bonio

Happy birthday!

So let me see if I've understood this right: You've got an A2 licence, and you're riding an unrestricted SV650, with insurance that covers a restricted SV650 - or least a bike which you're licensed to ride, which amounts to the same thing. Is that about right? And you want to use the bike to take your full class A test, which means the examiners have to understand that the bike needs a full A licence, and that you don't have that licence? I'd have thought the first thing they're going to do is to check the insurance. Second thing will be to check the bike's MOT and tax. It's true they don't normally check these, but this is because nearly everyone does the test on a school bike, and the schools are already checked out by the DSA. The way I understand it, the only test you can take on your own bike is the A1, as you can legally ride a 125 without an A1 licence. It's theoretically possible to take the A2 and A tests on your own bike, but the difficulty of getting insurance means that it's next to impossible, or at least crazy expensive. And the examiners know this too.

I got Darren at MCT to fitted an R1 Nitron shock on my Tiger, for the same reason. He resprung the forks at the same time. The bike was completely transformed from an overweight nag into quite a fine stallion. He was happy with the choice of the R1, so I reckoned it would be more than good enough for my uses. My guess it would be more than good enough for the VFR too. By the way, I went for the version with the separate preload control, so I could adjust preload for luggage at with just a few twizzles of the knob. Well worth it, I reckon, if you ride with and without luggage or pillion.

Wish they'd got me. Whenever I wash it I get a little bit sad at the grime left sticking to all the hard-to-reach places.

100% miss with gloves on. It's ok with hands. So I set it up to follow a route as far as some place where I know I'm going to have a break. A bit a ironic that my gloves used to have bits on the fingers that were meant to activate touch screens; they wore off years ago.

I went with ultimateaddons, too, as I wanted a waterproof case for the phone. Feels really secure, but I've not done the speeds @Mickly is able to vouch for . Bit of a faff to open and close the case, but it gets easier as you get used to it.

Yup, the Varadero is the bike you're looking for.

When you're done with yours...

Blimey Neil, that's rough. I hate meds that send you out of your head. Just don't buy anything BMW while you're still taking them.

Just a minor op. On my way home now

Cooped up in hospital. Alternate between being in pain and being bored.

I think Oxford do fat grips which are replacement parts for your original grips. But fat.

I got one about three years ago. I thought it could be a lifesaver if I ever came off on one of the country roads on my commute home - I'd die of hyperthermia before anyone else came along and saw me in the hedge. After reading around, I decided on the Helite Turtle 2 - a black one - for the same reasons you've said. I also wanted something that I could wear with any jacket, not an integrated thingy. Of course now I don't commute any more, so the need has gone, but I've got in the habit of using it. I'll do the negatives first: It's heavy, and it's a bit stiff and bulky. Off the bike, I prefer not to have it on. When I'm not riding, it's another heavy piece of kit to hang somewhere. On the bike, though, I don't seem to notice it's there. Secondly, it looks a bit crap; I guess I'm vain, but it's a great way of ruining the look of a leather jacket. Last thing, it is super-adjustable for size, and I reckon it should be fitted by someone who knows what they're doing, as it's important to set it tight enough to immobilise your head when it expands, but not so tight it cracks a rib. If you buy from Sportsbikeshop, like me, you're left reading their instructions and hoping you've hit that happy medium. Now the positives: It's well made: decent cordura, solid stitching. I use it sometimes with a backpack; they say just to make sure the pack is loose, to give the vest room to inflate. You need to attach it to a lanyard that ties to the bike's frame, but you can buy extra lanyards to make it easier with multiple bikes. I've forgotten to unclip myself once or twice, and it hasn't fired. But when I did come off a couple of days ago, one of the first things I was aware of was that it had inflated and had me in a bear hug. As a piece of PPE, I think it's great.

Washed mine too. Can't ride it as I'm at home self-isolating before hospital tomorrow.

I think at the moment, to visit France from the UK you need to be double vaccinated and have a recent negative test. If you're not fully vaccinated, you can only visit if your travel is essential, and then you need to jump through une centaine d'hoops, including self-isolating on arrival. As things stand, I'm out of it, as France doesn't recognise my Novavax vaccine, but Mr Van Tam told me (well, ok, I got a circular email) that he hopes this changes over the next few weeks.

We've been planning to get to Oz to see our son for the last two years or more. Had to cancel last year's trip of course. It's not going to happen this year either. Or the next. Far worse, though, for people who can't get to their wives and kids and their jobs.

It's a Helite Airvest

@Bender Corded jobbie. The replacement's just arrived from Sportsbikeshop.

@fullscreenaging Don't know what the answer is. No "Ford" sign, because this is Suffolk. The footbridge was more risky than the road. Perhaps I should have called the RAC and got them to tow me out ? The road wasn't crazy steep; I might have got the bike round in an 11 point turn and lots of huffing and heaving.

Microroad. Drops down to a ford. First thought - that could be nasty and slippery. Second thought - far too narrow to turn, just keep it smooth - what could go possibly wrong? Half way through, the back wheel slides away to the left and the bike's about to down to the right, then suddenly the back is out and gripping and now we heading off towards the earth bank on the right hand side and I am just about believing I might be able to save it when *sputter* the engine stalls at the effort of climbing the bank and it's left hand side down we go onto the soggy cobbles. Thonk. The air vest fired, but didn't stop my bum from hitting the floor. Kind, kind lady behind in the car help me pick the bike up, explaining that it's always slippery there when she goes through on her horse. The front left indicator, which is set into the handlebar guard, is cracked, and will need replacing, at fancy Italian prices. But the rest of the bikes's ok. Crash bung is scraped, but it's done it's job in keeping the the bike off the floor. Do I need to change the crash bung too? Looks ok to me. Lesson: no more fords. Can't afford it.

At the beginning of the year I put a deposit down on a holiday to Egypt in November. Think I'm just going to walk away from it. I'd rather have two weeks off now in the summer than have to cancel and take two weeks off in November when we're lockdown again!

Thanks, Angela

E10 is hardly new or untested. For years now it's all you can get in much of Europe. It's about time we followed suit.

Yes mate, me too. I thought my lucky day had come.