bippo

Sorry to hear that Grouch. Can you pop over one evening? Bradford isn't a million miles and it would be good to meet you.

Enjoy Foamy!

Welcome! Different people have different views. As most of the others have said on here, absolutely nothing wrong with second hand examples. The YBR is a cracking bike with a bullet-proof engine. Plenty of crap versions for sale, but plenty of decent ones ridden by older people wanting to get their full licence (for example mine, lol). Personally, I bought new. My YBR was a 12 plate and I couldn't fault it. My reasons for buying new were: - personally I don't care about depreciation or up-front cost. - I wanted something to call my own, and not ragged to death by a spotty youth. If it broke, it was probably my own fault, and thus a good learning curve. - I haven't a clue about maintenance, and although I'm slowly learning I wanted my time spent riding, not fixing things. - I had a long commute on my bike down some pretty quiet country roads at unsociable hours and in any weather. 80 mile round trip in fact, so I definitely wanted something I could trust. Ultimately, whether you choose old or new, enjoy it, and stay safe!

Crazy. I'll stick to plodding about like a grandma...

Ouch... What happened there?

No, nothing wrong with Rays, I have a pair myself. Likewise, nothing wrong with an open face helmet - just very much noticed that it's the hipster look around London at the moment.

Mopeds definitely outnumber motorbikes in London these days (or so it feels)... The look is a Vespa, dapper suit, Ray Bans and one of those MOMO helmets. And those 3-wheeled Piaggio scooters have really caught on. You can ride them with a car licence and no L plates.

Let filtering come in good time. I had driven a car for 11 years prior to getting my licence, so it was natural for me to sit in a traffic jam! Add to that the fact that once I started to build more confidence on the bike, I was still riding to work at unsociable hours and my weekend jaunts were in traffic-free areas or early mornings. Basically, I really only started filtering properly when I got my job in Central London (earlier this year). Although I filter more now, I still only do it when I'm comfortable. If there is a bike behind me, I pull over and let them pass. I don't let myself get bullied into doing something I'm not comfortable. Perhaps more experienced riders would laugh at that, but you need to learn at your own pace, so take it easy and master the basics first before jumping to the front of the queue. Regarding hill starts, I don't know whether you have a car licence, but they are definitely easier on a bike. What I do is have my right foot on the rear brake, find my biting point with clutch and throttle, then release rear brake and pull away. Again, practice is key here, but keep calm. As long as you're covering the rear brake, you aren't going anywhere until you're ready. You may need to give it a little more throttle than pulling away on a flat road, but that's about it. Practice, and you'll get a feel for it.

Good on you Steve! I see quite a few of these on my commute, and they always grab my attention - sound great and fly! Bet you're enjoying being back on a bike after all this time...

I'm sure you won't be disappointed Andrew.

Not annoyed Slice, just jealous, ha ha! Aside from that though, it looks fantastic!

Just wanted to say a very quick thanks to Lee at Bikesure. Got my renewal through, and after a quick chat with Lee, I'm now moving over to Bikesure. Very quick, easy and friendly service. Painlessly done and dusted within minutes. Thanks also to Alex for arranging the Owners Club / Bikesure relationship.

Hey, I'd be interested in the tickets if you can't make it. Would be a shame for you though.

I found the same on my YBR - for me it was a mixture of people abusing the fact I had L plates, but also because I wasn't dominating my section of the road as much as I could have. For example, down a 40mph road, I would be doing said speed limit, but positioned over to the left a little, thus "inviting" most car drivers to overtake me. That comes with confidence, but I eventually learned to position myself properly and not see myself as an imposition on the road, but in fact another worthy user like every one else.

Could do indeed. We're just in Glossop so shout if you're interested. Mind you, I am planning a 1000 mile detour, Paul just doesn't know it yet...

Would have been luckier if he hadn't sped into the back of an indicating car, but hey-ho... That aside, he was crazy lucky. Most gymnasts would be envious of a dismount like that!

And the fact that it looks bloody cool...

Well I brought my Tiger along last year, but will be on the Street this time - so two new Triumphs at a 2 stroke event isn't all that bad, ha ha!

What bike will you be on Finnerz?

Yeah, he's on the 'roll of honour' on the Iron Butt website, along with a few other Trident owners. Goes to show you can do it with any bike - although my preference would be something more comfortable!

I couldn't think of anything worse than covering a distance like that in such a time period...! I'll stick to covering that mileage in a year like more normal people, ha ha! I can imagine it doesn't do the bike much good either... Nope, not for me! This one was enough. At most I think I could do the 2000 miles / 2 day challenge, but it'd have to have the weather for it, and build up even more stamina. Oh - and have a different bike! Most of how the felt the next morning was down to the lack of wind protection the Street Triple gave me.

Ha ha ha! Brilliant story Slice. Although sorry to hear you've adopted yet another cat...! Say, would you like my Husky too? That thing gets treated like royalty, eats better than I do, and costs a fortune! On the flip side though, he may just "clear up" your cat problem for you... Ha ha!

Cheers Sacha!

Huzzah Bobikins!

No worries, well just let us know if you do fancy coming along, would be good to meet some more people! Enjoy the ironing... Ha ha!