Ttaskmaster

The 650 is definitely the right one. For proper big biking and Cruiser handling, there is none better. The Suzuki is OK, the Honda is reliable but soul-less. The Kawasaki.... well, as they say in SA, "There is kak, complete kak, and then Kawasak". I suspect it's fine. If you have fancy/loud pipes on it, that may contribute to the vibrations, too. Whereabouts in London are you? If you're coming anywhere near Reading we could meet up and have a look.

Oh, I see fine. So does the the other half... and she argues it better than I do

The reg/rec is precariously mounted. Look at the front of the frame directly behind the front wheel, on teh crossbar between the footpegs. That is where they chose to put teh bloody thing. In addition, it's mounted on an L-bracket and just one single bolt secures it to the frame. Essentially, when you're bimbling along, the weight of the reg/rec bounces up and down on that one slim bit of metal. Usually it picks up loads of road crap and rusts, before breaking off right above the single bolt. Keep an eye on it and be prepared to have a mate weld it back together. Consider stripping and re-painting the thing in a thick coat of Hammerite. That's pretty much it for the 650s.

I also woodblock it because I am a stubborn fool. When she's around, the Mrs checks both bikes, while I just hold them upright. I would suggest using a proper bike jack, though. You can get them quite cheam these days and will really come in handy later on.

Fatter seat, forks have thick covers on them, mudguards are metal, battery and compartment covers are usually same colour as the paintwork, wider wheels (and thus tyres), different shaped handlebars, different speedo face styling (sometimes), bit more chrome, different headlamp, different indicator and rear light placement, number plate fixture is different... Oh, and teh Classic is 20kg heavier. Overall, most things are the same. Where anything is different, the service manual describes (and illustrates) both variants. Oh, one last thing - The Custom is prettier

Same thing with mine. Gave it a good blast of WD40, worked teh switch back and forth a bit and it's been fine ever since. That was... over 3 years ago!

Bit of a buzzing is normal, TBH. That's part of the joys of owning a V-Twin. You only have 40BHP, but because of how the engine works, that is a surpisingly large amount of torque at the lower end. Claire's bike does vibrate more than mine, I've noticed... If you're used to quiet road bikes, then a V-Twin will seem a bit raw. Only if it's quite excessive would I be concerned. Without experiencing it myself, I can't really comment further, I'm afraid. If you do have any qualms, then have your tame mechanic check things over.

Keep stirring, Witch-bitch...

Is everything else aligned properly? Have the bars actually bent, or are the forks twisted? Some pics would help. The 125 Drag's forks will easily twist if you have an incident. You can sometimes get away with bracing the front wheel against something and twisting them back... But you may not know if something else is out of alignment until that critical moment when it fails. I suggest getting the bike professionally checked over...

Hmmm, interesting... For the first time in, like.... ever, I've been having trouble starting the bike up recently. It has gotten notably colder in the past few weeks and my usual start-up sequence has caused more problems. I normally whack on full choke, give the throttle a couple twists, flip on the ignition and gun her into life. Leave for a minute to warm up and away ya go. Suddenly, she only starts if I ignore all that, start from complete cold and 'manually' choke it with the throttle. Perhaps my plugs need looking at I might look into them iridium ones, then. They sell 'em at Halfords, perchance?

You'd think so... but then you realise that half these youngsters probably think that having insurance means they can still ride around without CBT and won't bother doing it. I actually like that idea. The schools provide bikes as part of the cost, so might as well feck around with theirs and not have to worry so much about it, eh!

Sorry to hear about this, mate. Sometimes, you just can't avoid the shit. Glad to hear it wasn't a bad one and that there's not too much damage to you or the bike. Best wishes for your swift return to the roads and many far better days thereafter!!

This is the 2010 awards? But 2010 isn't even over yet. There's still three months left for people to achieve one.... Think I've read some of them before, too... especially the elephant one.

In my opinion, waste of cash. NGK ones work fine and they're what Yamaha recommend. Ain't broke, don't fix it and all that. That said, I haven't actually bothered to see what iridium ones are all about anyway. I believe they're to do with slightly enhanced performance, but it won't make much difference with a Cruiser. Only really need to fret over minor performance matters on Sporty bikes and things you ride on a racetrack.

No, it don't... I just shelled out £800 for the Mrs's birthday present!!

Hoo-RAH for Gas Up!!! VERY well said, very well tempered and very correct. Touched nerves or not, there is nothing but sense in those posts and I applaud it!!!

Avons are well-known for lasting a long time and giving superb grip in all weathers. Their Venom sets are designed for Cruisers. No secret, either - I ride pretty hard and have almost no chicken strips left on mine. Just good tyres!

650 Dragstar Avon Venom tyres front and rear. 19,000 miles and still counting!!

If you have proof of ownership, take all that along (with the bike) and they will impression the lock, then cut a new set of keys from that, to fit the existing lock. If they won't, they are not decent lockies and you should find another one.

Simple one, this - Check the oil. You may have too much, not enough or even fouled oil... especially if the bike was sat awhile and you haven't changed it recently. It could be sat there all gloopy and 'orrid!

HOW could you forget about us - We're wonderful and lovely!!! Welcome back, dude!

Should cost about £160 all told, including fitting, balancing etc etc... That's what it is down here in Reading and we're expensive!!

>Is this poor throttle/clutch management on my part, or something to be expected? In a word: yes. In more words: Probably - You may need to check and adjust chain tension. Also, as a newbie, you need to get used to small adjustments in steering, braking, clutch and throttle. It takes a while, but you'll get the hang of it. It's more noticable in bikes like yours - 125s are light anyway, but the low-end torque of a Dragstar is comparatively hefty, even on the 125. The clutch is also a bit shite. When you move up to a bigger bike, clutch-based manoeuvres will be so much easier!! >to the point where if I want to pin it I have to adjust my grip forward to then pull >down further Mine is a bit like that. Perhaps not so noticable, but very close. Again, slight adjustment of the hand position, which will come to you. You can move your hand further round the grip either way, without actually altering the throttle position... That's fine control!! Simple answer - Don't pin it. You will rarely need full throttle like that anyway, but you get better acceleration from a 125 Drag with a (relatively) gradual increase in throttle. Rather than shut to full in half a second, try working up to full over about 3 seconds. IIRC, you'll probably top out of your rev range before then and be changing up a gear anyway. >will it damage my engine and should the problem be resolved by tightening the cables? Eventually yes... and yes it will. With properly adjusted cables, the throttle will spring shut when you let go (ie just loosen your grip).

One problem 650 Drags have is the L bracket that holds the Reg/Rec to the frame - It's right behind the front wheel and all the road crap gets kicked up straight onto it. The whole thing is also only held on by one bolt, so all teh stress of bouncing along on the road is right above that bolt. The thing will rust and snap if you're not careful. Strip the paint off and recoat it in something substantial. Check also on the connections. All the above contributes to bad earthing and thus problems like those you're currently having. Sustained, it will knacker your battery and it will fail to hold the charge.

This is what biking is all about.