[Gary's bike channel]

as you’ll be aware, cyclists havent paid to use the road, havent passed a test and dont know what theyre doing. Riding in the middle of the road and two abreast, they bring misery to motorists daily. So, what tests has everyone passed, and what vehicles do you own?

I have a 1997 car which I just did the cambelt kit on. 

I also own a 2005 two stroke enduro motorbike, a 1999 kawasaki 600 and a chinese 125 comuting motorbike. 

I passed my car test in 2007 and 2011, [ dont ask why], my HGV training took me two years to pass, I did five motorbike cbts, then my a1 bike test, then my big bike test the DAS. I did the advanced motorists driving course and am trained to drive in high speed emergency scenarios[ think big van with medical equipment if you want to guess my job]. 

No, im just a cyclist with no clue, who refuses to use cycle lanes because im annoying. I dont pay road tax, only vehicle excise duty, 155 quid for my car, 66 quid for big bike, 20 quid and another 20 quid for the 125s. I can also drive HGV/s wagons but i only do that occasionally now. 

So, what cars/ bikes/ licences does everyone else have? Or are you all just riding bicycles worth 5 grand because youre too poor to afford a car and want to sit in traffic all day? :D[ this seems to be what most motorists think of cyclists] 

Topic

[Anonymous]

srchar wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

That’s contra to a lot of  the EURO6 diesels (from all manufacturers) which took the absolute piss with emissions in real world use, a significant number actually worse than EURO4.

This is why Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ stance for E6 diesels is a load of bollocks

Can you recommend some reading on EU4 vs EU6 BTBS?  My lungs says that the air quality inside the north circ has deteriorated markedly over the last few years – could this by why?

I don’t have a direct comparison in terms of reading and I’m not saying the overall effect isn’t better, but that could be down to a lot of the older vehicles have gone due to the charge including vehicles that really were horrible cancer machines, there is also a reduction in overall motor traffic AND an increase in electric vehicles. These things will clearly reduce pollution (though I don’t know what London’s current PM NOx measurements are and how that compares to x period previously).

However E6 is a sham, dispensation of the emissions limit was given to E6 vehicles for a lengthy period of time, I wrote to SK stating that E6 vehicles were being given right to enter into the ULEZ DOC despite the evidence showing that swathes of these vehicles (about 90%) were not actually meeting the E6 standard in real world use. IIRC one test used a E6 Renault Clio 1.5 and it was TWENTY times the actual limit for NOx, that’s actually three times higher than the EuroIII limit and  six times the E4 limit ffs! The results from one test said the average of emissions was ELEVEN times over the limit for all E6 vehicles they tested!

I’ll see if I can dig out the independant tests but here’s an article for now. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/new-rating-system-clarifies-real-world-nox-emissions/

And this came to hand quickly but only references E5/6 https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/55296/2/Revised%20manuscript.pdf

Edit A fairly narrow band of vehciles but E4-E6, unsurprisingly E5 and E6 don’t come out of the testing well at all! http://www.aaqr.org/files/article/6525/13_AAQR-17-02-OA-0080_2289-2299.pdf

[srchar]

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

That’s contra to a lot of  the EURO6 diesels (from all manufacturers) which took the absolute piss with emissions in real world use, a significant number actually worse than EURO4.

This is why Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ stance for E6 diesels is a load of bollocks

Can you recommend some reading on EU4 vs EU6 BTBS?  My lungs says that the air quality inside the north circ has deteriorated markedly over the last few years – could this by why?

[Anonymous]

Sriracha wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

srchar wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

how-high-I-can-push-the-average-mpg

My second favourtie on-road driving game, the best being the one accessed by occasionally driving a car club BMW i3: the how-few-times-can-I-push-the-brake-pedal game.

Sad isn’t it, the computer button my Passat Est has been hammered since I bought it 14 years ago, once managed 62mpg coming back from France with myself, the mrs, 2 bikes, self catering gear and a dozen cases of french plonk. it all went south as soon as we hit the M25 just before Dartford!

I squeezed 55mpg out of my 1.3 Petrol 1989 MKII Astra on a run to Peterborough in the early 90s, best ever was 2 weeks ago in my mums Skoda Fabia greenline thingy, 3 cyclinder job so clattery as anything at low speeds but managed an easy 76mpg over 100 miles when collecting a bike i accidentally bought to coincide with my visit up North, I reckon it would do 80mpg without much difficulty.

 

 

Then try measuring the real mpg, the one you pay for. My VW claims all sorts of lofty mpg figures, never borne out at the pumps.

How do you know I didn’t already, been checking brim to brim since I first started driving, grandpop told me about that and a few more things to boot.

Actually as I fitted slightly larger tyres than spec not long after I bought it(a set of mint alloys from a squaddie with new Dunlop’s on it for £140 thank you very much!) it actually slightly under records the fuel economy and I always work it out anyways as opposed to relying on the computer for actual. The older VWs like mine aren’t the dodgy lot of the last few years and indeed my emissions in real world use due to part veggie oil were ridiculously low, my smoke test was always well under half the pass mark on the first run.

That’s contra to a lot of  the EURO6 diesels (from all manufacturers) which took the absolute piss with emissions in real world use, a significant number actually worse than EURO4.

This is why Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ stance for E6 diesels is a load of bollocks

[Boatsie]

Sriracha wrote:

Sriracha wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

srchar wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

how-high-I-can-push-the-average-mpg

My second favourtie on-road driving game, the best being the one accessed by occasionally driving a car club BMW i3: the how-few-times-can-I-push-the-brake-pedal game.

Sad isn’t it, the computer button my Passat Est has been hammered since I bought it 14 years ago, once managed 62mpg coming back from France with myself, the mrs, 2 bikes, self catering gear and a dozen cases of french plonk. it all went south as soon as we hit the M25 just before Dartford!

I squeezed 55mpg out of my 1.3 Petrol 1989 MKII Astra on a run to Peterborough in the early 90s, best ever was 2 weeks ago in my mums Skoda Fabia greenline thingy, 3 cyclinder job so clattery as anything at low speeds but managed an easy 76mpg over 100 miles when collecting a bike i accidentally bought to coincide with my visit up North, I reckon it would do 80mpg without much difficulty.

 

 

Then try measuring the real mpg, the one you pay for. My VW claims all sorts of lofty mpg figures, never borne out at the pumps.

Primal numbers naturally balance a circle.
3 cylinder Suzuki was naturally cheap and then some with its modified electronics. 5 cylinder Volvos are gorgeous. That wagon was like a track car under a storage box wind protector. Rear hard linkage 4ws. I’d thought I broke a side window (heavy bag hit door skin) using cruise control on perpendicular bend at speed limit. 2,3,5 cylinders are naturally easier to balance. Basic principles.
Thus.. Rather than a 36 spoke rim, I have 37 hole rims.. Balances bike well 😉

I don’t understand this but when you score a basic principle you.. Um.. Realize a common law. (Not sure about authenticity of a 37 hole rim balance 🙂 )

[Sriracha]

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

srchar wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

how-high-I-can-push-the-average-mpg

My second favourtie on-road driving game, the best being the one accessed by occasionally driving a car club BMW i3: the how-few-times-can-I-push-the-brake-pedal game.

Sad isn’t it, the computer button my Passat Est has been hammered since I bought it 14 years ago, once managed 62mpg coming back from France with myself, the mrs, 2 bikes, self catering gear and a dozen cases of french plonk. it all went south as soon as we hit the M25 just before Dartford!

I squeezed 55mpg out of my 1.3 Petrol 1989 MKII Astra on a run to Peterborough in the early 90s, best ever was 2 weeks ago in my mums Skoda Fabia greenline thingy, 3 cyclinder job so clattery as anything at low speeds but managed an easy 76mpg over 100 miles when collecting a bike i accidentally bought to coincide with my visit up North, I reckon it would do 80mpg without much difficulty.

 

 

Then try measuring the real mpg, the one you pay for. My VW claims all sorts of lofty mpg figures, never borne out at the pumps.

[Anonymous]

srchar wrote:

ROOTminus1 wrote:

how-high-I-can-push-the-average-mpg

My second favourtie on-road driving game, the best being the one accessed by occasionally driving a car club BMW i3: the how-few-times-can-I-push-the-brake-pedal game.

Sad isn’t it, the computer button my Passat Est has been hammered since I bought it 14 years ago, once managed 62mpg coming back from France with myself, the mrs, 2 bikes, self catering gear and a dozen cases of french plonk. it all went south as soon as we hit the M25 just before Dartford!

I squeezed 55mpg out of my 1.3 Petrol 1989 MKII Astra on a run to Peterborough in the early 90s, best ever was 2 weeks ago in my mums Skoda Fabia greenline thingy, 3 cyclinder job so clattery as anything at low speeds but managed an easy 76mpg over 100 miles when collecting a bike i accidentally bought to coincide with my visit up North, I reckon it would do 80mpg without much difficulty.

 

 

[HoarseMann]

Passed driving test first
Passed driving test first attempt 4 weeks after my 17th birthday. Had driving lessons on a airfield perimeter road when 16, so could control a car properly before I was let loose on the roads. Lucky enough to get a hot hatch for my 17th bday. Had a car ever since. Done IAM advanced driving test in my 20’s.

Now got 2 brand new SUVs on the drive. Last 10 years had a new car every 6 months. Never mind the “road tax”, that’s a lot of VAT.

[Griff500]

dobbo996 wrote:

Griff500 wrote:

Passed my car test in 1975, and bizarrely, my licence says I can drive a motor bike of any size. The fact I could be let loose on a 1000cc motor bike is just nuts. Current cars, BMW 1 series and Alpine A110.

There were lots of ‘grandfather rights’ applied when driving licences changed back in the early 2000s.  Category A (full motorcycle) was placed on full car licences from 2013. However….if you check the back of your licence you’ll probably have a restriction to category A of “TRI”, which limits you to riding a tricycle. Sorry….but probably for the best : )

On closer inspection, there is a 79(3) code, which as you say, restricts me to a trike. Need to cancel the Ducati and buy a Canam.

[dobbo996]

Griff500 wrote:

Griff500 wrote:

Passed my car test in 1975, and bizarrely, my licence says I can drive a motor bike of any size. The fact I could be let loose on a 1000cc motor bike is just nuts. Current cars, BMW 1 series and Alpine A110.

There were lots of ‘grandfather rights’ applied when driving licences changed back in the early 2000s.  Category A (full motorcycle) was placed on full car licences from 2013. However….if you check the back of your licence you’ll probably have a restriction to category A of “TRI”, which limits you to riding a tricycle. Sorry….but probably for the best : )

[srchar]

I had a 310R for the weekend

I had a 310R for the weekend not long ago. Fabulous machine. Would only be a toy for me though – I’ve no idea how the nutters who daily a Caterham do it.

[kil0ran]

srchar wrote:

quiff wrote:

don’t actually need a car for day to day life. Maybe a hot hatch or Lotus Elise

If you genuinely don’t need a car for anything other than a bit of fun, get a Caterham. You’ll thank me.

My lad’s school does automotive engineering from age 12, thinking of funding a Locost build. Issue I’d imagine is finding a suitable RWD donor these days.

I’d love an Elise but even in my slimmer 30s I didn’t really fit them. Not a hope now.

Modern Caterhams are absolutely insane things – plus they’re built for the larger driver unlike the Elise. Turn of the century K-series Superlight would do very nicely thank you.

[carlosdsanchez]

Passed my driving test in

Passed my driving test in 1992. I haven’t regularly commuted by car to work since 2003, which is when I sold my car (mazda 323F GT – I loved that car) and moved to London. Commuted by public transport or walked to work while I lived there. Then moved to Norfolk in 2008 and have cycled to work ever since. In that time I’ve cycled over 90,000 miles and probably driven less than 15,000. Household has 1 car which my wife uses because she takes the kids to school and she has a manual job, where as I sit at a desk all day.

[CXR94Di2]

I have been driving or riding
I have been driving or riding motorcycles over 35 years, cycling for more in the last 8 years. I probably have done a million miles in vehicles. I still own motorcycles and cars, but my favourite is a Tesla . We are moving to a FEF(fully electric family) in the near future, will be fantastic if we can almost off grid with our solar panel array

[srchar]

ROOTminus1 wrote:

how-high-I-can-push-the-average-mpg

My second favourtie on-road driving game, the best being the one accessed by occasionally driving a car club BMW i3: the how-few-times-can-I-push-the-brake-pedal game.

[brooksby]

srchar wrote:

quiff wrote:

don’t actually need a car for day to day life. Maybe a hot hatch or Lotus Elise

If you genuinely don’t need a car for anything other than a bit of fun, get a Caterham. You’ll thank me.

Be seeing you! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP5r1eLIPt4

[Author]

Replies