LINCOLN BIKE FEST

We have a space booked here if anyone is interested, It's quite a good event and this year it's on Sunday 14th June. Anybody Interested??

This event is open to ALL FORUM members as it is free entry. 14th June at Brayford Quay in Lincoln.

Please put your name down if you wish to attend and have your Bandit / SV on the stand.

But if you want your bike on the stand you have to be on site no later than Nine as after that there is no site traffic according to their info.

Thank you for the invite but I can't make it despite only being 'around the corner' in Norfolk. That is a rare weekend off but we are already committed to visiting family in the South, sorry.

So any more takers.

THIS EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED AS A CLUB AND FORUM EVENT THERE WILL BE NO CLUB STAND.

Might as well matey as there just is'nt enough interest. Sad but true

Well Tim.

I think this has now put the final nail in the coffin for us in the Midlands. This is shocking.

Not one person has put their name down. It's not as if you haven't given people plenty of notice to book time off work if they work weekends. Plus this was open to ALL forum members.

Is it me or does it seem as though people buy bikes as a fashion accessory and are scared of riding in bad weather, or limited to riding their bike for 2 hours on a weekend.

Motorbikes are the 2nd cheapest form of transportation going.

It makes me laugh how people are willing to spend so much time and money in performance and cosmetic modifications, but
cannot spare a day and £20 worth of fuel from a Supermarket to attend an event 3 or 4 times a year.

I guess my attitude to our members has somewhat changed over the past year, and since becoming an associate member of the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists, my attitude to our members is now become even more tedious.

HI Guys..
Just dont know what the hell is wrong with folk down your way,seems to me they cant be botherd to get off there fat arses to go along to support the club and you. I would say that most of the shows we have up here we get a lot of intrest,Tim has been upto kelso and i will say he would agree. As for Edinburgh we do get a lot of people on and around the stand.But its down to the same folk all the time,and i do enjoy it and the crack or i would not do it..So i cant speak for Alex but i will keep it going for as long as i can anyway..

Chiddy

Hi guys, I'm new to the forum and the SV but would like to add my tuppence.

I welcome the forum as a way of meeting people with a similar interest, finding technical info and buying / selling bits, but as with my other bikes I have no intention of joining a club. The benefits the club offers really only extends to discounts at one shop, which mya not be the cheapest solution anyway, particularly if you have to factor in postage. Free entry to shows / events is worthwhile if that is the sort of activity you like from your motorcycling. However, show attendance seems to be in the decline and you are feeling that.

The forum is hardly a hive of activity, so you cannot expect a mass turnout for a show - any show. How many forum members are there and how many post regularly? How many hits does the site get from unique users? What is the national distribution of the membership? How many members attend shows? How many can 'afford' to give up a day on a weekend? I'm often pushed to get a full day away from the family. There are many reasons why people can't get there. What reasons can you give for actually getting there and attending?

The Bandit community always used to have a good many forums to participate in; I've not looked so maybe there are still plenty of others. The SV has less, especially UK-based, but the bike was typically sold (at least by the media) as a good 'big bike entry point' and as such the owners probably come and go quite quickly. With a club you typically have long-term owners that make up the membership, even if for the intangible benefits of a club. For the SV those long term owners are few and far between. I had my B12 for seven years and never felt the need to join a club. I had my R1100S after that for over three years and have met many folk over the web, including weekends away - all without joining anything - and nobody cares if you change bikes to something else. It's the people and the attitude.

This post has attacked the general membership, but outside of admins it looks like only one other member has posted - how many have bothered reading?

I'm not suggesting that the forum or the club are dead in the water, just that other people have different needs than what you may be expecting.

If I can't log in again I know I've been banned.

The problem is Forums. People aren't prepared to join in a club activities like I did in the 80's and 90's when now they can get it for nothing online. This isn't just with our club, it's all clubs are losing members I suppose the Born agains have sold their bikes and have gone to a new fad

Hi Guy's

I must be the exception! I've put my name down to go to Kelso and put the bike on the club stand. I'm really looking forward to it. It's all going to be a new experience for me, the whole show thing. Talk about jumping in at the deep end. This is my first bike, despite having my licence for 15 years! Usual story, wife, kids and mortgage (only got the last 2 now )

It's going to be my first go at real camping for pleasure! I've down a few caravan trips in the past, but never slept under canvas (except in the TA - so that doesn't count. I was paid to do it).

I can see what you are all going on about lack of support/ commitment but I can also understand how difficult it is to actually get to organise time to get to go to shows for a whole/part weekend. The only way I'm able to go to Kelso is that it falls on a weekend I don't have my other two kids to stay. My oldest stays with me and is going to Kelso with me. If it was on a weekend when I had the kids I wouldn't be able to go, just as it was for the rideout up here on the 6th. There is also the cost that other things are. Fuel is not the problem, I can go to work and back for 2 weeks on 1 gallon, if I only use the bike for commuting, its all the other things I've got to spend the cash on!

I can't do them all - as much as I want to . My intention is to go a lot further than Kelso at some point - just don't want to go a 'show too far' at the moment. Who knows if they're still being done next year I might be well over the border.

Thank for reading my waffle!

Wolfman66

Well the weather gods were certainly on our side today, it was HOT!!!!!!

Tim, Peter and myself met up at Maccy D's on the outskirts of Newark, sadly a friend of mine was banned from attending by his SWMBO.

So the three of us had an uninterrupted and progressive ride to the event. We parked up and had a browse.

In attendance was the B.I.G sponsors Lincolnshire Police Road Safety Partnership scheme, and the Wolds Bikers (who were the marshalls), others were Hein Gerike, and a couple of other bike clubs.

I wasn't able to attend last years event, but Tim was surprised in how small this years event was. Explaining to me that the event used to circle the quay side. There was more bikes from the public attendees.

After religiously grabbing a few of the freebies, we spent some time admiring a few participants.

This was the Norton Rotary Racing Side Car, and an all green Electric bike with some stylish bodywork. At first glance I assumed it was a BMW K1.

After having a look at a couple of other trade stands we left, and ventured out into the country side led by Peter, before going our seperate ways at Newark.

Tim and I took some pictures, and one of Tim's pictures actually summed up what the event was like.

The location is excellent, and I am sure that the organisers worked hard in setting up this event. Just a shame in that there was no Motorcycle dealers present and some more of lincolnshires racing teams.

Here are a few pics firstly Brayford wharf





A Fine Norton Rotary Outfit









A Nice Triumph Bonneville





Lee and a Ducati

Hmm the pics aren't showing must be a problem with the SERVIMG hosting service I'll try photobucket instead I've just checked and there is a problem with the SERVIMG server so we will have to use photobucket till they get it fixed