Cpt_Tact

There are a few versions of Goretex but basically its either a membrane under an outer material (saturates) or the laminate which is bonded to the outer material so doesn't saturate. Pricing reflects this. I find they all leak somewhere on the membrane ones especially when the outer gets waterlogged but with my laminate, water ingress is usually from the open areas e.g. neck/ cuffs. I nearly always ride nakeds and when using the membrane jackets they didn't last that long as they were taking the full blast of the rain and then the wind driving it in to the material. with laminates this just aided in beading off the water. Also the laminates tend to dry out waaaay quicker than the liners and don't get heavy and its because there is very little material for the water to saturate, you can basically flick it when you get home and nearly all the water comes off. A by product of this when riding in the winter is that as there is no water saturation on the laminates they reduce your heat loss compared to a membrane with its outer material holding freezing water against your body. I've never found a fully waterproof glove but I've been blessed in that none of my boots have every leaked. The boots may be down to the fact I also treat them with wax on the leather which will help bead off any water. Gloves I resorted to giving a spray of Fabsil to improve the water beading. My Alpine SMX Pro's had a hole in the boot sole and I noticed I was squelching when walking but my foot was still dry as it didn't get through the Goretex membrane. On the whole if its monsoon weather out there then I tend to use the car and more so for safety than my gear not being up to it. If its just heavy rain or showers then Goretex I would say has a better chance of keeping you dry and not over heating in the summer months.

Riding a motorbike well is a marathon not a sprint. You'll be learning every time you go out, so don't rush to be a fast person as it never ends well. Take your time and clock up your miles, do extra training.

The thought of everyone is out to kill you seems a little out dated now IMO. I doubt very much the car drivers are trying to kill you. Accidents happen, that's why they are called accidents not "attempted murder/ murder, manslaughter etc unless they deliberately knock you off", there is a reason something happened. I see it all the time at the moment with riders getting impatient or using inappropriate speed/ road positioning for the situation, tail gating, dodgy overtakes to get a clear run and a nice bit of road, riding too close to traffic when filtering up to traffic lights, crossing double whites. If something happens or a near miss its instantly the car drivers fault and you see hands and gesticulations flying everywhere. I also feel a lot of riders bring their personal stress and issues out with them on the bike which then impacts their thoughts and judgments, they aren't focusing on the road and are quick to be aggressive with car drivers over the slightest mistake. About 3 years ago in May I saw one motorcyclist near Abergavenny bus station smash off someone's wing mirror because they slowed down to turn (whilst indicating) and then realised it was the wrong side road so cancelled their indicator and carried on to the next one. Guy on the bike took it as a personal affront as he had to brake heavily and then collected their wing mirror as compensation on his way past at speed. It was in town in a 30mph limit and he was about 1 inch off the back quarter all the way down the road. Doing further riding qualifications/ assessments every 4-5 years seems like a genuinely sensible thing to do as there isn't much leeway on a motorcycle and yet people think that its not required once they have passed as "they know everything or been riding for 30+ years". I had one mate who was dangerous on a bike and when I mentioned doing IAM or similar as a refresher he took it as a personal attack as he had been riding for 7 years and never had an accident, so in his eyes there was nothing wrong with hugging the apex round a right hand bend! Coming out of lock down I don't think will be pretty for the statistics over the next few months, both accidents and speeding fines/ heavy police presence. Then again we don't really help ourselves as I've done all of the above when I first started riding except intentionally damaging another vehicle! It was only when I had a few near misses that I stopped and looked at myself and realised that 99% of the time it was my fault, I was the one doing something that caused that near miss. I then signed up to do further rider qualifications and took the silly speeds to the track where you then meet riders stitching up other riders and causing near misses through stupidity, impatience and bad positioning with not a car to blame insight lol.

Taxi driver in Cardiff a few years back said his mates Suzuki Hayabusa was over 300bhp and it would do over 250mph. I asked if it was a drag bike or heavily modified and he said no its stock, factory let this one out a little hot (*wink wink*), he rides it all the time, fast as **** he is, no one can touch him round here. Now I know there are some heavily modified Hayabusas out there with bonkers BHP and top speeds but a stocker out the factory... Generally when someone uses the term fast as **** I always take it with a pinch of salt as I've seen these "fast guys" get dusted by someone handy on an R3 in the corners.

I used one of the R&G rear shock tubes on my Dorosoduro, I left it on their for 2 years solid and when I did take it off there was no rust and the shock looked like new. As said above I may have been lucky as I'd always washed the bike if it had been out in the salt but most of the year around Herefordshire there is always mud kicking around so didn't want it gumming up around the shock. If you are paranoid then cover the rear shock in ACF50, wrap it and leave it. It's only Zip ties that are used to securely fasten it and you can buy the re-usable ones so you can take it off and wash it properly when ever you like. R&G RACING REAR SHOCK TUBE - SHOCK16BK: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

I don't have an obnoxious exhaust but it always sets of dogs when going past, it was the same on my Dorsoduro. I've had a few dogs off leads run towards me or after me which was pretty scary as thats going to hurt hitting something like a Labrador or similar/ bigger dog. A lovely exhaust note sounds fantastic but straight pipes, race systems on the road are a little excessive IMO. My brothers system on his RSV sets of car alarms when going past and now I drop back through built up areas as I don't want to be associated with him!

I bought this to wind my neck in a little on the roads and to have something to potter around on whilst COVID-19 sorts itself out and this it does perfectly. What model was it? Late 2018 with the stiffer suspension updates. When did you buy it and how much did it cost? May 2020 and paid £5500 with only 650 miles on it. Good points? Very lightweight (186kg wet) and nimble to throw around on twisty roads/ filtering. Fairly frugal on fuel providing you don’t wind it open everywhere. I usually get around 120-140 miles before the light comes on. Put some sticky rubber on it and it transforms how the bike performs (night and day). Seating position and bars are really comfortable and I’m 5’11 with a fairly stocky build (no gut) 14 stone. Cracking little engine with plenty or torque and providing you are happy working the gears it does get a move on on the back roads, to the point people ask what the power is and are shocked when you say 74bhp. It will reach 135mph (displayed) on a circuit but you need a vice like grip to stop being blown off the back. Build quality and finish is pretty good for a “budget” bike. Looks retro enough for people to ask what it is, and it looks a little more relaxed than the other MT range. With an after market can on it sounds fantastic, I put a full (de-cat) Black widow system on for about £350, it took about 45 minutes to swap it over and it is very easy to do. Easy to work on and do the basics e.g. oil change/ pads etc. Great for modifying as there is so much out there to bolt on, great modular bike. You can really make it “yours”. Up to 80mph you hardly notice any buffeting issues which is amazing for a naked bike. Dunlop Mutant 2020 Tyres really suit the bike and its looks whilst still offering great grip in terrible weather. 1300+ miles in the last few months and they are wearing very evenly with loads of tread. I would guess another 4-5k left in them. Bad points? Suspension is shocking and I mean really shocking, if you push on a bit it gets all out of sorts, which is funny, but it does tie itself in knots on fast changes. Rear can only be fixed with a full replacement (next summer) and the front I changed the oil to 15w, overfilled it, then trimmed the shim down to get some stiffness in it. If you are just tootling around then its ideal and quite plush when absorbing the British roads. The suspension cannot keep up with decent rubber and you have to ride around the flaws. Under seat storage is non-existent, maybe a Mars bar and that is it, so I added a rack and a Kreiga 10ltr saddle bag. This is down to the fact the back end is modular and can be stripped down to a single seat. Foot peg sliders get annoying as they touch down too easily (way too long) and make a horrible noise that scares the cr*p out of you every time. OEM tyres are terrible – I changed them the week after I picked it up. Stock exhaust sounds like someone following through! Breaks are a little wooden, I did replace all the pads with EBC superbike and this made a noticeable difference if I needed to stop fairly sharply. Would you get another? Probably not for me as I would go for an MT09/10 next (completely different league) but I would have it as a second bike. If all you wanted was a knock about/ cruising around and for a little bit extra fix the suspension it is a fantastic bike, really fantastic. Fun, comfy and not fear inducing if you crack the throttle open. It is a spot on first big bike or for someone who isn’t interested in taking corners fast and wants something that doesn’t look like a Transformer. This bikes comfort zone is up to about 80-90mph and after that the suspension struggles to keep up. My bad points are only down to the fact I wanted to ride it out of its comfort zone and nothing more really. It is a cracking looking bike for the money and that engine is awesome and it can be made to ride even better for a little extra cash.

I've switched to my left hand up like a non-moving wave rather than nodding, works much easier for large groups as well

Unfortunately not on close-ups and I am now back with wooden stocks so couldn't grab a fresh one, I don't think the admin would appreciate rifle photos on a motorcycle forum.

Yeh I have. Watched quite a few YouTube tutorials on it. Decided to leave that for another day cos I know I’d likely be unhappy with the first dip n find myself scrapping wet paint off a lid! Have you tried it? Not on anything motorcycle related but I have done it for rifle stocks and after a few practice attempts and watching videos on youtube it's actually not that difficult. Admittedly these were just single matt colours which meant it didn't really matter on angles/ placement etc but once you have "the dip motion" sorted it is pretty quick and easy. I picked up a cheap plasterers bath to do it in as didn't have the confidence to do it in my bathtub. They held up pretty well for a few years being knocked about and out in all weathers.

Just a thought but have you considered hydro dipping it instead?

Mine isn't, in fact the two cost me only slightly more than I was paying for one. Same for me with BeMoto, extra bike of similar value was an extra £50 for the year on the Titanium plan. BeMoto have always been great and better value than the normal suppliers for me when you factor in recovery, legal and helmet and leathers. They even do track insurance and if you buy 6 days in one it worked out at around £60 per day compared to £105 per day if buying adhoc.

I've always fiddled with tyre pressures but like everyone has said its very bike/ rider and tyre specific. Most bikes that have said 36/42 I've usually ran around the 34/36F and 36/38R for on-road all year apart from that one time when we had a 30+ degree summer for nearly 6 weeks and then I dropped them further. CBR600s - road 34/38 - Dunlops KTM 950SM - road 34/34 - Dunlops Dorsoduro 750 - road 32/32 - Dunlops GSX-R600 - road 36/38, track 32/30 - Dunlops unless a really hot day and a grippy track then dropped further GSX-R750 - road 36/38 - Dunlops and Pirellis ST675R - road 36F 36/38R, track 30/32F 28/30R - Dunlops and Pirellis unless a really hot day and a grippy track then dropped further XSR700 - 34/36 (stock) - Dunlops and 36/36 - Pirellis If you haven't guessed I really like Dunlops and the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2s after trying everything else. Using those pressures above never caused any adverse tyre wear or handling problems. I always tried stock pressures first on any new bike to get the baseline (as with suspension setup) but always found the handling and ride improved as they dropped on the rear and occasionally on the front for Dunlops but with the Pirellis I always found going up on the front on road improved the handling and feel (probably because of the softer compound). Or it's all in my head

Don't keep us in suspense, which wipes? Sorry, these wipes: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N4JRFL4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 not perfect but certainly help!

I'm pretty blind and have wonky eyes so I wear contacts for sports and nights out but I find for me that glasses give a much crisper view at a distance when riding a motorcycle, which to me was more important than the inconvenience of wearing them. That said a lot of my friends use contacts whilst on the bike with no issues at all and just carry a few spares in case something goes wrong. It protects my eyes from bugs and dirt when I have the visor open and I just accept that they can mist a little (much less now I have found wipes that work). Each to their own and just find what best works for you.

I've tried ACF and XCP but always found there was some part that was getting rusty (even with a professional applying it) and me thinking the bikes were protected didn't notice any rust until the spring when it had its deep clean and by that point, it was too late. This happened with ACF one year and then XCP the second, I thought as it was a heavier duty product it would cover me. My previous Aprilia Dorsoduro didn't have any of this during the winter, just a wash after a ride (or rinse if it was dry but salty) and they dried off with a portable leaf blower and then wiped over with WD40 (or similar). That bike at the end of the winter didn't have a single bit of rust on it! I will be sticking to the rinse and dry solution going forward as I found it better to keep rust at bay and means I check over the bike more regularly.

Yes it does help a little but it depends on what angle the rain is coming in at and how hard its hammering down. The best thing about a peak in the shorter days is using it to block out the sun when it is low in the sky, combine that with a pinlock protec tint to remove glare and its perfect. I use the protec tint inserts in all my helmets (yes double the price) but it is the best compromise and as I wear glasses it means I don't have to faff with sunglasses or worry about tunnels or staying out later than usual and having to rush home because I have a dark tint visor on.

Heated anything is king! Last November I bought a Microwire jacket from Gerbing and it was the best thing I have bought for motorcycling. I removed all the bulky liners, forgot about "layering up" and just wore a normal t-shirt with that on top then my gore-tex textile jacket over that. I only ever found I needed 25% or 50% as 75% or 100% were just bonkers hot and made me sweat and got quite painful! This was on a naked bike as well so my chest was taking the full blast of the cold wind. I prefer to be mobile on a bike rather than all bulky as I find it restricts and hinders movement which isn't great for looking around etc. My jacket was a full gerbing pro jacket and the elements ran front/ back/ arms and neck which meant warm blood was always reaching my fingertips. It's a little bit of a faff to remember to plug yourself in and to be honest I only do if my ride is over 30 mins as the jacket is pretty warm on its own. If its a bit too expensive then the Sparda chill factor 2 gear is pretty damn amazing for the money and I found better than most thermal liners supplied with jackets and with a light thermal top/ long johns underneath. Heated grips and bash guards/ muffs will keep the worst off but generally this only works for about an hour. Sealskin socks are fantastic and still keep your feet warm and dry if your boots/ trousers fail in heavy rain. If you have serious disposable then the Klim Hardanger is also really good as there are no joints so no areas for the wind to get in. Laminate Gore-tex so no weight when it gets wet and with a heated jacket on underneath it heats up the whole suit, armour included which you can upgrade. You can then wear normal clothing underneath and just zip in and zip out when you get to where you are going. I sold all my Rukka gear and bought one of these and its perfect for autum to Spring as it has loads of vents for those warmer days! You look a right k*ob in it but I'd rather be dry and warm than cold and wet and when we get to the coffee shop I'm in normal comfy clothes sat at the table rather than sweating in thermals and bulky textiles. Ultimately if you get cold then find somewhere to stop and warm up, don't be a hero, I always plan in extra coffee stops for anything over an hour of riding. Take it easy on the roads, never rush and always use a car when possible!

Kreiga do amazing rucksacks and with the harness system you really don’t feel restricted by it or the weight unless it’s seriously heavy. I also use it for day hiking and when travelling (pre-Covid) as my carry on as it’s that good! They also do a selection of sizes to fit your needs and you can attach the smaller dry bags they do to increase the storage which again works great when travelling for light stuff. I used one for 10 days of enduro in northern Vietnam, carrying a good amount of my stuff for 8 hours a day in the mountains without any problems. Fell off plenty of times and some at speed and I didn’t land directly on it once as my shoulders and hips took the brunt of the falls, I’m guessing I was lucky every time. I probably wouldn’t carry glass in it other than around town speeds but if I had an accident at 70+mph I think the rucksack would be the least of my worries.

I have on occasions with Arai's had the pinlock lose its seal randomly. XD4 and RX7v. The XD4 was a nightmare because of the curvature of the visor. Now I just crack it open every now and again when tootling along under 50mph just to clear some of the moisture out the lid and unless it is hammering down leave the brow vents open a crack. The biggest issue I always had was glasses fogging as soon as the temperature dropped below 15 degrees and having tried everything under the sun took a punt on the below. The mind is now blown that these actually work really really well (to a point) if you are heavy breathing and its raining with the visor locked down you do get condensation on the glasses after about 30 minutes which I think is an acceptable compromise! So I pull over and give them a wipe and then carry on. In normal dryish cold conditions, they last all day without a hint of fogging and as the wipe is on my bike could re-apply if needed! https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N4JRFL4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have one in my bike, one in the car, one on my desk and 2 spare for when the others run out. They clean the glasses really well and once a week I give the glasses a proper clean with water to take the coating off to start fresh. I use them all the time now and I can even see what I am doing in the bathroom after taking a shower! Also great at the moment with wearing a mask indoors and they don't leave a sheen that halos in the dark with on coming headlights.

I'd probably put £2k into a bandit or something similar and the rest on riding courses.

Alpinestars are nowhere near as narrow as Sidi and I order my trainer size and they fit perfectly. 3 pairs of my boots are Alpines as they just fit well out the box, offer great protection and the SMX Plus with Goretex are still going strong after nearly 6 years! Maybe try some Alpines and see how they fit? My other pair is a set or armourded Daytona shoes for work, meeting friends for dinner etc.

Facebook Market Place is also a good bet as there is always loads of good gear on there. Brandwise any of the makes below will be a good direction. RST is great for entry/ mid priced gear but if you want all-weather then you will need GoreTex and if budget is tight I would opt for a decent textile jacket as a priority and accept your legs will get wet. If GoreTex is out of your league (and it was for me for years) then a good waterproof under jacket works just as well with a leather/ cheap textile jacket. In the summer when it's over 20c I generally wear a vented or leather jacked and just take a waterproof pack mac as a backup rather than rocking the textiles. Kevlar jeans I find the most versatile and comfortable and if it's raining then some over trousers although there are quite a few jeans out there with a water-repellent coating that will cover you for showers with no issues, they also have lycra which makes the world of difference in comfort and movement. In the winter when it is dry I just wear a pair of thermal long johns underneath. Alpinestars RST Rukka Klim Hein Gerik Dainese IXS - surprisingly good value TCX - great value high-quality boots I will probably get booed for this but if your budget is tight then I would kit out in the following order: Helemt - best you can afford that fits well - go to a shop for the first time to find a helmet that fits right and then in the future buy online when you know what brand and shape works for you! A good fitting <£150 is better than a poor fitting >£300 Jacket - Goretex as an all-rounder or leather with a waterproof pack mac for £20 Boots & Gloves - solid walking boots will work to begin with but make sure they are proper laces so you can lock it to your foot. Again if you can get a pair of goretex summer gloves (Alpinestars do a set for about £90) and if not then a pair of disposable gloves underneath also work well for heat and keeping your hands dry. Trousers - RST do a great kevlar budget pair which can be bought for around £90 new I know people say "if you can't afford gear then you shouldn't be riding" but its your body and not everyone has the luxury of a healthy bank balance, kit out the best you can afford and then build up your gear over the years. It's taken me to about 7 years to finally have all the gear I want and it involved buying one big-ticket item per year. Hope the CBT goes well!

For me, as I get older and spend more time on motorbikes I realise its just people in general who are the problem. I look at my group of biker friends and we are all similar in mentality in the sense that you just let it go and it's not worth making a song and dance about, or self-analysing why that happened and could I prevent it in the future. It's the same with my normal groups of friends, we have moved on the stress heads and drama queens or interact maybe a few times a year tops. When I have been out with new groups quite a few of the guys (and 99.9% it is a guy) feel that because they are on a bike they have right of way to everything and that if anyone gets in their way, including a fellow biker then they are a c*ck etc and they should just move. Abergavenny bus station is hilarious for this as you hear people shouting about how fast they were, and did you see that so and so pull out on me etc, we just think idiots and laugh at them. People bring their stress and attitude from normal life and then apply it to motorcycling thinking its an out but it's just compounding the stress. In some of the social groups I attend we have a few riders who feel they need to blip the bikes all the time, stationary, blip, traffic, blip, petrol station, blip, through town, blip. One of my close friends started doing this after he passed his test as he thought it made him look cool, the rest of us just used to hit his kill switch or take his keys out until he got the hint. Humans are idiots.

If you have the money this is the best one out there for maintenance as you can lift the rear on your own easily and also lift the front with an attachement. https://abbastands.co.uk/product-detail.asp?item=superbike-stand&pid=1 I don't bother with with a rear padock stand anymore and just use this, it may take a minute or two more to get setup but it's worth it in my eyes.