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Lateralus

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Everything posted by Lateralus

  1. Lateralus

    Re-newbie

    Hi all. At what point does a lapsed member become a newbie again?! I've been riding for nearly 5 years now, and had some phenomenal help from here when first getting started. Indeed, I still have the toolkit I received from TMBF secret Santa! I've owned a Honda CBF600S, Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport, and spent the last 3 years on a 2010 R1200RT which is used daily for commuting (and occasionally even for recreational rides and touring!). Competent as the RT is, it's not the most exciting of bikes, and a recent house move means my new commute takes me the full length of Nottingham's ring road twice a day, where the boat-sized dimensions mean I often get stuck much earlier than smaller bikes. As such, I now find myself actively investigating a Honda VFR1200F which is for sale locally! It has a large top-box, shaft drive and (hopefully) reasonable weather protection, and is much narrower, so ticks all the practicality boxes. Completely unrelated to a recent spin on a mate's KTM 1290 Adventure S, the VFR also has 160bhp, neither of which are in any way related to the fact that I'm now bike shopping! Anyway, hello again!
  2. bring em along I could try! Took my Dad out once, which he said he was glad to have done, but doesn't feel any need to do it again! More likely I'll bring Mrs Lat, and my parents can look after the boy!
  3. Only about 15 minutes from my house, but my parents are visiting that weekend so I very possibly can't attend!
  4. Nearly came a cropper the other day - tried counter-steering whilst also waving to a Deliveroo rider going the other direction whilst approaching a junction. My flipflops got caught in the gear shifter whilst clutchlessly down-shifting and I almost overran the advanced stop-line in the cycle box at the lights. Was that whilst wearing your shorts and t-shirt? Obviously. Who wears flip-flops with their textiles?!
  5. Nearly came a cropper the other day - tried counter-steering whilst also waving to a Deliveroo rider going the other direction whilst approaching a junction. My flipflops got caught in the gear shifter whilst clutchlessly down-shifting and I almost overran the advanced stop-line in the cycle box at the lights.
  6. My nomination is the nob in a Mercedes trying desperately to force his way through rush hour traffic into Leicester on Friday evening. He kept diving between lanes, forcing himself into gaps which weren't really there, and generally driving like an idiot. Having been cut up once, I bimbled merrily along behind him, until we all reached a great big long queue on a stretch of dual carriageway. With the traffic stationary and him firmly sat in his lane, I filtered all the way to the front, getting there just as the lights turned green. I then pulled in at a garage about 100m past the lights as I needed to refuel. Having done that, I carried on my way, passing the same idiot at the next set of lights, stuck in his queue in impotent rage. Being the nice man I am, I waved as I went past again.
  7. I'd be really keen on one of those, of only it would go over a top box too, but I'm sure mine wouldn't fit.
  8. Gumtree/eBay. Bought a few bits and bobs that way and got some great bargains. Personally I like riding in my RST jeans and either my fully mesh or thin textile jacket when it's hot, but a decent long-sleeved base layer makes all the difference for comfort.
  9. Sorry to have missed you all today. The only time I sat down between 10 and 7 was in the car going to the tip! On the other hand, the bathroom is nearly done, with ceiling and coving painting all finished, and a first coat on the walls.
  10. It'll be a biker place once we all turn up! ...although it's looking increasingly likely that I won't, in fact, be able to turn up. All depends on when the bathroom install is finished, and therefore when I need to paint it.
  11. Oooh, just seen this. Officially I'm doing DIY stuff this weekend, and riding up to Glossop to pick up an exhaust on Saturday, but depending on Stuff and Things I may try to pop down and say hello! Meeting there at 12ish?
  12. Not of the precise match, but to be honest I'm not sure YouTube videos are that useful for exhaust sound!
  13. ....yes! Fanks! Now, do you want to sign up?!
  14. Nob of (Easter Sun)day: this guy. Out in the Lincolnshire Wolds, on a damp afternoon with greasy roads, and I see him on the wrong side of the road, overtaking some other bikers around a left hand bend, before losing control and falling right in front of me. The bike went down hard, and skidded past me (thankfully back on the other side of the road), coming to a rest on the far side of a hedge. The rider stopped sooner, and got up with seemingly nothing other than a few cuts and scrapes. First and foremost, we all stopped to make sure the guy was alright. I went a bit further up the road to turn around and park up with my hazards on, and we helped clear the road of debris and made sure he got hold of his mates again. The fairing was smashed, a crash bung had basically exploded, and various levers were bent and broken. However, he was walking, talking, and seemingly fine. However, his mates had gone past moments before, likewise riding like idiots and overtaking around the outside of another corner, and he was clearly trying to catch up. Turns out he'd borrowed the bike from one of the others, so probably wasn't even that used to it. Regardless, he was going way too fast for the conditions, and it was wholly avoidable. In retrospect, I was pleased with my calm reaction at the time, but seeing that happen close enough in front that I had to slam the anchors on rather took the wind out of my sails, and if the bike had skidded straight instead of back onto his side of the road there'd have been no avoiding it taking me out too.
  15. *cough* https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=66545 *cough*
  16. Whoops, just remembered there's an actual racing and track days sub-forum! Please can a mod move it to the appropriate place?
  17. I'm looking to buy a Beowulf exhaust for my Tiger Sport, having been offered one second hand. I'm hoping it'll sound exciting/interesting enough when I'm pressing on, but quiet enough to not wake the street up when going to work! Anyone got much experience with them?
  18. Hi all, I'm signed up to the Ron Haslam Race School track day on 21st May with some mates at Donington Park. Unfortunately a couple of them have dropped out, so we've got two spaces to fill. Sign-on time is 10.55, and our early group booking discount means it's £269 a head instead of £310. Cost includes bike hire, leathers, helmets, insurance etc. Payment needs to be made by the weekend, so if anyone's interested then please let me know ASAP. The chap organising it is asking around his mates too, but as things currently stand both spaces are available if anyone wants in!
  19. Having almost forgotten I was even considering a new helmet, I found myself at CMC today in front of a HJC RPHA 11 Eridano, which was down in price from £329 originally to £199 in the sale, to £99 for this weekend only! A scan of reviews seemed to indicate that it's not necessarily going to tick the "quiet" box, but it does very well in all other regards, and I like the fit of my current HJC after a year, so I bought it. Came in a silver and white HJC anniversary colour scheme which should be nice and visible and included both a pinlock insert and a second visor with a light smoke tint which seemed very good value. The fit was good, very comfortable with glasses, and a nice wide aperture too. Only obvious downside is the lack of an integrated sun visor. Haven't worn it out yet, but will do a review once I've spent some time on the roads with it.
  20. CMC have some decent-looking discounts this weekend. Popping up to Clay Cross first thing on Sunday for a mooch around.
  21. Thanks all for the suggestions. I will have a look at them all, and see if anything comes up on black Friday. A few other mates have suggested the Drift cameras, but I like the look of some of these other options too.
  22. I seem to be developing an increased sense of self-preservation/protection*, and as part of that I'm thinking of getting a helmet cam, to just record in loops when out and about. You know, just in case. Any specific recommendations, either positive or ones to avoid? I was considering the Sena 10C, as I like the idea of having a camera and intercom all in one, but a 3 hour battery life means it wouldn't last on a long run out, and I'd need to get another Sena unit for Mrs Lat too, which significantly increases the cost. Don't want some ugly GoPro lump dangling off the side, and not too fussed about audio, but I'd like something which is small, simple and waterproof, so I don't need to worry about leaving it on. Just needs to be clear enough to pick up numberplates I guess - not looking to record the next series of Blue Planet on it, so 4k 60FPS seems over the top. *I'm well aware that simply having a camera will do nothing to prevent an accident or incident, but if I ever happened to end up in a he-said-she-said situation it would be nice to have some evidence to back things up. Assuming, of course, that I'm the one in the right!
  23. Good to see a few of you out today. Had a great ride there and back, despite the wind, and enjoyed the food and the company at the café! Shame on those of you who bailed.
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