Davidtav

Well I know what you’re saying but I think I disagree. If you want to watch Allen Millyard at work then that is well catered for on his YouTube channel. I think the balance is about right for a tv show. Which needs to appeal to a broader demographic.

I don’t mind him. I enjoy the Motorbike Show. It is what got me back into biking. I was watching one day and thought “why don’t I get a bike again?” … couldn’t think why not really. And within a few weeks I had bought a bike.

I did actually feel embarrassed that I had posted this. I did ask Stu to delete it. But he thought it just reflected real life. In truth I agree with him. I’ve been through the mill lately. Some folks say I live in the past. Well sometimes the past is better than the present. Or the future

Yeah. My wife was a proper cool dude. I try to tell my daughters but they just know her as mum. She was a proper cool lady back in the day. No idea how I pulled her. Except I might have been a bit cooler myself in those days

I know I said that as a joke but actually my wife died 12 years ago. I really miss her. She was an expensive ornament. But an amazing person. I’m never going to meet another again. I know. I will try to attach a pic

In my experience it is generally the wife who is the expensive ornament

I would be tempted to try wrapping those parts in carbon fibre look film. No doubt a fiddly job. I’ve never done it. But might make the bike look amazing

I understand that. But the buffeting was happening before I fitted the crash bars

So I have a Suzuki V Strom 650. New in November. Done 2000 miles on it. I like most things about this bike. But the wind buffeting is so annoying. It shook my old helmet so much that the vent fell off and was lost. Slightly better with a different helmet. But my head is still shaking. Tried the screen in every position. Tried a eBay wind deflector. Nothing really sorts it. It does bemuse me that Suzuki have made this bike for 20 years plus and haven’t sorted this. I actually think the problem is from below. Not the screen. By moving my hand I can feel a blast from low down. I’m thinking of fabricating acrylic deflectors to attach to the crash bars I fitted. What do you reckon?

Have you tried getting a quote from Adrian Flux? They advertise that they provide cover for people with cancelled car insurance. I think they cover motorbikes. Worth a try

Just in response to a few points. The car is a Mini Cooper convertible. There was never a spare wheel. There is no location to carry a spare wheel. I haven’t actually tried it but I don’t think a wheel would fit in the boot. It is a very small boot with the hood. I would have to carry a spare wheel on the back seat I think. I’m considering that for trips up to Scotland. The recovery agent was adamant that they couldn’t help. I think though that she was mistaken or maybe they had changed the policy. The faq section on their website details how they would assist in this situation. I have printed this out and included it with my complaint.

It is a very major organisation but I am not going to name them on social media at this stage

So I bought a car in 2015. And it didn’t have a spare wheel. Never supplied with one. And nowhere to fit one. So I joined a recovery service advertising that they would rescue you if you were stranded and your car wasn’t supplied with a spare wheel by the manufacturer. … all good until I hit a pothole a few weeks ago. In a fairly remote location. And the recovery service just point blank refused to come out. Why haven’t you got a spare wheel. Blah blah. Yes we used to covefr that but we don’t anymore. Well they didn’t tell me. Basicayi couldn’t get anyone local to sort this. I did get it sorted by paying £350 to a national company . I have made a complaint. What do you guys think j should do? I’m thinking of court claim

I did realise that my post had a double meaning. But I meant financially

Mr S Westserly you are very welcome to sail on Scorcher

I could probably afford a Moto Guzzi if I sold Scorcher lol

I remember you saying. It isn’t cheap at Portavadie. But it is amazing. But I’m widowed and what else should I do? I drive a 12 year old car to afford to keep Scorcher at Portavadie.

I think I’ve posted this before but this is what I come up to Portavadie for. It’s like a mistress and sucks you dry. Mine is called Scorcher

So I went on my first long ride on the Suzuki V Strom 650 today. I keep a boat at Portavadie and I rode from Yorkshire to Portavadie. 281 miles. Wet and windy most of the way. But everything worked well. First time using the panniers. All good. I have maintenance to do on my boat and had a lot of stuff to carry. So I strapped a dry bag on to the pillion seat as well. And that worked really well. I’m really liking this bike. It might not be to everyone’s taste. But it does suit me. I arrived at my destination so much more comfortable than when I used to do the trip on my Kawasaki Z650. Here’s a pic of the V Strom parked near the Rest and be Thankful. Just past Arrochar. And the best part of the journey to ride

Well I’ve had this bike for three months. Done 1200 miles. This is a very smooth well balanced machine. The height suits me. I’m 6 foot 1. It just feels as if it fits. The power seems to be there. I’m really liking most things about this bike. I don’t like the turbulence from the screen. And I think the headlights are outdated. LED units would be better. Overall a great motorbike

I was enjoying the thread about fixing the Blackbird. Guess we will never know if he matches the paint. Shame

Fitted the Givi engine shield to the VStrom. Took it for a ride. All seems ok. I fitted the Givi crash bars last week. I’m not really a fan of adding loads of aftermarket parts. So I reckon that’s it really. I have a top box and panniers that clip on. So all set for the summer.

I don’t think that is actually correct. I think that it is the manufacturers themselves that encourage this. They want the experience of buying a zero alcohol product to be as similar as possible to buying the traditional version. Including age verification.

The first time I took my motorbike test I was using the bike to commute to work. I was a teacher. School was a secondary in Camden. Home was in Essex. I didn’t have any lessons but I thought after successfully battling through London traffic every day for a couple of months I should be able to pass. I got a morning off school to take the test. I didn’t tell any of the kids at the school. Unfortunately though, I didn’t pass. And even more unfortunately another teacher had told the kids what I was doing that morning. And they royally took the piss. As teenage boys are prone to do! … I passed a couple of months later. I had one lesson for an hour immediately before the test this time. This was in 1995

Yes. That’s exactly the thing.