meatloaf

Jimmy I'm a bit older than your triumph's and I wish my 56 BSA that I had back in the late 60's had one,I was the original 7 stone weakling back then and it took me ages to to get the hang of rolling her back just right so I could just flip her up on the stand. I'm not saying they weren't around, I just don't remember seeing any.

I always used to take burneze on Scout camp,it was always the most important thing in the 1st aid kit, brilliant stuff.

I had just put the petrol tank back on my Virago after stripping the carbs, when the better half opened the kitchen door into the garage to tell me dinner was ready, I'll just put in some petrol and try her I says, F**k in my rush to eat I hadn't connected the fuel pipe to the tank, was I in the dog house, not only did the house smell of petrol for ages apparently the petrol vapor had ruined the meal.

I don't remember any bikes having side stands when I started riding, at least not mine or any of my mates, but then it could be just a date of birth thing, you know date of birth too long ago.

I recon your right about about cruisers but then I like flying kites, I'm prepared to put up with picking up crap as the ride is worth it. Several years ago when I was looking for a Virago, I was amazed at how many people were selling their bikes with incredibly low mileage and all of it "dry miles", funny I thought bikes were for riding not sitting in a garage. I guess each to their own but seems a waste of dosh to me.

Dropped into Ryka's yesterday for a bite to eat and a cup of tea,as you can imagine the place was heaving. While sitting in the shade supping my tea I couldn't help but notice that there were a number of bikers wearing what I can only describe as their Sunday best, leathers in pristine condition spotlessly clean and trousers that didn't appear to have a single crease in them. I don't know about you guys but I try to keep my leather jacket clean but even in summer I find that after just a couple of hours in the saddle I'm covered in all sorts of crap. Just wondering if some of these guys actually ride.

More like "Cruising up and down the main drag all night long"

Out cruising the Surrey countryside today when some twat drags his dog across the road right in front of me, of course the dog doesn't want to cross cos his mate is sitting at side of the road, so he just sits down. Now I love dogs and wouldn't want to hurt one but stupid dog owners is a different thing.

Stoney sounds like you could turn out to be a proper biker as opposed to a I only ride in the summe type of biker. Did my fair share of winter riding when I was younger, I know that I live in the south but even here we have had some bad winters, you name it and I probably rode in it ( i'm talking about the weather guys). Now I am older and wiser( I think) and as I only ride for fun on what is quite a heavy lump, I don't do snow and ice and if its really pissing down I may not go out. Your lucky as winter kit that is now available is much better than what was around when I was a spotty kid, my advice is to get some decent kit that will keep you warm and dry. There are plenty of guys here to give advice on what to get if you need it.

These days I only ride for the fun of it, i'm lucky and have a lot of spare time so I tend to cruise about the Surrey and Hampshire countryside, no rush just enjoy the ride listening to my music which I have tons of including a lot of Elvis and of course Meatloaf. Of course at times I really open up that throttle but only cos I can.

Well done Laura and all the other thousands of girls out there who have also done it. I lost my wife- the bravest lady I ever knew to pancreatic cancer late last year, I didn't realize how many people suffered from cancer until she started having months of treatment, the place was always rammed full and like my wife so many were so young. Donation made, really pleased you passed you target

Classic leather biker jacket with an open faced helmet, I find that I get a nice breeze around my neck and upper body, do tend to get sweaty bollocks in my gortex trousers but won't ride without them. My daughter in law is a paramedic and hates being called to a RTA involving bikes in the summer as so many arseholes (her words) leave their brains behind when they ride in the sunshine, she's seen too much skin and flesh stuck to the tarmac and tells me that if she find that I have been riding without proper kit she come and take my keys away, she even knows where I keep my spare.

Welcome stoney Nice bike, me I love cruisers think they are the dogs bollocks. I hope you read Ttaskmaters post as its well worth a read. Forget the fist bumps mentioned in the thread but don't forget the cleaning it's part of owning a cruiser. When I first got my midnight star I had it treated with ACF as it was the middle of winter and I didn't want all that salt on the road f***king up my chrome. A few guys will take the piss and some arseholes on Harley's wont talk to you but just go out there take it easy and enjoy you ride.

Ok I fess up sometimes i'm a twat but normally it's in the Hindhead tunnel.

After reading an old post by obriens65 I discovered Loomies, I ride along the A272 quite a lot and didn't know it was there, I usually use the mcdonaulds at the A24 junction but not anymore. The pie mash & beans was great and they do a lovely brew, not sure about radio 1 playing though, as I was always a radio Caroline man myself and could never bring myself to listen to what I considered a crap radio station that was brought in by the establishment to replace the pirate stations that same establishment killed of the pirates in the first place. Back in the day I was a bit of a rebel.

More years ago than I care to remember when my daughter was 16 I bought her a twist and go so she could get to collage, the price of the bike included a days training and the CBT test but they would only deliver it to the training centre, unfortuantly she failed the test so I had to ride it home. I will never forget riding that thing, just about got to 30 flat out, no chance of accelerating out of trouble, I tell a couple of times it really put the shits up me. anyway after spending hours in the local sainsbury's car park teaching her how to ride and of course riding it back to the training centre she passed her CBT and I vowed never to go near one again.

I read somewhere recently that driving route 66 is in the top ten things us brits want to do before we die, well although I have driven along some of it about ten years ago but it was in a bloody great bus that had crap stearing now I want to do all of it riding a Harley. I 've already been warned about the windy city and will probably go in June which I'm told is a good time to go. Thanks for the advice about kevlar jeans, I don't know anything about them but I will do some research. To me an open face helmet is a no brainer as I always use one anyway. When I was a kid the strolling bones were The band and their cover of route 66 is a classic and can never be beaten, of course I'll take a copy but maybe on my ipod.

I'm thinking of doing route 66 next year, one of the group things with proper guides and bikes supplied, when I ride I always wear a leather jacket and gortex trousers but I know that on a lot of the route it gets very hot which is fine while riding but there will also be a lot of walking around at the various stops along the way. Any suggestions as what to wear that will give protection should I need it but not fry my ball when walking about in the heat.

welcome bakes I say just ride it as it, its a cool looking bike, I would be suprised if you didn't want a bigger bike after passing your test, as for the use you will get out of it, when the bug really get you those miles will start to mount up and you will probably find you will use it more than you think. Save your dosh for now and when you get that bigger bike I'm sure the guys here will give you plenty of help so you will be able to do some of the work youself, then you will be able to afford white walls etc. As DT said that would look great on a 1100 or above. Dreams about customising a bike are not boring and you are not foolish, Respect to anyone who turns a stock bike into their own.

That video reminds me of my stay in Sri Lanka a few years back, the traffic was just as bad but most of the little bikes had 3 or 4 people on them, mum dad and two kids, I even saw one guy with a 4ft gas bottle tied ocross the back seat and was told of one guy who used to deliver coffins from his workshop to the funeral parlour on the back of his bike.

Hi Mark and wecome I put Cobbra slip ons on my midnight star but although I was advised all would be ok I do get some popping and farting, but otherwise she sounds much better.

At a family do the other day the four bikers that were there got into heated debate, are loud pipes better than quiet pipes, my brother in law a rather conservative accountant who rides in London daily thinks load pipes just piss off car drivers, my son who rides a HD and myself a lover of big v twins think that loud pipes let cars know that your there, after all how many car drivers say " sorry I didn't see you" but unless they are deaf as well as blind with load pipes they at least know a bike is around. The fouth person in the debate said " I want to be heard its safer. Just wondered what you guys thought.

I don't know anything about remapping but I put Cobbra slip ons on my midnight star and I do suffer from some popping and farting, I would like to stop this but am not sure of the way forward, can anyone help? By the way the cheeky bugger at my local Yamaha dealer put an advisory on my MOT he said my pipes were noisy.

Some rare sunshine in Surrey today so I took out my bike to try out the new Cobra slip ons that I fitted. sounds great until I slow down then I get a lot of popping and farting which don't sound so good. Anyone got any ideas? I was led to believe I could fit these with no problem but doesn't seem the case.

Welcome mate