Fri, 8 May 1998 11:53:36 +0100 - Message No. 2925
From: Sheridan Coulter

Subject: RE: Winter finally seems to have gone. The plastic crotch-r


Last weekends there were loads of fatalities up and down the country, mostly
caused by what you are describing. I too use my @ all year round, but I do
have a sports bike I use on the occasional Sunday (before 7 am when others
start appearing) and a race bike as well to use on track days I run. 
What you are saying about fashion accessories is so true, the days I
organise are geared for the more mature rider. We get all sorts 50+ who
never left bikes (tend to be quite good), 40 -60 just returned to bikes
after a 20 year lay off  (Need a bit of coaching but get there eventually)
and 30 + fashion victims (These are scary they think they can buy a 10k
sports bike some off the peg leathers and ride like Foggy Scaaarrry). 
I'll get off my soap box now just nice too know there are other people who
ride in winter.
Regards
Sheridan Coulter
Technical Project Leader

	-----Original Message-----
	From:	Chris Longhurst [SMTP:clonghur@es.com]
	Sent:	Friday, May 08, 1998 9:33 AM
	To:	'AfricaTwin'
	Subject:	(XRV) Winter finally seems to have gone. The plastic
crotch-rockets hav e returned.

	I commute 55 miles to work and 55 miles home each day using my AT.
With
	the exception of a week or so in February, the weather here has been
	pretty typical for this time of year in the UK. I've been commuting
	between 3 and 4 days a week using the bike, with the other day(s) in
the
	car or on a train. (boo!)
	Given that I ride all through winter, in everything except snow, I
think
	of myself as a pretty well-honed rider. What I object to, then, are
the
	fair-weather bikers who come out at the first sign of sunshine after
not
	having ridden for 5 months whilst it was cold. If you've only ridden
a
	motorbike in the dry, then you've not really got any riding
experience
	at all. If you can ride successfully through the winter months, then
	you'll appreciate the onset of summer far more. I certainly do. I
get a
	warm buzz when the clocks change and I can get more and more
daylight on
	my commute. I enjoy it as the weather gradually warms up and I can
start
	to change my riding gear from huge, bulky winter items, to light
summer
	items (especially the gloves). I get the impression that a lot of
the
	plastic crotch-rocket brigade simply have their bikes because they
view
	them as fashion accessories. These are the same people that ride
into
	the side of a truck on a perfectly clear and dry day after not
having
	ridden all winter, and then wonder why.

	I think those of us fortunate enough to own ATs know better.

	Here endeth my bit for the day :-)


	"Aaalrighty then" - Ace Ventura.

	Chris Longhurst, Flight Simulator Graphics Modeller.
	http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/2195/
	Work:clonghur@es.com
	Home:chrisl@audicoupe.demon.co.uk

	

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