daffyduck1962

My wife is considering changing her current bike, SV650S (03) with straight bar conversion for something else. She is only 5'"2 tall, and average inside leg for her height. She can plant her feet comfortably on a Bonneville, but I don't think she would enjoy the bike as much as a Bandit. I know I can lower the rear suspension as much as she needs, but just how far can you drop the forks without the front mudguard hitting the bottom yoke on full compression of the forks? I did wonder if it would be possible to just find shorter forks with the same tube diameter or have a specialist shorten the tube length and adjust the springs accordingly. I could also get a shorter shock made for her height by Hagon or someone similar. Are there any lady members, in particular who have found a way around the seat height issue?

the offending article

There is a chap near me who repairs /makes all things leather, lives in Hoddesdon and is excellent. He used to do boots but not any more. He said do not go to Timpson's but never said why!

My wife's Alpinestar Goretex boot zips have given up. Can't find anyone in Harlow who can do a like for like replacement. does anyone know where I can have these repaired? Ideally within Essex/North East London. Cheers

About to buy a CB400 Super Four, 1993, but it appears that there might be an issue with obtaining serviceable parts. I have seen quite a few bikes advertised so would like to hear from anyone who currently owns one, or has in the past had one, and how they sourced spares for this. I know it has come from Japan, is still being made for the south east asia market and Oz, but can't find any kind of service manual or parts list or who can supply bits for these. I'm meant to be buying this weekend but if parts are going to be a problem i'll keep looking for a Europe /UK spec bike. Here's hoping someone tells me I'm worrying about nothing very soon. Links to websites etc will be helpful.

Have just discovered the delights of ITN converter software. I now need to find out if anyone knows how I can transfer all my new routes into my Zumo, en masse, without having to repeatedly diconnect the usb lead, and manually store them in the memory. I have opened up the relevant folder through the pc, but unlike my TomTom Rider, there is not a folder headed up - Itineries, or similar. The Zumo has it's own SD card , so can they be stored on that, and if so, how to I access them once on the bike? Don't want much do I?

THE ENGINE IS OUT But the bolt is still in the engine!!!!!!!!! Angle grinders are your best friend and your worst enemy in times of deperation. The left spacer and the engine is where the bolt has corroded completely. All I've got to do is get it out of the engine now. Simples!??? Anyone know a small engineering firm or similar in Essex or nearby who could help? F***k**g Honda. They ain't as clever as they would have us believe.

Just taken these tonight

I have an engine mount bolt (lower front) on my wife's 400 Bros, which is a little stiff to move. It is a steel bolt passing through a steel rail at either end. It then passes through two steel spacers, one either end on the inside of frame rail, and in the centre is the engine block, made of alloy. It has been sprayed with WD40, "Freeze-it" releasing fluid (constricts the metal allowing the releasing fluid to get to work), I have heated it with a hand held blow torch. I have tried to shock it free with a lump hammer.It pushed the nut down the thread. If I put a socket on the bolt head and try to free it off it turns at the head end but not at the nut end. I can't apply heat at the nut end of the bolt because there is a lead coming from the front of the engine close to the spacer and the frame rail. Can anyone help? I'm stuck for ideas.

Already have EDZ and no bettr than M & S! Not worhth what they cost when you can buy cheaper and still achieve the same result for a nice hot cup of cocoa when you get to the cafe.

Been out on the bike today and felt sorry for all the brass monkeys . Can anyone recommend a good warm , and DRY, winter suit. Otherwise I'm going into hibernation until spring. Budget is tight though, so happy to consider eBay at a push as owners views are far more realistic than any lying git mag, especially RiDE! Heard of a couple of guys who spent £1500 on Rukka suits and they leaked!

Hello everyone So it's coming up again and so I'e decided to head for the hills again. Destination south west of France/Northern Spain, otherwise known as the PYRENEES. This time I'm going it alone, am not changing my plans for the wife and will be more flexible this time. But when I say alone it does not mean that you can't join in if you wish. It's just that I am going if I can't get anyone else interested. I would suggest end of June, beginning of July because earlier you are not guaranteed that access over all of the roads is possible. Avoid end of July and August due to the Tour de France and the French go on holiday, en masse, in August. September the weather may deteriorate with regards to the temperature higher up. I have looked at the ferry from Plymouth/Portsmouth to Santander. but are not an option for me as we would need to be away for more than a week due to the ferry’s timetable. Dates are Sunday, 27th June. Return trip is Monday, 5th July takes 29 hours. ! Cost is £464.00!!!! Taking your bike down on the train to the south of France is expensive too. Therefore my suggestion is Dover to Calais as there are many more choices for dates and times of departure at either end. Typical cost for the ferry is £37.50. Getting to the Pyrenees could be covered in 2 days whilst avoiding the toll roads. There is fuel, hotel costs on the way down and back, but would still allow 5 days in the Pyrenees, and is still cheaper than the Spanish ferry. If we stay in one place there is a limit to roads that could explored without covering the same ground as they are spread about. It would also mean covering great distances to be able to explore new areas each day (At least 200 miles +). If we stay in 2 locations we could arrive at the first hotel on the second day, spend the next 2 days/nights exploring. After that we could move onto the next hotel and spend the following 3 nights/ 2 days exploring that area. That then gives us 2 days to get back to Calais. Areas that I have looked into so far are Lourdes, and Andorra but bear in mind that these are only suggestions and I’m happy to change to meet in with any ideas you have on this. I think we would have a great time if you can get the time. I will be going on my own, but must confess the company will make all the difference. Hope to speak to you soon hopefully Contact me through my email address initially, if interested ([email protected])

Does anyone have a Rider 2 that I could look at, and meet up with someone to see the benefits of, by comparison to the Zumo 550? In Harlow, but travel is not a problem. I'm thinking of swapping it but not sure if it would be a good move. Would prefer to see one and discuss features and benefits with anyone who currently has one before going ahead with this. I also have a Rider1 but as you may know, the contacts to the mount are the weak pin. Have heard similar stories about the Rider 2.

Last saturday afternoon we set off from Dover for the trip to Europe. Everything was weather dependant as is usually the case with touring on a bike. We were heading straight to Grenoble and into the Alps but the weather was rain for the first four days, so decided to go towards Rodez, in southern France. Having kept off the motorways to prevent boredom, and because we didn't arrive until gone 4pm, local time we didn't make much progress. The route was great to ride just outside Calais but we only managed to get as far as Beauvais (10pm at the Formule F1). We did entertain the locals by eating our supper in the local supermarket car park! It rained for a bit on the way down on the first day too. And I spent a couple of hours cleaning the bloody bike that morning! Sunday:- The next day was so hot (36C) it was too much and by the time we made Clermont-Ferrand we were ready to pass out with the heat. Use the Ibis hotel if you head that way, very good value. Monday:- Left Clermont-Ferrand for Grenoble taking in the twisty bits, much fun and great views everywhere we went. Came upon a small town, which like most of France seemed to be deserted. Sat in the sun eating locally grown strawberries, and drinking bottled water. Very relaxing, but still bloody hot. Eventually made it to Grenoble and I think I picked the worst F1 hotel for it's location. No eating houses, or drinking houses nearby, so opted to go into Grenoble town centre on the bike for dinner. That was fine thanks to the satnav, but as it was still hot rode down in T-shirt and jeans. Found a restaurant and parked bike outside. You would have thought that the locals were being invaded by the looks we received. Food wasn't great and service was terrible. Avoid main tourist spots and find something away from the centre. Oh, and if you can speak fluent french I suspect that might help too. Tuesday:- Used the A430 to head into the Alps which is a great road in itself, and then played it by ear. Went to travel over the St Bernard pass, and when we arrived at the ski resort, La Rosiere, they had close the road! Only other way round was over 100 miles , so it was back along the way we had been, and onto Albertville. Found a very nice hotel in the middle of the town. Parked the bike underground, and within minutes the heavens opened, accompanied by thunder and lightening. Lucky us! Again nice local restaurant, pleasant staff, and great food. Wednesday:- The weather was not in our favour for the remainder of the trip, especially as we had to allow at least 2 days to get back to Calais, so we took the decision to head north to Paris. To ensure we made it one day I took to the toll roads. Not cheap, but you can certainly kill some miles. Did 466 miles in under 8 hours! Had dinner in the centre of Paris, and experienced the wonders of Parisians behind a wheel. Great fun. Ended up staying in a hotel 13 miles out of town as everything in our budget was booked. Thursday:- Quick blast back to Calais, and then left standing on the dock for over 2 hours as the ferry was delayed with engine trouble. Home in time for tea. Check the link to see the piccies. http://s559.photobucket.com/albums/ss32 ... ?start=all Things we will do different next time: Use the motorway to get to a central point. Stay in one hotel, guest house, and travel out from that point each day. If moving around, use #1 and then take it easy for a couple of days locally before heading onto the next area. We are already planning a trip to Germany. I'ver never been and Cathy has the touring bug!