After giving into an urge to get the XKR, I was in conversation with a neighbor who also has a white convertible Jag - in his case an XJS V12 - and we joked about setting up the white convertible Jag club.
We discussed a few cars he has in his collection of which he will never sell unless to be replaced with something else car-wise.
I said to him - partly in jest - that I would only be interested in the Honda CBX1000 motorbike he has and which I saw him on just once, and if he were ever to be selling that, to let me know. The look on his and his partner's face was a picture and he said that indeed it was for sale.
I used to only ride bikes (from 16 to about 20 years old) before my first car came along and bikes finally got dropped (literally in some cases....) 30 years ago.
I never had anything big or 'nice', with a 250cc being the biggest I owned, but I loved all the magazines and bikes of the time that I hoped to buy 'one day'.
So here is the chance to get one that I remember as being one of the most awesome machines of it's day. Not the Suzuki Gammas, RD350LC's or GSX-R's in various guises, etc, that I fancied then, but instead something I held in awe. A six cylinder naked monster.
In it's day the most powerful and expensive production bike that existed, and they did not sell many - and nor for long.
After convincing myself that getting another bike - >30 years since my last one, plus with the roads as dangerous as they are - was ludicrous, I still found myself wanting it.
It's relatively cheap, not running as it needs the carburettors (all six) balancing and some gentle recommissioning (none of which I can do myself) so this will be a project needing professionals, but to have something that I could ride in the future (should I choose), plus look at / polish with pride / admiration, (and which could be an appreciating asset) makes it make sense to me.
It's a 1981 version that this chap had had since about 1984 and it's got 27k miles on the clock, and I shook his hand on the deal yesterday.
I still have that "what on earth are you doing you fool" jitters, but hey, you only live once...
Wish me luck....
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Brilliant. I was a biker up to age 20ish and loved it. I've only since had rental bikes (and scooters) on foreign holidays and enjoyed them every time, but never felt the desire to return to it back home.
OTOH a school mate (who's just turned 70) was a biker at school and for all his life, except he's just had to reluctantly give it up due to arm/wrist RSI injuries caused by biking (so he said!).
Just take it easy and enjoy it!!
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I was a biker most of my life, but sadly balance issues have put all forms of two wheel transport out of my life.
I do fancy one of those tilting trikes with two wheels on the front, used as lot on the continent by camera crews covering cycle races. No skid lid needed either.
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I passed my test at 16 0n a Raleigh Runabout 50cc and progressed through all sorts up to a Honda Gold Wing 1200 Interstate. Ending up with a Honda FJS 600, a twist and go 600cc flat twin, double ohc automatic step through...the 115 mph office chair ! Got as far as Dijon on one trip. Brilliant machine for an old geezer !
I was fortunate at work for being allowed by Her Majesty to hugely break the speed limits on various Nortons or just bimble around the city on my black Velocette LE, which I now own.
Happy day, the past is a country we cannot visit !
Ted
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Good luck and remember we don't bounce as well as we used to. The safety clothing's much better (and more expensive) than it ever used to be.
Remember the mantra of the idiots drivers: SMIDSY!
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"... the past is a country we cannot visit !"
Im going to bank that one Ted alongside "We had our day"
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Nice one SFD!
I only ever got as far as mopeds (well to 80cc) and hugely enjoyed it. Went for rides as pillion on mates larger bikes which always terrified me.
Would love to get something again but don't trust myself to be safe.
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>> "... the past is a country we cannot visit !"
>>
>> Im going to bank that one Ted alongside "We had our day"
Yes it's a belter that I will pick my moment to deploy.
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>> >> "... the past is a country we cannot visit !"
>> >>
>> >> Im going to bank that one Ted
A phrase I use on occasion is “Reality, a nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there”.
Always makes me chuckle..
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"... the past is a country we cannot visit !"
Ted's phrase is very apt.
Whether he knows it or not, it echoes the first words of a classic novel.
"The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there."
The book is The Go-Between, by L. P. Hartley, in which the adult narrator struggles to relate to a traumatic episode in his childhood.
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We nicked mopeds as kids in sowf lunden. Bought a Lambretta 200GT and later a 200SX.
Then Suzuki 250 GT followed by a Honda 550/4.
Later in life on moving to Cornwall 27 years ago I bought a Honda 500 CX Custom imported from Iowa for 'dodging about' the Bodmin Moor sans helmet :)
Be careful!
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Thanks for the positive comments. Yes, I will be extremely cautious.
I will be looking at what 'return to bike' training courses may exist with (hopefully) a loan bike available.
I went into a very local bike accessories shop last weekend, and was flabbergasted at the enormity of the range of everything. Hundreds of jackets, boots, gloves, etc.
I had to leave as it was both daunting and impenetrable. I was unprepared as to how things have changed from back in the day!
I will go back on a quiet day and get a sales person to walk me through everything I need and research a company to get the bike recommissioned in the coming months. It's not concourse, but then I did not pay concourse money.
In the meantime, this weekend will be clearing somewhere in an overcrowded single garage to put it....
I am excited and anxious about getting such a bike in equal measure.... :)
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I am very jealous ! Always wanted one of these from when I first saw one canting over on some proper bends back when they were new ! Beautifully designed...I want one.
Book yourself on a Bikesafe course !
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Good suggestion, thanks. The Bikesafe course that is :)
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Nice one, FSD.
I'm extremely envious. My neighbour is selling a full nut and bolt restored Kawasaki ZX1100 which he acquired only this year, showroom condition (He has since bought a Ducati Pinigale).
I've thrown a leg over it and "Ridden" it the length of his drive. My type of bike and I'd love it, but sadly I can't. Enjoy yours, and stay safe.
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One of those three wheel things could be an idea Robin? On my last business trip to Paris it felt like there was almost as many of those on the road as two wheelers...
How they would fare on our potholed roads I shudder to think though....
ZX1100... Nice!
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Clearly an itch you are about to scratch - so to speak. Enjoy!
At 50 I went on a test ride on a Triumph Sprint and got cut up where I had to brake very sharply and came off. They failed to stop. Albeit their fault maybe unfamiliarity with improvement in brake technology did't help.
3 years later a new Yamaha 600 Fazer was purchased. They were good value at the time. That itch had reappeared and i needed to scratch it. Familiarisation ride in a park near the dealers and I was off. Talk about cautious, The 'off' had really spooked me. Riding along an urban 30MPH dual carriageway a car pulled up my inside"Do you want all the f'in road?" "As a matter of fact I f'in do"
Ive been through a range of bikes up to Yamaha 1300s and then onto BMW GSAs. I've toured Europe with a pillion at one point.
Hitting 70 next year and last October went down to the slightly more compact BMW GS, but they are a heavy machine and take a bit of manual handling. I'm conscious I'm not getting any younger.
A group of us go for regular ride out and I can keep up with the rest of them. Most of my advanced car skills are transferable but I'm also aware that I'm a little more cautious on strange bends.
Motto is "Ride your ride". Rides and groups are conducted so that no one feels outside their comfort zone. We know where the pitfalls are.
As for clothing. Depends what sort of riding and how much you intend to do. Ive been through the leather thing and settled on some decent textiles. The sky is the limit on quality and pricing. A good set of waterproofs will save the need for top end textiles where you can spent £1000 to £2000. I try and avoid the wet if possible as it can be miserable (and you have to clean the bike) but on tour you haven't a choice.
I've bought into decent Gortex boots which have been brilliant. They take some hammer biut always dry feet. Helmets are an area where you can spend a fortune. Comfort is paramount Thing is if it doesn't fit you no matter what it costs its a waste of money. Its got to fit from the off. Schuberth was my helmet of choice but they changed the design and just dont fit me properly any more. I've found Shoei as a good replacement. Either helmet can be 'fitted' to better suit you by the retailers.
Thing is with clothing is that it starts to accumulate as you find something else that you like and to suit temperature and weather conditions, particularly gloves.
RP suggested Bikesafe. Its an excellent route to go down.
Enjoy the bike and you're riding. 'Born again bikers rule'
Last edited by: Fullchat on Fri 1 Aug 25 at 14:59
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Thank you sir! What a nice reply.
Clearly I am heading down a path you have already travelled, for which I am grateful to learn from. I have found two training centres locally who seem to offer a tailored 'getting back to biking' service, complete with small and mid-sized bikes, and that will be ideal for me.
I have no other biking mates, but may end up making some, you never know :)
My plan at the moment is fair weather biking for now. I did the all weathers / seasons thing a long time ago, and - at least for the time being - longer tours are not on my theoretical radar.
I remember being a better car driver as a result of my biking experience - knowing that wet roads after a long period of dry are greasy, diesel spills on roundabouts are normal, etc, but since then I have been spoilt with the likes of ABS, traction control etc, that cars have had for some time, and 44 year old bikes with skinny tires don't.
I had no idea that there were textile options now v. leather. I used to have a £50 leather biker jacket from the Army surplus store in Bath that I got at 16 years old...
Thanks for the tip with the boots and helmets. Comfort is more important than price, which back in the day was the other way round....
It'll be run I am sure, and at the end of the day, if I don't like it, I can stop doing it!
We shall see....
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Wow! I can still remember the first time seeing what appeared to be a rider on top of a wide engine coming towards me!
I had a multitude of bikes in the 70's, Honda 500/4 and Suzuki GT500 being the quickest. When in 2013 I decided finally to get a bike again, there didn't seem to be any dedicated 'back to bikes' courses but I contacted the local training school and had a morning with an instructor checking me out, first on a 125cc Suzuki around cones then following me on a long ride through town and country on a school 650 Kawa. Well worth the money to get the feel and help regain confidence after such a long break.
Regarding the minefield of modern bike gear, the Motolegends of Guildford website has a huge range of explanatory articles on various options, and the pros and cons, of different types and makes of helmets, suits, gloves, etc. I recommend a look... (I have no connection, other than a satisfied customer).
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Cheers John. Are you still riding now?
It was the bikes of the 70's I was seeing on the roads in the 80's and very early 90's, and the CBX gives me that nostalgic hit. As you say, it's a massive engine with a rider perched on top. So distinctive and memorable that to find that my neighbor wants to re-home one makes it feel like fate.
Thanks for the tip with the website. I was wondering of there was some site that may do just that. I will have a look.
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I know nothing about bikes but was initially very surprised at the number of bikers on the ferries to Bilbao & Santander.
The area of northern Spain seems to be a bikers dream touring holiday, especially the Picos and a few hundred miles east Andorra. Virtually every accommodation I’ve stayed in, campsites, hotels, always has a biker. Often in groups, all different nationalities, normally large bikes…I had a chat with one such rider when I returned to our hotel, the Infantado at Ojedo in the Picos. A brand new BMW RX in M Sport colours ..his first motoring tour with it.
Enjoy the bike SFD.@
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'Are you still riding now?' - slightly sore subject, sold my Honda 600 a couple of months ago as current circumstances meant I was riding it rarely...
Should have added
- Motolegends also have many of videos on youtube
- the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club (vjmc dot com) could be a valuable source of knowledge and assistance for your rare bike, also the Honda Owners Club. (Probably CBX1000 owners forums exist also...).
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A slight resurrection of a thread to thank John in particular.
I went to Motolegends who are as the the name describes. Legends. I went late one afternoon after taking my locally-situated Aunt out for lunch one day and ran out of time after getting the helmet (Shoei flip-up) and jacket sorted.
I drove the Jag up the next day - roof down - to enjoy the last of the sun, and got the jeans, boots and gloves - from the man with the flat-cap himself.
It's a relatively small shop, but huge range of products and knowledge. Seriously impressed, To get not just good, but genuinely great service is so refreshing. It's something I always strive to deliver in the company I work for, but it's no-where as common as I would hope.
The bike is booked into a specialist for mid-Jan to have it (literally) firing on all cylinders, so starting to get excited about firing it up and seeing if it's how I remember it to be....
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Ive watched some of his Youtube stuff in respect of product recommendation and seriously thought about making a special trip from northern Yorkshire for some gear.
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>The bike is booked into a specialist for mid-Jan to have it (literally) firing on all cylinders, so >starting to get excited about firing it up and seeing if it's how I remember it to be....
Well now you have the gear, and the hog is about to be fettled, I can personally recommend a fantastic Tattoo artist.
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And a Mohican, like the biker on the boat from Santander last Sunday.
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Glad you are happily booted and suited now, Motolegends are so helpful!
(Hideout Leathers near Saffron Walden, Essex, are also very good, although a much smaller concern, especially should you some time in the future feel the need for custom leathers - again no connection).
The other thing I would recommend getting is an Optimate, or similar, 'trickle charger', if you haven't already got one. I tried to ride every 2-3 weeks, even in winter - when left idle for longer periods, the battery failed. I managed to paddle-bump my 600 four once, wouldn't like now to try a run and side-saddle bump like I could do in my youth on 250's...
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I tried my 1250 BMW boxer engine once. Not a cat in hells. Jump leads only :/
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I know it's not a car, but still.... - smokie
