winston smith

In principle, I quite like the idea of owning one of these (RR or even a disco) - the biggest downer for me, as said already, is the association with those other 4x4/suv/pickup cretins that try to bully every other vehicle off the road. I used to have an xc90 which was fabulous apart from being woefully underpowered ( base 2.4 d5) - I'd definitely have another one of those. Also had a ford explorer years ago, which was fun - 4wd didn't work properly, so drifting around wet roundabouts became almost compulsory. 12-15mpg wasn't fun though.

I am noted for always being the most cynical person in the room, so I would deduce this company are a bunch of chancers, and they are trying to suss out prospective customers to see how rich and/or stupid they are. So make them think you have an IQ over 300 but bugger all in the bank...... they'll sell you 3 for a tenner

Excellent post Bob The mental health of the people is a real concern - it's generally invisible cos we all put on a front and are loathed to admit any problems in that area due to the stigma attached. Being low level on the asd spectrum, with anxiety and depression can make life challenging; and probably has a lot to do with me choosing to be both self employed and a motorcycle rider - I "need" the freedom and control that they give. So, 2020 has been a bit of a mish-mash... On the one hand I am very fortunate to have had about 70-75% of my regular work/income thought the Covid shambles ( after November and December last year with just about zero income) ......rent, bills, food all covered - all good On the other hand, my bike shit the bed in February and has sat forlornly unused since then and most likely will end up being scrapped or sold for spares, cos I can't mentally get in the the right place to tackle the issues with it. As far as covid goes - at the start the big effect on me was working away from home 3-4 days a week getting proper hot food & basic supplies, a daily shower and even open toilets was often impossible. Now I'm constantly being treated like a leper cos I don't wear a face nappy - beyond that it hasn't really affected me. Of course, along the way there have been a thousand other highs and lows, but without rambling on for an hour this sort of sums things up.

I think it's a fabulous idea....... I've been toying with getting a benelli for a while now, when It goes wrong I feel I need a dedicated page for me to post my repair questions and have the piss ripped out of me properly.

David Never pull over over unless they put the blues n two's on. 1) they could deem it suspicious behavior ( yes, really!) 2) on another occasion they may not be police, I've heard of thieves dressing a car up to look like a police car in order to steal someone's vehicle (usually high end cars, but it could happen to a biker) Agreed, it was strange behaviour - possibly they thought you were dodgy and trying to freak you out into racing off. But you did exactly the right thing - relax, stay legal, carry on

I agree with every single word, Bob. I did see the first one, and mostly enjoyed it. The second one lost me when the wife got involved. Can't be arsed with the third one - even when it gets to youtube

Simple answer. ....No. Images are digital (or digital video) on modern cameras so anything unreadable gets imaging software thrown at it until they can read the plate. And all those greyed out number plates usually seen on BMWs n Audi's will get an additional fine (I'm not an expert, this is info I got on my last CPC course - instructor was an ex copper)

Could be a reg/rec starting to fail ? They can cause all sorts of weird issues when they go south. They're pretty cheap, so no big deal if it's not that. And have a really good look at the old unit and the wiring connectors when you replace it - often there are telltale signs of scorching/melting

I've used all sorts of stuff - to me it all seems much of a muchness in terms of protection. I now use 80/90 gear oil cos it's the least mess overall. Especially when I learned that most people use way too much chain lube - an O/X ring only needs a wipe along the side plates .....I use an old toothbrush to put it on and wipe off the excess with oily rag.

Thanks for correcting my post SSE I've always found their membership quite confusing, and frankly can't be arsed with them since they ripped me off and demonstrated a "Fk You!" approach to customer service.

I think that used to be the case, but the greedy f**kers at Amazon separate it now to get more money. Basic prime - shopping + Video (+tv packages) +Music +Audible +Kindle Etc etc

I had no idea there was a nudie beach on sheppey - there used to be one at sandgate, I used work in the area and there were some very unpleasant views on occasion, lol Sheppey is one of those out-of-the-way places that keeps popping into my life......leysdown arcades when I got my first car, painfully slow deliveries to the prisons when I couriered, very pleasant meals at the Harry Ferry Inn when I sailed with my dad, and a blind date in the pouring rain in queenborough involving an odd lady that tried to spend the entire date snogging my face off. Thankyou gymwitch for bringing back so many memories

There are (or at least used to be) plenty of nice roads in Kent and east Sussex......best to stay south of the M20 and easy of hythe. Check out the chippy at Dungeness point - it served lovely food last time I was there

ALL THE way to Reno - REM

Several species of small furry animals gathered together in a cave and groovING with a pict...... pink floyd

There are some really interesting viewpoints here. I'm on the road about 10-12 hours a day, so I think I get to see the best and worst of road users. Going back to the OP, I wonder if the other biker had been cut off, raged, etc within the last mile or two and the rider was still internally growling about it. Sometimes it's hard to let go, calm down and move on when the adrenaline kicks in. I think the bigger problem is that almost everyone is impatient, short tempered, aggressive, territorial and rude in their everyday lives - and twice as bad as soon as they get on the road. And I think it'll get worse - the younger generation now seem to be all " me, me, me, screw everyone else"

All very briefly when they crashed or broke down:- Leon Haslem, Chaz Davies, Valentino Rossi, Marco Melandri, Cal Crutchlow, Daniello Petrucchi, Tito Rabat, Johann Zarco, Jonas Folger, Dan Linfoot, Lori's Baz, the Lowes Twins, Luke Mossey, Brad Ray, and a load more I don't recall by name. Standout riders:- Julie Cluzel, Sylvan Guintoli, John Hopkins- true gentleman Jenny Tinmouth - lovely, friendly a joy to chat with Josh Brooke's - after a crappy weekend, posed with his race bike for pics with a friend's kid, and chatted - very nice down to earth bloke Mason Law - I have a photo somewhere of Mason 8ft up a tree at brands hatch trying to wrestle his bike out from where it landed. Steve Brogan - he still owes me a pint from snetterton 2012/2013 - typical scousser, scrounges a beer then retires from racing, lol Away from bikes & racing:- Jeremy Clarkson - arrogant twat Kevin Bloody Wilson - a bit strange Vic Reeves - very quiet, complete opposite of his TV character Jools Holland - very grumpy and rude Lilly Savage - very chilled out, friendly guy Jeff Beck - awesome guy, I delivered some stuff to his his/ animal sanctuary and chatted for quite a while before I realised who he was. Lovely guy. Famous is a relative term, most folks won't have heard of the majority of my list. Most of the "famous" people I've met are pretty ordinary (in a good way) and like other ordinary people some are outstandingly nice while others are outstandingly awful.

Were the camera vans checking speeds or doing number plate recognition to track people doing uncessary journeys.? I have no idea, and don't really care as I'm limited at 90kph - however, how in hell's name would that be an essential occupation? I totally agree with police patrols - as random or as scheduled as they want to make them, but a civilian sat in a van trying to generate revenue at this time really grates in me

Which occupations are cheapest? As with many things in insurance that varies between companies, and also changes from time to time. And its very often not logical - I know from experience that teachers are lower risk occupation while a lot of them are atrocious drivers. Best to use a comparison site and try different occupations from their list that fits with what you do for a job

In principle I have no issues with cyclists, and as a trucker who understands the vulnerability of 2-wheelers I always, always give them plenty of space (especially if it holds up the whitevanman/4x4/wannaberacer that's been tailgating me & twitching left n right for the last mile or two. However, during the last week or so the numbers if cyclists has been growing exponentially and the majority are over 50's wobbling along at barely more than walking speed. Given that in a truck I need to wait for a good long length of clear road to safely overtake it's starting to pi55 me off a bit. Yesterday between Bristol and Melksham I encountered 37 of them along A and B roads. Oh, and while I'm in rant mode, why are town roads so busy now? Most places are just as congested as they were 3 or 4 weeks ago. And while the motorways are largely empty, why were there 5 speed camera vans over the M5 yesterday between Worcester and Bristol? Makes no sense to me.

I had a convo with an mot tester a while back - the newest guidelines on lighting are open to interpretation. Generally the concensus seems to be that aftermarket led units are mostly ok if installed correctly. Aftermarket Hid units are usually an automatic fail. Still not definitive, but might help you a little.

Comes under commercial ...and as a commercial the govt have 2 assumptions- it'll spend far more time on the road than a school run/shopping car, and it'll be owned by a business which will just pay it because the business needs the vehicle. And there are only 2 tax bands for light commercials as opposed to about 12 for cars. The whole system is a rip off. Mostly, someone who runs an older car/bike does so because they can't afford a newer one. So loading the ved on older vehicles further penalises the people who can least afford it. Meanwhile the roads continue to fall apart at an ever increasing rate........ don't get me started

Never heard of that, but I imagine it'll be a fun day I did a circuit of Mallory in a truck last year.....not exciting, lol

Agreed - that's why I mentioned keeping hold of the police incident details - that would provide some sort of cover if the bike comes back to bite him on the arse. Although I was thinking more about speeding/parking/red light fines. I don't know the legal position, but a police theft report would show he has lost possession from a specified date

Did I really miss the start of the season ? Yikes, I must be getting old n senile