show bikes ya cant ride

[YETI]

Hi ya folks..this is da yeti cummin at ya for the first time..and HELL. its a gripe..I noticed at several of the rallys this year that more and more of the class winners are bikes you could.nt possibly ride on british roads.I will go with the view that these bikes are a show of the builders skills and artistic flare..But maybe they should be in a class of there own.if the handle bars get any bloody wider they are going to have to display a wide load sticker on there backs.Dont get me wrong..im a big big fan of custom bikes n trikes, i just think that maybe the show bikes should be seperated from the road bikes...Anyway..party on.party on

[Jonnyfp]

A very valid and well observed opinion.
welcome in.


you mean stuff like this. it may be rideable but i would'nt fancy a long jaunt on it.

[YETI]

Bang on.ive seen that machine several times..what a beauty..And the famed predator..who the hell is gonna sit in that saddle for fun..outstandingly fantastic vissions..but practical..i wouldnt nip and post a letter on one..oh well..party on.party on

[Jonnyfp]

I think it was for sale too. 4500 as i remember.

[Simon B]

Not this old thread again. The bike above and also Predator do a huge amount of mileage, last year they did Pedova, Rock and Blues, Bulldog etc and they live in Scotland.
Just because a bike dont look comfortable dont mean it isnt ridden. There are more show bikes that are shipped in vans that have lovely suspension and comfy seats so dont assume just cause its a hard tail, minimal seat and big bars that it isnt rideable.

[Jonnyfp]

just cause its a hard tail, minimal seat and big bars that it isnt rideable.

oi roll ya neck in.
RE. predator.

I never said it was unrideable i just made the the suggestion that doin long distance on it would be uncomfortable.
And as i was'nt around at the original old chestnut feel free to enlighten me.

[krammer]

oi roll ya neck in.
RE. predator.

I never said it was unrideable i just made the the suggestion that doin long distance on it would be uncomfortable.
And as i was'nt around at the original old chestnut feel free to enlighten me. you tell 'im jonny. ;)

[Dougie]

Bikes ya can't ride,eh?Well,any sports bike for me!With a shot back,knees and right shoulder even five miles would cripple me.Also,I can't fit on yer average plastic rocket,the beergut gets in the way!

[krammer]

Bikes ya can't ride,eh?Well,any sports bike for me!With a shot back,knees and right shoulder even five miles would cripple me.Also,I can't fit on yer average plastic rocket,the beergut gets in the way! agreed, give me the sit up and beg, flies in the teeth riding style any day. ;)

[Jonnyfp]

I had to alter the clip ons of the speed trip for long distance.
getting old methinks.

[manky monkey]

Clip ons on a Speed Triple? Interesting. Got flat Renthals on mine. Looks great but kills me wrists below 30mph. Need the wind pressure of some decent speed to lift my weight off the bars -honest officer. Got Super wide bars on my Reliant trike though. Very comfortable & gives me extra leverage for throwing it into bends. Won 6 Best Trike trophies, & 3 Best Engineering this Summer with it -so there!

[Creature]

i get the same comments thrown at me n my little ped - and ive overheard people say that the owners skill at making the bike look used is outa this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i must admit i dont do more than around 100 - 150 miles in a day these days but thats due to health not because its difficult to ride.

Personally I dont give a feck what peeps think of my bike - its mine - i built it - i maintain it - and i bloody well ride it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now there must be another rally to squeeze in before the new year :)

[Doro]

some folk can design but not build

some can't weld

some can't paint

etc etc

all in all most bikes have had work done on em by people other than themselves

how many people take their bikes to their local garage for tuning/brakes/engine work?

but some bikes do look very uncomfortable.......

[YETI]

TEEheehee..me first thread,and i seem to have uncovered an old chestnut.and trod on a hothead..all in context me finks..im 50plus.av a shagged back.creaky knees.nobby piles.and a fat arsed bird.I marvel at the outrageous custom bikes.just sayin that the catagory could be split..go take a cold shower...party on party on

[Jonnyfp]

Clip ons on a Speed Triple? Interesting. Got flat Renthals on mine. Looks great but kills me wrists below 30mph. Need the wind pressure of some decent speed to lift my weight off the bars -honest officer. Got Super wide bars on my Reliant trike though. Very comfortable & gives me extra leverage for throwing it into bends. Won 6 Best Trike trophies, & 3 Best Engineering this Summer with it -so there!


Mines the 94 spec T309. vaguely cafe racer.
I assume you have the t5 version...I've ridden one MM yours is a world apart from my ol dinosaur. :D

[Simon B]

JohnyFP, I wasnt commenting on what you said I was commenting on the opening comment by Yeti that says '' Show winners that are obviously un-rideable on UK roads'' and the bikes are in a lot of cases ridden.
I do believe that if it isnt ridden to the show then it shouldnt be entered, but then again the van boys that park up round the corner and ride through the gate will still turn up.

[BlackPig]

Hang on,let's put things into perspective here.

Wide bars,uncomfy seat = unridable ?

I think that is the subject,no ?

Take my link and look at "RATSAFARI',that's my everyday ride,and I can assure you it gets RIDDEN !! :D

As for the 'show bikes',since when was comfort and ease of use a requirement?

Oh,yeah,High man. :D :D

[manky monkey]

2000 955i in lovely, lovely green.
Biggest, fastest thing I've ever owned. Top speed is supposed to be 148mph -but not with me riding it. Chickened out at 120. To quote Billy Connolly, I'm too old to die young.

[Jonnyfp]

JohnyFP, I wasnt commenting on what you said I was commenting on the opening comment by Yeti that says '' Show winners that are obviously un-rideable on UK roads'' and the bikes are in a lot of cases ridden.
I do believe that if it isnt ridden to the show then it shouldnt be entered, but then again the van boys that park up round the corner and ride through the gate will still turn up.


Oh, sorry then :D

[steptoe]

some folk can design but not build

some can't weld

some can't paint

etc etc

all in all most bikes have had work done on em by people other than themselves

how many people take their bikes to their local garage for tuning/brakes/engine work?

but some bikes do look very uncomfortable.......

I never take my bike to a garage and I always do all of the work myself including the welding, polishing and paint including engine rebuilds...

[Dougie]

'Sorite fer you,you've got a yard an' a stable where yer horse used to live! :D

[Friar Tuck]

I never take my bike to a garage and I always do all of the work myself including the welding, polishing and paint including engine rebuilds...
I remember a certain Frank Spencer used to do all his own DIY as well. And seeing as I'm in his category, I have to go and get my bikes serviced, built etc by a fairly competant mechanic.

I've looked at some really horrendous home built jobbies over the years so I tend to stick to as near bog standard as possible, but splash out on decent paintwork. It's horses for courses! If you are a competant mechanic and you build your own bikes then all credit to you. I envy you! But I think the worst thing is those guys that think that they are good spanner wielders, but in reality are really crap, and pass themselves off as bike builders and then sell their services to people that believe this and end up buying a load of sh*te!

Yeah, a lot of these show bikes, look hardly rideable (In both senses: H-D's!), but peeps do ride them! Mind you I bet they're nigh on crippled by the time they get home!

[Bosun]

oooh im glad its not just me mr tuck

i can produce a gleaming nut to a useless multifacited shape unable to undo in seconds

[ForestFred]

oooh im glad its not just me mr tuck

i can produce a gleaming nut to a useless multifacited shape unable to undo in seconds
Bet I can beat ya! :D

[Freak]

I think the worst thing is those guys that think that they are good spanner wielders, but in reality are really crap, and pass themselves off as bike builders and then sell their services to people that believe this and end up buying a load of sh*te!


There's 1 or 2 builders like that who work on customers bikes to.
I've had jobs done and been charged 25 quid an hour for work that my gran could have made a better job of by so called professionals. Trouble is there's no goverening body to uphold standards (that I know of) Perhaps someone should start one.

[Friar Tuck]

oooh im glad its not just me mr tuck

i can produce a gleaming nut to a useless multifacited shape unable to undo in seconds
The irony of it is that I'm an engineering buyer!

[Bassman]

I never take my bike to a garage


Hear Hear M8, Neither do I.

......

......

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I always get them to come and pick it up for me...coff... :eek:

[Doro]

hey MM

we like the big yin too

specially like to see im riding his trike naked, brings triking to people's front rooms in a big way methinks

and his support of NABD is good too


oh yeah, and he's funny


[cept that one time about a certain Iraq hostage :( ]



but also I agree with yeti that a different category for homebuilt bikes/trikes would be good

MM does all his own work

in a shed

to me, this should be a seperate category to the ones that are built by professional engineers (as opposed to someone who builds stuff in his shed when his day job is finished - often a lot of trial and error is used and not so much on the PC design package, and parts are 'invented not bought, that's the true spirit of bike buildng, but then again maybe I'm just old enough to remember when all exceptional creations were built in sheds with yer mates?)


nowt wrong with professional designs/builds, but since they are a totally different class praps a different show class would be nice


whoops was that me doing clever word things there? hee hee




no?



ok, nae bother then hinny :D

[Simon B]

There already is a class for bikes built in sheds, arent they called rat bikes?

Ducks to avoid abuse being thrown.

Im joking OK

[Jonnyfp]

hehehehe..
altho you should see the state of my pride an joy..
No shed needed just 2 winters.

[100%Pat]

This is probably gonna be an unpopular view, but I disagree...
For a start I've never seen a bike that was unrideable in a custom show, its just lack of vision that makes it seem that way. Yes of course some customs look uncomfortable.... but they are not built for that, if those owners wanted bloody comfort they'd buy a Goldwing.
As to the idea of seperate sections for proffesional build bikes..... Hmmmmm not keen on that idea much either. At smaller rallies it could work. But if you want to enter your bike in the big league of shows, then it should be able to compete at that level, with the best, if it doesnt, then dont enter.
The idea of having a proff built section and home built section would just mean an excuse for those in the home built section not being up to standard.
"Oh thats not bad considering it was built in a shed" type of comments...
I'm not saying home built bikes are crap, never, not ever would I say that!
I just think if you build a bike you want to show, then show it! You must know that sooner or later you'll come up against a proff built bike, live with it, dont make excuses for your bike! I've seen and featured many bikes built at home in the shed that would put proff builders to shame, I really think that having a different section is just an excuse to say.... I didnt quite make it.
Pat waits for the bombs ..

[Simon B]

Ditto, well said Pat, nail on the head me thinks.
The big shows bring the top built bikes along and isnt that were we get our inspiration from after all.

I wont mention names but someone who has spent in excess of £25K on their bike which I had been looking forward to seeing, when asked where it was he told me '' Sod bringing it here, its raining the sites muddy and it would take too long to clean'' there the sort of people that I have a problem with. If you build it or didnt, its meant to be ridden.

[Jonnyfp]

http://www.chaos-crew.co.uk/AbsoluteChaos/viewtopic.php?t=1687

Can i draw your attention to this behemoth.
It looks rideable but i would'nt fancy yankin the throttle back at the lights too much.

[Gypsy]

what pisses me off is when ya pull up in the last garage before the rally/show and there are transit vans and trailers with peeps off loading their bikes to travel the last mile on it, just think this is a complete lack of respect for those that have ridden in

[Rogue Monkey]

Havin had to attend the last few rallys in a car I can say it dont feel the same if ya dont ride all the way there on yer bike! If people wanna try an fool others thats ok by me cos they only end up foolin themselves! A rally aint a rally if ya dont drive yer bike there! thats wot I think! :o

[100%Pat]

The majority of shows I have anything to do with are strictly ride in shows, when we were doing Speed Freaks Ball, I saw a couple of bikes being unloaded from vans (one bloke even came up and asked me where he could park to unload!) I didnt say a word, but those bikes were not even included in the judging. No ride- no win!
You'll never stop folk trying it on though, just have to be aware as much as possible.

[devilsquest2000]

im with pat on this one,,i went to barnsley bike show this year and after ridein my old fighter there from scunny i walked like id shat myself but did i mind hell noooo thats what its all about,,plus the giggle at the van unloaders cheered me up no end :D

[Mrs Reject]

How can you ride that without constantly being a bit too 'intimate' with the tank if you get my meaning????? I don't see any padding at the front :eek:

[Jonnyfp]

You don't know how hard it is not make a comment about that Mrs R. pmsl

[Big Pete]

I just think if you build a bike you want to show, then show it! You must know that sooner or later you'll come up against a proff built bike, live with it, dont make excuses for your bike! I've seen and featured many bikes built at home in the shed that would put proff builders to shame, I really think that having a different section is just an excuse to say.... I didnt quite make it.
Pat waits for the bombs ..

a lot of people seem to feel that they have no chance in a show against a pro built bike, so they don't even bother entering. This is a shame IHMO as personally I find the home built stuff more interesting than the pro built stuff, so I usually end up wandering around the site rather than the show. At what point does a "pro built custom" become a "factory custom" or a "concept bike" ?

[100%Pat]

Factory customs are mass produced. Concept bikes are just that, a concept.
I didnt mean that homebuilt bikes shouldnt be put into shows, they bloody should, all I mean is that folk like Vic Jefford started somewhere, he didnt just one day turn around and build the Predator, he must have had a shed at the bottom of the garden somewhere, but it didnt stop him turning out great stuff. A lot of the stuff that us and BSH publish comes from sheds in the yard, and those folk dont have big money or proff type tools, what they have is vision, creativity and a love of hard work. They accept nothing but the best of everyone including themselves. Thats what makes a winning show bike.

[Bassman]

I was also at the barnsley show... also rode the bike there, the weather was crap, but there were loads of super bikes ridden there, with the riders getting good old fashioned wet!!
Mind you there were also a fair few that were vanned there, cos they were just too clean by far... Helen spent hours cleaning hers and Micks bike before the judging, ( sorry I couldn't be bothered to clean mine!) they rode it in... and while it's a show winning bike, noone can say that it's unrideable, the miles they do on it...
I do think that if a bike is vanned to a show, they should not be allowed to enter the show at all... If that rule was enforced there would be a far more level playing field than there is now...
My own bike is ridden in all weathers, and I wouldn't have it any other way... What's the point of having a bike, and not riding it if you are going to a bike show, because its a tad wet out there?... never heard of oversuits? :rolleyes:

[Blue]

Bang on.ive seen that machine several times..what a beauty..And the famed predator..who the hell is gonna sit in that saddle for fun..outstandingly fantastic vissions..but practical..i wouldnt nip and post a letter on one..oh well..party on.party on

To reiterate what's been said - the bike you posted a pic of belongs to Ping in Galashiels. He's had it years and done thousands of miles on it, including abroad.

As for the Predator - well, Logie's maiden journey on it was to pick the bike up from Vic Jefford in North Yorkshire, ride down the country, then down through France and Spain to Barcelona and onto Sestao. Then he (and Charlie on his bullet-proof wheeled chop) rode all the way back to Scotland, and then a couple of weeks later came back down south to the Bulldog. That's more miles in two trips than most people do on a chop in a year.

That year at Stormin', when it was parked on the BSH stand, I had several people confidentally sneering to their mates that Predator had never been ridden and took great delight in telling them otherwise.

[Blue]

but also I agree with yeti that a different category for homebuilt bikes/trikes would be good ... this should be a seperate category to the ones that are built by professional engineers ... nowt wrong with professional designs/builds, but since they are a totally different class praps a different show class would be nice


The problem is that bringing in a 'pro class' and a 'homebuilt' class relies upon the knowledge of the judges and is fraught with difficulties.

This was brought home to me at Stormin this year which was one of the first shows I've come across which had a 'pro built' class. With all due respect to Al and the bloke from Honda (whose name we never found out!) I was the only one of the judges who knew the history of most of the bikes in the custom show. Fine, you can have spec sheets on bikes, but that relies upon the integrity of whoever fills it in, and you end up being reliant on the judges' knowledge. Is someone who has had the majority of a bike built by a firm going to automatically think about entering it in the pro class? Fair enough when a bike is entered by someone who is in the business like Destiny Cycles or Phil Piper or Thundercity, but do Vic or Phil or Tooty's own personal bikes fall into that category? Or is it just for bikes they've built for customers?

Plus, where exactly do you draw the line on what is a professional build? Most people don't build their own frames (thank god), or their own forks. A lot of people don't do their own paintwork. However they may still have done the final build. Do you implement a points system on what has been built/bought by someone else?

As Pat has previously pointed out, many of us who organise custom shows are aware of the trailer phenomenon and operate the 'yes, you are welcome to show the bike, but it won't be judged' principle.

Funnily enough, it's usually the bikes that ARE ridden regularly that seem to incur the wrath of the righteous (and in these cases, wrongeous!) brigade who trumpet 'It wasn't ridden here!'.

[YETI]

Hey gang..Yeti jumpin up an down..scratchin armpits.!"!.As i first said,this is my first thread,,on one of these puter fings..am truly surprised at responce..am truly surprised at different angles taken by folk.Im 50plus an been revvin around for donkeys.I favour a trike now purelycozz the ol back wont hold a bike up.fuked..i stand by my first statement..i strongly admire the craftsmanship displayed vic jefford ..logie..mick clark..ping..gubba..ect...I have no time for the trailor trash.they have to live with it..Yes ..the seperating for judging..a problem.Holy moly,,its a bloody minefield....Yeti lites a bifta..chills..looks foreward to joining future debates..glad you are all on the ball.. ;) ;) :eek:

[Jonnyfp]

Yeah well....if your at the bar...

I'll have a Newky b ta. :D

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