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Post by Bize on Aug 5, 2007 7:38:43 GMT -5
Well I'm discovering that the SR is an attention grabber. Before I bought it I really thought that it would be the type of bike that would only ever attract interest from other classic Japanese bike enthusiasts. For example, I was just up the pub to watch SBK and an old bloke sees my helmet and asks, "Is that your bike outside?". He then proceeded to ask me questions and tell me about his past bikes. I'm just trying to watch the race and I've got some drunk guy speaking, barely coherently to me, LOL. In fact, due to his intoxication he failed to notice the Yamaha logos on the bike and his first question was is it a Matchless. ROFL  Anyway it looks like this is something I'll have to get used to. . . It's not something that happens with the R1 (except for the odd bird who asks about it, then in these cases all she knows about it is that it's a motorcycle and she's just using it as an icebreaker). |
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Post by marlon on Aug 5, 2007 12:36:37 GMT -5
Yep. Happened to me yesterday. Turns out this old Indian bloke had a Royal Enfield and wanted a conversation. Another guy at macca's the day before - ex RAAF pilot, used to have a Matchless. At the service station the day before that, some truck driver who must have assumed it was British, because "You'd better buy some oil mate!".
Great in some ways, a real PITA in others. Strangely enough, the only other thing which has started more conversations was my old TW200.
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Post by mattb on Aug 5, 2007 22:30:26 GMT -5
I've had the bike for two months now and I was quite surprised at the attention it gathers. I scoot around on it all day, and quite frequently when I pull up, somebody comes up to talk. At this point I can read when it's going to happen : as I pull up to park, some fellow walking down the footpath is looking intently at the bike, and begins to slow his walk, and sure enough he comes over. It's a lot of fun, provided I'm not in a hurry (yes, "PITA"!). I love the fact that I park it beside my mates' fancy / expensive Daytona and Hornet, and we sit there at the cafe, and people stop and stare distinctly at my bike!  |
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Post by StewRoss on Aug 6, 2007 2:11:06 GMT -5
Yes you get that...excellent in my eyes. It shows that there are some things you can't buy with lots more money...something about the SR that attracts attention no matter what. If you modify them it multiplies the attention...pretty well no matter what style you go for. I'll be looking out for them in Japan...might go to see Orange Boulevarde for a look as well. SR  |
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Post by Bize on Aug 6, 2007 4:21:38 GMT -5
The oil comment. Hahahaha. It's so true. When I was talking to old mate from the pub and discussing the new pipe compared to the old pipe and I mentioned about the muffler box that was hidden under the bike. He informed me that it wasn't a muffler, but a tray to catch the oil. It didn't matter how many times I told him it was a Yamaha, in his head it was a classic Brit bike |
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Post by miker on Aug 6, 2007 8:13:16 GMT -5
Several people have rolled their windows down in traffic and asked if mine was a Norton.
miker
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Post by pablosrfivehundred on Aug 6, 2007 11:02:46 GMT -5
I had my bike parked out in front of my house and some guy stopped dead in his tracks. He stood there for maybe five minutes studying my bike.
yup, it's an eye catcher.
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Post by marlon on Aug 6, 2007 11:29:21 GMT -5
Stew, STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR HOLIDAY TO JAPAN!
You bastard, you're making me bloody jealous! Seriously though, I expect a full and detailed report when you get back.
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Post by milkman on Aug 6, 2007 11:29:39 GMT -5
I had the same deal with my cafe'd sr250.
One guy on a Sporster sidecar chased me through three lanes of traffic to check it out, and told me he loved what I'd done to it - all I did was add some ace bars and a reverse cone. It was good though, just to watch him side wheelie a side car through lanes of peak hour traffic.
Another pedestrian at a crossing stopped because he thought it was an AJS. He got a shock when he was still there when the lights went green on three lanes.
When I park the SR500 out front, in its slightly oxidised state, people always ask me about it. Its how I met most of my neighbors. I usually apologise if its loud when I work on it, but since its an "old classic" all of them have said "nah its fine mate, have to keep these things alive"......where as my neighbor with the GSXR has had a very different response.
I don't mind people coming over, talking bikes, sometimes you learn something good, or even find out about a great deal in a shed, or their missus etc won't let them ride anymore. I was humbled one day when a 70yr old fella heckled me for not getting out on track days, he said I was young and the bikes do it themselves these days, no excuse.
AND that drunk guy will probably be me soon enough........
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Post by G Man on Aug 6, 2007 13:40:50 GMT -5
Stew, STOP TALKING ABOUT YOUR HOLIDAY TO JAPAN! You bastard, you're making me bloody jealous! Seriously though, I expect a full and detailed report when you get back. LOL! ;D I look forward to the report as well... G Man |
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Post by StewRoss on Aug 7, 2007 2:40:00 GMT -5
Heh, heh...still not clear in my mind what I am going to do over there...Honda museum is my only certainty so far. SR |
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Post by Tominaga Akira on Aug 7, 2007 6:41:48 GMT -5
Woo, that kind of thing NEVER happens in Japan,where you can still buy a (or how many as you like, if you can afford) new SR. Or sometimes mine is mistaken as a Honda GB.....sigh....
Anyway, Stew, if you go to Orange Boulevard, don't forget to contact me for it's the shop where my SR is taken care.
(Am I pouring some more oil?)
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Post by Fiasco da Gama on Aug 7, 2007 18:59:02 GMT -5
Yep. Old man magnet is the SR.
The last time I rode past some roadworks the fella with the 'slow/stop' lollipop stopped me to talk about his old Norton. I half expected him to radio the rest of the crew to come over and have a chat.
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Post by StewRoss on Aug 8, 2007 2:43:07 GMT -5
Yes Akira...I'm listening... SR |
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