Ttaskmaster

I found waving helped, as it's more obvious. If it's a straight nod they could just be looking down at their clocks, if it's a side tip that could be checking a wing mirror. If they're bouncing up and down, waving a hand and giving thumbs up, it's pretty clear!! If they're flapping the right hand up and down on an extended arm, as if they're patting a gnome on the head, slow down - There's likely a hazard around the corner that they're warning you about. If they point up and to the side, that's Speed Camera Ahead. If they put a fist atop their head (or similar) that means there's a cop ahead.

First thing I do when I log in is click on the New Posts and trawl (or is that troll?) through all of those. I occasionally look to see if I have new PMs.

Check all the stupid stuff first, such as oil level, fouling, rust, lubrication, etc.

The other main clue being a chromey Cruiser still caked in last year's Winter road crap!

As mentioned, my biggest concern is one day overcranking the throttle. I have a 40hp cruiser anyway, but the enlarged heated grips mean I'm used to turning it quite far just to get the revs up. With such small grips on the FJ and three times the power, I'm terrified of unconsciously whacking it open and blasting the bike into something, or flipping it up on the back wheel! Still gonna give it a go, though!

Happens every year, when the Summer Butterflies come out. Fuck 'em, miserable wankers... However, be mindful of what they might be up to, as well. I'm an always-nodding, frequent-waving kind of rider, but even I sometimes miss the greeting window because I'm looking in the mirror or watching the road.

Cheers for the replies guys! It's a K reg, I believe, so that'd be... 92-93. Stock everything, apart from the previous owner putting shouty loud exhausts on... kinda 4-into-2 types that sound like a ranty child more than anything. No beef to them at all. My 'man' is currently changing them to something better and quieter. Anti-dive? Do I want to know what that is? Sounds like uprated forks or something... I guess I'll know quite definitely when the clutch cylinder fails! Do the carbs need Shimming and balancing often, then?

Sure the starter switch isn't sticking?

FV432. Lovely lines, great performance, good off-road capability and pretty much Cager-proof. No, it really is a motorcycle. Paperwork says so... 20mm Rarden turret? No, that's the breather pipe. Honestly, officer!!

Nowt wrong with the Viggie... even the 535s! If you think the Viggie is ugly, you simply ain't put the right mods on

The wife listens to music when she rides or drives. Tried it a few times myself and is great with a bit of Gary Numan (Sacrifice album) slamming out as you cruise through town... but pretty useless above 40-50mph, unless you have a LOUD sound system *and* an ultra-quiet Schuberth lid or something. About the only noise I allow is directions from the Magic Box. Besides, I'm usually listening to what my engine is doing, which possibly explains why I outride the wife most of the time!

After living on my Cruiser I'm a bit scared I'm gonna bin an FJ, either from being too used to wazzing the throttle and having only 40hp to burble through, or simply from suddenly being so high up and falling over!!

Heya, Been offered an FJ1200. Just wondering what opinions people had of this thing? Handling, performance, maintenance, general daily use, etc? Anything specific to watch out for? Thanks, Tasky.

Keep that 650 Drag clean, take good care and look after it. Do this and it will look after you. Fail and it will break your heart when it dies!! Welcome to the forum!

You don't drive a motorcycle... you ride it!! 125 Drag = BRILLIANT ride! If you like Cruisers and want to get started with yer CBT, this is the one. Good size for you as well. However, it is still just a 125, lightweight and flippy, will not handle being pushed like a big bike. Take it easy, plan your moves and don't expect too much from it. You will eventually want something bigger... fortunately, the Dragstar comes in 650cc, which is a great step-up and an amazing ride!

The appeal of the Drag is that it's longer and flatter in profile compared to most Cruisers. Add in the Custom looks and you have a sort of 80s image that still looks pretty good today... and the main reason I dislike most other Cruisers. I was pretty upset that Yammie did not continue with a Custom look for the newer lot, but hey ho - Their loss. The Viggie does indeed look squished, but it's designed for smaller riders anyway. You can alter a couple of bits to dramatically change the appearance. I saw a Viggie once with small twin headlights, straight flat bars and outrigged footpegs - Looked mean as fuck!! Tassles and studs can fuck right off, along wth shiny chrome. They are for girls. My old Cruiser was kept so dirty and un-prettified, you'd swear it was half-rat!! Just the new one that's shiny and that's only because I needed to service it.

Whatever it is from here to there... and usually back again.

Bloody hell.... err, I don't know! I'm not sure how much you expect I can achieve, given that you fuckers did not elect me as Prime Minister and voted for the other guys instead, but I'll do what I can for you to bring the troops home. Perhaps one of my YOC-Appointed political spokespersons would care to step in and do the job they're paid for, by handling the enquiry of my esteemed constituent, here? (Note: The usual spin bullshit should suffice. Just don't say anything that will end up with me interviewed by Jeremy Paxman again, or I'll fire your arse and have you implicated in every Sun scandal I can think of!!!)

Isn't that 100mph around the North Circular and able to leave the Cafe, do the run and make it back before the song finishes playing on the jukebox, or something?

This rears it's head on a regular basis. This forum is a community for people with a shared interest to connect, share and contribute. Doesn't matter how much or little you contribute to our community, so long as you actually contribute, get stuck in and get chatting with us. It is NOT a free advice phoneline or a problem-solving help site for bikers. If that's all you want, download a manual, Google it like any normal human, or cough up and visit the mechanics who get actually get paid for such things. If you simply show up expecting/demanding advice, you will be treated as if you'd just walked into a busy pub and asked the same question in a loud voice.

Owners Manual will detail fuse box location. Copies are available as free PDFs. Loads on Google!

Now you have the manual, most of your basic questions should be covered by it!

Best one is to reach in, switch off the ignition, yank the key and chuck it. No criminal damage, either!

Likely reg-rec.

ScooterMan used to take 50cc Jin-Cheng copies of the Honda Monkey Bike, convert them to quickly disassemble, upgraded a couple of components (to ones that didn't just fail within the first week) and finally rebored them out to 90cc. Have no idea what's involved, but can you rebore these or is it too much effort for a messaround machine?