Gerontious

Its not a French Beer. You see it everywhere in Luxembourg. (theres a reason for this)

No. dont do any of this. This specific problem you are experiencing is well known to owners of this particular bike and is nearly always caused by letting the side panels and indicators hang off the side of the bike with only the indicator cable supporting it... and what happens? the connector comes loose and eventually - off... or the bare wire is pulled out of the connector. either/or. less likely... but possible a wire that is under the headstock has had its insulation rubbed off as the handlebars have been turned left and right over time. As the MOT went fine.. I'm assuming the engine started and ran perfectly.. as well as the headlamp, brake-light and horn. So, its a fault at the very front end of the bike.. nothing to do with the Battery. leave THAT alone.

you have a short circuit going on.. or a loose connection - more probably. Has the bike had a recent battery change? how this happens is when swapping over the battery, the side panels are taken off and then the indicators hang down which puts undue strain on the connectors. So.. try taking the lens off the indicators and looking at the wires where they normally connect at the rear of the bulb. making sure they are secure. other than that.. its likely that somewhere up front a wire has been rubbed through and is shorting out and its a matter if tracking that down and fixing it.

rather than concerning yourself with the legalities of lights and so on... Flashing or steady and then the complicated ins and outs of connecting these to a modern CANBUS wiring system. Increase your visibility in a different way. Wear gear that has a lot of highly reflective scotch-lite banding. Maybe even add French style stickers to your helmet. Similarly to the back of your panniers. Either those or the stick-on hard plastic red reflectors most auto parts places sell. If the visibility of the RnineT is a genuine issue then at some time it will be addressed either by BMW or... More likely by one of the many after market accessory makers with a simple "plug and play" solution... Until that happens, I would make myself more visible with the gear I'm wearing or add passive reflectors rather than start messing about with the complicated electrical system or risk falling foul of the law.

You mean.. When the powers at be decide not to change anything... Except perhaps a neat little stamp in a passport. That'll be good.. No need for a visa.. Just a promise that you will leave after 6 months. This is what "taking back our borders" is all about. A stamp.. And a promise. Plus a bit more rummaging through suitcases of dirty laundry by customs. Excellent. Hope you're right.

There's a lot to take on board when you are brand new to motorbikes and not everyone gains their CBT first time... You are by no means unique. Stick with it and it will come.

It's an R71 or one of its derivatives from the 1930s - 750cc Side Valve. it might not be what it appears to be though... As this was the bike that the Russians and later the Chinese copied and it's not unknown for original Soviet or Red China parts to be replaced with German originals. As all 3 were basically interchangeable. The Russian bike was (is) known here as the Ural and the Chinese bike was the Chang Jiang. But.. Having said that... It's likely original as its carrying what looks very much like a Nazi era number plate. (WW2 German army plate) issued in the Berlin military district. Not something I would expect to see on a British road. Are they making a film or documentary anywhere nearby - I wonder, and someone thought it might be great fun to take it out for a ride.

that depends mostly on how quickly the government can get the systems up and running at all sea ports of entry for a smooth throughput. As of now there has been no preparation done because that has had to wait to see what the 'deal' is. and so far.. they are still talking about it. The British Ports Authority seem to be just a little freaked out about the current state of play, because nothing has been done. nothing at all. No money earmarked even for the extra staffing, infrastructure.. bricks and mortar as well as digital. because they are still talking. At the moment.. Im planning on crossing to France in September of next year. 6 months after Brexit day.. I'm wondering if I'm being too optimistic that it will be a relatively painless crossing. I just don't know. nobody does. TT starts less than 2 months after the big day. is that enough time? It might turn out that riding to the TT is going to be too onerous.. easier to fly. maybe.. ish.

no there isnt He said no success.. one post back in june and he never came back. so.. Im assuming the bike ended up at a scrap metal dealership/breaker. or, perhaps.. he got rid, handed it over to someone with an idea of what he was doing and so there was no need to come back to the forum. or did you think I meant something else?

the original poster no longer exists as a forum member.. and Im sure there is a sorry tale behind that.

We had a situation like this 4-5 years ago. The fella I mentioned who was dying and turned up without a word. He was there at the hotel at Ashford. he had booked that and booked a room at the hotel in Germany and told no-one. It was a surprise. but one we dealt with. But.. I didn't feel obligated to him. We tried to get him to fit in.. but he really never did. He was very ill and rode ponderously slow... his normal top speed was about 40mph.. maybe 50 on the motorway. So.. we put up with that for the journey across.. and up to a point while we were there. but.. by his actions and in chats he made it very clear that he was only really there for the company. people he knew to chat with in the evening... ride out with us in the morning but eventually turn off and go do his own thing. the first time he did that was a little upsetting as we thought we had lost him and i felt very responsible for that. but it was all cleared up later and from then on I didn't worry about him at all. He spent most days exploring the region at his own pace and was very happy about that. Also.. one of the regulars often does this sort of thing.. but he knows the region well and so, again.. is nothing to worry about. What I do, doesn't suit everyone.. so people have come along and either not bothered again, or proved to be a pain in the neck and ive not bothered asking them again, though that hasnt happened for a fairly long time.. back to a time that pre-dates membership of this forum. But.. people are more than welcome to come along for the company and indeed ride with us as and when they want to. I have said 8 is a maximum.. simply because it makes life a lot simpler.. but if more than that were to come then i would simply adjust. it depends a lot.. at the end of the day, on how many rooms are available. but even then there is a "plan B'.. there is a second hotel that is just very slightly more expensive. a € or two.. about a half mile away at the other end of the village.

He ain't heavy He's my brother - Hollies

So you rode 411 miles, got bored/broke down and got a bus... Missed your stop and had to walk the last .3 mile You've definitely got faffing down to a fine art.

The Germans have a word for it. "Bierernst" and it's something you develop very quickly staying in a German hotel that has zero contact with the British. (Aside from us) you can roughly translate it as deadly serious about beer. Or more exactly "BeerSerious". You can't but help acquire it in the first day or so. Day one.. The hotel restaurant is closed so a walk to the local kebab/pizza joint. Walk in, grab a beer from the fridge. A glass from the shelf and use the bottle opener handily convenient on the counter and enjoy while you make a decision about what to eat. None of this: ask and pay in advance nonsense, that's just time-wasting when you can be beer drinking instead. And so it goes on. Glass starts to look a bit empty-like and a new one appears as if by magic. You think a place is about to close only to discover they are going to stay open just for you for as long as it takes to drink at least another 4 rounds, 5 if you're up to it. If you're not drinking fast enough then magically Schnapps or Moonshine will appear and demand instant drinking which obviously does nothing but increase thirst... And all this before 11 at night. After which time it ups a pace and gets just a tad more serious. This year, on the last night they were back from the bar just after 2. This probably caused uproar in the bar, leaving at such a ridiculously early hour. The price of passing the big 3-OH is a high one. I didn't go anywhere near the village bar this time round... Last time I ended up falling into a rather large hole in the ground.. Which some workmen had carelessly left, without any kind of barrier that I could see, I'm not sure I could see much of anything.. Was there one hole or three? It was lucky this happened in the grounds of the hospital next door to our hotel. (Very convenient) but.. I was unharmed. Every year I take a little bag of pills and potions to deal with the after-effects of excess beer... And every year they're unused. No headache the next morning. Nothing aside from an appetite and a table weighed down by enough food to feed a starving village which... Oddly enough isn't even remotely intimidating. We scoff the lot!

Its good value for money.. but no longer the stunning bargain it was. in real terms the price has increased by almost a quarter due to the dire value of the £. for years petrol in particular was about 20p a litre cheaper in Luxembourg. and usually a penny more than here in Germany. thats all gone by the wayside. Petrol.. in particular is now very expensive in Germany and this is made a whole lot worse when you convert the price into £. But having said that, its not going to put me off going again.

Robin Hood energy here.. a "Not for profit."

Its a nice round number and easy to manage.. also it makes our random lunch stops very simple. 2 tables for 4. means the options are pretty much endless. The places we stop at for lunch.. we tend to sit outside and its so simple when you see two tables free. Petrol stops are fairly quick. even if there is only 4 pumps at a small indie petrol station. All.. fairly practical reasons. I did 10 one year and it was hard work. very hard work. So, anyway, 8 may seem an arbitrary number.. but it works. I wanted 8 this year.. and once Bungle came on board I did ask a couple of people (including you) but.. for various reasons it was impossible. 2 regulars had already dropped out. still.. it worked. 6 of us.. was great. Bungle fitted in with the group from the get-go and caused us no problems at all. it was a joy to have him along and really opened his eyes i reckon. The region we go to is stunning and perfect for someone like him.. a new rider who had never been abroad before on a bike with a group of guys who were nothing but supportive. but.. it was also important that he was an independent spirit and knew his limitations. I spent the 6 months from him saying yes, filling him in on exactly how it pans out, So that by the time we set off.. we werent exactly strangers and he knew, pretty much what to expect. The only link i sent him was the hotel we stay at.. so he could have a look. and a YT video that gave him at least some idea of what the region is like. only a hint. the reality is something else entirely. Sadly there is no 'streetview' in much of Germany so that wasn't an option.

Difficult to pin down.. depends on how much you drink. and how far you are from the Tunnel. the upfront costs were the channel tunnel crossing and our overnight stay at the Premier Inn or Travelodge at Ashford. I tend to get these out of the way in the early spring. staying at Ashford means its just a 14 mile ride to the tunnel on the Sunday morning. we generally go for the 08:20 crossing.. so that means leaving Ashford soon after 7am. For me.. this splits what is almost a 500 mile ride into two.. fairly easy days. this year the Ashford hotel was about £60 and the return crossing £79. the hotel can be cheaper.. they do various offers throughout the spring/early summer. The hotel we stay at costs €42 per night half board and including single room supplement. so.. €37 if you are happy with a single room. Half board.. huge breakfast and set 3 course evening meal. The food is spot-on. no frills.. home-type cooking. (very german) This for the second week in September. crossing on Sunday 8th returning Saturday 14th maybe up to €20 per day for lunch. snacks and a couple of drinks in the evening. petrol for on average a 200 mile day. +/- (more for the outward and return.. the hotel is about 260 miles from the tunnel.) so.. you should have change from £600. for the week itself. assuming you pay for the crossing etc in advance. £100 per day all-in is a decent ball park figure.. with cash left over for more drinks. This year there was 6 of us.. the maximum Im happy with is 8. for various entirely selfish reasons. And.. at this point in time there may already be 8 going. I cant be sure of that at this point in time. It also depends on how many rooms are available when I make the actual booking and/or.. whether anyone simply wants to tag along.. but do their own thing once we are there. That is always an option.

The Vercors.. where we went and Le Camping Moto, where we stayed was great.. but the roads were patchy at best. many were truly awful and extremely dodgy. roads masquerading as rivers of gravel.. some that went on and on and on and on. It was very much a last minute decision to go there.. the original intention was to go to the Austrian Alps. But.. sadly the weather over that side was awful and so to the south of France we went following the sun and heat. our experiences there made a return to the Eifel an absolute joy. Theres no comparison. Its definitely made me think twice about ever returning to that part of the world again. Though I would love to try for the Austrian Alps sometime in the future.. even the Dolomites. But our next destination is pretty much settled. 2020 and we will be heading for the Pyrenees or perhaps the Picos.

My bike has a shaft drive.. the last bike i had.. which was actually a second bike. had a belt. (truly wonderful) lubing the chain.. seems to me a load of faff. I'm not against chains.. they are efficient. and its very likely the next bike i buy will have one. but.. one thing is certain. that bike will have a scotoiler fitted from day 1.

The germans take pride in their infrastructure, in their roads. When a road wears out, they are not content with taking the cheap route.. resurfacing. They dig the whole lot up and rebuild the road from scratch. They also bring in the utilities.. and so pipes and cables are examined and possibly repaired/replaced at the same time. So.. you will be very lucky to ever see a road being dug up by the local water company. or the gas board. or anything like that. if that were to happen.. they would be sued - by everyone. including the locals who would demand compensation for the inconvenience. consequently its in everyone best interest that when a road is replaced... its done properly. The side effect of this is that the roads are generally stunning... like silk. Which is why we go back so often. we have two years there, then a year someplace else, then two years there. Its totally addictive. There is nothing like it in the UK. last time "matts road" was closed.. so this time I made it a priority to return to it. the road.. for almost its entire length had been rebuilt and was absolutely fantastic.. we rode up it. next time we will do it in both directions. its just one of 100s of truly stunning roads in an area of over 3000 square miles. Much of which.. aside from the area around the Nurburgring. is totally unknown to the brits. our hotel never sees any.. aside from us. Its evident almost every where we go that they never or rarely see any brits. And so we are always treated very well.. the place is a gem. as for not knowing places.. there is no reason why you should. The British were hardly involved in fighting in the region in either war. In WW1. it was mainly the French/Germans.. to the south of our base. and in WW2 - our area was the site of the battle of the Bulge, which was almost exclusively the Americans fighting the Germans. So..some really quite stunning American cemeteries.. with rather muted german cemeteries close by. and.. if you venture into Luxembourg and the Belgian borderlands.. you will see lots of American flags and small monuments.. as well as some huge ones to the Americans who fought over and liberated the area. In fact the only british thing we ever encounter on our week there.. is the Northampton tank we stop by at La-Roche-en_Ardenne.

Wednesday was our traditional day in Northern Luxembourg, somewhere I never grow tired of. small.. but perfectly formed with stunning tarmc for the most part. Lunch at the dutch owned Hotel Huberty at Kautenbach.. where we had a fair old diversion to get there due to yet another closed road.. but.. its one to look forward to next time. Thursday began wet.. so we ummed and aahed and dawdled over breakfast. we have never lost a day to rain in the Eifel.. and didnt want to start this year. A quick look at weather sites told us that south was warm and dry.. and set to remain that way all day. So.. by 10am the rain was down to occasional drops and we headed south.. over the border into Luxembourg and then.. through the city. the 3rd capital Ive ridden through and the least painful. then on south and into France. I wanted to see the Douaumont ossuary.. which is a monument to the Battle of Verdun.. the biggest longest lasting battle of WW1 a slaughter that went on for 9 months concentrated in just under 8 square miles and achieved absolutely nothing. The Ossuary contains the bones of at least 130,000 french and german soldiers.. all unidentified. many of which were blown to bits. and the bones gathered together a few years later. its an amazing structure. Lunch afterwards at the brasserie close by and then a rather sober ride through what is called "Zone Rouge" a lot of the land cannot be farmed as its been poisoned with arsenic... is full of unexploded ordinance.. which a 100 years later is still dangerous. as well as 1000s of undiscovered remains. Its classed as "unsuitable for human life". And it will take another 700 years to be cleansed and fully cleared. Villages that were erased from the map. 6 of which remain 'dead'... just a concentration of craters and a small chapel to show where they were. anyway.. after that a ride back north into luxembourg and the hotel.. to listen with wide eyed wonder to tales of torrential downpours that we missed completely.

contact them.. they may be able to suggest an alternative. like the one for the Vixen 125 https://www.lexmoto.co.uk/part/STSP3296.php or one for some other bike within the range.

its very unusual.. photo isnt clear enough but if it has a part number on it. try googling that.

They're also being sold as indicators.. So the wiring will need a little modification to turn them into "running lights". As sold... I imagine they would be spliced left and right into the indicator feed. Because of this I would be just a smidge dubious. It could be that the LEDs are over specified.... Designed to be powered for just short periods. Not "on" for hours on end. But.. For the price, that's probably not an issue.