pumilio

There are tons of cheap-ish options for bike satnav (all of which have been discussed on this forum. A lot. ). As above, tomtom rider is a good option; I had one and loved it, except for the fact that there is a known manufacturing flaw that makes many units cease charging up in the bike's charging cradle. Mine did it, the cradle was replaced under warranty, the second cradle did exactly the same thing after a month of light use I recently bought a garmin zumo 550 and so far I couldn't be happier with it... bit higher than your price range though!

Maybe try just sticking a pair of dice in your ears - they might eventually conform and make a tight fit (kind of like the African cultures that stick wooden pucks in their lips). Seriously though, if you aren't looking for something on your bike you might consider noise-cancelling inside-the-ear earphones - I use a pair of Sony NC22s when I travel and they work great. They cost around £60 so aren't exactly cheap, but are also function as nice earphone for music. Another, cheaper option is to try sleeping with a fan on in your room - I can't easily fall asleep without a fan on high speed, even in the winter (I grew up in Florida where a bedroom fan is obligatory...) !

Looks like I'm going on Ducatisti Day!

I just got myself sorted out with a ticket and a plan - I'm taking the car on Mon. the 1st with a few friends. Waaaaaay up this thread I noticed a few others might be there on the same day - yell if you want to meet up.

I am, but I have been so busy for the last 6 months I haven't had the time to ride much at all outside of commuting and shorter trips.

The law is something like up to 40% tinting is legal or somesuch. In practise, lots of people wear dark illegal visors, but you take your chances at getting stopped for breakin' tha LAW. If you do decide to get one, it is practical to carry your clear one with you too in case you need it. This is one of those things that if you choose wear an illegal visor AND choose to fit a small illegal number plate AND choose to have a loud illegal can AND etc., etc. you are asking for whatever you get. Personsonally I think having a tinted visor on hand is practical and safe if used wisely and is well worth any legal risk. Just don't complain if you choose to wear one and get fined.

I use a thin balaclava I got from somewhere a while back for pretty cheap (I don't remember exactly but ~£5-ish). It keeps the wind off of my neck and makes it easy to put my helmet on - I doubt I would use a thicker one. As Parapan said, it is nice if it is long enough to be versatile like a balaclava. I use mine sometimes just as a neck warmer, sometime over my head but under my chin, sometimes like a bandito mask, etc.

As above, but also I think it takes a little time to get comfy wearing your gear (padded jacket, trousers, gloves, boots, helmet) when you aren't used to it. My jacket (Spada) was relatively cheap (~£100-ish) and has kept me warm and dry for over a year now in all weather. For my next jacket, I'll look for one without snap fasteners outside the zipper (like a velcro flap or another zipper) and a more comfy neck lining... Good luck

I use a really cheap "tube" style one that has held up great for over a year. I mostly use it in the cold to keep my neck warm - I have it pulled below my mouth when I wear my eyeglasses and pulled up over my nose when I choose to wear my contact lenses. It is loose and flexible enough that I can use it in lots of different ways...

I did my cbt in a pair of walking boots, but soon found that I wanted a real pair of motorbike boots with decent armour and weather protection. They can be pricey, but are worth it...

Heated grips and a regular pair of non-heated but waterproof winter gloves would make all the difference for you.

A Good Topbox (like a givi or similar) is going to be expensive, but it will be solid, waterproof, the locks will work, it will take abuse, etc. A cheap topbox might work for you if you just want something to stow a few items in while riding around and can deal with the shortcomings. Another option (not cheap but probably cheaper than a nice givi rack and topbox) would be a rack and soft rear luggage - like ventura (http://www.ventura-bike.co.uk/) makes.

Oh dear...! Intrepid: Rennie is right but I have a few thoughts to add. First, your US license is legal to drive on in the UK for 1 year after you move here. HOWEVER, try getting insurance for a car or bike on your American license and they will, ahem, how to say this delicately, R-word your booty (if you disclose you are not on a UK license). To get your UK bike license you need to do several things, assuming your goal is to ride a big bike (i.e., a bike making better than 33bhp) in the UK (and assuming you are older than 21): 1) Apply for a license from the UK Driving Standards Agency (DSA) - they'll send you a green provisional license. You can't ride a bike with just this after a year. 2) Take your CBT - a one day motorbike training course on 125cc bikes - it will be a lot like the off-road manoeuvres certification required in most states now, but will also include an on-road assessment. With this you can ride and insure up to a 125cc bike. 3) Take and pass a 50 question multiple choice test on UK road law and standards - that will include a video hazard perception test. With this you can book your practical test. 4) Book, take and pass your practical, “DAS” on-road test. Most people take at least a few days of “DAS” training before taking their test. With this you can ride any bike you choose... IF you can afford the insurance... Doing all this stuff is a pain, but I think it will make you a safe rider on UK roads...

I rate HG gear highly. In addition to generally being fair price for the quality (in my opinion), the convenience of having lots of retail shops around with advise on fitting, returns if necessary, seeing a range of stuff in person, etc., make their gear the stuff to beat...

I think it looks awesome. Yamaha make nice looking bikes... If done right it will be less revvy and have more torque for lower speed, round town use than the fazer. For many riders depending on their intended use I reckon this would be a better first bike or commuter (again, if done right), which would also be a competent all-rounder. If you want a sports bike, you wouldn't be considering this bike anyhow. On the other hand... Yamaha playing catch-up with Suzuki again (gsx650f)...

I have hein gericke touring boots and they are awesome. http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/prod ... ts_id/3937 Comfy, durable, waterproof in all weather, etc.

Big news! Hopefully my significant other gets her licence sooner now...!

It looks like I won't make it today grrr... We had it all set for a sitter to come by - my wife went off with her friend early and I said I'd wait for the baby minder to come by. The sitter just called (an hour after I expected her) and said she was "sick" and couldn't come. This might have evoked sympathy except that she was at the same wedding my wife and I went to last night and when we left she was on the dance floor! A good babysitter is hard to find. Enjoy the course; I'll take the sprogs to the pool I guess

Still planning on this unless the weather makes the trip ridiculous in the morning - anyone heading over from near manchester? I was thinking about leaving 8-8:30-ish...

Gonna take a rain check (literally) on this one - was looking forward to it, but it is raining, raining here at the moment going between annoyingly light and medium. Off to clean the garage!

Enjoy a lie in with a companion while watching Kung Fu Panda, of course. I asked a friend from work to come along on the ride tomorrow and he was interested, but said this morning he'll probably back out if the weather is rainy and poopy. If it is not too bad, I'm probably still up for it, but we'll see...

Black! OMG!!

I'm all for the SHARP tests. For me, I see the SHARP testing as a work in progress. If there are really problems with the test, I predict the test will be made better after the first round of testing is finished. However, I totally disagree that SHARP can possibly make consumers buy a naff helmet. Why am I so sure of myself? Because before SHARP there were two safety standards for motorbike helmets in the UK (called BS 6658:1985 and UN ECE Regulation 22.05 for those interested!) and ALL helmets on sale in the UK must meet the minimum requirements required by both standards. The SHARP test works on logic like this: if all helmets meet some minimum, we predict some helmets might exceed the minimum - let's try to measure by how much and tell that to consumers... From my perspective, more available data to consumers about products is always a good thing. The SHARP results are partially digested data, just like the old standards, but contain more information than just "yes" or "no". It is your responsibility as a consumer to weight the data as you see fit, take on board or ignore what you so choose and buy a helmet. If you want to ignore some of the helmet rating information available to you when you buy a lid, well, it's your puddin' bowl!

Hehe, hehe, he said:

Sounds good... I'll be there on the tiger if all goes as planned