SometimesSansEngine

3 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

But women love presents! there's nothing like treating the love of your life once in a blue moon you know.

 

 

And by that I don't mean the bike  

Dammit, I was about to say I did treat the love of my life today....

I suppose i shouldn't complain. I'm sure loads of people who would love to have a wife who would appreciate a new rear tyre as a thoughtful present

She's never liked the thought of being a kept woman. It's what she values having her own source of income.

Oh, and @Magpie84 was a child with no regard for our neighbours when I let her rev it

Finally completed fitting the new end can after a visit to our local nut and bolt shop. A lot happier with the look versus the stock silver one

Today is mostly wiling away sections of time.

Do a few meetings then get to the Nut and Bolt shop to pick up a bolt for my new exhaust (which the manufacturer seemingly forgot to put in the box)

Then resist the temptation to look out of the bedroom window.

Then pick my daughter up from school.

Further resist temptation. 

Then enjoy the Bank Holiday weekend.

I was exceptionally tempted by the Z1000SX last time I was looking. There's a few hammered ones out there though so watch out for that. 

Look out for one with the full luggage, even if you never use it it'll really help your resale value and the way the attachment system is designed the bike doesn't look weird without them on.

Finally, it has to be green (the thing that really hampered my search - I wanted in reasonable nick, with side panniers and green)

35 minutes ago, James in Brum said:

Today’s problem is often yesterday’s solution.

I could probably use that in three meetings today

43 minutes ago, jedibiker said:

Horrible front, like something is missing.. like them apart from that

The design deadline was the Friday before a bank holiday weekend and everyone in the design office was keen to get to the pub at 3pm before it got busy 

Only two hours away from my mother-in-law's, but only an hour from the airport. As we occasionally fly back home later in the eve it might be a good shout for an interim stop to waste time in the day....

The guy who for a while held the record for most isolated person ever in the history of mankind. 

Interestingly, I've had them cancel on approach to roundabouts but definitely not covered 300m. Sort of thing I need to experiment with more maybe....

Why bother with the rest of the plastics then?

I know I basically bought the Volvo of the bike world so I'm a fine one to comment on the aesthetics of a naked bike, but what's with the current trend of manufacturers making it look like they forgot to finish the plastics on the front of the bike?

My BMW has them as standard, I don't trust them 

If you're in a queue say for a roundabout you'll find they cancel before you get there, the odd time you forget to cancel you look down what feels like five minutes later and they're still blinking away.

Possibly on a fast dual carriageway where you just need them to show you're changing lane and you're also covering a lot of ground they save a bit of faff, but for just riding around I prefer to rely on manual cancellation.

I think mine are spec'd to 10 seconds of riding or covering about 300m. My issue is if you come out of a junction and forget to cancel, 300m is quite a distance to cover. But when you're creeping up to a roundabout, ten seconds isn't that long at all.

8 hours ago, husoi said:

You're absolutely right.

A motorway is no place for small slower bikes.

For night riding you would wear a hiviz jacket and a couple reflective sticker on the helmet won't go a miss either.

There are newer ones that look dark grey during the day and become bright at night.

Slightly off topic but... You can't ride on a motorway on a CBT with your 125 but with my A licence as long as my bike wasn't under 50cc I'd be ok... Can you imagine using the motorway on a bike that underpowered can't think of much that would scare me more

I could easily have a rant about this - I have before. Riders on a CBT are perfect to be nabbed to attend a BikeSafe and should absolutely be targeted. If they're worried about a speed differential with other attendees just put them in their own group.

I genuinely think if you offered it someone would find use of it.

We have a free & eco Facebook group locally and it's the sort of thing someone would find use of 

For a general overtake I genuinely think you're overworrying. The police are very unlikely to try and get you for a careless driving rap.

Most forces require at least two minutes before and after an incident to review it, this is to cover off the "doesn't show what happened in the run up". They then request you retain footage of the whole journey. That's then to cover off a defence of "but for the five miles before this..."

A close pass is very distinct to an overtake. And so with that let's get back to the original incident in this thread. The motorcyclist, on a clear section of road passed another road user within two metres - he's not even over the centre line. At speed. Doing a wheelie. If he f**ked that up he doesn't just damage his pride, he potentially takes someone else out.

I get some of you think it's spoiling the fun but at the end of the day rather than take it on the chin he did a Chris Huhne and what's more he tried to stitch someone else up for it, before attempting to falsify documents. Quite frankly, f**k him.

Go and do your wheelie on a totally clear bit of road, not when you're passing another human being.

Judge me if you like but I've reported other road users using video footage multiple times. I couldn't care less if you think that makes me a grass or a tosser. Truth be told if this guy had passed me fully in the other carriageway on my bike I would have just called him a twat and carried on. But if he'd passed me as shown in the still yes I would have reported it.

Your taster session will definitely help give you an idea.

I think you're always learning on a motorcycle. The basics are simple enough once you have sussed them, but it always feels like you're learning as you progress.

Motorcycling is not "safe", but you can ride in a way that reduces risk. Most of the near miss clips you'll see on YouTube are a good demo of how you can add risk if you want (I'd recommend you don't)

You'll get loads of help and advice on here and other places

9 minutes ago, NE150N80 said:

The Facebook discussion was heavily dominated by comments akin to "so you only value your life at £125", which not only causes a new rider a significant level of fear, it also makes me feels like I've made a really foolish purchase, when I thought I'd done well on my research etc.

 

All of your comments have been fantastic and confirmed my suspicions that when you want a thoughtful, measured set of opinions, this forum is exactly the place to come as opposed to listening the through-away comments of randoms on Facebook.

You'll find plenty of divergent opinions on a forum, this included.

But for what it's worth I generally avoid motorbike related groups on facebook for similar reasons to what you state, as well as some others.

1 hour ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

No, it just seems to lose its waterproofing abilities quicker than I'd expect. I had a GoreTex jacket many many years ago that lasted for years, since then nothing has been as good.

I generally reproof all my cycling gear after a bit of use. And definitely if you wash them (I avoid where at all possible).

But in my experience seams and collars/cuff type areas are always pretty susceptible 

Is rain getting in anywhere else? Collars etc?

38 minutes ago, dynax said:

 

I should have changed the time really, originally I had it for 2.30pm then it got cancelled and they sent out a new date and at 8.30 in the morning, so I was up 5.45am. Next time I will make sure it's an afternoon slot

Ha, I had the opposite, I wanted to get it done with rather than waiting around, and once I got to my mod 2 I asked the bike school to make sure I was out first (on my first mod 1 the other chap went first so it was like a creeping death)

By the time my mod 2 rolled around I passed in the morning, then we went and had lunch and rode around a bit more before the other guy's test so I got to enjoy a non-pressured bike ride

I almost went into my first mod1 knowing I was going to fail. I know some people (me included) will say that's a great way of making it come true, but on that specific day I just felt crap on the bike as soon as I sat on it. We can all have days like that.

For me I just decided to make a beeline directly for a cone in the slalom.

The best people have a practice first