iiisecondcreep

He probably means the new ninja 250 ie zx250r (I saw new, they are current but been around a few yrs). Although maybe not! Kawasaki have also just released the ninja 300 which looks very nice I think I am just behind the times! But even so, they are not a prolific market over here. Probably because of the price tag! Honda have the cbr250 as well which I think is a few less ££ than the ninja.

Cardigans - Gran Turismo For the first time in years

He probably means the new ninja 250 ie zx250r (I saw new, they are current but been around a few yrs). Although maybe not! Kawasaki have also just released the ninja 300 which looks very nice

I have Heine Gericke Pathan Evo and haven't had wet hands yet http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... 75&t=43896 As above, I always wear my gloves under my jacket cuffs.

Well I meant the hair from my head sticking to them but I suppose if you have excessively hairy ears that might also be problematic, not having hairy ears its not something I'd have thought about....

Local Honda dealer had this in as a p/x against a car D: http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/550606_10152173144180065_484017182_n.jpg

I have Heine Gericke 3 finger gloves and they do a good job at keeping my hands warm. I did a review of them in the tried and tested section http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... 75&t=43896

My back wheel slid out by about 3" when we we got to the end of the Dukes Pass that night with you Ian, must have hit a tiny patch of something slidey Other than that, no

where does it state that? In the thread he started yesterday he stated that he is about to turn 20

The OP is not looking to do DAS.

I think he means as opposed to having regular lessons. Personally, I went down the lessons route. Suited me better at the time, also I had no previous experience and after how stressful I found the CBT there is no way I could have done an intensive course! But thats just me lots of people go down the intensive course as well I'd say the main advantage is you will generally get your license quicker, I was learning from feb-nov. Due to: not booking my theory early enough, having a 4month or so break due to work commitments, failing my mod 1 3 times ( ). If you mean as opposed to buying a 125 to ride around on, well then once you pass you can ride a (restricted) big bike so more options for bikes and as long as you pass before jan or whenever it is you won't be subject to the new rules and your restriction will be lifted automatically after 2yrs. if you wait until after the rules change then you'd have to sit another test when you are 24 to ride any size of bike (I think)

Yay, thanks! :D

Managed to get a few more on holiday, though not nearly as many as we could. Unfortunately journeys didn't go very well so wasn't much spare time for getting tags. We almost managed to get the Kirkstone Pass Inn on the way down, bikes parked outside and camera in hand... but we didn't have our numbers or a pen/paper to make new ones http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/DSC00720.jpg

Tintern Abbey http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/DSC00829.jpg Lands End http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/DSC00801.jpg Cheddar Gorge http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/2012-09-13175313.jpg Severn Bridge http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/2012-09-13193616.jpg Edited to add: Kirkstone Pass Inn (thanks TC ) http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/DSC00720.jpg

Recovering from the ride home from holiday.

Stupid question time: won't it fail its MOT on emissions without a cat?

Packing and making sure the bikes are ready for leaving for our holiday to Cornwall on Monday Dropping the bunny off at her holiday home on Sunday

Ben Godwin - Skin and Bones

Gerry Rafferty - Snakes and Ladders

CBT lasts 2 years unless you pass your full bike test (not car test) within that time frame, then it will last the duration of the license. Car test only comes into it if you are only wanting to ride a 50cc moped, so in order to do your DAS you will need to re-do your CBT. From DSA:

I have really narrow ear canals and as such really struggle to get ear plugs as the simply won't fit in my lugs! I do actually have custom plugs but to be honest I prefer these, especially after getting my new lid which is quite tight around the ears and makes my custom plugs uncomfortable. They are £4.99 for a pack of three, one set lasts for ages and if they get dirty they can be washed in hot water. I don't know how long they will last as I have not yet used a pair until they are no longer effective. Before use you roll them into a ball with your hands and then just squish them over (not into!) your ear hole, they can be used to swimming so they form a complete seal. Good points: Suitable for people with awkward lug holes like myself. Value for money, £5 seems expensive for just 3 pairs but they are re-usable and can be washed. Provide at least as much protection as my custom plugs (can't comment on any other types of plugs as I can't use them!) Medium: Bit of a faff squishing them into place, and you don't always know if you have managed to get a good seal until you are on the move. They are sticky so hairs get stuck on them easily (which doesn't help with the getting a good seal!) They get dirty quite quickly due to them being sticky. Bad: none

As we are planning on taking the bikes down to Cornwall I decided to invest in some panniers. Following the review in Ride magazine in which they were awarded "Best Buy" I decided to get the Cameron Barker panniers from Bering. First impressions were good- plenty of space in them and felt well made. Their first test was a ride down to the borders for an overnight stay. They were around 1/3-1/2 filled. They were a bit of a pain to fit as there aren't many points to attach them too on the VFR. After having done around 200miles I took them off the bike so we could go and get some lunch (no way of locking them closed), at which point I noticed that the material had worn through completely where a bungee cord from my tailpack had been and that the stitching had burst in 2 places, each about 1" long. As soon as I got home I contacted the retailer, arranged to return the panniers and had them replaced very quickly. Due to the weather and my bike being in the garage the replacement only had their first test yesterday. They had less in them than our borders trip and as I never had my tail pack there were no bungee cords going over them. Our first stop was after 70miles, at which point I checked the panniers and they were already wearing through where the edge was resting against the bike. Its not that obvious from the picture but you can still see a bit that it is wearing through (it wasn't resting against the bungee cord, only against the fairing). http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/DSC00621.jpg By the time we got home both panniers had holes where they had been resting against the fairing http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/DSC00633.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/DSC00632.jpg Good points: Waterproof without covers Easy enough to fit to bike Good size Medium points: No way of securing them closed with a padlock or anything so risky leaving them on the bike if its out of site. Bad points: They are rubbish! I've had 2 sets and both have had holes in with less than 200miles use. Would I recommend? Absolutely not.

Decided to ignore the weather forecast for yesterday of 'Heavy Showers' and head out for a long run for some practice for our run down to Cornwall at the start of September. 277.5miles later and I am absolutely shattered. Was a really good run, I'd give it 8/10. Things that let it down: getting caught in an absolutely torrential downpour for around 45mins on the way home whilst also being stuck in a queue of traffic with a lorry at the front averaging about 35mph. As my new lid had to go back to the shop I had my old one which leaks water so no amount of wiping could clear my visor and as it was wet on the inside it was misting up constantly. Could hardly see a damn thing Coming into a 30 I nearly had a bmw go into the back of me because his brakes failed (I could hear the scraping of stuffed ABS), fortunately he managed to stop with about 2' to spare. There was absolutely nothing I could have done, there was a car in front of me and cars coming the other way. Being harrassed by a car on the way home sitting about 1m from my back wheel, he obviously knew he couldn't overtake at that point as he did as soon as we got into the straight- why tailgait in the mean time? Saw some mental overtakes by 2 pick ups as well, both of them overtaking when they had no where near enough room. A van that the 2nd one was overtaking had to slam on the brakes and swerve off the road because the idiot in the pickup was about to plough head on into an oncoming car. We still had about 200 dry miles and the first 120 ish was blue skies, sunshine and absolutely roasting The A85 from Tyndrum to Oban we have done a couple of time before and its a great bit of road. We worried worried it would be busy yesterday as the Green Welly was heaving (also ran into the policeman I did my bikesafe with last weekend there!) but there was hardly any traffic until we got near Oban. Had never done the road down to Lochgilphead or the A83 to Loch Lomond, so glad we did it was a lovely ride with some equally lovely views! The route: http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/524425_10152003010570065_492952261_n.jpg My bike in Oban http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552624_10152003020740065_1585719687_n.jpg Eds bike in Oban http://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/561226_10152003019800065_360134661_n.jpg About to leave Loch Fyne http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/181191_10152003017950065_1067758308_n.jpg

Inverary Jail http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y222/iiisecondcreep/Bikey/UK%20100%20challenge/inveraryjail.png

I'm a size 12 and have found that size 12 jackets generally fit Obviously better if you can try buy before you buy, but also know that dealers don't often have much in teh way of ladies clothing! (might be worth trying some on even if they are out of budget- just to give you an idea of how different brands fit you) If you have a J&S anywhere near you they usually have a good range of ladies clothing. Have a look on ebay, you can often find used stuff in really good nick for cheaps