S-Westerly

I've had zero success with Oxford stuff. I now class them as "buy cheap, buy twice". My current waterproofs are 2 years old and have kept me bone dry in some fairly monsoon rain storms. They are Scotts.

Plotting my escape. Should be around 5th May in Rotterdam.

Unless you have a friend with a van / trailer there's not much I can suggest. Although the horse has well and truly bolted through the wide open stable door - in future try and avoid Chinese bikes. Their reputation generally is abysmal.

There's been a few scallywags that have been solicitors. We had one from a few house moves ago who tried to hang on to the interest on our money. Not a huge amount but it was the principle of the thing.

My wife is ambivalent about the bike. On one hand she refuses point blank to have anything to do with it. This is a huge plus as it means that I don't have her shrieking in my ear when pushing a bit too much. There's been the odd occasion in the car that I've threatened to get out and walk. On the other hand she's more than happy for me to whiz around on it and not put Mike's on her car. Running out of hands here but I'm pretty sure she considers it an expensive luxury even if not an ornament. As I'm very careful to keep most costs associated with it, including the price of the bike, away from her beady eye she tolerates it. A bit like with an over enthusiastic large puppy she just rolls her eyes a bit.

I'm rather partial to V twins and to say they don't sound as good as a 4? Piffle. At 19 I'm afraid you are in the "walk before you run" phase. There's nothing you can do about it insurance wise until you have a few more years on your clock.

Not exactly a well loved bike but it all depends on what your hands on skills are up to. My skills are rubbish so I'd not touch it but if you have the skills and can afford to take the hit if it turns out to be too much then take a punt.

While I am away I'm as dry as the Sahara desert but I have to say that first beer after I sign off always tastes superb.

Bloody hell it is heaving! Only been there in the winter when there's been maybe 2 other bikes there. Not sure I'd like it that crowded as I'm allergic to mobs.

I have no idea as its not my bike. At a guess yes it's dangerous to use and final catastrophic failure is probably not far away. I'd not use it but I'm not you.

Assuming you do need to replace the screen (have you asked a Yamaha dealer? Although they'll probably say yes you do!) it may be worth dropping £30 on the ebay one to try and make it fit. Alternatively try and source one that's for your model. For sure when you come to sell it the lack of a working display will knock a sizable chunk off the value.

If this noise really is coming from inside the engine you are already done. The only question is how much more damage you will do before it completely destroys itself.

Apparently it's a real thing or someone is working to make it such. At least its been reported on a variety of platforms. Seems a bit like an April fool but who knows?

Still upright I hope?!

Used to fish the Wear at Low Barns back in the day.

Good plan.

Docking in Houston on Saturday morning and probably sail on Monday. Discharge port is supposed to be Pembroke and I'm due to be relieved there. Be quite glad to get off as this has been a busy trip.

Gel insert?

Crash bungs are quite common although I've never used them. Bound to be someone on here who has. I know you can pay after market ones for my current bike but I don't plan to fit any.

West African bling being used as crash protection. You live there so you probably have a better idea than me but I've seen some wildly decorated vehicles on the roads out there. As for being only on the right - was the bike previously kept parked up hard against a wall on that side? Alternatively they're 2nd hand crash bungs and the seller never got around to getting more. Ask the man.

I used UA for a top yoke attachment for a Ram mount.

Used to use Fertan on a boat and it worked well enough. Easy to apply as well.

Not true. There's at least 5 days a year when it doesn't rain and the temperature gets above 15 C. Then the billion midges come out to play.

I'll be at sea. Due back August 1st.

Pretty sure it's residents only as otherwise half the bikers in the country would have Manx licences. A friend of mine from years ago whose parents actually lived in the IoM had a Manx licence and a UK one ( in the era of ride around the block tests) and when he was acquiring an unhealthy number of points on one switched to the other. Eventually he got caught of course but it was fun while it lasted.