Rodders

Hello and welcome.

I like that style of bike too.

How about this - Herald Classic 400?

https://www.heraldmotorcompany.com/our-bikes/classic-400/

Or, Royal Enfield Classic 500

https://www.royalenfield.com/in/en/home/motorcycles/classic-models/

Or, Royal Enfield Bullet 500

https://www.royalenfield.com/in/en/home/motorcycles/bullet-models/

Or, Mash Motorcycles have a few retro 400cc bikes that look smart.

http://www.mashmotorcycles.co.uk/models

I wear jeans for all the above mentioned reasons including that they look cool. If any of you get cold in them in cooler days then try wearing a pair of ski thermal leggings underneath.

The biggest problem is rain so I have some surplus police Goretex over trousers.

All that matters with a helmet is safety and fitment.

Nah I'm just kidding pony up for the bullit - it looks wicked and you'll appreciate it more because its expensive.

It didn't fit my head

[mention]griptwister[/mention] mate, you typed an awful lot there about open Face helmets but you'll notice if you read my initial post and my replies that I have only suggested full Face helmets, and currently use a full Face helmet too.

You'll also note that I don't want to compromise comfort or safety just for the look.

That said, I would like to find something that does its job well and looks better than my current helmet.

I agree that trying a helmet on is the only way to be sure if it's a good choice. I went to the MCN Ally Pally show and looked at hundreds of helmets but the ones I liked didn't fit.

J&S and my local retailers might not have anything for me either.

Internet shopping is a decent compromise. The law allows us to return items that don't fit, or even just because we don't like them. So it isn't as foolish as you make out. If I need a helmet quickly, then it wouldn't be the right way to go about it. But as I am in no rush I can afford to wait for deliveries and send a few back until I find the one.

Have a run over to J&S in Finedon, near Wellingborough. .....they've got a pretty extensive stock of helmets you could try......

I will at some point. I've been a couple of times but wasn't looking for retro helmets specifically, so perhaps they will have something ideal.

The Viper F656 could be an option:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Viper-F656-Vintage-Motorcycle-Fibreglass/dp/B07BRSMJHP

Now that I ride a cool bike - Bonneville T120 - I need a tasty looking helmet to complete the look. I've currently got an HJC IS-17 which is a superb helmet and I only paid £50 in a sale, but it doesn't look cool.

I like the Bell Bullitt but I tried some on at the weekend and they just didn't fit right. And.....they're £350 which is a bit rich for my pocket.

I also liked the AGV X3000 but that was the exact same problems - fit and price.

The Biltwell Gringo S is cheap and looks OK, but I think the viewport is too small and I've heard the quality is lacking. I do want a safe head at the end of the day, so will pay more to get the right thing.

What brands and models should I look for? I'll gladly travel, or buy online to try and return it if I have to.

I bought a set of cheap bluetooth intercoms from eBay. £58 I think for a pair.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2X-Excelvan-Motorcycle-Helmet-Headset-Motorbike-Intercom-6-Riders-BT-1200m-NEW/192642066810?epid=10023239813&hash=item2cda5ca97a:g:cdQAAOSwfN5a8AR8

They work fine, not quite loud enough when you're at high speeds but that will vary depending on your hearing, how you position the speakers inside your helmet, and the wind noise you get around your helmet.

Battery lasts for over 2 hours, we haven't really measured that. They charge up pretty quick.

You just clamp the bracket onto your helmet, and then the unit clips on and off easily. Inside your helmet you stick the speakers behind the lining using sticky pads with a hook and loop side which lets you reposition the speakers. The microphone is wired into this lot and has a wire arm which lets you position it wherever you like.

Awful behaviour for any sport! However... What was the "preceding incident"?Screenshot_20180910-222100.png

You can see the whole of the preceding and subsequent events in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOq89OsIhTg

Two similar incidents where Manzi went for the undertake and got close to Fenati. I don't really follow racing but it looked like fair play to me.

When Manzi went off, Fenati momentarily stops racing so he can gloat about his off. I think that's very unsporting and should also be taken into account.

£40 for the pair.

I would meet on the Friday night as I'm camping at Woodlands, or he could meet on the Saturday morning.

I have an ex AA van, a 1998 T4 with the 2.5 TDi engine.

It's at the very early stages of being converted - we've emptied the back out and had to have some serious rust issues looked at. But we've lowered it a touch and put alloys on, and it will soon be re-painted (DIY job with a roller and brush) and then insulated and boarded out.

I love driving it. It's the size of a big car - even qualifies as such on the ferries - and has reasonable power that it isn't frustratingly slow. The T5 vans are supposedly more like a car to drive, but the build quality is allegedly not as good and they are more expensive.

The VW community is amazing. Loads of groups to offer advice, and tons of aftermarket bits and suppliers. Even people who have set up their own little businesses making cup holders and gear knobs. You can pretty much get whatever you need and it doesn't have to cost the Earth.

My advice would be to choose your van wisely - we ended up with engine troubles and rust which have delayed and almost killed the project. But, regardless of the cost, I love it so much I can't help myself from spending more.

You're also supposed to have CE approved and labelled gloves. I believe you can buy the labels on ebay and stitch them in yourself, which makes a mockery of the whole thing.

Again, we didn't encounter any police on our trip, certainly not ones that seemed bothered enough to inspect our kit or bikes. I guess if you ride sensibly then you're not going to encourage an inspection.

As prep, we took the following precautions:

 

• Reflective stickers on front, rear and sides of our helmets. You can buy special packs that have the right sizes for these.
  

 

 

what did you do about them once you got back... thats the biggest issue I had with the stickers. once they're on. thats it, you're stuck with them for the life of the helmet.

so.. we didn't bother last year.. and to be honest, despite looking for them, i didn't see anyone wearing them where we went.

different in the cities mind and if I was riding after dark, when not having them is most obvious.

The thing most to be aware of now.. is that fines can follow you back to the UK. get caught by a roadside speed cam and expect a demand through your letter box a few weeks later.

Fortunately my helmet has large areas of white so I could hide the stickers amongst the pattern fairly well. I saw some black stickers that still reflect, and think there was other colours too. So, it's possible to make a reasonable effort of it. That said, I don't think the police really care that much so if you're really precious about your helmet then I wouldn't bother.

I got flashed by a speed camera near Caen. I had lost a bit of ground on my mates ahead so decided to do a short blast in an overtaking lane. Probably only 10mph over for a few seconds. Never got anything in the post, but it was a front facing camera so perhaps no record of my registration plate.

I guess because they ride on the right so can take their clutch hand off.

Enjoy.

 

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You'll need to explain your question or confusion!

I may have worded that sentence badly. What I mean is, in the UK we ride on the left meaning your right hand is the most suited to giving a hand signal to oncoming riders. But with that being your throttle hand it's not usually convenient. In France, and other countries where they ride on the right, the left hand is the most suited to giving a hand signal. Since that's your clutch hand, it's far more convenient to do. And I think it's a much clearer way of showing respect to other riders.

I went over for the Le Mans Motos 24 in April this year (2018 for those reading this reply in future).

With it being a big motorcycling event there is a heavy police presence, especially at ports and nearer to the circuit. However, other than being followed by a Gendarme car from the edge of Ouistreham to the port itself, we didn't get much attention.

As prep, we took the following precautions:

• Reflective stickers on front, rear and sides of our helmets. You can buy special packs that have the right sizes for these.
  
• GB stickers on our number plates.
  
• Hi-vis waistcoat needs to be worn if you dismount at the side of a main road, so needs to be stowed somewhere accessible. I tucked mine under the cargo net which was holding my bag on the rear.
  

We chose not to worry about deflecting our headlamps.

It's also worth noting that the friendly nod we do in the UK is replaced by a left hand Peace sign over there, I guess because they ride on the right so can take their clutch hand off.

Enjoy.

Block and tackle to the garage roof beam and rope from the hook to the side frame. Works for me!

This advice is dangerous for people who live in new-build homes. Even the spiders in my garage don't trust the load-bearing capacity of my garage beams for their webs!

[mention]MarkW[/mention] great little write up there, I can see that story doing the rounds on social media. Get famous, make your millions.

From advice here and elsewhere I'm pretty sure I want a tunnel tent with a porch. I'll be camping with my wife occasionally and given that 3-person tents don't take up much extra space over a 2-person one that seems like a sensible option.

I like the Robens Voyager 3EX tent which [mention]Gerontious[/mention] linked to. In a similar style I found:

Vango Nova 300+ £170

Vango Scafell 300+ £155 (Looks to be identical to the Nova which is exclusive to Go Outdoors)

Vango Pulsar 300 £138

Vango Pulsar Pro 300 £168 (same as non-pro except fly is more water resistant)

Berghaus Peak 3.3 £126

Berghaus Peak Pro 3.3 £210 (seems to be more waterproof, and lighter weight)

There's not a huge amount of difference between them, or with the Robens Voyager 3EX:

• Pack sizes all seem 45-50cm x 16-20cm diameter.
  
• Sleeping areas around 220cm and porches around 180cm long
  
• Widths 175cm+
  
• Height 100cm+
  

I like the doors on the Robens, but it's the most expensive and heaviest. Weight is a factor for me as I'd consider carrying it in a backpack.

I think I'd lean towards one of the Pro models for improved waterproofing, perhaps the Berghaus because it's lighterweight but the Vango Pulsar Pro is a fair amount cheaper, has 2 entrances and slightly smaller packed.

I live in Peterborough, but I'm working away in Sweden for the next few months and only back at weekends so my ride time is restricted. I'd be up for a Saturday meetup in July, potentially.

Bikes, Trikes and Stuff in Fengate, Peterborough get most of the recommendations in the groups here. I'm new to riding and bike owning, but went there today for an MOT and was impressed by the service - £25 fee, 2 things that it would have failed for got fixed so it would go through and no charge. The chap then showed me a couple of things that were advisories so I knew what the problems were and he didn't put pressure on to use them for the work.

I'm intrigued what would happen if someone wore a SoA patch completely unaware that such animosity from clubs existed? For example, a mate of mine rides a Harley and loves the look of all that stuff, but he doesn't care for groups and clubs. He would quite happily get a patch as a fashion statement.

Sounds like a great trip! One that I'm sure you will remember for a long time. Well until the next one

I assume the weather stayed on your side?

Oh yeah, it was pretty much sunshine the whole time. I was wearing cheap Kevlar Jeans, a base layer and my Furygan Serpico jacket without the liner, and that was enough. We had a few drops of rain on the Sunday. Riding home early on Monday morning was a bit chilly, and I had more layers on then but I was on motorway and moving quite a bit faster.

.....well go on then, what happened? Did you meet up, did it go as planned? We need to know more.......

 

I didn't make it, rough night not sleeping. Others were better than I however

I met [mention]Tango[/mention] and [mention]Bonniebird[/mention] en route near Oundle and led us on a winding route through the Welland Viaduct and up to the garden centre. There we met [mention]JRH[/mention], [mention]Chrissb6[/mention] and [mention]Liveware Problem[/mention]

Nice cake, pleasant chats, then we all blasted off in our own directions.

[mention]goat[/mention] I only had chips, fortunately!

I should have added that my Bandit was a great bike for the trip. I'd had some issues with it stalling prior to the trip, but my local garage seem to have resolved this by cleaning the carbs and setting the idle a bit higher. Fuel economy was really good - I got from Caen to Northampton and was only down to 2 out of 5 bars. That's about 150 miles of riding. I probably could have got back to Peterborough but decided to refuel rather than risk it, and I needed a pee break anyway.

Myself and a couple of mates have only had our licences a short time. One of them decided to ride to Le Mans for the 24 hour race over the weekend (21st - 22nd April 2018).

So we booked ourselves onto the Portsmouth - Caen ferry on Thursday night, and a return on the Sunday night. I found us a hotel in the town so we could avoid the mayhem of the event campsite, and I prepared myself mentally for the longest and toughest riding I'd done to date.

First up I headed from Peterborough to meet one of my mates in Clapham Common. What should have been a simple route on the North Circular turned into a slightly more direct route down Abbey Road, through Marylebone and Mayfair, over the Chelsea Bridge next to Battersea Power Station. It was hot and mega busy, but it helped me gain confidence in traffic and my ageing Bandit 600 coped very well. From Clapham Common we headed out on the A3 to meet the others at South Wisley services just outside the M25. We both enjoyed free cake from Starbuck's, the others arrived late but we had claimed a couple of extra pieces for them before the store closed.

We then convoyed down to Portsmouth to try and find Fish and Chips, but ended up with awful dirty burgers from some dodgy hole-in-the-wall takeaway.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.7974446,-1.1056931,3a,28.1y,74.32h,85.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sP4o_UqpbVt9TGaxe9PmeLQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

My lack of experience showed up as we tried to check-in at the ferry port. I decided to get my passport out whilst in the queue, and then rushed to move off and realised I didn't have enough appendages to hold the passport and make a nice controlled stop. I got away with it though, only just rolling passed the window and not dropping the bike as I wobbled to a halt! Boarding the ferry was fun, despite a long wait. They really cram bikes in and it wasn't good for the rider in our group who was very proud of his smart BMW K1300S.

Coming off the ferry in Ouistreham we were greeted by an orange sun trying to burn off the mist that was rising from the marshes next to the canal. It was glorious. We used back roads towards Le Mans, and stopped in the stunning Falaise for an even more stunning breakfast.

We didn't ride into the race circuit, instead using the tram system which allowed us to wear shorts and t-shirts and have a couple of beers. If we were hardcore race enthusiasts we would have camped their, but our plan was just to explore the event and see some action, but not watch every moment. Sunset and night racing were great spectacles, though nothing matched the French National Anthem, jet flyover and sprint start.

We checked out of our hotel on the Sunday morning and headed North on the motorway towards Omaha Beach to take in some WWII history. The tolls were free for motorbikes

Our final destination was Caen for some dinner and I tested my riding skills with a few circuits of the town centre looking for a place to eat with parking in view. My confidence has grown massively and I'm now feeling relaxed in most situations I encounter. So much so that I decided to take an alternative route home, completely solo, to avoid the M25 at rush hour. I thoroughly enjoyed it apart from being a bit chilly. I was even filtering through traffic carefully and confidently.

I would upload some photos, but the first thing I did on getting home was bung my phone in the washing machine so I need to spend time recovering the memory card!