polecat

Im going to take a ride down from Northampton to Redruth in the next few weeks prob travel through Oxford to Stonehenge (lunch stop) then onto Redruth. Anyone know of a good/cheap campsite? 2 bikes, 2 tents (so far) for 2 nights. Within walking distance of a pub (for food of course).

http://g.co/maps/bx2q3

Seems a bit off season for the camp sites but there are a few reasonable ones near me My thoughts are camp on Hayle towans then use the bluff to get hammered

Hey i'm 19 from North east and currently in my first year of driving my car and was interested in purchasing a bike before i even bought my car however i had the problem of having to take musical equipment to college (10mile drive) each day to college. however i am coming close to the end of my college course and will have been long passed once my first year of driving is up and a bike seems not only cheaper but i need to look cool on the road (obviously).

i have 2 questions to ask and would very much appreciate some feedback, firstly i was wondering if i was to get a year of no claims on my car would that pass over to my bike insurance (theoretically)

secondly i do have a full UK car license (obviously since i drive my car) i was wonder what exactly i have to do to switch my car for a bike. obviously it isn't that easy, on the back of my license it has B - with a picture of a car and B1 - with a picture of a van? i think as well as FKP whatever that means. i passed my test in September 2011 in case any rules have changed recently.

looking forward to a reply. thanks in advance.

1. no claims wont count for a bike

2.take motorbike test or cbt and you can ride a moped with your new car licence

This is related, so I will hijack the thread a little..

Presumably, once you have done your CBT and want to move up to a full license, you can do so, even if you have never driven a car? I have only ever had a provisional license, will be doing my CBT soon, and have no intention of ever driving a car, but I can still take the tests to ride bikes bigger than 125 right?

 

Yes you can. You don't need a car licence to do your bike

But if you take your test in a car you can then validate with a CBT and get automaticly a full moped licence:

"If you passed your car driving licence from 1 Feb 2001 onwards, then you do not need to apply for a provisional moped licence as your driving licence was issued with a full category P entitlement. However you must do your CBT to validate the moped entitlement on that licence. Once you've completed the CBT you have a full moped licence and can ride mopeds without the learner rider restrictions. The DL196 certificate that you receive from doing your CBT in this case only expires with your driving licence when you turn 70. "

Then again who wants to ride a moped

Hi Polecat,

(Once i've repaired the panel etc)

Sand the panel down with 180 - 300 grit

Wipe panel down with white spirits.

spray with primer (3 coats, 20mins between)

leave to cure for 24hrs ish?

- Should i sand with wet n dry before colour ?

Spray with colour coat (3 coats, 20 mins between)

... When do i start spraying clear coat ?

Hi Danny,thanks for the comments

leave the primer to cure at least 24 hoiurs (depending on temps)

You must spray the clear coats within about an hour of your final colour coat as if you dont they wont bind and the clear coat may lift,bubble or craze.

Everything else you said seems spot on

Any other problems you get feel free to PM me

You sound a bit like me on my return to bikes and the only thing that will really make you happy on a bike is when you start to get confident in your steed and that will come the more you ride, so get the CBT done (even if it takes a few goes) then get a bike and ride until you are happy enough to take a test.

Thats fine polecat at the moment you have the choice to do that, this laxy legislation takes that choice away for the (using bogofs figures) 90 percent it doesnt affect.

Its just knee jerk, how old is the test in its present form? The same arguments will have been trotted out back then and as they "need" to still do something about the ksi stats making the test harder didnt work so instead of flogging a dead horse why not come up with a radical new approach?

Instead of 3 tests 1 slightly longer test perhaps and then restrict new riders of any age to a max of say as a round figure 100 bhp for a length of time, it stops people then instantly getting that superbike and doesnt hinder too much new people coming into biking.

Sorry I was not clear

The changes they are making are pretty dumb and what I was suggesting is at the present I think things are also dumb and the changes do not make much diference to the problem they are trying to solve.

What you suggest, one test and staged restriction (albeit i think 100 bhp a little high) is a much better and fairer way to make the changes.

I would think 15 bhp for a year then 33bhp for a year then 100bhp for a further year (or two)

Only problem is someone could pass the test and then sit on the licence for a few years and go out get an R1 having only rode a 125 (as is the case now) so they need some kind of measure that the rider has gained some experience (hence tests) but maby there is a more radical solution like instead of time based it is somehow measured in miles !

15 bhp 500 miles 33 bhp 2000 miles ect

Not sure how this would work but I am sure there is a way

I understand what you are saying, but how is making people jump through more hoops improving rider safety, when a big cause of accidents, i.e a car ploughing into them because the driver hasn't been paying attention, is left untouched? Would you not agree that car driver training requires a serious overhaul as well?

 

More tests = more training = more chance of survival

A big cause of RTCs is a failure to accept that in a majority of cases there is usually something the rider could have done to have avoided the collision. Anyone that fails to recognise that should read Roadcraft - its the police training manual for good reason

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motorcycle-Roadcraft-Police-Handbook-Motorcycling/dp/011341143X

Putting myself in the fireing line I kind of agree Bogoff

Although I think ALL bikers should go through the ranks and work their way up regardless of age.

Start on a 125 then qualify a 250 then 500 then 1000

Its not just the young (who have less sence of danger than us oldies...Fact)

I worry about the Older ones who never rode a bike( and did the hard yards) then pass das and get a 1000cc superbike as well.

So Staged licence for all bike riders.... and as for cars ..... its a totaly diferent ball game, any fool can drive a car,all you do is twiddle your wrists and press the pedals !

Bikes take Skill to ride, like Aircraft, and they never give student pilots euro fighters to learn on, they start with a cessna

Looking forwards to seeing the progress ...... you don't need to rush

Why no fairings ? if they are all in good condition it may be worth doing them in case you decide to dress her up again ?

It certainly looks like a project worth doing !

I like this one

I would go for a mid range oil and change it before service interval

Car and bike oils are the same all these friction modifiers is a load of bull have a read of this

http://www.nightrider.com/biketech/oiltest1.htm

Interesting read.

I think I will be buying CAR oil for my bike from now on

Is there much difference between expensive oil and cheap?

On my old CG125 I changed the oil every 1000 miles with a cheap oil, only 900ml so not too much money, now I have a 500 it takes 3.4 litres so is gonna be much more.

Would it be better to use an expensive oil less frequently or a cheap oil more often?

Is 5000 miles too long between changes? My bike is mostly used for commuting a 50 mile round trip, some A roads and some city driving.

As long as you use the right oil I would imagine cheaper and often would be better but interested to hear what others say

My 2004 FZS-6 will start perfectly fine and run fine however after a while it will either idle at really low engine speeds or it wont idle at all.

If I turn the bike off few seconds and restart it, it is perfectly fine for a while then does it again.

Anyone got any ideas what might cause this?

sounds like idle jet blocked ?

have you tried increasing the idle knob ?

does it idle ok with a little choke?

If its fuel injected ignor my stupidity

is there anything out there where you can either

star your bike and remove keys to leave it to warm up(and not be stolen).

or a product that will just star the engine but you still need the keys to ride off.

A disc lock

Heres my blade getting dynoed, it costs £30 but i got mine done free

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kn5GhqR ... ature=plcp

Scary stuff seeing a bike do 135mph in a closed caravan !

Does it damage the bike ?

Great looking bike !

There is no better way to get a project moving than to publish it on this Forum where people will Nag you to entertain them with stunning pictures and amusing stories about your progress

Belive me I know !!

Btw When you gonna start stripping it down then ? huh ?huh?huh? ...........Are we nearly there yet ?

Someone has to say it so I will ....... CG 125 (not brazil)

u can get a gadget on ebay where you drill a hole into the bolt then ream a thread oposite thread and then you can screw it out with a spanner

cant remember what its called but dead handy and there was a utube vid about it

road bikes in my youth never bovered to take a test then 20 years later got a 125 and did the ol mod 1 and 2 with no lessons

It was not without its mishaps but Cost me very little money and went out and bought a 600cc (restricted)

No regrets, it was right for me and you should do what is right for you ( not what people think you should do )

Some people like the DAS some people like the restricted route

Hello,

I was just wondering how other bikers dealt with displaying their residence parking permit. The Edinburgh City Council provides you with a see through sticky thing that you have to stick on your bike. On my 125 I stuck it to the rear fender but as this is not a flat surface, there were loads of creases in the sticker.

Does anyone know if there is a similar product such as the tax disc holder that you can mount to your bike and will clearly display your parking permit. All suggestions are welcome.

Cheers

Get a waterproof tax disc holder

It's cold out there, is the carb icing up?

This myth about pulling muck from the bottom of the tank on a gravity fed system cracks me up.

Where is this muck on speed bumps or when you brake.

Problems arise through air locks and things gumming up as they dry or water being all that's left and freezing

Funny I was just thinking this the other day.

When I took the fuel tank off my 33 year old honda I expected Sludge in the bottom of the tank but it was clean as a whistle,same with the Fazer which is 8 years old and the tank was shiney clean inside when i enptied it out to paint it

Would you help me paint some bits if when I get a project?

Just cos you wont do another project doesnt mean you cant keep your hand in

Logistics wise I am not sure but always happy to help you any way I can

Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnooooooooooooooooooooooo

Now decided to sell the old girl as I can not justify keeping this and my new Fazer so hopefully I will make some of my money back but if not it was worth it just for the journey

Bike now sold and gone to live in wales ......... Ill miss the old girl !

looks real nice so whats next then m8

Thank you

Next is to sell the CB250 T then Bling up the Fazer and then ......... Nah thats it for me and restorations...although .....

Reading this makes me think the MOT is such a good idea

Better to fail the MOT than have the bike fail you

Got back from the MOT feeling like I have been Mugged

New Rear tyre £135

Rear Brake pads £25.10

Labour £45

VAT £41.02

TOTAL £246.12

Well as I said it could have been worse ...... but for a Crashed bike it cost me a further £300 for parts and paint so I think it is around £800 saving on a simalar non Cat C bike and I had the fun of doing it, was able to choose a non standard paint so it is unique to me and for some reaason it is easier on the mind (and wifes) to buy a cheap bike and spend some money on it rather than go and spend all the money in one go

Would I do it again ? well I will not be doing another bike but will continue to look after this one and improve it

I would highly reccomend to anyone wanting a bargain bike to consider a CAT C as long as you go into it with your eyes open and expect the unexpected

I look forwards to seeing some of your projects evolve and belive me the satisfaction of doing this is priceless!!

Thanks for watching