Electric cars.

Its a shame you've never got your license to ride @Sheal how come you've haven't got round to it ? as you know its a world of fun.

 

Just think, if a japanese bike was painted white, not only would it sound like a refrigerator, but look like one as well.

@Mike Allen you are correct about cars of the past looking different. We could tell which make and model a car was from a distance. Nowadays we need to see the badges...and what happened to colour? Take a colour photo of a car park today, block out the rear lights, and suddenly its monochrome!

 

Too much in the way @Perki. I married young-ish and had three children close together. Years spent rearing my family and refurbishing my homes took my time. I'm now too old and my body decrepit but I don't regret not learning to ride.

I have to differ on that @Mike Allen. My son owned a Honda X11 that had a deep grumble. He changed the exhausts on it which made it sound even deeper and when he started it - it would make the house vibrate. When he'd been out we could hear him coming home from a mile off. He put it through it's paces a couple times on the Mountain Road on the TT course where there is no speed limit, but other than that he never took liberties with that speed and is a sensible rider. As are all my family.

 

My apologies @pete for hijacking your thread with bikes. Perhaps we should take any further discussion here....

Bikes, bikes and more bikes

 

no problem @Sheal the starter was just that, and hoped it would develop.

 

@pete I have seen some electric vehicles that have a really nice profile. But it wzs silent. Wonder if he had a "cow pusher" for going through car parks!

 

I think that has been a problem with them, pedestrians don't hear them coming.

 

Without wishing to open up a bag of worms. For those that arent aware of it, as from July 1st 2019 all new electric or hybrid cars must be fitted with an AVAS (Audible Vehicle Warning System) according to EU law. Here its got the nickname Red Flag Law.

 

So what is that, a bloke walking in front with a red flag?

 

Thats for the future! Just now, the sound is best described as an (expletive deleted) racket.!

 

Cow pusher - I think that is what we call bull bars here Lori. They can only be fitted to vehicles if they don't increase the risk of passengers, pedestrians and road users being injured.

 

I was thinking of the thing you see in front of those old western trains.

 

@pete you are correct. The old locomotives had those and they did slow down but they didn't have to get off the train to disperse the cows.

 

No problems Sheal. Actually I was referring to some of the earlier machines that youngsters got hold of, and drove neighbours mad, by screaming up and down the road.
A friend had a Honda Dream back in the 80's. Nice bike. Val bought me a s/h Honda CB250 very nice machine, quiet and comfortable. Sizewise it was more like a Triumph 500 or 650, electric start etc. Then of course the Met Police had a fleet of white Hondas, now they use BMW's but the special escort group are still Honda.
Daft but true. I often dream of days past and riding motorcycles. Daft as I am, I'd like to have one more ride. I did promise daughter Amanda, I'd get one with stabalisers. My first police bike was a Norton. Then Triumph Thunderbird, bathtub version. That went up in flames on route to court. I was awarded a Court/Magistrates Commendation following that. I won all my cases. A week or so later. My replacement bathtub ended up under the back of a parked car. Some old dear spotted me taking down details of another parked car, and , ooops!

Next a Triumph 6T bikini style. I have a photo somewhere, as I'd like to try and trace this bike. It was a great machine. Silver/Black. Dual seat. No police markings. Accelleration out of this world, well, the world as it was then. At central garage the mechanic that cared for my bike was the tops. I often wondered if he tuned the engine like a violin.

Being an unmarked machine. It was very useful around the famous Ace Cafe, on the North Circular. You Tube clips tell a story. In central London. My highest catch was 89+MPH. I booked the driver for. Speed Dangerous. This is such a useful charge. If I may?

Motorist to Police Officer. But officer this is a 30MPH zone. I was only doing 20. Yes Sir, but. This is Pettycoat Lane on a sunday morning and pedestrians are all over the place. Your speed, conditions at the time etc. Sorry mate. Speed dangerous.

Perhaps I have previously mentioned the former case. This took place on the Outer Circle of Regents Park. The Cortina driver/owner had just that day got his licence back following a four year ban. I admired him in court. He confirmed my evidence to the letter.

Even now all those years later. I can detect the sound of a Triumph. I wonder if the market would have been different had we the British Industry, fitted electric starters sooner. We lost the US market over this.



Cheeky Mike. So any lass ready to take a spin with me????????????????????????????????????

Seriously. Drive safely.

My police signature.

Stay Safe.
Mike.

 

@Mike Allen you were correct originally. I can hear these Asian imports literally screaming up and down a main artery 1/2 mile from my home. The Canuck red neck name for these and the souped up civics, etc are referred to as "rice beaters".

Like an outboard boat motor turned up to what seems a billion whining decibels that wakes you up when it is late at night and they feel the coppers are attending late night domestics and have no time or interest in pursuing them.

And this isn't older than this last summer. Guess they don't like snow and ice

I don't see many choppers anywhere near residential areas, just these screamers.

Maybe there are less annoying imports/rides these days but I have not seen one over here.
Is quite nice on the highway. At least you can hear them and don't accidentally cut them off when they are in your blind spot. They need a quiet machine that has the option to be a bit noisy on busy motorways for safety reasons.