dynax

You know me too well [mention]fastbob[/mention] but seriously there are merits for both sides of the argument, i agree that if buying new, chinese is not a viable option in the short term you will lose money, long term ownership is where the benefits are with regular maintenance and looking after, buying older also has it's pitfalls, and there are some wrecks out there for the unwary, most 125's are a stepping stone on the road to bigger bikes, and most have been heavily used and abused but they hold there value and in the short term will get you through to the other side of the road, where the big bikes are, you will need to decide on what you want to achieve in terms of gaining a full licence and how long you aim to take in getting it, the bike is only the start or in most cases the last thing to consider

No don't buy chinese you will be hugely disappointed, everytime i take my Xena out i get so frustrated and disappointed that i can't have more fun and enjoyment than she already gives me, buy something old and that's had a hard life

Just remember to adjust tyre pressures when carrying the extra weight

I have not reviewed it yet, I am waiting to see how it deals with an overnight downpour. It's pretty good for the price I guess, the elastic and 3 clipping points make it really easy to get it secure over the bike without loads of sagging, I didn't even need the extra strap that came with it. However, considering how much the listing boasts about it's "thick 100% waterproof material" I was disappointed to find it was considerably thinner than expected and the instructions suggest you keep the bike indoors during heavy downpour. I don't have a garage so have to store my bike down the side of the house and need a good waterproof cover. It may surprise me, so I will hold my verdict until I can properly test it in all weathers so as to give a detailed and fair review. This is what annoys me about so many so called reviews you find online, hardly any of them have had a product for more than 5 minutes before they give their opinion " what a pretty box i will give it 5 stars" end of review, a proper review needs at least a few months of use before it can be given a good or bad rating,

take the cover off and using a straight edge metal ruler etc on it's edge have a look for any daylight as you sight along the edge, you may be lucky and be able to use a gasket sealant do it when the engine is cold, never remove a cover when the engine is hot

Go and sit on as many as you can

When you first noticed it, did you tighten the cover first before replacing the gasket, if you did there is a good chance that the cover has become warped, post some photos, and give it all a good clean then let it tick over for a few minutes and see where it's leaking

Thanks @Smithers, she is to some extent she is about 6" shy of 8 foot in length

Another ride this afternoon, this time went to Retford then onto Gainsborough then headed back home through Bawtry, took some pics just out of Gainsborough

A peaceful protest need not be quiet but being stupid and dangerous has an effect on all protesters and future protests, which may make the authorities less tolerable than they used to be

Not in a two hour round trip . Not a round trip no, but doable in an afternoon 5-6 hours at steady pace one for a Sunday maybe

Just make a note of his name and badge number, then go to station armed with all relevent info and complain

Bit more of a stretch The Brecon Beacons

Sometimes i think about getting a trials type bike in these situations, just imagine the look on their faces as you ride over their car

Probably the easiest option, and you could also pay for a few hours tuition on a geared bike to help you grasp the basics

Bike without a doubt, keep at it you will get the hang of it

I have my camera mounted on the bike, and have just bought a dictaphone with external mic to record voice audio, which i can merge in the editing, cheaper option for me than buying new camera setup as i use a polaroid cube which is pretty good for what it is

Lightweight, Bandit is 225. Touche

Guess we are both stuck on 125's forever xD unless its a cruiser. i will do my A2 test but only because it leaves me some wiggle room if i ever decide to ride more than a 125, which for me is highly unlikely as i have no need of anything bigger ps my Xena is a cruiser

This, and forget arbitrary measurements like tank capacity, its a 3d object and bears no real relevance to the distance to the bars - a 17 litre tank could be short, narrow, and tall or long, wide, and flat or anything in between! Not much of an issue on a 125 though is it, given they weigh about as much as an empty tissue box. Not Xena 172kg kerb weight

I too am 5'4 with 28 inside leg and even i can't flat foot my 125 with both feet down tip toes only

unless it's a cruiser

well done

I had a look on some specialist sites, and some of the project bikes are selling at around the £8000 mark, finished bikes £12000 upwards depending on age and model, early models fetching more

You may need expert help, but don't let them go too cheaply, a mint Rudge can fetch well over £3000, so depending on the condition you should expect about £1500-£2000