bmwdave

The concept of a 3 month notice period is a dodgy idea as it would be deemed to be an unfair contract clause imposed on you to get the job, as it makes it very difficult to obtain another job because almost no propesctive employer would wait that long unless it was for a very senior post, in which case you would be in an almost as senior executive post now. In practise all they could do is sue you for breach of contract and would have to value their direct losses AND justify to the court why they imposed a 3 month notice period. If they can establish that you can counter by asking why they paid you so little. In practise it wont happen.

Two distinct parts of learning to ride or drive. 1st is the operation and use of the equipment you're using, and that needs practising so that its use is almost subconcious, eg. if you have to keep thinking clutch - gear - clutch you'll never get smooth in a car or on a bike.

2nd is road craft, and while there are differences, if you've learnt to ride/drive you're halfway to learning to do the other. Probably more so as when starting it is very stressful being out among the traffic, which makes it harder to learn anyway.

Cats usually bury their crap. Seen any foxes around?

Offered to take her out for dinner but she said she'd rather have a £20 M&S dine in meal as eating out will cost double on Saturday. Bought the flowers in yesterday as working tomorrow and Saturday and want to use the bike to save time and money. Must get a card sorted today.

I did the 'commuting in all weathers' gig for years and don't miss it in the slightest. I prefer a warm car these days

 

Don't think I'd cope with having to stare at the bike and not being able to use it, although I'd defiantly pick the car (if insurance wasn't so sky high for first time drivers, and I had one) on some of the colder and more icy road days, heating and music.. I wish.

Try the BMW R1200RT with heated grips and seat, radio and CD player.

I think the opinions are going to be split mainly between fathers and yet to be fathers. I've only got boys, but frankly I understand how the father felt. The report also says " he asked the man to stop filming his daughter several times" The german man was asking for trouble and got it. No sympathy for him at all.

Hi, I'm Stockport based but thats within striking distance of you. Be warned I'm an old git on a tourer that takes it pretty easy, knee down is not on my "to do" list. Happy to ride out once it warms up a bit. Gritters out tonight so safe to say its not going to be the very near future.

If you are not self employed you shouldn't be paying your own tax and NI, your employer should be. If it is a full time job they are not allowed to force you to behave as if self-employed, there are all sorts of disadvantages for you. No holiday pay, sick benefits or pension rights, not to say no security of employment. You haven't said what you do but it sounds like the company is trying their luck with you, it would concern me about the whole operation if this is the way they operate. If you are officially a sub-contractor in some way you need a proper contract, and the salary should be at least 15%- 25% higher than employees doing a similar job due to lack of benefits above.

You can organise your own tax and NI affairs, its not impossible but it may well be easier to use an accountant and they can save more than they cost, especially if you have no experience in these things, like knowing what you can claim against tax - mobile phone, tools, overalls, car/van costs, even part of housing costs if you do paperwork or store working materials at home/garage.

Anybody wonder why we all get a bad rep.

I had a V70 which I liked except for the high charges at Volvo, even compared to other main dealers. The desler nearest, but not close, to me then closed, followed 6 months later by the next closest one. The nearest main dealer is now the other side of Manchester, so I won't be getting another in a hurry.

50K from one set of tyres? you must drive like an angel.

Hi, both me and my son (al-stu) are qualified divers, I did mine with NAUI, an american group but internationally recognised with some schools in this country. The big advantage to me of NAUI (and BSAC) against PADI is that you cant do your training in a couple of days. With PADI you are shown how to do the basics and the safety routines, have a quick practise, show the teacher you can do it, get a tick and thats it. Next time you try may well be a year down the line 20m underwater, and your life may depend on it. My total training time in the pool was about the same as with a PADI course, but every week started with the safety routines, and its every week for 6 weeks, by which time you've got it, then you get tested and its no problems, it sticks. On my 2nd dive in the sea the idiot following me jumped straight in onto my head and kicked my mask off and the regulator out of my mouth - I coped, would a PADI diver have done so? I've dived abroad and been paired with a PADI trained "advanced " diver, and ended up having to bring him up on shared air. BSAC is the best training but takes a long time compared to PADI, NAUI is a good compromise.

I love diving, its a different world, very relaxing and peaceful, but gave up diving around these shores in favour of nice warm clean seas elsewhere. My wife hates water so nowadays I get the occasional holiday diver using rented equipment, but I still have loads of kit if you do take it up, we may be able to haggle a deal if you fancy it.

Best moment - last dive of a week long diving trip on a boat out of Sharm el Shaikh, I'm mooching around the bottom just using up the last of my air a couple of hundred yards of the main beach, I look up and there's a guy on the surface watching me. I waved, he waved back, but he cant come down to join me. Very smug feeling he he he .

Note to me: close the top vent in heavy rain. Otherwise fine.

I had dry feet

My underpants were so wet I thought I'd pissed myself!

So much water came through the dye from the jacket liner has run into my shirt.

These would have to be fish bones lying at the bottom of the sea.

When I use my heated grips I try to remember to turn them off 10 minutes from home just to give the battery a chance to top up if it needs it.

Cobra full set of radios + 2 helmet sets on Amazon at £60, also same set for £78 at another store so be careful. All sets get difficult at speeds above about 40 due to wind noise, unless you can get yourself a proper in ear earpiece, or a decent windscreen. I can use mine easily at motorway speeds but my son cant here me at 40 or more.

We use Cobra radios for both rider to pillion and bike to bike, depending who I'm out with. I've seen them at Mapilns for £60 for the radios plus £20 for each helmet set, but I'm sure you can get them combined for less on the internet. Al_stu got me mine for a Xmas present a couple of years ago so you could ask him. Works fine for us, but not voice activated, you have to strap a button onto your handgrip/handlebar.

I have similar problem, mechanic says its 'cos no synchromesh on 1st gear.

Got the little bas----d. Stupid instructions in the manual are wrong - says turn bars to left to get best access to the left hand bulb, but next section for right bulb ALSO says turn the bars to the left, one paragraph just had to be wrong. Turning the bars let me get a direct look at the bottom of the fitting and I could see how to release them, still not easy as cant look and touch at same time. Now just have to warm up again.

Having recovered from the shock of paying £9 for a bulb, I can't work out how to remove the old one. Its a fully faired BMW 1200RT, I've removed the cover and connections from the old bulb, but cannot work out how the thing is taken out. There's a clip over the back of the bulb, it looks to me like it swivels down from the top, but because of the fairing I cannot look at it directly, and am working by touch although I've had a poor view of it using a mirror and torch, but I cant look at it and get my hand in at the same time. Basically, does anyone know whether I release the clip top or bottom, and exactly how? Squeeze the sides together, just pull, or is there a little catch button I haven't found. I don't want to damage it or pay the garage just to change a bulb.

Thanks guys

Wassup? Someone been told to get his bike out the kitchen?

Shopping Time !!!

Well done mate.

A woman decides she'd like a parrot for a pet, one that talks. She goes to the pet shop and sees a parrot that knows 10 words for £500, a parrot that knows 30 words for £1000, and a parrot that can hold a conversation for 20 quid. Why only 20 quid, she asks the assistant?, "Because it has lived in a brothel and has a real potty mouth, and is too damn clever for its own good". She decides she's broad minded enough to cope and buys the 20 quid parrot.

When she gets it home she uncovers the cage and the parrot straightens up, looks round and says, "Nice gaff, very posh, get better customers here, like it, like it!"

Half an hour later the eldest daughter comes home " New girl, nice tits on that one, like it, like it!"

Another half hour later the younger daughter comes home, "New girl, what an arse on that one, good for business, like it, like it!"

Another 30 minutes go by and the womans husband comes home. The parrot takes one look at him and says, "Hiya Keith, how ya doing mate?"