Ttaskmaster

Hinting? No. Not at all. I am, however, making a blatant outright statement in my customary 'subtle as a brick' idiom, that bike clothing manufacturers FAIL to realise women come in more than one shape and size. If all women were 5' 2" with 40" legs, 24" waists and 34" B cups, then my life would be a lot more peaceful... and there would be no womens' magazine industry, either. Hell, most companies can't even get the bloke's sizes right. They fail to see that I can indeed have a 44" chest but need the same length arms that they'd put on a 52"! Hideout, however, will cater for both genders in tall, short, fat, thin, round, square, pear-shaped and more combinations than even Gok Wan could imagine!!

650 Dragstar? Get the Custom - It looks better (but I might be a little biassed on that)! Seriously, though - I'd wholeheartedly recommend this bike.

Never known the studs to go very often, but I have had to replace several zips on my m/c gear. And who are you calling a good-looking tool?

Mine also bites almost right at the end before you hit the freeplay and I also push the lever out. I adjusted it to be that way though, as I can hold the feathered clutch at the natural extent of my fingers, meaning I can pootle along without getting an achey hand. Claires, on the other hand, bites almost as soon as the clutch lever loses contact with the grip. I always stall her bike at least twice if ever I have to ride it!! BTW - I'm somewhere around the 49,000 mile mark.

Learned how to do this almost by accident. Most leather wholesalers carry such tools and are pretty darn cheap, so I picked up some kit when I was buying a few other things for a project. When I got my Frank Thomas Summer jacket, it had one of those collars that only works if you are leant over the tank, looking up. On a Cruiser, you're slightly slouched and the collar digs into your throat. So, I cracks out me tools, add in a pair of press-studs and pin the collar down nicely. The ability to do simple, small repairs is a great one and will save you much money. I think a simple press-stud is about £20 at the usual leather repair places!!

I'd have politely told them to sling their hook, with all due respect. Looks are (or at least should be) irrelevant unless you're a model (in which case the rest of the world is irrelevant). Biking is perfectly safe, even in this modern age of busy roads and distracted cagers. It's the rider who makes it safe or unsafe. For everyone who tells me about their friend who was injured/killed on their bike, I can find two tales of people who were injured/disabled/killed driving their car/van/truck and quite a few who got the same while walking along the road! Smaller = slower = who cares if you hit it, as you'll be fine. They just don't think. GOOD!!! Be very, very honest with yourself, know FULL WELL when you're at fault for even teh minor stuff and let that be the driver (pun intended) that improves your everyday riding! To be honest, in the majority of bike crashes there will have been something the rider could have done to avoid it. The problem starts when the excuses come along and no-one likes to admit that they fucked up... But it happens. So you have to be honest about these things. There are usually contributary factors, but ultimately you're the one controlling the bike. Ride safe, ride well, ride long! And kick the wing mirrors off any fucker that messes with you!!

Have you seen Hideout? A lot of women go there to get stuff in their size, including my Mrs. They're very good at catering for REAL Women who want REAL Women-shaped clothing!! They do some pretty nice guy clothes, too

Please stop taking about the weather. Every time someone posts here, it gets worse!!!!!!

I have my TomTom wired in, but I did put a Hella plug on as well. I cheated and just bought a car 12v extension cord from Halfords (or maybe Maplins. I don't recall), cut the other end off and wired it in via a fuse. I have about 2-3m of coiled cable that reaches my mini-tank bag and can power the matress inflator for the Mrs, charge stuff up or even run my CB radio! Very cool add-on and very cheap!

My friend Wayne was an Advanced Riding instructor. He'd been on every course and gotten every accreditation you possibly could. He trained advanced riders, Police, Ambulance, you name it. Out one day on a wide Essex road, with a student following behind. Just as he's about to pass an oncoming truck, it understeers and swings right the way across his own lane and right across Wayne's lane too. Instant head-on, instant death. NO-ONE on this Earth could have avoided that. I've had several close ones, mostly stationary drivers not thinking before moving off and trying to beat an oncoming bike. I've hit the curb during a U-turn, hit diesel and I've hit the front brake while fully banked over. ALL of my crashes were my own fault in some way and, while none were anything more than minor, it was always down to me. Then again, I was on a clapped out 125 Drag and I was new to the road. Claire's had a car go from Lane 3 on a mostly empty motorway, pulling right across through Lanes 2 and 1 to get onto teh exit ramp at the last possible second (ie through the hatched area right before you hit grass). The car pulled in front of Claire in Lane 1, missing her front wheel by about four inches, at 70 MPH. Once on the exit ramnp, the driver looked over and gave that stupid wave/smile thing that such fuckwitts do. So stupid and infuriatingly dangerous that, if it had been an option, Claire would have followed off, ridden the driver down, dragged her out of her car (yes, it was a woman driver) and beaten the shit out of her... Normal for me, VERY uncharacteristic of Claire!! I have a friend on a Suzuki GSXR1300-ish sort of thing, who's gone through the back windscreen of a car... at 90+mph on a motorway. He's called Rhino, partly because he's built like one, but also because he came away from several incidents like this without a scratch! I've also seen what his bum looks like at 120mph... bastard mooned me!!

OK, several points... 1/. I know it's a 535. You said so already and we can also read your profile. As for looking silly - Not really. I have been pretty comfy all the way down from Reading to Cornwall and back, Scotland and back and many other places. It's all part of being a camera-wielding pillion. 2/. The main reason why there be no mention of this problem is that all Cruisers are like this. There are ways around it. More on that later. 3/. I have been uncharacteristically kind here, but I suggest (and indeed insist in a gentlemanly fashion) that you start off in the Intro section of the forum, else people will not respond too well to you and post things like the above Selleck Sandwich and other sarcastic things, rather than helpful advice. It's simple forum ettiquette - You introduce yourself and make friends first and THEN start asking advice. 4/. Footpeg extensions do already exist and are very good, especially on a 1600 Wildstar. There are several other solutions to your issue. Hop along to the Noob section, have a play there and then we'll talk more. Ride safe.

Oh my good gracious lordy me, NO!!!!! You must never, ever, ever mix different brands of motorcycle gear... I mean, what kind of un-colour-coordinated twat will you look like to all the other Power Rangers when you pull up at Fox's Diner or Boxhill and have.... (gasp) MIS-MATCHED LEATHERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But seriously.... Get the first pair of trousers, IMO - The ones with the white stripe. At first glance, they look like they'll match better. However, I'd be more likely to try each pair on and see how they look. Then pick whichever ticked the most/best boxes. The only time I can see brand mixing being an issue is if the connecting zips betwixt jacket and trews don't work together... and there's always ways around that, too. Alternatively, sod fashion and get what you think looks cool/costs best/does the stuff you want. I have two different Frank Thomas jackets (Summer and slightly colder) that I wear with either Halvarssons trousers or a cheaper pair that were tailored for me by my Leather Lady. There is no shame in mixing things up to get the desired result.... and in fact, it's probably far more logical than colour co-ordination. You only really need matching kit if you're a professional racer, or if you like that sort of thing. Now, about this "tall and slim" that you mention... We may need photos! But yeah - I'm 5' 11" with a 33" inside leg and a 28" waist. I have the exact same problem!!

A more toned down version of the weather now... Still blindingly bright, but not so warm.

She must have bloody long shin bones... At 5' 11" even I can fit comfortably on a 535!! Are you sure it's not a 125?

*Googles motorcycle-mounted baby carriers for you......

You think you jinxed it? You definitely jinxed, you bastid!!!!! Once-sunny Reading is now covered with big-ass black clouds now, right when I'm about to ride home in a vented Summer jacket (ie with panels full of holes)!!!!!

Schuberth S1? Airoh SV-55?

Aye, a healthy 19°C here in Reading, with sunshine glinting off my dusty chrome and blinding me as I bimble down the country lanes toward a pub lunch.

Wear specs? Me too. Buy a Caberg with a flip down sun visor. Other makes now offer the same feature, too.

Gaskets are a nothing part, 'til ya don't got one. Have you tried your local motorcycle parts shop? A good one, or even a decent garage should be able to help you out, even if it's fabricating one.

Surprisingly, no. Bagster have nothing listed for any Cruiser. Cruisers, especially Customs, tend to have fancy paintwork that you want to show off. About the best you'll get are clear plastic panels that stick on over the paintwork. That, or make your own. It's not cheap... but not that expensive, either.

1/. No-win, No-fee guys won't touch claims against a deceased party. You will need a bullshit American lawyer to even begin claiming against Peter Pidgeon. Not usually worth it, but you might get a percentage of the estate. A loft corner in the centre of Nottingham will probably be worth a couple of pints. 2/. Because the market is captive and you're usually restricted to buying the exact visor for your specific model of helmet. That said, I've never had to replace my visor...

Never heard of them being available. Hein Gericke used to stock some leather all-over tank covers for certain models of sports bike. They had luggage points on that a tank bag clips on to. I think they were intended for those with plastic tanks. Could try asking them...

It's earthed wherever the wire connects to the frame. Just check it's not loose or corroded.

6 other threads have mentioned that site, but yeah - Good to remind folks about it!! Just remember that it's all done at your own risk