I've ridden motorcycles since 1978. I'm now 66 and acquired a SV650 reduced to A2 in May. I've now ridden 8000 km on it including a two-week camping trip to Harz. I like long day trips and long camping holidays. For me the A2 size is optimal. It has sufficient power and a good economy.
Hello from Sweden, I've just spent about 2 hrs going through a lot of your old vids & following your 'journey' EL250, CBR250 , your boys CBR125, G650, VT750, topples joggers, "Dave"', MV750 ,Your horrible accident, back on the Piaggio ✊️, G310, CL500 & your boys crash. up till today! That's a hell of a journey buddy, can't say what it was that hooked me in so much, maybe just your easy style Vlogs & banter, something familiar I guess. I'm an old Brighton boy living over here now for the past 31 year's (57 now) & back on the road from a 20 break, Rode a lot in E,Sussex, went often to the Kent custom bike show & Bulldog bash ect, had several crashes over the years myself .Divorced, grown daughter, A Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 , & started a channel as a complete noob few months back to fill up my time , sorry for the long text, it just feels like I'm catching up with an old lost mate after watching so many vids haha ,I'll shut up now, Gave you a sub 'Sparky' & catch you in the next one mate Ride safe buddy 🤛🤜
@@SwenglishSteve650 oh wow that’s a lot to take in buddy, but thank you very much for following my journey 👍 Yes I’ve had a lot of bikes over the years and loved every one of them. I’m happy to hear that I put you at ease with my videos, when I started my channel 9 years ago it was mainly as a place to store my rides and look back now and again but it gets very addictive making Vlogs 😂 Good luck with your channel 👍 I’ll take a look later and give you a sub. Ride safe Bike Mate 👍
My wife has the CMX 500 Rebel, and I’ve got the Yamaha MT-03. The wife being aged 69, 5' 1" and as strong as a butterfly, the low seat height is what she likes. I'm aged 87 (yes, she's my "dollybird" lol) and the bigger bikes are just too much for me these days, so I opted for the little Yam, it weighing in at just 169 KG wet. At 41 BHP, a 0-60 of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of over 100 MPH it's plenty for me. Big advantages being. Cheap to purchase, maintain, run, insure, tax and super light to move around. Keep on riding, enjoying and keeping the shiny side up👍
My days of litre super sports are long gone as is my youth, so I now ride a Z400, due to the light weight and lowish cost of ownership. It is good fun and 95% of the time has enough power; yes, occasionally I still miss having my arms wrenched from their sockets, however not enough to spend the fortune now required to run a big bike.
I'm 52, always had cb's. A 500 from '75, a 76 400f❤, and a bol d'or 750 from '81. Now i have a Mash tt40 with a 400 single. Can ride sporty & keep my license. It is fun to ride a small bike fast.
I have ridden bikes for 30 years or so, and have of course had my share of sportsbikes. Now i have a 250 Suzuki TU from 1996, and my 5th. GS500 and i simply love both. In Denmark if You go double the speedlimit, Your vehicle will be confiscated and sold on auction. So 200 od HP is not usefull here. And I have found that a smaller bike can actually be equal or even more fun to ride. I fully understand the feel and sound of bigger bikes. I just don't need them anymore. Call it maturity, self awareness or just plain old aging.
I ride and my wife rides, she’s on her A2 because she doesn’t need anything bigger, she’s 5’2 and slim build. We have a Z400, a Benelli 502c and I have a GSX650F which we use for 2-up touring. I find myself riding the 502 and z400 regularly as they are great bikes. Also, Honda do another 500, CBR500R
Personally I am 47 years old and just getting started and will try get my A license soon. Bought a CB500X as first bike. Really awesome bike. It suits me very well. Can't see a need for anything else except for "scratching some itch"-type of thing then (trying a Harley would be cool, but I think I will keep my CB500X also if it comes to that).
I have a bike with 150HP and an A2 bike. I love them both. The A2 bike is the only machine I've bought two of (after one was written off in an accident). There's something wonderful about the power of my Z1000 but something equally (but differently) wonderful about my CB500X. I can't see myself giving up either. The A2 license vs A license is a very odd system that I don't think benefits the motorcycle community. There has to be a better way to give sensible progression without the cost.
@@CalmBiker yes exactly my thoughts, I’ve owned bigger more powerful bikes in the past and loved them but am now at an age where 47hp is perfect for me. The A2 license is very unfair on young riders really, my son passed his A2 on my advice 🙄 now he doesn’t see the point of taking the same test again to gain access to bigger bikes. Should be a time frame where they ride an A2 bike for 2 years or so then automatically get entitled to an A licence like they did before the law changed. Thanks for watching the video, I’ve watched many of yours over the years 👍 Ride safe
I'm about to complete das at 24, insurance for a mid 2000s 650cc naked bike is going to be north of 1200 per year, an a2 bike for a few years to build some no claims sounds very interesting. realistically I don't see anyone doing an a2 licence being able to buy and insure a new bike. the older/middle aged biker crowd and commuters in my mind is a much larger market segment. less tax, insurance, fuel when money is tight for lots of people.
I'm 59 and I've had a few bikes over the years. naked, sports, tourer etc. but the seat height and weight on some bikes is a factor for many. especially as we get older. my last bike was a Honda 600 that had 80 hp i now have a Honda CMX500 (Rebel) and even though its no way near as powerful I'm enjoying riding it a lot more its light and lower so a lot easier to move around and chuck into to corners. I'm definitely getting more smiles per mile on it, apart from motorway riding I've not missed the extra HP from the 600. when i first started riding 500cc was a big bike.
few years ago.... i got an old bmw r1100s telelever- boxer... just to say id owned a big bike..... it really was a motorway weapon.. torquey..beautifull engine etc... but it took ALL the fun out of biking.. i been on A2 bikes for about 7 years now... i rarely go over 75mph...... im never doing a cross continent trip.. or motorway slog.... i now enjoy a backlane meander on my RE interceptor 650... its perfect with missus on back.. i can fix it myself.. sit 80mph all day... i cannot see the point of a race rep on todays roads..... back to basics and loving it
@@pmay222 yes I absolutely agree, I’ve had big powerful bikes in the past but now at an age where 46hp is plenty to bimble around and enjoy the scenery. Ride safe 👍
@@davidledgerton7914 I could never forget about Scooters, because I had a Piaggio Medley when I got back into riding after I had a serious bike accident. I did consider the ADV 350 but want to get back on a bike 🏍️ if that makes sense. Ride safe 👍
I am in my seventies retired and finding bigger bikes a bit heavy now. I still have my Honda cb500s 's one from new (141000 miles) both work horses. Though i have sold my 600 fazer ,too heavy now I'm older and bought a 750 moto guzzi breva only 48bhp , lighter and lower seat suits me fine
I was riding my Bullet 500 the other day pottering along and thinking of how things have changed over the years. Roads nowadays are too congested with traffic with not many opportunities for safe overtaking. 90% of the time regardless of time of day is commuter style riding due to the level of traffic. There is no point in having a big bike anymore… I have and always will be a dedicated rider as motorcycle are my DNA but I do get frustrated and find myself just cutting short a ride and going home sometimes because of too many slow cars. And I am not even a speed Demon nowadays…
In some countries they don't have bigger bikes, the likes of the KTM 390 Duke etc are the big bikes in those countries and the ones that folk from those regions aspire to owning. The market for these bikes is far larger world wide than larger bikes. The same question could be asked about 125cc bikes... the UK is a tiny market, but world wide they sell millions of them.
@@HippoDrones Yes I understand there’s a worldwide market for these bikes and they are more popular in other countries but why are there so many in the showrooms in the UK?
@@BikeMates coz they build them, so need to sell them... and isn't it just absolutely awesome that folk getting in to biking in the UK have so much choice? 🙂
I have had a spectrum of bikes and at 66 come to downsizing. I found that 48 bhp was not enough but 600-750 with 70bhp are right what I need. 48bhp does not give me the rush. Not that I use it much but occasionally I do. I think anything less is just transport. Just my pennyworth. I tried RE but Japanese all the way for me. I am taken by 250cc plus scooters though. No chain
@@volt8684 Everyone has different needs from a motorcycle, I no longer yearn for a power rush so the little CL500 fits my needs at 68 and slightly broken 😂 I think as long as you enjoy what you ride you’ve got it right 👍 Scooters are great by the way. Ride safe 👍
Could be because they're economical and more than sufficient for most European road biking needs. I've seen videos by people who've taken a Honda 500 on an Alpine tour. The Honda '500' range does close to 80mpg or even more and puts out 47bhp. That's the best you'll get on anything except a 125 or something like an Enfield 350. It could also be that people took their A2 in their early 20s and never found the money to upgrade, especially if they found a 400cc bike sufficient. A lot of riding schools seem to have only 125s and 650s and they restrict them for the A2, so people above 24 aren't taking the A2 in large numbers as there's no point learning on a restricted 650 when you can learn on an unrestricted one.
Its funny when people mention top speed of vehicles. Its completely irrelevant really. My car has a top speed of 137mph. It's an automatic and the way i drive, when It changes gears it doesn't even reach 2k rpm. And i dont even normally go over 50mph. I just like the way i can join a motorway without having to work the engine almost to the red line. I had a 1.6 diesel previously and you almost had to give it everything to join the motorway and match the speed. Its never about top speed its about getting around effortlessly. A 125 can go over 70mph. But often 12hp isn't enough for hills overtaking of headwinds.
When looking for a motorcycle in the UK. It would be nice because of road tax to stay under 600cc. But everything seems to be 650cc. Then this A2 Nonsense means a 500 that used to make 60hp is now 47hp. Then the 400cc are just as quick. Throw in the power to weight and things get even worse. Can anyone name a sensible bike under 600c that isnt an A2 BIKE.
Depends on your circumstances,unfortunately most men and I understand and have been there like to feel their masculinity. I’ve been riding 55 years now so there comes a time to down size. Bikes like this make real sense.
I'm doing OK with 85hp the 81nm of torque helps though and I'm 11 stone. If I take the other half on the back it loses its edge though. Rider only it's good enough.
Have recently downsized from a Tiger 955 to a BMW G310GS. Perfectly suitable for A roads and country lanes. However took it on the M6 on Dave Day and it was not good. Spent a lot of time in among the big Lorrie’s feeling vulnerable. Not a regular motorway user and as I like everything else about the bike will probably keep it.
Back in the 70`s nearly all the bikes were under 50bhp, you needed a big-un to get over that. Isnt A2 just a demarcation point decided on by the government ? for years and years it was 250cc now it is BHP Isnt it really just simple that a lot of bikes fit the category and not that they are specifically designed for that category. It is a world market not just A2 Europe ! just a thought.
@@funkygrib1 Yes I remember the 70’s with great fondness, I had a Honda 250 which I passed my test on. The A2 was brought to us by the European law makers to save lives, whether or not it’s successfully done that who knows? I’m not complaining though because the A2 size bike suits my needs very well. Ride safe 👍
@@BikeMates gone even SLOWER Scram 411. Perfect bike for my user profile? 50 mile rides on the lanes to clear the mind, plus trips to the shops, more than enough for this.. Ps I would have a CB400N NOW!
@@chrishart8548 The EU license system ended up with less dead motorcyclists. The fatality rate of motorcyclists in the USA is 5 times higher than in the EU.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
I've ridden motorcycles since 1978. I'm now 66 and acquired a SV650 reduced to A2 in May. I've now ridden 8000 km on it including a two-week camping trip to Harz. I like long day trips and long camping holidays. For me the A2 size is optimal. It has sufficient power and a good economy.
@@fuglbird Yes I’ve had many much more powerful bikes in the past but the little Honda CL does all I want now.
Ride safe 👍
You don’t look look at the fire when poking it, as long as it handles well , and you can always imagine riding something bigger. Tongue in cheek.
Hello from Sweden, I've just spent about 2 hrs going through a lot of your old vids & following your 'journey' EL250, CBR250 , your boys CBR125, G650, VT750, topples joggers, "Dave"', MV750 ,Your horrible accident, back on the Piaggio ✊️, G310, CL500 & your boys crash. up till today!
That's a hell of a journey buddy, can't say what it was that hooked me in so much, maybe just your easy style Vlogs & banter, something familiar I guess. I'm an old
Brighton boy living over here now for the past 31 year's (57 now) & back on the road from a 20 break, Rode a lot in
E,Sussex, went often to the Kent custom bike show & Bulldog bash ect, had several crashes over the years myself .Divorced, grown daughter, A Kawasaki Vulcan S 650 , & started a channel as a complete noob few months back to fill up my time , sorry for the long text, it just feels like I'm catching up with an old lost mate after watching so many vids haha ,I'll shut up now, Gave you a sub 'Sparky' & catch you in the next one mate
Ride safe buddy 🤛🤜
@@SwenglishSteve650 oh wow that’s a lot to take in buddy, but thank you very much for following my journey 👍
Yes I’ve had a lot of bikes over the years and loved every one of them.
I’m happy to hear that I put you at ease with my videos, when I started my channel 9 years ago it was mainly as a place to store my rides and look back now and again but it gets very addictive making Vlogs 😂
Good luck with your channel 👍 I’ll take a look later and give you a sub.
Ride safe Bike Mate 👍
My wife has the CMX 500 Rebel, and I’ve got the Yamaha MT-03. The wife being aged 69, 5' 1" and as strong as a butterfly, the low seat height is what she likes. I'm aged 87 (yes, she's my "dollybird" lol) and the bigger bikes are just too much for me these days, so I opted for the little Yam, it weighing in at just 169 KG wet. At 41 BHP, a 0-60 of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of over 100 MPH it's plenty for me. Big advantages being. Cheap to purchase, maintain, run, insure, tax and super light to move around. Keep on riding, enjoying and keeping the shiny side up👍
@@barriewilliams4526 Well I hope I’m still riding my Honda CL 500 at your age sir, I’m just a spring chicken of 68.
Ride safe 👍
My days of litre super sports are long gone as is my youth, so I now ride a Z400, due to the light weight and lowish cost of ownership. It is good fun and 95% of the time has enough power; yes, occasionally I still miss having my arms wrenched from their sockets, however not enough to spend the fortune now required to run a big bike.
I'm 52, always had cb's. A 500 from '75, a 76 400f❤, and a bol d'or 750 from '81.
Now i have a Mash tt40 with a 400 single. Can ride sporty & keep my license.
It is fun to ride a small bike fast.
@@SkinPeeleR I agree I think it’s more fun riding small bikes.
Ride safe 👍
I have ridden bikes for 30 years or so, and have of course had my share of sportsbikes. Now i have a 250 Suzuki TU from 1996, and my 5th. GS500 and i simply love both. In Denmark if You go double the speedlimit, Your vehicle will be confiscated and sold on auction. So 200 od HP is not usefull here. And I have found that a smaller bike can actually be equal or even more fun to ride.
I fully understand the feel and sound of bigger bikes. I just don't need them anymore. Call it maturity, self awareness or just plain old aging.
I ride and my wife rides, she’s on her A2 because she doesn’t need anything bigger, she’s 5’2 and slim build. We have a Z400, a Benelli 502c and I have a GSX650F which we use for 2-up touring. I find myself riding the 502 and z400 regularly as they are great bikes.
Also, Honda do another 500, CBR500R
Personally I am 47 years old and just getting started and will try get my A license soon. Bought a CB500X as first bike. Really awesome bike. It suits me very well. Can't see a need for anything else except for "scratching some itch"-type of thing then (trying a Harley would be cool, but I think I will keep my CB500X also if it comes to that).
All of the motorcycles you mentioned are learner bikes in Victoria, Australia
@@kevinkingsley9353 I would say all bikes are learner bikes!! Because hopefully we never stop learning.
I have a bike with 150HP and an A2 bike. I love them both. The A2 bike is the only machine I've bought two of (after one was written off in an accident). There's something wonderful about the power of my Z1000 but something equally (but differently) wonderful about my CB500X. I can't see myself giving up either. The A2 license vs A license is a very odd system that I don't think benefits the motorcycle community. There has to be a better way to give sensible progression without the cost.
@@CalmBiker yes exactly my thoughts, I’ve owned bigger more powerful bikes in the past and loved them but am now at an age where 47hp is perfect for me.
The A2 license is very unfair on young riders really, my son passed his A2 on my advice 🙄 now he doesn’t see the point of taking the same test again to gain access to bigger bikes. Should be a time frame where they ride an A2 bike for 2 years or so then automatically get entitled to an A licence like they did before the law changed.
Thanks for watching the video, I’ve watched many of yours over the years 👍
Ride safe
I'm about to complete das at 24, insurance for a mid 2000s 650cc naked bike is going to be north of 1200 per year, an a2 bike for a few years to build some no claims sounds very interesting. realistically I don't see anyone doing an a2 licence being able to buy and insure a new bike. the older/middle aged biker crowd and commuters in my mind is a much larger market segment. less tax, insurance, fuel when money is tight for lots of people.
I'm 59 and I've had a few bikes over the years. naked, sports, tourer etc. but the seat height and weight on some bikes is a factor for many. especially as we get older. my last bike was a Honda 600 that had 80 hp i now have a Honda CMX500 (Rebel) and even though its no way near as powerful I'm enjoying riding it a lot more its light and lower so a lot easier to move around and chuck into to corners. I'm definitely getting more smiles per mile on it, apart from motorway riding I've not missed the extra HP from the 600. when i first started riding 500cc was a big bike.
@@crazygrandad5540 Have to agree my Honda CL500 has more than enough power for my needs at 68.
Ride safe 👍
Have a speed 400 now after 12 years with A street triple r .Its lighter And plenty Quick enough . just suites my age now which is 67
@@TheBluebiker I have to agree with you I’m 68 and the Honda CL500 meets all my needs.
Ride safe 👍
few years ago.... i got an old bmw r1100s telelever- boxer... just to say id owned a big bike..... it really was a motorway weapon.. torquey..beautifull engine etc... but it took ALL the fun out of biking..
i been on A2 bikes for about 7 years now... i rarely go over 75mph...... im never doing a cross continent trip.. or motorway slog.... i now enjoy a backlane meander on my RE interceptor 650... its perfect with missus on back.. i can fix it myself.. sit 80mph all day... i cannot see the point of a race rep on todays roads..... back to basics and loving it
@@pmay222 yes I absolutely agree, I’ve had big powerful bikes in the past but now at an age where 46hp is plenty to bimble around and enjoy the scenery.
Ride safe 👍
Don't forget the A2 scooters, very popular, all you need. Had a test ride on a cl500 and it wasn't as quick as my ADV 350
@@davidledgerton7914 I could never forget about Scooters, because I had a Piaggio Medley when I got back into riding after I had a serious bike accident.
I did consider the ADV 350 but want to get back on a bike 🏍️ if that makes sense.
Ride safe 👍
Royal Enfield make nothing else! Fantastic bikes! 😊
I am in my seventies retired and finding bigger bikes a bit heavy now. I still have my Honda cb500s 's one from new (141000 miles) both work horses. Though i have sold my 600 fazer ,too heavy now I'm older and bought a 750 moto guzzi breva only 48bhp , lighter and lower seat suits me fine
I was riding my Bullet 500 the other day pottering along and thinking of how things have changed over the years. Roads nowadays are too congested with traffic with not many opportunities for safe overtaking. 90% of the time regardless of time of day is commuter style riding due to the level of traffic. There is no point in having a big bike anymore… I have and always will be a dedicated rider as motorcycle are my DNA but I do get frustrated and find myself just cutting short a ride and going home sometimes because of too many slow cars. And I am not even a speed Demon nowadays…
In some countries they don't have bigger bikes, the likes of the KTM 390 Duke etc are the big bikes in those countries and the ones that folk from those regions aspire to owning. The market for these bikes is far larger world wide than larger bikes. The same question could be asked about 125cc bikes... the UK is a tiny market, but world wide they sell millions of them.
@@HippoDrones Yes I understand there’s a worldwide market for these bikes and they are more popular in other countries but why are there so many in the showrooms in the UK?
@@BikeMates coz they build them, so need to sell them... and isn't it just absolutely awesome that folk getting in to biking in the UK have so much choice? 🙂
I have had a spectrum of bikes and at 66 come to downsizing. I found that 48 bhp was not enough but 600-750 with 70bhp are right what I need. 48bhp does not give me the rush. Not that I use it much but occasionally I do. I think anything less is just transport. Just my pennyworth. I tried RE but Japanese all the way for me. I am taken by 250cc plus scooters though. No chain
@@volt8684 Everyone has different needs from a motorcycle, I no longer yearn for a power rush so the little CL500 fits my needs at 68 and slightly broken 😂
I think as long as you enjoy what you ride you’ve got it right 👍
Scooters are great by the way.
Ride safe 👍
Could be because they're economical and more than sufficient for most European road biking needs. I've seen videos by people who've taken a Honda 500 on an Alpine tour. The Honda '500' range does close to 80mpg or even more and puts out 47bhp. That's the best you'll get on anything except a 125 or something like an Enfield 350. It could also be that people took their A2 in their early 20s and never found the money to upgrade, especially if they found a 400cc bike sufficient. A lot of riding schools seem to have only 125s and 650s and they restrict them for the A2, so people above 24 aren't taking the A2 in large numbers as there's no point learning on a restricted 650 when you can learn on an unrestricted one.
Hi well I have been looking at motorcycles for me at 68 years old have settled for a yamaha mt03 2018 fast enough for me
Its funny when people mention top speed of vehicles. Its completely irrelevant really. My car has a top speed of 137mph. It's an automatic and the way i drive, when It changes gears it doesn't even reach 2k rpm. And i dont even normally go over 50mph. I just like the way i can join a motorway without having to work the engine almost to the red line. I had a 1.6 diesel previously and you almost had to give it everything to join the motorway and match the speed. Its never about top speed its about getting around effortlessly. A 125 can go over 70mph. But often 12hp isn't enough for hills overtaking of headwinds.
When looking for a motorcycle in the UK. It would be nice because of road tax to stay under 600cc. But everything seems to be 650cc. Then this A2 Nonsense means a 500 that used to make 60hp is now 47hp. Then the 400cc are just as quick. Throw in the power to weight and things get even worse. Can anyone name a sensible bike under 600c that isnt an A2 BIKE.
I could never go from a 176 BHP to 49 🙈 ..but each to there own 👍
I just had my learners license and my bmw 3 series has 180 bhp. I will shit my pants if I ride a bike like that. 49hp? Ill take it thank you
Depends on your circumstances,unfortunately most men and I understand and have been there like to feel their masculinity. I’ve been riding 55 years now so there comes a time to down size. Bikes like this make real sense.
I'm doing OK with 85hp the 81nm of torque helps though and I'm 11 stone. If I take the other half on the back it loses its edge though. Rider only it's good enough.
Have recently downsized from a Tiger 955 to a BMW G310GS. Perfectly suitable for A roads and country lanes. However took it on the M6 on Dave Day and it was not good. Spent a lot of time in among the big Lorrie’s feeling vulnerable. Not a regular motorway user and as I like everything else about the bike will probably keep it.
Back in the 70`s nearly all the bikes were under 50bhp, you needed a big-un to get over that. Isnt A2 just a demarcation point decided on by the government ? for years and years it was 250cc now it is BHP Isnt it really just simple that a lot of bikes fit the category and not that they are specifically designed for that category. It is a world market not just A2 Europe ! just a thought.
@@funkygrib1 Yes I remember the 70’s with great fondness, I had a Honda 250 which I passed my test on.
The A2 was brought to us by the European law makers to save lives, whether or not it’s successfully done that who knows?
I’m not complaining though because the A2 size bike suits my needs very well.
Ride safe 👍
@@BikeMates gone even SLOWER Scram 411. Perfect bike for my user profile? 50 mile rides on the lanes to clear the mind, plus trips to the shops, more than enough for this.. Ps I would have a CB400N NOW!
Economic's, a bigger market in Europe.
Only because Europe brought in a silly licence system. It's mostly ended up with less people riding motorcycles.
@@chrishart8548 The EU license system ended up with less dead motorcyclists. The fatality rate of motorcyclists in the USA is 5 times higher than in the EU.
@@fuglbird probably because people just don't ride anymore. Imagine lives that would be saved if we stopped driving cars.
@chrishart8548 To be honest, I mostly agree with the current licensing laws. Letting new riders loose on high powered machines is to my mind not good.
@Vanrides. I thing the 33hp for 2 years then automatic upgrade was fair and I don't see any issue doing the test on a 125cc bike.