klingelton

it takes 15 mins to get the tank and airbox off max. but i agree, it's a pain in the arse.

I hadn't practiced that part before i took the test. Kinda wish I had! The instructor simply said "you're a big lad, figure it out!"

Bike is off the road at the moment. Hopefully it will be back on the road before this weekend...

keep calm and relax! sorry (I hate those mugs!) if you panic or over think things, you will tense. if you tense, you're working against your muscles. that's what makes you sweat and tire. if you're nice and loose and relaxed, the bike will turn in the direction you look. that's pretty much the short of it.

good work!!

I'm on call that weekend. I don't know if I can commit to a full ride out - but could come and meet you wherever you decide to meet for a cuppa!

Chap on a bicycle on the A58M through leeds city centre. You giant lummox. It's classed as a motorway - which means no bicycles!

ha! both said at the same time!

as a temporary measure, you can crack an egg in there (egg white only). Long term solution is to replace the rad.

curses. I'm on a stag on the saturday and liable to be hanging quite badly on the sunday.

No worries. This is a result of 12 months of minor irritations with the er6! On the whole it's a good bike, just a little build quality lets it down - all easily remedied with a little effort. It's why you see so many er6 with aftermarket slip on cans.

there's a well documented issue with the old er6 exhaust where the welds crack. Basically they're a bit shit. if, after you put your beowulf can on, you still experience this - have a look at replacing the down pipes with some stainless ones, which will last a damn sight longer. Mine chatters at normal revs. I've heard all sorts of explinations for it (worn valve seats, blowing, dodgy header gasket etc)- mostly people say it's remedied when they swap out the cheapo kwak pipes. there's another chap who welded a small piece of metal to the inside of the exhaust which removed the chattering.

before long you'll be accidentally selecting neutral when shifting from 1st to second and revving the nuts off your bike while the traffic you just filtered between re-overtakes you and you feel a real plonker! Clean the carbs and invest in a new battery - if you don't know the life of the old one. New plugs, fresh oil and filter. have a look in the haynes about adjusting the clutch cable as well and make sure your chain is well adjusted. All simple things that can give symptoms you speak of. Welcome to the world of 2 wheels buddy!

My father in-law was incredibly enthused when I told him I was getting on 2 wheels and regaled us with a story about how he rode his BSA Bantam through a hedge the first time he tried to go round a corner! I should really take him out for a ride one day. Give them time. My mother didn't understand at first and said all the usual bumpf - you'll die etc. I do try telling people that I don't go out with the intention of crashing into the first hedge I see.

and that van driver now hates all bikes. What a nob (the biker, not the van man(for once)).

the serrated edges of the cloth inside may pose a greater problem than the current pinching. how many miles have you got in your lid?

further to this, it's previously been owned by a chavved scrote who's rinsed the bollox off it. it's either a new lump, or modified to the point of breaking. either way, it's bound to have a chequered past. Walk away!

for the purposes of your test, while stopped in slow traffic, keep your distance from the car in front. use your rear brake and left foot down. once the traffic starts moving again, use the skills you picked up for mod 1 slow riding to slowly move behind them. don't trail your foot, instead lift it up and put it on that peg. you'd be surprised how slow you can ride! Remember to keep your head up and try to look past the car in front, it will make balancing a little easier.

No shame in it. get used to pootling on 2 wheels. learn the balance etc required on a twist n go before dropping the clutch into the equation. once you get it - you get it! We all learn at different rates - there's no shame in that. You'll get there soon.

I got mine back in a week, although I expect every government body is currently involved with working to reduce the passport backlog!

I've been told the cheap units put you off welding as opposed to getting you into it! It's something I've been looking into as well, but I figure I'm just going the MIG and angle grinder route. I already know how to handle that.

no sense in fighting with these mongs, it's like playing chess with a pigeon. you might win, but they will still strut around like they won, shitting all over the board.

well done!

keep that head up! approach every junction as though you're going to stop. slow down, slip into first. use a combination of front and back brake (ratios are what's comfortable to you, but generally a lot more front) until you reach walking speed, then use almost exclusively rear. take a look at your junction and decide if it's clear. once your decide it's clear to go, have the confidence to look exactly where you're going and let the clutch out smoothly. the bike will go in that direction! if you need to stop, have a little look over your shoulder before you set off to make sure no lemon is trying to sneak past you! As said - go to a quiet car park to practice. I went around the block near my house about 20 times until I was confident doing it, but then it's quiet around by me!

it's been about a year since i got my full license. I've done 2 U-turns. the first was at a mates house. surprised myself with how easy it was! then i decided the other week to see if i could still do slow manoeuvres. I can, and I don't know what the fuss was about for mod 1! In my experience, telling yourself you can put a foot down actually (for me) makes it more difficult to execute that U-turn. turn your head right around and the balance of throttle and clutch will see the bike spin itself around. It's surprisingly easy, just a confidence thing.