ANDYROSE

Merv, How do you find the Caberg? I am thinking of buying one for the same reason (bloody specs!). I spoke to a guy at the big Harley bash at Aviemore the other week who had one (he was riding a 750 Commando so I felt it was OK to talk to him ) and he said it was great, especially the built in sun visor (I think that is the Justisimmo model?). I went into our local stockist but they have no stock at the moment due to having just been bought out while on the point of closing down so haven't been able to try one. Andy

Cheers Pete, That must have been an interesting day indeed. When we were in Portugal earlier this year I spotted an old two stroke leaning against a wall. I went to have a look and found it to be a make I had never heard of, but an old guy appeared and managed to tell me that it was Portugese, although that was about all we did manage to get across! However, until then I had no idea that any bikes had ever been made in Portugal, so it goes to show that we shouldn't just assume that because we haven't heard of them they don't exist. That Benelli Sei looks rather tidy, not too sure about the riding gear though Merv, is that a chopper I see ? Andy

If it was from a genuine dealer and garunteed brand new and it was the size you knew you wanted then it would be worth considering if the saving was worthwhile, otherwise never! Ebay is full of sharks and rip off merchants anyway, and buying anything other than a new helmet from anyone would be a big no no for me. Andy

I have to agree with the above, particularly Scott's advice about trying on helmets as every make and model is slightly different and none of us have standard shaped heads. Finding a helmet which fits and is comfortable is not a five minute job based on "I like the colour of that one" so take a bit of time. Andy

I don't know what might be out there but if you go here... [url=http://http://www.bikersoracle.com/central/forum//url] ...I think you will find a section which will be of interest. You stay here and tell us all about your FZR of course I think there have been one or two people on here who have owned them. Cheers, Andy

Well, even if you don't have a Yam I think wanting one is good enough Welcome to the forum anyway Andy

Yes Merv, The first one is terrible . But the second one is actually quite good imho Andy

...or there is a non-return valve in there which has stuck and is holding the oil back from re-entering the sump (that is just an 'in case' as I don't know but maybe someone does?). Just found the piece which made me post the above. It actually relates to a Divvy 600 and is on the Divvy forum but knowing Yamaha and their habit of utilising parts and design across a range of bikes it might be worth considering. Andy

Hi & welcome. Personally I would say an R6 is a big step for a first bike and would suggest something a bit less focused, that way you can gain experience and no-claims bonus. Thanks to Merv for the explanation because I find it all very confusing (old age creeps up you know ) but I do agree that while the limitations seem to 'nanny'ish' , at the other extreme the near 100mph 250cc situation was stupid. Trouble is the balance isn't really too clever, as he says a moped that can't stay with traffic is very vulnerable. Of course, when it comes to cc's and horsepower, at the end of the day the throttle turns both ways, but you have to live long enough to learn that Andy

I'm very sad to read this . Had I heard in time I would have sent 'flour's' , but at 'yeast' I can pay my respects on here and not attend a 'half-baked' memorial service which always seem a bit of a 'doughnutty' idea to me but I am glad he was buried and not 'cremated' which is a fate too common for many of his kind . He was a bit of a 'mixed up' character , but not many people know that he covered several songs by a variety of artists including the Move's "Flours in the Rain", Free's "Flour and Water" and Gerry Rafferty's " Baker Street. Cheers, Andy PS One has to say on reflection..... ...Doooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hi & welcome. Being new to this site, is this your first Yamaha? What do you think of it do far? (The bike, not the forum ) Andy

Nice pics Pete One or two could almost be here in the Highlands, apart from the blue sky that is Andy

It said "Nope, your still a dickhead"! So, no surprise there then I never was cool, never have been and never will be . The smartest thing about me is that I am now old enough not to give a monkeys! Nice link Merv Andy

Sorry to your bad news, bad enough at the best of times but even worse with a kid on the way Have you contacted ebay and told them the tale? It may be possible for them to chase the guy up if he is a persistent offender, you may get your money returned. good luck, Andy

I mst admit that the 650 appeals to me, as much for it's quirkiness as anything else, but the reports I have read all seem very favourable. I forgot to say in my other post, I like your comment about 'no dumb Brits puking up everywhere'. I'm not the only one who feels embarrassed by their behaviour then? Enjoy your sunshine, at the moment we are suffering monsoon like conditions here, very odd weather for the Highlands. Very steamy wih odd spells of sun but very very heavy 'showers' Cheers, Andy

Nice pics Pete, and well done to your mate, that's some trek he has made. Mind you, that BP garage looks suspiciously like the one in Inverness, just a bit sunnier ! Do I take it you like the Strom? Andy

WTF? Why would that be worth sending? Mind you, as you highlight it's no more stupid than a lot of the crap which gets posted on here so maybe Scott and I aren't such dumbasses Now to get down to serious stuff... Mervin, put the oil into the holes in the top of the engine which are blocked by screw in plugs with wire leads attached. These are senors which measure how much oil is in the engine and they will tell you very quickly when you have too much! The points setting on a ignition is very sensitive and best referred to a specialist dealer, but I have found that slacking off the points and then re-setting them using a phone book as a feeler guage gives an acceptable level of performance. This is best done with your bike balanced on an orange crate (assuming the centre stand operation isn't possible for you due to it being too technical or it has been removed) which is also a very usefull aid on the XS750 model for adjusting and oiling the chain (thanks Pete for raising that topic, Mervin might have struggled to do it without good advice ) Andy

It all sounds very spooky to me Are you sure they were real and not some spiritual aperition ? I must admit that reading the thread was more interesting than I expected. I thought it was going to be someone complaining about the big rip offs we suffer if we try to run a vintage Jap bike ! Oops, got that wrong Cheers, Andy

I think there are proposals about getting a bike licence which will make it much harder and you may need to be older. The only advice I would give anyone is get a licence asap while it is still possible, and vote for Boozehound if he stands for parliament Andy

Very frustrating for you Alex, I just wish I understood half of what you are saying However, the forum is here again and will, I am sure, be back to normal quickly enough Or should that be ? Cheers Andy

Blooming heck Merv! Have you been washing your faggots and veg down with too much cider? I must admit to being partial to faggots myself, although I prefer a good haggis Andy

Blimey vmax girl, did you like what I wrote that much? To be quoted four times is quite impressive Pete, I agree wholeheartedly with you but once a phrase starts getting bandied around without clarification people are apt to find it confusing which is why I tried to explain what it is about. As you say, it is what we all do instinctively anyway, but having a clearer understanding of the process can't harm, can it? I was surprised at how illustrating doing what I suggested is when I tried it. Like you also say, that bloke in your picture seemed to do OK, didn't he! Cheers, Andy

As vmax girl says, slow down when you have a bend ahead of you, then ride through the bend. The more you do this the greater experience you will gain and bends will become a lot less scary for you as long as you don't go steaming in trying to grab lots of brake at the last moment. The reason your bike wanted to go straight on instead of turning is because you were braking hard. Physics dictates that the inertia and gyroscpopic effect of the rotating wheels are thrown to pot by reduceing the speed of the rotation by braking, which in turn makes the bike want to stand up and go straight on instead of following the path you want to go round the corner. As Pete says, do your braking before you reach the corner and then steer the bike round by using countersteer as Boozehound says. If you are not familiar with countersteering then don't worry, it is simple if a bit weird. To try it, go for a ride on a quiet piece of road (or car park). Ride in a straight line and at a modest speed (not 100mph+!) gently push the left hand handlebar away from you with very light pressure. Logic says the bike will turn right because you are turning the forks to the right by pushing from the left (not pulling on the right). Be ready for the bike to react as it trys to turn the opposite way from what you expect, and vice versa for the opposite hand pushing too. That is countersteering and what you should be doing to ride your bike through corners when you arrive at them with all excess speed gone by braking in good time. Go and try it out, and then practice as much as you can at sensible speeds. Ride steadily on the roads and do not try to become an ace rider overnight, you will get a lot more fun that way. Andy

Hello there, Welcome to you both. Not that I am likely to ever buy one but your opinions on the bike would make interesting reading! Cheers, Andy

Wise words Mervin, We too were on a shopping trip on Saturday and came across the scene of an RTA involving a bike and a car. The rider was receiving clearly much needed attention from the paramedics and was one of two people later reported to have been taken to hospital after the accident. Their injuries were described as 'non life threatening'! Sadly a guy on an R1 was killed over the weekend further East from us. Please take care people, riding a bike is fun, riding fast is fun in the right place (on the track) but none of it is worth getting dead for. Andy