WHEN TO MOVE ON FROM SPEED

[allen]

When do we moveon from speed and performance to,Enjoyment,Fun,Less maintenance,Is it age or have had enough of constant repairs and rebuilds..The Chinese have given us the ability to move a lot of things quickly and cheaply,I have 3 Chinese HT engines,1 49cc pocket bike engine.Every one had some sort of malfunction from day one,we read it all castings,bearings,no QC , but when we relate it to money paid lets win it and wear it,I have spent $1200 AU over 5 years,I am a pensioner and have enjoyed every dollar spent to the MAX... 1Bike 1 Trike 1 Pheonix I call it this because it rose up from the dismantled and dangerous trike.When I was 18 my first car was a 36 Five window coupe, Learned a lot from that old flathead, This is what stands one in good stead in the years to come,Reworked HotRods to motored Bikes. To the young ,keep pushing the boundaries it is you that make breakthroughs because you are bulletproof,to the Older hone the skills to benefit us all. This site has been a constant supply of great information and interest,and a lot of entertainment. Still ride the Bike but at 77 and a few issues that come with age,nice to have a comfy seat,real easy to get into,gravity ,usually at home in the drive when time to get out so no one sees the performance..

Keep Safe and Stay Happy, Allen

 

[Steve Best]

This reminds me of the Six Stages of Hunter Development:

The longer you hunt your attitude and behavior will evolve.

1) Shooting Stage
The impulse here is to get off a shot quickly, usually at the first animal that appears. This eagerness can lead to bad decisions:
the wrong animal being chosen,
a poor shot being taken that wounds the animal or
even a shot that endangers others.
Target practice, good mentoring and more experience will lead most hunters out of this stage quickly.

2) Limiting Out Stage
This hunter wants to always bag the limit. This may cause a hunter to take unsafe shots or misidentify targets in the zeal to limit out. More experience and hunting with mature hunters will lead hunters out of this stage.

3) Trophy Stage
Success is judged by quality, not quantity. The hunter is very selective and will pass on many opportunities that do not match the desired trophy characteristics. Many trophy hunters focus on big game. The hunter’s patience and commitment must be highly evolved.

4) Method Stage
Here, the process and challenge of hunting becomes the primary focus of the hunter. A more challenging method, such as using a bow, muzzleloader, or handgun may be chosen. The hunter may choose to stalk or still hunt, rather than sit in a stand next to a feeder.

5) Sportsman Stage
The total experience of the hunt is what is important to the sportsman:
What animal is being hunted, How it is being hunted,
The immersion into nature and the companionship of who you are hunting with,
all combine into creating a more sophisticated appreciation of the hunt.

6) “Give-Back” Stage
At this point the hunter is motivated by the desire to pass on the proper hunting values, safety skills and responsible attitudes to others. They want to preserve our hunting heritage by introducing new hunters to the sport in the most rewarding manner.


So it with motorcycles and motorized bicycles, it is the same, with maturity comes change:
1) Get-er running
2) Get-er fast
3) Bling it out with a bragging/shopping list of parts
4) Go for simplicity, reliability and efficiency
5) Go for the ride and the company
6) Return to others, share your joy, your experience

 

[gary55]

This reminds me of the Six Stages of Hunter Development:

The longer you hunt your attitude and behavior will evolve.

1) Shooting Stage
The impulse here is to get off a shot quickly, usually at the first animal that appears. This eagerness can lead to bad decisions:
the wrong animal being chosen,
a poor shot being taken that wounds the animal or
even a shot that endangers others.
Target practice, good mentoring and more experience will lead most hunters out of this stage quickly.

2) Limiting Out Stage
This hunter wants to always bag the limit. This may cause a hunter to take unsafe shots or misidentify targets in the zeal to limit out. More experience and hunting with mature hunters will lead hunters out of this stage.

3) Trophy Stage
Success is judged by quality, not quantity. The hunter is very selective and will pass on many opportunities that do not match the desired trophy characteristics. Many trophy hunters focus on big game. The hunter’s patience and commitment must be highly evolved.

4) Method Stage
Here, the process and challenge of hunting becomes the primary focus of the hunter. A more challenging method, such as using a bow, muzzleloader, or handgun may be chosen. The hunter may choose to stalk or still hunt, rather than sit in a stand next to a feeder.

5) Sportsman Stage
The total experience of the hunt is what is important to the sportsman:
What animal is being hunted, How it is being hunted,
The immersion into nature and the companionship of who you are hunting with,
all combine into creating a more sophisticated appreciation of the hunt.

6) “Give-Back” Stage
At this point the hunter is motivated by the desire to pass on the proper hunting values, safety skills and responsible attitudes to others. They want to preserve our hunting heritage by introducing new hunters to the sport in the most rewarding manner.


So it with motorcycles and motorized bicycles, ir is the same, with maturity comes change:
1) Get-er running
2) Get-er fast
3) Bling it out with a shopping list of parts
4) Go for reliability and efficiency
5) Go for the ride and the company
6) Return to others, share your joy

I can relate to your hierarchy of hunting. My fav. was the stalk. Lots of stopping to take in the beauty of it all.
Now I'm in the I so could have got you stage. I still get the beauty, and they get the reprieve.

 

[Purple Haze]

I'm 60 yrs old and went through all those stages with cars and pickup trucks. Now that I've gotten into this hobby, I started with reliability, scrapping most of the stock crappy accessories (chain tensioner, plastic throttle, etc etc) focused for a while on fuel economy (now at about 170 mpg) now going with bling, bought a good metal polisher and am practicing the art of waterslide decals. Having more fun than a barrel full of monkeys with very little cash expenditure.

 

[Arty]

I'm 70 (in Dec.), and am in it for the fun. I love to go fast - but it's all relative. - 50 to 60 kph on one of these feels like you're going like the clappers - yet you're not likely to get a speeding ticket, or for that matter to piss people off. And yes - if you come off at that speed - it's going to hurt - but likely not as much as if you were going twice or three times that speed to get the same thrill on something a way bunch heavier and more lethal.
I have raced cars (stock car - round track) and miss it like crazy, but this still gives me a bit of the go fast feel - and simultaneously makes a bunch of other people smile when they see my bike on the road - and secretly wish it was them with their leg over the bar.

 

[allen]

GO ART, Tried speedway when young,Mini_modifieds, True what you say though to see the road zip by on a bike one has to admitt the danger quotient is really up there..I live in a rural area and have been blown off into the weeds by a lady more interested in me on a bike than the Milk Tanker coming at her head on.As luck would have it went into a ditch beside the road that kept me headed in the right direction till I slowed down..They say that God looks after drunks and little children,I dont know where some of us older ones fit, we must have our own Old Idiots Angel....
Be Happy and stay safe..
Allen

 

[Randall]

When do we moveon from speed and performance to,Enjoyment,Fun,Less maintenance,Is it age or have had enough of constant repairs and rebuilds..The Chinese have given us the ability to move a lot of things quickly and cheaply,I have 3 Chinese HT engines,1 49cc pocket bike engine.Every one had some sort of malfunction from day one,we read it all castings,bearings,no QC , but when we relate it to money paid lets win it and wear it,I have spent $1200 AU over 5 years,I am a pensioner and have enjoyed every dollar spent to the MAX... 1Bike 1 Trike 1 Pheonix I call it this because it rose up from the dismantled and dangerous trike.When I was 18 my first car was a 36 Five window coupe, Learned a lot from that old flathead, This is what stands one in good stead in the years to come,Reworked HotRods to motored Bikes. To the young ,keep pushing the boundaries it is you that make breakthroughs because you are bulletproof,to the Older hone the skills to benefit us all. This site has been a constant supply of great information and interest,and a lot of entertainment. Still ride the Bike but at 77 and a few issues that come with age,nice to have a comfy seat,real easy to get into,gravity ,usually at home in the drive when time to get out so no one sees the performance..

Keep Safe and Stay Happy, Allen

WOW, that trike is SWEET!

 

[Jonj57]

Safety reliability and speed are what matters to me on my bike (in that order) nothing like going fast on a home built motorcycle that rides like it was meant to do it

 

[Frankenstein]

Can't say I'm ever going to let go of speed, my grandfather still has a lead foot, probably to make up for the lack of walking speed.


Still I've been focusing on smaller, slower and more reliable 4 strokes