klingelton

Nice folks down at Jordan's. I do my own servicing, saves buckets of cash.

Pretty sure olden days people already have am/p

On a part of the Otley run on Saturday I won't be attending (don't ride with a bad hangover), but it looks excellent fun!

Wow, that's news... Anyone else who has been through this confirm it? If that's the case... Why did I do my theory!

Pfft, I only didn't know because who the hell wants to ride a 50cc ped anyway!

Might want to correct me if wrong, but I'm pretty sure a pre 1999 license still require L-plates for a 50cc... Anyway aside that, to get on a 125, you will need to complete a CBT course. You will not need a theory and this will entitle you to ride a 125cc machine. If you want to take it further and get your full licence, your options are full das which will entitle you to ride anything. Since you have a pretty old license, I'm going to assume you're over 24! You need a CBT, theory mod1 and mod2. You will definitely need to complete your theory!

I use a backpack daily on my commute. you get used to it and forget it's there eventually. Then you go out without it and (if you pardon the pun) it's a load off your shoulders! in short - go for it!

because if you found what the problem was, why would you carry on looking!

I will be doing a service this weekend, depending on how fragile I am after the Otley run.... The chain tensioning will be part of that. If I can convince someone to help me, I will take some photos!

Ok chaps and chapesses. this isn't a question per se, it's a "why havn't you done this already!" So i was riding home from work. Gear changes were bad, i was getting false neutrals, gears jumping in and out and generally the bike was riding like a dog. under a slight amount of acceleration, there was a huge jerk before the power laid down. I was sure the gear box was knackered and i was going to need to replace it... so i cracked out the tools today and checked my chain tension. 70mm, on the ybr, it should be between 20 and 30mm, that's a huge problem! i suspect with a bit of effort, i could have wrenched the chain off!! so here's what i did, for those who havn't checked recently, do it. it could save you the cost of a new chain or even a new gear box. DISCLAIMER: check the service manual for specifics relating to your bike. im not responsible for damage you do to your own bike. im not a mechanic, just a keen amateur. 1. If your bike has a centre stand, use it. if not, you will need a paddock stand. (coincidentally, the term paddock stand in relation to racing comes from the early days of motor racing. when no terminology existed, they pinched it from horse racing. horses stand in the paddock before racing...) 2. Clean you chain with some chain cleaner and a rag. spray the chain cleaner liberally onto the chain while rotating the back wheel to ensure an even distribution across the whole chain. 3. Use a rag (or a motivational t-shirt from a former employer) to clean off the gunk, grease and road crap from the chain. you might want to do this 2 or 3 times. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO THIS WITH YOUR ENGINE ON, YOUR BIKE IN GEAR. recipe for finger loss. 4. find the tightest spot on the chain by rotating the wheel and using a rule to find the maximum deflection of the chain from a fixed reference. The best place is about half way along the swing arm where the chain would naturally move the most. Check your bikes service manual to find out where to measure from. on the ybr, it's halfway along the swingarm and the deflection you're looking for is between 20 and 30 mm. 5. if the chain requires adjustment, loosen off your axle bolt and the lock nuts on the tension adjustment bolt (at the end of the swing arm) 6. count the flats (one side of the tension adjustment bolt)and ensure you match the tension on either side of the wheel. 7. move the adjuster 2 flats, then check your deflection. keep this up until your tension is within specification. 8. once your chain is perfect, tighten your rear axle to the proper tension, you will need a torque wrench for this. The YBR i was working on was 80 Nm or 59 foot lbs (in old money). 9. lighten the lock nuts on the tension adjustment and check the chain deflection once more. 10.spray an even dose of chain lube first on the inside of the chain, then on the outside. 11.check the free play on the rear brake. on the ybr, it's 20mm play - your bike might be different. aaaaannndd you're done!! if you havn't checked your chain since taking it out the garage, do it. If (like me) you're an all year rider, it's imperative you check your chain at regular intervals. I might be teaching you all to suck eggs, but it's such a simple thing to do. If you didn't understand the instructions, jump on youtube, there's a wealth of videos on there.

Not considered any oils, will prob just go with what's recommended in the service manual tbh.

I'm going to be doing mine this evening as talking about it yesterday spurred me on! I also need to do an oil change as I want that oil in tip top condition since its a daily rider and I've already done 1500 miles in a couple of months :s

Maybe I should have been more explicit about the cloth usage! Don't use a wire brush - just copious amounts of chain cleaner and an old rag. Also DO NOT CLEAN WITH YOUR ENGINE RUNNING! Bob down the pub might do it, but Bob down the pub obviously doesn't like all his fingers!

I'm not sure if brake cleaner and chain cleaner is the same stuff. Either way, you'll go through it so it won't hurt to get both. They should be about 7 quid each from halfrauds.

Chain cleaner and a cloth should get the worst of it off, then relube with a decent lube. You can seal as well if you want to increase the service interval. As for the brakes, the worst of the rust will come off with light use. That failing, brake cleaner will clean it up. Don't lube your brake disk!

Just wanted to tell people my experience of shopping with J&S. I've bought a few bits and bats from the store in Leeds, where the staff are very helpfull and smiles all round! I spotted an end of line item online that was discounted and decided to give it a buy. I placed the order and a few hours later, got an email saying there was a problem with my order. Oh Bum!! The email read "We don't have the one in stock for the size you ordered, have this years version instead for the same pennies!" So i'm now feeling all dapper in this years clobber at last years price. if you could see under my helmet, you'd see a big grinning face of a yorkshireman with some decent stuff at knock-down prices! J&S - big thumbs up from me! notice: I am, nor have ever been an employee of J&S, just a satisfied customer!

he seems like a genuinely lovely bloke. I really like his videos as he's calm and clear in his delivery.

i bought a vl125 intruder a few years ago and it seemed a very stable machine. it wasn't great in the corners if im honest, but what cruiser style bike is?! ufortunately, mine was a bag of spanners. should have known when much of it came in plastic bags! i didn't get a great distance out of it before it clapped out and i couldn't get it started again. fortunately they do hold their value and i only lost £100 in selling it (broken!), so i was chuffed!

i bought a vl125 intruder a few years ago and it seemed a very stable machine. it wasn't great in the corners if im honest, but what cruiser style bike is?! ufortunately, mine was a bag of spanners. should have known when much of it came in plastic bags! i didn't get a great distance out of it before it clapped out and i couldn't get it started again. fortunately they do hold their value and i only lost £100 in selling it (broken!), so i was chuffed!

sound like a bugger. don't dwell on it though, chin up and try again. hopefully you didn't have your mod 2 already booked in!

practice would be useful for the hazard perception, but as long as you perceive the hazards, you should be fine. you don't need to click on the hazard, but the click just alerts the system that you've seen something you think could be a danger. obviously don't go click mad, but click every time you see a hazard developing.give each hazard a couple of clicks (futher down the road e.g.) as if you're like me, you will see the hazard well before the standard 17 year old would and therefore click so early, the system doesn't realise you're clicking for that hazard! finally, even if you nearly hit the dude.. CLICK! you might have dropped most the points, but if you click, you won't drop ALL the points! the hazard perception is pretty easy and you shouldn't mess it up. practice for your theory part of the test using the official disk for pc. it's actually very good and the same disk has seen 3 of us pass!

i've been trumped!

in all honesty, i plan to replace the trousers as soon as i find a decent pair. the thought of all those farts is generally upsetting!

ebay mate.. I picked up some Hein Geriicke leathers for £40. RRP new £400 odd.

yep, this is quite normal. I used to have a mini, where if you were listening to tape (casette omg!) while driving - if you stopped at the lights, it would slow down ever so slightly. it was a source of constant amusement for my friends!