RideWithStyles

Qm is the same problem as all the previous points mentioned before.... if as you keep trying to convince yourself to get these cheap bikes, cheap is cheap for a reason. Id only bother if you will use it all year round as a work horse, treat it like a throw away product after a few years scrap it or give it to a poor kid to terrorised the neighbourhood till it breaks or crashes. id just avoid them all. if budget is a issue, no shame in a good well chosen second hand quality bike would be the better option. There are proper gems out there as i found my current bike when i wasn't actually looking for this particular bike but when i walked in the shop and saw a suzuki gsf650s carbd version at 17yr old, certified under 4 thousand miles (barely run in) in excellent condition at under £3000 from a large bike market, perfect for my requirements and very happy with it. Ive currently past its 1st year of tender with it, not been a problem and my mechanic would happily buy my bike off me. whereas my benelli it fitted the bill at the time for the reasons i needed but at the same time i knew there could be problems with it and for a sole reason it was almost worthwhile as id look after it but be prepared to scrap it sooner than i would with any other bike ive had before, and to no surprise very much did develop signs of needing every year. Then it was the months wait for parts (clocks, whole exhaust, handles etc) and faffy of needing numerous dealer visits is annoying. After the two year warranty - the third was a hash as the dealer changed manufacturer so wouldn't validate the warranty but stated to try a different dealer which luckily they just about allowed it as normally youd think the third is with the dealer bought but the small print is if they are a franchise so they thought id trade it in for another one, nope. My good hearted mechanic would look at the benelli for me for the next two years (as im a good customer that pays, chats and easy going for him) but i knew he had a well hidden pained face but as a rule he avoids others like that as much as possible unless they are in a real pickle and they understand why it has to cost more to work on something that not designed well. Even though he knew the bike was looked after while in my care a px for him wouldnt be too beneficial to us both, yes he'd give me better credit than someone else down the road but would still be low and for him really it would take a good while to find a buyer and be on the basis of the other bike, knowing him with good custom to carry with his services. Would i do it again?....i dont think i need to answer.

Yep with nick, sorry for you but thats how the cookie crumbles...Its even mentioned in the normal print that you signed before hand, msv and no lims papers let alone the small print. more surprised that they even let it carry on for that long before they definitely said no sorry, no track time so they gave plenty of chances for you, track and weather. For them safety is first but if they still allowed it then its up to you, If there were less people, less spray and touch up on control and wet weather skills if you were really desperate. so alot of people did pack up because they knew the score. for them msv and no limits its not flexi time its set times and days and even lucky down to the half days...its very very expensive to run track days with no refunds etc. you could try closer to the middle of the year or do an aboard track day, spain is nice.

like the look of those coins. I like the bees, though i do agree some are not on the correct coin of choice or the numbers if you want to demark them for that. "The twenty pence bird" is a puffin, the other is a grouse. why a trout, on a 50pence? why is a oak or sycamore leaf? On a 5pence? While the weed is on a2pound?That will be the (@@@@) king's choice? The teo pence is nice to make out and colour coordinated with a red squirrel-death to all greys!!! whats the one pence? A bushed tail door mouse in hibernation? Looks more like a small possum! the problem is which hasn't made sense ever is; why a twenty small and has 5points while a ten is round and massive. Five is tiny while a one pence is quite large and not much different to the two pence, if tou vision is impared their dificult to make out. whats the point of a one pence coin in today's monetary terms it's almost worthless, mifht aswell start with a 20pence as a grade to the old school 1pence.

Yeah even to this date the dual clutch has a problem, if its to the gti and hot models that gearboxs can't handle the higher end of especially torque, so definitely dont reflash or mod the ecu...i havnt kept up with it for a year or so but they comically have/had a 60,000 thou mile timer of death even vw was slower than the japs to make a change to the design from when i was on a forum.... Actually not a bad suggestion from bonio but struggle is dependent on what you want? if your cruising with your pillion light sunday ride it should be good still as it has decent power and torque low down, if you marques on a trackday its gonna show some shortfalls. If your a thinish build body and your partner is, it will still serve with enough space for you both, if your stockier then the bigger think they are on 900 or more now or rt or similar will be more than enough. Go and have a look and see what fits you both. Now i do recommend a top box, big one.. she can lean back and ise it as a back rest to relax and you can store the helmets and stuff in there when you park up so you dont have to carry it about looking like you ready to battle a knight.

No dig at age just stated a facts and why they are accurate, not through prejudice. So you might want to rethink for your own mental check....am i too stubborn and would I actually listen? and do it if your own wife/husband/daughter/son etc said "actually...... Im under no illusion that Some day the day might come for me where i'll have to hang up my keys, i know that and it will be a milestone in life. I said nothing about retaking tests because if most people that haven't taken a test very recently and for some it isn't necessary for a standard default of well your this old now so you go back to school! But im sure others may say otherwise. if youve been on the road in driving and not interacted with anyone thats had to pass a test very recently to tell you how its done, Next to nobody would pass first time without tutoring again (some more than others) because dvsa regime to pass a test is very different to how people drive naturally, which brings up a different discussion. so just to make it clear i can drive competently slow or fast on the road with regard to safety but i would need tutorial if i had to retake a test again because some of the things that you need to do or not, i personally dont feel all of it is necessary on the road with normal situations but thats not the test. to say the test is a waste, is silly and dangerous especially for any new driver. If i was going to suggest something is that it needs a ground up updating. just that the medical should be more thorough and just to self certify isnt good enough. I got to know a timer about 70 at the time through a course nice enough been driving longer than ive been living. even with his longer period of living as expected there were somethings that he still didn't know but i did and it was vice versa (because i was younger but im happy to listen, understand And learn from) about driving rules, test and other tips to avoid accidents and other things. he past his "test" in the army with one of those 8-12 wheeler transports without barely touching the tarmac which to me is still impressive, Now to say that he didnt have an accident in his whole driving career even up to that date is very impressive and to commend. So to try to balance things... there are youths that will always be "d1£ks with their pubic hair on fire" including older ones still to date but sometimes with people they either need a shock treatment to reset or never learn... thats the variety to human brain function that today you cant stop yet like in the minority report...

yeah so your a big dude (height and weight) with quite a smaller pillion so a tall bike with high pegs to seat height will be a challenge for her to start with, so consideration if you want to both enjoy the experience. Now the thing will be for you could be to have a seating position that will allow you to "sit in the" bike if youve got a long spine, cos if you try a "sit on" bike you be really high up and your whole torso and head will be like a sail and jack sparrow jokes asside the wind noise and drag will be tiresome!! While youre good pillion will see nothing other than your back and shoulders beyond her 3-5 and 7-9 view...or they my be tempted to keep hanging off to see and possibly banging her helmet in you back alot. so this is why i mentioned about personal body lengths, do you have long legs and arms to relation to tour spine length etc. im 5.10 or 9 now...age shrinkage ? anyway i have longer arm reach (mostly due to the forearm) so i have a elbows out style similar to a toad. my thighs are shorter than my calfs, So for me my knees tend to want a higher tank level to grip to or the pegs to be lower and a touch further back due to longer calfs. Or it can tilt and annoy my hip if not in the right place as the has to thigh lift up. My spine is longer than into relatively to my neck length so helmets tend to catch my collarbone and easily my shoulder so... a very up right bike (adventure/penny farthing lol) wouldn't suit me as it would but strain on my upper body and neck as id have certain body parts pulled to meet the to bikes triangle. So just to say a big person on a big bike will work may not if the contact points are all wrong, these are the things you'd be best think about for future buys due to your "above" and pillions "below" average unique bodys. now im not a fan of these bikes myself so i have nothing to sway me as they are more than i need while i do appreciate that they are for other people but have you considered something like a pan or a bmw rt etc? These are good size quality bikes that are very capable and customisable for an individuals needs and shys from tat being added to them. ktms are decent performing racing engines but their reliability even in road form is questionable even to this day (engine bearings, cams, head gaskets are regularly broken) so id put them lower than most euro bikes including old Ducatis. sometimes its not the individual components like bosch and nissin etc that are the problem sometimes it how its put together (placement of looms etc) and what its put with ( a brembo caliper with a toki or unknown master cylinder or worse why pay a euro company when our fellow "citizen" down the shinzen dumper road can bodge a hose etc for less paper work faff and cost) that makes the difference... plus was it thought out correctly for the life of the bike not just how quickly it can be put together at the factory as cheaply as possible? with cf moto all they have done is bought the right to (buy or build depending on the contract) a certain engine.... they are still Chinese factory with old ways still like not protecting the metal before painting so within a year the bikes metal parts are bubbling with rust under the pain, putting thinest and shortest wires in, low grade connections.... even if cf bought a bosch abs system, which is it? Did they just buy a generic one and a base software or non at all? Does that work with it well, what else is in with it to talk too, or did they just try to add a few extra 1 and 0s to code somewhere and call that done??? Did a quick check and it didnt kill the dummy or computer didnt say no straight away so it must be good?? Say management mr Wong. a differnt China manufacturing group bought the rights to half a norton v4 engine, need i say anymore... nearly all the chinas bike parts still come from china directly rather than being stocked in Europe (for us) so if you got a clock, swing arm, engine compounet you need which will go at somepoint youll have a long wait to get it "shipped" to you even if the part is still in production before the next model comes out in a few years after the first release as they don't believe in manufacturing afterlife care. Car world is different to bike world in so many aspects, business practices, buying availability, sources yada yada... motorbikes in tech and business terms are still behind the car giants of about 10-20years depending on ethos or technology components you wish to choose. Kia have been in the uk for many, many years and yes they have got better and understanding the euro customer which is why somethings have changed with them. The reason they cost to us in uk not that much different to the euro or jap car nowadays is because they are buying the same main components and taking a little less in profit to bridge the quality gap they had moons ago. With main components the bosch is just the abs and stability system off the shelf product. The engine is a gen or two old GM engine off memory which nothing too scary about them but cheap, not the most cleanest or dynamic engine, at least they didnt buy the gearbox!!! Just avoid the vw dsg dual clutch box especially if its for a 200+hp engine. but for costs they tend to go with their ownwiring, routing and pairing other parts that cant be seen by the customer or the spec sheets which can be the downfall. when the parent company is about its as the book but when not being spyed its do as you feel. i ve owned one of the bigger and better brand one, Benelli ( ZQM) must say they are getting better but they are still behind (10yrs at their fast but copy pace) for what id call "all round life time motorbike consumer experience ". and for the depreciations is still greater especially pass the first few years over other well established brands just cos there is no warranty and back up is poor, its not car trade so put that to bed. also for outside dealer network servicing the thing is more difficult due to supply, poor components and general maintenance issues, most garage and mechanics do not want to work on them... its like a explosive box of worms for them... so when you get the same general advice on this forum that say the same of not to do it, please heed it.

The other problem which cannot be judged by a quick poke or glance by a gp is mental capacity..including confusion, misunderstanding, time and judgement...ive seen the effect of this has through step family and it's worrying when it qhas taken hold on the individual, the oblivion and potential consequences they can create.

Near me, few lovely parts of Lancashire. they have recently retarmac some small sections of those roads which help take in the view, then 🫨 back to reality of shocking neglect.

I would say they would be different. If the fairings are not broken but just scruffy id just clean then up with a bodywork compound paste and some effort will bring up, then polish and wax afterwards.

When its warm whats the bike idle speed?

Not sure about that, certainly worth keeping it under the seat of the bike just in case, if not for your break down, somebody's elses.

Get her a bobble hat with a light on... cheaper than electricity

Im shying more with smighty, at least a proper medical would be safer for everyone and less what if or finger pointing, also might spot other health problems before they get worse saving the person and the nhs. Westy you say for work...but for how much longer and would you bother after you retire? when aged problems are likely to show up but at a gradual way that you might not notice? to put it another way if a proper health check includes capable to drive and you clear it then there will be no problem. my notes are when someone goes 40 in a 60"because its too fast" but will do 40+ in a 30zone. Maybe its the slightly younger generation trying to avoid wrinkles from crashing into them in the first place...joking of course. anyway the reason a say this is even personal. my mother (now 70s but was in her mid to late 60s when i started to see whats up) who she and others thought was ok to drive. when i was with her as passenger i got some spidey senses about her manner whike on the road, started asking questions like oh look at that or did you see that (in the distance and closer up) but would be in direct line of sight, well to cut it short very much like her vision! family thought i was just seeing things (as you two would as a older generation to me say im just a young shite to clear up after) anyway even the misses got a warning when she went through a pedestrian red light while our young daughter was in the back let alone the incident bystander he could have mullered and had proper denial about it... Fast forward a year or so to eventually get it looked at when it couldn't be denied anymore, its serious cataract in both eyes. Neighbours old guy nice chap bit of a rebel in the youth but the wife is the opposite, anyway to cut that story short it had taken the family and him two serious crashes to work it out within months of each other. first accident two cars plus his had serious body damage in a 20 outside the house all he did was try turn one junction. The last one written off 2cars including his own, a wall close to the house mulliered and heavily damaged two other cars but this time on the other side of the house in the 20zone, on a straight. Surprisingly he didn't kill some kid. His vision wasn't terrible (still not sure he would have passed) but capable he was certainly not. my grandad bless is super scouser heart never had an accident but when he aged he had the correct mind set knew when he was not up for the task of driving "in todays traffic" he said about 20 years ago and didn't want to be the person to hurt or kill anyone, made the decision more difficult with disabled granma. thats the thing it takes "the individual to submit it to the dvla" which is either just sight or missing body parts, wow how effective is that? who does that or doesn't know or want to do that? Hardly anyone case in point stated before. i know a few near my age and below I wouldnt want to be in the same car as them let alone share the same tarmac is its not ageist, just not as old you or some other old people... but then again if i think about it maybe im just as old mentally but in denial? im in my 40s and I've noticed ive changed mentally and physically from when i was 30 and 20... the young will still do stuff and capable of things faster but immaturity, lack of knowledge and experience is a primary problem thats called growing up . even the old generation got up to some stunts the younger probably wouldn't do today. While stubborn and self righteous could be said to older if were gonna stereotype or pigeon hole things... so this isn't a dig of the alf garnet lot , just a observation.

Id take the moto guzzi over a cf Chinese bike any day...thats not stereotype but tried it for myself. cant go wrong with a jap / the versey kawa, service on the jap will cost less and be serviced anywhere while the guzzi will cost more with less dealers about but guzzis have a charm, look after it and it should have a better return but less people look at buying them. yes odd bits can lose finish if your not prepared to look after any bike but ive found out that nearly all will do that with different parts fitted ..acf50 at the ready. Nice adventure bikes but how tall is the pillion? If the pillion is shortish it's gonna be a palava and a few stabs at trying to get up with kit on which can be off putting if it's too tall. carrying a folding stool or the other way is to let the pillion on first using the riders pegs,bars and seat , then slide up to the pillion seat from there before the rider gets on but some dont like that. sport touring bikes might be worth a look. also fullscreen, smighty is nearly a full foot taller than you (at 6.6) so what fits you might not fit him especially off stock parts. Smighty how much do you weigh? long are your legs? Longer calfs? Arm length? Longer forearms? spine and neck length? Long spine but short neck etc? They all play apart as to what will fit from the off so you need to consider these if want to avoid having to suddenly buy aload of parts to make it comfortable.

If we are keeping to cheap bargains: Bandit spark plug tool kit set that came supplied by suzuki. Changed the plugs far easier than other ones i had in my took box. £ free. Honeywell Foamy earplugs, hearing afterwards is important. £10 for hundreds. Pin lock visor insert, if you're a warm blooded or a huffer and puffer type having a clear visor in anything less than 15c is essential. £20-60.

I wouldn't change the oil just yet until sorting out the main starting issue first, the thinner oil will help the engine from cold but wont solve the actual problem. if the idle is too low the fuel with choke still wont be enough. If after trying to start taking a look at the spark plug, is it wet/oily, dry white/brown? May give some clue. if the jet pilots are ok the other might be; Air leaking from carburetor joint or vacuum hose joint, leaking from joint between starter body and carb. Air leaking from carb joint or vacuum hose joint. Improperly working starter (enricher) plunger (Choke). or a tiny hole/nick in a pipe somewhere.

Ask the dealer for one? look up at mychinamoto forums to see if someone has posted it up? the motor its self will be easy if its a air cooled single it will be an old Suzuki engine.

put the money that would be wasted on a "kit" to riding classes/coaches to avoid crashes, you aint faster if you crash or in A&E. Concentrate on riding skills which will make you a safer rider and insurance directly or indirectly cheaper so a better/bigger bike is possible when you can upgrade later on.

Should this be in the racing column???

Spicy between the Ducati team mates!!!

Look up on the internet. How much more per £ you'd benefit is questionable that only the die hards to that particular bike.

Managed to change the oil and spark plugs on the bike... not sure why a muppet used a small barely flat sided domed nylon nut instead of the square nut (like what is used for battery terminals) for the airbox...

Also if the bikes v5 was in you name but his wasnt at the time of the police catching him, you could add that he didn't drive it with your permission beforehand to another chalk mark to is record and further distance yourself from his recklessness. hence why there was no insurance on the bike in the first place, just incase he wanted to try and flip some blame into you some how for the police/court case.

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