Fender1515

I tend to agree with Terry's comments here. So often the rules/laws of driving on the road, that have been defined in order to ensure road use is safe, is blatantly and purposely ignored, some dumb arses will use the road, in which any way the chose that suits them. Trying to second guess if they will/wont abided by the rules is high risk IMO. I personally find this emotionally challenging, in as much as I don't find it easy to let folks take the piss. BUT, I always remeber a shared wisdom from an elderly IAM instructor, who incidentally was a very quick rider, "think of it this way, everybody in a motor vehicle is out to kill you, if you stop them from killing you, you win" I try and ensure I am in a winning situation. As has been said, if I feel the need to reclaim the 20 feet of road I let them take from me, on two wheels, there are always plenty of opportunities! It is a sad fact, that so many folks believe they can act with impunity, there are negligible consequences for their actions, so as rule, I tend to work on the basis, if in my intuition, assessment the driver can put in a position of danger, they probably will. So how do I WIN

As is the norm, we/i only tend to remember the worst situations, and so... A few weeks ago, my-self and partner were in the car driving through the peak district, TMrs was driving, she used to be a driving instructor, i do tend to get a lot of really helpful advice when i am driving., as am IAM observer myself, I am always surprised with 50 years of experience, and no major incidents, at how much I get wrong!! Anyhoows, we overtake four cyclist on road bikes on the decent, a mile or so further on the road gets a little twisty, and sheep at the side of the road, we are travelling at around 30 mph, the cyclist catch us up and are properly tailgating us. If we had had to ankers on there would have been no way they could have avoided a collision if a vehicle had been coming in the opposite direction and they couldn't overtake. We both cycle, all be it b mainly off road, so we do have some empathy with cyclist, But what's the thinking with these guys! ~I would not be riding my motorbike that close to a cars exhaust pipe, not even with all the tech stopping system it has, you still have to reaction time to factor in. Happily no collision, and unlike my reactions, no red mist from the driver! Heyho, some folks make it difficult to like em.

This is tricky one for me, we always had dogs as children, I had a Husky, my best pal for years, sad but true, couldn't leave the house with out her, that is a truism by the way. My daughter has a dog that lands on me for a few weeks every year, lover having her, little princes, but she's great fun. Here comes the BUT ! Twice in the last couple of months we have had a canine conflict situation, which was not very pleasant, First was a pub garden that we often walk to along side canal, big outdoor space for families, etc, several kids, probably 4 to 8 years old messing around chasing a ball, medium size dog, not on a lead makes A for the ball as girl goes to pick it up, ends up nipping her, we where close by and made for the dog, grabbed the collar and held the dog back, parents of the girl, rush over and comfort said girl, father thinks it was my dog, short unpleasant conversation until woman dog owner appears and acknowledges ownership, father has a go at women for dangerous hound, women, but he was only being playful you cant blame the dog stuff how was he to know etc. Mother calms things down. I suggested he owed me an apology , which he did. But a lot of red mist flying around. Dog on lead, it would not have happened. Second, Sitting outside another local pub, and I don't accept I have a drinks problem its just a social ting, my lady ordered some snack food, waitress brings it to the table, lurcher type ting appears and stuffs his face into the plate, me, punch dog on the head, owner thinks I overreacted, I explain what overreacting could look like,, waitress offers to replace food and does, guy comes out from pub, dog owner banned, so if dog was on a lead, here it comes again , etc. Oh, and on the walk back I get a proper ear full from "she who must be obeyed" for unnecessarily looking to engage in an altercation. It's a dogs life, init ,

I guess my habit of scraping ice from the vehicle windows and running the engine until it's hot so it will defrost inside was formed from driving 1970's mini's with rubbish heaters, then Scammel HGV's with rubbish heaters, . Had some interesting experiences having used the hot water and or Spray can approach, set-off , normally lateish door locks frozen, 1/2 mile down the road it freezes over again, everything disappears and it's like driving with your eyes closed, not a great experience IMO! With modern vehicles I wait until its warm enough to take off beanie!

Two weeks ago I was driving back from Buxton around 6pm, through the Peak district, proper thick fog, even 20mph felt risky, On the road down to Glossop, a car coming up the hill was struggling, has hazards on and crawling along, a range rover pulls out to overtake it, me 100 yards away, both of us had to emergency stop, we had a conversation!! If he had another brain cell it would be very lonely!

God's country has gone white this morning, looks great. Unfortunately most primary routes out of the valley have been closed, I guess because they have changed colour, 10 mm of snow! We had planned a trip to the Lakes today to celebrate my Ladies Birthday, her choice was 4 wheels, as a result, we may have to reschedule, I am hoping I can eek it out till next spring and loose some wheels, as if....

RWS has pretty much covered the main issues, I will add my two penneth worth. Depending on your use, fitting progressive fork springs mad a huge difference to the handing for me, much more secure and predictable, and stopped the nose diving under heavy braking. Easy'ish DIY job, and not a lot of money, I think around £120 from memory, Defo need to keep the callipers front and rear well maintained, cleaned etc, headers need regular attention to stop the rust. Like has been said, a really great all-round bike, engine is great.

I still hanker after another Norton Dominator, I had the 650 pre unit, the bike was amazing, I got intimate with every nut and bolt, I am not sure if all my fond memories are because of the bike, or the crack we had as a group of bikers. We would turn up at Portsmouth and catch the ferry to France, £20 in your pocket and a tent strapped on, for a long weekend, was a good result. After the Domi, it all went JAP !!

Many thanks for sharing your experience, I have ordered XCP clear, and some knee pads!

It is nearly that time to wash my bike gear, i might even do it this year! and prep my 2005 bike for the winter, Trickle charger will be set up, just wondering what products forum folks have found best to reduce the winter rusting. I am thinking of trying scottoiler FS 365, any folks had any experience with it, or.... Thanks in advance.

She did amazingly well, rode up all but one of the Hill's and not one moan, very proud of her, great fun day out. Scenery and sense of achievement good for the soul.

So today we are heading out on two wheel adventure, sadly, no ingines, cycling the 15 miles around Lady Bower and Derwent waters, it was tother half's idea, we did this ride about a month ago, i seem to remember a lot of winging on the back leg of the journey, clearly she doesn't, the upside is no intercom, so my plan is to stay 3 meters in front for that part of the route, in my own happy bubble, we will see how that works out!!!!

I think my next check would be cam chain timing, as I am wondering if the chain has slipped, putting the timing out. It could also be the cause of the swarf in the oil, but lets no go there!!

I got that "T" shirt in Buxton a couple of months back, reversing the bike into a tight M/Bike parking bay, down a small slope, across a camber, me and bike on the deck, pedestrian was passing, stopped turned bike off, and helped me and TBike up, great guy. Scratched fairing but no other damage. Why oh why did I even think this was a good idea, brains of a slug at times.

I ride bicycles a well as M/Bikes, so I try and be bike aware and friendly, BUT Yesterday in car, road works and temporary traffic lights in village, I am first car in line waiting for the green one, a group of 5 lycra clad cyclist ride up on the inside, stopping on my inside and the van and car behind, the road works are on a incline with a T-Junction mid works. Light goes green, first rider pulls out across the front of my car and moves across the road to turn right, 2nd rider tries the same move but I am already parallel with the junction, so he's got no place to go but strait on or stop, the following cyclist try the same move, blocked out by a delivery van and car. It all gets a bit shouty and handbags, me I cant be arsed, so I make to keep moving through the road works, In the rear mirror I catch the van driver has gotten out and is having a face off with one of the cyclists,, I guess I could have just waited for all of them to cross in front of me, and go on the next green, but I am not great at being tolerant when folks are taking the piss. Cyclists can make life difficult for them selves,

Thank you all for your contributions and feedback. Below is the list of discussion points I am going to raise at the meting, based on feedback from several forums, my own and my partners experiences, feedback from three road user forums. The meeting is scheduled as a 4 hour session, with break out groups. 1: Lack of driver attention 1a Inconsiderate, aggressive attitudes 2: Lack of forward planning 3: Road conditions 3a: Condition of road, pot holes, poor road surface, foliage blocking, obstructing views 3b Poor, confusing Road signage 4: Tailgating, cause of 1 in 8 accidents in the UK 5: Dangerous motorway driving, lane discipline 6: In car distractions, GPS, use of phone when driving 7: Driving too fast 8: HGV’s: use of narrow Roads, not able to pass safely, on Motorways cause major tail back on inclines, should be restricted to inside lane only on three lane carriageways and dual carriageways, as in Europe. 9: Cyclists, in appropriate riding, two or three abreast, undertaking in traffic 10: Road works, not scheduled to cause minimum disruption to road users, causes frustration, delays in meeting schedules, results in dangerous catch up driving behaviour 10a: Road closures , not advised, not carried out quickly, on the continent critical road works are worked on 24 hours a day, in order to minimise disruption, why doesn’t the UK do the same 11: Smart Motorways, advice and warning do not reflect traffic conditions, so not observed 12: No effective policing of safe driving standards, no point in having laws if they are not enforced 13: Lack of investment that result in real world improvement in road safety and improved traffic flow 14: Powered ebikes, disregard and do not respect or follow the Highway Code 15: Motorbikes, disregard and do not respect or follow the Highway Code, not me of course! 16: Pedestrians, crossing roads without observing traffic, is it safe, often cause hazardous situation 17:Parking, stopping, on yellow lines, double lines, bends, especially applies to delivery vehicles and Taxis 18: Public transport, trains unreliable, expensive, and unacceptably overcrowded at peak times, drives public to use the roads 19: Highways Department: not visibly accountable to road using public, there should be a public body to challenge decisions and not just local councillors 20: Poor road transport system has significant impact that directly effects business investment decision in the area, where is this effect considered, not publicly visible I am keeping an open mind on outcomes, I am sceptical these initiatives involving input from the general public, result in any positive change, but, as she who must be obeyed, says, if I chose not to participate, when offered the opportunity, she who must be obeyed, can dish out the blame on me when bad stuff happens, a bit harsh IMO, but on the other hand, I could claim the high ground, for eternity IF suggestions are taken on board, and influences change. Time will tell! I can provide feedback on the meeting if any folks are interested.

I have been invited to attend and provide input into a Road safety study being run by local University, focus for the study is Yorkshire. Forum meeting is on Friday. Would forum members like to contribute their top 5 issues that effect Road Safety and are the most significant factors/situations that can result in causing accidents. Also, 1 issue that you believe is the major cause that results in fatalities. Real world experience input would be much appreciated, I have the stats from Highways. Please be as concise as you can, as I need to consolidate responses. Many thanks

Rennie, be warry of the sirens lure of the Canal (Muddy Ditch) you really do need eyes open on this, I owned a 60ft Narrow Boat from 2015 to 2022. I lived on the boat for a few months when I moved up Norf in 2016, I had moorings in a Marina, in my 7 years of chugging about, I have cruised most of the Canal network, for the first 5 years, I absolutely loved it, most of the time! Traveling through England's Industrial heritage, amazing countryside, all at 3ish MPH, parking-up and exploring new Cities, with Friends and Family. Spannering on a canal boat can be challenging, working on an engine, tucked into an iron box, with limited access to the sides and under the diesel lump, you really become fanatical about not dropping stuff, but in those days I could bend, a bit! It's the 12v/24v leccy stuff, that blows your mind and fuses, when your out cruising, and not attached to a electrical charging point in a Marina, every time you switch on a light, turn on the TV, Radio, shower, you take charge from the batteries, which needs to be put back. If your moor up for a few days to explore stuff, the engine is not putting charge back in the batteries, this is NOT a good ting. I had solar panels, but still a challenge with TMrs, two daughters on board, that MUST use a hair dryer and curlers, and phones and etc....It is very easy to discharge the battery bank super quick, then, you have nout!, For 5 years it was my sanctuary, escaping from Corporate world, you meet some proper characters on the CUT, bit like biking, all part of the amazing experience. A Canal boat is a proper money pit, regardless of the individual DIY skills, the boat needs blacking every 2/3 years, replacing batteries, 5 of them on mine, every 4/5 years, water pumps, invertors/chargers, and so it goes on. Canal and River Boat Trust are responsible for running and maintaining the canal network, they are part funded by the Gov through DEFRA, their grant is being progressively reduced, they simply don't have the cash or the resources to effectively maintain the network. In my last two years of ownership, cruising became a real stressy challenge, lock gates busted, water shortages, canals not being dredged, you get stuck!, I/we complain, quite rightly IMO, about the condition of our highways, but we can normally find an alternative route, avoid oles in road, when your on a canal, and the lock gate is busted, or you don't have enough water to float your boat (yes I know), life become challenge, Karama can turn to a big red ting. Having done the down side, do I regret it, not one bit, would I do it again now, nope, happy with my "T" shirt, more time and money for two wheels stuff and travel. As always just my experience and opinion, others are fully entitled to theirs.

Weather outlook for the day is blue sky and sunny, off to the Driffield show and then Filey, for a paddle, about 200 mile trip, transport, car or bike, what do you think!!

Hi Ian, Good call, I am going to fit lockable, trolley castors, don't think chasing the workbench around whilst wielding an electric saw would end well!!

Yesterday, I had planned a day to finish off making a woodworking bench, the work needed to be completed outside, so it rained and rained and rained, borrocks,, stopped the wet at 5:30pm so I did get a couple of hours work time, spent the most of the day doing business/work, so I had a free day today, and, the weather is looking good for the whole day today. I am on it!

Two of note, One in South of France, long sweeping corner, amazing views, diesel patch on the apex, got a good look at the scenery and then the tarmac, traveling around 6omph, that one urt, me and the bike. South Wales, leading a group to the hotel, at end of an amazing , long day, .mini round about appears, not on satnav, a new housing estate, with diversion signs off the main drag, Grit all over the road, turned in way to late and fast. Down we went, and two guys behind be decided to do the same, as show of solidarity. Oh, just about every weekend when scrambling racing, didn't seem to hurt in those days!!!

My BMW K1200s and I have been together for a quite a while, longer in fact, than the current lady in my life, as was remarked on recently. Out to day for a blatt n the glorious sunny stuff, happy days! At my destination I had a hell of a job getting he big lump parked up, just to clarify, that's the bike I am referring too. On route home, I am aware, i very rarely wind her up over 4k rpm, apart from embarrassing incidents pulling hill start wheelies! So It stated me thinking, do I really need 1,200 cc and 160 bhp and if so why. The why, I love not having to mess with chains It is for me a comfy ride I love the torque, such an easy/lazy bike to ride, The bike ride is very stable and predictable Mechanically the bike has been and is very sorted I totally love the engine braking, must be saving £1,000's on break pads and disks When her-self gets on tback, I hardly notice it, with the intercom turned off Why not She does glug fuel A big lump to move about I can see my-self riding for longer with a smaller, lighter bike We are both getting on a bit A new bike project is most always fun But what would I get, given what I like, any thoughts folks?

I claim Nob of the day, week, year! So we are taking a few days off for trip up to the borders in the car, the day after we get back we are taking a bike ride through the Peak District. Car has half a tank of fuel, bike has 1/3 tank of fuel, when I do a long trip I try to remember to out quality fuel in the car, V-Power or.., because I believe it does some good in cleaning filters injectors etc, this is not a thread hook to discuss if that's borrocks or not. So I set off in car with green fuel can, at petrol station, fill up green can with E5 expensive stuff, put pump nozzle into car and continue filling up with 25 Litres of fuel into my 50Ltr tank, It's a diesel engine!!!!!!! Can't believe I am such a dick, call AA, good news, my policy covers me for (being a dick) cleaning out tank, two hours later, all sorted, car ran fine for the 500 mile trip. So question, did I tell her ?