Simon Davey

I think I've come across as a bit of a bully. Apologies @dipenhydramine Just want young riders to crack on and get a full licence, then have the most incredible rides on a bigger bike. I appreciate the costs involved now though.

Yes indeed , i should have said, why waste your time trying to make a 125 so much faster. Do the 125 thing, get a licence. Time soon passes.

Maybe you need what someone did for me, a ride as pillion on a litre bike that'll leave you gripping for your life. Two months later I was taking my test. A 125 screaming along at 80-90 Mph is nothing compared to a bigger bike doing 70 in second gear, sounding like a real race bike and getting there in just a few seconds. It's nothing to do with the police or insurance, it's taking your test and having that immense power. I passed my test almost 40 years ago, I ride a 20 year old 1200cc bike that cost me £1500, it'll do 180 Mph and it still shits the life out of me. Don't you want that? Why waste your time on a 125?

We've all been there and tried

Crikey, you've had so little sleep. Hope you're dad is as well as can be.

@dipenhydramine If you're a genuine new rider. The only answer you'll get on this forum is to buy your BN, keep it standard, and to spend your time and money on getting a full licence. Then you have the most awesome choice of big, loud and f***ing fast bikes you can imagine. I remember the same issue with my 125, all I wanted was the power valve kit to de-restrict it, but I just couldn't get it in the UK. Get your licence, it's a great thing to do. Also, noisy and slightly faster 125's just sound shit to everyone except the person riding it.

Good morning bikers

Excellent!

This guy dangled his private parts into a bowl of glitter, it was pretty nuts......

So, by connecting the starter directly to the battery, you can ascertain whether the starter is actually working.

It only needs one cable. Do you have any jump leads? You could momentarily connect a jump lead from the battery to the cable connection on the starter motor, it should turn over, even without the ignition on. That's what @bud is suggesting above.

Welcome aboard @HoskyBob

Good morning bikers

Well done @R9XDG, that's good news.

Welcome to the forum @raff

Welcome to biking @MotoDel@MotoDel.

You're right, I should venture further afield, but I'm so limited by time. Next time I'll head to Dunmow, that'll take me through Finchingfield etc.

Having fitted my new touring screen, I just had to go for a ride. Probably the most sensible 90 minute ride I've had in a very long time. Unlike previous attempts, I took the road to Bury St. Edmunds, and it was actually open all the way. Did about sixty miles, I thought I was clever going at lunch time, it was nice and sunny, a bit windy but really quite warm (12degrees) and I got sweaty hands at one point. I wasn't clever though, I had the hazy sun in my eyes for about half the ride, and the rest was mostly spent sitting behind lorries unable to pass. Still, it wasn't a bad ride at all, I've brimmed the tank to the filler neck, and she'll be parked up for some time whilst I strip the fairings off to change the fairing bracket. I'm hoping the fairing bracket is bent, because the fairing is certainly off to one side. I managed to get a brand new bracket from Fowlers at half the price of buying (a probably bent) one from the breakers. She's so darned gorgeous for an old gal.... The new screen definitely makes it look a bit boring and "blobby" though. I thought you'd all like to see my pussy too.

Feckin' Nora!! What was the outcome?

I also had a look, you can only get the Givi top box. Maybe it's to do with the sub-frame of the bike, probably nowhere to attach a pannier rack.

So much progress @Hairsy, fingers crossed for you matey that it does the trick.

Never used it neat, I think it would be a bit savage on the seals etc.

Replaced the OEM screen with a "touring" screen.. Very nice quality Ermax, which arrived from Pyramid. Took me an hour to get the threaded rubber grommets in the screen holes,then 15 minutes to fit. Went out for a couple of hours and it's great. Not a huge difference, but I get a lot less turbulence on my chest, and nothing around my head at any speed.

Best wishes @S-Westerly

Mine turned out to be a warped disk. As the warp passes between the pads, it opens them further than they should be. So every time the lever is pulled, there's excess travel. I didn't find this out until I was hurtling around the hills in Germany, had to brake really hard as we were chasing each other through hairpins, and I noticed the lever pumping. Not the time of year for testing the theory though. Not necessarily your issue, just thought I'd mention it.