madcow87

I picked up a really nice set of RST armoured jeans recently that I wear sometimes when I ride to work (dress down Fridays) if its raining I've just got some fluro waterproof over pants that cost me about £15 out of a local outdoor shop. They've served me well on the push bike for the last 5 years and are big enough to just about go over the armoured jeans. I've also got a set of waterproof textile jeans from RST which I use pretty much as over pants to ride to work in, fully armoured and what not. I suppose it comes down to how much protection you want, as well as what qualities you need. If you're going to be riding to work every day rain or shine then it's probably worth getting the waterproof/armoured textile jeans. In my case it also depends on what you wear for work. I wear very light weight trousers in an office environment and can't be bothered to wear my denim jeans then change in work so my textiles just go over the top of those.

Wow. This happened a couple of months before I was born so I certainly don't remember it. I can't even comprehend it. Cheers to Roger, and all you guys that do that job. I've nothing but respect for it.

Inspiring stuff!! I'd love to be an instructor to just see the sights sometimes. There was a lad about my age on my CBT that pretty much refused to ever strap up his helmet. This lad had been riding a moped and a 125 for 2 years and was renewing his CBT. The instructor made a point several times and eventually he got it and started strapping up, but this is one transaction I heard... Instructor: "Look I'm not bothered if you don't want to do it, but I'm not taking you out on the road and you'll get sent home with out a CBT unless you start. *Cue safety lecture* If you come off and that helmet isn't strapped up it's gonna be naff all use to you and it'll come off your head!" Moron: "Yeah I know it happened the other day. Some granny pulled out of a parking bay in Tesco and I slid down the road and the helmet came off *beings laughing*" I often wonder how many idiots somehow get through their CBT's driving tests, because somehow that muppet did.

So I've seen a lot of guys mention they're stuck listening to music from their own youth and not listening to newer bands...theres nothing to say you have to stray too far from what you guys know and love and still find new bands and artists!! So here's some stuff... These guys are kinda bluesy and old school. They actually opened for Guns and Roses in the UK earlier this year, absolutely great band!! Bit more old school rock and roll with a bit more bite to it. The band actually features Doug Aldrich (of Whitesnake fame). Really great band!! Another awesome rock band with a bit more bite from time to time. The singer is actually the same guy who sings for a band called Asking Alexandria...if you haven't heard them but like his voice, his work with them is a far cry from this band. But again another cracking band with a bit more bite than most rock and roll. I'll try sharing some more. Spotify is brilliant for it. Start a band you like and then check out Related Artists and the gems you'll find are incredible!!

I was a horrible nervous wreck before my Mod 1. Remember you do it at your own pace. So after the examiner gives his instructions, take your time and a few deep breaths and remember what you're doing. You'll be fine. Take it one manoeuvre at a time and it'll be over before you know and you'll be annoyed that it only took 10 minutes! For mod 2 its just riding your bike. You're just going out for a ride. Remember you're lifesavers, remember your signals and checks and focus. You'll be too busy just riding the bike to be worried about anything else. Just focus on riding cleanly and smoothly and you'll sail through it!! Most of all, try to relax and enjoy it. You can always try again, the test is just a hoop to jump through. You know you can ride so just proof it.

Dammit! Maybe next time I can make it out, got a christening most of the day and I might have promised (on the dependence of beer) that I'd help a mate with moving lol

Dammit I haven't even looked at my team since June lol if entry is still open i'll throw my team in just for giggles though. I'm in a league with a buddy of mine but it is literally just the two of us haha

Awesome write ups Lat!! Really cool!!

It is quite an interesting one really. Like TC said the helmet is to prevent a major head injury but it's gonna do nothing for a broken neck. So in that regard I suppose the open face/full face argument comes down to preference and how you view it. I fear though like you mentioned that the whole hipster scene has had a great bearing on how people want to "look" on a motorcycle. Really although most people like the feeling of being on a bike and just enjoy riding, there is a degree of vanity in it as well. You choose motorcycles that you like the look off first and foremost and then after trying them through test rides or what not you make further informed decisions on which one to take home. Same with just about EVERYTHING that is purchased really I suppose. So with that in mind I suppose that the look of the open face on something like a Harley, or something more classic looking unlike a sports bike or whatnot, plays a large part in what lid you choose to ride with.

Living in the arse end of no where there really isn't that many biker officers around here. I think the public persona is starting to change a little bit with the majority of the public in that police are often now seen as hero's without capes. Which is the way it should be, I just think a few have a bit of a power complex and make it difficult for others. Prime example was my Dad got rear ended on his way back home from a day out and the copper that got called to the scene gave him a ticket for having a worn tyre. No one had a depth gauge to check the tread so the officer in question decided to use his powers and make the decision. Its attitudes like that I think that can sometimes have the negative effect on police officers IMO.

That's how I drive my car on a motorway. I like having plenty of empty road around me when travelling constantly at speed like that. My wife is quite a nervous person as well and hates it when we start passing lorries so this strategy helps with that too because we won't spend loads of time either sitting near them/behind them, we just get passed as quickly as possible and then chill.

I've got all the time in the world for SRV @Tango the guy has some of the best guitar playing I've ever heard!! So for this mornings listening pleasure (mine anyway) I've got some assorted Rob Zombie playing through youtube. Really wish my work would unblock spotify for us to use though!! Some samples of Rob Zombie if you've never thought to give him a listen.... Not to everyone's taste I admit, but he definitely puts one of the best live shows on that I've ever seen!!

I'm making no claim to be an expert (have no intention of visiting a gym any time in the future) but surely even if you are getting knackered out after an hour its still an hour more than a lot of people are doing? Anything is better than nothing, and speaking purely from what I've seen others doing, all those magical powders do for you is make you look a bit of a weapon from time to time

[mention]TC1474[/mention] any chance you could point me in the direction of that case you referenced?

Ya know what yeah that's a fair comment so here's a couple of links if you're that way inclined to have a listen... old-timer - absolutely love that guy! What a great voice, and who doesn't love some slide guitar!

Until I started riding I always looked at guys on Bonnevilles and Harley's and all that stuff and thought if I end up on something like that I'd wear an open face helmet. Today on the way to work I had my visor open as I went through a cloud of midgies and I brought a baker's dozen with me to work...I don't think i'll be wearing an open face helmet...

Been mostly listening to a welsh pop punk band by the name of Neck Deep. Been flittering between pop punk and southern blues recently, The Fumes are a regular staple of the day at the minute.

Cheers Neil. I'm rather fortunate that my dad still has his brand spanker helmet from when he had his last bike which he's gonna sling my way so I may end up using that a little more maybe. This is all stuff that you don't really appreciate until you're living with a bike and riding, before now I'd never have thought of these little things.

I fell off 3 times in a matter of hours when training for my Mod 1. I'd done my CBT (first experience riding) the day before, this day I jumped on a Gladius for the first time for the DAS. I dropped the bike 3 times, twice doing U turns and once making a tight right hander from a junction. Snapped a brake lever. All very unimpressive and low speed affairs but the bike was moving on all 3 occasions so I'm taking them.

Thanks guys. Contacts are the first thing to look at getting sorted for sure, as for the pin lock I ripped it off my visit mid ride home tonight because I flipped the visor down and the pin lock was so lose it prevented the visor from closing. Its gone and I'll deal with the little mist I have to for now and maybe look into getting another one sorted next week. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

Hello all, so now I've finally got riding a bit on my own, I've noticed a couple of things around my ability to see whilst riding. So I've got an AGV K3SV model helmet (the loveliest of pink and blue courtesy of Guy Martin ) and I've got the pinlock fitted to it. I also require glasses while I ride/drive. So I'm in the process of eliminating the glasses and I'm going to try contacts, but basically I'm finding at the moment, between my glasses, the limited field of view that comes with a helmet and the pinlock edges that my line of sight is broken when I'm scanning around and it feels like its distracting me. I also find that despite the pinlock fitted my visor does still have a tendency to fog up. I should point out that I believe the visor fogs still because I made a complete mess of fitting the pinlock and it isn't very secure. But overall I feel much comfier riding with the visor up as opposed to being shut, because at that point all I have to distract me slightly is the rims of my glasses. So has anyone had or noticed these things before? It just feels like the lines from the pinlock and my glasses rims create a lot of little breaks in what I'm seeing. Also I've ordered a helmet cleaning pack (Oxford one of Amazon) which includes an anti-fog mist. I'm going to attempt using that and removing the pinlock for a week or two and if it doesn't work very well I'll probably bite the bullet and order a fresh pinlock.

Congrats mate glad it went well for ya!! I was exactly the same as you with the slow riding, although I found it much easier on the 125. I'd never rode before and the slow riding was really daunting for me for some reason. It was compounded when I went onto the big bike the next day too!! Don't sweat though it'll get easier with more practice, when I picked my bike up Friday I was sat for about 2 miles in slow moving traffic which was a great learning curve So you've got the 125 to go with, whats the plan with tests? ASAP or waiting a little while first?

Thanks Gulfman. The more I look at your bike and others like it the more I've started to appreciate them. I've always wondered what I'd do after I got too tired or sore riding sports bikes but I've started to get a feel for some other styles now at least Hoggs I've got a stupid schedule over the next couple of weeks (obviously because I've just bought a bike) but as soon as I get a nice day and an opportunity i'll get some pics and get a thread started for her. I'm not even entirely sure what i'll stick on it yet, but a rear seat cowl is probably the first thing going on.

No mate still no lisence. Its been 9 or 10 days since. The examiner told me it can actually take up to 3 weeks lol Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk

Cheers guys. My old man held a procession Of Kawasaki's in the 90s when i was growing up and it felt kind of fitting my first bike should be a Kawasaki. I am a little disappointed at the lack of green. Some of the forthcoming mods are going to involve splashing a bit of green around. Sent from my F3111 using Tapatalk