wannars125

We were probably only a few meters down from you between Campbell and cob. Good few incidents and some overtakes too. First time at Thruxton and quite enjoyed it but not the queue to get out!!

Old member here don’t post up much these days but at Thruxton tomorrow if you want to say hello!

So an update to the situation. I went to go have a look at the bike and it was pretty much in the same condition as my bike just with a lot less miles on it which made me a bit suspicious. 15k on the clock but condition of the bike looked more like 60k. Rust all over the place and paint flaking off everywhere. Anyway, I've had another look at my bike and the work that needs doing (that I can see) and I've put a budget of £1500 against it for getting it back to road worthiness. Got a garage close by who I really liked using before. Proper honest old bloke and his wife that just loved talking about bikes so going to take it there to get it back on the road. Will spend some time over the winter getting the engine block and wheels repainted to see if I can get it looking good again too. Watch this space!!

I don't really have a commute anymore, predominantly work from home and I'd have to go on the M3 where I got hit by a car a few years back. Since then I said I'd never use the bike for a commute again if it was heading on motorways as some people just don't pay enough attention. Also found that doing the best part of 500 miles a week killed my joy for the bike back then too!

Yeah it’ll be garaged and will only be ridden in good weather so should remain in good condition. Feel a bit bad for the old one, got properly used and abused!

Hey Stu! You sound like my bloody school teachers “must try harder”

I’m looking at a 2009 bandit. The old bike is a bandit too also I have some bits I can use for it. It’s up for sale at just over 2k and only has 15k on the clock so wouldn’t expect any major issues. General maintenance I can do myself having had my old one

I did have two in the garage but sold the second a couple of weeks ago due to costs to get it past mot. That and I just didn’t like it very much!

It would be just for fun. Maybe the odd Sunday morning before everyone has woken up on a sunny day. I could live without it but on those few occasions over the summer I would miss it but they would be few and far between. I guess my biking situation is much like your climbing

The old one is knackered. Terrible corrosion pretty much all round. Would cost a small fortune and the engine has 88k on the clock. It would end up a bit of a triggers broomstick! I think what I’m looking for ideally is for someone that doesn’t ride so regularly to tell me why they still have a bike.

Help! I don’t know whether to get a bike or not. My existing bike is good for the scrap and has been off the road for around 18months. As with a lot life has taken over and I wasn’t getting to use it as much and I don’t know if it’s worth getting another one only to take it out a handful of times a year. Help me justify or avoid it...

Wow I hadn't heard about that one. What a tool...

Where's outlawing old bikes?? Been a while since I've been on here!

If you can't find it I have an L reg zzr600 for sale. https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=67604

I'm selling my L reg Kawasaki zzr600 as I'm not really using it much. It runs great, has no rust, 28109 miles on the clock (which may go up marginally), MOT until March 2019. Tyres are in good condition but will probably need changing after 2-3000 miles. Looking for £1500ono. Reasonable offers only please! Any questions let me know

I've not read through all the replies but I have a 2006 650 bandit and it most definitely needs a warm up before it'll run smoothly. I've had it 6 years now and it's always been the same regardless of the time of year. I will say however that when I put the choke on it'll go up to 3k revs max. It doesn't have to sit there long, only a few seconds til I can get the choke down to halfway and the bike is idling at 2k whilst warming up which isn't bad noise wise. I usually find the time it takes to get helmet and gloves on is long enough for it to be warm enough to knock off the choke and ride normally. As some others have suggested ride with the choke on if it's silly early. I've done this before and although it's a bit funny riding didn't seem to do any harm.

Thanks for the imaginative responses! I think I'll stick away from the budgie smugglers idea though. Prior to this she's been happy to talk to me but completely ignored the missus. Reckon there might be a bit of jealousy from her side lol I wouldn't say dispute as much as coming to a solution to help her with her problem that benefits both parties...

So let me get this right, you think I should tell her to do one??

Yep, no problems on our side at all

Was wondering if anyone might be able to offer advice if they've been in a similar situation? My neighbour claims to have had flooding damage caused to her property from my garden during a recent heavy spell of rain however no changes have been made to the garden since we moved in. She is claiming that I am liable but her insurance company have rejected her claim (she has sent a letter that confirms this) so preventative work recommended by a surveyor sent out by her insurer can't be claimed against my insurer. I'm happy for preventative work to take place but she wants me to pay. Am I obliged to pay or does she need to pay for this work? I've sent her a letter confirming the above that I'm happy for work to take place but at her expense. Unfortunately we don't get on and due to previous abusive phone calls have requested that any communication is made formally only.

Thanks for the replies all. Good to hear of peoples different experiences. I've considered doing the contracting thing as it would be a hell of a lot more money but the lack of stability makes me worry. Also, it would still mean commuting to London. I work in Legal IT which is nearly if not just as lucrative as working in the finance industry. I think I'm going to do a bit more research into what it really is that I want to specialise in then make a definitive decision. The other thing is that I'll be needing to contract over the summer hols whilst studying which should keep me up to date so I can always go back to it if all else fails. Bigralphie, sorry to hear about your situation mate.

Wondering if anyone can help - my head's in a right mess at the moment! So the short version if you don't want to read below is that I'm not 100% happy in my current job, it pays a decent enough salary and I don't think a move to another company would make any difference so thinking about retraining to go into the aviation industry and want to know if anyone has done something similar at my age (I'm 33) and with a family and mortgage to keep up? And now the long version: I'm considering a career change but don't know if it's the right thing to do. I currently work as an IT manager on a decent enough salary (I won't say how much exactly but it puts me just into the 40% tax bracket). I'm not 100% happy in my current role though and have considered similar roles at other companies but I just think it'll be the same stuff just in an unfamiliar environment. I also have a fair amount of freedom in my job to dictate my daily work and hours. I got to thinking and always had a passion for aviation and thought it might be worth going into the industry. I've had a look at the routes in and I've found a btec part time at a local college that would lead to an aeronautical engineering degree at the same college. There are quite a few companies locally that provide work although I specifically want to get into aircraft maintenance or the air accident investigation bureau the latter which I've heard is quite difficult to get into. The main reason for thinking about a complete change are being closer to home and being able to spend more time with family. The wages are fairly similar from what I can gather unless you become senior in which case the wage could go up fairly dramatically at least for aircraft maintenance engineers. I wouldn't be able to relocate for work though so it would be putting everything on finding a job locally. If I couldn't then it would be a waste of time and money. I don't know if it's the right thing to do though as I can provide pretty well for my family at the moment and I know if I stayed doing what I do now I could have a fairly good lifestyle. Any advice much appreciated!

b&q zinc plated bolt?

Hi Harvey Not sure how much road experience you have (if you drive a car) but if you're nervous approaching and dealing with junctions my recommendation would be to come to a stop every time until your confidence picks up. Yes, some people don't stop at junctions if they're able to control their bike (or car) confidently but whilst it still sounds like you're in the learning stage it is safer to stop, make sure you've got the correct gear selected, check for traffic then pull away. There's no harm in slowing it all down and if you have impatient people behind just ignore them. Remember, there's a lot that you need to concentrate on when you're on the bike and both your hands and feet will be working to do different jobs (brakes, clutch, gears, control the bike, indicators!) and it takes time to learn all of this. Maybe you might find it useful to take some time out each day and practice on a side road your approach. It will come naturally eventually!

Cor, it's been a while since I popped on here but thought there may be a message up for me! Cheers for the messages guys and hope everyone is well on the forum.