Classic bike gathering

**Taz** · 15th February 2009, 19:26

Was an excellent ride. Shame I had to leave you all at Kaiaua but had a good fang thru mangatangi and Mangatawhiri and then into the van to deliver my niece back to Manukau. The guzi ran sweet apart from not wanting to turn over at TDC when staring. Seems the starter sometimes needs a run up

Andy.

**Ixion** · 15th February 2009, 20:08

Well the thin red line was very stretched indeed. Bosche and Eyties everywhere. Even called in contingents from their Nipponese allies. All pitted againt a lonely little pile of scrap iron.

But, y' can't beat the old Agincourt spirit. Once more into the breach and all that. And the forces of righteousness and honey still for tea survived to fight another day. Best Brummagen scrap iron. Can't beat it. Nothing broke, nothing fell off. God save the King.

Good to meet various souls, much nicer than their delinquent taste in machinery would indicate.

**Motu** · 15th February 2009, 22:48

As the lone Brit,the Thunderbolt won it's class.It was beautiful,and seemed to be running well,and keeping up a good pace....although I don't know if you were working your butt off while the rest of us were having a lazy old day.I certainly felt no need to cut you up with a daring move to get past a slow moving old clunker.(We will ignore the daring move where I cut you up to get past as you were going too slow).

We had a good turnout,and a good selection of so called Classic's - I thought it a good representation of what's on the road and in peoples sheds.I got to ride in a group....and got to run away and hide for a while too.Went and saw my mate down the road after,so that was a good part of the day too.

**Max Headroom** · 16th February 2009, 08:52

Originally Posted by Motu

We had a good turnout,and a good selection of so called Classic's - I thought it a good representation of what's on the road and in peoples sheds.

Motu, I think that what we're seeing is more guys participating with "young" classics. By that, I'm referring to the bikes that are considered old by current standards, yet rejected by the likes of the vintage clubs for being too modern. These "young" classics still offer a satisfying riding experience performance-wise and have adequate suspension and brakes, yet aren't in the same league as a modern bike.

The '70s and '80s bikes currently sit in no-mans-land, being of an age that makes them cheap but of increasingly questionable reliability for daily transport needs. They're not rare yet, collectible enough, or financially viable to restore. This is a generalisation, and I know that some would still use their older bikes for commuting, but those folk are a shrinking minority.

I'm just happy to see these bikes getting used, maintained and enjoyed.....

**HenryDorsetCase** · 16th February 2009, 09:08

A lot of us in our 40's now want and can afford the stuff they wrecked raced rallied rolled and generally grew up riding. So a "classic" bike to me is, like Max says, from the 70's and 80's: In no particular order, your Z1's and Z900's, your SOHC Hondas, your RD (and RZ) Yamahas, GS and GSX Suzukis (And GT and RE), your H1 Kwaka etc etc.

I still remember seeing my first wire wheel GSX1100.

Stuff before that (Brit bikes) we all thought were slow, leaky, and unreliable.

I now appreciate that stuff, and there is a place for it in my fantasy garage (with the Vincent, the TR6C, the MAnx Norton, the BSA gold star the Norton Commando etc) but my next old bike (I am currently "resting" from old Jappas) will be something like a CB175 or CL or CB450 ...

**PeteJ** · 16th February 2009, 09:19

Folks, please don't confuse the Classic Racing Register's rules with the classic motorcycle movement. Many of the classic clubs (eg Tauranga Classic M/c Club, one of the largest and oldest in the country) have a rolling 25-year age limit, and accept machines of any national origin.

So my C102 (1961), CB77 (1965), XS650 Trackmaster (1971), XL250 (1973), RD400 (1977), CB400/4 (1977), and my CB1100F (1982) all fit for classic club rides.

Go on - let's take over some of the classic clubs. They have clubrooms and organisational structures, and now that some of the older guys are fading away, they could do with younger members, too.

**Voltaire** · 16th February 2009, 09:58

Originally Posted by PeteJ

Folks, please don't confuse the Classic Racing Register's rules with the classic motorcycle movement. Many of the classic clubs (eg Tauranga Classic M/c Club, one of the largest and oldest in the country) have a rolling 25-year age limit, and accept machines of any national origin.

So my C102 (1961), CB77 (1965), XS650 Trackmaster (1971), XL250 (1973), RD400 (1977), CB400/4 (1977), and my CB1100F (1982) all fit for classic club rides.

Go on - let's take over some of the classic clubs. They have clubrooms and organisational structures, and now that some of the older guys are fading away, they could do with younger members, too.

I see what you are saying....I am a member of the Vintage Car Club and they have a large motorcycle section....and they go on rallies and runs.
I don't go to many runs as I can't be bothered with the "left at the third roundabout" navigation rallys....fine on old slow Brit singles but 70's bikes just wanna go.
Maybe I should get off my arse and put my T110 back together.....and the 6T...and the mopeds.......and the CB125.

maybe after the Kombi single cab project.....sigh....

**TripleZee Dyno** · 16th February 2009, 10:01

Hopefully this wasnt the last. I would like to tag along although I would need a couple of months notice. Biggest problem would be figuring out which one would be the least of a mission to get even semi roadworthy and the time to do it. I am thinking about it so thats a start.
cheers
John

**Ixion** · 16th February 2009, 10:18

Originally Posted by Motu

As the lone Brit,the Thunderbolt won it's class.It was beautiful,and seemed to be running well,and keeping up a good pace....although I don't know if you were working your butt off while the rest of us were having a lazy old day....

No, I was just cruising. One of the things I'd forgotten about the Briddish iron was how very easy it is to ride at a reasonable pace. I would have been working harder on the BMW or SV1000 , at the pace we were going. Of course, turn the wick up , and the story would be different.

**Voltaire** · 16th February 2009, 10:26

Originally Posted by TripleZee Dyno

Hopefully this wasnt the last. I would like to tag along although I would need a couple of months notice. Biggest problem would be figuring out which one would be the least of a mission to get even semi roadworthy and the time to do it. I am thinking about it so thats a start.
cheers
John

Hey Guys ....a sponsor!!!

Maybe we could all visit your shop for tea and bikkies one Saturday?
My mate says you do the cleanable filters ?
Tell us more....

**Ixion** · 16th February 2009, 10:28

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Motu, I think that what we're seeing is more guys participating with "young" classics. By that, I'm referring to the bikes that are considered old by current standards, yet rejected by the likes of the vintage clubs for being too modern. These "young" classics still offer a satisfying riding experience performance-wise and have adequate suspension and brakes, yet aren't in the same league as a modern bike.

The '70s and '80s bikes currently sit in no-mans-land, being of an age that makes them cheap but of increasingly questionable reliability for daily transport needs. They're not rare yet, collectible enough, or financially viable to restore. This is a generalisation, and I know that some would still use their older bikes for commuting, but those folk are a shrinking minority.

I'm just happy to see these bikes getting used, maintained and enjoyed.....

It really drove home to me on Sunday the 'generational' gap between the BSA and the other bikes there. It was only 10 years or so, but it could as well have been half a century. The difference wasn't just a matter of degree (better this or that) ; it was a qualitative difference- like comparing a cell phone with one of those old 'box on the wall with crank handle phones' . Whereas the difference between the others and modern (ie last 5 years or so) bikes is only a matter of degree. A GS1000 is the same essential sort of bike as a Bandit (or even a GSXR1000). The modern will be 'betterer' in lots of ways, but the essence is the same.

Which is not to say the riding experience on the old 'un was inferior. Just different. Depends on the roads, too. The BSA doesn't really like motorways. But on those back roads it was in its element. And very easy to ride. I've ridden those roads on the SV , and had to work at it, while the BSA just rumbled happily along.

The bikes I have from the "modern classic" time are two strokes, so that's another distinction yet again.

**Max Headroom** · 16th February 2009, 10:50

Originally Posted by TripleZee Dyno

Hopefully this wasnt the last.
cheers
John

John, I doubt that this will be the last ride using this format, we had a good time. We've been doing similar rides under the "Blast To The Past" title elsewhere on the forum for a while now (look under "Meetings & Events") and had very good support for those rides too.

This ride was a little more relaxed, with plenty of opportunity for talking sh!t and not writing off the whole day.

Originally Posted by PeteJ;

Go on - let's take over some of the classic clubs. They have clubrooms and organisational structures, and now that some of the older guys are fading away, they could do with younger members, too.

Pete, I hear what you're saying about clubs. In the past, clubs were one of the few ways to meet others with similar interests and stay in touch with them. Now though, with the wonders of the interweb and portable electric speaking trumpets, club membership is becoming less attractive and less flexible compared to forums like this.

So unless a club can offer useful add-ons like cheap insurance or spares, the traditional club format is no longer as appealing for me. I am no longer a member of any club, partly because of the time commitment if I'm attending regular meetings, partly because of membership fees, and partly because I've found that one-make clubs can often be too one-eyed.

my $0.02...

**Ixion** · 16th February 2009, 10:55

And clubs so often end up importing a lot of political baggage into the deal.

**PeteJ** · 16th February 2009, 11:17

Yeah, I realise what you mean about the Net and forums like this. However, meeting places seem to be an integral part of any ride organising, or meeting, come to that.

(And

as the old guys drop off the tree, club membership may be the best way to get straight on to the bikes that will become available...)