Drinking and riding

during bike maintenance i find it quite hard to not down a few

From my manual...

4.36 ENGINE TOP END
Muffler
Muffler Removal
1. Get a beer
2. Remove the fairing (see fairing chapter) and fuel tank (see fuel system chapter)
2. Drain Coolant
3. Get a beer
etc etc

Seems the same all the way through

I generally don't drink as 1 is not enough and any more is too many. I have been known to have 1, but I felt it raised my confidence level which could be a bad thing

its true, i cant quite ride as well after a beer or two, but i can wheelie a whole lot better

so true.......

I never drink before a group ride. Ever. Maybe 1 or 2 for lunch, as long as you have a feed at the same time.....too many other people to take into consideration on a group ride.......

But....if I decide to have a couple of bourbons after work, and then ride home by myself, then no worries at all. Its only me that will suffer if there is any *issues* on the way home.......I dunno, I have ridden home after a few B & C's on literally *hundreds* of occasions, without once falling off, or hitting a car, or any other type of *incident*.......

maybe its just good luck ? I would not recommend this to any newbies at all......catch a cab mate.....this issue is a very subjective one, everybody has different tolerances to alcohol......

u wanted an honest answer?? well..ill cop heaps for this...but neway...

i used to go out for 1 beer...get trashed...ride home...no dramas...until i flipped the bike doing killer wheelies....but do u think i learnt??

nah..did it again..several times....burnouts in hindley st seemed like a good idea...till the cops got me....

then i spent 6 months wivout a licence....

i swear the only thing that stops me now is the fear of no licence...not fussed abt riding skills, cos im way cocky, and i do much better wheelies & rolling burnouts after a few brews.....

I have to admit that I am guilty of previously being a beer wench. On social rides (with u lot I might add ) when we've stopped in at the pub I've sunk a couple.
Now I dont agree that you should go and get yourself wasted and get on your bike because thats just sheer stupidity. I've also been done for RUI on my ZZ-R even tho at the time, I didnt even feel remotely over the limit - the copper said was because I such a small chicky and I hadn't eaten a decent meal all day that two bourbons with a pack of chips for dinner was enough to make me just over the limit.
However... now that I've reached 30 although alcohol does have age preserving qualities, I wont drink and ride. I'm boring as bat shit now and drink lemon squash!! On my solo ride to Canungra yesterday instead of pulling up at the pub, I had an apple/carrot/ginger juice from the cafe and that gave me more energy to concentrate than any beer has ever done!!
At the same time, I'm not going to judge people and say that they're evil cos they drink and ride... but if you do do the deed... just remember that its not just you on the road and you quite possibly might seriously hurt yourself and someone else.

note to self : Watch out for Hondas on hindley st. late at night

In my younger, more stupid days, I have been guilty once or twice of knowing that I was over the limit (probably by a long way) when I got behind the steering wheel. I used the excuse to myself that I am only 5 mins from home, I can take the back streets, and being late at night in the suburbs there will be no cops around anyway. Did I have the life frightened out of me the last time I did it when I was driving up Bennetts Rd and there was an RBT ahead of me! Thankfully I was waved through, but I know I would have blown over the limit. I have never ever done it again.

Since then, riding or driving, if I have a drink while out and about, I will have one light beer with we first arrive at the pub, and then soft drink after that. If it is a really hot day, I will only have a light beer if I have also been drinking a lot of water, otherwise the beer would go straight to my head.

Those who rode with me on the recent ride up the Black Spur can attest to the fact that I can barely control a motorcycle when I'm stone cold sober, gawd only knows what I'd be like riding semi pissed.

note to self : Watch out for Hondas on hindley st. late at night

thats it mate..appearing most friday/saturday nites..and this coming wed nite...