bonio

Sheesh. That's a lot to have to get through. Good to hear from you though mate. Damn. A fine opportunity missed.

Happy birthday, mate.

When it comes to the helmet, find a place where you can try them on and get advice on fitting. A proper is essential for it to do its job when you want it to.

DAS. DAS. DAS.

I've fitted a pair of these: http://www.twistedthrottle.com/denali-d4-2-0-trioptic-led-light-kit-with-datadim-technology. I went for them to avoid the buy cheap, buy twice dilemma, and after reading a number of reviews of cheaper lights that had let in the rain. Denali make a mount designed for the bike, which meant they were easy to fit: the only slightly difficult thing was routing the wiring to the battery; it took me a few goes before I was happy with the result. The lights are Aaaamazing - small portable suns. My road home has no lights, no cats eyes, and no traffic, and is full of bends that do surprising things in the dark. The extra visibility safely adds about 10mph to my speed. They are quite large (10-11cm square), heavy, and appear to be solidly made. I got a controller thing that plugs into the CANBus and allows you to control the lights while riding. The downer is that this seems to have fried itself during my alternator problems, and customer service from Denali is very slow.

The jets are the tubes that squirt petrol into the carburettor. That's 95% of what I know about the subject. Here's the other 5%: leave them well alone unless you've got fuelling problems and you've tried everything else to fix them.

Sure, it's not too hard to brake while cornering and keep everything under control, although braking just before is definitely easier. I guess by braking as you enter the corner, you might get out of it a shade more quickly, but I'd be surprised if it made any appreciable difference for most people when riding on real roads (as opposed to on a track). But given that not every corner goes 100% to plan, it's nice to be able to have something in reserve so you can apply the brakes should you find it tightens up or there's a loose sheep in the middle of the road; but if you're already on the brakes, you have fewer options.

Best thread award. Deserves to win for the unexpected ending.

Sorry to hear of your woes [mention]Mississippi Bullfrog[/mention]. I feel your pain: our old boiler packed in just before Christmas, so the house got an unexpected early Christmas present. Better luck to you, mate.

So, Slice, what did they say when you called them up? Did they say could just put another form in? Whatever you do about your signature, remember how it looks. Like Gerontious said, the only real requirement is that you can reproduce it.

Go do it! You won't regret it.

Sorry, I wasn't very clear. But like Beefy said, the "course" and the CBT are the same thing. There's just one fee. If you can afford it, get a 125. First, you will benefit hugely from practising using gears (assuming you go and get a bigger bike one day). Secondly, you can't keep up with the traffic on a 50cc, so you spend your life on the roads being overtaken by trucks and cars and donkey carts, which isn't a lot of fun. But your average 125 can do keep up on most roads (it's only on fast dual carriageways that they lag behind).

Hi there, 1. Apply for a provisional driving licence. You can apply online (http://here) or get a form from larger post offices. It will cost £43 2. Next, as above, you need to attend a CBT. They are run by motorcycle training schools, and take place all over the country. If you google CBT and stick your post code in you should find some places near you. The training should last the best part of a day. They will provide helmet and gloves and the bike for the day, as well as an instructor. The first part will be in a car park or somewhere where you can practice simple stuff safely, and then in the afternoon they'll take you out on the roads. If all goes well, at the end of the day, you get a certificate which entitles you to a bike up to 125cc, on the road, with L plates, for the next two years. The course will cost £100-£120. 3. Then you will probably want to get a bike and some kit of your own. You can get good second-hand kit on ebay: jacket, trousers, boots and gloves. Don't be tempted to skip this bit: it can save you your skin. You will need to buy the helmet new, and you will need to try it on and get advice from the salesman to make sure you get a good, tight fit, which means going to a shop. All in, you should be able to get kitted up for £250ish, I reckon. As for bikes, 125s can be a bit pricey: it's hard to find reasonable ones under £1000. The cheapest prices are from private sales, which you can find on Gumtree or ebay, but take someone along with you who knows bikes unless you're confident you know what you're looking for. This bit is "buyer beware". You will also need to buy a road licence for the bike and insurance. I don't know how much the licence is (but I'd guess £30-£50). Insurance can be expensive though. Try to get some quotes online for bikes on your list before you start travelling to see any. 4. Once the two years on your CBT are up, you will have to take another. or you decide you want to take the full test and ride without CBTs and without L plates. But that bit can wait for later Feel free to ask any questions.

Looks very tidy

I agree with [mention]Joeman[/mention] about HJC - there may be a model out there to fit you.

I don't bother with them. In summer, I use lightweight gloves that let the water in. When my hands get cold, the heated grips go on, and when it stops raining, the gloves dry out quickly enough.

well done

IIRC, shipping - like with USPS - isn't that cheap, and there's no avoiding the import duties. Better to stash stuff away in your suitcases and get the duty-free allowance. The luggage allowance on the flights is often absurdly large, and you'll be able to buy Texas-sized suitcases in Anchorage if you need.

I'm with Beefy - sounds like the issue is too much rear brake.

Cracking helmet. Oh, no, I didn't mean that it's cracking, like really cracking. Just cracking like cracking good.

Looks very nice

Mods. Please would you frame this thread. Must be the first one ev-ver where everyone agrees

Worth keeping in mind that the US is the great land of consumer shopping. If you choose to pack light, you won't be short of opportunities on the way to pick up stuff you find you need.

If you've got the choice, go for DAS. It will get you there quicker, and the instructors by and large do a good job of preparing you for the test without needing to run around on your own 125.

Not sure I can peddle fast enough to keep with goat on his Stelvio.