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Any Bikers (nod) (motorcycle)


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Good morning all, any bikers out there?

Im still in the UK hoping to be successful with our visa. I currently ride a Yamaha MT09 here in the UK.(although id like more bikes to suit every style!!)

Whats biking like in Oz? did anyone take their bike with them?

(picture is the missus as she looks better than me)

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2 minutes ago, Meltingpot_Pete said:

I'll be following this thread quite closely. Been a biker for 15 years but will resume once I move to Aus, although still not sure where that will be yet.

Nice to meet you Pete.   I played about with off road bikes as a kid (we had a farm) then didn't ride road bikes until 2014, took my test and picked up my Yammy that afternoon (confident huh).

I wonder what the biking was like in Oz. I wont get on the bike without full leather as im a wimp and cant stand pain!!! (might be a little warm and sticky!!)

Leigh

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That's confidence alright! I got a Peugeot 125cc to begin with here in the UK ? 

Smart thinking Leigh. Always ATGATT. My scarred legs are proof I learnt the hard (and unwise) way while riding in India. I've wisened up now and got some good gear to go with my next bike. 

My heart says Aprilia Tuono Factory, my head says KTM SA1290 since I love off-roading and long trips.  Where are you put up in the UK?

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1 minute ago, Meltingpot_Pete said:

That's confidence alright! I got a Peugeot 125cc to begin with here in the UK ? 

Smart thinking Leigh. Always ATGATT. My scarred legs are proof I learnt the hard (and unwise) way while riding in India. I've wisened up now and got some good gear to go with my next bike. 

My heart says Aprilia Tuono Factory, my head says KTM SA1290 since I love off-roading and long trips.  Where are you put up in the UK?

Near Hitchin Hertfordshire

I need to get another bike (don't we all say that) as the MT09 is a little harsh on long rides, no wind deflection as I describe the seat as "a bit of ply wrapped in duct tape"

I tested some BMWs a while back S1000R (not bad bit the same as what i have) S1000RR (OMG i could hardly see, legs round ears but wow) S1000XR (sensible, reliable and lots of other words ending in ible!)

Where are you (ish)

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Ahh... I'm in South West London (Hammersmith). It's a bit of a headache to ride in London that's if you don't find your motorcycle stolen in the morning.

If comfort and a non-sore ass are your top criteria then you need to try putting a gel seat or even better get an adventure bike. Sadly, the seats for most motorcycles have a form over function design. The S1000XR is nice two up but I know the first edition rattled your bones with the vibration.

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Hello all, have been in oz 13 years now, used to ride road bikes back home, mainly sport tourers , now I ride adventure/duel sport , over 80 percent of roads outside the city are dirt , seemed a shame not to use them , I’m based just out side Melbourne just ask if you need any more info .  Ride safe ?

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21 hours ago, jako said:

Hello all, have been in oz 13 years now, used to ride road bikes back home, mainly sport tourers , now I ride adventure/duel sport , over 80 percent of roads outside the city are dirt , seemed a shame not to use them , I’m based just out side Melbourne just ask if you need any more info .  Ride safe ?

Thats a good point re dirt roads... ill have to consider that depending where we end up.

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  • 1 month later...

Heh. I’m originally from Hitchin, rode a TDM, moved to Sydney, bought my dream bike - a blackbird.

I didn’t do that many big rides, but used it a lot in the city, which is the worst place for a big, hot Blackbird.

Australia SHOULD be a biking Mecca - smooth, low-traffic country roads, and quick and easy parking in the city. However, it’s not all perfect:

Most Sydney drivers seem to be indifferent, oblivious, or hate bikers - maybe similar to London, very different to Europe. You don’t really get too many concessions as a biker; Toll is the same as for cars, and there’s few places for a bike to park in Sydney. You can now, finally, use bus lanes in Sydney, as it was trialled and proven to save lives.

Our in the country, there’s always that fear of being caught and banned. Police are far less tolerant of bikers than in the Uk, I feel. I did advanced riding courses with the police in the Uk and they expressed that they knew we were out to drive fast and have fun, and their focus was on making sure we didn’t kill or annoy anyone while doing so. I drove with respect, but still had a lot of fun.

Aussie policing seems more about treating bikers as prey - they’ve even been caught baiting bikers by using unmarked cars to force bikers into illegal overtaking, and then booking them. It does seem more adversarial over there.

I spent the first 18 months in Oz riding in fear of being banned (I bought my Blackbird cheap from a guy who was selling it for exactly that reason). Eventually I loosened up and had some epic trips, not all below the speed limit, and did enjoy it... just not *too* much.

Bikies are also a core organised crime group over there, but I’m a sports bike rider, rode mostly with friends or solo, and never came across them at all.

The weather is great - actually, too hot in summer, in NSW. You have that “do I wear full protective gear” quandary on those days.

But, generally, it is a pretty good place for riding. The weather is great for it. Certainly, if you went for a trip out with the family into the country, you’d be looking at these roads thinking “I wish I was here on my bike”.

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  • 4 weeks later...
1 minute ago, SUPERSTARDJ01 said:
9 minutes ago, Leighbee98 said:
Oh no... did you look into taking it with you (shipping)?  Id love to take mine but im not sure it will be worth it.

It's a massive pain and with the weather in Cairns I thought it would be too hot as I'm not in to riding in tshirt and shorts, but would love to get another at some point.

I understand that, I will only ride with full leather... It was 32 degrees here on my last ride!!! it was one sweaty stinky experience!!

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