bonio

I tried the smallest bud, but I have tiny ear canals, so perhaps that the issue. I'll give them another go and put them in more gently.

A couple of years. Might be a poor fit. Might have another go at customs from another company.

I have a pair of custom silicone ear plugs. They do a great job at keeping the noise out, but they're sodding uncomfortable. I always use them with some kind of ear lube, and like that they're fine for an hour, and even not too bad for a day on the bike, but after a few days of touring, my ears just can't take any more of them. So I read the reviews here on the Quiet Loop earplugs and bought a pair. Oh sooo soft and downy. But no good at keeping the noise out. Don't really know what to do... am I doing something wrong? Do I need to boil the Loops before they become properly quiet? Or should I boil the customs? Are silicone ear plugs really meant to be that uncomfortable? Any advice welcome.

Nice one @rennie! Clearance can take ages, but go and make the most of the next few weeks off before you start.

If he just keeps on at it he'll get his pass in the end and prove them all wrong.

Nothing could be easier. You can start by telling us what bike you ride. And then we will ask for a picture.

That section of road from the bridge and on into Germany is a cracking road. At it least it was when I rode it in June

Wowser. Route planning suddenly becomes 2 times easier!

I had the same head-heart dilemma when I bought my TV; the head said get a Multistrada. I'm taking the bike into dealer tomorrow for 5 elecrical faults. Not sure how long it will be in, as there's always difficulty getting parts from Italy. To be fair, the bike will be fine to ride once they've repaired the defunct indicator, so I'm fairly sure it will be OK in time for the trip to Germany in September. Would be nice to have the cruise control back before then, but no regrets. Its such an amazing bike, I forgive it everything. The dealer is only an hour away, so it's not a big issue for me, but even so I've found a place 10 miles away where the guy specialises in Italian bikes. He did the last service for me. Top bloke.

Looks amazing!

You mean, we've paid to had them installed.

Must join 'Just stop oil'.

You have two options: 1. you can find a way of getting a bike to the test site without riding it. You will need to be insured to ride the bike. While it is technically possible to do this, I've never worked out how you'd get insurance to ride a bike you're not yet qualified to ride. 2. you can phone a motorbike training company and book an instructor to accompany to the test. With the instructor, you are allowed to ride the bigger bike to the test site, and ride the back back again to the school after the test. You will need to book enough time to cover the journey there and back and faffing around at the test centre before and after the test. The test school will be able to advise you how much time to allow. This is what nearly everyone does.

Should be easy to see if the sprocket has worn, cos the teeth wear on one side more than the other and look a bit hooked.

Got some euros when I was in Greece last week. Got travel insurance for the whole year, so that's still in place. Just euro breakdown still to get.

The 3rd party insurers own 100% of the liability. The OP's insurers and 4th dimension both need to be told to butt out - it's none of their business.

Don't let your insurers anywhere near the bike; as said, all they will do is cream off funds into their bank account, and if Churchill refuse to pay (which they probably will), you will end up owing them money. This is known insurance scam. Don't sign anything. Make Churchill 100% responsible for putting the bike back on the road. That's what they're meant to do. If they order work to be done, or storage, or a replacement bike, they will be responsible for the cost.

Never had a CG myself but they're meant to be a great bike, and completely bomb proof. All the best with the CBT. At 44 you're still 5 years younger than me when I did mine.

Welcome in!

We should meet up for a drink and you can tell me your battle stories.

Beautiful! Hope the end of the chaos is coming into sight.

What a complete pita. I hope it all gets sorted without too much hassle.

My garage has a handy upstairs, where I built this. Gloves and buffs and the like go in the drawers.

Ask the dealer. Or like Stu says check in the manual. It's usually something like keep it under 3 or 4000 rpm for the first 600 miles then gradually increase over the next 400. Use all the gears and dont stay at one fixed rpm for too long. After 1000 miles ride it as you like.

Jack's got a Multistrada???