Is motorcycling allowed?

[WaynejG]

Two hectic looking trikes.

[Hairy]

Stumbled on this 1994 Sturgis clip, interesting to see how few baggers were in the game back then compared to what what would typically see now.
 

 

[Hairy]

IS THIS STUPID?

Ok, so I have this immense urge to get an open face (3/4) helmet for hot summer days when riding down to the local shop, taking the kids to school or just slower speed local "stuff".

Is this a really really stupid idea.

I think I know the answer, but asking anyway.

[RocknRolla]

2 hours ago, Hairy said:

IS THIS STUPID?

Ok, so I have this immense urge to get an open face (3/4) helmet for hot summer days when riding down to the local shop, taking the kids to school or just slower speed local "stuff".

Is this a really really stupid idea.

I think I know the answer, but asking anyway.

Only when you fall off…

Personally, I wouldn’t ride open face. However, I do the shop run without a jacket and in shorts in summer sometimes. It will hurt equally when skin touches tar…

I have had a faceplant at slow speed for a moto ( 35 to 40km/h) when I was riding my bicycle on dirt, and my helmet did it’s job, my concussion could have been far worse. What it didn’t do is protect my face. Had split upper and lower lip, eye almost swollen shut, and cuts even in my ear. I was spitting highveld sandstone out of my mouth for a week afterwards.

But , we are all adults and surely should be able to face the consequences of our decisions, good and bad.

[Hairy]

5 minutes ago, RocknRolla said:

Only when you fall off…

Personally, I wouldn’t ride open face. However, I do the shop run without a jacket and in shorts in summer sometimes. It will hurt equally when skin touches tar…

I have had a faceplant at slow speed for a moto ( 35 to 40km/h) when I was riding my bicycle on dirt, and my helmet did it’s job, my concussion could have been far worse. What it didn’t do is protect my face. Had split upper and lower lip, eye almost swollen shut, and cuts even in my ear. I was spitting highveld sandstone out of my mouth for a week afterwards.

But , we are all adults and surely should be able to face the consequences of our decisions, good and bad.

Hang on ... did you post the same comment on the Wild Dogs Forum .....

I now the open face is not clever, and am "talking" myself out of this.

Now how cool, not "cool" would a helmet like this be instead in summer

[WaynejG]

When bombing down a road on a downhill at 60km/h plus on the MTB I often think when on the motorbike, I always have full kit. Yet here I am on a bicycle doing 60+ in shorts and a cycling top and open helmet.

You fall at 60 on a MTB or motorbike the result is the same. 

Things I ponder while riding

 

[RocknRolla]

On 10/11/2023 at 10:00 PM, Hairy said:

Hang on ... did you post the same comment on the Wild Dogs Forum .....

I now the open face is not clever, and am "talking" myself out of this.

Now how cool, not "cool" would a helmet like this be instead in summer

I did post on WDs about this as well. My double persona has been exposed…😀

[Hairy]

I do not understand why people feel that they have the right to park in motorbike parking with their cars.

So I managed to get in and still take the last bay.

[Stoffel76]

Hey Gents

 

I've been toying with the idea of getting a trials bike (to putter behind my son on his 50cc, improve my skills and have a little fun) and came across one on FB but it's an old 90s Fantic. Anyone know the brand and what parts availility is like now?

 

The bike has been standing for a long time so loads of seals etc will need replacement... they only want R7500 for it, but I suspect it's going to be a lot of work to get it going, assuming I can find the parts...

 

 

[IceCreamMan]

1 hour ago, Stoffel76 said:

Hey Gents

 

I've been toying with the idea of getting a trials bike (to putter behind my son on his 50cc, improve my skills and have a little fun) and came across one on FB but it's an old 90s Fantic. Anyone know the brand and what parts availility is like now?

 

The bike has been standing for a long time so loads of seals etc will need replacement... they only want R7500 for it, but I suspect it's going to be a lot of work to get it going, assuming I can find the parts...

 

 

Fantic is a relatively unknown brand in ZA. I would be careful for that reason. 

[Stoffel76]

On 10/14/2023 at 7:02 PM, IceCreamMan said:

Fantic is a relatively unknown brand in ZA. I would be careful for that reason. 

Thanks, given the amount of things needing replacement and the all the unknowns, I decided not to take it... 

 

[IceCreamMan]

28 minutes ago, Stoffel76 said:

Thanks, given the amount of things needing replacement and the all the unknowns, I decided not to take it... 

 

Unless you are a serious collector or restorer I think this is the right approach. Sucks taking these decisions sometimes but the long term pain of buying a bike that is difficult to get parts for and maintain is best avoided. 
 

 

[Stoffel76]

1 hour ago, IceCreamMan said:

Unless you are a serious collector or restorer I think this is the right approach. Sucks taking these decisions sometimes but the long term pain of buying a bike that is difficult to get parts for and maintain is best avoided. 
 

 

That... and the look my Mrs was giving me when I told her... 🤣

[Hairy]

On 10/14/2023 at 10:49 AM, RocknRolla said:

I did post on WDs about this as well. My double persona has been exposed…😀

So I did a bad thing

Harley JHB are running a 30 day sale, and they were offering up a two open face helmet special for R700.00 ... I could not resist.

So they arrived here this morning, and was pleasantly surprised to find Bell naming in the one helmet, being a essentially a Bell Custom 500 (Expect to pay around 2.2K for the Bell elsewhere) with a bit of HD Graphics and the other I am still wanting to place the origional manuf.

Both supposedly ECE 22/05 rated .... except for the open face part I know.

It is really pretty impressive the additional field of view one gets with the helmet on, and the feel on the bike is rather awesome.

These helmets will be for the wife and me running to the shop and back, a quick sushi date down the road, or a slow cruise along the beachfront in good weather.

All in, I like the open face option for hot days were I am just around the area and not doing proper speeds. There is a risk associated, but it is a limited risk.

The Mrs gets the base black with typical HD flames, that looks pretty decent in real life, and I get the very vegan light blue with gold pin strip helmet .... this is all they had on special, and I bought them with the mindset that I can just spray them whatever colour I want for the amount of money paid for them.

[WaynejG]

A friend tells a story of how many years ago, riding down from JHB to PE, he used a open face helmet.

Got to Bloem and could not take the wind and cold, so at the Wimpy he organized with a waitress for a dish towel to cover his face and use as a mask. Rode the rest of the way with a strong smell of hamburger and chips in his nose 😀😀

[IceCreamMan]

32 minutes ago, WaynejG said:

A friend tells a story of how many years ago, riding down from JHB to PE, he used a open face helmet.

Got to Bloem and could not take the wind and cold, so at the Wimpy he organized with a waitress for a dish towel to cover his face and use as a mask. Rode the rest of the way with a strong smell of hamburger and chips in his nose 😀😀

Proper biker story. Something Charley would write.