Throttled

I am sure you have to stop in a box for some parts of the test, but not the emergency stop. What ever happens the examiner has a big diagram of the test route and will take time to explain exactly what they want you to do.

I think MCNs mpg figure was dervived by revving the bike to its limits as if it was a sports bike. MCN want to go everywhere at 100mph. I like pulling up to short people on low cruisers and looking down on them

Top tip from the wife. Put vinegar into the washing machine and then run it on a quick wash setting with nothing else in the machine. That apparently cleans it out of detergent and gunk which means the Nickwax will be more effective.

Thanks for that. I may have bought a duff can as it would come out gloopy and in spurts. I could never get an even cover.

Deep joy, any ideas on what you will get next?

How well do you find ACF50 stands up to cleaning with the likes of Muck Off? I found each time I cleaned my bike I needed to reapply the ACF50.

I have tried to make this a bit clearer by putting the ones I know into regions ENGLAND Cat and fiddle - Its local and famous(ish) Tan Hill - Highest pub in England with great roads Seaways at Fridaythorpe. Any cafe in Hawes Hartside near Penrith Squires, Newthorpe, Sherburn in Elmete Coastriders Cafe, Wimbourne, Cropper Road, Blackpool, Lancs. FY4 5LB LONDON ROAD INC, 63-65 London Road South, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR330AS willingham woods just outside market rasen Ace Cafe, London - crap roads but fantastic atmosphere and food The Super Sausage. The cafe is situated on the A5 in Potterspury, Northamptonshire, Jacks Hill Cafe just up the road. Loomies Cafe - A32/A272 south of Alton Hampshire H Cafe - Dorchester on Thames nr Abingdon (OX10 7LY) - also next to a bike accessories shop SCOTLAND The Buccleuch Arms Hotel, High Street, Moffat, Owned by bikers, fantastic food and drink. The Glen Cafe, A708, St Marys Loch, Beautiful location amongst some of the regions best roads. The Green Tea House, Moniaive, DG3 4EJ, Eclectic food and drink, good roads nearby. The Burnside Tea Room, Glasgow Road, Sanquhar, DG4 6BZ. Close to good roads The Drovers Inn, A82, Inverarnan, G83 7DX, Historic hostelry, lots of character, good food The Seaforth Pub at the Pier, Ullapool, best fish i ever had, the A835 is one of the best roads ever. The Green Welly, Tyndrum, Perthshire FK20 8RY The Pit Stop Diner, The Pier, Arrochar, G83 7AB Carbeth Inn, Stockiemuir Road, Blanefield nr Glasgow G63 9AY WALES Oasis cafe, Abergavenney bus station. Popular stop any weekend. Petrolheads Bagilt North Wales Ponderosa - North Wales is stunning

A sign about a bridge http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6186/6147289915_182880b5ab_b.jpg

The Tay Bridge http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2414/5733644092_50284c2ee7_b.jpg

I failed 4 out of 5 practices at the swerve and nailed it during the test by thinking 'f**k it, I am going to do this'.

Prior to getting to court both parties are encouraged (legally obliged depending on the circumstances) to disclose their evidence to the other side prior to going to court. The above is a suggested defence that you should disclose in writing to the DVLA when you reply to the issuing of the fine. It is not to wait to produce as your defence once at court. This is like the advice you get get to check to see if a parking ticket has been correctly issued before just going ahead and paying the fine without checking, as many authorities rely upon.

I had not thought about that. But neither the camera nor the mobile I have had shown any adverse affects being in the tank bag.

If you find yourself on the receiving end of a DVLA fine for supposedly not telling them you have SORN'd your vehicle or regarding insurance, by failing to notify them or failing to act if you do do not get a receipt from them, here is a suggestion as to what you can do next. (I am assuming you did send the SORN etc documentation to the DVLA here) Write to them and 1 - refer to a Clerkenwell District Court case in October 2009 when a biker James Collins won a case by showing all he needed to do was post them the from he had SORN'd the bike. Since a FOI request had found the DVLA lose stuff all of the time and that the DVLA post letters out and consider them to then have been received, the cannot fine Mr Collins for supposedly not posting the documents to them. 2 - refer to a Horsham County Court case in March 2010 where a Duncan Peck won a case with the DVLA as the court agreed the DVLA have no stautory power to require someone to contact them when they fail to get a receipt from them regarding acknowledgement a vehicle has been SORN'd or sold. 3 - show that you have proof you did sell, SORN or insure the vehicle and you will present that at court. Hopefully, they will back down and you will not be fined. In effect you are doing to the DVLA what they do to others which is to challenge and hope they are not up for a fight, back down and pay up. This is not guaranteed, but I was reading up on this issue and there is a real problem with the DVLA and their admininstration system. I know I am part of 'authority' but I hate to see any authority over stepping the mark and would always encourage people to fight back, cleverly! Reference http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/03/dvla_court/

The Weise tail bag has integral bungess and will not come off. They do a nice tank bag, made to the same standard which is where I kept my camera during tours and I could easily carry it about with me. http://www.getgeared.co.uk/Motorcycle_L ... al_WEISE_1

A top box and rack will be the most waterproof and secure, but I am sure looking at your bike taking off the rack will be a fiddle. The top box will easily come on and off. If all you are taking is clothes and a camera you could get a tail bag and put the camera in with clothes. If you put you clothes and stuff into poly bags into the tail bag then they will not get wet. I use one of these http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... 77&t=40882 which will come on and off easily. The only issue may be the waterproof cover billowing up in the wind, but you get numerous bungess with the bag and could put some over the top,

"The Buccleuch Arms Hotel, High Street, Moffat, Owned by bikers, fantastic food and drink." So that is why I keep seeing it used by Bike magazine and others as a stop over for their road tests!

I have started by taking bits off the bike and then putting them back on again. So far I managed that without finding an extra nut, bolt or screw that should have gone back but I missed It sounds like a previous owner has kept the tool kit.

Between this http://www.motorcycleclothingshop.co.uk/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/f/i/file_202_7.jpg this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31-ZIE58FUL._SL500_AA300_.jpg and the tools that came with the bike under its seat, I have yet to need anything else. It will certainly get you started.

I wear RST armoured jeans during the warm weather. The same ones are an older version of the Kevlar jeans listed here http://www.rst-moto.com/index.php/products/C16/

Cat and fiddle - Its local and famous(ish) Ponderosa - North Wales is stunning Tan Hill - Highest pub in England with great roads Seaways at Fridaythorpe. Any cafe in Hawes Hartside near Penrith Squires, Newthorpe, Sherburn in Elmete Coastriders Cafe, Wimbourne, Cropper Road, Blackpool, Lancs. FY4 5LB LONDON ROAD INC, 63-65 London Road South, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR330AS The Green Welly, Tyndrum, Perthshire FK20 8RY The Pit Stop Diner, The Pier, Arrochar, G83 7AB Carbeth Inn, Stockiemuir Road, Blanefield nr Glasgow G63 9AY

That is outrageous. I stopped watching Watchdog as I would get so angry, somethimes at them for their poor quality reporting as well as the rip off companies. In this case Watchdog are clearly spot on and Direct Bikes are a rip off company only interested in getting money off people.

It was one of the very few riding days that I have had which was dry. One disappointment and it was the same during all of my tour in Ireland was that whilst there was no problem finding places to buy potatoes, coal and places to get your car washed at the side of the road, I saw no burger vans at all, anywhere. On a nice day I like a burger van for a cheap snack and to be outside.

I use this on my summer gloves to help keep them dry http://www.tack-up.co.uk/user/products/large/NKW0120%20(1).jpg

I did the first part of that route up to Crainlarich and along to Killin and Loch Tay to Kenmore a couple of days ago. I used the south Loch Tay road for a change and it is great. We are so lucky having all of this on our doorstep.

Well done But, like others, I would ask again as to why you were 'failed' because of the other guy. I did my CBT with two others and one of them was politely told to drop out. After lunch only two of us went out for the road part. That is how I understand the way it should be done. A quick email to the DSA letting them know what happened would sort this out.