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Gas up - Let's Go!

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Everything posted by Gas up - Let's Go!

  1. Yep, it's morphed into the shape of a Landrover........ These bikes have loads of grunt, and the engine (although a littl 'old') is pretty nice. But here in the frozen north, the roads aren't really great for bikes with short travel suspension.... or wading ability ! Nice bike though.
  2. having sat under a nice warm blanket since October, with a slow trickle charge keeping her battery active, I have broken the news to her that I have decided to ship her off to a new home. Sometimes she brought me home with a huge smile, but if the road surface was a little rough (and I live in the lakes where nice tarmac is a rare thing to behold) I'd often need traction just to get off her........ So today I have struck a deal to swap the XJR1300 for something a little more akin to the environment up here in the North....... from 1 wheel drive to four in the stroke of a pen....... I'm back down to a two bike garage again.......... (but my eye is open for a rebuild to keep me occupied next winter) I'd better update my Gargage.
  3. ..and how are trees growing in the top of it ????
  4. I don't think it was ever a threat...... Welcome along, I'm sure the testosterone will subdue soon, and they can all get back to normal 'bloke talk' I had a friend who moved back to Brisbane, it's only a small place, maybe you know him ?
  5. They don't mix'n match either. So you can only have one at a time, you can get away with using two different types but they explode if they come together. Simple models are cheap and readily available, as are the less perfected ones (or seconds) but you soon get a bit tired of the constant attention required . I have one that I've had for many years now and it takes some ongoing modifications to get them just right, sometimes they just don't sit properly and need some further mods. But once you get one that fits and doesn't need any maintenance then you are best to keep it and move it from bike to bike.
  6. The same can be said for any City you know your way around - you have the advantage of being local. I know Belfast pretty well, very well in fact, I've worked there on many occasions. So do you want to tell me that a British Serviceman geting lost in Belfast and wandering into certain places is going to get a warm welcome, sorry, but it's just not true. There is still a very small minority of morons (yes the same as any City), that are happy to drag up the past, I've seen them and overheard them in bars. Belfast has changed since I first went there, but like anything you need to be aware of the potential risks, ignoring them is just plain stupid, same as any place you visit. Just because you don't like the sound of a potential risk, doesn't mean it isn't there, nor does it mean you are going to be stripped, raped and knee-caped. But if you go prepaired you are predispossed to enjoying things more, and not see the darker side. I agree with you, the vast majority of people in Belfast are great, friendly people and you recieve a warm welcome from them. And most will, in my experience guide you to places where you will recieve a warm welcome, people are very keen to show the possitive side of the City, this if course is a good thing. When I made my comments, they were taking into account what I know of Foamy from here, and specific to his questions. It was not a general overview of the City. I've been to Beirut, and I felt safe there.......
  7. Well, with the £200 up-front to pay on a new one, I'm going to employe your tactic and see what happens. If Orange won't play ball I'll see what 3, Vodafone and 02 say
  8. Well, this might be useful, I'm just debating the pod-phone..... not realy interested in the phone, but against £200 for the pod it looks a better deal. Anyway, does this work for any site, at least in principle ?
  9. Been there, you'll already have a Bivi and a Tarp, there's nothing else you need (maybe a couple of 24Hr ration packs & some hex). It's the most free you will ever feel....
  10. I'll bet that was a blast !!! Was it open? Foamy - Don't just consider the ferry crossings, there is a Fast ferry from Stranraer that puts right bang in the middle of Belfast, but as it's already been pointed out, it'll take you time to break free of the city, and there are one or two places you don't want to wander in to if you get lost...... From you'r end of the world, have a think about Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire (don't bother with Dublin as it's just as bad to break clear of, unless you arrive early morning). It really depends on where you want to go, and the time you have to get there. From Manchester to Carlisle, around 2 hours on the M'way and you will be bored out of your skull. Carlisle to Stranraer is another 2 hours but the road is a good ride and follows the coast. Time this wrong and you'll have alot of ferry traffic to content with (both directions) and it's a single carrigeway road for 100 miles. Manchester to Hollyhead is around 2 hours too, not a bad road from memory. So the thing is, do you want to ride that crappy Manchester to Carlisle route (of course you could take the A-roads but it'll be more time) of ride north through Ireland ? If I were you, or anyone else coming from the south, I'd opt for the Irish run every time.
  11. Well that one hasn't been though out very well has it...... Why didn't they just add some standard 3rd party insurance to the RFL as other countries do ? Or better still, ditch the whole 3rd party insurance and RFL, and add the cost to fuel - then no-one can avoid paying it!
  12. Yep, what you realy need is noise, thieves don't like noise. ......or the angry owner it brings....
  13. I've seen the odd post on the HUBB form Yamagod
  14. Over the years I've had alot of bikes, and one thing runs true through all of them, none of them made it to three years in my garage. I have a TTR600 that I've now had for 4 years and my XT660Z will be 3 in May'11. I have no intention of changing either of them (the XJR's days are numbered though....) I've done 2 expeditions trips on the Tenere, the first was a pan-Europe jaunt taking in 8000ish miles in 19 days, the second was in MAy this year where I covered over 800 dirt miles in Portugal. I've covered the UK on this bike, clocking up 23K in just over 2 years (around 1000 on the TTR and 4K on the XJR). The bike has it's faults like anything else, but they are few and well documented. There are not many bikes you can squeeze 300 miles out of one fill-up, and she will cruise at 80 on the M'way if that's your bag, but it much more a B, C and Unclassified road bike. Incidentaly, you can also cover gravel roads at 80mph without so much as a wiggle out of place! A mate of mine raced his bike to Dakar (Heroes Legend Rally) this year with only suspension modifications, and another mate raced the same last year (though her bike was a little more modified). On both occasions they rode the entire length from the UK to Dakar - and the Tenere was the only bike to do this without breaking down at some point (KTM's and BMW's were giving up all over the place). Another guy I know uses his as a workhorse and has something aproaching 50K miles on it (it's a year old) - he delivers packages on it. I know one guy who has ridden his Tenere around the world and two who have ridden from Europe to Cape Town on the same. How do I find the XT660 - It's kinda like a Landrover, it's never going to win a drag race, but it's always going to finish. As for Smiles-per-mile, the bike is nibble and quick through traffic, perfectly acceptable on the road and will cover countries on whatever surface you choose to ride on, in good comfort. Here's a few pics fro Portugal this year: In 2012 the bike will be leaving a trail through Russia and into the Stans.....
  15. I hope you have a good toolkit and deep pockets..... Yep, decent bike - although uncomfortable on long stretches You are not looking in the right place -> xt660.com
  16. XT125X.... http://www.yamaha-motor.co.uk/uk/products/motorcycles/125cc/xt125x.aspx?view=features and it's on 0% for a new one..... The WR is fairly awesome but a tad expensive and requires frequent servicing
  17. My wife had one, one of the best sounding 125;s there is. Basically because it's a V-Twin! They lack the grunt of a single, but are very very comfortable, and very large for a 125 (look like a 500ish )
  18. With a Poodle maybe ? If you're looking for a commuter, my advice (with you don't have to take off course) would be to look at something less theivable, less expensive to insure, less expensive when (yes when, it will happen) it falls over (with or without you attached!). A SM would be a great bike, quick and very nimble in traffic, cheaper <than a sportsbike> to insure, run, service and pick up. Of course, an XT is the best choice without a doubt.
  19. or +44 121 5066800 from Espania
  20. Is it the sort of lock that when fitted, you can still remove the front wheel ? What I would do, is to remove the wheel and then drill out the lock to remove it - how lock it's goinf to take depends really on the type of lock it is, it might be possible to cut the lock free with a grinder. If you aren't pretty steady with a drill, or a grinder then take the wheel out and go to either a locksmith or a gargage and ask them to remove it. A locksmoth is (on blance) less inclined to damage your wheel in the proccess. Lesson - Make sure you keep your lock lubricated, for me Wurth HHS is the lubricant of choice, especially for locks.
  21. I'll pick up the Lakes north into Jocklandshire, maybe Ayr ???? Stil a bloody long way from Barrow to SW Scotland by the coast though..
  22. Dunno what your worried about, if all that cloth improves womens driving like it did in the clip the roads will be safer....
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