Cov_AL

I'd like a couple of stickers and maybe a mug/pin badge/fridge magnet etc... Has anyone tried Cafe Press or something like that? It'd mean no money down, and you could have a selection of images on a variety of products...

or at least make sure they're clean... Have you tried using redex?

Well give us a clue then,

Similar thing happened to me - the only (legal) thing that can be done is to catch the thieving toe-rag and get the money back through the courts...

I use mine for commuting, if your riding through the winter your obviously not one of these fair-weather posers - so washing the salt off with a bucket of water once in a while does the trick. No-one can take the piss for you having a dirty bike if you've ridden through freezing fog and the pouring rain...

For starters Get the XVS650 not the 650a! The custom is just better... My trick is to get a quote from insureyourbike.com and then phone up Aquote insurance and get them to beat it...

I was using Dunlops on my XVS650, till last week when I needed a new front tyre and couldn't get another of the same. I've now got a Bridgestone, but I know a few 'star riders that run on Avons...

haha, nice!

My advice is - You get what you pay for! I got some cheap ones from lidl and they were useless.

Could be a couple of things, both fixable with a new fuel tap which should be quite cheap and very easy to replace (less than 20mins) lets see - disconnect negative battery terminal! drain fuel disconnect hoses from tap (note which ones go where!) remove seats undo tank restraint bolt(s?) turn tank upside down, undo tap with phillips-head screwdriver put the new tap on and follow above steps in reverse. easy eh? The torque settings for the bolts you will need to undo aren't too critical, just give them a good pinch up (not too hard)

Camerone Diaz & Christina Applegate make a Harley rider wreck...

Whoa, This takes me back! My first bike was also a 125 'star, I think it may well have been a 2004 too... now hear this tale of woe... I bought it second-hand (private) with only 288 miles on the clock (not even run in!) and a years warranty still valid (Thank f@#k!) At £2250 I was sure I had a bargain, and didn't ask too many questions (mistake) got it past it's first service, and around 1900ish miles (dun dun derr...) Loss of power and a clunking noise. So I take it back to the original dealership (lucky also my local one) and after a couple of days they tell me that the crankshaft is broken! It took a couple of weeks for them to get the parts and fix it (it ran fine ever since). BUT! The garage let slip that this happened to them once before, which is weird as they don't sell many 125 dragstars... Turns out that the reason the bike only had 288 miles on the clock was that - The person I bought it of had the same problem with their FIRST draggie, which the dealership swapped for a brand new one (which I ended up with). So it seems that a batch of 2004 UK 125 Dragstars had dodgy crankshafts. Hope this has been informative! I had no problems after that, and enjoyed the dragstar so much I moved up to the 650 after my test. Top-speed (if i recall) was in the region of 75mph (downhill with a tail-wind!!!) I made a habit of filling up every 100miles (about a fivers worth!) Keep an eye on your mileometer and get to know how much fuel you use before you need to switch to REServe (if you suddenly start getting more - you may have left the tank on RES!) Accidentally leaving it on reserve won't do any damage, but it means when you realize you're out of fuel - your stranded! If the engine coughs and splutters and you don't switch to reserve before it conks out That is when you need to turn it to PRI for a minute (primes the engine when it has "died" because of fuel starvation) start it then switch to RES. Although the temptation is (on any 125) to thrash the bollocks off it, to get every last mph - this bike is at its best taking it easy (that's why its called a cruiser - duh!) I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed mine! - also see if their is any VSOC meetings in your area, lovely bunch of Yamaha cruiser riders! p.s. I use mostly back break and engine breaking, you'll find a balance that suits you with time (and after a few close calls probably...) All the best, Cov_AL

Personally I'd only turn it off when doing work on the bike - but fair weather wussies should probably turn it to off for the winter...

Am I the only person that thinks your wheels might be out of alignment?

I visited Malta once when I was younger - Beautiful place, Fantastic weather and all the above gripes! I was too young for a motor, but I did cycle around a bit - and I'll agree - Crazy car drivers and tiny little bits of road between potholes... As for the Vanity vs Safety issue - I'm gonna go out on a limb here... When the weather is fine and the it's baking hot - *hangs head in shame* - I have been known to go out wearing trainers, shorts and a shirt... I KNOW, I know - I shouldn't, I know if I come off it'll be agony and I know it's a silly risk. *here come the excuses* Only on bright clear sunny days, Only by myself, Only "cruising speed" (more than 50mph gets too chilly anyway) NEVER on the motorway! On the flip side - I wear a Hi-vis vest over my jacket to and from work (commuting ain't about style - its about surviving!) My waterproofs are Hi-vis too (if it's raining, visibility is reduced and breaking distances increase... so I want to be seen!) I'm a BIG fan of Draggin Jeans - two jackets and lots of jeans/camo's/combats... The jackets are ace for those hot, sunny days and I now at least wear the Ultra-light whenever I go out (it's cool enough for even the hottest of days!). The jeans are my everyday trousers - which makes it a lot easier to jump on the bike at a moments notice. Pillions MUST be wearing decent gear, Boots/Jacket/Gloves/Lid/Trousers NO heels/skirts/bare-hands - If the worst happens, pillions come off the worst! also, no speeding with a pillion. p.s. When I had the GS - I ALWAYS wore ALL the right gear. Apologies for length - you may flame me now...

http://www.insureyourbike.com/

I've used a fuel tank liner that I bought on eBay recently, and it worked a treat! Here's the link Same seller I got it from - tonnes of info and no messing about with mixing, just pour it in, swill it about, drain it and then let it dry! Worth every penny!

http://www.dailybike.com/content/680/ClutchCable_LEFT.jpg jfgi

haha, this thread makes for a good read... Welcome to biking Derryk, May I offer one piece of advice - Buy a Haynes manual for your bike - Having a read through one really helped me when I got my first bike, it'll tell you all the basics you need to know... The Tech Books are useful too...

http://www.dynojet.co.uk/tuningcentres.php?type=3 As with anything the price depends on where you go... Follow the link to find somewhere near you and ask them.

Er, Hi! I'm relatively new to the forum, didn't stop to say hi at first - Just waded straight in... So urm, Hi.

The "Race Can" should not cause problems pulling away. however you really should re-jet your carbs or re-map your injection. Fitting a "stage 1" or "stage 2" set of jets for your carbs might help, but the best option is to have a professional put it on a rolling road/dyno and pick the specific jets (or re-map the cpu for the injectors) depending on where you want the power distributed. (If your paying to have this done, then it's worth getting a K&N air-filter fitted first) A lot of accessories are marked "NOT FOR ROAD USE" when it doesn't really matter, However with Exhaust systems IT DOES. The main issue you will have is at MOT time due to them being loud, and it all depends on the person doing the test - some places will straight out fail you bike for it, Some will charge a fee for 'lending you a road legal can for the test', some might just want proof that you have a road legal can - even if it's not fitted, and in a rare few cases the MOT tester will temporarily go deaf during the test ;-)

To be honest, you'll be fine if you just set them somewhere near the middle... (as long as they're even) If your doing a lot of racing then it might be worth tinkering, but for if its just for sunny weekends then don't bother...

I've got a Oxford Stormex cover, and I would recommend nothing else! The heat resistant lining (up to 250°C) means you can put it on as soon as you've got off your bike, which also means that the bike can dry out whilst underneath the cover - and like the rainex, the lining is soft so it won't damage your paintwork. Worth every penny!

I assume you're adjusting the front pre-load (on your fork springs), It will be subtle, one turn is only compressing/releasing the spring by about 1mm. This is why you will often see people's pre-load wound completely out. If you want really noticeable difference, you could try after-market springs - Hagon's are good.