Ttaskmaster

Depends what part of the switch assembly is broken. You mean the ignition cylinder where you put the key, or the starter switch? What part is broken? Button itself, the switch behind it, a contact, a retaining tab? More info, please.

Not really. Most Cruisers top out at around 92mph. It's usually about the torque and acceleration before you reach that point. The 650 and 1100 Drags both have a similar top speed, but the 1100 will whip the arse of a 650 (assuming you ride it properly, which my race partner didn't but that's another story ). I do have bad memories of a guy who traded in his 750 Shadow to get a 1300 Honda somethingorother Cruiser. He found it immensely hard to cope with so much extra torque and was an absolute danger to ride anywhere near!

Digital speedo? Never heard of one myself.

Dealers and Yamaha themselves are usually very expensive. Key shops are pretty expensive and don't always do vehicles. Auto-Locksmiths are usually the best bet - They have to keep prices reasonable to beat competition anyway, but are usually the best equipped and best trained to handle such things. Most will want to see proof of ownership before they do any work.

Why didn't you wire it into a switched live so that they can only work when the ignition itself is switched on? That said, I learned from someone else's mistake on that one. All my fancy doodads are wired into a switched live, for that exact reason - Ignition off, everything off!

Goff is/was one of the main 950 supporters, having swapped her legendary Elvira 650 Classic for one. Alas, she hasn't posted much recently. I believe she's off being romanticised. I thought the 950 sounded fairly interesting. Not a fan of Classic styling, so it's not high on my list, bu I've heard good things. I ride a 650 Custom myself, so try and have her check that out too - It's a popular bike and many of us here ride one. Shadows are stalwart workhorses. Honda engines are bulletproof and I almost bought one myself, but for another buyer who got in first. Solid, dependable, reliable, steady and other such similar adjectives. But that's mostly all that can be said about the Shadow. It's almost a dull ride by comparison. There's a saying in South Africa - "There is Kak, there is complete Kak and there is Kawasak". I've hardly ever liked Kawasakis. Something about their Cruisers tend to look like cheap rip-offs of other, better designed and better styled models. Of the big four, I'd say they are possibly the lowest ranking. I couldn't name more than a couple of their models and their sales staff have always seemed like moody bastards. I've never felt motivated to look much beyond that. Even their concept bikes look like unimaginitive shite, especially when compared to things like the Suzuki G-Strider!!

Plenty of 60+ riders out there on R1s, too!! I only have two words for anyone who tells me what they think I should be riding. One of these words is very rude!! Rule 1 - Always ride for yourself. That's kit, lid, choice of bike, choice of route and the way you ride. You go for what suits you. If they know better than you then THEY can go buy you what they think you should have. Job done!! There's always someone faster, smarter, tougher, harder, cooler, richer, stupider and deader that you. Ride your own ride and enjoy it!! Welcome to the forum!! I know of a good tattooist in Reading and another in Watford.

I follow people on Twitter and occasionally post myself. Those I follow are usually my favourite actors, musicians and the small businesses I make use of (like my leather tailor), since that's where I get the best advance notice of forthcoming products, shows, events, films and so on. Farce-Book I use for keeping in touch with people not really local to me (ie those in America). I also post some status updates for those members of my family that I REALLY can't be arsed to have a proper conversation with. The random silly shite is just kids. I used Tagged before I relented and joined FB and that was even worse - Full of horny male teenagers with naked models as their profile pics, all thinking they're having cybersex with 'horny lesbian women' (ie other male teens with model pics). Another useful part of FB for me is making contact with a variety of professional actors and significant persons of WW2. Agency representatives are fecking useless, uncommunicative asshats and I have a number of non-work related projects and activities for which I need to get in touch with certain specific people.... Thus it's considered social networking, as opposed to business networking. I have tried Linkedin, but it's so full of holes and anomalies that it never yielded anything useful. I tried blogging once, but never had anything I thought was interesting enough to blog about. I need to know who I'm talking to when I write, which I why I use forums like this place instead! Take what is useful - Ignore the rest.

With all the standard bits, mine topped out around 96mph, although I have had it up to an indicated 107. The air in your location may affect it somewhat, too. Not so well-versed on such things myself and I doubt it's much of an issue on a Cruiser, although some of teh performance riders do discuss it at length. End of the day, it goes fast enough to break the UK speed limit, so that's more than fast enough.

Crap? That's all useful stuff, I'll have you know. First off, any biker (and if you've been around MCs at all, every Prospect) should always have a bottle opener instantly to hand!! Then the tin opener - It's one of the issue types from the old GS ration packs. Any proper soldier should keep one handy, for the same reasons as above!! Knife - Funny story... It's a mere 1.2" blade, yet it's still classed as an illegal weapon simply because it locks, would you believe! I'm such a rebel Course, you can always jimmy out the retaining pins from the lock cylinder. That way you still need the key to start the bike, but can then remove it from the lock and stow it in a pocket or on a retracting keyring-thing while you ride. Toying with that idea myself...

Oddly enough, I have a bottle opener, small knife, several other keys and a can opener on my bike keyring... but I don't have any discernible scratches. Guess I'm just special!! I may consider altering my set-up when I overhaul the bike's cosmetics, though...

It's the Caduceus. Also known as the staff of Hermes, Iris and heralds/messengers in general... yes, including Mercury, who is the messenger of the Roman gods, guide of the dead and the protector of merchants, shepherds, gamblers, liars and thieves. It is also the alchemical/occult/esoteric/whatever symbol of male and female, light and dark, good and evil and other such opposite-defined pairings, whilst at the same time representing the balance betwixt each. It also symbolises the four elements as sun, staff, snake and wing, being fire, earth, water and air respectively. It's also used in many other contexts, most notably the Sacrifice album by Gary Numan, which is one of the many reasons I have it tattooed on my left shoulder! However, it is NOT a proper, correct medical symbol - That is the Rod of Asclepius, which has only one snake and no wings. Wikipedia has chapter and verse on both staffs.

The only differences between Dragstars I'm aware of is the variance in colour schemes and minor styling differences (ie 1997 Drags are orange, 2004 Drags had decals rather than stuck on badges, etc).

Make sure he adds a zero on the end of that figure and you could have a reasonable deal. Even with a knackered starter, a good nick 1100 should be worth at least £2500-3500!!

I don't think it became an official design issue until they'd pretty much stopped production and/or the warranties had expired, so *technically* it's not their fault. Most vehicles have similar such defects. Just this one is a bit of a bugger.

'Fraid not - Starter clutch is a known issue with the 1100s. Best you can hope for is a used one from a scrappy.

I think anyone who doesn't re-jet is an idiot (you did ask ). Yamaha spend millions engineering their bikes to be balanced and to work in a certain configuration, yet some random yahoo reckons he knows otherwise. Every mechanic and professional custom builder I have ever spoken to suggests re-jetting, yet some random yahoo reckons he knows otherwise. A few more miles of testing my new pipes and then I'll start by raising my existing jets a notch, but if that doesn't cut it then it's new jets. However you ride, priority one is always that the bike runs as it should.

They fit on a 1999 Drag, apparently. Two guys round here have them. I'm unaware of any additions mods required.

Anything is possible. Getting Tom Selleck in a sandwich is 'possible'...

I ride a 650 Dragstar and the only times I've decked the pegs out is when I've been going too fast for, or been incorrectly possitioned in, the corner (sometimes on purpose). Cruisers need a slow, graceful banking turn. Pretend you're flying a large bomber as opposed to a fighter jet.

Check their website and see if Avon Venoms will fit.

Looks amazingly similar to my Mrs's one!!

Avon Venoms front and rear. Excellent grip in all weathers (even quite good on snow) and they last many thousands of miles!!

Oh no!! I chatted with him at some of the shows I worked at and he was always a fantastic gentleman. Gave me some great advice on my boxing techniques too!! I will miss him. RIP Sir Henry.

For a change?? There's loads of 'em out there, dude (my own Mrs included)!! Eyes open, chap!! Welcome to the world, Mishikins!!