manufacturer fitted wasn't good enough for them. Heated grips on a bike aren't necessary, hence why they are not fitted by default, just like any chance you can make to a car they are an option if you want it.

As for gloves, I ride all year round without heated grips, without hand guards, and I don't suffer from cold hands. No my gloves aren't "astronaut gloves", but they are an expensive pair of high quality, wind & waterproof gloves, which I wear over a good pair of inners, and keep my hands fine all year round. Sure, I do sometimes get off the bike in winter and my hands are a tiny bit chilly, but it's no worse than it is in my car, which is only 8 years old and is already so dreadful that the air conditioning no longer heats it up at all.

Helmet visors, again, yes they can be a bit rubbish, but it's the easiest problem in the world to solve. Fogging up too much, fit a pinlock insert, costs you about £20, takes 10 minutes to fit, and lasts for well over a year. Rain building up on the outside, buy one of the dozens of spray on products available which causes the rain to bead off rather than sticking to the visor, last one I bought cost £15 and has lasted me for well over a year so far. Car lights blinding you through the visor, absolutely no different to when you're in a car, no difference at all.

Original post by Coffinman

Anyone could buy a banger,rag it about and sell it before something important breaks.
A bog standard car as you put it has more stuff and will do more mileage than a top end bike,that's a good point.

If you're going to quote somebody, at least do it properly, I didn't even know that you had quoted my post in your reply.

Let me put it this way. My first car cost me £2,200 and was 9 years old when I bought it. Within 18 months it had been in the garage 5 times and the total cost of the repairs came to almost £1500 over that period. It then packed in completely after just over 2 years and had to be scrapped.

My bike cost me £1,000 three years ago, is now 13 years old, and runs sweet as a nut. I've not had a single problem with it over the last three years, and the only cost to me so far other than the usual servicing, was £50 for a new set of brake pads on the front, and £80 to replace the front left fairing after somebody crashed into the bike and broke it while it was parked at work.

When you say "will do more mileage", do you mean will get more miles out of a tank, or do more miles per gallon? If it's the former, then no ****, the fuel tank in a car is several times larger than on a bike. If it's the latter, then rubbish. My sportsbike, which I ride with a very heavy hand on the throttle, still averages between 35 and 40mpg, if I ride it sensibly then I get that up to around 45mpg, and that's on an old bike which is designed for speed rather than economy. You take a modern tourer and they will easily do over 50mpg, and can be far above that without a problem.

Reply 21

Coffinman

The car parts you've mentioned are luxury addons than something that's needed.
Gloves are going to be subject to windchill,something which guards would deal with.

Perhaps you could give an example of what you consider good gloves that are immune to the elements while still allowing you fine control of your bike?

What magical bike is this that requires little maintenance or spare parts? Is it one that only comes out from a nice garage on sunny bank holidays?
As for mileage will we being seeing more than 150,000 miles, on those bikes, on average before they're scrapped?

Fuel economy was pretty close between the two vehicles considering.

Original post by Alex17595

brand new things will be overpriced anyway. which will loose more value though?

You're probably right on that aspect.

Reply 22

Ellenoir

Original post by officelinebacker

Then you need better gloves!

Don't mean to sound like an arse but I've never bothered with heated grips or hand guards and I've never suffered from cold hands because I splashed the cash a bit on a very high quality pair of winter gloves.

Triumph Explorer gloves aren't cheap crap hun. Some of us have cold hands regardless, Guess you're one of the lucky ones eh!

Reply 23

Ellenoir

Original post by Bathwiggle

I have tried many gloves, i still get cold hands. But i'm still riding in -7 and dealing with the wind chill

why not encourage all weather bikers, you can't beat a clear crisp morning when everyone else stays in bed and the roads are clear

Well said! "Riding all year round also improves your skills base and ups your chances of survival once the (culling) 'season' starts. The only time I won't ride is when there is a lack of traction (snow, ice).

Reply 24

alibongo

Considering how much performance bikes cost, I agree there should be more effective heating. And a roof to keep rain off. And why not four wheels to improve safety and handling? And more seats so you can take more than one passenger? And a decent-sized top-box to carry more luggage? Come on bike designers, these are the things we want!

Reply 25

Coffinman

This looks like it would be perfect for you :tongue:

Another annoying thing I've found is that despite claims of being able to filter through traffic there are plenty of situations where you can't unless you're willing to undertake between parked cars or drive on the opposite side of the road. Some times it looks like it would be quicker to get off and push the bike along the pavement instead. :rolleyes:

Reply 26

Coffinman

Yet another stupid thing that's related to motorcycles and that would be protective clothing.

I was looking for some better equipment and was slowed down by lots of niggly little issues.

Take boots for example first of all a lot of places don't accurately describe all the features and the boots themselves usually have one piece of armour , and I use the word lightly, missing, like they'd have ankle cups but no heel armour or missing shinpad or they're just plain expensive and look retarded then it's trousers where they don't have hip pockets or don't describe them properly so you can't look at the extra armour to fit in them or they have hip pockets but no proper belt or adjustments.

Add to that that half the stuff they sell makes your look like a retarded manga character or have just walked of a racing track.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 27

gbduo

Knox Handroid gloves - no cold hands, very comfortable.

RST Racetech boots and suit, warm and comfortable with excellent protection

Weiss textiles for those nasty days which gives better waterproofing than a race suit.

Plus a lid.

A grand for clothing that keeps you warm, safe and alive. Cheap.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 28

Bathwiggle

Original post by Coffinman

Have you thought of giving up biking, it mihgt be a better option?

Reply 29

Laomedeia

The price mechanics charge for labour. Why cant they just give a labour discount on parts purchased from them? This isnt just motorycles but cars, computers and anything that needs servicing or fixing. Bloody ****as.

Reply 30

gbduo

Because mechanics need to earn a living too?

Reply 31

Coffinman

Original post by Bathwiggle

Have you thought of giving up biking, it mihgt be a better option?

Not yet.

Now where was I. Despite some places having motorcycle marked bays for parking, the charges are the same for a car despite the bike taking up a fraction of the space.

Crap in the middle of the road is another thing. With the recent hot weather this has resulted in roadworks dropping gravel all over the place which is still on the road creating a skid hazards along with the usual odd horse droppings and dodgy road repairs.