Gerontious

He is about to go up in the world and acquire a GS!! and may possibly be riding it to the Dolomites next year. That should be a laugh a minute. Though where he will strap the step ladder remains to be seen.

From my point of view Im surrounded by them!!

well.. as this thread has gone off the rails so early. Its as good a place as any to post a photo of a random foodstuff. Which if you ever taste will have you leaning over anything handy, like a counter and being rather unwell in a dramatic fashion. (with sound effects)

Recovering as well as contemplating revenge for this sticker that has magically and mysteriously appeared on my left hand side ice bucket.

Meanwhile…. (Hic) ive been forced to take steps….

E10 doesn’t seem to be a thing in Ireland, not seen it at any fuel stop, big brand or independent.

Heading over to the Dingle peninsula! Blue skies, a promising start to the day!! we are just a few miles fro Killarneywith a great view through the trees of the mountains. Waiting for the Lidl to open to buy breakfast!!

No fooling you is there!! currently on the good ship “Europa” due to arrive in an hour. Then a 135 mile dash to Kinsale, south of Cork city and the start of the Wild Atlantic Way coastal route.

Off somewhere exotic

Why not do the A2 test if the Rebel is suitable. an easy solution and then move up later.

If your budget is limited the you really need to be fussy and patient, not much point wiping out your budget on a bike only to discover it’s got expensive issues you can’t afford to fix. The minimum is a new MOT with no advisories.

When I answered this question I considered a couple of things. Firstly. The mudguard is NOT part of the MOT parts checklist. Nor does it play an active role in the front suspension. I looked at the parts fiche, before posting. The crack is clean and there has been no displacement, so adding complications in the answer about wheel rotation seemed pointless. Mostly because if this was something that had happened it would have been mentioned. There would be a very unpleasant noise that is unmissable. At worse this fault might attract an advisory. As a fault that is not part of the MOT test. Now, if it were to fail. then the OP has 10 days to rectify the problem before a free retest expires, so why panic about it? Put it through the test and see what happens. A failure will concentrate the mind. But, a pass will just mean you have rather more than a 10 day window to rectify the problem. Its a shame the OP didn't post this question a little earlier as one sold on eBay earlier this week for £25. I checked that too, on the offchance that a replacement was readily available.. the easiest answer of all: 'Replace it with this...'

No, it’s not a part the MOT is interested in.

definitely.

Maybe. I’m no expert.

My Honda dealership has moved and is now sharing a much larger building with the Car side of things. It’s right posh and puts Pidcock BMW to shame. Nice lounge area to sit and wait in while the work is done. With very passable coffee. Once I’ve downed it, I’ll have a wander. A blast from the past up here. I never had one… but it’s lovely to see. An SS50

Working, so as per usual my weekend is just part of a normal working week. However, yesterday I collected my wad of euros and on Tuesday the Africa Twin is having a minor service, oil and both filters (it has 2 oil filters) plus new brake fluid. It has also had a new rear tyre. A Conti trail attack, it lasted almost 8500 miles. The front is fine, but will probably need replacing at the end of the winter. 8 more night shifts to go.

What I find amazing is that they did the work and didn't test ride the bike afterwards. That is not normal. My own dealership insists on test riding the bike after any work, even a routine service. I think the lesson of this post is if you are having specialist work done, then have it done by specialists if you cannot or aren't willing to DIY. I trust my dealership for normal servicing that is part of the maintenance schedule. But, nothing else. Im having the bike serviced on Tuesday, but I am using a specialist to change the rear tyre today, as I don't trust the dealership with my very expensive wheels. When I get round to having work done on the suspension, I will take it to a suspension specialist. These kinds of parts don't come cheap and if you are paying for both the parts and the work then its a reasonable expectation that the work is done properly. fitted properly then set up correctly and finally tested. Before the bike is handed back and the bill is paid.

Ive only had two accidents.. the first was within weeks of starting to ride, roundabout and a gravel spillage. bike went from under me - but fortunately I was going fairly slowly so no hurt. Second was going past a load of cars and coaches parked next to the road at a German beauty spot, driver started to pull out, so I slowed down, he was looking directly at me, and when I was almost upon him, he pulled out. and despite my best efforts I went into the side of his car. There was little to be learnt from that aside from the fact that the Polizei wanted to charge him with attempted murder. (yes really) Especially after he so obviously lied to them that I was speeding. The main thing is to get back on the bike and not to be deterred. ride within your limits and as soon as you can, improve your riding with an advanced course.

Someone who wants to steal your bike has to know where it is. That simple fact is the biggest aid to security over and above any gadgetry or hardware you might buy. A few weeks ago I was reading about a chap who had his brand new panigale stolen from his garage. The thieves got into his house and got the keys to the bike, which he left visible, entered the garage from the door in the kitchen which was unlocked. used the keys to disable the bikes alarm, used the fob to open the garage door and rode the bike away. This fella probably lead the thieves to his house. How else would they have known where it was?

Storing a bike outside is fine. just cover it. what is more important to a new owner is where they store it. Really it should be on your property, off the road and out of sight of passersby. This is crucial. 125s are highly desirable to thieves. And the last thing you need is for the bike to be stolen as the effect of a claim on re-insuring a replacement with be jaw dropping and far more detrimental to your wallet that any slight surface rust.

I'm not sure why there has been a general assumption that I am (perhaps) undervaluing the bike.. my main point was 'from new' the price I paid included 20% VAT. which is not covered by any insurance claim. (unless you insure your insurance). - which might be worthwhile depending. (Though from my perspective it just adds insult to injury) Also, if you allow auto renewal (as some people do) the value at which you are insuring will remain the same unless you change it. My bike was insured this time for £9000, which is overvalued compared to top-price dealership prices. And I will keep it at that for the next couple of years at least. But, from my personal perspective the question is moot as I consider insurance to be little more than a tax on ownership. And I couldn't care less about which insurer I go with. It's all about the price of something I am forced to buy. If the savings were worthwhile I would switch to TPF&T in an instant. But, its not a big deal for me as Im paying £118.10 a year. and this with a £250 excess and roadside recovery. Which was the cheapest I found when I renewed using the comparison sites. And then whittled it down further (by £11) with a phone call. Vehicle insurance in this country is a joke and an insult. "New for old" is pretty much standard on nearly everything else I insure in my home and normal for new vehicles in other developed countries. But not here, where it is little more than a money making scam.

Fully comprehensive at the lowest possible price and the lowest possible excess. if road side rescue is included then that's an extra selling point. I also try to collate an average value for the bike and its year as there is no point in being unrealistic on that score. So my bike when new cost me £11,000 and I insured it then for £9,200 as its pointless paying to insure the VAT. I have zero loyalty to any specific insurer. I think its best to chop and change or at least investigate that as the "new customer discount" can be significant.

Honda still make them, but it's a mystery why they stopped bringing them into the UK. The demand is still there, a few years ago (pre-brexit) a dealership brought in 5 of them (as grey imports) and sold them almost instantly for £5000 each!!

Can't stand the risks involved with crossing to France, nor do I much fancy the idea of a 400+ mile ride across to the Black Forest and likely dodgy weather once we get there. Eifel is still a long way from recovered from the disastrous floods. There wasn't much enthusiasm for going to Scotland. So, I suggested we try Ireland for a change and the reaction was wholly positive, far more enthusiastic than I thought possible. There is a route called the Wild Atlantic Way and we will be following that from its start at Kinsale in Co. Cork as far as the Connemara national park in Galway. before heading to Dublin for the return ferry to Holyhead. The guys are all psyched up for this - despite the usual risk of rain. (Ireland). With any luck we will be able to spend a few days in Kerry as that's by far the nicest region.. before following the 'Way' north, through Clare and into Galway. Biggest plus, under the current conditions. No need for any testing - either before or after. Just have proof that you are fully vaccinated. Don't even need to take a passport. .