Hywel

I've never done a trackday, and I really really want to do one very soon, but I know people who've done both of these things. Track day seems to be a great day out, learning a few new skills and taking a sportsbike to the very limit of it's potential has gotta give you a grin. Lots of the people I know who've jumped out of planes have said that the first time literally changed their lives forever, for the better. It kinda makes you look at everything differently... if you think about it, it is one of the most surreal and mental things you can possibly do. I say JUMP.

I don't believe MCN 99.99% of the time but that's just dumb, I wouldn't call cheap accessories like tank protectors, rear huggers, rad covers, crash protection & screens etc "mods"... they're things that do not affect the bike in any way other than make it easier to clean and a bit more practical and comfortable in the real world. Aftermarket exhaust systems, altered gearing, engine tuning, performance/lightweight replacement parts do qualify because they tend to affect the handling and performance which might understandably be of interest to an insurance company. Feels like they're trying to improve their margins by catching people out who would never think to declare stuff which is just common sense to have on an every-day bike. Imagine how far this could really go; "Hello Bennetts, I'm using handlebar muffs today and I'm putting a pinlock in my lid" "oh dear mate, that'll be an extra £80 modification fee please or else we'll void your policy... by the way, do you use a tank bag?". "yep" "make it £150 then"

Terrible news, Simoncelli was among my favourite MotoGP riders, old school and totally kept me on the edge of my seat all the time. Just saw the footage of the crash, very nasty. Safety kit has come a long way, but that's just not a survivable accident whichever way you look at it really.

Similarly to a few other here, I have a Knox back protector, and if I go for a 'ride-out' I might reach for it but regarding the daily commute, it's already a pain in the arse bumbling into the office after changing with my boots, lid, jacket, tank bag etc in hand... I think if I added a back protector the list I'd go mental after a couple of days

I've been putting my bike totally back to standard spec but I really want to improve my brakes, they aren't dangerously weak or anything but they're squidgy and have no feel. I've ordered some HEL braided lines (keeping it low key with black covers and banjos) but I've read quite a lot about using a Blackbird master cylinder to improve feedback because it has a lower capacity for fluid or something? Is this possible on a Hornet, and would I need to buy a Blackbird brake lever too? Also, do I need to inform my insurance company about upgrades to the braking system? (I bet the premium goes up, even though the quality/safety of the bike will have been improved .)

Sorry, I don't want to sound like a dick... I'm sure you're a safe rider, and I'm fully aware that every road user (myself included) makes mistakes, but I firmly believe you should always try to make sure that your safest option is stopping in time if possible. If your safest option is to dive up the side, that's fine... unless you're on a single track road with oncoming traffic or on a dual carriageway with stuff overtaking you. The reason for Tommy Lee Jones' glare was that your posts didn't suggest you were having a think about your approach to stopping distances... they came across more like "ah, this situation is kinda okay because I can jump alongside stuff if I need to". Anyway, it's very possible that you could have stopped in time, but you made a good judgement in plenty of time and decided it was safe to pass rather than drop the anchors... making me just another judgemental, condescending internet-forum twat. In which case, as you where EDIT: Also, the only reason I assumed you made the decision in a panic was because it inspired you to start a thread called "had my first scare", which kind of implies a really close call.

http://www.ponychan.net/chan/dis/src/131337671431.jpg Seriously... just make sure you can stop in time. Regularly diving out alongside stopped/slowing traffic in a last minute panic is a superb idea... but only if you actually want to become a mangled heap on the side of the road.

If you're fatally injured because you didn't leave yourself enough space to stop or you simply weren't paying enough attention to changing road conditions ahead, discussions regarding 'legal responsibility' or 'fault' are meaningless. Your life is completely in your own hands when you ride a bike, and there are loads of cretins who drive around with their eyes sewn shut, so passing blame and not learning from these mistakes is going to end badly for you. Just sayin'.

Anyone travelling in front of you may stop suddenly at any point, could be an animal or a pedestrian shooting out in front of them or whatever else, even if there aren't any obvious hazards. Keep a defensive position on the road and put plenty of distance between you and stuff in front to deal with any sudden stuff, 'specially if the road is a bit greasy. If you don't keep this kinda thing covered, you may go a fair distance with only a few bum clenching moments but it only takes one nasty surprise and you'll be collected! My first proper scare was rushing up to a roundabout with a bit too much gusto, panicking, and locking up the back on a YBR125 and going into the roundabout sideways, totally out of control. A car was going round but luckily had passed before I got there. This sort of thing happens to everyone, learning from it is a must though

Oops, just found an identical topic... snapped cable I suppose. Mods; feel free to delete this thread.

Today one of my clocks died whilst on the move so the speedo and odometer are currently lifeless... the cable seems to be screwed into the clock nice and tight, so are there any quick common fixes I could try before pulling the whole lot apart?

The ZXR is sexier, more extreme, more race bred but if I was going to actually buy one for heavy use in the real world as my every day transport it'd be the Suzuki every single time.

All done, got some hose from my local bike garage on the way back from work today and sorted without too much fuss. The bike is now running sweet as a nut! Thanks all!

Is there a site that sells trick snap-on fuel and vacuum hoses for specific bike models? I fancy making future removals / replacements easier because I don't want my nan to hear me swearing through my parents garage wall any more, it's not doing her any good

Yeah when I cut the rest of the hose off it was quite stiff. The smaller vacuum hose wasn't coming off at all either so I might just remove that one surgically and replace them both with fresh ones if it isn't going to be any extra hassle. I can see plenty of fancy braided fuel lines with quick-release ends but no equivalent vacuum lines. Are these easy to get hold of? Hah, that Haynes thread is spot on although this is the first trouble I've had and seems to be down to old rubber hoses which is fair enough. It's probably a good thing that I've ripped it and now need a replacement to be honest.