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So I picked up my bike first thing this morning. Funnily enough I wasn't nervous about riding it, instead it was the thought of just getting on the bike in front of the showroom, silly i know. The bike is quite tall and I had visions that I'd smack my leg into the pillion seat. So that's exactly what I did... Idiot! Anyway, second attempt and I was on. Then my nerves moved onto the height of the bike and starting to think about stopping on roads with an uneven surface. but i pushed that to the back of my mind and set off for the 40ish mile trip home over the Pennines. En route I stopped off at an industrial park to practice some slow speed manoeuvres, just to become acquainted with my new steed. The ride home was fun, and even the rain didn't put a downer on things. Once I got home, I dropped off all the paperwork etc then went out for another ride. I even went on the motorway for the first time ever on a bike. The screen and fairing made it a pleasant experience actually. However I soon got bored and made my way back to the twisties! The height is now less of a concern, so I think if I continue to gain confidence in the bike I won't find myself thinking about that too much. My main observation is how heavy it is when pushing it. Blokes may find it easier I don't know, but I've already pulled both my arms while trying to straighten it up outside my house, ha ha!

Listen I was only in there looking for Dick & Harry

Well today I went out for a good ride. not too exciting you might say but it is the first real ride on my own bike since passing my test on Monday. I did a short trip on Wednesday but the rain stopped play so this is my first 'real ride' I set off around town taking my time and getting used to the different balance of the Virago to the ER6 that I had taken my tests on so my corners were a bit slow to start with. I then headed out of town on some of the country roads while the weather was fine. After a few miles I found I started to relax more and my gear changing got smoother. The Virago is no R1 and is pretty sedate which is fine for me and I soon found I was accelerating faster and giving the throttle a good twist. At one point on a long straight road I actually touched 80 MPH! then down came the rain which had been forecast but wasn't too heavy just a light shower so I pressed on with a large grin on my face. the rain did stop I am happy to say and before long it was getting dull and looking at my clock it read 8.30! time to go home I thought and made the run home to find that i had been out for three hours and covered 40 miles! When I got off the bike I had a grin so wide it must have looked like my throat had been cut. LOL. I can't wait for my next ride now.

I have a September 2009 XJ6 N in Cloudy White. I bought it new and it is my first big bike . Used daily for work and it has now clocked up 23,000 miles . Brilliant bike for newbies and commuting , extremely reliable . I am wondering what sort of mileage and thoughts , problems other XJ6 owners have or had ? Brief history of mine as follows : 1x service at main dealer ?( first service) the rest by me ( qualified technician) using genuine parts. 2x sets or the original equipment Battlax BT021 tyres , each set covered just over 10,000 miles before replacement . Found one side of the front tyre wore a lot faster than the other , common BT021 problem. 1x set of Avons now fitted . I think they are better. 2x brake lever switches fitted by dealer under warranty . 1x brake lever switch supplied under warranty , I am going to pick it up today and fit myself . Also buying a spare . Replaced chain and sprocket at approximately 19,000 miles . Brake fluid change . Still on the original brake pads . Extras : Acerbis hand guards in white , help keep the wet off your gloves but do bugger all to reduce the cold air on hands in winter. They do suit the XJ6 . Rear hugger . Stainless steel caliper carrier bolts and caliper bleed nipples from Probolt. I used ACF50 to coat the bike initially , it does work but gets expensive . I just use spray white grease now , much cheaper and readily available in the motor trade. Gave it is big end of winter clean up during the week and all is looking good . Faults : Other than the crappy brake switches nothing has failed . Niggles : Occasionally I cannot turn the ignition key . Gearchange can be notchy and it can sometimes go into 1st with quite a jolt . Road testers noted notchy change at launch . When started from hot the starter can sometimes hang on for a extra second, making a noise . It has done this from new . With 23,000 on it I am not at all worried , if it was going to pack up sure it would have by now . Used originals are cheap on ebay . Wanted : I would like a genuine fly screen at a sensible cost . If it is cheap enough to factor in cost of painting white a screen any colour will do. Would be interested to hear from other owners about the XJ6 ....... David.

From what I know you would need a lot more than just the engine,2010 is fuel injected whereas your bike has a carb,you would be looking at getting all the fuel injection gear,pump,tank,and wiring. Its possible that the inlet for the injector is the same diameter as for a carb,but you would have to check that your wiring would be compatible as the injection models will have an ECU (electronic control unit) which may include the CDI (capacitor discharge ignition). On your bike this will be a separate "black box". Not trying to blind you with science,but thought I would try and give you a sensible reply to help. If it were my bike,I would look at replacing your engine with the same year if the gearbox is beyond your ability to repair. Pete

Thanks mall, yer its only wood and that so as you say it's only cosmetic. Been out there today n bolted the fence back up for now so atleast the dogs can go out for a wee without me having to worry about them. Roll on next week for when it gets fixed

hi to you too .if that's all yer givin, then that's all yer gettin.

You can stay the fuck away from my tent at squires!

God help you if DirtyDT sees you twinc, this thread will get move to another section!

Since Contour haven't been mentioned yet, I'll mention it . I got my Contour Roam for £134 but you can now get the next model (ContourROAM2) for about £145 on Amazon. The camera quality is great and it's reasonably priced. The awesome thing about these cameras is that they are natively waterproof, so you don't need an enclosure that would add to the weight/bulk. Great for British weather! I also love its slimline design. Personally, I think GoPros are overrated and overpriced (just like Apple products) and Sony is no where near the competition.

what, between Noise and Foams?

Who's to say I haven't already got one...

The one time you "WANT" you bike to vibrate!!!

Hi All, I am trying to post some pics up, but it does not seem to like photobucket links...... Can anyone tell me what links it does like?

Know what gets me, people post intros on this forum, they then post queries in the workshop section, they talk about yamahas, they talk about non yams all in the correct sections, then a bluddy Mod starts a thread about the blooming astral calendar in the bike section........shouldn't be allowed I tell you, rant, rant, rant

No matter how big you plan to build it, build it bigger Overspill from the house always tends to migrate

yo, im from teesside and have rode my 1984 xs1100 for quite a few years and dont think ill ever get rid of it, iv had bikes for 40yrs and its the best iv had (its not its a pig and i love it). can anyone tell me if the fuel tanks are interchangable between xs11 models ? first club iv ever joind and am looking forward to chating to other members

Welcome to the YOC.

No. WOMEN don't look like that anywhere

Ok I want all of you to promise DO NOT TELL my wife this!!!

Eh, had a 500B that I loved, but only because it was mine and it was a first bike. Basically they cancelled production (according to my mechanic who worked for Yamaha when they came out) the year after making the changes to the B model and then made some cosmetic changes to the D/E ones and sold them off. They're a nightmare to find parts for, specifically gaskets and oil filters. Never had any real mechanical issues with mine, and it was reliable for the 6 years I owned it. Would I buy it again? For the $400 I paid - Yes. For the $800 I just sold it for - probably not (new tires, chain, and sprockets as I'm relatively sure that all of that gear was bone stock from 1975).