Delta Mission Comments and Discussion

[Mikey]

I would, but I'm kind of stuck with Mikey and need to see what plays out next with Grr'lek.

[Reliant121]

I'm in, but suffering the dreaded block.

[Mikey]

I'm in, but suffering the dreaded block.

Ah, you're just all hopped up about getting your face in the wind, aren't you?

[Reliant121]

I really am surprisingly. My mother is understandably shitting herself, but she suggested it.

[Sonic Glitch]

I'd like to.

[Mark]

Little bro....do you remember when you told me to get a car? After I broke both arms in moped crashes?

Ok....I'll advance the story a bit and hope that helps.

[Reliant121]

Little bro....do you remember when you told me to get a car? After I broke both arms in moped crashes?

Ok....I'll advance the story a bit and hope that helps.

there are two reasons you crash a bike. 1) you got cocky. 2) motorist got the better of you. I'm driving on urban conditions, nowhere fast enough to get high damage going Plus I'm paying ridiculous amounts for some prorperly heavy crash safety kit.

it's just money. I can get a brand new, fully licensed moped with insurance and gubbins for £1600. a car, in insurance alone, is over twice that, well above a student part time wage.

[Mikey]

gubbins

...



Anyway, I'd always had a little desire for a bike - not a moped, but a real V-twin - but I'm just too small to ride a real road hog and young children kinda prevent easy use of a Wide Glide. Maybe when they're a bit older, I'll get a little FXDWG or something for a weekender.

[Reliant121]

I want to go full license at 17 and get a 400cc.

[Mikey]

Isn't 400 cc pretty much the same as a moped? A basic (non-Sportster) H-D comes with a 1584 cc v-twin.

[Reliant121]

I imagine this is going to be yet another American/European thing.

By UK standards, a moped only applies to a 50cc engine bike. Can be driven at 16 such as I with a learner or full licence with restrictions. Anything above that is a motorbike. The difference comes that a 50cc is restricted to 30mph for learners in our country. When not restricted, they can do maybe 45mph if you push it. A 125cc which is learner at 17 level is capable of 65 or so which is happily enough for a dual carriage way or town driving. Anything above that can cope with a motorway no problem (85 odd for a 400). American style bikes have huge engines but they weigh a tonne, and can't turn corners sharp enough to be able to even get into a suburban area in the UK. A sports bike will generally have around an 800-1400cc from what I've seen but they weigh nothing.

[Mikey]

Admittedly, a real V-twin like I described can weigh 800 lbs. or more. The smallest V-twin I've heard of is the H-D 883 cc Sportster, but I imagine one can get i-2's in 700 cc or less. Naked or sport bikes will weigh less, but will be WAAAAAY overpowered for the type of usage and custom you describe. To be fair, a typical Euro touring bike like the BMW will have displacement anywhere from 800 - 1600 cc, weigh up to 700 lbs., and have a fully-laden capacity of up to about 1200 lbs.

BTW, a smaller H-D with a full-sized (1584 cc) engine can be shorter than 90 inches overall, approx. 63-in. wheelbase, and weigh in wet at under 700 lbs. Not exactly the sort of wide-bodied hog which you described as unable to cope with older, narrow urban areas.

[Reliant121]

True enough. However, for our roads, something of that kind would likely be a purely for pleasure thing as the insurance would be sky high and since fuel is around $2.11 a litre, more expensive than is at all realistic. I'd love a Euro Tourer but at my stage, a 400cc bike like a Suzuki Burgman or a Honda S-Wing (termed "Maxi Scooters" or "Mini-tourers) would be what I'd aim for. Can hit 100mph which is MORE than enough, and comfy at motorway speeds while still being small enough to weave through town effectively.

[Mikey]

Makes sense. Of course, over here in the land of excess, Honda has in the past marketed and sold a V-6 motorcycle.

[Reliant121]

You're not joking. One of my neighbours bought a late 70's Cadillac recently as a classic in his retirement. Watching him try and get that round our cul-de-sac is the most beautiful spectacle in the universe.