Fiddlesticks

The confidence thing is a good point. It's not just speed. How you handle being overtaken is something the examiner will assess. Swerve left, wobble, hug the kerb - he won't like it. Hold your line, do all your observations - he'll be much happier.

Instructor is not the one wielding power - he's there to get you through the test. The examiner makes the decision on the day. 50 in a 60 I don't think should be a fail in itself, but could be a minor fault for hesitation. Too many minors (or a single major) and you'll earn a fail.

Not sure about the exact situations, but there is always a judgement call to be made: the tension between making progress and undue hesitation. Junctions you can think of as "closed" or "open" - the former being where visibility is limited and you need to stop and look. The latter you can approach at a sensible pace while looking to flow onto the major road PROVIDING it's safe and doesn't cause anyone else to take avoiding action. As long as you're under control and can stop safely before the line if you need to. Plan ahead is the key. Roundabouts are complex junctions. Normally you'd aim to flow onto them without stopping, but the usual rules apply regarding having enough space. I'd always give way to both lanes when joining, as you never know when a vehicle on the roundabout is going to change lanes. But the bigger issue seems to be the friction between the student and instructor. I've had some "challenging" instructors in my time, and I'm sure they'd say the same about some of their students. Either you're getting: 1. poor advice 2. poorly communicated good advice ... or a third option.. 3. good advice, well communicated - but you're not listening I don't think it's 3. 2. could be worth sticking around for and gritting your teeth. 1. would be a good time to shop around. I have noticed some instructors seem focused on what you do wrong and come across as very critical. It's nothing personal, and if you can get past it there's usually plenty to learn. He won't bite your head off for asking to clarify.

There was the episode of them hiding the speed camera in the horsebox. https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2008/march/march31northwaleshorseboxpictures-/

Hi, welcome in

Old receipts are usually kept, along with stamps in the service book. It does help to reassure buyers. Even the notebook (I have one on my phone) will be useful, as it'll help you answer those questions when the time comes.

Random question - what happens if you sell a bike but don't cancel your policy? It's all paid up, likelihood is that I'll get nothing back. Want to keep the no claims going, probably buy a replacement before long....

Cheap second hand bikes are great. You pay much less on the insurance, ride them in all weathers and learn to service and fix them yourself. Practice car park drills without being paranoid about dropping them, use them to commute and put a ton of carefree miles on them. Of course, they let you down from time to time, but when I just passed my test there was no way I'd be taking out credit/PCP on something and then do a thousand miles a month on it.

Quick blast up to Blackpool to see Ricky Warwick rock the Waterloo Bar. Popped into the town first as we had a voucher for various chain restaurants. Bella Italia - no walk-ins, we have a booking for 78 people later. Pizza Hut. "Yes, come in. We don't take cash, order on the app." Ever get the feeling you're nothing but an inconvenience to these big chains? Soulless. Grim. Expensive. The only saving grace - I wasn't paying. Never again. Contrast that with the Waterloo Bar. Awesome, unique venue, proper sweat box. Great staff. Double Jack & Coke and a pint of Lemonade for under £10. Keep the change! Motorcycles on the ceiling, beer barrels for urinals, posters and TShirts of all the bands that have played there. Memorabilia everywhere. A real old-school rock bar. Back home, 58 miles in just about the same number of minutes.

Same here in Wirral. Nobody wanted it. Consultation was overwhelmingly against. So they did it anyway. Despite being for all intents and purposes, bankrupt. Why? "Road safety" (one week). "Saving the planet" (the next). Real reason... Control. Probably originated in some globalist think tank somewhere. Certainly not by the people they were elected to serve. As per Tony Benn... "We are being managed, not represented". Signed.

This might be useful as a first howto video...

Hi

Hi, welcome in. Someone will be along with a more helpful suggestion soon enough, but I'll just say Mutt bikes are very cool looking.

I saw something similar where they'd cut and extended a hydraulic bike lift. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp8bI03-Apg

The new Voge adv bikes look crazy well specc'd. Could be interesting.

Sounds perfectly normal/sensible to me. No point riding on the public roads beyond your comfort zone, particularly at rush hour. A lot of people just don't filter, it can be a high risk activity.

The mechanism on my old Nolan has started being a bit glitchy. The perfect excuse to get a new one at 1/3 the original price while I take the old one to bits. Amazing how much snugger and nicer it feels after 3 1/2 years and 35,000 miles in the old one. For reference, the new one is on the left. For best results, remove the stickers before riding

Ouch! It's getting crazy. E5 at Knutsford Services is 180.9. Even in an emergency I'll ride the extra few miles on fumes into town.

I bought a set of screw removers for the bolts holding the mudguards on. They work surprisingly well, although you do need the hole for them to go into. https://amzn.eu/d/f9cZ0T0

The answer, of course, is to ensure the pillion seat is comfortable enough for said Sunday blast/ride out. Failing that, @RideWithStyles advice seems sound.

Ouch! What's the fix? Drill a hole then screw remover?

Yes, you need to lean a bit in the corner before the straight.

Hi

Weird & Wonderful #8 - The Anderton Boat Lift According to Wikipedia this elevator for boats is - and I quote - "known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Waterways". Which is definitely not just a made up thing!

I do, but they're a bit of a pain, work loose and scratch the inside of the visor. Gets a bit spendy after a while. Someone should invent a true double-glazed visor, rather than the floppy plastic thing.