Captain Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 Guilty as charged, sir, with 3 bikes in the shed & about to bugger off today for a ride with a few mates up in the mountains for lunch somewhere. Road Raced for 10 years in the 70's, then 2-Day Enduros in the 80's on an IT400, and still do a few track days each year. On the sailing front, I have a Hobie 16 that I sail single handed. 1
Old Koreelah Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Flying 37 years, bikes 42. Mostly British and Italian Twins. Currently in Darwin for motorcyle racing, but having difficulty with modern bikes. Can't bring myself to rev the poor thing out to 14,000!
paulh Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Modern dirt bikes are soooo much better that the basic bikes of the 70's with about 5" of suspension travel, if I stuff up which is more often than doing it right, and land on the font wheel or fall off they don't seem to care, just shrug it off ( muttering to itself oh boy this guy is bad) and keep going ........ and about twice as fast as the old Suzuki's Only ever owned various Jap bikes, but enjoyed riding mates Bultaco, Maico, KTM etc Not keen on road riding, too many cars and drivers with the iPod earphones in with stuff all Situational Awareness
Runway Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Yep, got a bike and a plane. My first bike at 17, and started flying in my mid 20's (so a few years ago now). I have always found that it seems a majority of pilots either do, or used to have a bike. I've also noticed when browsing web sites of people building a plane (mostly US), there is usually a bike or something associated with bikes in the background of pictures. Maybe we just like to bank things into a turn. 1
facthunter Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Yeah I sail too. VJ's in the old days at Kilaben Bay and Hoby cat and Paper Tiger (cats.) Sailboats are like gliders. Nev
nong Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Yeah, road racing at the weir, being taken out head-on by a drunk in a Valiant, flipping the RD in front of the pub....... Sailing the Laser, so easy to rig...
M61A1 Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Sailboats are like gliders. Nev Probably why I don't like either of them. Got no throttle. 1
River Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 Motorcycles and Aircraft... Started riding and racing motorcycles from 15yo, before that raced bicycles on both road and velodrome from about 8 or 9yo. Motorcycles - just about ridden or taken bike for major 'test ride' of just about every bike one can think of since 1965 to 1990. Still try to do 'test rides' today with any current bike. Raced road, dirt track, scrambles, moto-cross, trials and stunt riding... Had my fair share of close-quarter geology lessons and even the odd low-level unpowered flight experience too being launched from my motorcycle. Landings were somewhat undignified though :-) Military Aviation - Have flown in just about all military aircraft with exception of fast jets from fixed winged DC3's, Porters, Caribou (Gravel Trucks), Hercules C-130's, Boeing VIP 707, Lockheed P-2 Neptune's and rotory winged Bell Sioux's 47's, Bell Kiowa 206's, Bell Iroquois 204/5's etc and the The Boeing CH-47 Chinook in capacity as either observer, special work or passenger, etc plus of-course many civilian aircraft both RPT's and GA's of all type and sizes. Hmmm, did I tell you I liked aircraft :-) and yet I joined the Army? That was because of my earlier love for firearms and explosives. Ooh, can I say that today with all this bloody 'political correctness' !!! There goes my ASIC card application :-( Recreational aviation - flown most of the 'usual suspects' though my real love of aircraft are the STOL types were one gets to experience the real essence of seat-of-the-pants flying. Personally I'm not a fan of the current direction that we are heading we're most new recreational aviation aircraft are all designed to be as sleek and fast as possible with every little thought put into the structural abilities of protecting the crew in the event of a hard landing and nose over or just a unfortunate stall, spin crash at low level or a possibly survivable terrain impact and having the crew area totally crush in onto the crew. The same disappointment goes with our current designs towards fuel tanks and ground impacts causing major fuel tank fires... Arr... Rats, I'm drifting off course here with a couple of pet hates. Back to bikes and planes - in closing its my two-bobs worth that pilots that have had considerable earlier experience with motorcycling will make better pilots. Cheers gang, Rodger
facthunter Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 M61A1 After a while you get sick of engine noise. Jets are almost quiet, but who can afford one unless you are paid to fly it.. Gliders today are very efficient. Sailboats are too and clean quiet fun with plenty of opportunity to achieve a high level of skill. Nev
Ballpoint 246niner Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 Sorry guys late entry to this discussion- beats all the politics and doom. Great for getting out on a bike and just forgetting everything else. 6 y.o 1st bike- now on Number 58 ( I think). Worked in the industry for 15yrs so that helps- love anything fast and the big adventure bikes. Over the years, 8 Hang Gliders, I glider ( share),5 parachute rigs, 2 trikes and 2 planes. No wonder I'm so poor!! It really is surprising how the two seem to go together- nice thread!
M61A1 Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 M61A1 After a while you get sick of engine noise. Jets are almost quiet, but who can afford one unless you are paid to fly it..Gliders today are very efficient. Sailboats are too and clean quiet fun with plenty of opportunity to achieve a high level of skill. Nev No argument about the skill levels required for having no engine.....maybe one day I'll get sick of engine noise, but I can't see it being any day soon.
facthunter Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 Well I was fascinated with aero engines way back, but after flying with them for years you are just sitting and waiting for one to self destruct, and you can't park on a cloud and fix it.. I don't sit there frightened but I don't bank on them . Try to have some way out if the fan stops. Let's just say the blind love has gone and replaced with a bit of reality. I'm completely over speed boats.. Nev
kiwiaviator Posted June 30, 2013 Posted June 30, 2013 Can understand the corelation. NZ RPL and motorcyclist. Normally fly a Tecnam Sierra and ride a Yamaha XV750 v twin.
Marty_d Posted July 14, 2013 Author Posted July 14, 2013 Noice!! Haven't been tempted to rip the engine out of the R1150 to use in an aircraft? 1
Ballpoint 246niner Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 The current brood ..... [ATTACH=full]22933[/ATTACH] Hey CApt. See you like the Beemers, I worked for the bike division for 10 years. Rode the HP sport around the island once as well. Great bikes. We may have crossed paths on a safari somewhere?
Captain Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 Noice!!Haven't been tempted to rip the engine out of the R1150 to use in an aircraft? G'day Marty, They are 1200's so even better, with the balance shaft in them. The HP 2 engine would be a cracker in an aircraft, what with its carillo rods and 135 hp, but the new water cooled ones might be even better. G'day too OK. Yes. I just love that boxer engine in bikes. For every day riding, the torque and feel and "vibe" are wonderful. And to the Ballpoint, I use my HP2 for a few track days each year and a bit of road riding up around the Snowys. It is a great bit of gear, pulls like a train on the track and the Ohlins suspension is magic. But I haven't been on any of the safaris. Was going to do the last road one up to Qld with a mate but was flat out at work. Must do that some time. Regards Geoff
Av8ta Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 Me before I could fly an aircraft, thought it was as close as I was going to get to flying. 3
Av8ta Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 Still might be a while before I get to go inverted though! Bikes still 1 up on flying there!!! 3
Old Koreelah Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 G'day too OK. Yes. I just love that boxer engine in bikes. For every day riding, the torque and feel and "vibe" are wonderful. Regards Geoff[/color][/font] Those sticking-out bits always bothered me, Geoff. Mine are both 45 degrees off vertical to keep them off the road. The Italians can build a bike with curves to remind me of Gina Lollobrigida.
Marty_d Posted July 14, 2013 Author Posted July 14, 2013 Those sticking-out bits always bothered me, Geoff. Mine are both 45 degrees off vertical to keep them off the road. The Italians can build a bike with curves to remind me of Gina Lollobrigida. Something tells me those curves have seen better days!! I'm thinking she was probably a bit before my time....
Old Koreelah Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 Something tells me those curves have seen better days!! I'm thinking she was probably a bit before my time.... Yep, Marty, but in praise of older women...
Marty_d Posted July 14, 2013 Author Posted July 14, 2013 True! In defence of the good old BMW boxers though, at least they have bras bars to protect the heads from the over-enthusiastic rider.
Old Koreelah Posted July 14, 2013 Posted July 14, 2013 I just got home from performing unnatural acts on a very fast motorcycle in Darwin. My mate hired the Hidden Valley track for a day. I'm old enough to know better, but I saw some numbers on the speedo that I have never seen before...even though, while learning the track I stayed in 6th gear all day! The damned thing had power from 4k to 16k and radial slicks hang on like glue. After a while you forget about adhesion and concentrate on lines and braking points. It felt safer than riding on the roads.
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