Cpt_Tact

My friends Dad wore a leather jacket all year round but in the winter popped a hi-viz bomber jacket over the top. To stop the flapping he used elastic bands up his arms, did this for about 20 years. Bar end mirrors are great (I have them) but you do lose some of the wonderful viewing you get with normal ones. Basically they cover your blind spots and a little either side. I just move my head around a little more and have a good life saver look before pulling out.

Rukka is fantastic gear but I personally found it is not warm enough when you are on long rides (+1 hour) and its below 6 degrees. Waterproofing is fantastic, quality is fantastic, service is fantastic but their liner I found is pants. I would allocate a about £150 to getting a heated jacket and pull the Rukka liner out

Two piece rain gear is always best I have Rukka textiles for winter and in the summer a leather jacket and water resistant Kevlar jeans, if it looks like a wet wet day then I'll bring the waterproof over trousers and jacket just in case but to be honest if its above 18 degrees it doesn't bother me getting wet like it would in the winter. The leather jacket will deflect most rain showers as will the jeans and anything more than that I put my phone in a zip lock bag and carry on. To this day I personally have been unable to find kit that stops 100% of rain getting in, it will always find away be it down your neck where the jacket moves or up the sleeves of the jacket from the spray. Boots wise I have loads and kidded myself in to thinking I needed them for different types of riding and weather but personally when I bought a set of Alpinestars SMX Plus Gore-Tex Boots they were the only boots I ever needed and every pair after them was just wasting money. I still have them 5 years later and they are still going strong, on the track, touring in 30 degrees in a thunderstorm or blood bikes when its frozen outside and they always just worked and felt like slippers and never got too hot or too cold. Yes they aren't cheap but worth every single penny in the long run for the protection from both crashes and the elements! If funds are a little tight then always check out Facebook Market place as you can get some steals on kit out there if you aren't seriously put off by it being second hand and maybe happy to drive a little. Best of luck with the DAS

Any people around this area wanting to meet up and share some routes? Cheers

I picked up a puncture a few days before my tire was booked in for a change, I just nipped to Halfords and got the small can of tyre weld. Did the job fine, just make sure you tell the guy changing the tyre it is in there or he will get a nasty surprise!

You did a normal overtake that turned in to a willy waving contest and felt your ego would be bruised if you pulled back in? Unless it was a super car line up the two of you booting it would have left more than enough space to pull back in. Maybe you were tailgating him up to that point of a clear over take and wound him up? Always back off a few car lengths until the overtake is available, this space then gives you time to assess and then accelerate past and if cars appear you can then pull back in with no harm. Space and time are your friends on a bike Don't be a d*ck and learn from your mistakes, if they want to race or cause you a problem then leave them be as there is no harm pulling over for 5 or the next garage for a drink. People don't care about you until they knock you off and then it is too late.

I would probably go in this order: Helmet Gloves Armored Jacket + back protector Boots Kevlar Jeans + hip armour If funds were tights I'd buy a Helmet and jeans + hip armour new and Facebook Market Place the rest for second hand kit. Personally I wear all of the above all the time and keep the one piece for the track. I do accept my own risk by not wearing knee armour 90% of the time and I do have a set of short Revit Pioneer boots for when it is really hot or doing touring with a lot of walking. At the end of the day you could wear nothing bar a helmet, have an accident and walk away pretty much unscathed or full gear including one piece, get t-boned by a driver at 30mph whilst waiting at a junction and wake up with your ankle by your ear and a completely shattered hip and leg (as my friend did). It is luck, simple as that and all you can do is lower the risk as much as possible.

I take/ do the following: A seat is a definite as nothing worse than sitting on the floor. 20ltr of super unleaded fuel + filling funnel Halfords toolkit that has most things in - I don't take anything special as I feel if it falls outside the Halfords kit then I'm not qualified to do it Rear paddock stand just to make lubing the chain easier on the lunch break Tyre pressure gauge and foot pump Food + Water 2+liters water - keep drinking between sessions (you will pee a lot) Couple of cans of coke Sandwich - you don't want anything heavy for lunch as you'll be a little sluggish in the afternoon trying to digest it Fruit Haribo snacks Some chocolate On the bike: Brim the tank before going Check you have a good amount of tread left as tracks are a little more abrasive than roads - pressures for most "road" tyres I'd drop to 32F 30R as a starting point, I started with Roadsmarts 3s and those pressures worked very well Check you have a good amount of break pads as you will be using them quite a bit Check oil + fluids the day before Take your mirrors off if you can, if not tape them up Make sure everything is tight on the bike Check the bike isn't leaking oil Put in the baffle if you have one or the stock can if you have it - nothing worse than being black flagged for pinging the db meter and sitting out the rest of the day On track: It is not a race! It's a novice sessions so you will get people like yourself on their first days, its amazing fun but take it easy Don't be a d*ck Don't stuff it up the inside on corners - generally in novice if they are about to tip in its their line and you let them complete the corner Don't blast past closely on the straights - give at least 6ft If you do something that is a little "close" apologise Use the sighting laps to warm up your tyres - don't bother weaving its hard acceleration on the straights and hardish breaking on the straights if you want to get heat in them quickly There will be some people who are on the cusp of moving up to inters who will be "fast" compared to you, this is perfectly normal You will get people who should be in inters in novice as the inter group may have filled up before they could book - this is perfectly normal Use the instructors on the day and ask if they can follow you or you follow them for a few laps for feedback Be prepared to be blasted on the straights by big cc bikes Be prepared to have bikes on both sides going past you Be predictable in your movements (racing line) where possible as it makes it easier for followers to guess roughly what you will do As the day progresses the speeds will go up as people are more comfortable on the track and have their eye in If someone does something dangerous around you, let it go and tell the instructors/ marshals - do not go and confront them, if you need to sit out the next session to relax and go grab a coffee Have a look at YouTube videos of the track you are going to to get an idea on where you are going - honestly this is a massive help! Use your front brake and forget the rear one to start with Everything is like a dimmer switch - braking, accelerating, leaning - do not do anything snappy or harsh as it will unsettle the bike and your concentration Focus on your lines not your speed Focus on your body position - head and upper body low and looking through the corner first then worry about dragging your knee later, make sure you have a gap between your groin and the tank, loads of videos online, lifeatlearn is very informative or motojujitsu Focus on points on the circuit for breaking and tip in If the instructors are running information sessions through the day then go and watch Use all the track - it doesn't matter that you aren't setting lap records as when your speed increases it will already be in your mind where you are going (and then you will need all the track) Consistency is the key You think a 40 minute gap between sessions is long but they fly by Personally I always found the very last session of the day the silly session as people throw caution to the wind - I nearly always sit this out now and just pack up the van and get ready to leave. That's my limited opinion on track days, best fun I've ever had on a bike and worth all the money it costs, as a rough guide we estimated £250 a day for all costs excluding bike insurance (track day, hotel night before, fluids, tyres, pads etc, diesel for the van). Additional track day insurance is about £100 for the day, I personally use BeMoto. Biggest difference was turning my road riding in to easy/ fun rides as all the fast riding was done on the track and not on the road. Have fun!

Aprilia Dorsoduro 750 ABS Limited Edition - Registered 2016 £4600.00 10,091 miles in Excellent condition. Fantastic underrated bike! MOT and serviced September 2018. Service history, 2 keys, radiator guard, PipeWerx cans with removable baffle (sounds beautiful), stock can also comes with this. Dunlop RoadSmart 3s with plenty of tread left. I am moving over to one bike (already bought) to use on the track and occasionally on the road so selling both this and my current track bike also listed here. Viewing welcome but please no silly offers or swaps thank you.

Sorry forgot to put it on, £2000 and I have updated the advert. Good guess Richzx6r

GSXR 600 K4 registered 2005 - Located near Monmouth £1900.00 OVNO I bought this bike back in September 2018 as a second bike to get in to track days and due to the low mileage as a long term track project. So far I have completed two novice track days without an issue. It was roundabout dropped back in 2015 and was sat in the local workshop under a cover for 3 years, you can see the damage in the photos and it was purely cosmetic which is why it went through its MOT in September with no issues. When I bought it I paid for a full service and the front forks to be re-done with oil and new seals, new tyres (Dunlop RoadSmart 3s), tail tidy, crash bobbins, new indicators and a race screen. Unfortunately the speedo stopped working when it was dropped and so the mileage has not gone up since the new MOT, rev counter works fine. As it was a track bike this didn't bother me but if it does to you please don't try and low ball me with silly offers. The mechanics on it are perfect and on the two track days I've done it hasn't missed a beat. Unfortunately due to numerous operations on my knee the riding position is too uncomfortable and so I have bought another bike for the track and this is taking up garage space so needs to be gone. Suspension is setup for me in full kit (95kg). Recall on front brake master cylinder was completed in January of this year and I have the confirmation receipt to confirm. It comes with the stock can, key less fuel filler (not fitted yet), lower baffle for the fitted Blueflame exhaust (102db without), rear pillion seat and one key with plenty of tread left on the tyres. It would be a fantastic starter track bike or project for someone.

For me its all about comfort and mobility, I have never been a fan of leather trousers even when they are broken in and textiles are bulky and just sound like a crisp packet when you walk Jeans give me the freedom to move around on the bike, I have put in light hip armour that isn't visible and the knee armour is in a knee sock so it stays where it should and a zip belt to attach my jacket to my jeans to reduce the risk of it sliding up or moving (bonus is it keeps the wind out). When I get to where I am going I can walk about, sit comfortable and not boil in the bag in the summer months. Yes leather will more likely keep you in one piece if you have an off, yes it has a longer "burn/ slide time" but who are we kidding, on most roads I doubt you would slide for more than a second or two before hitting something solid so if the jeans have a burn time of 3-5 seconds I'll take it and pray it's a hedge and not a bus/ vehicle coming the other way where nothing is going to protect you from that! Winter months when its dry I put on some technical long johns to reduce the chill and the jeans I have have a light water repellent which keeps the showers at bay. They also have some Lycra in them for a little stretch which means when I do want to have kids I will still be able to and they look fitted so blend in and look good. Gear is very personal, some of my friends will only ride in a one piece but it's because that is what they are most comfortable in. Comfort to me means less distractions and so IMO reduces the risks of having an accident because you were distracted by a pinch or rubbing somewhere about you gear. It's the same for gloves, I like the lighter short cuff gloves rather than a full gauntlet and my personal favorite is the Kevlar lined AlpineStar Scheme's with pretty much 0 impact protection.

I wear jeans for most of the year when its dry/ light showers and carry some plastic over trousers for when the weather turns, personally I find them much more versatile for comfort and general use than leathers or textiles. I am aware that in an accident there is a lot more movement and chances for rotations etc but I doubt there are many roads apart from dual carriageways and motorways that you would be sliding on for over 5 seconds without hitting anything so the additional slide time on leather for me is not so relevant. My old jeans I have sprayed with Nikwax and it works for light showers in the summer where you know they will dry as soon as the sun comes out and I have purchased some pre-treated kevlar jeans for the more changeable months and they work great! I bought an attachment belt to connect to my jacket for both my leather and Rukka jacket and it stops any draft and will hopefully stop the jacket riding up in a crash. I have a full Rukka textile set for the wet and cold days (winter) and the jacket I will wear until the needle goes above 16 degrees and then its back to leather jackets, I would always go for jeans over leather but that is my preference, one of my friends only wears a one piece all year round as for him that's when he is most comfortable. I work on the grounds that if I am comfortable (hot or cold) then I am a more focused rider and you would hope less likely to be involved in an accident due to being distracted from my gear/ temperature. I would get a pair of jeans and some over trousers and go from there but that's just me

2016 Limited Edition - purchased in Jan 2018 from Cubo Moto £5700.00 Good points Very nimble Very light to throw about Plenty of poke in the twisties and more than enough in general really for the roads around me Grips extremely well even when banked over and hitting uneven roads High quality in the build and very solid, no rattling of fairings or parts Comfortable riding position for all day jaunts and the seat isn't that bad for around 4 hours Very pretty and unique on the roads (people always come over to ask what it is) Sounds fantastic with the Pipewerx cans on, I actually put the baffles back in as it gave a much deeper note rather than bonkers loud 3 throttle modes actually work, rain is fantastic for the winter but the rest of the time I leave it in Touring as sport is a little over sensitive for country lanes Bad points Tiny and I mean a tiny fuel tank - give it some consistent hard riding and my light comes on at 70 miles, maximum I have seen is about 90 with cruising Fag packet only space under the seat Seat is a pain to put back on Bum gets very warm from the high cans when around town Cannot turn off ABS so no rear locking for corners Would I get another I bought this bike blind after I fell out of love with my CBR and being rattled to death on the roads around here. My friend bought the 1200 and I was doing my due diligence for him and looking at reviews and forums, all seemed positive and then he emailed me a link to this bike and I fell in love right away, rang up Cubo the next day and whilst picking his up in Leicester we then carried on and lobbed this in the back as well. Fantastic bike for a mid capacity, its not as brutal as the KTM 950SM I had and you don't have to be as rough with throwing it around. But when you do reach the limit and it all gets out of shape its not a tense up and pray feeling, you just let it have its wobble, find its grip, laugh and then carry on. I ride mine like a motox bike and that's when it feels most comfortable, I get grief from friends for swinging my leg out but for me its all part of the fun factor of this bike. I always smile when getting on it and starting the engine, you can sit back and relax and enjoy the note and the scenery and when you want to get your head down, slide forward and grind out the pegs. It really is an underrated and over looked machine, I rode the 1200 and that is an animal in comparison, it wants you to wallop it all the time, blink and you're at a corner, blink next corner, its addictive but eventually your luck and skill will run out and so the 750 keeps that feeling in check giving you enough fun but not at a ridiculous speed. It is a back roads bike and if ridden well I doubt much will touch it!

Regarding the leather boots, dubbing is best or some of the G-wax which will help run water off the top of the boot but it will eventually soak in and as said above short of plastic bags or Gore-Tex socks in seriously heavy rain you will get wet and it will just run down your legs from your trousers in to your boots anyway Jackets are a tough one - I have found if you want waterproof for anything more than a short shower its either £800+ on kit or just buy a £30 Army Gore-Tex jacket and wear it over the top. You will still get water ingress from around your neck and up your sleeves but it will deflect the worst of it as it wont be pushed in to the textile jacket at 60+mph, your jacket also wont get heavy with water and it's great as a wind blocker as well to keep any warmth around your core. Bonus is they are small enough to stash under a seat and will make your leather jacket waterproof too I now just ride in a leather jacket all year which I purchased with a little extra room to layer up with thermals in winter and a belt zipper to attach to my Kevlar jeans in the event of the worst, it also stops the wind blowing up your back in cold and wet weather Only when it gets seriously cold (where I would question riding at all) will I pull out the thermal textile jacket and even then if in crap weather I will still slap on the Army jacket over the top for wind and water protection.

SOLD Reason for sale - My partner and I are now doing a lot more touring rather than weekend rides and she is lucky and has fairing on her bike so unfortunately I need something with a bit of fairing for the times we have to munch miles on motorways. 7000 miles in just over a year have just been one big grin but the lack of fairing can be tiring on long weekends away. It is a real shame as this bike has never managed to not make me smile but I cannot afford to run two bikes and a car so it has to go. It really is a fantastic bike for UK roads and with the fully adjustable WP suspension it just soaks up all of the holes, bumps and ripples and always fills you with confidence. If you are looking for something to make you laugh and give you confidence in the corners then this is the style of bike for you. This is not a top speed bike but more of a tight and twisty machine with late braking, squaring off the corner and firing it out the other side and then when that is over just sit back, chill out and look at the scenery in comfort rather than hunched over some clipons and really wishing you hadn't eaten that massive lunch! It is a bike designed for fun rather than bragging to your mates about how fast you went. Stored in a garage MOT - July 2018 (no advisories) LeoVince aftermarket cans - baffles removed it will set off car alarms (I still have them) LED Headlight R&G Engine Sliders & rear swing arm sliders 20,437 miles - I have owned this bike since 13,000 just over 1 year ago. It will creep up as I am still using this bike Recent oil and filter change at 20,000 Major service including new spark plugs, fuel pump, valve clearance and carb balance at 16,000. New Dunlop Road Smart 3's with around 600 miles so far. New DID chain and standard sprockets replaced at 16,000. Touring screen comes with it, it makes cruising at 85mph bearable for more than 30 minutes. Tank sticker has bubbling but this is a known issue with the plastic tanks so I removed the KT part as it looked tatty. Any questions please let me know and any sensible hassle free offers will always be accepted. edit: Pictures

Fantastic product and I use the travel towel when touring on the bike and at music festivals

Best waterproof products I found were the goretex Army jackets which fit over any jacket perfectly and just some general waterproof over trousers. I went in to my local Army/ Navy store in my motorcycle gear and just tried stuff on till I found the right size. £50 all in and its better than anything sub £500 in the jacket and trouser department. Now I just wear a leather jacket and kevlar jeans most of the time with my waterproof overs just stuffed in a cheap tail pack and a first aid kit. Only when its sub 10 degrees do I get the textiles out and just leave the thermal liners in all year.

I buy everything from sportsbikeshop as their service and returns are fantastic, this includes helmets as I have found the brand that fits me best so just keep ordering that. Most items with reviews give you a good enough idea on the fit and their pricing is pretty keen and takes out the hassle of having to drive 30+ miles just to find a bike shop with a reasonable range!

I put 8k on the D.I.D chain on the tl with lots of rough arse wheelies it's still on the bike now that my brother uses to commute on in all weather's!! I also rode it like I stole it all the time! Exactly. I think anyone who thinks they ride hard enough on the road to destroy a chain in 1000miles needs to prove it.... Well if you pick some very tight and twisty roads around my way, go out at 6am with some friends when there is no one else around, ride them enthusiastically and you still haven't gone above 60mph but constantly on and off the throttle, any big twin is not kind to chains especially in that type of situation with the constant snap of power, heavy breaking, snap of power. P.s. how would you like your proof? Thanks for the info on the warranty Stu I didn't actually know they offered one!

You either buy really cheap crappy chains or you have zero mechanical sympathy!! I always buy DID chains but like anything if you ride it hard you will wear it out quicker. Mechanically my bikes are always looked after and serviced/ regular oil changes. You can destroy a chain in a single day at a track

I think if you do the standard, lube every 600 miles or so, adjust every month or so it will keep the chain in good condition, however I think the life span is more to do with your style of riding than what type of chain it is or how often you clean it or if you use special lapping powders and whisper sweet nothings to it If we get a good bout of hot dry weather in the summer I can go through a chain in around 1000 miles of hard riding and yet in the winter months with all the crap on the road and the washing the bike I could get maybe 5000 miles before needing a new one. I would conclude, for me its more to do with how hard I am on and off the power rather than the type of chain or how well I have love it

Well a few friends actually feel like doing something that will have a lasting memory and after some travel buddies did 4 days just randomly riding around north Vietnam we are sold. What I am asking is I can find loads of places that rent bikes and offer tours but has anyone actually done any or can recommend some companies over there as its just a complete minefield We are looking around 10 days riding and not fussed if with another group. We would prefer more of a scenery tour rather than a full on off road motox tour. Thanks

Hoonigan days - 1 piece/ motox boots, full armour and I put up with the sweaty moobs and having to peal the leathers off at the end of the day. Normal days/ touring - Leather Jacket, Kevlar jeans, normal motorcycle boots, knee armour and some forcefield shorts underneath - nice and comfortable and easy to maintain a reasonable temperature. https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/235666 Night out - Leather Jacket, draggin kevlar long johns with Levi jeans, TCX motorcycle trainers Nipping to shops - Leather jacket, Levi's and my motorcycle trainers Its all down to you, you have to way up the pro's and cons but the simple fact is I go all out when I know I'm having a day of it but it doesn't mean I am less likely to get knocked off etc when just having a bimble around with your mates and seeing some new sights. I factor in the numerous coffee stops and walking around a town or up a little track for a view so a 1 piece and motox boots just aren't comfortable for doing that.

I give my hinges a bit of chain lube spray every once in a while and it seems to stop the squeaking