Ttaskmaster

Haven't got a clue - Electrical things are all just mystic magic to me.... Hello anyway, though. Look forward to the intro!

Drum shoe requires an upright bike on a stand/jack/block of wood. Take back wheel off, open it up, remove old one, clean the crap out, put new one in, replace wheel, ride off. Front pads can be done in-situ. Open caliper, remove old pads, clean crap out, open brake reservoir, push pistons back in (consider cleaning them up too), insert new pads, close up caliper, tension and bleed brake line, top up with fluid, close everything up, ride off. Overall, they're probably about as fiddly as each other, I guess.

In a word - No. Best bet is probably a breakers yard or Partfinder. These things cost a bomb from Yamaha and most aftermarket ones that I know of only come as a set, which cost many hundreds. Incidentally - Please post an Intro in the relevant section. You'll make friends better that way

Do some real distance, like 200 miles per day on the motorway (that's what Cruisers are for) and just get settled into the riding style. You'll soon warm to it!!

9 to 4??!! Wouldn't mind some of that, myself... When you said Daywalkers, I thought you meant Wesley Snipes in Blade!!

I can spot the difference, but it's almost imperceptible!!

Got shouted at by the boss for talking too much. On the flip - In one most cunning move, I made over 1.6 billion credits in my online space game. I'm now the 13th richest player on the whole server. Not bad for a Noob, eh!!

Seen 82k before and over 100k on a Virago 125...

Bog standard Silkolene 10w40 for me. And whatever hypoid one is in the manual (can't recall right now) for the back sump.

The 650 Dragstar weighs 230kg! Use mostly front brake, with 'back only' at very low speeds (max 10-15mph). If you use back only at higher speeds, you will fishtail and possibly even dump it! When braking normally from higher speeds, your weight transfer goes forward and down into the road. The rake angle of your Drag forks will mean weight transfers less down and more along the road than you're used to. Add to that the extra weight on the Drags and it does take a while to stop. Add a touch of back brake to help bring the weight online. Also, swap to HH Sintered pads. They are brill!!

Try selling everything and buying another Dragstar!!

I'm 5' 11" with size 11 feet! You may have noticed that you feel like you have to bend your legs inward, around the engine and tank? That's normal. It also results in the moving sensation is mostly just getting comfy and used to the bike. I had that for a while. It goes away pretty quick as you learn to relax into it. Adjusting the height of the shift lever is easy - It's explained in the owners manual. Where your feet sit is exactly where I have mine, too. Just be conscious of not applying the rear brake at all when riding, as you may end up with a constant brake light on, or worse actually be applying it! If you have concerns, then do adjust (instructions in the manual), but not too much or you won't be able to apply it enough! Hope that helps some. Happy riding!

But you *can* feed cat food to your dog...

What good is that in putting out fires? Can only carry a few litres of water, so you might not even manage a large camp fire!!

I appreciate people who appreciate our long, rambling replies. They do take time to write, but too many folks bugger off and are never seen again... We ought to charge for such services, like real mechanics!

They have adjustable sensitivity, IIRC. If it's that much a concern, take the batteries out Depends how you use it... There are 2 types of attack you'll need to protect against - Scrotes and Thieves. Scrotes just want a joy-ride and might target any bike. They may have a screwdriver and a couple of other tools, but that's it. They are frightened off easily and are usually defeated by just decent disc lock. Thieves are professionals and target high-demand bikes they can sell fast, either complete or as parts. Mostly sporty bikes and 125s. They will take your bike back to their workshop, do their stuff and sell it on, possibly overseas. 3 blokes in a van come along, lift your bike, dump it in teh back and drive off. Takes about 11 seconds all in. Many have a wealth of tools and the top guys use things like plasma cutters (chained bike to a lamp post? No problem!). The van is insulated against alarm noise and some even block tracker signals. If a Pro wants your bike, they will get it. Best you can do is make it too much work for them to bother. Everyone likes easy targets, so send them after an easier one than yours. Use a combination of security: Alarm - Let's *YOU* know if someone is fecking with your bike, because honestly no-one else will heed the sound. Dash out the house, weapon in hand and have at them.... bloody neighbourhood cats! Cheapish and many are DIY fit. Immobiliser - Stops someone hot-wiring the bike. Pro-thieves know how to remove them back at their workshop. Some are prone to failure, which stops you using the bike as well. A few have failed mid-corner, with disastrous results (seen it once, myself). Waste of time and money, IMO, but sometimes reduces your insurance. Combined Immob & Alarm - Stops your bike at an inconveninet moment, then embarrasses you in public by wailing about it! Disc Lock - Stops someone wheeling the bike away. Good against Scrotes. Don't rely on it alone, though. Steering Lock - Stops someone turning the bars. Easily broken with a sharp twist. Chain - A primary security device. Used effectively, works very nicely. Get the best you can afford - Plenty of stats on which ones stand up against bolt croppers and so on. Put the chain through a part of the bike that is not easily removed (ie, not the wheel) and chain it to something immovable like a big block of concrete or a building, not a short fence post or a plastic drain pipe. Keep the chain up off the floor as much as possible, so they can't brace bolt cutters against the ground. Ground Anchor - Useful in some circumstances, but also puts the chain close to the ground. Bike cover - Out of sight. Thieves do sometimes not even waste time looking, if they don't know what's under there and just move on. Garage - Out of sight. Also allows for secured doors, PIR sensors, additional alarms, etc etc. Very cool and may also reduce your insurance. Tracking - Not a deterrant and relies on GPS type technology. Wildly variable results. Marking - Datatag and several other brands. Deterrant only. Marked parts are harder to flog, but that's what eBay is for. I'm informed that few Police forces have the electronic scanners and even fewer have ever used them. It's not worth their time. Insurance - Third Party, Fire and THEFT. Do not fret too much over all this security because, at the end of the day, this is what you pay insurance for. If you're limited on what security you can get, then at the very least make sure your bike is insured!

I've used both a Xena alarmed disclock and a cheapy one from the bike specials in Lidl. First thing to do is look at the key and the keyway. As an amateur lockpicker (with a lot of fancy lockpicking tools), there are two types I would recommend: Abloy style Cam Lock: Dimple or Mul-T-Lock style: Both the above are almost impossible to break with conventional tools (unless you want to destroy the brake disc) and are F**KING hard to pick even with the right tools. No thief will bother messing with these! If the key is one of the tubular ones or looks anything like your normal front door key, forget it. I can rake most of those open within 20 seconds, or bump them in less than 3!! Second - Look for a lock one where the shackle is shrouded as much as possible - Makes it awkward to get a decent cutter in and impossible to use bolt cutters, etc. Don't get the ones that are padlock-shaped - An angle grinder will make very short work of most of them. Good - Oxford Quartz: Good - Xena brand: Bad - Datatool Devil padlocky thing: Remember that Disclocks are tertiary security devices. Primary is leaving the bike somewhere sensible and unattractive to thieves. Secondary is making sure it's immovable (heavily chained to something big). Also - Consider a lock with the reminder cable or something and get into the habit of always checking to see you've removed it before riding. Always put the lock on right up against the back of the forks - That way, if you do ride off with teh lock on, you'll only move a few inches, rather than several feet before going arse-over-tit!!!

How sure are you? Bet your life on it? As stated, this is completely your choice... but if you end up a chinless wonder, don't look for sympathy. This thread has a few pics and links to videos that might help you decide... http://www.600rr.net/vb/showthread.php?p=3232443 A bit noisy, I guess. I don't have a problem with it, but it's no Schuberth!

Good leathers can be quite cheap. Look for end of season sales. I picked up two £180 Frank Thomas armoured jackets for £30 each and a set of £90 Halvarssons armoured trousers for £40. BRAND new, still in packaging, just 'so last season'... It's black leather - It's never out of fashion!!

That thing you're pointing at..... That's your engine, mate!! That's what makes the bike go.

This very morning, I was pootling along at 35-ish MPH. Full-face lid, but with visor still fully open as I hadn't reached the A-Roads yet and was behind a slowish car. Got a stone chip fly up and smack me square in the cheek. I now have a bloody scab. Imagine if that was an eye... I ride a 650cc Cruiser and I still wear a full-face. You can get flip lids too, don't forget. But remember, no matter what lid you wear, you ain't gonna look very cool cruising around with half your jaw missing from an off! For the record, I still wear the Caberg 104 V2 - Costs about £100 and has excellent Sharp rating.

Pads aren't the main issue - After the initial impact, they don't do much and can cause problems if they move around when you slide. The main problem is any point of contact with the ground as you slide along it, requiring decent abraision protection. Kevlar is still OK, but they are one-time use only (if the Kev survives, the denim outer is still fecked). I'd not trust them on a motorway, either. Here's how I decided: I favour leathers that are one size up. It allows for extra layers in Winter, airflow in Summer and easier movement, as well as easy on/off when hot and sweaty. I chose a style of jacket and trouser that are both comfy enough for daily wear in all kinds of activity, from at work to shopping, to down the pub. Since both leather and jeans get soaked in rain, leather still wins. Since the jeans will wear right through to the kevlar layer even in a low-speed slide, while leathers are likely to last several slides, leather wins again. I wear vented leather in Summer - Entire panels with lots of little holes that facilitate such great cooling airflow that it feels like you're not wearing anything! Tucking in - No. The Bloused Combat Boot look is a cunning fashion choice... But any part of the material can still catch on the road surface and pull everything up to expose your skin. In fact, the more material that catches, the more likely it will rip to bits. End of the day, Sweat or bleed - That's your choice.

Years ago, on the last of the very few fucking stupid occasions that I've NOT worn leathers while riding, I was in my cotton work trousers. It had rained the night before and was still drizzling. I was on a 40mph dual carriageway, at the speed limit, when I had to brake. It was heavy traffic and I had limited visibility of the road surface ahead. I was already on the brakes, when I suddenly found myself heading into a swaythe of diesel across both lanes. By the time I'd seen it, the bike had already hit the floor. No escaping that one, even if you're superhuman. So I'm lowsided and sliding along, right leg tucked beneath me, left stretched out in front (imagine a Baseball player's slide - Same position). I surmise that my weight was on my leather booted right foot, because I could have dug my other foot in and actually stood up out of the slide - Would have looked cool, too. I didn't do this however, because the bike was sliding along in front of me and I'd have tumbled over it if I'd tried. So I sat back into the slide and waited to stop. It all happened in a few seconds, but it was enough. End result, shredded trousers, slight scuffs on leg, hevily scuffed bike and one serious lesson learned while I had the fortune to survive it. I don't plan on there being a next time!

Someone I knew was supposedly wearing the famed Draggin' Jeans when she came off her Fazer... They slid up, the seams tore and her leg was 'de-gloved' - This means that, in a fraction of a second, her skin was peeled off in one complete sleeve leaving raw flesh grinding along the road. With that in mind, now see how you fancy hooning around at (ahem) miles an hour in inadequate kit!! Sliding along the road at 40mph: Your flesh (not skin, your actual flesh) is ground away at the rate of 1 inch depth per second. Skin grows back. Ground off muscle tends not to... ever! 2-ply denim wears away in less than 0.5 seconds. 2-ply plain-weave Kevlar lasts about 6 seconds. 2-ply 1.3mm leather lasts 18 seconds. 3-ply 1.3mm leather lasts 55 seconds. There's a reason why pro racers still wear leather Power Ranger suits. Leather is still THE best option for protection. More info: http://thames-valley-region.mag-uk.org/Pages/Safetry_Stuff/leather.htm

Ah, I see now.... I thought this was the tilt switch on the alarm/immob!! Bloody new-fangled fuel-injecty modern bikey things!