Am I getting too old?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 19:04
Am I getting too old? - PeterRed
Over the past year or so, I've noticed a tremendous increase in the number of noisy mopeds being ridden by young maniacs. They're often in groups of 2 or 3 and the riders wear minimal safety gear. Invariably they're ridden with very little care and attention and are fitted with illegal sounding expansion pipes. The resultant noise is made even worse by the habit of blipping the throttle like an on/off switch.

I'm an ex-biker and like to think that I rode fairly responsibly most of the time. Am I just getting old & grumpy .......?
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 19:11
Am I getting too old? - JH
Yes, but it happens to us all so just learn to enjoy it!
JH
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 19:16
Am I getting too old? - Westpig
HT.......i thoroughly agree with you.............only trouble is I think back to 1979 and a purple Yamaha FS1E.....with the baffle taken out of the exhaust.........and the difference is?........er, nothing.
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 19:21
Am I getting too old? - bathtub tom
1979?
1965, and a villiers 8E with a stuffed crankcase!
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 19:25
Am I getting too old? - Petel
I have noticed this sort of thing as well here in the SW, must be the mild winter we have been having. ( brings them out like flies )

In a similar vein, is it just me getting old, or has anyone else noticed a marked increase in blatently bad driving, foul language and one and two fingered gestures, mainly from young females in chav hatchbacks?

Rgds.
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 21:19
Am I getting too old? - bathtub tom
1979?
1965, and a Villiers 8E with a stuffed crankcase!

Sorry that should be-:
1979?
1965, and a Villiers 8E with a stuffed crankcase, burning 'R' on an engine that's just been Gunked!
Somebody else can explain to the kiddies.
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Sun 4 Feb 2007 21:46
Am I getting too old? - islandman
Yep, we get 'em to ----- I think the noise is due to them mainly having 2 stroke engines no bigger than the one in my hedge cutter. Funny, I'm even at my age I love revving the old hedge cutter up and blipping the throttle so I suppose you can't blame them. What makes me laugh is that you here all this noise then you see a bike come along quite slowly, or so it seems.
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Tue 6 Feb 2007 21:57
Am I getting too old? - Martin Devon
In a similar vein, is it just me getting old, or
has anyone else noticed a marked increase in blatently bad driving,
foul language and one and two fingered gestures, mainly from young
females in chav hatchbacks?


It isn't just me then. Why are young women in chav hatchbacks seemingly on a different planet, and do they have ANY perception of speed?

MD
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Wed 7 Feb 2007 20:53
Am I getting too old? - Petel
Thanks MD
Not only do they have no perception of speed, they also seem to lack any form of manners, any degree of consideration, any ability or intent to wash the car or for that matter, their own hair.
Glad its not just me who notices these things..
Rgds.
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Tue 6 Feb 2007 21:53
Am I getting too old? - Martin Devon
HT.......i thoroughly agree with you.............only trouble is I think back to
1979 and a purple Yamaha FS1E.....with the baffle taken out of
the exhaust.........and the difference is?........er, nothing.

MINE was GOLD. Ner!.....Oh! and 1974

vbr............old MD.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 07:59
Am I getting too old? - L'escargot
Am I just getting old


I reckon you'll be 44 this year. That's a bit young to be thinking you might be getting old, let alone grumpy into the bargain! ;-)
--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 09:55
Am I getting too old? - stevied
I am a full 10 years younger than that, and I am FAR grumpier than any of you re stupid modded cars and mopeds!

We have pillories in my town, and it's time they were used again for a worthwhile cause....

: )
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 10:02
Am I getting too old? - PeterRed
If you please, I'm barely 43 - though various aches and pains make me feel older......

I'm sure the Fizzies, AR50s (CB50ss for the more sensible or Gilera for the truly exotic) of my youth weren't as annoying. They ride recklessly - often looking behind them at their mates to share the experience. While I have little sympathy if they hurt themselves, I'm sure that being hit by 300lbs of assorted plastic/acned youth/hoodie at 30mph will hurt. I think the CVT gearboxes encourage the staccato throttle noise.

Bahhhh humbug.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 10:06
Am I getting too old? - L'escargot
If you please, I'm barely 43 ...........


Your profile says you were born 1963, and I said "I reckon you'll be 44 this year."
--
L\'escargot.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 10:08
Am I getting too old? - stevied
You have to remember that the current crop of pock-faced retards are so self-obsessed and mollycoddled that it is deemed necessary to have an advert that warns them to try and remember the difference between a road and a pavement..... mind you, at least the fact that they record everything to put on ithinkeveryonewantstoreadaboutmypointlesslife.com means there's usually video evidence....

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Mon 5 Feb 2007 10:30
Am I getting too old? - kievclive
Spent the summer holidays of 1978 washing windows, filling cars (remember when garages were not self service?) and mucking out pigs - end result was a 4th hand Garelli Tiger complete with a 'Frankfarter' expansion chamber. It went like the clappers (55mph) sounded like a doodlebug and in cross winds casued the consumption of lots of underwear. However, back then these were not commuting bikes but capable of some fairly decent miles (knees and fillings allowing) and we probably spent as little time as possible in towns anyway. The UK law that aunty dictates the speed of what you ride is just crazy - the only one of my friends that suffered injury during those heady days was the one on the brand new governed bike and he simply failed to keep up with traffic and got pushed off the road (in fact he still relates the amusing story of how he could not put the coin in the phone slot because both his wrists were broken)

Another problem in the UK today is the number of Corsa driving boy racers (we all had breathed on minis designed to look as standard as possible for maximum surprise) with tails pipes the size of the blackwall tunnel that care little for other road users or pedestrians.....anyway, I am probably ranting sue you all have your own memories and gripes.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 10:50
Am I getting too old? - Lud
What on earth are all you whippersnappers going on about?

Can't hear a thing.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 11:06
Am I getting too old? - mike hannon
Almost all towns in France and many rural areas too are a noise nightmare, thanks to expansion boxes on those stupid little scooters. I see one of them is called a 'Speedfight' - what IS that about?
Luckily I am now such a grumpy old man I can hardly remember owning quiet Honda bikes in my own youth - and spending most of the time riding my mate's Cotton with a Villiers 2T on baffle-less pipes...
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 19:42
Am I getting too old? - Brian Tryzers
> I see one of them is called a 'Speedfight'- what IS that about?

France is full of oddly-combined English words, especially in trademarks. Need a pair of trainers? Pop down to Athlete's Foot.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 12:43
Am I getting too old? - Lud
Can't hear a thing.


Especially when boys silently zip past on bikes on the pavement. What do they think will happen if someone like me gives a randomn old-geezer lurch just as they approach?

At least in Paris where they ride those noisy mopeds on the pavement you can hear the little so-and-sos coming.
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 19:24
Am I getting too old? - GroovyMucker
Never been to Spain?

It appears that, as far as the under-20s are concerned, silencers are for maricones. They're making their silly noise until 4 am. And at 4.30 am the street cleaners and the delivery trucks start.

Oh to have so much testosterone!
--
Stevie
Lakland 44-02 Sunburst
Yamaha YTS-23
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 21:32
Am I getting too old? - Waino
Never been to Spain?>>


........and they wear their crash helmets on their arms!
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Mon 5 Feb 2007 22:24
Am I getting too old? - Pugugly {P}
Yes you're getting old ! Plenty of "fizzies" around when I was a student doing much the same thing. Just thank the Lord that at least some of them will grow up loving 2 wheels !
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Tue 6 Feb 2007 22:14
Am I getting too old? - Martin Devon
'twould be nice to go back to those days, eh! Chaps?? EH! I'm talking to you! Deaf gits!

MD.
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Wed 7 Feb 2007 20:39
Am I getting too old? - Bromptonaut
Spreading throughout the UK.

May 2005 Tarbert Harris, local example being ridden endlessly along the Main Street before doubling back across the ferry assembly area to repeat.
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