bonio

@MazzaMazoo, I think you're right. December is a dead slow month - everyone's preparing for Christmas and stuff. They're quite a common bike, though, and you should find a selection for sale by March or April as long as you're willing to travel.

Ok let me take up the nomination for @linuxrob. What he may lack in quantity, he more than compensates for in quality: every post of his is 100% worth reading, well-researched, factual, and well written.... This makes his contributions stand head and shoulders above ours, and this bald fact should pretty much seal the much-coveted MOTY prize for him.

@goat I think your inbox might be full.

I've had the rear brake lever stick on because of lashings of winter crud. Worth checking while you're looking at everything else.

If you're doing test rides, ask for a decent slot. I've some dealers offer me just an hour (which in practice means just 45 minutes on the bike) and that not enough time. It can take that time just to get used to the way it feels; it's then you relax and start to notice what it's really like.

Hi there and welcome in. What about a Suzuki VanVan. Not the fastest 125 on the road, but they look good, you can take the anywhere even off road (if you don't mind cleaning the spokes afterwards), they're bulletproof, and nice and low.

Wowzer. @XTreme joins @raesewell on the spelling bee team.

I don't know, but the T&Cs I've read talk about the insurance being intended to cover the damage excess on vehicles you're riding under a hire agreement. In that case, no hire agreement means no cover. £1000 is pretty normal excess on a test ride. A few still set it at £500. One or two are charging £10 a test ride, and in return the excess is zero. They said they've been forced into doing it by the insurers or else have excesses of £2000 or more.

Muttley's thinking, what is that clown doing?? If only he gave the springs to me, I'd have all back in before you can say "bonio".

Yup. I knew a young lad who passed his DAS, got himself some wild stallion of a Ducati sportsbike, and only rode it a few times before he scared himself and gave up. I didn't know him well enough, or I'd have pushed him into replacing it with a Fazer 600.

@stefcialina There are a load of Cardo units on sale at Infinity here: https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/store/12-days-of-christmas. But you need to be quick - it's TODAY only! Tomorrow the link will point to something else. It's a good deal; these things aren't usually discounted as much.

As a general rule, smaller inline fours like yours do best with higher revs. They're nice above 5000 revs, and even better above 7000. By the time you're up to 10000, they're really flying (but probably don't go trying this out until spring comes and the roads are clean and dry ). On a 600, this can mean a fair bit of shifting to keep the revs from dropping too low, but this is part of the fun of having a 600 - you really have to ride them.

I've never heard of anyone damaging their bike by hosing it when hot, but I'd make sure my bike had cooled down before hosing it off, regardless.

Hi @Heavycheese. Great name, by the way I'm an uncoordinated lump, and I passed both mod 1 and 2 on the second attempt. I guess you've heard the advice of "click once, and one second later click again" for the hazard thingy. It aimed at people like you with years of experience on the road who notice the hazard too early.

I'm with Tango - there are easier bikes to take on as a first bike than a Trophy. I think the Tracer is a good idea, and the VFR (not the Crosstourer - it's known to be top heavy) and perhaps the Africa Twin and the Versys 1000 should be on the list too. But I'd really recommend waiting until you're ready to take your test, as then you'll have a better of what riding a bike that size feels like. And also at least go and sit on the bike before you make your choice. If possible get a test ride (some places offer test rides to people with new licences, but not all). Because which bike is right for you is a very personal choice - it not just about power and looks, but also weight and seat height, and width of the bars, and forward lean and suspension stiffness and so on.

If you use a shock sock, take it off after a ride if its wet, and let the shock get some air. You can make things worse if you use it to keep the salt and damp in.

It's saying select one of the curing temperatures from the list put the thing in the oven slowly heat the oven (and the thing) to your chosen temperature keep it in the oven for the number of minutes for that temperature and then let it cool. Lower temperatures sounds like good advice from husoi.

I know I'm old, but I'm cute... any chance of being adopted?

Me too. I've three bikes on three separate policies. Yet to find a multibike policy that isn't more expensive

Great news . Glad to hear the new school worked out well.

Not sure it's as big a deal as the article says. The mobile speed cameras they currently use already have a one mile range (so at least as far as the new ones), and all that extra tech the article mentions is just about reducing the amount of admin for the copper should the case come to court. It probably means they can pare back the headcount in the traffic department even more.

It's a poor show of possible candidates this year, but 2020 was never going be a year to write home about, I guess. Even Six has been uncommonly sensible at times. The new normal no doubt.

Nice to see you pop in again. : Wine or carb cleaner in that glass? Does it matter which?