Lucifah

Sorry missed your reply here (must have incidentally marked the email read without following up). That's bad news! Hope his mum will be better soon. No rush regarding ELAM, really. It's irrelevant in comparison!

Fixed that for you Well done

DIARY of Jane - Breaking Benjamin http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/hand-gestures/rock-on-smiley-emoticon.gif

Well done! If you can go for a DAS I would do that ASAP. Reason being that once you are happy on the 125 you'll quickly want more (especially if you're old enough to go for DAS). And then it's already late summer and you might not get to ride a bigger bike much this year... I'd really go for the big package straight away and aim for something like 600cc and ride that for the rest of the summer. Others have done that, so there's no reason why you couldn't It also saves you one round of finding, buying and insuring a bike.

What? People complain about free stuff?? Nobs!

I've done my refresher (after quite some time without bike) with http://www.probiketraining.com/ They are in Chelmsford. Nice, laid-back instructors. No idea how good their basic courses are, but I had a blast with them!

You rode home without helmet?

That would be really cool, if you get the chance!

I'm curious who of you guys and gals have done the IAM training and test? As there seems to be a local group literally around the corner (East London Advanced Motorcyclists = ELAM), I'm pondering... What I hope to get from it: a) Better riding -- Getting rid of bad habits mainly b) Meeting other riders in this area c) Savings on insurance (that's not priority, though a nice side effect) Most of what I've seen in videos/articles focuses on -sorry- common sense, like positioning yourself for better visibility, giving others a chance to see you etc. I'm sure there's way more to it! Their official advanced riding book is on its way to me; should give me a better idea of what to expect. Nonetheless I'd be really curious what others think: What are your experiences with IAM, if you have done it? If you haven't, why not? Or did you do a different advanced riding course? Which? Why? Cheers!

The nob of the day award goes to a rider who contributes to the bad reputation we have among non-riding cagers. 40 mph limit, I was already a teenie tiny bit over , but he shot past at least twice as fast if not more. On the other side of the double solids, obviously. And who cares about junctions, horses and cyclists, right? Nob!

If simple things like mirror brackets, a tiny windscreen and soon a tail tidy count as mods, it's for practicality and safety. Probably they don't even count as mods compared to what other people do to their bikes

What have you got in mind? Any plans as to where, when, how long yet? Just curious. Not signing up just yet Lucifah- that to me sounds like an "I'm in" type of post- Sniper is dead...long live Lucifah! Well, I've got say I'd love to do such a tour some time, because there's lots to learn while having loads of fun along the way! That said, I also have a couple of commitments, which will make it difficult this year. I'd hate to sign up too early just to bail out last minute. If you could drop a few clues, that would help. As somebody else said: The "where" is not very important. But for me the "when" and "how long" is, if that makes sense. You sound quite ambitious, and the next challenge won't be the last challenge by the sound of it. Any plans for spring next year?

What have you got in mind? Any plans as to where, when, how long yet? Just curious. Not signing up just yet

Fantastic videos, all of them! Thanks for sharing. Fell off my chair when Sniper reported his encounter in Paris!

Okay that's interesting, thanks!

Where are they? On a different note, I wonder what the legal situation is: Are those vids good enough to provide evidence that can be used in court? (Not talking picture quality here; are they accepted as evidence?) What if the "director" (the rider) makes a mistake... Can law enforcement seize the cam and use it against them? Would be a double-edged sword then, because although we like to think that we're never at fault, we may be. (Let's say you're knocked off the bike, maybe unconcious, and the plod find the camera at the scene... they might use it without you having a say in it. Long shot, I know, but still.) Really just wondering if the law has kept up with technical developments and their implications. Is anybody here in a position to expand on that? TC maybe?

F**k it, or F**K YOU rather - to my clients who keep me from going on a ride yesterday and today. Customer is king and all that, and they pay the bills, but still F**K YOU!

I recently got what I thought would be a good offer... http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008PONFEG It is CRAP! - Buttons are too small and don't give feedback - speakers are small but thick, very uncomfortable - speakers are very low volume somehow - too many bulky plugs which are difficult to get into the lid Tried fitting it a second time today. I managed to get it in finally, but it's not worth the effort. So out it went again. Worst thing is: The volume fades in slowly. So if the lady says "take third exit at the roundabout", you'll hear "...at the roundabout". Useless. Got what I paid for... And I thought BT tech is not exactly rocket science. This isn't meant to be a rant, but rather a heads-up for others who are looking to buy a BT kit and come across the one on Amazon. Stay away from that particular set. For satnag purposes I'll just go with cable ear-buds for now, with phone in my pocket.

Absolutely. It's all about having fun, not about competing with others. It's a road after all, and we need to keep room for error (both ours and other people's), obstacles and unexpected hazards. After such a long time without bikes, my tyres' chicken strips probably look more like chicken motorways for some time to come. I'm not bothered by lean angle discussions. Visibility (positioning) is more important than pushing the bike (and my safety) to or beyond its limits.

This! Don't focus on the number plate of the car in front of you. Look ahead! Look as far around the bend as you can look, and position yourself in a way that allows you to look even further (if it's safe. Watch out for oncoming traffic or obstacles) Once you manage that, your bike follows. Try it. You'll instantly realise the difference it makes. Suddenly everything feels more natural and easier, and it makes you relax! Countersteering discussions turn quickly way too academic. Truth is, you already do countersteer without realising it. Otherwise you'd pretty much go straight lines all the time. That said, you can of course practise doing it. But main thing is really to look where you want to go, because that'll automatically make you steer your bike towards that point. (Which is why target fixation achieves the opposite, but that's a different subject) The race track gurus will tell you something different, but for a newbie you want to be done with any braking before leaning into the bend if possible. During the bend you'll want to keep the throttle constant or give it some more as you progress through the bend. That keeps the line smooth and avoids that the bike wants to stand up. Once the corner opens, you can give it some more and dart out of the bend

TAKE On ME - A-Ha

Hi folks, I thought I'd give a first impression on this bike after having owned one for a couple of weeks now. As I had not been riding for more than 15 years before purchasing it, some info may be interesting for returners/newbies as well. In a couple of months time I will give a more thorough review. The specs: Kawasaki Z800 Year: 2014 List price: £7,499 (but nobody pays list price; negotiate for some discount! ) Engine/Performance: Liquid cooled 4-Stroke In-Line Four, 806cc, 116 PS, 83nm Suspension: fully adjustable rear, pre-load front fork Weight (with fluids): 229 kg Mods: Evotech mirror brackets, Kwak Windshield The cons: Stock mirrors are too short; you can see your arms but not much else. The Evotech brackets are a cheap & cheerful way to fix that and surprisingly they are very sturdy (the mirrors don't vibrate any more or less than they normally do) The instruments/dash are a graveyard for flies. The windscreen solves that. But that's the only thing the windscreen is good for. It still is a naked bike and wind protection does practically not exist. Rear brake seems very soft. Could be a matter of adjustment. (Will find out after first service) Top gear is a bit too short for my taste, which adds mid-range rev vibrations to the windy experience beyond 70 mph. (I did not just say beyond 70 mph. Ignore that ) Some may find the lack of gear indicator a bit last century, but that's a non issue for me personally. If you desperately want it, you can add it as an accessory. Not a lot of storage, to put it mildly. You'd be lucky to fit more than a disc lock under the passenger's seat, together with the stock toolset. If you're short, the weight might be an issue when you have to stop. The pros: The seemingly massive weight for its size is a non-issue (at least for tall people who can flat foot), unless you push the bike around. You don't feel any of it once you've got your feet on the pegs, not even at very slow speed! That's quite a positive surprise. In fact it feels very nimble and yet very stable. Flips into corners quite easily too. The front brakes are brutal, but start out very soft. The progression makes them very easy to control. The whole rev range is smooth with progressive power delivery; no sudden peaks or flats. Very easy to control at any speed. Massive urge to surge forward at higher revs, but again no sudden suprises. Extremely good throttle response. It does what you want it to do, when you want it. Nice and accurate gearbox. Neutral finder is helpful in city traffic with many stops. (Can't incidentally switch to 2nd while standing still.) Very suitable for tall people! I'm 6 ft 1, and I find the seating position very comfortable. I think the suspension is great. Together with the smooth throttle response it feels super stable and confidence-inspiring around corners, even on below-average road surface. I like the stock sound. Not as "harmless" as many other stock exhausts, but not neighbour's pain in the backside either, when you come home late. I love the fully digital dash with equaliser-like rev counter, two independent trip meters, avg and remaining cruise range, proper fuel gauge etc. It's easy to read and didn't have any problems with reflections. For those who like to take their bikes abroad, the speedo can be changed to kph and back to mph with a few button clicks. Indicator, neutral and several warning lights are leds, which are lined around the digital dash. It makes sense and works very well. To sum it up: It's not a long-range tourer, and was never meant to be one. It's a bike to have a lot of fun with on any road. Everything feels very quickly very natural in a way, which puts your mind at ease. In fact I already felt home on it when I had the test ride at the dealer's. The powerful engine, which may be frightening for a beginner (I was a bit wary about it, too), is easy to keep in check, thanks to the smooth progressive power delivery and excellent throttle response. You can tag along with city traffic, or rev up and leave everybody behind, darting around bends. In fact, the short gears make it pretty clear that this bike belongs on the road, not the motorway, so the lack of wind protection is not really a problem either. There, the bike does exactly what you want it to do, and will leave a huge grin on the rider's face (not sure about the passenger yet).

Cheers Stu!

Seems the admins here don't like me