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I agree with @desertdude, riding in the UAE is extremely dangerous. Had a friend's brother pass away a few months ago due to a fatal crash in Dubai Marina. Another crash took the life of another friend's colleague a little while ago because someone ran a red light and t-boned him. May both RIP. My brother who's also a rider tried to use this analogy to dissuade me from riding: a car and a motorcycle crash is like a collission between a melon and a pen: the melon will always get punctured. So please avoid motorcycles like the plague. But if you're still intent on riding (like me), here's my experience: - I owned a Harley Iron 883cc a few years ago, and loved the community; but the Harley ride is extremely rough and unenjoyable. Never rode a tractor, but I imagine that's what it feels like. - I have a Honda Shadow 750cc, and it rides like a cloud, really smooth and built like a tank, with a great riding position. Can put bags on the sides which makes it practical while maintaing the cool factor. Can also install a shield in the front, which reduces turbulance in highway speeds and makes it tolerable in long rides. Most importantly: cheap to buy and cheap to maintain. - I owned a Benelli TNT300 and hated every minute of it. Threw money at it with aesthetic upgrades to fool myself into keeping it, since it rode so badly; but ultimately couldn't stand it and ended up selling it. Benelli is a Chinese bike with an Italian name, so you get what you pay for. Same story with CFMoto. - I currently own a Kawasaki Z800 which gives me a dirty look if I don't speed with it. It sounds and revvs incredibly, with the only downside being the forward riding position which is really straining on your wrists on long rides, even though it's a streetfigher and not a superbike. I also have a Ninja 300 (the white one in the above picture) which I feel more safe riding than the Z800, as it's less likely I'll kill myself in it. So in conclusion, I have two recommendations: A) please don't ride. It's too dangerous. and b) If you MUST, go for a Kawasaki or Honda in Dubai. Don't go above 800cc and don't go below 300cc, as it's more dangerous either way. And don't spend more than 25k AED, as realistically you'll only ride 2-3 months out of the year. Sorry for the long post. Hope it's helpful. Cheers!

Thank you Fred! It was my childhood dream to own an E36 Evo M3 (inline 6 with individual throttle bodies, and 50/50 weight distribution). Found a clean one in Dubai, bought it, will never sell it

Yeah been hearing that for the past 40 years. Also that right about now the place I'm sitting at should also be underwater due to melting polar ice caps.

Here you go, completed 1970 Opel GT. That’s also a Maserati Merack that was in for some electrical work.

Sorry for late reply. I've got a very limited experience of riding in UAE. I got myself a Harley FDFX Fat Bob, 1690cc in UAE & Harley Super Low, 1200cc back home — both bikes are fun to ride. Any bike under 1000cc will feel very under powered when you're long rides, specially here in the UAE. I've been to few bike rides with my biker group and brands I mostly notice are: Harley / Indian / Honda / Suzuki / Triumph. Every brands has a riders group + there're tons of independent group which you can be part of. You can definitely find some great deals from now until start of the season. If you have any question; just hit me up. Cheers!

And that's a damn fine beemer in the background !

Apart from regular clean up, organizing and tidy up your house, car, PC, phone, camera, what unusual stuff you have done during this stay at home period, which "you have never done before"? I dance with my 5 YO son and wife like I have never danced before. Started with kiddo's dance - as usual Then he picked up our moves and we dance on regular music for an hour with good volume and bass. Surprisingly we never think/expect that kid at such an age will like / adapt to our music or moves but when given been a chance they really surprise us beyond our expectations.

I love the M3, never seen a E36 in Dubai. I had 3 of them in my home country, M3, M3 Evo and M3 Evo Individual. Perfect handling, perfect balance and perfect power. I love your Iron too. I’m lusting after a forty eight at the minute but I can’t justify it. Yet. All my bikes have been Japanese apart from one but I was working in a hot rod and chopper shop for a while and got bitten by the bug.

Left field suggestion - Subaru Forester STi

This is a valid comment. Especially for cruisers/choppers that have low revving engines and are generally much heavier. But for streetfighters and superbikes, any bike over 1000cc is a license to kill! 😅

@Salarios Thanks for the honest advice. I appreciate it. I know the risks of driving motorcycles. I have lived 2 years without car and did everything by motorcycle (300 km winter drives in the Netherlands.) Summary, I stay with the Japanese brands.

Happy birthday @Srikumar !

This is what I did, a bit short.

What are some cockroach cars that just cannot be killed and will run forever? Rust excluded. Here’s a couple to start you off, air cooled beetle and K11 micra

Avoid motorcycles altogether here in the UAE

I’ve seen a few Benellis around UAE. Best avoided due to reliability issues. I would also avoid anything with an extended swing arm. The kind of guys who ride those bikes aren’t the kind of guys who treat them kindly.

Maybe I should work for gulf news 😂

Love your click bait skills, they always offer a surprise and a good laugh at least.

WhatsApp_Video_2020-04-18_at_6_04.40_PM.mp4

All I can tell you is those intl crude prices is for barrel = 159 liter = USD 22/159 = USD 0.14/liter = AED 0.5/liter Rest all for processing, refining, storage, logistic, retail etc, which in this new COVID era might be very expensive. We are really lucky to have essential supplies including food, water and fuel at regular prices at this time. Even the most advance countries aren't able to control the price hike and availability of such essentials.

Unusual stuff while home isolation?? Well home isolation is not for me 😃 as I continue to work and provide my services for emergency cases as a Orthopedic surgeon specialising in Hand and Microsurgery @ a hospital in Dubai. At work the most unusual for me has been - to wear almost cover all with two to three layer apron and a N95 or N99 mask. This type is protection is good against the bugs but it literally suffocates you , even simple walking makes you feel breathless leave alone doing surgeries. But I am getting used to. - we are paractising social distancing among the staff , undergo tests as we come in high risk areas and we are always in for some changes happening almost every hour. - coming back home to undergo a complete disinfection before entering home and asking kid to wait who comes running to hug me , is quite a sad situation. With time even he is understanding the importance of it. - I am asked to be available on standby if need arises to help in this tough situation where some of the departments in our hospital are overwhelmed. I am a bit scared but I am willing to go , bring it on !! The same principle of desert drives and leap of faith working here too. If my colleagues are doing it , I will be able to do it too. There will be some stucks and refusals , but Hope and God being our marshals to pull out. Stay safe all of you

To be honest it's been pretty cool because I live in a gated 3 Villa compound. With only 3 families there. So us men gather in the forecourt in the evenings and chat the evening away. One of them is an old time Safari dude like me so we sit back with some tea and others with their drink and share tales of our exploits. I've actually been socializing more due to this than before! Since we all stuck at home and live in one isolated micro community if you will, so there is no risk of cross contamination or spread

Never say never. I thought the same about a rare Range Rover left hand drive P38 with only 40,000k on the clock which had spent majority of it life in England away from the summer heat and sand parked mostly inside a garage in London with entire service history. It felt smelt, looked and drove like a new car. But the damn 2008 credit crunch got to it eventually.