Gas up - Let's Go!

For the last few weeks I've been getting real bad tension headaches, but only when I'm working at the VDU, so I get a voucher from work and off down to SpecSavers (works choice not mine!) for the test. After poking me in the eye with a blast of air, half blinding me with a bloody flood light (well his torch thing!) he tells me I don't need specs to use a VDU - but I do for reading. I can sit on a night and read a book from cover to cover with no problems at all, ten minutes infron of a VDU and I can feel the strain - what the phook are these people on? I asked the optician, why then do I get strain? "you need spec's" but you've just said I don't, "yes you need them for reading, and they will help with the VDU" but I don't have a proble reading "you have sfasdgahdsghfa (no idea, optician talk)" so can you make a prescription for the VDU ? "no, you need them for reading" but I can read all night without any problems, "that is what is causing your headaches" but I don't get then when reading..... "come with me" - off down the sairs to a rack of £169 frames, "wait here and I'll get someone to help you choose" but I'm not happy that you.... he walked away and sent over a chuffling assistant.... I said politly to the assistant that he was a an awfull optician and I was leaving. So, why didn't I just get the spec? simple. If I need glasses for workin gin front of a VDU then the law says your employer must supply these (these are very basic glasses, nothing fancy, bottom of the range stuff), but if I need them for reading then they don't. My company is fine with this, as long as the optician say's it's for VDU then I can have a pair 'from the £45 range', if they are for anything else (like read as well) then I get to spend £169 !!! I'm not saying that the optician was being dishonest, but I find it very hard to part with a big pile of cash when he could have said , these are the prescription fo rthe VDU. Thankyou for listening - if you do go to specsavers (like you should have done) then good luck!

Just a wild shot in the dark, but are the brake lines OK ? you don't have a small hole in them squirting fluid out under presure ?? It might explain why it's so difficult to spot?? Possibley the banjo bolts, or the copper washers ?? If the brakes are working (albeit badly), then I'd err away from Oil and stick with brake fluid - if it is, and you get it on your painwork you'll be replacing that too, best paint stripper on the market is brake fluid. Get someone to work the brakes and have a look at the front to see if you can spot a leak - but for gods sake wear some eye protection

Not really my cup of Earl Grey, but I do like to see nice clean 'older' bikes. Leaves! next door has 12 birch and one beech tree. the wind blows every single leaf into our back garden - not a single bloody one goes next door - gone through one leaf hoover already this year, have to do it every sodding day or we loose the path......

And he has a brother,,,,,, not so cute, but bloody savage with apple! Didn't I see him on MIB2 ???? can he sing?

Oh, haven't we been here before ?? Mines, bigger than yours etc. If you move, he'll go for the nuts (or thereabouts), never trust a cute dog.........

???? Like a dishwasher ??? or do you mean a wife ???

The bike should be fine, nearly all sportsbikes are left through the winter months without problems, just needs a service come the spring, but it may well be due an annual service by then anyway. Firing it up every week or so will help to keep the battery alive - but if you do, make sure you run it until it's nice and warm, you need to replace that charge you've just used fron the battery and to ensure that any condensation in the exhaust has gone, oh and the Oil is up to temp - especially as it's in a shed, it will be damp and there's unlikely to be any real draught. A cover is a good idea too, doesn't need to be expensive, or indeed cost anything - most peopel have an old blanket/sheet that they can use. If you've got a stand, use it, if not just bringing the bike out of the shed when you start it up should be enough to stop 'flat spots', although on a 125 I'm not sure if there is enough weight to cause this.

you ae looking for someone who doesn't get the wrong end of the stick, doesn't make postings that upset people, doesn't get in arguments - is there such a person? It's atough job, time consuming and needs dedication to make it work. I think Goff and Oldgitonabike have good ideas, a nomination followed by an on-line vote. New members are unlikely to get voted through by virtue of the fact they are new and few will know and understand them. (listen to me! only been on here since June.......). Sorry Goff - you need to get out more, this was rationed a long time ago..........

No idea at all. but this might help a bit : Fazer 600

Sorry, I'm a Northerner - from the place the air is clear and the roads are full of southerners trying to find out how grim it really is up here!!! Mind you, wouldn't fancy riding down your neck of the woods, way to busy for me...

Most Blog software allows you to send blogs in by email, you can use your phone for this. It needn't be expensive. I did it with a Asus 9000, and a grps enabled phone. I have own webspace so loading Blog software was straightforward. If you want, I can let you have some space and access to a Blog thread, PM me if you are interested

Charlie, Security is all about layers, the more different type the better. My bikes are locked in the Garage - to get into the garage they need to get past my main gates, these secure the front of the house from the back and are custom made jobs, made from timber with steel inserts and 4 different lock types, 2 of which are high security. once past that garage door they have to clear the normal lock (about 30 seconds) then the two dead bolts - these are not so easy as they have both vertical and horizontal tumblers - cost £20 each from a specialist. between the locks and the door there is a custom made plate that will defy most drills due to it's composition. Inside the garage they have the Alarm to deal with - it's wireless and there is a sounder at the top of our stairs, just outside my bedroom. It's a normal house alarm, not a shed alarm that you can get (although they all server the same purpose), Assuming they're in the bikes are secured to the ground with the best ground anchor I could afford and all have different chain types and lock types - each bike has it's own anchor. Now, if they have managed to get the bikes moving, then they are welcome to them, and they deserve then for shear tenacity. If they happen to wake me then all bets are off. It may sound a bit OTT, but the theiving scumbags tried to have it away with my TTR earlier this year. I took some very good advice from a security specialist (not Mr Plod, who had pretty much no idea), and a few rules he gave me were: * Out of sight - out of mind, but being seen is being safer * security starts when you're close to home - check you mirrors, see if anyone is following you. Most bike thieves are steeling to order. You need to employ a bit of counter surveillance (round the roundabout twice, stopping, practise your U-Turns, go past your house and stop at someone elses etc etc) * Noise, make sure your outer security causes noise, people ignore alarms, but it does make a thief think twice. You can get things like driveway alarms that alert you when someone comes into your property. Airsoft grenades and trip wires are good too. * Layers, different devices offer different levels of security, mix and match * When fixing ground anchors, remember bricks are easily removed with a £30 motor rake from B&Q, concrete is better * try to secure your bike by the frame - wheels can be removed You can go on and on, but at the end of the day if they want it, they will probably get it

No it isn't Why not? Well then, that's all you really need Doinging it on a 50 is something you'll remember always, you'll be telling 'hardened bikers' in years to come, it's a self defining action, no less than Goffs India challenge when you consider the bike and relative experience. Depending on your own personality, you'll need to make different plans. In the summer I trotted off around Europe 8146 miles in all in 19 days. I planned no stops and decided to deal with each night as it came, sometimes B&B sometimes camping - even sleeping rough beside the bike. At 39 I've a bit of life experience to fall back on, but it was still a daunting thought. Brilliant experience though! (if you are interested click the 'Keep up with my travels' link at the bottom It takes time to find a suitable B&B (bike safety?) so don't under estimate how this will impact your schedule (if you have one) camping can be just as difficult - and this takes time to setup and clear down next day. Don't over plan your schedule, if you have 16 days, then plan a trip for say 12 of them, then if you find somewhere interesting you can always stay a few extra days. Consider a 'bail-out' plan - Eire is good for this as you can cut cross country if you need to head home. These are things that anyone on a bigger (faster) bike would never really need to consider, but you are limited to speed and the roads you can ride on. Go for it, have a ball and tell everyone about it, why not setup a webpage and blog the trip??

They will work for slow speed spils and falling over - as long as they are sturdy enough when you get them on. The one on my TTR have an aluminum strip running through them so you can run the bike into a tree and it'll bounce off! Plastic ones will work, but they're brush guards - for protecting your hands from branches/hedges/flying rocks etc rather than loking after the levers. This is more like it: http://www.coast2coastoffroad.co.uk/index....roducts_id=1550 But at 4x the cost, you would be better with the Busters ones.

Are you looking to purchase on-line or from a shop? The problem with lids is that they aren't the same, and one might fit great, another might give you grief. Personally, I've always stuck to Arai's as they make different sized shells, they are comfy, well made but expensive and to be honest I think they are living off there reputation a bit now. I've just recently purchased a Shoei flip front and I'm not sure I like it - could be lots of reasons why. The most sensible thing to do is find a shop with loads of lids (Hien Gerricke normally ahve a good selection), or better still a few different shops and try some different brands on - you'll know when you find one that right, and if the guys in the shop know what they are selling they'll be able to give you some sound advice on what's safe to wear.

OK, don't worry - it's not that bad. You need to restrict MAC (Media Access Control) addresses on your router, it's very simple but does vary from box to box. Most Routers will have a screen showing the MAC addresses it has learned, clear this out then switch on each of your machines until you are happy you have the right addresses, then restrict access to these adresses. If you are a little more PC Literate you can open up a DOS dox and type ipconfig /all - you are looking for something like this: Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : home Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . : BT Voyager 1055 Laptop Adapter Physical Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 00-1B-9E-2E-28-2F It's the physical adddress you are interested in. At work - then your support team should already have full mitigation in place already (if not then your company is in deep sh..t, as they'll have missed loads of other stuff too....) Firewalls are a pain in the backside on PC's, if you can invest in a router with an in-built firewall with statefull inspection, and if you really must allow incoming connections make sure you restrict it to known devices. Now then, back to bikes!

I did Europe in September/August - and I do mean Europe, all 24 mainland countries (8146 miles in 19 days). Have a look at my website if you want any ideas, and the blog will give you some idea of what I was thinking at the time.... www.smokingtailpipes.com - doesn't work with Firfox though beacuse of the page transitions, It'll be sorted in the next update once I've got the last trip uploaded.

Wow! you really have a good memory, this was taken from a piece of paper I got over 15 years ago! What's you secret to this incredible memory? Well, if they have a British passport (or the birthright to have one), then they are not forigeners - are they ? I think you are reffering to Presumed innocent - it's not the same Your opinion is perfectly valid - there is no such thing as a wrong opinion. I did finish off by saying this the points I made were very good reasons why I should stick to what I do best (and I do it very well) - some people are born leaders, most try hard, but those that rise to the top often have different goals. I'm fairly certain that they all start off with the right intentions, but when your life depends on popularity - it's easy to get lost. The point about the flag, I think that a good way of instiling a national sense of pride, we live in dark times where the enemys of 'our way of life' move amoung us - anything that helps weed that out can't be bad - can it ? You are of course correct, English people have a sense of being English and there are some things we do, and just do do - stiff upper lip yada yada yada. The point is, we are all British, Like it or not. You may also be a Scouser, a Geordie, a Manc, you are still British. A friend of mine died, and was layed to rest under the Union Flag. That says enough for me. We are all entitled to think what we want to think, we should have the same right of expression. I'm going on too much now, look what you've started. I need to remember what's really important, my bike is waiting.....

If you have no experience, then the place to start is with a service/workshop manual, haynes or the like. do your research first, but that's probably why you are here........ stay safe.

Invest in a pair of Guards, I have Acerbis ones on my TTR and Yam OEM ones on the Tenere, you can get them from most dealers, although Yemaha ones will cost more, and in most cases they are made by Acerbis anyway. These also keep the cold away from you hands! another £40 for some Oxford heated grips will give you nice toasty hands all through the winter. A tip for riding in the cold - thin layers, forget than nice thick fleece, put two thin ones on instead, long socks and don't fasten things too tight. A good wind proof neck buff will help stop the draughts around your neck/head. For some reason nearly all small capacity bikes have crap lights, it makes you wonder why they put crap on the most vulnerable bike on the roads! Other than puting another light on the bike (Halfrauds sell some small spots for around £15) your stuck as the bike's wiring isn't setup for higher output bulbs. I've fitted some to my TTR, you can just about make them out on this picture, next to the main light:

Me too, Hello everyone

WARNING: This Product May Contain Nuts Found on a packet od KP Salted Peanuts.. Nuf said!

Anyone considered extra lights ?? My TTR has a crap light, so I fitted a single spot and a fog, got them from Halfrauds, made a couple of brackets to fit them to the same mounting as the headlight, installed an auxilary circuit and bingo! I use the fog on a switch and the spot with the main beam. Lights cost about £15 a pair (you need two pairs - even though I only used one out of each) a few quid for cable & connectors, LSUK wil charge £3 for a relay (if they are still trading) You just need to work out a wiring diagram for the Aux circuit - if you are at all interested let me know I'll put one together and put it on the web

Anyone considered extra lights ?? My TTR has a crap light, so I fitted a single spot and a fog, got them from Halfrauds, made a couple of brackets to fit them to the same mounting as the headlight, installed an auxilary circuit and bingo! I use the fog on a switch and the spot with the main beam. Lights cost about £15 a pair (you need two pairs - even though I only used one out of each) a few quid for cable & connectors, LSUK wil charge £3 for a relay (if they are still trading) You just need to work out a wiring diagram for the Aux circuit - if you are at all interested let me know I'll put one together and put it on the web