Gerontious

I’ve yet to find an insurer that will not or can not insure you same day. I’ve done this several times. Gone to view a bike, bought it and then ridden it home fully legally. My usual tactic being to use a comparison site the night before. Choose an insurer and then call them once the decision to actually buy is made. Cover was instant. I’m not sure about road tax as the last time I did this paper discs existed. But it must be possible if not practically normal as 1000s of vehicles are bought and sold privately daily.

No. It was published under his own name. No ghost writer could match his level of.. err.. err..

I don’t know. As far as I can tell these are made specifically for BMW. So it’s a matter of pot luck if they produce one that just happens to fit your bike too. However I did find that Regina are producing chains with identical specifications and so they might be a better or easier choice. They are called “High Performance Endurance chain”. However Regina do recommend minimal maintenance.

I bought new wheels just because of this. but.. seems that most Africa Twin owners carry spare inner tubes and the bits needed to replace it in the wild. some have used a tyre sealant, but the results are mixed at best. and still more have done a conversion job themselves. sealing the spokes on the insides of the rim to prevent airloss. something I wasn't happy about, even though it was frequently suggested and is often mentioned. plenty of 'how to' tutorials online, especially the biggest problem, breaking the bead. most use the side stand for that. of course this is the sort of problem that can be made simpler if you have a centre stand. otherwise the bike will have to take a little lie down. (bless)

Seems doubtful to me that the Danes would use a word like "insane" in their laws dealing with road traffic. the article mentions "dangerous and illegal riding or driving" so it does seem to include cars. I also doubt that this power will be handed over to the police. It will be through the courts who will demand evidence. dash cams more than likely. "dangerous and illegal riding or driving" seems tp me to be pretty self explanatory in its aims. I would have no problem with something like this in the UK. caught on cam doing something really dumb, you get a ban. you get a big fine. maybe it would help hammer the point home if they took the vehicle away too. maybe.

indeed. the chain on my bike recently passed 12,000 miles and so far has only needed adjusting for slack once. and that was around 1,000 miles. Though I am very careful with lubrication. oil every 600 miles and oil/clean every 1200. Gear oil and cleaned with paraffin.

12,000 miles. for this example.

the only people who should worry about something like this are those who shouldn't be on the road anyway. Denmark though.. the only reason to want to go there is to get to Sweden and Norway. passing through as quickly as possible. This isn't much different to what already happens in Switzerland though. granted they don't seize the bike, but you could be banned from riding it and if after paying £1000s on the spot you don't have the cash to have the bike transported to and across the border, it amounts to much the same thing. simple answer.. don't ride like a twat. or think you're clever like that 44teeth plonker and say something stupid like: "I thought this road was unlimited." bit of research first on the internet into local laws and so on.. its not complicated.

This was discussed on this forum a couple of years ago. BMW chain that doesn't need any lubrication. Costs £200+ no lubrication = no oil anywhere. https://tinyurl.com/yc4a56hx Ive been thinking about one of these for my bike as its the correct pitch, when my own chain needs replacing. expensive though.

used to cost me £10 to change the final drive oil. £10 and 10 minutes. Undo the fill bolt. undo the drain bolt. allow to drain. replace drain bolt and new crush washer. fill using gear oil until the oil just touches the lowest thread in the fill hole. replace fill bolt. Done.

Not really, the computer that generates any quote will be set to maximise the profit margin. So, if you call and tell them you have found a more competitive quote they already have so much leeway to reduce the quote and still make a profit. of course, most people don't take this step and simply accept the renewal or what appears to be a cheap quote - online. But it can easily be made cheaper just by making a phone call.

It’s whatever they use for transportation, from the factory to the end user. If it was applicable for use on a running motorcycle they would be recommending it on their packaging. They don’t.

As I already have paraffin (for chain cleaning) in the cupboard, I use that on a cloth and anything oily just wipes off. Follow that with a wash with ordinary car wash in warm water and that's it. takes a few minutes. certainly less than 5. (per wheel)

Never used brushes. Only brush I do have is a 1” paint brush that I use for oiling the chain. For cleaning the bike I use kitchen scouring sponges. The type with the green pad. And microfibre cloths.(which go in the washing machine after use)

The simple answer is the more you pay the more you get. You can break that down to items like: air tunnel testing. so, air turbulence will not lead to buffeting. which can be a major pain in the neck. lighter but stronger materials. weight is always a major issue for some people. ease of use, like replacing the visor being a very simple process. with 'strong' fixings that won't easily break. removable and/or washable linings. linings of differing sizes so a helmet can be better sized to fit. Are treated to prevent odours due to sweat and will dry out very fast if they do become sweaty. Vents that actually work.. that will aid with cooling in the summer and preventing steaming up in cooler weather. Design features that go above and beyond the minimum safety standards. Larger than standard openings so you have a better view.. angle of view. Blue tooth.. which is now a very big deal for a lot of people who want full access to their phone at all times. and/or their GPS. And there is probably a lot more than this. You might get one or two.. or a few more of the above with a £100 helmet, but the more you pay then the more of the above are included. (usually)

At least they are now producing bikes that don't break when they get to Australia.. that is a thing that happened in the early 90s. And BMW had to rush to produce strengtheners for the Australian market because so many were breaking on outback roads.

I haven't bought anything from Amazon since I got that email. I now usually only use them when they offer me a free (for a month) prime membership. which (as if by magic) they are offering me now.

RST is a good brand.. but you're looking at the wrong website.

Evaporation.. its effectively hot water so its lost as steam. tiny amounts escaping from the pressure cap over a time.

Which perfectly demonstrates just how much BMW has changed over the past 20 years.. gone are the air/oil cooled bikes that could use any car oil available in any part of the world. You could go anywhere and never have to worry about service parts. Even something as simple and necessary as an oil filter was available anywhere that sold German cars like VW, Mercedes and so on.

I e seen this mentioned a lot. OAT or HOAT permanent coolant is required. But it’s not “permanent” for the dealerships who change it (possibly based purely on habit) every 3 or 4 years. Of course most owners don’t keep the bikes that long and it’s generally a fact that the coolant is changed as part of the prep. When a bike is resold as an “approved” second hander. Probably because of the warranty that comes with those bikes. An abundance of caution.

My reply would have had more words in it, but your pictures took my breath away.

If I was starting out and (let’s fantasise) was of average height and with a normal inside leg measurement. I would be more than happy with one of the new crop of 300cc bikes. However I’m not. So I ride a 1000cc which in terms of scale adds up to the same thing!!

don’t overthink it. And certainly don’t rush to buy a 125. It may turn out that you enjoy the CBT so much, or it gives you that little something that makes you want to go further. From CBT to lessons at a riding school to full license.. which will open up a shed load of possibilities.