[Rincewind]

I've only owned 2:

Suzuki Bandit 600
Honda VFR 800 Fi-X

I "learnt" to ride on the Bandit for 3.5 years and I knew it was time to move up when I went out for a ride with some guys who were on 1000cc bikes and they couldn't keep up woth me through the twisties in Wales. They knobbled me on the straights though!

My VFR is fantastic. I love it to bits and it sounds wonderful with it's road legal until you take the baffles out Blue Flame exhaust on it. It makes the V4 burble like nothing you've ever heard.

Do mopeds count?

No they don't!!! My opinion only of course. If you're goning to learn, GET A BIKE. Kids on mopeds are a harzard I feel. They're let loose on the open road with no perception of ehat goes on out there and scream around like they know what they're doing :frust :frust :gunsfirin :gunsfirin :frust :frust A personla view point and I'm sure that I'll get a flaming for saying so. If it's the only way you can do it, then ride responsibly!

 

[Rincewind]

I know that there are arguments for and against mopeds etc, but I just can't bring myself to accept them, no that's not fair,I can't bering myself to accept the fact that 16 year olds are allowed to ride them on the public highways. I know that this will also open up another can of worms but look at how kids are conducting themselves of late, I'm not going to tar them all with the same brush, but on a scale of 1 to 10, how much respect do they show other people of late probably closer to -10 I wouuld say?

It's quite an emotive subject, but I personally feel that they should learn to drive before they even sit their ar5es on a moped or scooter so that they can appreciate what goes on out there in the big wide world and learn how the road works.

This could rage on for a long time I know, but when you see them acting as described Mr Yellow Peril, I feel quite strongly about letting them out there. For every sane, sensible rider that is out there, there must be 10 nutters. The same could be said of car drivers, but in the case of scooter riders, they terrify me and as a biker who is trying his very best to improve the image of bikers in my neck of the woods, it makes my blood boil to see them mucking about the way that they do. How protected are you with a t-shirt, tracksuit bottoms and an ill fitting helmet? When I ride out, it's full leathers or no riding at all. Sorry a little :topic: but scooters and I don't mix. Hence the reason why I waited until I had the opportunity to do the Direct Access Course.

Returning to the topic, I don't know what to have next. A Honda Blackbird is a potential possibility before age creeps in and the Pan European takes pride of place in the garage for those long European holidays with the wife when the opportunity arrives in a good number of years time!