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Hey Guys. Thanks for the comments. That is exactly the conclusion that I came to last night. I was worried that there could be undetected engine damage or some other problem that will affect the bikes handling. I have tracked down two bikes with less than 13,000 km on them for less than the cost of repairing my bike and I am meeting with the vendors on Wed. Thanks again. Ride safe. Rocky Ps. Cynic, on this side of the pond spanner = monkey wrench. Cheers.

Hi All. Its been 3 years or so since I last posted on this site. In June I rear ended a van which spiked the brakes because a woman with 2 kids decided to cross the highway. Lucky for me the bike fishtailed and went under the back bumper at approx. a 30 degree angle. The front and back tires hit the vans back tires. The trailer hitch sheared off the left foot rest and somehow didn't take my left foot off. Luckily I only suffered a badly twisted back and walked away. The bike was not so lucky. The way the bike came down on the pavement it suffered absolutely no damage to the tank, fenders, saddle bags, forks etc. The collision did however bend the frame. To look at the bike when it is sitting on its stand it is hard to tell that it has been in an accident other than the fact that the left foot rest is sheared off and the shifter is bent as is the shift rod. The bike has 15,000 k's on it. The local Yamaha dealer has quoted $6,242 to repair it with the most expensive part being a new frame costing $2364 (includes tax). Is it worth while repairing this bike or should I buy a new one for $12,400 (tax in)? Because the shift rod was bent what are the chances that there is significant engine damage. Note that the engine quit on impact. This is a list of the parts needed per the Yamaha dealer: FrameDown Tube CompShift Pedal AssyShift Rodbracket for left foot restFlange bolt, crown bolt, shop supplies etcFront left foot restFront right foot restRight mirror assemblyCover where shift rod enters engineDamper 1 (?)Axle front wheel Thanks for your comments. Rocky

Hey Scot Nice bikes. Are you the original owner of all three? Go Riders. Ride safe. Rocky

My wife and I have the Scala G4 head set. We bought it last year and it is a great unit. I agree with comments about not using the phone while riding...in BC it is against the law to use a cell phone while driving a car or riding a bike. However, when I ride I do set my cell phone up so that I get incoming calls. My usual proceedure is to acknowledge the call and tell the caller to give me a couple of seconds while I pull over to the curb. The phone has full voice commands ie you can initiate a call by saying the persons name, you can initiate a bike to bike call on the intercom by voice command. The only problem with this unit is that in some cases it is difficult to initiate some features that rely on a button being pushed because of the gloves. I use the FM radio a lot when I am on the highway or just tooling around on the back roads. I never use it in heavy traffic....it is just too dangerous. The bike to bike intercom on the Scala G4 is 1.6 km and it works great. You can link three other bikes to your intercom, so if you are riding with a small group you can stay in touch. The new G9, besides having the ability to link to 9 riders also has a quick contact feature which allowes one rider to contact all the bikes similtaneously to warn them of a road hazzard. We paid $550 for the G4. I am not sure what the going rate for the G9 is. In any event, I highly recommend the G4. As for what features you use when riding that is each individuals choice, but you increase the risk of not being able to avoid a road hazzard or other situation if you are in the middle of a phone conversation or half asleep listening to the radio. Ride safe. Rocky

This idiot weaved through traffic on a Vancouver Island freeway doing 300/ k/h. If he had even made a minor error in timing or if a vehicle had changed lanes there would have been one hell of a pile up. The cops have tracked down the bike which had no plates or insurance when the video was made. It is owned by a woman who has had numerous driving infractions and has lost her licence in the past. They believe the bike was driven by her son who also has had numerous traffic violations including driving without a license and driving at excessive speeds. They have impounded the bike and given the mother a pile of tickets totaling in excess of $1400 because she owns the bike. If they catch the driver he will loose his licence and go to jail. This is on Utube at the following link. Needless to say he was riding a Yamaha. Ride safe. Rocky

Or it could be really bad....when one of your lady's friends is being shagged by her husband he could be thinking of you!!!

Hey Noise I think you have made a good choice. We currently have 2 yellow Labs which we use for bird hunting. Labs are smart, learn quickly, are eager to please, and are very loyal. In the past we have had 3 other yellows and a black lab. The fact that the dog you selected is not a pure bred can be a bonus. A lot of pure bred dogs have medical problems that manifest themselves after 5 yrs of age. Both German Shepard and Labs suffer from hip displacia. You have less chance of inherited medical problems with a cross breed. We live out in the bush and for the most part Labs do not bark much. If you want a dog that barks a lot and will warn you of intruders then get a Chiwowoww. (spelt wrong) and a shotgun (spelt right, eh!) That's what we've done! Big dogs require a lot of exercise. I take our Labs for a 6km run every 2nd day and spend at least an hour a day either reinforcing their training or just playing with them. In any event enjoy your dog, treat it with respect, and never strike it. Only one other comment, the correct name is Yellow Lab not Golden Lab. Golden Retrievers are not Labs. Ride safe. Rocky

OOooppps I got the exchange rate wrong. I used 1 pound = $2 when the actual exchange rate is 1lb = $1.57. But even at that I do not think that bike was worth 1220 lbs or $1915. But.....I don't live in the UK so I can only comment on what it w/b worth in Canada and this bike in clean shape is only worth $2000 here. Ride safe. Rocky

I don't think 1220 pounds is a good price for this bike. That is approx $2400 Canadian. I know it is not worth $900 here. I have bought a couple Viragos and sold a couple. Around here $2500 gets you a real nice Virago that runs well and looks good. The bike in the ad was stored in poor conditions since '02 and the engine doesn't run. The tank is probably rusted out, the carb will need rebuilding and you need to spend cash to fix the seat and who knows what else. The Black book value of this bike in clean shape is $2000 tops in Canada What is the value of this bike in the UK if it was in good shape? If this bike is worth 1220 pounds in the UK when it doesnt run, then I can get lots of them here that run and should start shipping them to the UK. Ride safe. Rocky

Where's the call centre when you really need one? Ride safe. Rocky

Most winter driving accidents around here happen during the first couple of snow falls. For some reason people forget that ice is slippery, that you really need snow tires to drive in the snow, or that you have to be carefull when passing on snowy roads when you ar travelling at high speed. Ride safe. Rocky

Hey Mike Welcome to the form. This is a great source of info and you'll find the members can help you solve most problems that crop up while you are rebuilding the bike. Ride safe. Rocky

Hi Erin Welcome to the YOC. Where do your spurs call home? Ride safe. Rocky

I usually use a HJC IS-16 full face helmet while riding on the highways. It is a great little helmet and it has a built in tinted sun visor that is deployed inside the helmet behind the clear visor. It is easy to deploy and retract while riding as sun conditions can change quickly. It avoids the requirement and hassel of carrying a clear visor with you or trying to wear sun glasses in your full face helmet. As a result, the built in visor system is becoming very popular around here. Ride safe. Rocky

Hey Blades Glad that you didn't get hurt. How badly damaged was your bike? It doesn't suprise me that they would not allow you to accompany the driver. I have coverage with BCAA and they have the same policy. They will not allow you to ride with the driver due to insurance issues. You have to call a friend or a taxi. Ride safe. Rocky