bonio

Don't ride in the kerb. If people want to overtake you, make them do it properly; don't encourage them to hoosh up within a few inches of you. So, ride in the middle of your lane (this is the rule for beginners) or else in the track of the cars' right hand wheels.

You can. I had an '02 CB500. It was a cracking bike and far better to ride than it appeared to be on paper. I was mainly commuting, summer and winter. So it gets my vote too.

Happy birthday .

I'd second a suzuki vanvan. Nice low seat and comfortable too.

Not sure you're drinking hard enough mate.

Yup. "Competent accountant" is a great recommendation. "Competent bike" just isn't.

Showing us all how it's supposed to be done, mate.

The H2 is an amazing bike, but not a machine for the fainthearted. It's a bit of a beast. I've never ridden one, and it's not on my wish list, but I wouldn't mind the chance to have a go, just to feel the terror of moment It's in bit of a niche market: sports tourers are out and adv bikes have largely taken their place. I guess it's a competitor to the R1300RT, but the BMW is a classic "pipe and slippers" bike, whereas the H2 comes with factory-fitted bad attitude. The beemers sell by the garage-load. Fewer want an H2, but for those who do, it's a highly prized bike. People who are looking to get one will happily across the country for one that's in good nick. Stick it on autotrader. It will show among all dealers offering the same bike. If yours had an attractive price on it (and factor in the absence of dealer guarantee), it will sell.

This is the sign of a good instructor or examiner. A lot depends on what you've seen and why you've made the decision you did, and a good instructor or examiner will want to find this out.

@ColinWB Yup. Mud and gravel too.

Hi John. Welcome to the madhouse.

It's hard for us to know what advice to give, as in each case you mention, we've only got a slim idea of the whole situation. But there's one thing that seems odd in what your instructor's saying - "what if you'd slipped and crashed", and "what if you'd dropped the bike". Was there any reason for him to say this? I mean, was there diesel or gravel or wet mud all over the road? Because, in normal riding situations, you don't ride with the idea in your head - "If I go now and I drop the bike, then I'd be unsafe, so I'd better wait". So for him to put that idea into your head is, well, odd. At best, your instructor isn't very good at explaining things. Perhaps he saw a real reason for you to wait in those two situations, but he couldn't it into words, and so you got this non-explanation instead? Or perhaps Simon's right and he's just a bit of a tosser. From your point of view, either option leads to the same suggestion: go find yourself another instructor. Perhaps with another school.

Yeah, my ride back yesterday was in the mist and the dark. Bendy roads, too, but at least I know them. I think the problem with riding in the dark, is that I only look at the bit of the road where the patch of light from the headlamp falls. But at a bend, all the information I need is out there in the darkness, in the silhouettes of the trees against the moonlit sky, and the faint flow of grey tarmac sliding between the shadowy hedgerows. I did better when I started looking more often outside that illuminated patch.

Popped over to Cambridge for the evening. Great ride out. Misty back.

This is true. Your insurance on that bike is still valid insurance until its cancelled or its terms finishes, and it's there in the insurance database. If the bike's in an accident, anyone involved could claim on your insurance, and you could end up having to declare the claim for the next 5 years. It's unlikely, but it has happened. To me, it's worth the £25 "admin fee" to have to pay to have it cancelled.

But the worry is, that it's not in least essential the Government does anything. If the motorcycle sector folded, the only people complaining would be us grumpies here and few others you might meet through facebook. Most people wouldn't even notice.

Your first step is to get a CBT on a 125cc bike. This is a certificate you get by going through typically one or two days of training with a registered training school. If it were me, I'd phone (or better still, visit) the schools you have near you. Ask them about their CBT course and listen to what they have to say. It's important to find instructors you feel comfortable with. Once you settled on the school you want to go with, they can tell you what you need to have to do the CBT. I think they all provide helmets you can borrow, but they will likely other kit - boots, gloves, jackets - available as well. If you've not driven a car before, you will need to apply for a provisional driving licence, and it would also be a good idea to read the Highway Code before you turn up for the CBT. Once you've got your CBT you can think about getting a 125 and riding it on L plates. This is the time you will need to get your own kit, but remember that insurance can be costly for people starting out, so factor that into your budget. The CBT allows you to ride for 2 years, and then you must retake it, or take a full test on your 125cc bike and get a licence (A1) that restricts you to riding 125s. If you're over 24, you could instead opt for the Direct Access Scheme (DAS) which allows you to continue training with a school on a 650cc bike, ending in taking your full test and getting your full unrestricted (A) licence. If you take this route, the good thing is that you never have to take another test again, and you can ride any bike you like, not just a 125. But it's more expensive, and not everyone wants to start riding a bigger bike straight off. You'll have an idea what's right for you once you've done your CBT, and your instructor can help you come to the right decision.

I was thinking something like an SV650 or an ER6 might do fit what you're looking for. But, as above, check out the insurance quotes before you set your heart on anything. You may find they limit what you can get.

@Fender1515. Yup, he said he started to drill them, and they just came out on their own. For that to work, it meant he was using a left-handed drill bit.

The bloke picked the bike up at half nine and phoned an hour later to say it's fixed.

I know this is they way to do it on a 650, but does a 125 really get to 30 in 2nd? Not sure my old VanVan would have...

I'm thinking I could easily make matters worse and wreck the caliper. Probably will get the shop to pick it up.

Oh no! So stupid! Why I am sooo stuuupid? It was meant to be an easy job - replacing the front brake pads. It was an easy job until I set the torque wrench to 25 Nm out to tighten up the caliper bolts. But I never got that cl---unk feel it's meant to do, it just made a little click, so I tightened a bit more until it could feel it do something. Both bolts.... sheared off in the caliper. I am so cross with myself. Speechless.

I've always used them. I found them great when used to commute in towns a lot. But this winter for the first time I took mine out, as I wondered if it was making it harder to see on country roads. I've replaced it with a foggy mask, which has been ok, except the mask means my glasses start to steam up when stopped. So its, stop, open visor, go, close visor: ok until it starts raining.

Sorry to hear this @Bianco2564.