Just Ride.

Should this ride thread be just a.... well, thread? Or should there be a dedicated Forum topic?

  • Yes, it's own topic in the Forums

    Votes: 19 90.5%
  • Nah... threads good enough.

    Votes: 2 9.5%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .
Is LBC Little British Car? I had a '69 MGB once. So rusty. My favorite car was a Mazda 626 2-door coupe, with a 5-speed. I think an '86. Very much like the MGB in a way, but front wheel drive.
 
Yep. Little British Car. It's very much like riding a motorcycle. Small, light, quick and a real visceral feel to it.
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Lol. Now back to our regularly scheduled thread... It was warm in the 70'sand the road beckoned. Late start so couldn't go as far today. Sauhuarita again. Instead of going al the way through S- town to Tucson via Congess, I just went 1/2 way through Sauhuarita and headed north on Nogales Highway to home.
 
I'll play
I have had my Datsun for 10 years
About 2200lbs handles like a go kartView attachment 180911
Those Z cars are good. In California they are plentiful because they don't see salt on the roads. Little Datsun pickups were fun too. All Japanese cars of that era were susceptible to bad rust, including Toyotas. They were all manual transmission, while the competing American cars were automatic. The word on the street at the time was it was because they could not make a good automatic transmission. Imagine.
 
This is not a rant nor is it a self declaration of how great I am, (you should have that knowledge already ). It is simply an observation of perspectives at my work place in Northern Virginia.

I catch some guff from workmates when I ride in the rain. This week I caught more than normal and even had a well meaning brother try some old fashion mentorship.

I am currently working a M-T-Th schedule right now due to COVID risk abatement at work. (W-F are to be work from home days). I had to go in on Wednesday for two meetings that only I could cover. I decided to work the full day which was breaking the COVID rules. Well, Wednesday is the day we had our first winter storm.

I work and live south of DC. I follow the weather guessers and their babble quite closely, after all, I may need to wear rain gear at times. This Wednesday they called for 0" to 8" of snow depending on where you are. North and West of DC will get snow. Those in the mountains will get the most. South and East of DC will get rain/snow mix. The further you are south and east, the more likely it will be just rain. The storm will hit my area around noon. Because of this, I took my rain gear expecting to have a wet ride home.

Several people, when they saw the bike outside, asked me if I had missed the forecast somehow as everyone knows how bad it is going to be today. I said no, it won't be bad where we are. One asked me if I needed him to carry the Strat home in his truck. He was leaving around 11am due to the pending storm. Again, I said no.

While I was in one of those meetings around 11am, our PM sent out an email that unless you had something critical to do, go home due to the storm. I didn't get word till 1:30pm as I was heading into another meeting. After my normal work day, I rode home in the rain. Something to me that is normal and not a big deal. The weather guessers got it right for a change and I did not have snow covered roads to deal with. Of course the temp was at or near freezing on that ride.

Thursday morning when I awoke, I was concerned the roads would be icy as it did freeze over night. I checked the weather as is my norm, and decided the risk was not high enough to drive to work. We had a lot of wind that night which dried the roads well. I did have trouble uncovering the bikes and found the Triumph's cover to be frozen solid, so I rode the Strat again as its cover was more pliable.

I rode to work with no issues at all. The Bridgestone Exedra Max tires I put on 3K miles ago seem to have great wet weather grip as well as good frozen tarmac feel.

At work, the first guy who came into my office asked if I had left the bike overnight. I said no, I rode it in and he got mad at me. "No one can ride a bike on icy road"! he said. "It is not safe". I said my roads were not icy. He stomped away. Another workmate, the mentor guy, asked if I was doing okay at home. He beat around the bush some and finally asked if I was having suicidal thoughts and if that is why I rode my bike on icy roads. That caught me off guard.

I wonder if people have lost the ability to understand certain words and what the situation actually is vice what they think they hear on the news. I knew my way had been treated before the wet stuff hit thus it won't freeze over but will be wet at least down to the low 20sF in temperature. Our temperature never got that cold during this storm.

Some of you here ride year round as I do. You may have different reasons for doing it. Others of you ride in good weather only. I joke with you about that but honestly never intend to be judgmental or rude about it. We all love our respective bikes for different reasons and ride where we are comfortable to do so. Being risk adverse is not a bad thing either. I analysis the risk of bad weather and at times I will chose to take my truck to work when the roads are actually icy or snow packed. I keep good tires on my bikes and the brakes are in proper working order at all times. These last two days I even slowed my speed by 15 to 20 mph. This makes me feel safe enough and still allows me to ride, something I have done consistently since getting my Triumph in Oct of 2013 while at this same job site.

Most of my riding workmates have sold or are selling their bikes, they have become "too old to ride". That phrase is odd to me. I will keep my body strong and my mind clear as long as I can. But for now, "too old" means nothing to my gray bearded self.

The bottom line is simple to me, I love riding motorcycles. I will ride whenever I can; commuting, pleasure or whatever the reason. It is just the way I live and I am happy with that.
 
Sorry guys - late to this one. I have had my head down on a big consulting job for several weeks with just the odd peek above the parapet - and I had missed the new material on this thread. Below is a photo of my two (or rather partially...were) Miatas: a BRG 1994 and a BRG 2006 (both bought used and cheap). I sold the '94 with about 320,000 km on it (running perfectly) several years ago and still enjoy the '06. They are amazing cars and amazingly different! The 1994 was like a little go-kart - super small and light and the 2006, in comparison feels like a MustMaro type pony car (although in reality, it is still a very small light and nimble car). I have driven both from here to DC a number of times for meetings and they are great cars in which to travel and a ball around town too.
My Miatas.jpg


NOTE for @ThatXS650Guy: I like your LBC and suggest that you check out this channel: Fanatik Builds


This father-son team took a very rusty and clapped out Triumph GT6 and are installing modern LS4 V8 and six-speed transmission and entirely new suspension - and they are completely rebuilding the chassis and body. All of the work is top-notch and they are doing it in a very small garage.

Cheers,

Pete
 
I had a ‘96 Miata once upon a time. I bought it for my daughter, but she forced my hand and I repossessed it. I barely fit in it. My legs are too long. It was tough to steer because my legs were touching the wheel at about 90 and 270. Otherwise, awesome car!
I’m almost 6’5” and I have no trouble with an MG Midget other than the top needs to be down.
 
I have no trouble with an MG Midget

Now THAT is a remarkable statement Marty - I have never ever heard anyone say that they had "no trouble with an MG"...;)

When we moved to Windsor, my next door neighbour was the chief R&D engineer of the Eaton Corp (they make truck transmissions, turbosuperchargers etc.) and a really bright guy who owned every tool known to man or beast and knew how to use them all. He was rebuilding an MG-B from a bunch of box and rusty bits - and doing a heck of a fine job on it.

When the "B" was all done and looking perfecto, I asked him, "Are you going to drive it to work on sunny days over in Southfield Bill?"

His head snapped up and he said, "Sh!t no Pete, I have to get to work on-time every day!" :laugh2:
 
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Now THAT is a remarkable statement Marty - I have never ever heard anyone say that they had "no trouble with an MG"...;)

When we moved to Windsor, my nextdoor neighbour was the chief R&D engineer of the Eaton Corp (they make truck transmissions, turbosuperchargers etc.) and a really bright guy with every tool know to man or beast. He was rebuilding an MG-B from a bunch of box and rusty bits - and doing a heck of a fine job on it.

When the "B" was all done and looking perfecto, I asked him, "Are you going to drive it to work on sunny days over in Southfield Bill?"

His head snapped up and he said, "Sh!t no Pete, I have to get to work on-time every day!" :laugh2:
I should have elaborated. I have no trouble driving an MG Midget. I’ve never owned one. The MGB fits OK too.
The Miata had no reliability issues. It just doesn’t fit.
 
The MGB fits OK too.
The Miata had no reliability issues. It just doesn’t fit.
Yes, at 5'11" long-legged, there is no more room for longer legs at all. One interesting feature which I'm finding beneficial to not much clutch pedal room is this 6spd Auto trans which can be used via steering wheel paddle shifters to select which gear you want. Its really fun! That and the left hand stereo function buttons.
:lmao:
Very basic, sporty car with hardly any modern comfort features.
I gotta go 220 miles today :) to get to my gal. ZoomZoom
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I should have elaborated. I have no trouble driving an MG Midget. I’ve never owned one. The MGB fits OK too.
The Miata had no reliability issues. It just doesn’t fit.

Ahhhhhh....gotcha!
...and yes, while I am not 6'5" or even that close to it, I do find the Miata a bit....cozy.

I often quip that I have to get out of the car to change my mind.
 
This where the Datsun excels
I am 6ft 5" and when they designed the 240Z the Japanese engineers thought North Americans were giants and I have lots of leg and head room. In our club there is a guy 6ft 10" and the 240 is the sports car of choice for him. He and I raise eyebrows when we unfold our long bodies out of our cars.
Today's sports cars are not an option. I can barely get in my son in laws Corvette.
 
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