Ingah

I've noticed my CB500 (recently aquired) can get quite hot (looking at temp gauge) - despite my reading about suggesting they should actually run abnormally cold. Whenever the bike is stationery (i.e. in non-moving traffic) it heats up very quickly. Over the space of 30 seconds to a minute i can expect the temperature guage to hit at least half-way (and keeps climbing...)! Fortunately traffic is light round my way but i am concerned because when i went down Swansea and got in the traffic the gauge got very near the red before i parked. However, when the engine is cold this does not occur (i.e. i leave it for 30seconds to warm up but at this time the engine isn't getting hot - it's only when it's had chance to warm up abit, and then i go stationery). I know it's an air-cooled engine, but is there some problem? NB: Bike is restricted to 33BHP (basically #125 jets and restricted air-intake). Bike has Motad end-can fitted (i'm suspicious this could be causing the problem due to the restriction as-well). Oil and filter has been changed very recently in front of me (definately done). The fan that kicks in when the temperature gets to about half-way definately works as i've heard it going. Edit: If the engine is hot i've noticed i can cool it down by riding nice and briskly - the difficulty being this may not be practical in a city. That's everything i can think of that could be relevant.

Just thought it would be really good to hear from those of you who have had the misfortune to "crash test" your gear on our glorious UK roads (i.e. have an accident) After all, we wear our gear for protection so it would be very useful to know what has worked and not worked for other forum members (For myself, i'm looking at newer, more expensive gear soon and it would be nice to know if will actually be better protected as a result) If it's not too painful to remember maybe you could say: What happened? What parts of you hit what (e.g. palms hit floor first, followed by a forward roll which wrecked helmet, etc)? What injuries you sustained (if any)? And most importantly - if you thought that the gear you were wearing did the job sufficiently! I'll go first: It was peeing it down with rain, i was on my old CG125, went to avoid a manhole cover down a steep hill but obviously failed to do so because the bike fell over, sending me skidding along the floor with the bike on top of me at about 20-25mph. My new Arlen Ness textile trousers were ripped through in the upper thigh, my jeans underneath had ripped though, and the wallet in my pocket was shredded a little. The material on the left forearm on my Buffalo jacket was ripped near the wrist. The rest of my gear was untouched. I sustained no injuries but felt slightly let down by the trousers because there was not any reinforcing material on the spot that had slid along the floor, it was my wallet that saved my leg. The jacket did well considering its price.

When i bought my CB500 the dealer advised that when starting from cold that i turn on the choke, and start the engine to allow the bike to warm up for at least 30 seconds before setting off. NP, thought i - i can put my gloves and helmet on whilst this process occurs, and then ride off. However, i've found that the bike won't let me put on my stuff in peace, for if i don't give the engine some few revs every 10 seconds or less, the engine dies. So i've had to adopt: glove on, rev bike, other glove on, rev bike, helmet on head, rev bike, fasten helmet, rev bike, get on bike. A little long winded, no? Was wondering if there was some setting to help me out here - or am i supposed to put all my stuff on then sit on the bike actively warming it every time i want to go anywhere (i'd prefer not to have to, it already takes long enough to get going as it is!) I know the idle speed can be set, but i don't want to increase further it if its already correct! N-reg with over 45K on the clock if it matters.

I know it's abit of a long-shot, but i was just hoping for some pointers on where to look/go to help me find some cheap yet aesthetically pleasing gear for the girlfriend to ride pillion. I'm looking to get the whole shebang for her. She likes black gear if it helps. We plan to use the bike for long and short distance journies, all year round, so adaptable gear is needed. As it stands right now, she has some boots that are abit too tight to do up properly, a second-hand helmet that only got 1* in the SHARP tests, a pair of leather gloves that she says are a little tight, and no jacket (she borrows mine!). Obviously this can't continue so it's now time to get her some gear that she'll feel comfortable in; The problem is of course finding affordable gear for her, as an occasional pillion. In priority order: (1st) Jacket - Helmet - Boots - Gloves - Trousers (Last). Budget: New/Second-hand jacket for £50 or under. NEW helmet for £30/£40. Boots - £20/£30. Gloves - £20. Trousers - Can be skipped at the present time unless anyone has any cheap ideas. I'm really hoping the total won't exceed £100 though. I'm based in Bridgend area, South Wales. The local bike shop is called Bike Gear, and unfortunately the cheapest female-friendly gear in there, despite the sales, is ~£70 for a jacket etc. There's a Hein Gericke over in Cardiff - but i went in there myself a few months back to get some textile trousers i needed and had to (grudgingly) spend £150 for the cheapest pair that fitted me correctly! I can't really afford that kind of money again. Obviously the second-hand market represents a good possibility - but what sort of medium is best for a good selection of gear that i don't have to travel great distances for.

Might seem obvious but just in case: Is your clutch lever adjusted correctly? The Haynes manual for a CG125 (OK, probably not your bike, but it's the only bike i can speak for) says that every 6 months the clutch cable should be oiled with either a cable oiler, or by hanging it up with oil dripping down it from a funnel, overnight. So when was yours last done? How much would it cost you to get a new clutch cable fitted? If it's not very much (i.e. you can confidently DIY to save labour costs), then why not just change it to be safe? The piece of plastic that held the clutch lever to the clutch cable snapped on my bike, making my clutch inoperable, and resulting in a 40 minute wait for a breakdown recovery vehicle, and ~£50 charge to take me 6 miles to home. End result would be similar as if your clutch cable snaps. S'up to you, but i wouldn't take the chance really.

OY! I've got one of those! But you're not far off the mark actually (all i can say is that it genuinely does look better in real life than in photographs). I wouldn't have another though - it's frustratingly slow. And the brakes are made of cheese. CBF is almost certainly going to be the most practical one out of those three. Disclaimer: I am talking about the older style 2002 CG here - apparently the newer style one has a disc brake

Petrol-wise: Depends on how long you'll be leaving it for unused. If you do not want to drain the tank though, i would fill it up because apparently this is better. Petrol can go "off" if left in your tank for a period of many months. WD40 (water dispersant): I do this too, whenever i feel like it. As with TimR though - Not anywhere near the brakes - but otherwise i tend to use it absolutely everywhere there is metal to rust. I can't see the need to spray onto painted areas though. Oil: I've never heard of anyone removing the engine oil over winter. Disclaimer: I'm not an experienced rider. I read a lot though

Get a cover. Minimum. My CG did that yesterday, admittedly i hadn't been revving it for long first - i put it down to the freezing cold night (there was still a little frost/ice on the road...) Possibly related: The engine in a CG125 takes a lot longer than you might think to warm up - i wouldn't be surprised if yours was similar

Me too - soon wiped the grin off my face when i worked out that that simply was not the case P.S. I'd prefer to keep Wales in a separate category to England - simply because i'm not all that close to the border.

£750. M-reg 1995. 16,000 miles. According to Parkers Used Bike Prices, it should be in good condition for the money + age (£760), but on the other hand on another post (http://themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=16218) i was told the Parkers prices are way too low and that i should expect to pay far more in the real world.

It seems that i may soon come to be in possession of a CB500 which has been left standing in a heated garage for the last 7 years! The seller of the item has offered to MOT and service it before giving me - but i'm just concerned due to the length of time in question here. Assuming i receive it in "working condition" as it would be after MOT+service - what should i check that the seller may have missed off (especially fluid-wise). Also, are there items that should be replaced after having been stood so long (e.g. i can think of tyres). I just don't want to find out what's missing the hard way! (i.e. the front brake crumbling to dust on first use or something)

I'd second that - as a bike commuter i'm in all textiles. I tried on various one-piece leathers, and wasn't impressed with how long they took to get on and/or off.

Was just wondering if any of you could shed some light on the little issue i have with my poor little CG - no harm in asking i'm thinking: Its an 02 plate i've owned since December 07, for the last 7K miles (its done about 21K in total now, i think), and its always 'cluncked' when changing between lower gears (especially neutral to gear 1/neutral to gear 2/gear 1 to gear 2). Its just that i think the problem has slowly got a little worse over my ownership, with louder cluncking. It also occasionally fails to change between these cluncky gears correctly - although this is thankfully a rare occurance. The bike also seems to 'grab' (for want of a better word) very slightly when the throttle is closed slightly whilst in motion. I don't know if the two are related. Someone mentioned clutch drag on a post on here regarding a gearbox issue - i have no idea what this is about but i'm sure some on here will be able to tell me whether it could be something to do with it

Subject says it really - i'm looking for (reasonably priced) textile armour for my legs (w/ knee and hip protection) that i'll be able to put over my work jeans - for the commute. I've had a look around, but yet to find anything that fits OK over the jeans. I'm a 32"leg, 34" waist, 39" chest if it helps... (and of course am wearing jeans underneath). Is there any products that are designed for this - or perhaps could be recommended by you guys?

Interesting how this should come up. Was speaking to a mechanic today that i know: He told me that its the certificate that matters - and that if you unrestrict it afterwards they'll never know, even if you have an accident. Anyways, he's never heard of anybody who's actually been caught... The guy gave me a very strong impression that no one ever checks, so long as you've got a certificate 'proving' its got the restrictor in.... Anyone got any real clarification on this? It's more an academic exercise for me though, i'm too well behaved to actually do it myself Disclaimer: I'm not condoning riding unrestricted on a restricted license. It's illegal. And i'm sure there is good reason it's not allowed (Not that i've found that reason out yet )

The two times it's done it thus far: Time1) Just been ridden ~3 miles, and engine turned off so i could blow up the tyres at the petrol station (so lukewarm engine perhaps?) Time2) Just been about 1/2 mile, and engine turned off for a refuel (so almost cold, but not quite). The headlight does get brighter when i rev it. But then again, it always has (and the previous owner said (he seemed trustable...) he'd recently replaced the battery with a new one when i bought it). I'm not aware of how to check if the battery's losing charge (yes, i'm not great with mechanics - but it's more from lack of experience than from lack of enthusiasm!) Does that help clarify things somewhat?

I've got a Honda CG125 2002 (that's the M1 model, produced between 2001 and 2003, manufactured in Turkey). I've owned it for 8 months and used it constantly, and now it's developed a sudden fault, and i was wondering what's causing it, and what is likely to need replacing/fixing? The fault is with the electric start; it doesn't always work anymore! Instead of firing up as usual, the engine may simply make a *click* noise (and that's it). Repeated attempts to start it up via electric fail. The only way to start the engine is via the kick start (which noteably works fine at this point). I then turn the engine off and try the electric start again, and it works! This has happened twice now, today and yesterday (both times at a petrol station, for the strangest coincidence...) I'm just rather worried about what the problem is with (as the engine isn't in great condition anyway...)

For the ultimate security: Almax Security chains are the best imo. http://www.almax-security-chains.co.uk/ But you're looking at £130-£200 for one of those babies, and they are very heavy blighters. However, they are (apparently) impervious to hand tools (including bolt croppers), and very highly resistant to power tools! However, their customer service is excellent, so you could always ring up and ask about what they think is best for you. Ground anchors are (again apparently) "much of a muchness" beyond the £25 mark.

Just had an overwhelming urge to correct some of the incorrectness being bandied about on this thread (i'm making the assumption this is all referring to the UK). Having taken the CBT only 6 months ago, i was informed that all motorcycle helmets for use on the road MUST meet the standard for use in Europe: ECE 22.05. That is a legal requirement. And i've heard it said elsewhere too. To quote the highway code 2006 "On all journies, the rider and pillion passenger on a motorcycle, scooter or moped MUST wear a protective helmet. Helmets MUST comply with the Regulations and they MUST be fastened securely. It is also advisable to wear eye protectors, which MUST comply with the Regulations". The regulations it refers to are the ECE 22.05, which will be marked on all helmets which have passed the standard. Personally, i've never been stopped and had my helmet checked, but you never know The Gold ACU is a requirement (i don't know if it's legal requirement, but you do need it) for use of the helmet on a racing track. I do not know if helmets for these use also need to have the ECE 22.05 standard there too or not. According to my local shop assistant at Hein Gericke (so not on a reliable authority), the ACU gold standard is mainly a waste of time anyway as all it means is an approved body has checked that there's nothing dangly off it to tear your head off (the sort of assessment that i assume is common sense). Snell is an American standard, therefore has no standing in the UK. Personally, i'd think about how much my head was worth, then go and buy an approved motorcycle helmet, for use on a motorcycle The recently released SHARP ratings system could very useful to you if you're buying a helmet. You can buy a 5* helmet for ~£70, or for a few hundred quid. Some helmets were rated surprisingly low (e.g. Arai Condor, £200 a pop, only got 2*). http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/search/