John man and his 'Cat

Just shop around, Lexham did me great on my first year. Just spend an afternoon ringing round, and play companies off against each other if you get the chance.

Excellent, thanks very much for the advice

Morning Ladies and Gentlemen Just a quickie if I may, firstly I'm new here so hello to everyone and thanks for the tips I've already picked up from reading around. I have recently picked up a '98 Cat and as much as I love it cornering is a little unpredictable, it doesn't always seem to quite go quite where I'm expecting. Tyres are good and meaty, although I've just let the back one down to 38 PSI and that has helped (it was 42!) so I wondered if anyone can give me any advice on setting the shocks up please. I'm 5'10 ish and about 13 stone if that helps. Might just make it a little more confidence inspiring on the corners. Also, the front cowl seems to be at a slightly off angle, the screen and uprighty-thing are a bit further back on the left hand side. Any ideas what that could be? I don't realy know anything about mechanics, I've been riding for a while and done a lot of miles but I've never really been interested in trying to take them apart although it's high time I learned something. Thanks in adavance John

I always try and wear full gear all year round regardless, even when I was on my 125, if you come off at 60 it's gonna sting whatever you're riding. Before my missus got her leather trousers she was out on the back of mine in jeans so I would wear jeans as well, then I'd make even more sure than normal that I didn't do anything stupid, it's not fair to protect myself and not her as I think you feel slightly less vulnerable (and i use that term VERY lightly) with full gear on and if you are reminded all the time of how unprotected you are you allow for it. We have kids to think about. Shorts are one thing but on the other hand, like I said, on the few times I have been out not fully protected I think I tend to take it easier, I don't want to come off anyway, especially not just in jeans, so I'm more mindful of it. Shorts, twatting it down the road and blindspots, now THERE'S a combination I can rant about....

I wear glasses so opening the visor when it's raining is a bad idea, you cannot get water off your widows believe me. Go find a Heine Gericke store and get a fogcity lense, they fit on the inside of your visor and stop it steaming up, you can always leave it closed then. They're great, but clean them gently or as they start to get a few surface scratches (mines a year old) they can start to give a bit of back glare off headlights. Foot on the break out of a junction? Never heard that before I must confess. As for lifesavers, as mentioned before, although I must confess I forget who by, sorry, as your confidence grows you will probably find less use for them. If you take your time and relax as you ride you will find more time to check your mirrors "better" ie don't glance, look properly. If you know whats behind you and all around you at all times then there are less times where they are actually needed. Never look backwards at the expense of looking forwards, just make sure you are aware of what is going on around you. Cornering is an art, you'll get the hang of it, counter steering comes naturally (I've just bought a Thundercat and it's pretty hefty, I've been doing it subconciously since I got it) but one of the best things you can do is relax and give yourself all the time you need. Having not had the cat long though it's a bit like starting again with corners and it takes a lot of getting used to, but I know my limits.

Evening Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm new here so I'll introduce myself as John, after all that's my name. I've been riding for just over a year and rode all through last winter on my CBR125 and just upgraded to a Thundercat. There is this wonderful stigmatism that comes with winter riding that it's a "crap idea". Close-mindedness is a far worse idea, I loved riding in the winter, you get some great looks, it's a great converstaion starter, and I don't get cold between the car park and work as I still have my gear on. Bonus? Oh yes. I think everyone should ride in winter, knowing how your machine handles in every weather condition is essential, living in the UK means that you WILL get wet at some point, might as well know how the horse behaves, you can never have too many sets of skills for different situations and a lot of it is helpful for our monsoon summers. Don't crank it over, don't wind the wick up, don't jump on your anchors and just give f**kheads that little bit more space than usual and it's all gravy. Most importantly though, enjoy it. Cheers John