Gas up - Let's Go!

It's difficult to properly asses the speed becasue of the poor quality, and the lack of markers, however; Looking at the video, the bike covers the length of the van plus the length again in 1 second, so to er on the side of caution I'm going to suggest that the bike is covering around 30 meters per second. (the van will be around 5 meters long) Now some mathmatics; At 30 meters per second, he is covering 1800 meters per minute 30 x 60 = 1800 1800 x 60 = 108000 Meters per hour (meters per minute x minutes in an hour) So I would say, that the bike is traveling at 108kmh Given that 1mph is 0.62137kmh that puts the bike at 67.11 mph. (108 x .062137) Always looks faster when you look through a normal lens as the bike clears the frame too quickly and your eyes don't adjust fast enough. The sound of the bike too will infulence what people percieve as going fast. For what it's worth, I think the biker over reacted (and who wouldn't faced with a head on with a van?), and over corrected. but it's very difficult to make an informed assesment given the lack of fact. Maybe a more experienced rider would have got away with it........

Bonjour, FZR_Jim, Enchante

X-Jayney, as the post's have been edited out, it's very difficult to have any sort of say now, and a level debate is impossible. A lively debate is good, but the whole Hogg thing is a bit like the Jaffa, Cake of Biscuit debate.... too emotive! Probably best to let sleeping dog carry on dreaming, don't you think??

Aint that the truth. But I fear this is what the government is trying to do, take away the learning and just expect everyone to 'become' wise when the get to 25, 30, 35, Oh I don't know Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional........ Didn't I start a thread a while ago about the nanny state?

The WR450F is a serious off road bike, these are well spec'd, very light and as quick as you like. Normally they come prepaired for off road (apart from the crappy Pirelli tyres, that you'd soon ditch for some propper knobs). You may have seen a 250, they do a super-moto version of that, but I've not seen one on the roads so I can't comment. You may find one about that has been super-moto'd but if you are looking for a new bike it's going to cost you. Have you though about an XT660X ? these are already super-moto bikes. I'm assuming you are looking at the 450 because you'll have a restricted licence ? The Yamaha website has all the details: http://www.yamaha-motor.co.uk/products/mot...reet/wr250x.jsp http://www.yamaha-motor.co.uk/products/mot...tion/wr450f.jsp http://www.yamaha-motor.co.uk/products/mot...reet/xt660x.jsp

You will notice that this will tail off a bit when the warm weather comes along. For some reason the 'Sunny Sunday' gang don't bother with a wave - but through the winter months it's rare not to get some form of wafe/footout/flash etc I do find this up here in the north, but then we're know for our friendly outlook....... we'll talk to anyone (mostly because you never know when you'll see the next person!) Me too. Some Scooter riders give a wave, but these are normally the type where you have to pass a test to ride. As for 16yr old Oiks on them pesky bloody things, more annoying that a wasp in your lid (same sound too), Oh don't get me started. Steve - you're OK, you have a bike that require some skill to ride (Clutch & Throttle Control ??) - don't mind them in the slightest.

Nope. Like breaking, like balance like staying in lane My last bike had linked brakes, I though they were brilliant, you just hit the brakes and it stopped (also had ABS too) no need to think. The first day back on a real bike and I locked up the rear wheel and nearly lost it. There is a moral to this, the less you make people think, the more they think they can do (like lipstick at 70mph in the third lane) and the more they forget. Kinda like "oh I want to stop, I press this button and I stop". there is a saying in the IT world, "I had a terrible day, the computers went down and we all had to think" - I would say this sums it up perfectly. I would like to see the statistics they are using compared with similar roads in France, Spain or Germany where the driving is a much higher standard......

Nope It used to be, once upon a time.... So do something about it then - try looking at the real facts not the coincidental one. Speed has never killed anyone on the roads. Stopping quickly does, bad driving does

Although my collection spans a few decades I've never found strenght in music, just like I've never looked to faith to help me through bad times, I've always looked to myself to get me through. That and some very good mates. However, that all changed last year. Like most solitary adventure riders, you hit rock bottom at some point. For me it was in Hungary, heading for Romaina after only a couple of hour sleep, teaming with rain, missed breakie and dirty. Ahead of me was a ferocious storm and I was already feeling the effects of a long time on the road. I could so easily have given up and turned west for home. On the MP3 player came a song I'd never heard before called Every River by Runrig - reminds me every time now that I am who I am because of those who love and support me. Took 40 years, but when they say no man is an island - it's bloody true.

Right this long walk that they did last week. It's getting on my goat, they gave up all this time to go and walk this mountain, yes they raised over £1million, £400,000 of that will be poured into Africa where there will be little return (I still remember Live Aid, and the corruption is still there, and we are still pumping our donations into Africa, with no sight of the country helping itself, except a 'special'few). The other £600,000 will get poured into projects here, and that in my mind is good, so some need it more than others ands it a bit of a lottery - nothing's perfect. Anyway, back to these celebrities who have given up thier time, to be flown (in the 'turn left' seats) to Africa, be given a load of state of the art equipment, to get loads and loads of publicity showing the world how magnanimous they are giving up this time, showing the world their humility bla bla bla. How many people are aware who paid for all this? Mostly it is one company, who donated the cash and funded the trip - all they ask in return is for these celbs to mention who done it, without them it would not have taken place. There is a reason why they donated, its called Corperate Responsibility, they want to give a bit back, but like all things in life they want people to know that they put a bit back. I work for this company, and the budget for charity is fukling huge, they have a whole department responsible for assisting it's employees to maximise fund raising, the girls in there are brilliant, the most dedicated people I have ever met - and they get no reward (other than thier monthly pay), no mention, no publicity - nothing. I've not given anything to the red nose cause, I gave £100 (extra) to ChildLine this month, this will pay for 3 children to have thier calls taken and receive full counselling. My missus is a teacher, thier school is raising money for a local Hospice. I say bugger the telly stuff, give your money to something that will help the Kids in your area. After all, you put your own oxygen mask on before helping others!

I with you on that one. Still, that's the risk you take when you go too fast, he really should've see the car moving over from lane 1 and started to slow in anticipation.

I found this, it should help some of the memebrs who struggle with TLA's http://www.all-acronyms.com/

So no more surging then. Isn't the XT600 a carb bike ?

C'est exact and from one so young....... Sun is out, not a cloud in the sky, it's sitting at 0c right now, but it's looking like a mighty fine day. If you book them, they will come.

Nooooooooooo. I've a mental picture in my head now, it's gonna take some getting ride of....

Yip. Your disc will have imperfections, or grooves in it, the pad needs to wear down in parts to fit these grooves, kinda like a key in a lock, the profile of the pads needs to match the profile of the disc so that full surface contact can be made. It doesn't take very long, you'll probably notice it improving in the next 50 or so miles. BTW, don't wory about the imperfections it's quite normal, they are normally very minute, but on older discs they'll be a bit more noticable - after all these are friction surfaces and both pads and the disc will wear. If you decide to remove the pads at any time (say for cleaning after the winter crap), just take a note which pad matches which side of the disc and put them back the same way.

Summer? Here's what I think,, Greece, the mountains and Kleftiko....... OK, so it's a Honda, but that Morroco in the background, happy days!!! Yes, that Honda again, but Andalucia, Gods Motorcycle Playground! Of course, the Pyrenees in May can be a bit tricky at times.....

There you all go with your negative vibes......... now look what's happened, 15mm of the white stuff in 20 minutes last night. The gritters have gone off on thier summer holidays and the we've got Roxanne Pallet dancing on ice past the front door (she's still not very good though) Now, can we all think 'Hot sunn and a warm breeze', birds singing, wasps stuck in your lid, that pesky midge in your eye, melted tarmac, the blast of a hot exhaust while you're sitting in traffic waiting for the lights, leathers that are stuck to your legs when you get home, you know the feeling - Summer, or here in Cumbria, May23rd........

Sorry, that was no help to you at all, I'm sure Goff will be along any minute to give me a slap, or if I'm unlucky OldGit will turn up ...... Can't help you with the dragstar specific stuff, but in escence; Wrap a rag around your reservoi and losen the screws - you may or may not need to do this, it depends if the fluid's been topped up after the pads have worn down There should be a couple of mounting bolts holding the calipher on, remove them. Normally, there is a pin maybe two, with clip on the end. These kinda secure the pads in place, but allow them to float too. It may well be a spring clip - I don't know, like I say can't help with the bike specific stuff, either way whatever is holding the pads in place will need to come out, then the pads should fall out of the calipher. you will need to push the piston back into the calipher, this will force the fliud back into the reservoir - just make sure it doesn't all errupt out and strip your paint off the tank, or anything else it runns over (hence the rag). When you put it back together, you'll need to be quite liberal with the copper slip (this stops thing sticking together, or the brakes squealing) on the back of the pads, if there is an anti-squeal shim coat both sides. Where the plate (on the pads) runs in the calipher, give that a coat of Copper clip too. Put it back together in the reverse way you took it off, make sure you tighten the bolts correctly. squeeze the brake lever until it feels firm again, top up the brake fluid and fasten the screws up. Check you've got a brake again. Push the bike along and check you still have a brake, if it feels wrong make sure you've put it together right or haven't got copper slip on the pad/disc, or oil. There won't be much can go wrong, unless the fluid get air in it..... Like I said, take it to bits, put the pads in and put it back tyogether. When you've done it once you'll wonder why you bothered asking, it's really not that difficult. Goos luck. I'm sure someone can be alot more specific that this though....

Take it to bits, put the new pads in, put it back together! don't forget to pump the brakes up afterwards, prefereably before you ride away....... Easy.

Wasn't that the year there was a water shortage? Long hot summer and all......... I know Stoke can bit a bit 'out there' I could be wrong, after all I was only 8........

Nearly every single speedo out there is over estimated, as Yoda has said, anyhting up to 10% is quite normal. There's no real way to be 100% accurate while your riding, you can calculate the speed between two point (Speed= distance/time) over a give piece of ground, but again no use at all! Despite paying a fortune for a M'cycle speedo, the low cost Bicycle ones are more accurate as long as you setup the wheel circumference right, and don't forget as the tyre wears the circumference decreases, so the speedo becomes less accurate. GPS is probably the most effective method of speed indication. But,,, it all depands on the GPS, and how often it samples, as these will provide an average speed between two points, if those two points are 100m apart then it's no real use, normaly it is only a few meters so it's not a problem. You also need to know the GPS accuracy (if your unit will tell you), the more off-road bais units (mainly Garmin) will report on thier accuracy typically around 3% so your speed could be either 3% over or under at the extreme. If your unit supports WAAS (EGNOS, I think is the European version - WAAS is a USA definitition but the signal and technology is the same, and your GPS will have an option for WAAS, rather than the other vendors) then you can increase the accuracy as WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) is a land based system and not at the will of the US military. WAAS isn't as effective over rough ground though, and loosing the signal is very easy! So there you have it! I've said this before, we have to ride within the law but Mr Plod has all the correct equipment for accuratly recording our speed, it's not fair, or balanced but that's the way it is. Can you imagine if speedo's reported a slower speed than you are doing ?? the courts would be full of litigations against then from drivers & riders who'd got a ticket!!

When I woke this morning, it was almost daylight - brilliant!!! And just to add, it was well after 18:00, before the night fell good and propper. Spring is on the way, dry roads, warm breeze, bees, wasps, flies - roll on May 23rd!! Clocks change in less than 4 weeks, then it'll be getting close to 20:00 before the night falls, just think of all that riding time we've got coming.....

Press the SELECT button for a couple of seconds - it flips over Hint - Page 3-5 of the owners manual!

How's she gonna answer? she's gone!