Ttaskmaster

Whatever it is, it's gone now. Silly thing.

Possible - I believe so. Practical or cost-effective - I seriously doubt it. You could probably buy a whole 250 for the amount it'd cost to get done. They probably have parts other than the engine which are different, too. I daresay things like the final drive would be made to higher tolerances.

Err.... You do know me, right? Claire has the exact same model of bike as me and rides in a patched Sisterhood. She sends massive hugs to ya for that, Barkie!!!

Get a bike lift. Decent ones can be had for as little as £140 and even the lower end ones can be as cheap as £60. Just check the load rating against your bike. It may seem a bit expensive to start with, but for a Cruiser it's one of the most useful things ever... and you will use it a lot!!

Heya, Just wanted to let you all know - Claire and I are engaged!! Smiles, Woody.

Nice backrest/luggage rack combo for the Dragstar range. Only £100 - Sounds good to me!! Good work, sir!

Nope. Nothing new, nothing different. A sidecar outfit is not a trike. However, you will pay more on the MOT. Now, I seriously doubt you'll have a quick bolt-on solution. The bike must be affixed to the sidecar with the right amount of lean angle, else you will not be able to ride in a straight line. This will require a secure, solid frame. You could possibly fabricate a reasonable release system once it's all set up, but be damn sure the thing will hold solid. Not even a single degree of flex or a millimetre of slipage.

Opinion: One of the best bikes ever. My CBT instructor swore by them and even the police instructor who did my DAS heartily recommends them. You should anyway, but take good care of it - The undersides can get rather rusty if you don't. Get the 900 as that is shaft drive. The 600 is chain. As far as tearing your head off - Just ride easy and relaxed. You'll find most bikes can 'tear your head off' if you ride like a twat. Even mine. Ride properly and just enjoy. Job done

My 650 only did that when a hole developed in the exhaust pipe. It would fire whenever I rolled off the throttle. Check also your fuel/air mixture as that could be too lean, causing unburnt air to burn when it hits the exhaust system - Hence the pop... or BANG if it's a large hole.

Move to Reading. They sell it in Halfords here.

Tip to tail service. Get a manual and some tools and check everything. I suspect there'll be some other issues afore too long. You may have to open up the caliper and clean the crap out from there, too.

You're thinking of something else there, mate

Disregard the low seat height that everyone touts about Cruisers. Plenty of short female riders I know favour things like the Bandit and cope perfectly well. One did have to have her Bandit lowered, but that's because she's 4' 8"!! My other half is 5' 4" and rides a 650 Dragstar (or V-Star in the US). That seems pretty heavy at 230KG, but very managable once you're used to it. The Virago is about as powerful, but considerably lighter. The weight on Cruisers is also much lower than other bikes. What you really need to be concerned about with Cruisers is the distance from the seat to the foot controls and whether your little legs can reach easily. Having said that, the Virago is indeed an excellent match for you. The controls are possibly the closest going. It's also pretty powerful and should top out at around 92MPH. It will do everything you need, is nippy enough for town, powerful enough to haul luggage on a touring holiday and comfy enough for the long hauls. The standard fuel tank is only about 8 litres, but you can get a 13 litre one. If you do go for the Virago, take good care of it. The price drops with age, as do all bikes, but the Virago reaches a set low and stays there. It will not depreciate further, so long as it's in good nick. In summary - An excellent bike and a fantastic choice for you lovely petite lady bikers!!

Go to somewhere that sells the Silkolene stuff. Halfords ought to, as should almost everywhere else. Ask for BOA 80W-90. Their webshite says: "- SAE 80W, SAE 90 and SAE 85W-90 - API GL-4 or API GL-5 - MIL-L-2105B " If they really are idiots, there's pictures of it on the link here: http://www.silkolene.com/index.php?calling=product&sub=maintain#maintain_p18

Sigh..... See any one of several postings by me about how professional Auto Locksmiths can do this, all for reasonable prices. You must prove you own the vehicle and that you are who you say you are. I suggest driving licence, passport, bank/bill statements AND all the proper paperwork. You want photo proof of ID, address and ownership.

I use the Caberg V2 - Full face and still the best drop-down sun visor. No need for sunnies and you can wear glasses with it too. Possibly the cheapest one with a top safety rating. Never had any problems.

Ignore them, especially the Sports riders. Everyone knows that Cruisers are superior anyway. Besides, doesn't matter how fast they think they can ride... They can't outrun bullets. Remind them of this fact and then kick them in the balls.

Memory does serve. It is indeed an 18mm. You may find you have to buy one seperately, rather than it being included in a set. Halfords do them. Get the long/deep one with a rubber O-ring to grip the plug, else you'll be dropping it inside the cylinder and you'll need a wife with small hands to reach it.

As I always state - LOUD pipes do NOT make you more noticable. In a car, with the radio going most drivers do not even hear emergency sirens. Why would they hear you? In addition, you are going towards them. By the time they hear you, you will be on top of them anyway. Learn to ride so you are seen. Far safer.

My spaceships go even faster. One of them'll make 0.5 past Lightspeed. She may not look like much but she's got it where it counts, kid. I made a lot of special modifications myself. It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs...

Try waiting for the Hydrogen ones. America already has Hydrogen fuel stations and Honda do a lovely Hydrogen car.

It's all covered at CBT and throughout secondary training before you do your test. It's likely to be elsewhere as well. So yeah, if the standard version does more than 33, the bike has to be limited. Doesn't matter if the one you have can only manage 17. £250 sounds a lot. Last I heard, our local bike centre does it for £148.

I want a 125 Hayabusa. OK, here's rub... The law says your bike must be RESTRICTED to 33BHP. It does not say it must only be capable of, or has been ragged and can now only manage... It must be RESTRICTED. Unless you actually have a restrictor installed (on a bike 'technically' capable of more than 33), then you are breaking the law. That's how it stands. That means it must have an additional physical limitation that prevents it from outputting more than 33BHP. Otherwise you could get it tested, proven at 33 and then retune it to the full 40. Besides, the 650 is more than capable, even at 33. Mine is unrestricted and it still takes a bit of work to out-ride a 33er. Trust me - A restrictor doesn't slow you down much at all. Also - The 650 drag is shaft-driven, not chain

They want to see you bleed. They want to see you die. They want you to suffer, so they can feel better about themselves. You are just a biker. You are nothing. You and all your leather-clad bastard brethren exist only to piss car drivers off. You are all short haired pretty-boys, speed demons with your one-piece racing leathers and your colour-matched sports bikes. Co-incidentally, you are all also long haired, dirty, greasy, child-eating, granny-bashing biker gangs, with your black leather, bandannas and your Cruiser motorcycles. You're all the same - Organ donors and a waste of humanity. Cars rule. Cars are safe. Cars can drive over you without a worry in the world. Can you feel the hate, yet? Trust none, but your brethren.

Besides, it's a fecking Cruiser. It's a two-wheeled tractor. You'd have to be doing top whack (92mph) in a 30/50 zone for them to even think about pulling you!! If you were a Sports Rider, now that's a different matter...