Hello from Hertrfordshire, England

I just stumbled on this site and I must say it looks well organised.
I have just purchased a 2003 VTEC from a one owner friend and I must say I am bonding with very well. I did had a 750 FL that unfortunately got written off in a small prang and that was replaced with a TDM900 that I love and will most likely be used as a winter bike. I also have a CRF230F trail bike.
Been riding since 1958 and had a variety of bikes including a 125cc BSA Bantam, Ariel Arrow, Vincent Rapide, G9 Matchless, BMW K75s and others.
Member of the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists and get out as much as I can doing around 6-10,000 mile per year depending if I do any continental trips.
I am enjoying my riding more than ever and intend to for as long as I can.

 

pics of bike

 

Welcome!!

 

Welcome aboard and ride safe.

 

Welcome to the forum! I have a feeling that you have unwittingly improved the reputation of us sorry bunch of hooligans or the flip side - we have tarnished yours just a bit. Either way, the damage is done and there's no going back! I didn't recognize any of the bikes you've owned so I found photos of them online and they are fantastic! By the time I got to the Vincent, I was thinking, "How did this guy end up on a 6th generation VFR?!" Then I saw the BMW and the transition didn't seem so strange after all. Seeing how you've been riding longer than I've been breathing, I'm very happy that you've dropped in and hope you're willing to share some of what you've learned along the way. This truly is a great group of guys, many of whom in my opinion are truly talented and knowledgeable. I hope you enjoy your latest ride and I look forward to more of your posts.

 

Welcome to The World drumwrecker! Normally we tend to ignore SOW but in this case I think what he's trying to say, and most will agree (this time)...


Cheers!

 

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I also have a web site that I set up to share my family history with my family but run out of steam so added a motorcycle section.
It might be of interest to some of you.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/roncoombs/My%20Motorcycle%20Connections.htm

by the way my wife and I returned to the USA last year to take in the Indianapolis MotoGP. We flew into Chicago and the drove across to Yellowstone via Cody down via the Tetons to Jackson and on to Bonneville via Salt Lake City and made our way back to Denver.
Motorcycling is definitely alive and kicking in the US.
I would just love to tour around on a bike and considered buying a little one like a 500 Honda as I reckon a big bike isn't needed due to the speed limits on the minor roads that I would like to keep to.
We were planning to do the Austin MotoGP next year and tour around for a month and hope the music festival would be on around about that time.

 

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My 1991 FL in France on a tour of the Cathar castles. What a fascinating history they have.

 

:welcome: to the madness from across the pond mate :wave:
Glad to have you, make yourself like at home :thumb:
Ride safe and ATGATT

 

This is a calendar worthy picture if you ask me! Nice job drum! Thanks for the pics!

 

Hi Drumwrecker welcome to the MadHouse:welcome:.

When you get a chance you may want to update your forum profile (Forum Actions + Update profile) so it includes the specs of your VFR and a rough location - town/city is fine, that way the information will appear automatically alongside your posts, and if you need help you just might find someone living nearby is willing to swing by and offer advice especially if you have a well stocked beer fridge.

Its nice to see another forum member from my neck of the woods. Years ago I did my bike test and training in and around Watford and St Albans and had great fun with an instructor who was determined to cover most of the roads around Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire - I loved the way his idea of a two hour lesson always seemed to stretch to four including at least one stop for tea :biggrin: There are some superb biking roads tucked away at the far end of MetroLand. Given your other biking interests, I wonder if you have come across the Ulysses-Club GB yet? Looks like you have a lot in common with some of their members - vintage bikes, IAM, and they arrange lots of meets and tours in the UK, Europe and links around the world. If you are interested in a sociable trip down to the Alps next year, then riders from various European Ulysses Clubs will be heading over to my place in the Alps in September. It would be great to see another VFR on the mountain twisties.

Its a shame to hear the 750 is no longer around. That vtec with smoked screen and sliders looks like it was someone's pride and joy!




SkiMad

 

Profile updated.
IAM group is Herts and Beds.
You are right in us having some lovely roads around here. I shall be enjoying them tomorrow if I can crack bloody Basecamp and get a route together.
The first time I came across the Ulysses club was when we looked after a woman who had ridden her bike from Sydney Australia in 1978 to pick up a BMW from the factory in Germany. She gave a T shirt and I still have it somewhere. I met her in the TT paddock as I was camping in a mates tent who was racing an outfit there. I'd gone over on the off chance an he offered me a place.
I'd love to have the chance to meet up in Europe, in fact I going over in October be it by car to visit my nephew in a little place called St Antonin Noble Val. A lovely area. I hope to take my wife to Annecy. I was there a few year back and had visited as a kid of 14 with my school. It beautiful.
The FL was a economical write off after a 10mph spill on some dust kicked onto the road by a car. I was going down Whipsnade Hill. Somehow three panels were broken and as they are like hens teeth to come by was total loss.
The VTEC was owned by the bloke I'm shaking hands with and he owned it from new doing all his own maintenance including the valves that he had just done. O got it from for the trade in value including the top box, LSL bars and riser yokes and reworked saddle like a king and queen. He even let me use his bike lift to change the rear brake pads. We still call it his bike until he has weaned himself onto the Pan.
I did well.

 

Uhmmmm. I was three years old. Around here, they say I am old! JK of course. I was a late bloomer on the bike, not even haven ridden one until I got my present bike still in the crate in August 2006. But I a, trying to make up for lost time. I crossed the 115,000 mile mark on a 1500 mile weekend trip this past weekend.

Welcome to the site. If you are ever over this side of the pond again, with a bike, some of the best roads you will ever encounter are in northern, then eastern Washington State, and most inland areas of Oregon State. They are a must ride. Great road surfaces, twisties that will tighten the band on your gauchies real quick, and the absolute finest people you could fine in these small town USA.

It is said that us Canucks are polite. We don't even come close to what I experienced on several rides down there.

 

I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed my three visits to the USA.
First time was to Florida to do the parks with my brother in law's family. We did manage to get away on the third week to the Gulf coast to Captiva and across to Homestead and along to Key West.
Second visit was to Memphis, Nashville, Blue Mountains, Tupelo and back to Memphis. Then we flew to Denver and drove to San Francisco via Moab, Monument Valley Las Vegas ( what a dump) , Death Valley and all the parks down to Morrow Bay, Laguna Seca, San Francisco and home 6000 miles later.
The last was as I said earlier.
We met so many real nice people and had a good laugh with most them. I just the US.
Would love to visit El Paso as my dad was there in 1908 but I'm told it is a dangerous place to be. He got there in twelve days from London and I don't think he paid for his train fare from New York.

 

Since 1958? That makes you an old fart!
Welcome, nice selection of bikes you've had over the years. Grab a chair and make yourself comfortable.

 

Well that is the first time I've been called that to my face.
Can't deny I'm 74 going on 18 and enjoying myself more than I ever thought possible.
The base for all that enjoyment is having a second chance after divorce and marrying a great woman.

 

Holly Batman.........You Sir a trooper :thumbsup:
I wish I still be riding when I reach your age..........

 

Keep on riding. You are not dead until you are in the ground and cold as ice. So what do you want to do when you grow up? I can only hope to be so nimble as to be able to keep riding at 74 years of age.

 

I checked out your website and really enjoyed it. In particular, I love seeing those old black and white photos from the 60s and your accompanying descriptions really bought them to life. What a great history you've put together (and lived)! Two of those earlier photos stick out in my mind for some reason, the one of Capone on his 125cc Honda racing around that right hander and you on the back of the bike with your brother Arthur up front. Thanks for sharing all of that.

You needn't be concerned with visiting El Paso. It's actually one of the safest cities in the U.S. with very low (relative to other U.S. cities) instances of violent crime. Just don't go south into Juarez. Now that's a nightmare.