Mississippi Bullfrog

I have experimented with a wide variety of hearing protection. I have tinnitus so road and wind noise can cause havoc if I'm not careful with hearing protection. There are several aspects to consider. The first is usually the thing people think about last - your bike. Is your bike creating wind buffeting at helmet height. Look at screens and mirrors to check for airflow and turbulence. You can do all sorts by way of earplugs but if your bike is inherently noisy you're just tackling the symptoms rather than the cause. Helmets. I have a Caberg Duke II and a Schuberth C3 Pro. The Schuberth is quieter but much more expensive. But the Caberg can be made just as quiet. Flip fronts are often quieter than full face because they can have closer fitting neck padding. That's the area where wind turbulence creates the most noise. In the winter, when I wear a keffiyeh (a Palestinian style scarf) the Caberg is as quiet as the Schuberth. But it's too hot in the summer so I use the Schuberth more then. Even just a buff fitted well around the neck area makes a difference. The thing with helmets is finding one that fits the shape of your head. Friends who have different shaped heads find the Schuberth doesn't feel comfortable. But you can find quieter helmets from different manufacturers. Ear plugs. I have tried many different kinds. The moulded type don't work for me, but a mate swears by them. So you need to find what works for you. The best I have found so far as Eggz - they come in various sizes, have an insert, and are made of a stickier silicon so they tend to stay in better. They are easy to use and are the only ones I've ever bought repeatedly. They do kill the noise effectively. I've worn them all day and find them comfortable. Alpine race come a close second, they are a very smooth silicon so I find they don't stay in as well and are fiddly to use. They are ok when in, but have a tendency to slip part way through a ride and then the noise leaks in. Earplugs are a very personal thing. You need to try several types to find what works best for you.

You're not kidding. Sailing tonight there was no wind at all. Same this afternoon for our model racing. Like a flipping mirror the water was.

Good luck

Happy birthday

Our blues and bbq village event is just winding up. I have had many many beers.

Here is my solution to carrying a pillion.

A man of taste. I must admit to being a Triumph guy. Friends have the RE and BSA and they are pleased, but in my view they aren't quite as well put together as the Triumph. Nor do they do modern retro quite as well. The attention to detail is better on the Triumphs. But at a price of course. The Triumph twin is a much nicer engine. There is also a much greater range of aftermarket goodies for the Triumphs.

Spoilt for choice this weekend. Our village has a blues and bbq with various bands playing on the village green. Plus Touring Cars at Oulton Park. Which I get into for free as a local resident. Plus the grandchildren popping in for a picnic by the swings. That follows a blast out on one of the bikes to visit my dear old mum to start looking for a mobility scooter for her. She's given up driving. As my brother said, It takes the terror off the roads and onto the pavement.

You could have had lunch at our place. Much nicer than a M6 service station.

I've been wearing my new one the past few days. It's brilliant! As I said above, it wasn't the one I went in to buy. The one I wanted didn't fit right at all. The guy at J&S just started at the lowest price and kept bringing me jackets until one fitted perfectly. As he said, there's no point spending more than you need to for something you'll only wear a few days a year. https://jsaccessories.co.uk/product/duchinni-mistral-jacket-black-58225?variant=158695 I bought it in the spring and guess what? It was about 30% cheaper then.

Sounds good, but annoying about the Mod 2. You're doing the right thing sticking with training school stuff until you're ready to know what you want. In terms of bikes, very few people find the right bike first time so be prepared to buy something cheaper and second hand to get going with. Then you'll know what kind of riding you are doing and start looking for the right kind of bike for you. Loads of experience on here so ask away. Same with kit, the most expensive isn't always the best.

Now re-united with its owner.

PM his details and I'll drop it off.

https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand-tools/screwdrivers-and-hex-keys/sealey-4pc-jis-screwdriver-set-453366.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Motoring>Tools>Hand+Tools>Screwdrivers+and+Hex+keys-_-Motoring>Tools>Hand+Tools>Screwdrivers+&+Hex+keys-_-453366&_$ja=tsid:|cid:17363835999|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:8759104381533744738|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:1006963&gclid=CjwKCAjwhJukBhBPEiwAniIcNWYJxunmwDcAj81JnLZ6L7NcVu5EgRxWDuvFoqF8rItpnFJIK_HSPRoCDhIQAvD_BwE You can get a set on Amazon for cheaper. They do make a difference if you're working on anything Japanese.

My inner anorak tells me that the rachet mechanism isn't covered by the lifetime guarantee. But good luck anyway and I hope you get a manager who plays ball.

A lot of my tools are Halfords pro range. Always bought when there's a sale on. They do honour their lifetime guarantee. I broke a socket using a huge bar on a stuck wheel nut and they replaced it without question. I've got Sealey stuff and other brands, but the Halfords pro is what I use the most.

For bikes there aren't many special tools needed. If you're looking at older smaller bikes then you probably don't even need a chain rivet tool as it will be a split link. Mostly it's a decent set of sockets and spanners. Just be aware that on Japanese bikes the screws will be JIS -Japanese Industrial Standard, rather than Philips. If you're getting an old bike then a can of Plusgas is recommended.

Someone on here recommended GEM to me. They cover you rather than the bike. We've been with them a couple of years now and I'm happy with the way they do things.

Coming down a steep very narrow single track lane in N Wales this morning. I saw a car coming towards me with a passing place between us. The car had Dutch reg plates and got to the passing place first, but instead of stopping he carried on. I stopped but there was no way I could pass in the narrow lane, nor could I reverse back up the hill to the passing space half a mile behind me. It was a bit of a stand off until he begrudgingly backed as far as the passing space but stopped short making it very difficult to squeeze past him. There are some right pillocks out there.

Good luck with the job hunting.

Some offerings from today

I don't like scooters either, and round town some of the riders are total nutters. But I was going up the A49 from Hereford towards Whitchurch the other day and there was a 125 scooter which was clearly able to keep up with traffic. The rider wasn't too clued up about road position or keeping lines of sight clear but the bike itself looked to be reasonably competent up to 60mph. Probably not much left for overtaking buts that's true of most 125s.

I have had many GoreTex items and when they get grubby have washed them fastidiously according to the instructions and with the right fluid. But they've never been 100% waterproof afterwards. I've had cheaper waterproof items with different membranes and frankly they've been just as good.

Same here. That was back in the 70's. We sold used cars as well and had a workshop. When the pumps were quiet I'd go into the workshop and learn how to work on cars. The guy who owned it tried selling motorbikes as well but that side of things never took off. But I got to sit on my first bike there. I remember the winters were freezing as we had no heating. Platform shoes were great when it was cold.