bonio

Great review! I don't believe you're under any obligation to pay that invoice. If it were me I'd write to the dealer and say that the problem clearly is one between them and the manufacturer and that it is completely unprofessional and unacceptable of them to try to draw you into it. Even if they got you to sign something to say that you were liable for costs there's an argument to say that the agreement has no force as it tries to take away the basic consumer rights granted you by their warranty. I don't if this argument has any legal force but it may make think hard before asking a lawyer to prepare a court summons

What about going to a dealership, the kind of place where they have a load of secondhand bikes (Lings in Harleston for example), and trying the clutch on any 1050s they've got in stock. Could be the clutch cable needs lubricating? But searching on the internet seems to show others complaining about the clutch being heavy on that bike. People say they get used to it.

Comfort is different from one person to the next. We're all different shapes and sizes, and we all have different levels of comfort we want to achieve. Only way to find out if its comfortable for you is to take it on a test ride - like a 2 hour + one, if you can (and if you can't, try a different dealership). I think it's a cracking-looking bike, plus it has that awesome boxer engine which is undiluted delight. I expect it has the standard rag-and-bones BMW gear box which sounds like it's made out of old tractor parts whenever you change gear (but I don't know, I've not ridden one). But if it has a quickshifter, you don't end up doing manual gear changes that often.

I took the starter switch assembly apart, gave the inside a couple of shots of WD40 and happy days it's working. Time get the MOT rebooked.

Since posting, I've been reading up on thumpertalk. It seems a common problem is dirt or corrosion gets into the starter switch, and this affects the operation of the relay that kills the headlamp when you start the bike. A number of people said they had the problem, so that's where I'm going to start. After that it's check the relay, then the wiring. The only has one fuse, so that's kind of checked already.

Was working just fine. Then suddenly not. Now when I turn the key, just the little parking light comes on (yes, it has one; it's main function is to drain the battery when you leave it on "P"). But when I press the flasher switch (you can see why this is a great bike) both beams come on full power. So there's nothing wrong with the lamp or the wiring to it. There's no way to switch the dipped light off - the only light switch goes between dipped and main. Any ideas on how to hunt the problem down? PS For anyone who's just read my tail-light-rescue post, I found out this problem before fixing the tail lamp, so it's not caused by something I've cocked up in the repair.

I took the DRZ out for its MOT a couple of weeks back, had the bright (pun intended) idea of checking the lights. Tail light not working, so cancelled the MOT. Today's the first day I had time to work on it. Found what seemed to be the problem. It didn't take a lot of fiddling about with it for another crimped connection to break so I thought the time had come to get the soldering iron and the heatshrink out and do a proper fix. Really delighted to get it all working. Gutted to find that the headlight now isn't working. Doh.

Welcome in I think you just post in the For Sale area. You'll be all right; I'll put in a word for you.

Felixstowe!

bast*rd.

If you're in Needham Market, you might think about joining Suffolk Riders. Regular Sunday rides, usually leaving from Martlesham. Sometimes half day, sometimes full day. Monthly fish and chip runs on a weekday evening, leaving from all over Monthly club nights in Needham Other random rides Two or three tours a year, usually abroad They're a good group of people - although it's true that old blokes feature more prominently than in the general population - some very good riders among them, though. It's a RoSPA group, so they'll invite you to do the advanced training marlarkey which you might find worthwhile if you haven't already done it. They offer a lot of different kinds of rides, so chances are there's one there that it like what you're after. For all I know you're already a member If it's a more casual thing you're after then, if you're on FB (which is how the biking world meets up these days) check these out Suffolk Biker Family FTWUK - it has a strong Suffolk bias OTT East Coast Ride Outs Then these aren't ride outs, but I guess you know about the bike nights at Stonham Barns? Also Krazy Horse in Bury hold a few bikes nights in the summer - they're always popular. If you're up for a slightly longer ride, Two Wheel Tuesday, held all summer on Tuesday (who'd have thought it...) evenings at Old Buckenham; it's always rammed when the weather's good, has a nice vibe.

Sorry to hear you've not gelled with the bike. I guess it's another sportsbike you're after? What about an Aprilia Tuono? Or if you're not in the market for an M1000R, you might think about a S1000R or RR.

Roc straps are really good. Fairly versatile and won't damage the bike. Won't ping into your eye either. As for bags, the classy option is Kriega. I've never had one, but everyone I know says they're worth the price. For my part, I'd also recommend Lomo bags. Less pretty than Kriega, but rock-solid waterproof and will last for two or three geological periods.

Every work day drags at the moment. I should be grateful for a job that pays, but sometimes I have to heave my eyes up to the screen and make myself start tap tapping.

The old Mini Cooper had space enough for spare wheel. So they remade the car twice as big and forgot to make room for a spare?

The copper who taught me said he were schooled to ride right next to the line (conditions allowing, of course). "Use all the road; you've paid for it". I still take a more extreme position than most.

Nice; I will put that on my to do list.

I've had a few HJCs. Nice wide view from the visor. Good venting. Altogether well made. If you lived near you could try my DRZ and ten minutes later you'd be a convert. But I can see if you've got your eye on an RE, it's a different vibe.

But Perth to Grantown is one the Nine Wonders of the Biking World.

You need a DRZ-400SM. It's light-weight 400, a single cylinder thumper and a proper blast at that. It's happiest on small lanes and handles perfectly on smaller A roads. It can do dual carriageways, but they're not its native territory. It's a tad tall in the saddle, so should suit you sir. You don't wash it; it's meant to look dirty. For helmets, everything you see being sold by a regular seller is certified for use on the roads and is safe, even the cheaper ones. With the top brands you're mainly paying for more comfort. Caberg, HJC, Shark are all good helmets. Shoei, AGV and Schubert are more expensive. But good fit is evreything, so best to buy from a real shop and get advice from the shop assistant.

In my previous jobs my colleagues were Genzedders. They've all long abandoned facebook. FB is best for keeping in touch with elderly relatives.

Direct Access (DAS) is what you want. First you do a CBT and then you get to ride a 650cc on L plates with an instructor. While this is going on, take your theory test. When you're ready, go for the full test (2 tests actually, mod1 and mod2) riding the 650cc. It's a bit pricey, as all the time you're on the road, you have to be with an instructor. But you can tailor the whole thing to suit you. If you've got the time to give to it, you can go from CBT to full licence in a week. But you can at whatever pace suits you. Best thing to do is to phone a couple of schools and see which one you like the sound of.

Hey Steve, Welcome in from Sunny Suffolk

If it's any encouragement, I found the road part of the CBT easier than the machine control bit that went before. It all seemed to come more easily when I was concentrating on other things like traffic and road signs. All the best for your next session

6C and hosing it down here in Glasgow.