Throttled

Airhawk, to make the ride more comfortable. Also consider Grip Puppies or heated grips, depending on the time of year you will be touring.

On 18/04/2024 at 21:30, curlylegend said:

I have 3 motorbikes, I am only allowed 1 wife/girlfriend. 

 

I just want to be absolutely clear about this.  You have 3 motorcycles and one wife AND a girlfriend ?

How very French !

The French use mopeds to ride between wife and mistress.

2 hours ago, Angela Collen said:

If your wife was big enough to apologise,  then I'd count that as a blessing!!

On Saturday she will get her 3rd dan black belt Shito-ryu karate. Of course, I accept her apology and so does the bike. 

I could park it in the living room, next to other ornaments.

22 hours ago, Capt Sisko said:

The Facebook group below is quite good, but I guess it's one of many. One comment that does seem to pop up quite often is people's tyres wearing out a lot quicker than they expected they would whilst on the route. I can't see why Scotland would use a more abrasive tarmac than anyone else, but people saying they thought they had enough tread, only to find out they didn't is a frequently mentioned comment.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NC500Bikers

It is apparently to do with the granite used locally, due to availability. It is a hard wearing stone. I experienced increased tyre wear both times I did the NC500.

Yesterday I used my bike to visit a friend. I don't commute any more, so visits, a bit of shopping that fits in the huge top box and runs for fun are the main uses of the bike. I use the bike all year round and with everyone having a driving licence in the house, sometimes the bike is my only option.  When I got home and said what a nice dry, warm run it had been, my wife described the bike as an expensive ornament.

I think that means my bike is absolutely not an ornament. But, arguably, it is not essential, we could cope with the cars alone. But, that cannot be enough to claim the bike is an ornament, surely?

Bar Grill 55, for number 5. Now got 1, 3, 5, 6 & 9.

Cafe Bar Two Six, using the 6

Vault 94, using the 9

Now got numbers 1, 3, 6, 9

Finally went to Whitelee windfarm, south of Glasgow. It is truly huge

The road over Eaglesham moor is brilliant.

South of Scotland Whitelee Wind farm carpark

On 11/03/2024 at 12:54, Fozzie said:

 

I was told different, when I queried why different insurers can quote wildly different figures for the same address in the same area. The police data would seem to give a better place to start from, but I was essentially told insurers have their own data for most areas, which they prioritise as it bluntly shows how much they are making/losing in a given area. But this could have been unique to that particular insurer?

I'd still say it's unfair to treat someone as if they've had a claim though. A new quote should reflect the updated data for the area, rather than penalising someone for a claim they didn't make. 

The insurers do use their own data, which is the job of actuaries to produce and analyse.

The likelihood of being caught is low, the consequences of being caught are high. In that scenario, I would not risk it.

12 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

 

Bingo

 

Insurers charge based on risk, determined by the types and amount of claims they pay out for by area. So their risk is an entirely monetary based entity, so how can they charge you heightened premiums when you haven't had a claim paid out? It's like they are pre-emptively trying to charge you for a consequence that hasn't happened yet, or a future higher level of risk. Which feels like it borders the line of being a scam to me. 

My understanding is that insurers use actuaries to predict risk based on trends and those trends are determined by information such as the number of thefts reported. The more thefts reported, the higher the premium, as actuaries predict the insurance company will face more claims.

It was a struggle. I actually started a get fit before the pandemic, dragging myself along once every two weeks, to not much affect. I then got my COPD diagnosis, hugely delayed due to the pandemic and that kick-started the need to make an effort. Late 50s is kind of last chance saloon. I would recommend keeping a track of achievements, as that has helped a lot, by setting goals, like can I do 10 stone, my own body weight (getting more likely as I lose weight), max the machine? I do a test every six months, to see if I can increase the single maximum rep, which is not always the case.

What also helps is noticing the benefits, like picking up a coffee table when my father wanted his carpets cleaning. It is huge and tiled and in the past, I could never have done that so easily. The Fortnine video has revealed another benefit I would not have otherwise noticed.

Just watched the latest Fortnine video, which is about the benefits of strength training for bikers;

This matches my experience. About 18 months ago I was diagnosed with a health condition which explained why past attempts to get fit failed. I cannot do stamina work, so instead, I started to do strength training at the gym. I have done a bit in the past, but hated gyms, that were full of thugs or in far too expensive leisure centres. The present crop of gyms that have taken over retail park units, that are full of clean equipment, not too posery, have a wide range of people as members and cost mid £20 a month are great.

The strength training I do, is to work out a maximum single rep and then rep 80% of that about 5 times with the arms and 10 with the legs, over four circuits, over 14 fixed weight machines, covering all parts of the body, arms, legs, back, stomach, chest. After 18 months, I added up the total lift of one session, and it came to 81,100lbs (36.2 imperial tons) or 36,786kgs. If I can do that at 57 years old, goodness knows what the scary people who do the big loose weights manage. Without bothering to cut out much food and drink, I have lost over 2 stone.

My last long tour, to the Isle of Man, included two motorway trips batting very high winds. It is the first tour I have done, with no pain. No numb bum, no sore hips, back, anything. The video explains why and my experience is that the video is spot on. There are huge benefits to getting stronger when it comes to riding a bike, which is not just about being able to lift the bike back up, if you drop it. Improving core strength alone, makes sitting on the bike over longer periods easier. Highly recommended.

I definitely plan to come, but care for a relative means I cannot be definite about coming, if you see what I mean. Please book me a camping space.

6 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

Is this to make it feel warm on cold nights? Can't see it working on mine which is kept outside in all weathers (when I'm home at least).

Why not? Have you never seen a sheep outside in the rain?

The bike I share my lock-up with is now adorned with a new cover....

On 01/03/2024 at 16:50, Capt Sisko said:

How thick are they? Thin like silk or thicker like knitted wool?

In-between the two.

Auld Clock Cafe, South of Scotland

Not the bike, the sat nav. Got it updated, which takes 3 hours. Plus, I worked out why it could not find many addresses, as it had defaulted to searching local area only.

Heated grips keep my hands warm all day. I am sure gloves would do the same. Knox cold killers make for excellent inner gloves.

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/370284

I often use the side stand to stop the engine and over the years, in various, bikes, have never had any issue related to that.

I do it because I can stop the bike in gear and it cannot roll as I get off.

Dobbies, Milngavie, North of Scotland