bmwdave

BMW F800GT. Plenty of poke, comfy, low seat readily available, and no chain to worry about, so regular oiling required. 40- 60Kilos lighter than most of boxer variants.

Drs round here go the other way. My chronically ill dragon (wifes mother) is 85 years old and in and out of hospital having regular blood tests. Having been anaemic for years and getting treatment, a regular blood test showed things getting dangerously worse. The surgery did nothing until another test at the hospital 2 weeks later raised the alarm.

The surgery had just filed the results. they said it was her fault for not phoning up for the results, despite her not knowing what most of these tests are for and frankly not knowing the day of the week half the time. As a pharmacist I am frequently coming across this situation, where hospital letters are ignored until the patient phones to find out what is happening.

I seem to remember a few years ago an American (naturally) managed to induce a weave on his FJR while riding at silly speeds with full luggage, and then sued Yamaha on the basis that the bike wasn't fit to be ridden at around 120 MPH fully loaded, and being in America he won his case, so Yamaha recommended not to use all the luggage together. It was around the time I got/was getting my FJR and decided there was no chance of me getting myself into that situation, and in any case I took the panniers off the day I got it and they never went back on - it got nicked a year later.

Some years ago my phone broke and Carphone gave me a loaner but I had to leave a deposit, which I paid by card but left it in their card machine when I left. By the time I noticed I couldn't think where I'd left it so cancelled it. When I went to collect my repaired phone I asked if I'd left my card last week.

Oh yes, its here in the till.

Why didn't you let me know?

We didn't know how to contact you.

Cue explosion. I'd just paid for a phone with it!!! I've had a contract here for 6 years!!!

If they weren't all sharing one brain cell perhaps they could have worked out how to phone me.

OK, this was a new one for me. Filtering between almost stationary traffic on my regular route home, I'm used to the usual kinds of drivers. Most dont see me till I'm alongside, most of those who do see me ignore me, a few nice guys try to make more room when its tight, and occasionally there's the odd bast*rd who deliberately blocks me.

The other day as I was coming through approaching an SUV with unusually big mirrors, the driver folded them in to let me pass, and back out again afterwards.

Made me chuckle in my helmet.

Me and a couple of mates are planning a ride down on Sunday weather permitting. Anyone else interested? Departing Stockport centre probably around 10am.

I meant PM me as I dont check the forum every day, but a PM alerts me on my phone. I might be a bit slow for you having read your last post.

Sorry only just saw this. Try a PM next time for a quick response.

Ok, my kodak printer died. The repair was going to cost almost the same as new printer so I've now got an HP printer, which leaves two cartridges of black ink, both new but opened as I thought the 1st cartridge must be faulty so opened another then decided it was the printer knackered.

Free to good home or they go in the bin.

PM me an address, first come first served.

In Saabs the ignition key was on the transmission tunnel by the gear lever, which had to be in reverse to remove the key. I know we dont have a reverse gear, but it was a more effective way of locking the car. How come thieves now have to steal the keys to a modern car or they'll never start it, but bike manufacturers have done next to nothing to deter thieves. Steering locks are useless, need massively beefing up. Local councils could help by having a lot more safe anchor points for us to fix chains to.

And back on topic to the Fiat, theres a rebuilt white left hand drive on Autotrader for £13,000.

Nice! don't see many of those nowadays!

My first car was a Maxi! lasted less than 3 weeks before I seized the engine!

 

They were dire.....along with Marina's, Allegro's etc.

Best allround car of that era was the Mk IV Cortina!

The Maxi was like driving a tank, but the transverse mount front wheel drive was the first time in a decent size car (after the Mini) and revolutionised car design, everyone started doing it like that afterwards.

My Dad was a rep and got a 1200 Marina in puking yellow. It was woefully underpowered and had a problem with the drivers door handle, it kept breaking and he would have to climb in and out via the passenger side. Dad was in and out the car 30 tines a day, and he was shall we say generously built. It lasted a year I think but he hated it after one week.

He wanted a Cortina but too expensive. Eventually got one second hand but it kept getting nicked and dumped. They said at the time ford only made 6 keys for their cars. He used to drive round with a gallon of petrol in so if it went missing it wouldn't be too far away when the police found it. Didn't keep that one long either.

I liked those too, friend of my parents were selling one when I was 17 (1974), but said it was shot and wouldn't sell it to me. I ended up with a hillman imp which was a heap of c--p and couldn't have been worse than the Fiat.

Slightly off topic, but you might like this story.

Some years ago i arranged to buy a newer car from a very large fit much younger than me salesman. When I went to collect my car he had a heavily bandaged hand. He explained he'd been woken by a scroat who'd broken in and was searching downstairs. Salesman jumped out of bed and caught the scroat by the corner, where he dished out a very harsh lesson in which house you shouldn't come back to. His neighbour across the road had also woken up at the disturbance and went to check on the scroat to see if an ambulance was needed, which it wasn't. Said neighbour had also caught the action on his house cctv, which he showed the salesman before thoroughly deleting it in case the plod were informed and came looking - you cant touch anyone once they've left the property or your'e in the sh1t.

Boxer twins for good vibrations…

And I swapped mine for a parallel twin last autumn. I'd have taken you for a ride if Id known.

New experience for me. Had to drop something off for a customer on the way home and found they lived at the far end of a cobbled street. Took it easy but all I could here was the chain rattling in the top box. Nothing seems to have dropped off - yet. Not really something I want to repeat.

Dare I suggest it could be more fun for our lady rider friends?

We are Stockport based and planning North Wales/Ponderosa over the long weekend, day to be decided by weather.

I have had a few vauxhalls over the years and this sounds similar to a problem I had that turned out to be the fuel injection relay. I put my OH car in for repair they charged me £50 (long time ago). When my car developed same problem I walked into spares dept and replace part myself - 2 minutes and £15. When the next one failed I went to buy a new one and they'd changed completly. I questioned the guy and they'd changed supplier due to reliability problems. I asked for my money back for the 2 units I'd replaced previously but got nowhere.

Hi and welcome.

I'm in your area but mechanically incompetent, I just like riding and if anything goes wrong its straight to a garage.

Hi, you're not too far from me and we could maybe meet up if we're heading off in your direction. Planning a ponderosa trip over easter, we are - ahem- on the mature side and dont generally hammer it so we might suit you for a ride out.

Going Sunday.

In Manchester, (outskirts in paticular) you can drive your car in the bus lanes at certain times in some, not at all in others. The signs are pretty clear to be fair though.

Theres a couple like that near here. Main problem is the drivers who treat it as a bus lane all the time and if they dont see a bus they cut in at the end without checking properly. If I'm in the bus lane ( usually Sundays) i always keep a sharp eye out on the driver next door. Even more so on the bike.

Two of us (so far) heading to Event City for bike show on sunday, ETA 12 ish.

Ive always been proud of the fact British cops arent armed, but perhaps were reaching the point that it has to change, or at least substantially increase the proprtion of officers carrying. But will they want to? I imagine a lot of them wouldnt want the responsibility of shooting someone. Its awesome thing to do and can be very hard on the shooter psychologically.

i'm up for it, available sundays, work saturday mornings. Also Thursday usual day off and summer evenings sometimes.