UK Bike Forum / UK Bike Forum / Back to Biking?

Rain, rain and more rain

Blenk — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:54:30 GMT

Sunday morning (my time) and we have heavy RAIN, stuck indoors, waiting for the pub to call at mid day.
Only good thing is I get to sell Doo Rags on Ebay and visit the forums.

Can't decide which bike

Reb — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:53:16 GMT

Hi folks

I'm looking around for a new bike at the moment I ride a zx636r and old age means I get back ache after rides out, so looking for a new bike but can't quite decide. I've been riding bikes for 20 years and need a bike that looks good to me as well as low seat height, also want something with good fuel range and definatley has to be comfortable. I fell in love with a BMW R1200R urban but can't get it down the passagway to get in the backway of house.two big cylinders aren't cool when they're scraping down either side of the wall. I looked at the Z1000 but changed mind, plus a bit on the tall side. Keep looking at unfaired bikes hoping to get my speed down and keep my licence. Next up is the FZ1 but not sure on it cause FZ1 more expensive than Fazer FZ1. Other half says I should get a Ducati monster because she's getting one but still can't get out of the bigger is better in my head and think monster has to be 1000 and don't like the silly cap they put on the top of the headlight. Any ideas gladly welcome apart from (get a life) or (stilts) or any of the verbal diarrhoea associated on the lines of sarcasm

I'm back baby!!

Mazz — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:04:49 GMT

So, how are we all!?

Ok, the reason for me going AWOL wasn't really anything to do with Space Monkeys... and interesting and fun as it sounds.

The real reason is a complete life change.

As some of you know, I walked outta my previous job due to cercumstances I probably can't go in to (but if your at Brightona I'll tells ya all about it!) so I was unemployed and needed a job. I was out of work for a month before I found my current job in Lewes doing Email campaigns. It's going well, nice buch of guys here an it keeps my HTML, SQL and all manner of other coding things in check.

More importantly than that... I now have a girlfriend!! Yes, as unbelievable asa it sounds, I have an 'other half' so I've been spending quite a bit of my spare time with her. Going down the Black Rabbit, random rides to nowhere. Slowly getting her into biking and she's loving every second of it! A biker chick, yeah!

I still have the Fazer. After drooling so much over the Z750 you'd've thought I'd gotten one by now! On that note, the Fazer took a tumble the other day. Fortunately I wasn't on it but my nieghbour decided to back her car into it! Lost the right front peg and 'Bunny Ear' mirror support under the fairing. Surprisingly the fairing survived. As did the Can, indicators and brake levers. Dad has the exact same bike as me so i've nabbed a few parts off his to keep me going. I think the steering is out of line though. Only slightly but you can generally tell if you ride it everyday. Either that Or I'm being paranoid!

So, that's my life at the mo. Holiday at the end of this week to Turkey with my mates and their parents so that should be a blast too!

again, sorry for not being here for ages but I haven't really had the time.

UKBike.com are looking for blog writers!

tom@ukbike.com — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:04:24 GMT

Hi everyone, I'm Tom from the UKBike.com team.

We are looking to launch our new blog soon, which will highlight the latest bike reviews, news and video items, information on UK bike events, and updates from UKBike.com.

Our blog is also a platform for quality writing. We're looking for bike riders who can regularly turn their stories, thoughts, bike reviews, and most of all their passion for motorbikes into words.

UKBike.com is the UK's leading motorbike reviews site - in August alone we had 90,000 individual visitors. Today there are 4,401 bike reviews in our archive, and we'd really like to bring the qualities of these reviews to our new blog.

If you're interested in writing for UKBike.com, then please drop me an e-mail at tom@ukbike.com or leave a private message through this site. Look forward to hearing from you!

Cheers

Tom @ UKBike.com

Who would you be.....?

Mazz — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:44:05 GMT

I have no idea where to post this!

If you could be any biker in the world, whether it be a race rider, film star or icon of any era, who would you be?

If it were modern day, I'd be Casey Stoner. Young, Aussie, Races a Ducati and has a hot wife!!

Back in the day, probably Steve McQueen. Film Star, good with the ladies and loads of money.

Remeber, it could be any rider in the world. Foggy, Rutter, Sheen... anyone!

Where did you go, I found the LED lights and turn signals.

alice123 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:20:17 GMT

Hey Steve is this the light system you were looking for? It has the white lense for the headlight and the orange turn signals. It also has eight different alarm/horn sounds AND has he break light and break light switch you were looking for. If you are still building go karts for people then I think it would work well for you. They say it can be used with scooters, mini bikes, go carts, and or bicycles. It uses two AA batteries so you won't need to wire it into the karts electrical system but I guess you could if you can figure that out. I found it at www.lducompany.com and here is the link to the LED page that has the light system http://www.liangdianup.com/led_1.htm

I lost your email address so I hope you see this. Post a message back and let me know how to get in touch with you. I don't want to leave me email address out here for bots to grab.

Oh yeah, that same company also has that little compass with a carabiner you were looking for http://www.liangdianup.com/camping_1.htm

Get back to me ok

Insurance aarrrgggghhhh

Reb — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:32:07 GMT

Hi all, I'm not new to biking and not even part of the born again biker brigade. I've been riding bikes for some 20 years now and still get annoyed that after not making any claim in those years that a friend who rides same bike and all still manages to get his £200 cheaper than me and he only has 2 years NCB. yes he lives in a different location and thats how they justify the price difference. Whats even worse is the the place I'm insured with said they'd find the best renewal from there extensive panel of insurers so decided to put details on tinternet and see what they'd give me as a quote for a new customer (being curious). The annoying thing was that for applying for a new quote they did my insurance £200 cheaper for just pretending to be a new customer. Now could be mistaken here but they did say that they searched earlier from their extensive range of insurers, so how is it feasable for me to get my insurance quote cheaper for pretending to be a new customer. How many more people just pay the bill and believe this is the best quote? Shop around and don't get stung.

Confidence and how you get it!

rebelman — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 10:17:08 GMT

OK So you get a newish bike after 30 odd years without a ride-proper and you go about learning to get on your way again. How do you get that confidence back to just get up and go?

I got my bike at the end of October (Triumph RS Sprint 955i) and have spent as many dry hours as possible trying to get rid of my nerves and stiffness. I have put it on the ground allready when trying to turn around at slow speed, pulled on the front break and stoped too damned quick resulting in an over-balance whilst the front wheel was on a manhole cover, felt stupid as it was on a building site and all these guy's werte looking at me thinking what a pratt!

So anybody out there with the same aituation or been in it I would love to chat and see if we could meet for a (novice) ride out LOL

I must just say that I have been out on a setion with an advanced rider/instuctor who gave me instructions on where to put the bike for safe riding but that does not really do much for the confidence thing.

Ian

defeat the weather

lukid — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:24:12 GMT

CAMELEON OILER
(Electronic chain oiler)

Having a chain is no longer a hassel thanks to the Cameleon Oiler, this electronic device works as soon as you start your engine. This progammable oiler works every 3.45 minutes on cycle keeping your chain perfectly saturated and clean. The Cameleon is very durable and a top quality product which is waterproof and well tested in all areas. Owning an oiler extends the life of your chain up to four times its regular life or up to 60 000miles. WOW save money on cans and chain kits and not have to worry about your chain. Thats what makes our product efficient and ingenious. Other resons why its unique….
-Programmable up to 30 seconds of oiling ex.(3 sec for a touring and 25 for dirt bike or atv) Great for all chains.
-A led light with 12 color selections to match your bike used as the oil indicator.

-Easy to install on frame with a hidden tube oil reservoir, leaving the Cameleon visible due to its nice look and colored lights.
-Clean system with 100% synthetic oil. (Antifriction)

Check out our website at www.cameleonoiler.com or www.webbikeworld.com for videos.

Meatloaf tribute

Blenk — Sat, 31 May 2008 05:40:58 GMT

Sa a great show the other week
Dead Ringer from Hell
Highly recommended for you to see.
We took them out around the Island the following day and they fell in love with the place
Here's a pic of me with the Ringer and one of his ladies (ginger) at one of our stops
I'm the one in black with the tatoo

you can see the lot at
http://www.thedeadringerfromhell.co.uk/JERSEY%20TRIP.html

I like to ride alone

Blenk — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:56:45 GMT

I have had 2 Harley's, bought this one nearly 2 years ago now.
Im getting on a bit and love speed, however 2 collapsed disks in my neck stopped me riding sports bikes, so now I have had to slow down a bit.
The new breed of fuel injected Harley needs to be ridden to be believed. I will take on most bikes from a standing start, the only trouble is after 60 mph they have caught up and start to pass me. Thats OK I was starting to slow down any way!
I can't be doing with the HOG members Sunday rides, over here, the look like a band of boy scouts and only drink tea and pop on their ride outs.
I ride alone and love it! occasionally some close friends do join me, but lets face it when your on a bike you don't talk to other people while your riding do you?
Personally, I want to go where I want to go, I want to stop when I want to stop and when I've had enough I head for the nearest pub or I park up at home and have several beers at the local!

My bike at this link

http://web.mac.com/blenk2/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Still Efin cold here

Blenk — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:46:56 GMT

Just got back in from freezing my nuts off.
Took some photos of the tide out here on Jersey and some of the storm. Cold blue sky and one photo the sea is over 3 miles out. only 7 degrees C over here at the moment.

Pictures at link below

http://web.mac.com/blenk2/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html

Way back when

rebelman — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 19:02:20 GMT

I 1^st took my test on a Mobbylette moped, one of two my parents owned. Dad had bought both in the hope my mother would surely find some form of balance and that they would ride off into the sunset together (Well off to Tescos possibly anyway) I desperately wanted to pass so that I could take my then girlfriend Sharon on the back. (Dads had a duel seat) Pass cert in hand and duly sent off to her majesty’s gov. we went on holls to Hastings on it. Great downhill with the wind behind at some 50mph 2 up with some luggage! A bad uphill was another story with Sharon sometimes having to get off or I would have to resort to a lot of peddle power! Yes it had peddles unlike the mopeds/scooters now. No electric start but put it on it’s stand and peddle for all your worth with the throttle grip in the start position or push it along running by it’s side until

It fired upan jump on.

On the way to Hastings I had to fill it up with 2 stroke oil and petrol separately, ended up pushing the damn thing for awhile trying to mix the mixture as the oil had gone down to the carb before any petrol. Sharon was not impressed. Thank god it was a sunny day. That Moped served us well and saw us being able to get out and about and me finding out that I really did enjoy being on a bike.

My 1^st bike real and proper was bought by my Dad for me when I turned 17 and it was a 750 Norton Atlas, a bike of some presence with a huge metallic blue petrol tank, we added to it a newly purchased Palma child/adult sidecar that Dad insisted should be on the side of it and also a huge white fiberglass and clear plastic screen which the headlight was re-fitted into and it not only protected you from the wind but also acted as a sail when the wind blew from behind, lastly a chrome crash bar bought for the right hand side and it was all put together by the dealer, a huge dealership known as Pride and Clarke which seemed to own half a street in Stockwell south London during the 60’s/70’s. They were a main dealer for some bike that I can’t remember and on top of that they had a car franchise and a huge spares dept. with all sorts of goodies kept in stock for the second-hand bikes they sold. Around the corner a short walk away was Guss Khun’s (I think that’s how it was spelt ) and they sold thorough bred race bikes. All shinny with full fairings, a little strange in the 70’s to see these bikes on the road as oppose to the naked bikes that could be seen everywhere.

Dad bless him, took me to a training/driving ground in Harrow where on a private piece of land was a road layout with hill start, lights, roundabouts and crossroads, I rode the outfit round and round all afternoon until it gave up on me for some unknown reason. Dad, (bless him LOL) had to go back to our house in Mill Hill and fetch his car to tow the outfit back having ridden it to the ground himself with me in the sidecar. He loved being back on an outfit again. (He had an Enfield with sidecar just after the war himself)

My 1^st crash was being towed LOL back from Harrow! Dad, (bless him LOL) took a left hand turn too fast for me to keep the sidecar down on the ground and whilst he went left the outfit, with me went straight on with the sidecar up in the air! I hit the rear of a car and nearly took out my leg on his bumper. Dad was upset that I had done it and took the blame saying he had not realized I could not keep the bike straight and sidecar on the road. He duly gave the other car driver some dosh and we got the unit home. Can’t remember who fixed the Atlas or why it had gone wrong in the 1^st place (Electrical I think) but it was and I got out on the road proper with my provisional tucked in my pocket and proper insurance too.

Friends between them owned various bikes. A BSA Goldstar, a BSA Bantum 125, a Matchless with sidecar/block of flats attached, one of the 1^st mass jap bikes a RD 250 Yamaha and a very nice 750 Norton Commando which I loved and wanted. The block of flats attached to the Matchless was a huge unit made from plywood and sheet aluminum and painted maroon and black, it easily sat two with the front seat folding forward like a 2 door cars does to let the rear passenger in to the back. Both seats were wide and very car like and so was the door into the unit. My Palma child adult had a flip-top design and one had to climb over the side to get in, it was also impossible for an adult to sit comfortably in the back. It did however have the advantage of a canvas style top which could be taken off when the sun shone unlike my friend’s block of flats that had a solid aluminum clad wooden one. Another nice thing about the

The Atlas took me on my 1^st major journey on a proper bike, well it seemed major at the time as I was still on a provisional license and had to use back road A routes to Leeds from London Mill Hill. Went up to watch some friends swim in the nationals, I was supposed to be in them myself but had discovered girls and bikes and party’s so had just given up swimming competitively. We (A friend and myself) loaded up the outfit and had a great journey up there without a single hitch, the friend being the Matchless owner liked my outfit and sat pillion with our gear in the sidecar, his unit being as often was off the road for repairs.

So a good journey up but coming home down various roads and onto the A5 coming through Dunstable my Atlas decided it no longer wanted to play ball and the right hand piston rod broke putting a hole in the piston itself and sending a substantial amount of metal around the engine, one piece of which forced out the plug spewing oil out over my right leg. What could we do. stuffed the hole with a piece of rag, It was still running and with a little persuasion and a lot of coxing we pressed on stopping only when we really, really had to. Very lucky not to have any major hills to climb the mighty Atlas plodded on on one cylinder popping for all it was worth the last 20 miles.You can imagine the damage caused by still riding it home but I did not have AA or RAC cover so I just had to get home anyway I could. Carrying spare oil was always a good idea on older bikes and this came in real handy on this occasion.

Well it took a great deal of time and effort to fix it but it was done and it led to my 1^st total rebuild of an engine. The only bit that did not need some attention was the bottom end casing. Everything other than that was either replaced, rebuilt with new or rebored and lined and shimed, including a secondhand head from a Commando which I had new valves added and new seats ground in with new springs etc. so it was like new too. It started up a little out of tune but never the less it started, Took it to a local garage who played with the carbs for me and got it to bun smoothly (Well as smoothly as an Atlas could).

I loved this bike and it only went when I finally took and passed my test and traded it in for my 1st solo! That’s another story.

After all I had said ...

Black Dog — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:03:17 GMT

... i've got rid of it!

It all started with a trip to the local dealership to get a tub of brake grease that Halfords and the other local motor factors hadn't got in stock. They had a rather tasty Ducati Monster 620ie which took my eye - and at a price I could afford if I traded in the B12. I mulled it over for a week and then popped back in next weekend for a closer look. It had been lowered (previous lady owner) and when I sat on it I knew it was far too small and cramped for me. I was about to leave when the salesman pointed me to a Ducati GT1000 which was their own demonstrator - one year old and just 1000 miles. One 30-minute test ride and another week to think it over, and I went and did the deed last Saturday. I got almost as much for the B12 as I paid for it, and the new bike is a minter.

I'll put a review in when I've done a few miles on it. But as an initial impression - it utterly rocks. Torquey, light, and it handles like a dream. And the sound!

Top tip. If you're in a bike shop and the salesman chucks you a set of keys and says "take her for a spin mate, no obligation", DO NOT ACCEPT.

That's All Folks!

Black Dog — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:46:04 GMT

Nowhere else to post this kind of chit-chat on the forum, so here goes.

It's my last day at the ad factory today. Next week I start work on a new tourism project which is both exciting and nerve-racking. Same money, longer hours, better prospects. Unfortunately, I'll be very busy and sharing an office with my line manager, which means no posting to UKB during the day!

One of the senior managers rides in on an R1 (with his wife, who is PA to the CEO, on the minimalist pillion) and another has just passed his DA and rides a Bandit 6. So I'm in good company! Downside is, it's back to a suit and tie.

I'll still be posting here, though, when I can.

Talk later!

Fancy a Harley?

Black Dog — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:17:54 GMT

Several things recently have got me thinking. Hoover's question about Japanese Harleys was one, a road test in this month's RiDE was another, plus I was buzzed (in the cage) by a flight of open-piped baaaaad boys on black HDs this morning (God knows where they were going at 7:30 am).

For the first time in my life, I have actually considered buying a Harley as my next bike. Only considered, mind, as in "well, that's not completely out of the question". I love the sound, I quite like the feet-forward idea, the lack of speed and cornering ability don't worry me too much (it wouldn't be the only bike in the stable), and it might be comfy for two over a distance. On the downside, I don't like the whole macho "diet of raw meat" nonsense of the official HD ads, which seem to be designed to appeal to grey-suited civil servants who want to score with the chicks by looking "bad", and TBH I'm not completely thrilled by the image of the riders over here. Round me, there are two kinds of Harley rider - men who don't wash, carry weapons and deal in drugs (stripped and hammerited ageless choppers), and mild-mannered accountants (year-old Dyna Glides with immaculate tasselled bar-ends and leather panniers). Neither has any appeal for me. And yet ...

I wonder if it might be fun. Perhaps it's an itch you have to scratch before it goes away. Earlier this summer, I spent two weeks in France wondering if I didn't prefer the simplicity of a small tent. Saturday night, we got the old tent out and camped out on the lawn for a laugh. I now have no desire to return to 2-man tents, cooking on bended knees and constant backache. But I had to give it a go, "just to see".

Same with a Harley.

Comments?

'I'd kill myself on one of those'

roadhoover — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:50:00 GMT

I have just read the latest Riders digest column by the feisty sounding R6 minx from the big smoke, and thought I'd have to comment upon some of the contents.

She has hit the nail on the head with the 'The amount of men who look at my bike all misty eyed then say, "I’d kill myself on something like that" amazes me'. Apart from one other I am pretty much the token biker in the office. I have lost count the amount of time I've received the same comment as Six minx. Ex bikers have gone on about the bike they had and how fast it was and they got rid of it because they were going to kill themselves. Non bikers who think they might suit two wheels admit their desire but flavour it with 'I would have one but I'd just kill myself on it'

For Gods sake people it's not de -rigeur, sign here to kill yourself etc. Of course they will accellerate up to phenomenal speeds, but they decellerate rather rapidly as well. There is a throttle which you as a rider control. It's not a case of turning the key thumbing the starter and within milliseconds you are travelling at 130mph + they do actually operate quite happily at 30, 40, 60 mph.

Sure those of us with a few miles under our belts may sound a little blase about speeds achieved and corners negotiated, it probably sounds exciting and dangerous and yes it can be and yes we are all vulnerable, but for goodness sake people life is dangerous if you want it to be. If you think that way you should never get out of bed.

Before you are even allowed on the road, there is a rigourous testing procedure (believe it or not to try and prevent people from killing themselves). If you have that mentality I'm sorry but perhaps you should stick to tin boxes, you obviously don't trust yourself and as I know who some of you are, believe me I'll be taking a wide berth when you are on the road.

Weather

roadhoover — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 11:41:56 GMT

Wettest June since records began apparently, what happened to global warming?

I'm gonna get back to biking when the poxy weather clears up. Fed up with constant drudge, drizzle, downpours and general unpleasentness. Shouldn't have to wear waterproofs this time of year. Obviously need to burn a bit more fuel and increase my carbon footprint.

TRIUMPH TROPHY 3

hab — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:27:16 GMT

Hi all i have a triumph trophy 3 900cc n reg i have dameged the headlight fairing i found one in the wep it is from 1991 model from the photo looks the same can any one help me and tell me if the 1991 fairing fits on1995 thanks all

Bikesafe

Black Dog — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:00:09 GMT

OK, friends, I've just spent the weekend on a Bikesafe course, run by my local Plod. This is an scheme run by a number of police forces to give bikers a skills workshop, with some observed riding and an assessment of your riding skills. The course my local force offers (Dyfed-Powys) is a two-day effort, although I understand that some are one-day courses. D-P has a large number of motorcycle fatalities every year (many of them riders from England who come to ride the challenging and often empty roads) and this scheme is an effort to reach riders and put across the safer riding message in a relaxed and enjoyable way.

First of all, what was it? Saturday and Sunday, 09:00 to 17:00, based on local Police HQ about 35 miles away from my house. There were 7 other riders, all ages and levels of experience. Saturday was a morning of classroom work, with videos and presentations, and a lot of discussion. There is a DVD presentation which ran most of the morning, with computer-generated simulations of crashes, and space for discussion and examples of how to avoid the dangers. The CG crashes were truly cringeworthy (most of the riders said "ouch" at one point) and the PC in charge then went through what went wrong and led a discussion on how to avoid the situation. Examples (actual film) of riders doing it correctly were then shown. Topics covered included cornering, overtaking, riding in a group, filtering, urban riding, country roads, and urban and rural hazard perception. The approach was very down-to-earth, with no preaching and lots of real-world examples.

After a bit of lunch in the canteen, we formed into small groups and set off with a police rider. I was in a group of three (me, and older guy on a Pan 1300, and a young lad on a CBR600). The pace was pretty brisk, but they try to tailor it to your ability and bike. One couple turned up - he on a VFR800 and she with 6 months' experience on a GS500. The guy in charge put them with a really friendly officer and sent them off together, so that she wasn't intimidated by the pace of the more experienced riders. Nice one. We did about 110 miles, across roads ranging from twisty and challenging B roads to long stretches of straight A roads with summer traffic. The method was to ride in 30-minute stretches, with a rider at the front being observed by the Plod behind, and the other two following. Then we'd stop for a debrief, and set off again with someone else in the lead. This worked really well, as riding under observation from a Plod on a full-dress Pan 1100 in the full Battenberg paintjob creates quite a bit of pressure and is very tiring. So a period of following behind lets you gather your wits and relax a bit. The pressure comes not only from having every gearchange, change of line, change of speed, and mirror check watched and noted, but also being expected to ride to the speed limit whenever possible. Sometimes, on a long straight where you could be doing 90, this is frustrating, but at others it can feel like you are going seriously fast for the conditions.

The next day was a similar format, classroom followed by observed ride. The classroom session followed on from the previous day, with an extra video treat! A guy had been filming his progress with a tank camera on his CBR, where he was doing the usual stunts, 110 in a 30, overtaking on blind bends etc. He comes round a corner to find a car half way across the road, hits it and ends up in a hedge with serious injuries. The Police recovered the video from the bike and used it to prosecute him - he ended up doing 8 months in prison for a gazillion counts of dangerous driving. He's now recovered, and using the video to promote bike safety at schools, safety events etc. There were also some photos of horrific smashes and a debrief as to the cause of the crash and the fates of the riders - usually grim. The afternoon ride was about 130 miles and we really pushed on. Same format as before, but with a coffee at Devil's Bridge, paid for by the Plod rider. That's a first, anyway. Home time brought a goody-bag with videos, a neck warmer, a couple of Bikesafe mugs and some promotional material. Sunday night, I was VERY tired.

What did we learn? The guy on the CBR learned that you should ride with your headlight on dip, not full beam (apart from dazzling everyone, it is impossible for an oncoming driver to judge the distance and approach speed of a very bright light), and that you should occasionally use your mirrors. The guy on the Pan 13 learned that he could go far faster and still be safe. I learned that the Bandit has made me lazy, as I wasn't changing gear enough (3rd on the Bandit will do almost anything from 10mph to 120mph) and that I didn't use the rear brake enough. I was glad to hear that my road positioning and hazard perception were good, and that I made "good progress" - i.e. I didn't hang around unnecessarily. On another level, I was astonished at the low level of knowledge amongst apparently experienced riders. All in the full kit (Alpinestars leathers and boots, Hein Gericke back protectors, Arais and Shoeis galore) and looking like Power Rangers, but with knowledge gaps you could drive a bus through: thinking it is illegal to cross a dotted white line; believing it is safer to only use the back brake in town; not knowing what the return arrows were for on the approach to a bend. I was gobsmacked at some of the things I heard.

The standard of riding they were getting at was roughly IAM level - higher than DSA test standard, but nothing too hard - and the main aim seemed to be to get riders to seek further advanced training. I got a lot out of the days. I treated it as a refresher and a chance to get an assessment of my bad habits since my last test many years ago (IAM, 1992). In this it was very successful - I tried to put the criticisms I had received on the first day into practice on the second, and the Plod seemed happy with what he saw. My ride home and the journey to work today were of a different order - my riding is much smoother and quicker. I would recommend the course highly to anyone with some experience (test + 6 months?) who wants either to refresh their skills or take their riding to the next level. Fun, relaxing, educational, and two days hooning about with a tame Plod. Who could ask for more for 80 of your British pounds?

Highlights of the weekend:

Being overtaken by Plod, who then pulled the car in front for crossing double white lines every bend for 2 miles, and having to wait by the side of the road while some guy got the bollocking of his life.
Overtaking 6 cars in two moves, followed by a Police bike, and being told that was a good, safe overtake.
Following Plod down the A-road back into Carmarthen (narrow, twisty, damp) faster than I would ever have ridden it on my own, following his lines exactly, and realising how these guys make progress. We never broke the limit once, but the smooth lines and progressive attitude made for a bloody quick ride.
Hearing a copper admit that speed cameras don't educate drivers, and they would far rather be out there advising riders than prosecuting them in court.

Check it on http://www.bikesafe.co.uk/ and have a go.

You know you're a biker when....

Mazz — Wed, 30 May 2007 13:45:14 GMT

http://moto-thrills.freeonlinegames.com/

Hahahaha!!!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, anyone? (Long post)

Black Dog — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:54:27 GMT

The more I think about this, the more serious it gets. Looking for advice from anyone who has had anything similar.

About 10 years ago, I went to my doctor with symptoms which included tingling and numbness in my right hand, especially the thumb and first and second fingers. It only occurred when I was using the computer mouse a lot, and I could get it to go away by stopping what I was doing and waggling my hand about for a few minutes. She told me it was Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, curable with an operation (but with the risk of losing the use of the hand) and advised me that since it was so mild, I should learn to live with it. So I did. I seem to remember a slight problem with it when I had the GSX750F, but only after a couple of hours' riding, and it obviously wasn't all that bad or I would have remembered it more clearly.

Move forward to 2007. I get a Yam XT660R, start commuting on it, get back into the swing of biking, very happy bunny, even in the cold and wet. Unfortunately, my CTS symptoms are returning big time. Even on my commute (between 20 and 30 minutes), I have numb hands when I reach the end of the ride. It's the same fingers, but this time it's both hands. It feels like I am wearing boxing gloves, and I don't feel as if I am in full control of the bars and switches. When I get to my destination, my hands feel like footballs, and touching the bars and clocks as I pull the key out is like a series of electric shocks, and I have no grip strength. By the time I have taken all my kit off, my hands have returned to normal. The reason for the concern is that the symptoms seem to be occurring quicker each time I take the bike out. It has been coming on after 15-20 minutes so far, but this morning it was about 5 minutes, and I think it's getting worse the more I use the bike. It certainly is making riding the bike a bit of an ordeal, and not the fun activity it should be.

Am I going to have to sell the XT? I strongly suspect that it is the big single vibration that is the problem. I don't remember having the same problem with the GSX, although I am 10 years older now, and apparently CTS gets worse with age. I'm going to try some alternatives (different gloves, bar grips, and a borrow of a mate's Virago) to see if I can narrow it down, but I am afraid that I may have to end up selling the XT and getting a nice smooth multi. Trouble is, I love my XT and I don't want to be parted from it. I've even just bought it a new 14T front sprocket to improve the gearing. I'm certainly not giving up biking again, having only recently returned to the True Faith!

Has anyone on this forum ever had anything similar? All comments and advice are welcome.

OK, I'll start ...

Black Dog — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:44:08 GMT

Seems like I am the first to post here!

After having bikes for most of my life, I sold the last one after a period of illness that shot my sense of balance. I looked at the speedo of my GSX750F and saw that I had covered the grand total of 50 miles in the previous 12 months. As I was still paying the HP on the bike, deciding to sell it was a no-brainer. I told my wife that was it, no more bikes. I don't think she was ever all that keen as my pillion, so that was that.

Recently, I have begun to feel the old stirrings, and the symptoms have been obvious to see - buying "Bike" and the used/classic magazines, spending stupid amounts of time on eBay "just looking", the usual. Anyway, I went into a local dealership "just looking" again. I'd settled in my head on a trail bike of sorts, for commuting and general hooligan activity, up to about a grand. He couln't show me what I wanted (I wanted cheap, he didn't do cheap), but there in the corner was a bike he was selling for a customer and, old as I am, I fell in love straight away. Yamaha XT660R, blue, tiny mileage, 2 yrs old, immaculate. For lots of reasons I was not anxious to buy yet another "project", so this made sense, even though it was way more money than I had. After a small amount of negotiation, he offered to throw in a full service and a year's tax, and knock a hundred off the price. Hang on a sec - he takes credit cards - how much credit have I got? Luckily, I had recently paid a large amount off. A quick call to the money men and a decision was made.

So I pick it up on Saturday. Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Time to dig out the old helmet and see if the leathers still fit.

Will report back when I've run a few miles with it.

One very pleased Black Dog.