parkmoy

Well I researched the RST jacket and found a few people had waterproofing issues so I decided to go for the Heine Gerick Valley TRG one. I got the £175 deal which was an excellent saving on the rrp of £250. Ordered Friday morning and arrived this am (Monday) - great service considering it was ordered by a local shop from a warehouse in England and delivered free to my home address in Northern Ireland. It looks well made and has all the features I wanted plus it's a good fit.

Here's hoping it lives up to its billing

See ...post something daft and they all turn up with useful suggestions

Method in the madness

Yeah, yeah

Thanks guys, they both sound good. Like the look of the RST one, I can get it for £152 off Ebay. Counting the pennies .....

Well I suppose any reply is better than none But not much

Going touring on the continent this summer and want a textile jacket that's reasonably waterproof and has good ventilation - I'm hoping for some warm days I know I can spend x hundreds of pounds but I'm looking for something that does the job at less money. Any recommndations?

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO FOOOOOOOOOOKIN DRUNK

10 pints and 7 vodka and oranges so far, Im a fooooookin lightweight this montth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dosen't seem like a lot to me. We're past the half way mark in the month and you've only had 10 pints and 7 vodkas so far? Yeh, lightweight

Just a word of warning. I'm insured through Bikesure and I contacted them asking the situation re insurance if I fitted a restrictor kit myself. The relevant part of their reply was ... "We regret to advise that your insurers require the restricter kit to be fitted professionally."

I didn't bother asking for a definition of 'professionally', just bit the bullet and took it to a shop to be done.

I don't know how many insurers stipulate this and there was nothing I could find on the Policy document about it but I suppose it comes under the terms of modifications to the bike.

Burt Munro- doesn't sound very Indian

What's the best bike show to attend? Particularly for getting gear cheap?

OK, if you want to be pedantic, this is from the back cover of 'Roadcraft'

Motorcycle Roadcraft has been developed under the guidance of a group of police motorcycle trainers, with input from police riders, trainees and civilian experts, and is for police trainees and other riders concerned with getting the best from their machines.

and if you want more, inside in the acknowledgements, - This edition of Motorcycle Roadcraft was initiated by the Police Foundation at the request of the Association of Chief Police Officers. It was produced by the National Police Driving Schools' Conference Motorcycle Roadcraft Working Party in conjunction with the Police Foundation and the National Extension College

So you're right, it wasn't 'wrote' by a copper, just loads of them

I see this thread as a reason not to read these publications there more trouble than there worth!!

I'm with you techno. Waste of time reading all this good advice in these subversive publications. I mean, look at Roadcraft - well it's just coppers bigging up isn't it. While we're at it, shall we ban instructors too? Another waste of time listening to them wittering on. They're just on a big ego trip really.

Learn by your mistakes is best, if you don't kill yourself or others, you'll be a better rider - or at least think you are, and that's what matters.

Apologies if this has been published here before but I found it a very interesting read.

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/gearbox/motorcycle_helmet_review/index.html

Thanks for that bullet5.

Does all soft luggage need a rack? I have a 125 Marauder and am thinking of getting some.

I think the question is not about engine braking but gear changing while aproaching a junction, do you apply the brakes then hold the clutch in and change fom 6th to 1st etc at the last second or let the clutch out for every single gear on your approach, (which would give you engine braking)? even though on a bike it's a sequential gearbox is it ok to go from 6th to 2nd say while holding the clutch in?

Yes it is ok to change more than one gear while holding the clutch in but when slowing down whether for a junction or not IMO it's alway best using brakes and changing one gear at a time, don't need to let the clutch out fully but this way it tells you what gear you should be in should you need to set off and avoids locking the back wheel up. If you need to stop then you can always hold in the clutch and change the last couple of gears into first ready to set off from a standstill. This is what I was taught at the riding school hopefully it is correct and you find it helpful.

Thanks AdeyT. Thats what I have been doing and I find it works OK. I tried changing down through each gear and using engine braking but to do it I had to start well back from the junction and ended up too slow, still some way from the junction This way I mentally count the gears as I go down through the box so I always know where I am.

Thanks guys and it's my fault for not being clearer, but what I really want to know is this. Do you go down through the gears in sequence, engaging the clutch for each gear and using engine braking, or do you use the brakes to lose speed, disengage the clutch, and then downshift with the clutch disengaged until you select a gear appropriate to your speed?

OK, I'm a very newbie rider. In a car I can brake approaching a junction, hold the clutch in, and, if it's a Give Way/roundabout etc. select the appropriate gear for my speed and carry on. Alternatively brake to a stop and select first and carry on.

What's the best way of doing these on a bike?