Motorcycle-Era |OT| Two are better than four

Rotkehle · Jun 17, 2019

That looks like a nice road. Many roads here are in a not very good condition. After the reunification many funds were shifted to East Germany and the West Germany infrastructure suffered massive. Only in the last years its seamed that is started to change slowly.

My street has so many holes in it that you have to slow down strictly or the possibility to lose parts of your vehicle increases drastically.

Finally, back. I hate it to get banned. -.-

Dougald · Jun 17, 2019

Axelotl said:
That looks like a nice road. Many roads here are in a not very good condition. After the reunification many funds were shifted to East Germany and the West Germany infrastructure suffered massive. Only in the last years its seamed that is started to change slowly.

My street has so many holes in it that you have to slow down strictly or the possibility to lose parts of your vehicle increases drastically.

We have the same issue here but we don't have reunification to blame, just our shitty government and austerity. Potholes are lethal here, and I live in the English home counties, aka pretty much the richest non-London part of the country.

The worst is when a road needs resurfacing but they just put down that loose gravel for 5 miles in the vague hope that cars will drive all the stones into the right places. So you're basically riding off road with rocks flying at your face for 10 minutes.

Axelotl said:
Finally, back. I hate it to get banned. -.-

You should have known better than to touch any of those threads even if you're fully on board ;-)

Rotkehle · Jun 17, 2019

Dougald said:
We have the same issue here but we don't have reunification to blame, just our shitty government and austerity. Potholes are lethal here, and I live in the English home counties, aka pretty much the richest non-London part of the country.

The worst is when a road needs resurfacing but they just put down that loose gravel for 5 miles in the vague hope that cars will drive all the stones into the right places. So you're basically riding off road with rocks flying at your face for 10 minutes.

You should have known better than to touch any of those threads even if you're fully on board ;-)

The reunification is awesome for stuff to blame :D

Yes, I'm really seems to be out of touch when this whole gender stuff starts in a discussion...-.-
Haha, I was banned in Neogaf Forum some month ago for life because I criticized some Trump blokes and gave counterargument :D

Microsoft · Jun 17, 2019

Axelotl said:
The reunification is awesome for stuff to blame :D

Yes, I'm really seems to be out of touch when this whole gender stuff starts in a discussion...-.-
Haha, I was banned in Neogaf Forum some month ago for life because I criticized some Trump blokes and gave counterargument :D

Sorry, but I hadn't noticed you got banned. I noticed you weren't posting but not that you got banned. I can't believe they got you for that though. You don't seem like the trolling type to me.

Back on GAF my one and only ban was for a comment I made, "hasn't this been blown out of proportion?". I learned my lesson. But yeah, stay away from those threads!

Axelotl said:
That looks like a nice road. Many roads here are in a not very good condition. After the reunification many funds were shifted to East Germany and the West Germany infrastructure suffered massive. Only in the last years its seamed that is started to change slowly.

My street has so many holes in it that you have to slow down strictly or the possibility to lose parts of your vehicle increases drastically.

Finally, back. I hate it to get banned. -.-

So, the area I live in is pretty much where the state makes all its tax money from. So the state does a real good job fixing the roads! Can't have all the rich folk busting their cars and start asking questions like, "where does my tax money go?"
Last year they literally re did my entire neighborhood. Anyway, this wouldn't be an issue if I still had the KLR :(

Rotkehle · Jun 17, 2019

Microsoft said:
Sorry, but I hadn't noticed you got banned. I noticed you weren't posting but not that you got banned. I can't believe they got you for that though. You don't seem like the trolling type to me.

Back on GAF my one and only ban was for a comment I made, "hasn't this been blown out of proportion?". I learned my lesson. But yeah, stay away from those threads!

So, the area I live in is pretty much where the state makes all its tax money from. So the state does a real good job fixing the roads! Can't have all the rich folk busting their cars and start asking questions like, "where does my tax money go?"
Last year they literally re did my entire neighborhood. Anyway, this wouldn't be an issue if I still had the KLR :(

Yeah I stay away from this kind of threads now. I didn't troll... but some here are hurt by every word.

That tax situation sounds awesome. My town and the whole area is a relative poor part of my country. Kind of like the rustbelt in the USA. After our coalmines closed and the steel factory's moved to China, this area and its street went down. But hey, it got better again and slowly out streets get better.

I really would love to ride through the USA. Maybe when my son is old enough to join me. So in 17 3/4 years :D Trump should be gone by then.

Dougald · Jun 17, 2019

They've been upgrading the motorway near my house to a 'smart' one for years now (aka they remove the Hard shoulder to make a fourth lane and put up loads of CCTV to monitor traffic), and as a result the road conditions are generally atrocious until they finally finish the bastard thing. It's the only time I switch my suspension to the softer setting.

Assuming I land this new job my commute is going to be 40 minutes of country roads every morning. So poor condition but lots of nice corners, itll be great.

Rotkehle · Jun 17, 2019

I really really likes the britisch country roads last year on my way to Cornwall. Many crazy situation because of those hedges, the speed and the steeringwheel on the wrong

CRAZY

Dougald · Jun 17, 2019

For the uninformed, those signs mean end of speed restrictions. Which for most vehicles on that road means 60mph

And yeah it's easier to switch sides of the road on a bike than a car, as the controls stay the same :-)

Rotkehle · Jun 17, 2019

Like I said:

CRAZY

Southengland really was awesome. Me and my wife are planing the already out next trip to the island.

Microsoft · Jun 17, 2019

Dougald said:
They've been upgrading the motorway near my house to a 'smart' one for years now (aka they remove the Hard shoulder to make a fourth lane and put up loads of CCTV to monitor traffic), and as a result the road conditions are generally atrocious until they finally finish the bastard thing. It's the only time I switch my suspension to the softer setting.

Assuming I land this new job my commute is going to be 40 minutes of country roads every morning. So poor condition but lots of nice corners, itll be great.

Sending positive vibes your way so you get that job :)

Axelotl said:
Yeah I stay away from this kind of threads now. I didn't troll... but some here are hurt by every word.

That tax situation sounds awesome. My town and the whole area is a relative poor part of my country. Kind of like the rustbelt in the USA. After our coalmines closed and the steel factory's moved to China, this area and its street went down. But hey, it got better again and slowly out streets get better.

I really would love to ride through the USA. Maybe when my son is old enough to join me. So in 17 3/4 years :D Trump should be gone by then.

USA is great. You know, there are studies made saying a large portion of people in USA never leave their hometown, let alone their state... Consider that it would take me like 4 hours just to clear the state line... Yeah, there's lots to see.

Microsoft · Jun 17, 2019

Dougald said:
For the uninformed, those signs mean end of speed restrictions. Which for most vehicles on that road means 60mph

And yeah it's easier to switch sides of the road on a bike than a car, as the controls stay the same :-)

I've seen those roads on videos here and there. My question always was if those roads are one way? To me they seem very dangerous if there's a possibility of cars traveling both ways at once.

Rotkehle · Jun 17, 2019

This was/is a two way road...

Dougald · Jun 17, 2019

They're all two way. There will be small passing places so if you meet a car coming the other way one of you will be reversing

Driving a classic VW camper down those roads is... an experience, I'll tell you that

Microsoft · Jun 17, 2019

I'll be honest, that's not the answer I was expecting

Well, if the British deemed those roads worthy, then who am I to complain?

Dougald · Jun 17, 2019

You haven't truly lived until you've driven on a tiny alpine road with a thousand foot drop and a mad Frenchman doing 90mph in a miniature Renault screaming past you

Rotkehle · Jun 18, 2019

That's a very good description of what I've witnessed down there but it was an Italian Dude who tried to defy gravity. That's what I love about our continent. The diversity in our nations.

Ocho · Jun 18, 2019

Those hedge roads look so scary lol. Respect.

Briareos · Jun 18, 2019

Hedge roads are fine. There just aren't enough options for you to have enough to think about. Drive... encounter other vehicle? Back up.

On the other hand all the crazy stuff in small towns with roundabouts and then the weird pullouts on regular roads and stuff, those are scary. Stuff like this, had no idea what the hell was going on with those arrows.

Rotkehle · Jun 19, 2019

Those arrows just indicates that you have to go back to your side of the road after overtaking those parking cArs.

Microsoft · Jun 19, 2019

What if there's some American dude out there with a daily driver Ford F350 Lariat with a lift kit driving those hedge roads. Who is unwilling to back up no matter what, then encounters one of these crazy Frenchmen in a Renault... What then??

Dougald · Jun 19, 2019

They probably find a way to squeeze past each other

But the American probably got his ridiculous car stuck between two cornish cottages in a narrow street two villages back

I saw a hummer H2 here once. That guy must be really, really dedicated to his car because it's basically the size of an average house

Rotkehle · Jun 19, 2019

Just the thought about a car like this in Europe always makes me laugh...

Briareos · Jun 19, 2019

Axelotl said:
Just the thought about a car like this in Europe always makes me laugh...

Are you familiar with the phrase rolling coal? AMERICAAAAA.

Microsoft · Jun 19, 2019

Please don't hate me but I like those big trucks. If I could afford one I would definitely own one. Without hesitation.

Some of these truck have a nice little turbo whistle 😀👍. That one might be too loud though, but I'd prefer one more "civilized" as Fallout once put it so eloquently. Oh yeah and rolling coal... Yeah that became illegal very fast. Those fumes are very dangerous though. A person on his truck "rolled coal" into another truck where a person was sleeping (intentional as a 'prank'), but the person that got "rolled" on died. He was sleeping and he was carbon monoxide-poisoned.

But I pose a question, who wouldn't want to own a truck that can literally tow your house if you wanted??

Rotkehle · Jun 20, 2019

I don't hate anyone for stuff like this. I would like to have one but they are just too big for most of our streets and parking places. And gas prices are on another level here. It would be awesome to have a car we're i can just put my Bike on and be happy. Even the most SUVs are just to big for out streets.

Dougald · Jun 20, 2019

Mrs Dougalds dream car is actually a giant F150 or Toyota Hilux or similar. Just anything huge and obnoxious, which explains her bike somewhat

Speaking of, I am now definitely moving jobs unless HMG decide I'm a security threat. So I'll be putting some summer miles on the RS and then buying a new car for the Winter. I'll probably end up with a Ford Focus, the basic bitch of European family cars

Rotkehle · Jun 20, 2019

You can't go wrong with a Focus.

What bike does your wife have? A Triumph Rocket? 😉

Microsoft · Jun 20, 2019

Yeah, the Ford Focus is actually quite a fun car to drive. Especially if it's the manual transmission.

Dougald · Jun 20, 2019

I'm going to get an AT, which is borderline shameful in Europe. But I don't care, its just a tool for me

Microsoft · Jun 20, 2019

It's okay, not shameful at all. I've owned nothing but auto trans cars except for about a month ago when I got a manual trans truck. While I vastly prefer it, I can see how automatics are great in their own way and unfortunately, manuals are dying in America. Manufacturers just aren't making them anymore, see the new Toyota Supra.

Rotkehle · Jun 20, 2019

I love manuals and I always had manuals but I can see the benefit for your daily commute.

Briareos · Jun 20, 2019

Dougald said:
I'm going to get an AT, which is borderline shameful in Europe. But I don't care, its just a tool for me

Dougald · Jun 20, 2019

I have trouble with my left leg which is part of the reason. But its mostly just, cars are shit, traffic is shit, even in the best car in the world with an awesome transmission I'm still spending 95% of my time sat in traffic, so meh. But I understand the hate

I'm thinking of switching out the panniers on the RS for a top box as I have the fittings for it. Make it easier to get through rush hour traffic

Briareos · Jun 20, 2019

Dougald said:
I'm thinking of switching out the panniers on the RS for a top box as I have the fittings for it. Make it easier to get through rush hour traffic

I have a GIVI top box and it's great for helmet storage, etc., but not big enough for anything more than that plus gloves; sadly I find the side panniers are sort of necessary if I want to avoid having a bag slung on my back every time I ride. That said I have the 42L; if you want to put the larger 58L on there maybe it will work out well as a single solution where you can also fit a laptop or whatever in. Today I was transporting... two dozen eggs in the side pannier, because our chickens are laying too many so I need to give them away at work.

Dougald · Jun 20, 2019

BriareosGAF said:
I have a GIVI top box and it's great for helmet storage, etc., but not big enough for anything more than that plus gloves; sadly I find the side panniers are sort of necessary if I want to avoid having a bag slung on my back every time I ride. That said I have the 42L; if you want to put the larger 58L on there maybe it will work out well as a single solution where you can also fit a laptop or whatever in. Today I was transporting... two dozen eggs in the side pannier, because our chickens are laying too many so I need to give them away at work.

Realistically all I'm gonna need in there is a bag with a pair of shoes, change of clothes and maybe my lunch, so it should be enough - I don't think I'll be required or even allowed to carry a laptop home with me due to security reasons, so I'm golden there. I'll still keep the panniers in the garage for non-commuting use, obviously

In bad news this means my free trip to San Francisco is off, so I'll have to rethink how I can get a biking holiday in the US...

Microsoft · Jun 20, 2019

Dougald said:
Realistically all I'm gonna need in there is a bag with a pair of shoes, change of clothes and maybe my lunch, so it should be enough - I don't think I'll be required or even allowed to carry a laptop home with me due to security reasons, so I'm golden there. I'll still keep the panniers in the garage for non-commuting use, obviously

In bad news this means my free trip to San Francisco is off, so I'll have to rethink how I can get a biking holiday in the US...

Bad news your SF trip is off, yes, but good news is that now you can choose anywhere in the USA to plan a trip. Just don't end up like this unfortunate lady here

Edit: Almost feels like David Attenborough is about to start narrating this seemingly nature video when it's really motorcycle related, doesn't it?

I'd be lying if I said current technology wasn't part of why I couldn't continue watching LWR. I'm just so used to the modern "format" and I sometimes have a hard time understanding what they're saying, sound quality isn't the best.

Rotkehle · Jun 20, 2019

And he does his journeys alone. His vidS are really cool. I always get "fernweh" when I see his videos.

Rotkehle · Jun 21, 2019

What a lovely day in the Sauerland. I used my free day for little morning Tour over some awesome roads.

Microsoft · Jun 21, 2019

Nice. Looks beautiful and twisty out there!

Rotkehle · Jun 21, 2019

It is, but to many 40 tones trucks.

Mengy · Jun 22, 2019

Axelotl said:
And he does his journeys alone. His vidS are really cool. I always get "fernweh" when I see his videos.

He does make very nice vids. This is one of my favorites of his:

Fallout-NL · Jun 25, 2019

To relax, sometimes I just sit in the garage for a bit:

Dougald said:
But its mostly just, cars are shit, traffic is shit, even in the best car in the world with an awesome transmission I'm still spending 95% of my time sat in traffic, so meh

Initially I was a bit down on my Boxster being an AT, but honestly, it has so many upsides that I've stopped caring. The only thing that nags at me sometimes is that it's .5 seconds slower to 60 than the manual (it being one of those really heavy old school slush boxes) and consumes a bit more fuel, but eh, it's kinda nice to launch off the line perfectly every time.

/edit: and the bikes are way more fun anyway

Axelotl said:
I always get "fernweh" when I see his videos.

German really has the best words.

Axelotl said:
What a lovely day in the Sauerland. I used my free day for little morning Tour over some awesome roads.

Very nice. I look forward to returning to Germany in August for some touring.

Briareos · Jun 25, 2019

Is that your Canyon with the Fulcrum wheelset? How are you feeling about Dumoulin, you've got the Vuelta still I suppose. I still haven't ridden more than 25mi in a go this season, bit of a letdown.

I'm in Madrid right now for holidays and so far no super fancy bikes spotted, a nice GSX-R 1000 but not much else. Always amused seeing Harleys in Europe though.

Dougald · Jun 25, 2019

God damn Fallout-NL that is a smooth garage floor. And here I am with my 1950s-era pothole-filled mess!

Dougald · Jun 25, 2019

I like what they've done with those intake fans(??) to make it look like a Boxer

That footpeg positioning looks goddamn atrocious though. Hope that isn't final

Fallout-NL · Jun 25, 2019

Yours for just 50k!

Dougald said:
That footpeg positioning looks goddamn atrocious though. Hope that isn't final

Does look very sporty.

Dougald said:
God damn @Fallout-NL that is a smooth garage floor. And here I am with my 1950s-era pothole-filled mess!

It is not quite as pristine upon closer inspection, but I'm happy with it, for sure.

BriareosGAF said:
Is that your Canyon with the Fulcrum wheelset?

It is, just bought the wheels off my brother who was upgrading to a Canyon Aeroad. Quite an upgrade (eh, the wheels, can't speak to the Aeroad). Makes me wonder how carbon wheels on a bike would feel.

How are you feeling about Dumoulin, you've got the Vuelta still I suppose. I still haven't ridden more than 25mi in a go this season, bit of a letdown.

I have to admit that between work, the bikes, my kid and all the thousands of other things I want to do, I'm not really getting around to following the world of cycling as much as I want to.

From what I read real quick just now it's a knee injury? That I can relate to. Been having issues with mine for over 5 years now. My brother recently advised me to start using sports tape to stabilize the knee cap. That seems to work. Now I just need to find the discipline to do those stupid exercises each day.

Rotkehle · Jun 25, 2019

Fallout-NL said:
German really has the best words.

Very nice. I look forward to returning to Germany in August for some touring.

in glad you know what i mean. I don't know the English word for this feeling. Since Dutch and German are so close isn't there a durch word for this?

Deleted member 28192 · Jun 25, 2019

Thanks for including me in your circle and giving tips to a new rider. It's been a real pleasure.

i'm on all gaming platforms if you guys are gaming, same name

Fallout-NL · Jun 25, 2019

Axelotl said:
in glad you know what i mean. I don't know the English word for this feeling. Since Dutch and German are so close isn't there a durch word for this?

You would think, but I don't know of a Dutch equivalent. In English 'wanderlust' comes close, but it's not quite as good.

Scotch · Jun 25, 2019

Axelotl said:
in glad you know what i mean. I don't know the English word for this feeling. Since Dutch and German are so close isn't there a durch word for this?

No, and the Dutch word for homesickness is actually just a German loanword: heimwee. Fernweh never made it here, it seems.

Motorcycle-Era |OT| Two are better than four

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