Whats A Real Bike ?

[sendbaht]

Now this is a "real bike" my Trek Madone. Fast too.

[thetravellingcat]

This whole thing about cc and hp is b@llocks and reminds me of "my dad is bigger than your dad" in the school playground. Ride what you're happy with

quoted for truth! (QFT)

[PeaceBlondie]

My partner's Phantom 200 is a mini-Harley from the 1980's. No tach, no top end, high footpegs, high bars, big tank, slow, poor handling...and drop-dead imitation chopper good looks.

[HDRIDER]

Hi

A real bike is more than 1500CC and thats it, (this is a joke but i can feel it coming )

I'll play along with the joke...so, all the under-1500 Harleys were never real bikes, but the Honda Gold Wing 1800 and Triumph 2300 are real?

harleys where never really bikes anyway, just 1440 cc tractors. Since i m riding a Ninja 650R now, I m glad I had the pleasure to own one real bike in my life, VTX 1800cc V-twin. the Ninja is just so much more fun So was the TMax

HI

Strongest tractor, only Massey F is close, BTW last time i saw a Ninja in Kata it was not going very fast, it was where the Police hang out

[Thaifan2]

Anyway i just put a deposit down on a nice SH Honda steed 400 cc .I just want a change after riding my Phantom for 18 months .

400 cc is big and powerful enough for me .

I'd just be worried that you maybe wouldn't find the power/weight ratio on your Steed that much better? I've a mate with an old 250cc Phantom, I often take the wife's 400cc Desperado out when riding with him to even things up, we've both only got a top end of around 130kmh, and he's never far behind on a run, up with us by the time helmets are off.

Nothing about 'a real bike', just figure that such a small step up in actual performance may leave you wanting more in a very short time indeed? Your Steed may well look, feel, and certainly sound better, but that's about it.

I used to rent 400 Shadows (bit more heavy than Steed), heavy and underpowered. Actually found the Phantom perform just as good.

Think the Desperado has the same problem, too heavy. Steed a little lighter, but not by much!!

If you only want a 400cc machine, you're FAR better off going for something out of the Honda CB stable. Fully understand you may not want a 'crotch rocket' but the little CB 400 Super Four's (more of a touring style than the sports CBR version) really are a cracking machine. You can pick one up 2nd hand for around 50k these days with book & plate, they've absolutely bullet-proof engines, brakes that are 10times better than any cruiser, and the tyres for such bikes are far superior too. Goes better, stops better, grips better, handles better, probably cheaper, no comparison really! V-twins really only come into their own at 1,000cc and above, the Thai's love for choppers/cruisers here keeps the prices artificially inflated.

Good points there .I have seen what looked like good CB400s for around 80,000B ,where as the steed 400 springer will cost me 120,000B. Whats puts me off them is the thought of keeping 4 carburetors synchronized .Is that a problem ?.

[thaicbr]

Whats puts me off them is the thought of keeping 4 carburetors synchronized

No not really. the cb is one of the best known 'big bikes' here in Thailand. I think there is a cracking one on the classifieds at the moment

[Ithailian]

This is a stupid thread. Who cares. Ride what suits you and be happy.

[katabeachbum]

Hi

A real bike is more than 1500CC and thats it, (this is a joke but i can feel it coming )

I'll play along with the joke...so, all the under-1500 Harleys were never real bikes, but the Honda Gold Wing 1800 and Triumph 2300 are real?

harleys where never really bikes anyway, just 1440 cc tractors. Since i m riding a Ninja 650R now, I m glad I had the pleasure to own one real bike in my life, VTX 1800cc V-twin. the Ninja is just so much more fun So was the TMax

HI

Strongest tractor, only Massey F is close, BTW last time i saw a Ninja in Kata it was not going very fast, it was where the Police hang out

Guilty.

A newbee bib on duty, and me no helmet (as usual in Kata/Karon). Some superior offiser talked with him today, and my drivers license was returned to my home

[katabeachbum]

This is a stupid thread. Who cares. Ride what suits you and be happy.

Totally agree Ithailian.

Just putting out the fire with gasoline

[Thaifan2]

^ If its so stupid why did so many peply ?

>>I think there is a cracking one on the classifieds at the moment <<

It has around 56K on the clock ,is white ,and has no extras ,so i would not go for that one .

[Milo]

Synching the 4 carbs not a problem. I brought a vacuum guage from the UK but when I discovered a bloke here in Udorn who does it very well indeed for 400b I packed in messing about myself! The only trouble I have found with the CB's is if the throttle cable needs replacing, Honda in their wisdom placed the union way down right in the middle of all those carbs, completely unreachable unless you make a special tool. Apart from that they're a dream to work on.

[thaicbr]

Thaifan.........do not worry so much about the mileage. look at condition. here in Thailand the ones owned by farangs tend to have a higher mileage but are better looked after. I have seen some beautiful bikes (on the outside) but when you look deeper they have been Thaied (lots of stupid adjustments/repairs/stripped wires etc)

But hey up to you man.

[billd766]

How about these that I found in New Zealand this year?

Sorry about the last photo being in there twice but I can't seem to delete it.

Edited September 14, 2009 by billd766

[Thaifan2]

Those 3 wheelers are good for winter travel in snow and ice .Dont see the use in Thailand .

[jackcorbett]

How about these that I found in New Zealand this year?

Sorry about the last photo being in there twice but I can't seem to delete it.

They'd be pretty bad news here in Pattaya. One of the great virtues of a bike is they are narrow compared to four wheeled vehicles. So when the traffic piles up bumper to bumper you can get in and around all those cars and other motorbikes. All we need is a gap around four inches wider than our handlebars and we can slice and dice right through traffic. Having a three wheeler provides many of the disadvantages of a car, that is too much width to get through traffic as well as to park the vehicle easily while not offering the advantages such as air conditioning, much greater safety and the prestige four wheeled ownership provides. In fact, it would be quite the opposite. People would laugh at you for having to get around on a tricycle.

[bazmlb]

How about these that I found in New Zealand this year?

Sorry about the last photo being in there twice but I can't seem to delete it.

They'd be pretty bad news here in Pattaya. One of the great virtues of a bike is they are narrow compared to four wheeled vehicles. So when the traffic piles up bumper to bumper you can get in and around all those cars and other motorbikes. All we need is a gap around four inches wider than our handlebars and we can slice and dice right through traffic. Having a three wheeler provides many of the disadvantages of a car, that is too much width to get through traffic as well as to park the vehicle easily while not offering the advantages such as air conditioning, much greater safety and the prestige four wheeled ownership provides. In fact, it would be quite the opposite. People would laugh at you for having to get around on a tricycle.

I have seen a few Honda wave style trikes around here in Pattaya, some of them arent that wide.

[bazmlb]

I guess this is where Honda started and eventually came up with the Phantom

[Zzinged]

If you gotta get a trike it's either gotta be a Paggio MP3 500:

Or a Can-am Spyder:

Edited September 14, 2009 by Zzinged

[Bard]

It seems you can not call yourself a real biker with a Phantom ,so what is the mininum sized bike you need to be a real biker in Thailand ?Is a Honda steed 400cc enough ?

Well;

Bike is: A short form of bicycle; A short form of motorcycle; A promiscuous woman; To ride a bike; To travel by bike

"Bike" is a song by British progressive rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

Biker: A person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, may be a member of an outlaw motorcycle club

motorcycle: a motor vehicle with two wheels and a strong frame

So to qualify as a biker, you need to be a person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, any motorcycle qualify. However the reason that scooters, Phantom, Boss and other small cc bikes normally do not let the owner qualify as a biker, is not the bike. It's if YOU are a biker or just using it for transportation.

Most people in Thailand are riders, they ride there bikes for transportation. Few are bikers, the few who are will usually spend a lot of time and resources on there bikes, they will normally buy a bigger bike, not that they have to. But if your life revolve around motorcycles you normally try to get the closest to your dream bike as possible, spend hours riding it, just for the ride, clean it, polish it, upgrade it and spend a lot of time, money and effort on it.

They meet other bikers and talk about bikes continuously, they are "hung" up on bikes. It's there main interest in life, main hobby and main pleasure from a thing.

If that is you, you will be seen as a biker whatever bike you ride, I know of Vespa bikers... They love these bikes to death...

So whatever you ride, it's not the bike it's you when it comes to biker or not a biker. There are people with big bikes who are not bikers as well. They own them to show status, be a part of something they are not, try out a whim of a dream etc.

[elkangorito]

I reckon a "real" bike is rarely made anymore. Something like an AJS, Triumph Trident or Bonneville. How about an Indian? These were "bikes". You really knew you had something "red hot & throbbing" between your legs if you rode any of these babies!

Scooters & Step-throughs, to me, are not really "bikes" although they may serve a similar function to a real bike. All bikes get you from A to B. But how you get there is what makes the difference!

Give me a clutch, a fuel tank in front of my nuts & an engine mid cradle...that's the minimum bike for me. None of this automatic (& maintenance intensive) stuff.

[Netfan]

Saw one at the last Pattaya bike week, also at Bangkok Bike Week a few months ago. Pretty cool.

[JSixpack]

Those 3 wheelers are good for winter travel in snow and ice .Dont see the use in Thailand .

I've seen a couple of obese old farts, too fat to climb into a baht bus, riding around PTY on golf carts. These look to be a step up.

BTW I agree that a Steed wouldn't be much better than a Phantom, except in looks. And a Phantom offers much easier repair & maintenance--which I've decided is a CRITICAL advantage. Yes, it's a dog, but it's a very comfortable dog and all one needs for getting around town and trips to nearby beaches. It's easy to add on safety bars and saddlebags, too. Nowadays, for me, mundane practicality rules.

I sat on a Ninja 250 recently and the first thing I noticed was how hard the seat was. I didn't much care for the riding position either. Looks great though and surely must be fun.

[a10ams]

A real biker .....

Drives on the correct side of the road.

Wears a crash helmet.

Only carries one passenger.

Has lights that work, front and rear.

Looks before exiting a side soi onto the main road.

If you can manage all of these then you are real enough for me mate!

[BigBikeBKK]

A real biker .....

Drives on the correct side of the road.

Wears a crash helmet.

Only carries one passenger.

Has lights that work, front and rear.

Looks before exiting a side soi onto the main road.

If you can manage all of these then you are real enough for me mate!

Hmmm, I've ridden 3-up with wife and child. I ride on the wrong side (Thai style) when required. Crash helmet 98% of the time. Sometimes leave the lights at home when going to the race track... Guess I'm not a real biker...

[katabeachbum]

A real biker .....

Drives on the correct side of the road.

Wears a crash helmet.

Only carries one passenger.

Has lights that work, front and rear.

Looks before exiting a side soi onto the main road.

If you can manage all of these then you are real enough for me mate!

Hmmm, I've ridden 3-up with wife and child. I ride on the wrong side (Thai style) when required. Crash helmet 98% of the time. Sometimes leave the lights at home when going to the race track... Guess I'm not a real biker...

Kids go along sometimes (Nuovo Elegance is 4-up sometimes), wrong side of the road when required and no helmet locally, so me neither.

But on the other hand, havent driven car or truck since i got the Ninja 650R a month ago. Just keep the speed up and enjoying the rain, faired

[Thaifan2]

It seems you can not call yourself a real biker with a Phantom ,so what is the mininum sized bike you need to be a real biker in Thailand ?Is a Honda steed 400cc enough ?

Well;

Bike is: A short form of bicycle; A short form of motorcycle; A promiscuous woman; To ride a bike; To travel by bike

"Bike" is a song by British progressive rock band Pink Floyd, and is featured on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

Biker: A person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, may be a member of an outlaw motorcycle club

motorcycle: a motor vehicle with two wheels and a strong frame

So to qualify as a biker, you need to be a person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, any motorcycle qualify. However the reason that scooters, Phantom, Boss and other small cc bikes normally do not let the owner qualify as a biker, is not the bike. It's if YOU are a biker or just using it for transportation.

Most people in Thailand are riders, they ride there bikes for transportation. Few are bikers, the few who are will usually spend a lot of time and resources on there bikes, they will normally buy a bigger bike, not that they have to. But if your life revolve around motorcycles you normally try to get the closest to your dream bike as possible, spend hours riding it, just for the ride, clean it, polish it, upgrade it and spend a lot of time, money and effort on it.

They meet other bikers and talk about bikes continuously, they are "hung" up on bikes. It's there main interest in life, main hobby and main pleasure from a thing.

If that is you, you will be seen as a biker whatever bike you ride, I know of Vespa bikers... They love these bikes to death...

So whatever you ride, it's not the bike it's you when it comes to biker or not a biker. There are people with big bikes who are not bikers as well. They own them to show status, be a part of something they are not, try out a whim of a dream etc.

Spot on ,i agree with most of that .

[gragra]

Step-through: The engine is mounted on the chassis and the fuel tank is under the seat.

Does that include the BMW F800GS?

If your in the CM area please PM me when your Phantom goes up for sale, my wife is looking for the right one.

Cheers

V-Rod is also a step-through (over).

[Zzinged]

Step over rather? But then it would make it a motorbike. At least the BMWs have something infront of the groinal regoin, unlike scooters or REAL step-throughs (technically known as underbones because of their structural layout)

Here's what an underbone chassis looks like:

Note how the owner of this bike has modified his bike with an expensive fuel tank mod. He's removed the fuel tank from under the seat and relocated it to that water bottle mounted in an expensive custom made Chromoly water bottle holder and attached to the frame (similar design to those found on bicycles, but not the same because this is waaaay more high tech). The seat is red because red goes faster.

So when I say an underbone has the fuel tank under the seat, what I really meant to say is that an underbone (step through) uses this kind of chassis. They generally don't have anything infront of the rider (where the fuel tank is in conventional motorbikes, or in the case of certain BMWs, a stuff bay), so you can step through the bike to get on the seat, instead of having to swing your leg over the whole bike to straddle the seat.

Clear? Done and done.

Edited September 16, 2009 by Zzinged

[BKOKVLX]

It seems you can not call yourself a real biker with a Phantom ,so what is the mininum sized bike you need to be a real biker in Thailand ?Is a Honda steed 400cc enough ?

A real biker is a person who really enjoys riding.

Ride is like you stole it!

Mark

[Thaifan2]

Update is that i pulled out of buying the steed .I am going to keep my Phantom ,and buy another new small bike for fun .When the deal is done on the brand new bike i shall reveal what it is .Hint its a bit out of the ordinary and not your run of the mill .