chiz

The Sub4 isn't as bad as it looks, it warms up and moulds to your back. I wear mine every time I ride. I don't bother taking it off when parked up at meets and suchlike as it's not intrusive at all.

Cracking review. Pretty much everything you say about the Mk2 can be said about the Mk1. For the record, the OE Dunlops are crap by all accounts.

Yeah, they're testing the cheaper ones next month, which will be interesting to compare against the pricey one's.

I quite like the Rukka stuff but a lot of the 'vanish-up-their-own-arse' BMW cliques wear it simply because it's so expensive. They'll be disappointed to hear that HG's top suit, the Master V (£1400 complete) wipes the floor with every Rukka suit, but it doesn't have RUKKA in big writing across the back so they'll never buy it.

Schuberth.

There was easily 500 bikes at Washington, didn't see anything daft going on. The police set up a road block at the finish, the A1 was brought to an almost standstill at times.

I was looking for you, quite a turn-out eh?

I've had an X-602, the design is starting to show it's age compared to what's available now. The top vents can open by themselves with enough wind pressure. On a positive note, the visor mechanism is excellent, far superior to the Arai TourX 3 I use now. A friend of mine has an XR1100, he says it's a great lid, I don't know much about it, he works for Hein Gericke and had his pick of every lid they stock, so that's testament to how highly he rates the XR. My friend hates AGVs, hates wearing them, hates selling them and hates having to work through the mountain of warranty returns they generate. My girlfriend has a Stealth SV, she picked it herself, if I'd had anything to do with it she'd have had anything but that.

Depends on the manufacturer I'm afraid. I've got five bike jackets, only two are the same size and that's only because they're both from Hein Gericke. You could look on the manufacturers website as some of them have sizing charts on their site somewhere.

When I passed mod2 my instructor escorted me back but without the daft earpiece in, he led the way and didn't hold back for me.

If you bought your lid from an Arai five star dealer then go back there and get them to look at it, they should at least give it a once over and diagnose the problem free of charge. Failing that, you need to dismantle it and give it a good clean and dry (I can't think what cleaning agent Arai recommend, it'll be on their website I'd imagine). When you put it all back together, pay particular attention to the pins, they rotate within the holes in the visor, because of the shape of the pins you can make the pinlock lens tighter against the visor. Word of warning; The lens needs to be tight enough to prevent any moisture getting in between it and the visor but not too tight as you risk breaking the pins, which are a f**k on to fit properly.

Hein Gericke 3D seamless. (Not on their website) EDZ all season. http://www.edzlayering.com/motorcycle/mens/baselayer/product_baselayer_one_piece_suit.html Helly Hansen Lifa. http://shop.hellyhansen.com/GB/products/men/baselayer/?f_men=Baselayer&fc_men&partner=6085 Amongst others that I can't think of.

It's a completely different category of vehicle! Do you honestly expect them to bring in tandem licencing arrangements that simultaneously affect HGV drivers, coach drivers, horse riders, taxi drivers, caravan towing drivers.... etc etc.... Motorcycling is dangerous. They are trying to reduce the 10% KSI figure. Is it just me that thinks their efforts should be applauded? HGV's (LGV's if you're European) have seen a few changes recently, as part of the LGV tests you must complete 35 hours additional training known as the 'driver initial Certificate of Professional Competence', in order to continue to hold a vocational LGV licence you must complete periodical training known as the 'driver periodical CPC', which is 35 hours every five years. The downside (or upside depending on your point of view) is that you can now hold a class one (Euro C+E) licence from the age of 18. I've held mine since I was 17, but that's always been the case for armed forces drivers. So effectively LGV licensing is going in the opposite direction to motorcycle licensing.

Believe it or not, a few years back when I used to attend local car meets, there was a 20 year old who used to turn up every Sunday in a McLaren SLR. He was a Merc salesman and his dad owned the dealership but f**k me, the SLR is a supercar!! Could I afford one? Not at £350k, no. Could I insure one now? No. Could I ever insure one? Probably not.

Look out for it at one of the BMF shows, that's where the warranty stuff ends up.

Exactly what I would say about it.

I don't personally know anyone that sticks to every speed limit, I certainly don't. The main road that runs along the top of my street was downgraded from a 40 to a 30, if you do 30 along there, you'll get overtaken / tailgated. That road leads onto a dual carriageway that used to be a 50, it's now a 30 after some idiot decided to run across it in heavy traffic as opposed to using the footbridge, he was knocked down. Because of this persons stupidity, the road is slapped with a ridiculous speed limit (which is quite often enforced with mobile cameras / traffic units) instead of putting a tall fence on the central reserve to discourage any more idiots making a dash for it (as they have done further down that very same road). It seems that in the eyes of whoever decides these things, the answer to every traffic problem is to lower speed limits. When I did my advanced driving I was taught the correct use of speed, my instructor was always bleating on about the speed kills adverts, saying 'it should be inappropriate speed kills' whilst telling me to get my foot down.

Yeah, it's handy if you're into a sport that uses base layer type stuff. I mountain bike, hill walk and mountaineer, all of which need a decent base layer to go on top of technical layers. I also built up quite a collection during my time in the Army and I wear base layers in the winter where I'm working now, so I've got quite a selection to choose from.

Puncture repair is a matter of opinion, as I've said on other puncture related topics. I've just had my Avon Storm ST repaired after countless tyre shops said not to, some claim it's illegal others say you wont be insured (only your insurer can confirm this). None of the motorcycle tyre dealers round here will repair punctures when they can try to sell you a new tyre. A friend of mine who has full tyre repair and fitting facilities close to hand, goes round all the bike shops near us buying nearly new, punctured tyres that the shops have managed to convince the owners to get rid of. He takes them home, repairs them, then uses them on his GSXR1000. He's never bought a new tyre in ages. He's very quick, corners like a racer and nips over to the IOM and goes nuts every other month, if he's happy with repaired tyres then so am I.

Link fixed... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUZUKI-GSF-BANDIT-TRIBOSEAT-GRIPPY-PASSENGER-SEATCOVER-/310319656492?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item48407e2e2c Sorry I can't help with a review, I've always used aftermarket seats with grippy vinyl combined with grippy trousers.

The problem you'll have is that as soon as you start looking at Gore-Tex, the price tends to go up. The two gloves that spring to mind are Alpinestars 365, not cheap, and Hein Gericke Extra-fit, don't know how much you'll get them for as they are on offer now and then, the Extra-fit's come in soft and hard armour versions, it goes without saying that the hard armour is the better option.

That suit you've picked out is excellent, one of their best actually. I've been looking at the trousers for a while now but I can't justify buying them just yet.

Kawasaki and Yamaha.

Yes.

Ah right, just a coincidence that I got a similar offer sent to me from the company I was referring to then.