bonio

I second the Triumph Tiger and V-Strom options; either might work out for you. Or a Versys; you can pick up older ones at reasonable prices. There are some MT-09s that are just in your price range, too. But as [mention]Mississippi Bullfrog[/mention] says, you need to try the bike out - or if they won't let you then at least go and sit on it - before you buy.

Yup. 1. Check the rear tyre: I've had exactly this feeling, and was sure my rear shock was going. It turned out all I needed was a new rear - it was squared off. Similarly, check the pressure. Too low can make the rear squirm. 2. If this doesn't sort it out then check the suspension set up: if there's not enough preload on the rear, the bike can wallow in corners, which feels a lot like your description. Check to see what it's set up to now, and compare to the manufacturer's recommendations. Also, you can just play with different adjustments and see if it improves. A properly set-up suspension can completely transform a bike.

There's a part of the test - usually towards the end - where they tell you to follow signs to some place or road. Just get this firmly in your head: there are no faults for failing to follow the signs, only for riding badly. So keep your focus on the road, and follow the signs when you can do so safely.

+1 for thanks for the advice. I've been snooping here and think I might suggest the Cardo Freecom, as a non-budget-breaking birthday present

The other thing to bear in mind is that insurers can be sensitive to the number of mods on a bike. I've not had a problem with bikes with three or four mods - say, screen, heated grips, hugger and braided brake lines - but I had one bike that had been modded to oblivion - all those plus wavy discs, end can, a notch out of the rear sprocket etc. etc. - and I ended up skipping over some just to get any quotes at all. These days, which I'm looking at bikes, I'm put off ones like that.

Unredeemable? According to Merriam Webster, "unredeemable" means, "unable to be redeemed or made better". Compare this now to "irredeemable", with the meaning "being beyond remedy, hopeless". The difference between the two lies in the degree: the latter is more intensive and is thus, I suggest, more consonant with the context - a "genuine, shameless twat" - than the former.

1. Get your VIN from the frame 2. Find out your nearest Lextek dealer here: https://www.lextekproducts.com/distributors.php and call them up. They should have the database of VINs and should be able to help you out.

That's one of my favourite things about biking. I love it. Never took you for a nooks and crannies sort of bloke.

Cleaning the thing. All those nooks and crannies.

77 for me again, Noble Hoggs. You never know, I might even get one or two tags done this year.

Neuerberg is a great base. It's 5 or 6 hours from Calais, depending on how long you stop for. Once you're there your spoiled for choice for roads. Or if you want to move about from place to place, then take a tour round the Eifel, Saarland, and perhaps the Vosges. Final: keep away from cities and large towns: too much traffic.

If the road surface is dry, then I'll look out for diesel spills and take the roundabout at any (safe!) speed. But if the surface is wet I'' just assume it has diesel on it. Reminds me though of a wobbly time [mention]Igloo[/mention] [mention]Snod Blatter[/mention] and I had in Germany last year. We were riding like it was our last day (which it was). Igloo was in front went round a bend straight into diesel all over the road; I don't know how he kept the bike upright. Snod followed and used similar superpowers to keep the right way way up. I'd seen them wobble like the possessed so I'd slowed down and could avoid it. A bit lucky, as I don't have that superpower in my collection.

Really sorry to hear this, Paul. Probably an inner ear problem. It can make you feel truly ill. Did the doc say how long it's likely to last?

Oooh. Ducati Multistrada. Nice bike

Me too: I'd gone blue without noticing. About to be tangoed now though.

Sorry to hear this again mate. What about getting a winter hack, one that everyone will pass by? If a bike costs £500, you can shift a hot one for £100, so you're going to go up some other road and look for better pickings.

This wasn't quite my approach to bringing up kids, but it's pretty much how they saw it at the time. And now, you're right, they do actually thank me.

I think a lot dependso nthe bike. I had one on the GS and it transformed the bike: the gearbox is made of discarded German tractor parts, and mine was temperamental and rough. On a bad day, the quickshifter would take 2 seconds off every gear change. On my current Tiger, though, I wouldn't bother: the clutch is light, the gearbox is a dream, and there's loads of power a low revs, so there's not a lot to be gained. On a GSX600R, if it were me, I think I'd go for it. I didn't have one on mine, but if I had, it would have have made it easier to shift gears quickly at high revs. And the bike likes to be ridden near the red line

I'll give this a try. not sure that this will get the dirt off it. I might give it go and see if it improves it. This is my main problem. One ride to work and it can look as if I've been offroading in the dunes.

How do you keep it so clean? Mine already looks like it's been rolling in a field of pigs Wash day on Saturday.

I have these gloves and yes they do work quite well but if it's very very cold, you do feel cold fingertips after about an hours ride. I have them too. Same result. But they're my warmest glove. Heated grips are awesome. I've got some heated inner gloves, but hardly ever had to use them.

The A23 near Purley? Or the A13 near Purfleet?

Yes mate. You're allowed to do this. But you might consider how safe it is. I personally wouldn't ride a 50cc on busy dual carriageway*. This is the very reason I ditched my scoot, got a full licence and a 500cc (I had changed jobs, and my commute changed with it). * I don't know what part of the A13 you want to use, so this might not apply

There's plenty of cracking riding still to be done here. This was today's blast: a visit to MCT.

I doubt a 400 will do it for you. My DR-Z400 does 70 mpg or more (and 70 spm*) when you keep under nicely 60. But put it on a dual carriageway and make it keep up with the traffic and that plummets to about 45 mpg. And the fun drops off in the same proportion. * smile per mile.