Rustydog

Music streaming services like Spotify have revolutionised peoples access to huge amounts of music. However, for me there’s a problem. I’m obsessed with owning my music and playlists. As soon as you stop subscribing to these streaming organisations all your music/playlists disappear into thin air, don’t they?

I'll be checking my bees. Two local families have kids with huge hay fever issues so they're after some local honey. Last week the frames weren't sealed so it wasn't ready. Hopefully I'll have a super (about 30lb) ready this weekend.

Also need to check on a new queen I'm raising from splitting my best colony.

And then it will be out on one of the bikes.

Good on yer-I bet you get a real buzz out of it

Many years ago during ye olde days of policing the law would have you for a lot of things:

coughing without due care and attention, or wearing a loud shirt in a built up area to name but a few.

Much more accountable these days though

Pics working now?

“Out of the blue and into the black”- reminds me of a song somewhere

It certainly is price fixing and daylight robbery too. How come the bike sat navs are three times as much as the car equivalents ?.

Yeah I know they have to be made waterproof over and above the car versions for obvious reasons, but there just isn’t the extra material or manufacturing in them to justify that sort of hike on the prices.

Thieving bar stewards !

I’ve noticed a fair bit recently about tail tidy stuff. Is this quite common for people to swap things about if things are aesthetically carp or are there practical reasons too ?.

Why don’t the manufacturers take note that the back end on some of their bikes are not very nice looking and improve the design or am I missing something ?.

Not bothered what anyone calls me....as long as it's not late for my dinner, and besides when the kids come home I call them Boomerangs

and you all know the song that charlie drake sang

Blimey-Charlie Drake, I’d forgot all about him, must be my age!

Thanks for the good pointers everyone. It does seem if you’ve been driving for years all the hazard awareness formulas seem to be embedded so if you’ve got a relatively accident free driving history you must be getting it right.

However, getting through the on-screen exam is a slightly different ball game but it does get you to think about or bring out any inner knowledge. Probably more helpful really to a completely new road user, although I think there’s a couple of video clips that are a tad ambiguous. The key thing and max point scoring is to flag up the developing hazards as soon as you spot them although there’s actually potential hazards all over the videos that don’t earn any points as they’re just ‘static’ and not a ‘developing’ hazard.

Thanks for your encouragement!. All the multiple choice stuff is fine it’s just the hazard perception videos that seem tricky but I reckon I’ll get the hang of them. It just feels odd that having been on 4 wheels for many years, all the on-road hazards you deal with is second nature but then spotting them on screen in a test situation seems a different ballgame.

Hello everyone-I’ve just subscribed to the online theory test tutorial by the DVSA.

The hazard perception videos that you have to click on/flag up form a big part of the test and in the online practice tutorial they give you a hundred of these video clips to practice and get scored on.

Question-Has anyone practiced these online hazard perception videos and if so do any or an amount of these videos appear in the actual test or do you get a completely new set for the test-ie am I practicing on what will be the actual videos that will be used in the test?.

I actually think they’re quite tricky and would be difficult for anyone to be confronted with them in the test without ever having seen them before. I know they’re supposed to represent real life road situations but to get through them seems more like a passing an exam peculiarity.

Cheers for any insight here.

Everyone do have a very happy and safe new year and many more thereafter too. If ever you pass me do give me a nod !.

Tools are very addictive, even ones that you hardly use or need regularly. Having the best or the right tool for the job can’t be emphasised enough. When you find and use the exact tool needed for tackling a particular job, wow what a buzz. Non ‘toolies’ just don’t understand us.

It used to be that if anything toolwise was Chrome Vanadium that would be your good quality benchmark but I think that no longer stands.

A bloke goes to the ticket office at his local railway station-bloke-“I’d like a return ticket please”. Station master-“yes and where to sir ?”. Bloke- well, back here you fool!”

A bloke walks into a Butchers shop. The Butcher politely greets him and asks what he would like. “I’d like a nice wasp please”. Butcher-“I’m sorry sir but we don’t sell wasps”. Customer-“well you had one in the window yesterday”.

Good old Boris I say. We can all look forward to more recognition of motorcycling and more investment. I reckon we’ll all be on better tax codes if we own a bike and all equipment will be VAT free. I do hope wearing a lid doesn’t ruin his hairstyle though

Well, I can ride the 125 I currently have okay-meaning I’m fairly confident in traffic and all the low speed stuff. So if I’m intending to move on to something bigger and build more experience I might as well be doing that on a bigger (600cc and above) bike. I think to get an ‘A’ licence you’ve got to practice and take your test on a 600cc bike anyway ?.

I’ve got to crack on and get my full license training underway in the new year.

Can anyone recommend a theory test app or a very good learning aid to get through the theory test part 1st ?. Quite a few things to choose from on line, but what’s tried and tested or worth getting to help.

Also, is the direct access route a short intensive course best method of approach or should I just book a pile of tuition time with a good instructor on a 600cc. I’m currently running about on a 125 and although I obviously lack years of bike experience I feel confident enough to want to get on and ride something bigger. I’ve been a 4 wheeled road user for many years so that part of it isn’t so new.

Many thanks for any pointers in the right direction.

I’m a newbie on a YBR 125 that tops out at 55mph-if i’m lucky. I look forward to passing my test and getting something with a bit more grunt. The YBR is a great bike to ride, but I get fed up with cars following too close and right up my dung funnel. Closer than they ever would if I was on 4 wheels doing the same speed. It’s almost a ‘get out the bloody way you’re only a motorbike’ superior sort of psychology.

Sanatogen and Werthers originals I reckon

I think I’m getting there guys-lots of D ring practice it is then!

I’m a newbie of only 3 months so far. I bought an AGV lid which I really like. However, it’s got a D ring fastener system. The D rings seem like a bit of a fiddle to me and I’m not sure I’m ever going to get fully use to them. Is there a recommended push fit fastener system that I could buy and retro fit in place of the D Rings ?.

I know the D rings work on the simplest of principles which is good but they are a right fiddle to get on and off and they don’t lend themselves to everything staying all neat comfortable under your chin once you have fastened them. Cheers for any help from anyone here.

That looks like just the job-thank you for sharing that!.

If I can get it into the existing chrome housing for the headlamp even better, if not it still seems like I’ll have got the sort of headlight I need-cheers

As a biking newbie I’m trying to get as many miles under my belt as time and weather permit this time of year. I am though seriously enjoying it and despite needing a lot more experience I’m already dreaming about my next bike later on.

However, coming back home tonight I realised how Carp the headlight is. The headlight, main and dipped just doesn’t throw it far enough or bright enough. I think it’s adjusted correctly so I don’t think that’s the problem. Is there simply a better type of bulb I can put in there to improve things at all?. The bike is a YBR Custom 125 and I think the headlight bulb is a ‘regular’ 35w. Thanks for any tips and info.