billy sugger

The reason they altered the test rules, etc, they were inadequate. My "test", in 1978, (on a uprated cb125s capable of triple digits) was outside the test centre and consisted of two roundabouts and a straight section of road. Examiner; "I want you to set off and at the roundabout go all the way round and head back towards me, then continue on to the next roundabout and repeat. At some point I will stand at the kerb and raise my clipboard, at which point I want you to come to a safe, controlled stop without stalling the engine". I passed, but he did mention I should use my mirrors more, as I had them set to see behind me without having to move my head much. The introduction of "lifesavers" was for the very same reason, to prove you were checking behind you before setting off or turning. All my test proved was I could ride in a straight line and go round a roundabout, nothing about slow speed control, figure of eights, u turns, hazard avoidance they have now. The test was just too inadequate to cope with busier roads. I was 17,the bike had been worked on to increase bhp, with a skimmed head, high compression piston, gas flowed ports. The only thing stopping me reaching those triple digits were the tyres, there wasn't any out there of the size needed that were rated to cover the speed, so I hit very bad speed wobble at about the ton mark. My 125 was actually a lot faster, by a huge margin, than the CB250 super dream I bought when I went back to bikes in 1992 after my divorce

The instructors told me I would need to, quote "rag the arse out of it" in second gear to make the speed up to 50kph out of the corner. In fact the suzuki they lent me was so slow I went and bought the cb twin just for the test

Due to the power output of today's 125s it is a struggle to hit the 50KPH on a car park. Is there any way you can borrow an older 125,like a cg125? The output from an older one is more than enough to get you through the hazard trap and emergency stop without having to rev the c**P out of it

That's only cos there so bloody low to the ground to begin with

Tyre medics in Hinckley charged me £24 to change a tyre on a loose rear wheel in 2020, and £100 to change both tyres and remove wheels in 2018, so it's about par with your quote

Rear is just primer, need it to dry fully ready for paint

Rear.

Removed both wheels, scrubbed them clean, but they looked messy as what looked like lacquer was coming off in places, so decided to paint them. Front.

Drop a school bike that's covered in fairings, your looking at a good chunk of cash to fix it, even with crash bungs fitted. I dropped mine on a mini roundabout due to a idiot pulling on to it while I was actually on it, turning right. The crash bung hit the tarmac, but my fairings hit the raised section and split

I reckon it's bad planning sticking trees on corners

Mines only heavy when I drop it, then I have a hard time trying to pick it up on my own (kerb weight is 222 kilos)

Posted on here somewhere about my cover from LTR. Well made and worth the money

My 600 will do twice the NSL, but it's not often I hit treble digits, unless it's on a fairly empty dual carriageway or motorway, and even then I've never hit full whack, and wouldn't want to. What I use the power for is overtaking, as it has the power to accelerate quickly and pass fairly rapidly. If I wanted to throw a bike through the twisties my 500 is way more forgiving, but there is no dual abs to get you out of trouble if you need to hit the brakes

Mod 1 on second attempt, hire bike wasn't taxed on first one due to balls up by the CBT boys, mod 2 first time, on my own 125. Mod 1 was literally what I had done on CBT, which was just one day, and Mod 2 just the test, no practice lessons. Your best bet is just go to take the CBT without any preconceptions. After the classroom stuff get on the bike, listen to the instructor, AND RELAX! he worst thing to do is try to ride whilst tensed up

None of us can answer that question for you. You need to get to your training centre and see how you cope on the bikes first, then the instructor/s will talk to you and give you answers you need. I booked 8 weeks of instruction with a driving instructor when my 2 boys were little as ex wanted us to all go out together, only to be told after the first lesson that I might as well book the test now as I didn't need any more lessons, yet I had never driven a car before that day

Do it before, in preparation for the holiday along with tyre pressures, check no nasties stuck in the treads, check chain for tension/kinks, etc. That way there will be no nasty surprises on your holiday trip

Baggage handler at a small airfield, or driving something around at one. That is a passenger disembarkation device in the pic

Happy birthday @husoi

Reading your post title, I've never tried cleaning the bike with beer, I just use muc off

Next one on my list is Ashby Folville on 31st May. There are no cars anymore and you can no longer park on the cricket pitch, but should still be a good night out

I missed the monkey bike part, but here's my tuppence worth

Have moved so no longer have that joy. Today is a straight run along the a428 via crick

Ah well, it was a good little bimble, just used a different route back. On a side note, I'm really missing my 500. on the twisties the 600 is rapid but the engine is very vibey and I'm starting to get cramp in my hand holding the throttle open, which is something I've not had on any of my other bikes

That would explain the empty streets

I am just having a cup of tea, then heading to Rugby