Commanda

Hi - I haven't been on this board for years, so hello!

I bought a set of Oxford First Time panniers for my VFR (Basically, I'm too tight to buy hard cases. ) They work well, they're easy to fit / remove. With these and a tank bag, I've got enough luggage space for a week's traveling. They come with waterproof covers to keep the insides dry, but I tend to use zip-lock food bags or plastic carriers for packing anyway because I have trust issues. There's no heat proofing so be careful how you put them on if you've got a high exhaust. For the price, I think they're great.

Just got back from a ride out to Rivington Hall, just by Bolton. I went with a load of people from a local bike shop who fancied a day out before the weather gets too cold and wet. It was a bright sunny day, 5 degrees C, so cold but dry roads. Some great bikes there from a John Player Norton Cafe Racer to a KTM RC8, a load of cruisers, lots of naked street bikes and general transport vehicles as well. A cup of coffee and a bacon roll and then back again just as it was getting dark. Top day! (This may be about to end as I think I'm about to be subjected to a re-run of last night's X-Factor by my kids...)

I wear TCX Jupiter boots which are only slightly higher than the trainer types shown here, but they've got some basic ankle protection. They've got a waterproof membrane and they're comfortable as hell. If you get the basic black colour, they don't have loud 'Look at me' type graphics so they can be worn anywhere. I've worn them and a pair of kevlar jeans all day in an office where if people had noticed they would have commented. I've also PM'd you a link to the MCN review on short boots which might give you a few pointers.

Thanks for this!

Last Saturday, following on from comments on this forum about throttle blipping, thought I'd try it while slowing down in readiness for a right turn at some lights. Managed to stall the bike for the first time ever in full view of a moped rider waiting to turn right at the same lights. Luckily released the clutch while I still had some momentum and the engine fired back up so didn't have to come to a complete stop. (Note to self: Leave well enough alone, just change gears as you always have done.... )

I use the SO EASY RIDER v3 mount with an old car Tom Tom sat nav and I can genuinely say it's brilliant. It fits to my bars in seconds using velcro straps on either side of the bag, and I don't even bother using the waterproof outer bag as it's already behind a screen and the inner bag is waterproof enough already. If you wind up wanting one, I would shop around for it though as the price seems to vary from £35 to £50-ish. I got mine from BuyBits and it arrived within 3 days.

Congratulations on the theory test. Two months will fly by, you'll see.

Unlucky, but it sounds like it was just that one thing, and that's the sort of thing that can happen to anyone. Just book the test again and you'll pass with no worries.

Same as in a car. Low revs, reasonable speed, wide berth.

I am a returning biker and had loads of questions I wanted answering like 'What bike?', 'Am I just being stupid?', 'Have I just got rose colored memories of that time?', etc. and Google kept sending me back to this forum, where quite a few of those questions got answered. I figured it would be churlish not to join in. I'm really glad I did. I don't have as much free time as I'd like or I'd probably have tried to meet some of you already. I'm still hoping that I will some time this summer.

I ride a bike with a high exhaust but am too cheap / skint to buy a full hard luggage set. What experiences have people had with soft panniers and how do you stop them melting while in use?

I've been looking for a cheaper than full hard-case luggage solution, but I've got a bike with a high exhaust. How do panniers like this not get melted?

Bike licence first, back in the days when you could do it on a 250, then car about 6 years later.

That's a beautiful looking bike. Roads look good as well. I am jealous as hell!

Can the naked girl carry some beer? Happy Birthday!

I've not bought anything from Australian Biker Gear, but I got a pair of Roadmasters Kevlar jeans from ebay. They just feel like fashion jeans which happen to have some kevlar panels sewn inside them. The fabric doesn't seem particularly strong, so I typically wear them under another pair of jeans just on the off chance that this might help in the event of a slider. The biggest problem with them though is that the fit makes them sit as hipsters, which with my build, would have me showing excessive backside on an almost constant basis. Has anybody tried these and actually had them tested on the street so to speak? .