Mr Fro

What does the coolant look/smell like? Don't forget that at this time of year, if you're engine is not getting good and hot (~10 mile jaunt) then you will get condensation in the crankcase which will make your oil look a bit iffy. Check your compression too before you get overly worried about a HG failure. You can get a tester from amazon for sub £10 so it's not a huge outlay.

Yep - I nip it up every month or so just to make sure it's still tight

That's exactly what happened to me! Bloody thing parted company with the stem wotsit first time out and (luckily) got tangled up in the lanyard so didn't bounce down the road. I didn't realise how hard you have to push the two together... I really like them but a teensy word or warning that the rivets that hold the case to the backing aren't too clever and I've already had one come apart where I take it off and on the stem so I always use a bit of para cord to secure the case to the yolks. Otherwise they're great - I've tested them over 140mph as I use it for telemetry logging on the track.

I did one in Feb last year while the dorris was off skiing - it was a bit parky but wasn't that bad...

Snow is 10 quid extra. It'd be good to meet some "peeps" at some point though.

Cadwell is a mere £49 in Feb...

The new year has begun and I'm already itching to get on the track! I'm still in the noddy category and will try and get to Cadwell as well as Snetterton. Anyone else got any track plans this year? http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/trackdays/bike-calendar.aspx

What he said.

Howabout putting them on the bar ends? Pretty easy to modify a set of weights or bicycle mirrors that plug in the end... They'd be easy to take off is need be and wouldn't compromise the structural integrity of the bars. For legality, bung "construction and use" in to Google and enjoy the read!

I've got to take my chances when I get them bud! Good luck with sorting it. It would be good to catch up at a ride out or whatnot when it's a bit warmer.

Sounds great - I'd love some new goodies! I don't know of one already exists but could we have an events calendar? I get very easily muddled up with tracking dates and things I'm supposed to do so for me at least it would be very useful! Cheers, Fro

Cough, cough, (called it), cough, cough. You shouldn't be getting oil residue in the airbox if everything is okey dokey. Best check all the connections and that the in-line valve rattles when you give it a little shake. It might be the case that someone over filled the oil at one point and you've got historic gunk in there. Quite a few people put those vents on the oil breather but it will sit right in front of the rear wheel unless you route it to the side or something. I personally wouldn't like oil vapour over my tyre...

I use my smartphone too - I rigged a usb plug to the sidelight and use a waterproof (ish) case that slots down the head tube. Easy peasy and less stuff to carry about.

There's always one...

Dude! The oily shit could well be coming from the crank case breather which comes from the sort of area you're talking about. Check it's still there with the non-return valve and that it's plumbed in to the back of the air cleaner box.

Re: discounts... Yes, it is variable. A few of recent examples... Bike battery for the Ninja was ~ £35 from £45. CR9EK plugs ~ £2.5 from £9. Massive car battery - £97 from £130. For me, an "enthusiastic amateur", it's well worth having and I've saved a good few quid over the years. Things like bulbs are often pennies. If you're applying for an account it very much depends on who you deal with at the desk.

Alright dudes. Has anyone explored the possibility of making an arrangement with Halfords to get TMBF members trade accounts? I know some other (car) forums have had some luck... Cheers, Fro

Hey Gazza, have you tried Wemoto? They're pretty good for generic spares. As for the speedo, ebay or auto jumbles are probably your best bet for an OEM one. If you just need one to get you by then you can always slap a bicycle one on. I've got a 5 quid Halfords one on the track bike which does the business quite nicely.

It's waste spark so 2 coils Stu. OP - the HT leads should be numbered so try swapping them around, 1&3 and 2&4 to see if that helps out. Did you check your plugs yet?

I bung mine in with the rest of my stuff without a second thought. Now if only one could chuck leathers in the washing machine...

Why not just bung the inners through the washing machine with the rest of your washing then on to the drier? It's the outers that you've got to treat correctly.

f**k it, just had water pissing through the extension ceiling - looks like the cowboys who did the neighbours guttering did it wrong so the runoff goes straight in to my roof space. That'll be me up all night running around with buckets and the like.

Nice idea but I have some constructive observations... Front/rear loading is great if you have space but side loading would be better in my opinion for really tight spaces. The drawer could be steel construction to give something really secure to lock the bike to. I like the idea of a roller type shutter - especially if you couple that up with a hinged lid. All I want in return is 10% of your business.

The minge featured nob head who "cooked" my pizza last night (Domino's in Felixstowe) and gave me the two bob bits. I would far rather have been having a kip than getting dead legs all night while sobbing quietly at the alarming quantity of rusty water that poured out of my rapidly dehydrating body. Ducking aunt.

+1 for a DIY attempt!