Throttled

There is a lot of repair work going on near me at the moment. The problem is that they scrape off about 1" and re-tar. That is not enough and work from last year is already falling apart. One reason why there is so little tar is because underneath many roads are the original cobbles. Lots of pot holes are revealing that the road is pretty much untouched since it was made early last century, or the one before that!

Replace when stinky, if damaged or you fancy a new one.

Loads of bikers out yesterday, including me, but I was just commuting to work. Winter riding when it is dry is lovely. I would rather do that than ride in the summer in the pissing rain.

Near £20 per night camping should mean way better facilities than the Bull i't Thorn. I would rather pay more and get decent toilets and showers. After fuel, bevvy and food, camping is the least part of the cost of attending a rally.

The Halfwayhouse Inn looks ideal. Here is the site I used to find pubs with camping for my tours; http://www.pubcampsites.com/

Yes, that list is not exactly selling it!

What with my change of job, I drop from 27 days to 20 days off a year, so with other commitments, I voted and would like to attend, but I have 3 days left to take. I think attendance will be conditional on luck and a clash with my one weekend off a month.

I see now, the disc passes through that gap whilst the bike is on the move.

I do not see how, it is just a pin that finds a hole in the disc to click into. Unbolt the main part from the caliper and what is stopping that pin from sliding out? If you take the bolts off, the body will just swivel round the pin which can be slid out

Use a hex/allen key to unbolt it from the caliper. It would take seconds to do.

Which means you had access to a bike and private land to ride it on, so you are either very lucky or you paid out £500, £600, £700 or more to get the level of experience you describe. If on the other hand, like the vast majority of people, prior to taking up motorcycling, you have no experience and no free bikes and land to ride them on, the lessons option is the only one and to call such people naive is wrong.

You could get mirror extenders and put them to the same width as the bike with the panniers. If you cannot get through a gap with the mirrors, you are less likely to try and clobber the panniers.

Check the clutch and idle speed adjustment. If the clutch is at its limit, you may not be totally disengaging gear and so it stalls. If the idle speed is too low, it can stall. Both are simple and need no tools; "> ">

Unless you can get a 24 hour test ride, you don't really know how you will get on with a bike in the long run. You just have to make a judgement call and so long as it feels OK to sit on it, you have done enough IMO.

It depends on the helmet as to whether it should even have stickers on it. https://youtu.be/Azvn9wPDu_c

It is purely a persons mark of acknowledgement they agree to information written on paper. X was widely accepted when many could not write. I have been told by a police officer who was involved in fraud and forgery cases that my signature is very good, like a strong password. I incorporate initials, so a copier would need to know my full name if challenged. The letters can be made out, so the signature is easily identified to me. It is written in my scruffy handwriting and involves lots of loops, direction changes and idiosyncrasies that are hard to replicate without a lot of practice.

I also hate the strobe effect low sun can cause with trees.

Being a bit retentive, I kept a very detailed list of expenditure in my first year of biking; https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41851&p=702992&hilit=annual#p702992 Lessons and tests Lessons (inc pre-CBT taster, CBT and pre-test) 12 (of which 6 were on a 125cc and 6 were DAS on a 600cc) Past first time Theory/Hazard Perception and Mod 1. Passed second time Mod 2. Time taken to get licence 7 months. Costs - £666 in lessons. £306 in tests (inc CBT and 2x Mod 2) Total - £972 Kit Helmets x 2 - £210 Replacement visor - £35 Textile jacket and trousers - £114 Armoured jeans - £70 Gloves x3 - £126 Boots x1 - £74 Waterproof jacket and trousers - £40 Snood - £5 Hi Viz vest - £42 Free boots and gloves - gift £0 Total - £716 Motorbikes Yamaha YBR 125, Red 05 plate - £1450 Kawasaki KLE 500, Spark black 05 plate - £2000 (minus £1100 for trade in so £800) Total - £2250 Insurance and MOT YBR125 TPF&T £139 KLE500 fully comp £250 Both bikes came with MOTs so none needed Total £399 Motorbike parts/accessories Earplugsx2 sets - £12 Alarm disc lock - £20 Motrax small Delux cover - £20 Motrax large Delux cover - £40 Motrax Guvna Disc lock - £25 Motrax Chrono chain - £45 Datatag - £80 Mammoth Ground Anchor - £35 Concret, gravel and slabs - £55 Tech7 26L top box - £30 Custom Bike 53L top box - £51 Weise Tank & Tail Bag - £48 Screen Ernax - £60 Puig Light Smoke Screen - £41 Fenda Extenda - £17 Tommy jack - £15 Bar end mirror - £14 Mirror extenders - £21 Sundries (oil, cleaner etc) - £50 Total - £679 Servicing and Repairs YBR125 service and new chain - £110 KLE500 brakes - £90 KLE500 replacement fairing - £51 KLE500 handlebars and brake pedal - £110 Total - £361 Petrol Costs Estimate £462 Grand total - £5641

In town I use one the many bike specific parking places, with a rail to chain the bike to. Glasgow and my local town are well provided with them. Maybe I am lucky. Otherwise, touring, I tend to stop in decent places where I can keep an eye on my bike. An angry biker makes for excellent security. The one place I hate stopping, but needs must, are motorway services. It is more security for what I am carrying as it is so easy for someone to grab something off the bike and then they are away.

I have ridden in some atrocious weather and after a few fails, have now got to the point in can stay warm and dry, except for the tip of my left middle finger. It must have bad circulation as it still gets cold.

Imagine ending up with this one http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-39869370 the UKs longest trial, 320 days.

You have got to do the North Coast 500 ride http://www.northcoast500.com/ https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/tours/driving-road-trips/north-coast-500/ It would take you four relatively leisurely days, one to get to the start at Inverness, Glasgow via Glen Coe and Ft William up the A82 to Inverness. Then two to do the run, stopping Durness midway. Then come back via the A9 (dull road, but great scenery) and stay in Edinburgh. From Edinburgh leave Scotland by the A68 via Carter Bar.

There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes and bad riding style.

I have never done jury duty, but I have spent plenty of time in the witness box, doing court duty (police presence in the courtroom as security) or dock duty (sitting with the accused when they appear from custody) and even as an accused!

I only wear plastic gloves to get the gloves on when wet, they dry off quickly and I only have them on for a shirt time.