Looking for a new Cafe Racer, what am I missing?

[2wheelgrplr]

so semi related question, any of you gents riding in a CR jacket?

usually I do ride with just leather jacket and jeans and boots, but what I do is commuting around my neighborhood, never a real long trip, the last time I ride longer than 1hrs on bike was when I had to survey a site suggested by my lector at university where I should check for myself up on the mountain around a lake, rode there after the class was over 3PM one day, the road there is about 30 mins, but then near that area I had to ride through small road in the middle of a tropical forest with tall trees, lots of vegetation, and not much light, sometime the road has deep valley on one side and vertical cliff on the other side with plants growing hanging over the road, and by the time I arrived at the spot, it was closed already so I only took some photos from distance, and see the sky is quickly losing light and decided to drive back, then fog started to fall, and then thunderstorm, and I have to ride through that dark forest again, now very wet, and dark, and full with strange animal sound, I rode as fast as I can through it. :eeek:

Yup, I regularly ride wearing my CR-type jackets. If I'm not wearing my armoured CR-style leather jackets (above-mentioned Vansons, Revit, Segura, etc.) then I'll usually wear my Knox or Bohn armoured shirts underneath my LW Buco Rider, Vanson Enfield, Vanson Chopper, Schott 141, etc. Done several multi-day adv rides with this combo - Knox undershirt and LW Buco Rider or Vanson Enfield on top - some of these rides have been over a week long and in the Eastern Himalayas where the road often breaks down into dirt and gravel for long stretches. Bike choices are pretty limited here, which usually means riding Royal Enfields. Lately the situation has improved and me and several riding buddies are finally upgrading to proper adv bikes - BMW GS, Triumph Tiger ... Hitting Ladakh next month, this time going new-school and wearing modern adv suits

 

[ButteMT61]

I took a rode trip through California which included time in the big metro areas of LA and SF. I was a bit unnerved and surprised by the motorcycle activity known as splitting lanes. I guess it is legal but also believe it is a very precarious practice by bikers. I do not ride because I believe the biggest hazard on the road are autos rather than any road or weather condition. I would not be surprised if many bike accidents occurred when the rider was splitting a lane.

Lane-splitting, done correctly, is safe(r) on the freeways. It's a hard stat that being hit from behind is the #1 way of getting smashed on a bike. What you see is idiot bikers not adhering to the rules of safely lane-splitting, which is as bad as cagers driving like fools.

The penalty for bad driving is often not much more that a repair bill. When you're riding, it can be your life, and often is...and don't get me going on the guys/gals riding with shorts/thongs on and flip-flops...

 

[Peacoat]

The penalty for bad driving is often not much more that a repair bill. When you're riding, it can be your life, and often is...and don't get me going on the guys/gals riding with shorts/thongs on and flip-flops...

Yep, my biggest pet peeve: Girls on the back wearing flip flops. Don't see many riders wearing them, but for some reason the female passengers seem to think their feet will never unintentionally touch the pavement.

 

[Sloan1874]

Whatever you do, if you find the sight of multiple motorcycle crashes unbearable, don't go and see the new Mission Impossible movie.

 

[Otter]

Nastiest bit of road I have seen was leading over from the North of San Francisco bay to Muir Redwoods Park. Flat corners, not cambered, no crash barriers, basically single track and plenty of loose gravel. I was on a 4x4 and didn't like it and I drive singletrack roads in Scotland all the time. I would hate to have tried it on two wheels.

 

[ButteMT61]

Whatever you do, if you find the sight of multiple motorcycle crashes unbearable, don't go and see the new Mission Impossible movie.

Sadly here in LA, I've come upon more than my share of live accidents. Each one takes a bite out of your passion to ride.
Probably why wisdom has taken over from pure Moto lust.
Although I just watched MotoAmerica this morning and have the usual desire to go bike shopping

 

[Otter]

Not surprised, having seen LA traffic it compares unfavourably with Thai and Indian traffic in terms of density. Drivers seemed politer in LA though.

 

[nick123]

Not surprised, having seen LA traffic it compares unfavourably with Thai and Indian traffic in terms of density. Drivers seemed politer in LA though.

Won't comment on the highways because I avoid them whenever possible-but on the city streets the Socal drivers tend to be a little more attentive than up in the Bay Area. By attentive I mean slowing down and using a turn signal when turning right into a parking lot...

 

[Bunyip]

Try riding a motorbike in Dubai, or any of the Emirates. Absolutely without doubt the spookiest life changing/ life ending experience available. If you kill someone on the roads there, you just pay the family blood money. Very rarely does anyone do time. If you happen to get hit by a local.....just forget it. It's like animal farm, everyone's equal, but some of us are created more equal than others( something like that)

 

[Peacoat]

I'm looking forward to a more relaxed riding plan down the road. I'm not with bike at the moment as I have given up on riding in LA for the most part. Got to the point where I am spending more time avoiding texting drivers than enjoying the ride. I sold my last bike last year and am trying to decide if/when I'll get another. There truly needs to be harsh laws in place and they need to be enforced. Two friends have been hit in the last 12 months as well. I was actually thinking of the new Indian Scout and some open highway instead. Dunno, it's in my blood, but I am getting older and I need to ride like an old guy I guess...

The good thing about riding like an "old guy" is that there is a good chance that you will live long enough to become an even older old guy. If you continue to ride as if you were a young guy, that may not be an option. PC

 

[Peacoat]

Try riding a motorbike in Dubai, or any of the Emirates. Absolutely without doubt the spookiest life changing/ life ending experience available. If you kill someone on the roads there, you just pay the family blood money. Very rarely does anyone do time. If you happen to get hit by a local.....just forget it. It's like animal farm, everyone's equal, but some of us are created more equal than others( something like that)

Good memory and very close. I think the pigs actually commented: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

 

[Monitor]

Try riding a motorbike in Dubai, or any of the Emirates. Absolutely without doubt the spookiest life changing/ life ending experience available. If you kill someone on the roads there, you just pay the family blood money. Very rarely does anyone do time. If you happen to get hit by a local.....just forget it. It's like animal farm, everyone's equal, but some of us are created more equal than others( something like that)

Damn...

 

[ProteinNerd]

It's one of the reasons I love my Ducati, that thing is so damn loud, all the texters and non-attentive drivers start looking around and take notice because theyvcan hear that I'm near them.

 

[Bunyip]

It's one of the reasons I love my Ducati, that thing is so damn loud, all the texters and non-attentive drivers start looking around and take notice because theyvcan hear that I'm near them.

Yep, shorties without baffles for me. Waiting to get a defect, but it's better than getting cleaned up by a soccer mum.

 

[Peacoat]

Loud pipes work well to warn drivers to the rear and to the sides, but studies show they have a negligible effect on drivers approaching from the front--the infamous left turn into the biker's lane of travel.

 

[Bunyip]

Loud pipes work well to warn drivers to the rear and to the sides, but studies show they have a negligible effect on drivers approaching from the front--the infamous left turn into the biker's lane of travel.

That sounds about right....

 

[IXL]

Good memory and very close. I think the pigs actually commented: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

...........And pigs are the most equal..............