yaaan

Hi,

Long time member who hasn't been online for a while but after a little help. My wife has a Bandit 650 and the exhaust has rusted through just behind the collector. I've removed the end can but the end of the pipe from this to the collector is stuck inside and I haven't had any luck removing this. If I can get this out I can stick a replacement can on without a problem but getting this internal section out is proving to be a bit of a bugger! Anybody have any suggestions that don't involve removing the header as I understand that this can be filled with pitfalls as well!

Cheers

Ian

yep...ive got a pair of sidi's too - cost me about £170, i love them - i think they look great and they are very good for protection too

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/1239/vertigoblk.jpg

I've got these too. had them for a couple of years and still going strong. Pretty comfy too so no worries on that score.

Thanks guys. I'll get one on order. No diesel car for me so should be fine.

Apparently the Optimate is the charger of choice but does anyone know if they are any good for car batteries? Don't really want to buy 2 chargers so if this will do the job that would be a bonus

Been out in the rain myself today. Normally I don't bother with the bike if it's wet but as the car's off the road at the moment I took the bike. Out of the car park and opened her up a bit (not too much mind as it's slippery) and then closed the throttle off as I got to the junction at the end of the road...at which point the backend took on a life of it's own. Seems the engine braking is enough to break any grip I had

2-0 to the Rider then

Thanks for the comments. I'm not bothered about listening to music while riding (that's what the car's for) so being cheaper and supplied with a headset maybe the Rider's the winner.

How does headset fair when used with ear plugs? I never ride without them and if I can't hear the headset it kind of negates the point of having one....just means I'll have to use my eyes and look at the screen

I'm planning a trip to Norway in September and am thinking about getting sat nav for the bike. Problem is I don't know which to get. Rider 2 and Zumo 550 seem to be the main options but not sure which is going to be better. Rider 2 comes complete with basic bluetooth headset and is cheaper than the Zumo which, if you get what you pay for, suggests it's not as good as the Zumo. This concurs with some opinions I've received wich point to the Zumo being easier to use.

Does anyone out there have any experience of one or the other (or both) that might help me make the decision? To be honest I probably won't use it much beyond longer trips like this so if it's a bit awkward to use it's not a problem as I won't be using it on a daily basis.

Failing that, I'll just plan it on google maps and take a print out with me

Anything will be quieter than a Roof, and will feel comfortable too!

You'll get new arguments from me there. Anything over about 40 is almost painful without ear plugs. A real shame though as the Roof is by far and away the most comfortable helmet I've worn. It'll still get used, just not for the longer motorway journeys.

I'm going to go and try a few when I get back next week

Thanks for the comments folks Reckon I'll just have to try and find a store or two that stock them and try some on.

Don't you just hate it when you have to go to bike shops

I'd have to recommend Baglux as well if you can justify the expense. Very well made and has the added advantage of it not being able to fall off I had one for severel years and it was perfect for commuting to work but great if you needed something larger for a weekend away. I've got an Oxford Humpback tank bag now as Baglux don't do any tank covers for Morinis and I needed a non magnetic one. It's proved to be pretty good although a little small than I would have liked. Expandable though so may be perfect for what you're looking for...and it can be warn as a backpack when not on the bike!

Anybody wear these? Have any comments? I'm looking for another lid to use for longer journeys/motorway miles as the Roof is a tad noisy and after a while gets a little uncomfortable (I wear ear plugs all the time but at higher speeds it's still noisier than I am happy with). The first helmet I had was AGV and fitted well and I quite like the look of the Stealth. I see that they score well on the Sharp test but I have seen reveiews that suggest they aren't the quietest either...although undoubtedly quieter than my current one! On the other hand I hear that Schuberth make some pretty quiet lids but they don't seem to score so highly. Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

ive got the US-10 tailpack its an excellent bit of kit,doesnt leak and when its strapped on the back it doesnt move around at all

I'll second this. I've got the US-20 tailpack and it's perfect. Not tested it's waterproofness yet but is well made and seems to be pretty robust. Definitely gets my reccomendation.

and put names to faces

Yaan and girlfriend..... Cas

Good to meet you all too. Now I have a selection of names and faces but might be a while before I can work out which ones go with which

Thanks Rennie and Susie for organising this all and guiding us in/making the introductions! Hope to meet some/all of you again at some future events...although less chocolate next time I hope...bit now!!

I still don't know who, if anybody, I'm meant to be meeting at J2M5.

I'll see you there. Nice and easy for me to find:) Will be there by 10.30.

if anybody does want to meet at McDonalds, J2 M5

then you need to tell me on here

So far it's susie and I and Grim and Mrs from Telford on bikes.

Count me and the other half in for meeting at McDonalds. Not too far from Gloucester and saves me the trouble of finding my way to Cadbury World

Do you mean the 14th?

I hope so because that's when I'm going!

Excellent Looking forward to the opportunity to gorge myself on chocolate and finally get to meet some of you all!

Been a bit rubbish and only just noticed this thread. A bit of a long shot but if there's still space/you're able to add more, would there be room for 2 more adults? No worries if not, it'll teach me to get my lazy arse in gear a bit quicker

Just got home from work and the set I ordered from Intaride was sitting her waiting for me. I've had a quick play and they seem to be pretty good. Not having fitted them I don't know what they will be like but after Christmas once they are in place I'll post a quick review and opinion...but it's certainly a chepaer option than the Autom/Starcom ones if you're not bothered about being able to connect MP3s, SatNavs etc.

...i forgot all about magnets in tank bags!

That's the beauty of the baglux system...no magnets, although you pay for the privillage! Alternatively, Oxford do a tank bag attachment thingy that straps onto the tank and the tank bag zips onto it. I've got one of these too and it's ok and not too bad pricewise. Designed for those with plastic tanks where magnets don't work

http://www.sounddistribution.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=3406

I bought one of these a couple of months back and would recommend it:

http://www.kriega.com/pages_uk/us20/US20-topframeset.html

No hassles attaching it to the bike, just lift the seat, pop the straps under and put the seat back on. Nice and solid so you won't drop your laptop and waterproof too which would obviously be a bonus

Otherwise, have a look at the Baglux system. A bit pricey but you can get a decent size tank bag and it won't scratch your tank. Had one on my Speed4 and it was great. Shame they don't make one for my new bike

I think I'm probably leaning in the direction of the starcom system and that seems to be the preferred option here. I must confess to being put off the autocom one a little by their website which states: New for 2006!

Thanks for that mate I'm pretty certain I'm going to go for one of these systems. I'm just wondering how easy they are to remove so she can lend them to her mates while I'm away. If it's going to be a pain in the arse I may have to look at an alternative solution. I did think about the Scala Q2 bluetooth jobby but I have seen mixed reviews.

The girlfriend is after some and is dropping big hints for Christmas so I've started to have a look about. The starcom and autocom ones seem to be the most popular so I guess it's fairly safe to assume they're pretty good. However, given that I'm out of the country quite a lot, she would like ones that can easily be shared with other people she rides with and I think these 2 systems need to be fitted. My question is, for those of you with experience of these, how easy are they to fit/remove? Also, when fitting, how do they attach to the bike? I'm not to keen on having to drill holes in my bike to attach anything.

I've often wondered about these yaan. How good are they? On a scale of 1 to 10 sort of thing...

I'd give them about a 9. Not completely perfect but by far the best I have used so far!