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You brought back lots of memories from my misspent youth. Every dad and lad wanted to be Barry Sheene, the girls loved him and so did the mums, motorcycling has never had anyone like him since, certainly not in the UK.....

Motorcycle riding will die out unless they make getting a license easier.

Yep when I go to a bike cafe I do become aware of the age range and am afraid very few younger riders there it was just easier for us back then

One word, insurance! I'm 50 and my 600 costs me around £100 per year... my stepson is just about to turn 17 and a cheap 125 is going to cost him £140 per month!

Good video and interesting thoughts. When I started riding at 16, 40 years ago, I wanted to ride like my mates, none of us had cars and no role model was needed. Asking for help, my Dad taught me to write a CV and I saved and bought my first second hand moped. I didn’t have the offer of a car and insurance bought for me so moped was the only way to go. I progressed to bigger bikes and it’s only in the last 5 years with some disposable income have I managed to buy a new modest 350 RE. Yes insurance on new bikes is expensive, second hand not so much, so little has changed. I think the big change is why would an anyone want to ride around on a moped /small capacity bike in all weathers when they could have a car and insurance on pay monthly? As for electric, if that is the way it’s going to go then why not? For me personally I’m not looking to ride long distances, most of my journeys are a 30min ride to work or 1 hour social at sensible speed so if RE can put the FF up for a reasonable price then I’d be interested. Glad I got to enjoy the two strokes and a simpler time when protective gear was helmet and gloves and thick jacket if cold. I hope that future generations also have an opportunity to enjoy that freedom

Sorry I fell asleep

Just sub'd. Nice little chat. I'm 73 in the US. I own and ride an 02 T-100 and an 02 RE Classic 350. My guess is the RE will gradually take over my riding time as the years roll by. I live in rural Vermont and i love riding the back country roads at sensible speeds and in good weather. :). I never liked the US Harley Davidson scene. For some reason I was, and still am, much more attracted to the English bike culture. We do have some of that here. Harley Davidson might be in a death spiral anyway. My ace in the hole for old age is a two seat roadster that will take me to the end. I think that the future of motorcycles might be impacted heavily by the gradual move away from ICE toward E Bikes.

I was on my way to the Ardingly bike event . However, I never made it there. I was rear-ended by a white van man. He left the scene on foot due to not being able to get his van out he was blocked ed in. I am 59years of age. He was uninsured, and the police were not really interested. I am a woman rider and a member of WIMA. I have a Triumph tiger sport 660, which is about to be repaired. Some of the reasons are the cost and insurance for young riders

New subscriber here. 55, riding for 30 years & on my 17th bike 😅 Car & motorcycle culture is alive & well in the UK. Young people are interested in bikes, but are prevented from getting into them by the cost & effort involved. A minority opt to steal them in order to get their motorcycling kicks, and the police & courts couldn't care less. The majority favour electric bikes because they do pretty much everything a low-powered bike will do, but don't require a licence or insurance to be ridden. I suspect the market might pick up if the economy ever starts to improve & people start to feel they have a bit more money in their pockets. The trouble is that wages have been stagnant for 15 years in the UK, the cost of living is relentlessly increasing, and the gap between rich & poor is widening at an alarming rate. Many young people may have to wait until they get an inheritance or can cash in their pensions before they can even consider getting a bike, by which time they won't be able buy a new petrol-powered one 😢 I see little reason to be optimistic for the future.

The big bore kit was 65cc on my purple 1976 fsie. 50mph on the flat was easy enough. Now riding a 1999 Harley FXDL that makes 50 mph a rewarding experience.

Skip all the brica brac crap. we re here for bikes. .

Great production mate. As a 67 year old(riding 50 years), you made some very valid points there. The thing is, dont sweat the small stuff and enjoy whats left of our riding time. Its great we have all these Lams/A2 bikes to choose from as we downsize with age. Cheers all. An NC750X owner from New Zealand 🇳🇿

Wow, you brought back so many memories for me when I was younger. All my mates had Yamaha fizzy's but I had a Suzuki 50cc as for me they were king because of Barry Sheene,. You are spot on. I am now 58 and have an interceptor 650 that I have customized - shocks, exhaust etc and love it. You don't see the bike culture that was ever present when I was younger anymore and like you say it leads to older bikers that will sadly dwindle over time. Great content!

I realize that there was not a big difference between UK and West Germany at the old days. It was always important to have a faster bike than the others in my club. That stopped very often with family and the result of it. After a while a lot of people start again biking. Of course again with big bikes, that changed now to smaller ones. Of course you see older people under the week on bikes, they have more time for that, but there are some younger ones coming up. Heroes, hmmm...changed from normal race tracks riders to people for example on the Isle of Man. These are my todays heroes. Keep on with you good channel.

Eddie Kid, remember him bless him? Good looking chap who did fantastic stunts in the 70/80's. All the boys in school wanted to be him and it certainly sparked my interest in motorbikes after I went to see him doing a stunt show in our town. Sadly nothing like that now to inspire the next generation to ride.

My first (legal) bike on the road was an FS1/E DX. I remember riding home on my Fizzy from Cadwell Park, stopped in the road to turn right, a Morris Minor van stopped alongside, doors opened & the bikers inside tipped what I soon realised was their p*ss bucket over my head. Man the stink as I rode home. 48 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday 🙂 The best selling bike in Australia for decades was the Honda CT110 because Oz Post used them & bought thousands...

Good video I’m thinking along the lines that youngsters aren’t coming into bikes the prices will keep going up and force the interested ones out electric I can’t see will ever catch on certainly not for me I’m 64 so won’t bother me really so many dealers packing up especially Harley I think the industry is in a bad place at the moment wether it will pick back up is uncertain and to finish off I wonder how many kids had the Barry sheene 60 bore kit lots I reckon with Brian who I actually new he was a great bloke his son Perry was a bldy good mx rider which is how I knew them through mx my cousin raced against them best days of mx were the 60’s through 80’s I think and as always money has spoilt the sport as it has a lot of things take care mate ride safe and enjoy your new to you bike

There never will be another James Hunt , Barry Sheene , etc . Our little world is too sanitary today , we musn't offend anyone , anywhere , at any time and patriotism , strong characters , opinions and beliefs are discouraged in the woke western world [ not so in other areas of the world though !] . The 1960s and 70s were about rebellion , since 2000 , conformity has been the norm . Old bikes have always appealed to old blokes , now that I am one , I understand the allure . Simplicity , the history and reliving the experiences of years gone by . Living , breathing , leaking , smoky , smelly machines that bring joy . Celebrities can influence buyers ? Yes indeed , if KTM hadn't been so shortsighted , they would be selling more bikes to grey haired Starbucks Adventurers than BMW . If Kim Kardashian espouses the motorcycle lifestyle , we can expect motorcycle seats to become a lot wider [ extra cushioning will not be required ] . And the youth of today ? More interested in the instant gratification of computer games . You don't get cold , you don't get hurt ; minimum effort involved and a lot cheaper . Some of those 40 year old tax free, sensor free bikes are better than new models and can be fixed with spanners . they will continue to survive thanks to old codgers . Modern bikes will be crushed and sent to a communist country on the far side of the world to be recycled and sold back to us as a toaster , refrigerator or maybe even a motorcycle . And we must be greenily and wokily happy . [ some of us ] .

Love your content! Keep up your great work! Speaking of Big Bore Kits, they have a 411 Big Bore Kit for the Hunter 350 you need to install and try out…. Would make for some great videos comparing the performance!

I purchased my Suzuki because my mates had them and like me they watched Barry Sheene and MCN was my news of choice.the movie great escape probably boosted scrambler motor cycles sales. Will be looking at the bear 650 when it lands hopefully not too tall.looks great will have to simply risk it.

Interesting. I think people want lower price and more basic bikes. Today, there are too many electronic gadgets. The future is 400 to 500cc bikes like the Guerrilla 450. I have one and its just as much fun as my MT09

Better than the 650 they have labelled Classic. The fanboys and hipsters will love it im sure.

Your side of the road seems very odd for me. Im from the caribbean.

Sorry, had to stop this despite wanting to watch to the end, I was interested in your commentary, however that music just done my head in 🙁

It was a triumph trident. Morgans have S&S engines, but I think that was a J.A.P engine. And it was a suzuki GSX1400....

maybe we should ship a container load of Bajaj Dominar 400 from turkey or poland...same company that makes the scrambler. 1/3 of the price(when made in india)

if a motorcycle is your main mode of transportation, the nc750x is the best bike you can buy.

Good on you my friend, you have been bitten by the Bullet bug 😍 I've got it too, I own one old iron barrel Bullet 500, and two UCE Bullets, aren't they brilliant 😀👍

Perfect Zen! Thanks for taking us along.

Hola como andas, tengo una hunter 350 te quería preguntar si te parece que la luz delantera es muy mala, creo que es el punto más débil de la moto.

Gorgeous bike, just sat on one at motorcycle live. Finish is exceptional. What's the plaque say on the tree in the background mate?

The ‘Just eat’ riders aren’t your 16/17 year old lads either. Back when I was a kid the pizza bike delivery was a way to earn money, meet people your own age and also get you on bikes. Not now it’s mid 30/40 blokes delivering your grub.

Going from zero to my A2 licence in a couple of months cost me about £1000 pounds with a training school, but it was money well spent. I thought the Mod 1 and Mod 2 tests were pitched about right. The bigger problem with motorcycling in general is that the UK government does not take motorcycling seriously as a form of transport that can cut congestion, reduce air polution etc. Road tax for a bike over 600cc is £117; when many cars are far cheaper than that. On the Continent, bikers are more highly regarded.

Our son is just about to turn 17 and is looking for a 125 (he's been riding a 50 for a year) and insurance is going to cost him between £120 per month for an old YBR to £190+ per month for a CBR125. That might sound ridiculous, but my other son who's about to turn 16 was looking at car insurance for an 18 year old, and that was working out, for a small car, between £300 and £600 per month! I'm glad it's 34 years since I took both my tests....

Returned to the UK for a visit after a 20+ year absence & went to an old roadside cafe, I was amazed to see 99% of riders were all aged 50+. Totally different from when I lived there. My brother said it was insurance costs that had destroyed the youth market & bikes were now seen as luxury toys for older people with disposable income.

Mi corazon esta con triumph, mi bolsillo con royal enfield

Here I am again 8 months later, I have covered 4,500 miles on it and I have really put it through its paces. It has never let me down and goes very well. A few more horsepower would be great. I have found one fault, its seat is too hard and the suspension is also hard and cannot be softened. The new Guerrillas suspension is no better but I am really taken by the suspension on the BSA 650 single cylinder which is a similar sized machine, that is softer in every way and also at a great low price.

Best looking bike out there…perfect

Doing the tappets yourself takes half an hour. Much quicker than going to the dealer and back twice. And you know it's been done right.

That little car is called Reva and its an electric car made more than 20 years ago 😊

Hi Mate, good to see you here.. i remember running in to you in Arambol beach. I just did a round trip of 2500 kilometres from Chennai-Goa and the bike performed flawless. Enjoy ur time in India

I think the key point that is being overlooked here, is the weight of touring bikes or ‘traditional’ adventure bikes (I know you mentioned this). They are just too heavy full stop. Two, indisputable facts are a) average age of bikers keeps rising (and as we get older, we want bikes we can handle and trust ourselves with especially weight wise) and b) bigger, heavier bikes will never attract younger, novice bikers. So, I am applauding the manufacturers who are providing lighter bikes. Just like modern cars (not including electric cars - don’t get me going on that subject! 😂), the bikes from the ‘traditional’ manufacturers are too tech heavy and physically too heavy and don’t need to be. You mention about changing the gearing on something like the cfmoto. By all accounts, just going up one tooth drops 6th gear by 500 rpm and has zero (or at least not noticeable to mere mortals) effect on torque or tractability of the engines. So, a simple mod can make what seems to be a great bike one that will tour with even greater ease. I just hope the Chinese bikes we’re seeing now wakes the Japanese and the Germans up (and even RE) so we can get some proper healthy competition going on lightweight bikes.

Great to see the little roads of India, we are off to Goa for 5 weeks in January staying just a couple of miles from the RE cafe, can’t wait to get on board a 350 to bimble around on

Nothing wrong with TH-cam influencers but when I watched mr Missenden say come and get a selfie with me when am at the adventure show it’s a bit up my own arss

Wouldn’t a super Cub 125 with a bench seat function similarly well in that environment?

I bought my Classic 350 for 1/3 what I paid for my Bonneville and it is just as much fun, maybe more.

I enjoyed that, thank you.

Greetings from France my friend, on my Classic Signal 320773 😉 you are right it is a wonderful motorcycle, I am in the countryside so it is also well adapted to its environment, For the record, Royal Enfield in India are proud of their collaboration with the military for over 70 years, so they manufactured this unique number series, paying tribute to the 42nd Signal Squadron (Volunteers)the rear marking (TP28) is an easter egg alluding to tire pressure of 28 psi which was marked directly on army motorcycles of the era 😊 Have fun, ride safe, this motorcycle model is exciting

From whence the confusion? You were told it was a BSA Gold Star, but it turned out to be a 470 pound Mahindra.

Really enjoyed these videos, any thoughts in the future of running guided bike trips in India? I think they'd be hugely popular.