Mississippi Bullfrog

The spring and t shaped object are the gear selector detent. It's very common to undo them in mistake for the oil drain bolt - but the T shaped bit has to go back the right way round or getting neutral will be difficult. I've never had a reverse thread sump bolt but I've known lots of people think they that have because they see it undoing the wrong way round when seen from above. Always look at it from the underneath.

The lady in the black BMW who was so busy texting she didn't see me alongside her as she drifted out of her lane. Fortunately I'd seen it coming so was in a good position to give her cause to take more care in future.

I have seen a dent like that from a car door - because our daughter opened our door and the wind caught it out of her hand and it made a dent very similar. It just depends on the angle the edge of the door hits the bike - it would need to be at the extremity of its reach to make a dent like that. Chances are there won't be a mark on the car either because tanks are thin and the edge of the car door is much thicker at that point but worth checking. If he knows he did it I bet he parks somewhere else next week. It was very windy last week - so maybe that's what happened. But I guess it comes down to what evidence you have.

I bought a pair of Red Route armoured jeans last summer. On hot days I find them fine. Also very comfy to wear wandering about places.

There are few restrictions on vans parking in residential areas ( other than what applies to cars in general) except that anything over 2500kg must display lights when parked on the highway. If it weighs over that and is parked without lights you've got something to work with.

Water based lubricants have their uses but motorcycle maintenance isn't one of them. I use oil.

Round our way they simply painted a line on the pavement and said they'd created X miles of new cycle paths. But at every junction they simply ended the "cycle lane" so cyclists are dumped back into the traffic, often at the most dangerous point. The few bits of dedicated cycle lanes they made are unusable due to no maintenance, overhanging branches and broken glass. As a cyclist I pay road tax on two cars and two motorcycles which is irrelevant because none of that money is used to maintain the roads anyway.

That's what you call precision targeting!

The snag with eBay is that there is a lot of aftermarket junk sold on there. The number of people I've seen who bought timing kits for car engines, then spent hours fitting them and six months later it's rattling again. Personally I'd buy over the counter from a local supplier if at all possible. Otherwise use a reputable supplier that does delivery. If it was advertised as a known brand and you've received an unknown make then send it back. Chances are it's come from some unknown far east factory.

With things like that I usually warm the bearings up a bit and put the stem in the freezer beforehand (but we have access to a big freezer) or dip the stem in iced water. Basically get the stem as cold as possible with the bearings warmed up. The expansion and contraction usually helps.

One good way to learn and gain confidence is to buy a project and tinker with that. The only downside is the silly money projects go for these days.

Not long after the Battle of Trafalgar some bright spark had the idea of detaching Britian from the rest of continental Europe. So there's nothing new in Farage's thinking. The original chap was Napoleon Bonaparte who by and large was not deemed to have the best interests of Britain in mind. Strange how history has a habit of repeating itself.

Apparently not when you leave one in a cycle parking area....as I discovered.

"Always wanting to do silly speeds"....well there's a big difference between wanting to do & actually doing. The former is normal. The latter means you have a problem. The latter also suggests various other problems may arise in the not too distant future. So wanting to do is not a problem. As for being unable to decide on the right bike for you, therein lies the dilemma we all face. It's like being a kid in a sweet shop.

OP has replaced both the lead and the cap so unless the replacements are faulty it's more likely to be something else. A hairline crack in the spark plug insulation is difficult to see but if water gets in it the electric for the spark will track to earth.

I bet there's a crack in the spark plug insulation. Once water gets in there it's shorting the plug out. I'd try replacing the plug.

Is the gear peg not returning to its usual position ok? If it's sticking then after selecting 2nd then it's possibly not dropping back down quite enough. If it clears as the bike warms up it might just need a bit of cleaning and lubricating. Try pushing it down very gently when you're in 2nd then go for third. See what happens.

I would buy that just for the colour scheme. Looks fabulous.

In cold weather some diesel drivers used to add a small amount of petrol to prevent waxing. But the key word is small. Re. the OP’s question from you say it will be fine.

I remember the only car I bought brand new, a Ford Escort. The gear lever came off in my hand before I’d even left the dealership. When they fixed that the first time it was serviced the brake caliper fell off because it had been fitted with no bolts. It had stayed in place only because the wheel was holding it on. Horrendous piece of junk. I was glad to get rid and have avoided Fords ever since.

Well this has really cheered me up. I will keep some gaffa tape in my top box in future just in case anything needs reattaching at any stage. Incidentally, the number of people who die on the bog is huge. A medic told me one of the feelings you get before a fatal coronary is the urge to take a dump. So next time you feel the need...... just remember....it might the death of you.

Blimey, glad you're ok. Will the AA get you home after an accident? Didn't someone on here say if it wasn't a breakdown they were reluctant to transport the bike?

Similar thoughts in my mind - except for sailing gear. I am looking into a trailer - but you need to be riding above a 125 to tow. Some have a single wheel and work like a tag-along on a pedal bike, others have two wheels. Mainly in the States but there are some UK manufacturers. https://pbmotorcycletrailer.com/ There's another UK builder I found last night but of course I can't find it again this morning. I shall look later. Not the one I found last night which was more of an open frame type which is more suited to golf kit - but for me this might work https://www.freewheeluk.net/motorcycle-trailers (Our second car is nearly dead and I'd like to not have to replace it. The only snag is when I go sailing it leaves my wife with no transport and we live in a rural area so I'd rather leaver her the car and get to the sailing club on the bike)

I had a guy years ago swear blind that Duckhams engine oil was vegetable oil..... because it was green. Needless to say when he came back with a knackered engine sympathy was in limited supply.

Corrosion in the wire can show 12v but allow virtually no current flow. More common on the negative side of things. It used to kill many model airplane electrics if they were left overwinter with the battery connected. It was called black wire death. I had the same on our last caravan. 12v everywhere but none of the lights worked. Rewiring sorted it. Suspect wire will show dark discoloration on the inner core if it's affected.