bippo

Oh Grouch... Glad it's a cheap fix this time.

Hey Sadie, welcome! Great intro. I've been looking at XJ6's as a progression for my first big bike, so glad to hear you like it!

Cool, I'd be up for coming along with you guys, will help me to get into the swing of riding with others etc. Keep me posted on your plans.

Ahh I used to live in Monton - rented a flat near Monton Green when I first moved up here from Surrey. :-) Yeah I know Paul lives over this way, was going to meet up with him and Beef in September at the Road Wizards Bike Sow but annoyingly got called into work last minute.

Yeah I'll venture over there on my 125 at some point, think its just plucking up the courage to head to a place like that on my own. Saw a wicked BSA Bantam last time I went (in the car) - it got all the looks amongst the sports bikes, ha ha! Yeah when I head out on a weekend I often aim to do about 90 miles, but if the weather is ok then I'll just keep going - I love it so much I just find the car boring now. The longest trip I've done so far is about 225 miles one way. When the weather perks up I'll be heading down to Cornwall for some camping and I'm planning on clocking between 800 and 1000 miles in total, so excited!

Hey Drewpy - I'm over in Glossop, a ride out at some point sounds like a plan though! Glad to hear you're not a fast rider, I only rarely reach an indicated 70 / 75 on my lean mean machine, ha ha! But I still love it. :-)

Hey Chris - welcome to the forum!

I'm in the same boat as you John - don't know any fellow bikers. I try to get out for a weekend ride, like this Friday I clocked up 100 miles because the weather was great (even if a little cold!) Yesterday I fancied going to Matlock Bath (biker hang-out), but didn't fancy turning up on my own! *Cue the small violin...* Ha ha! Although riding on your own is great fun, there's something to be said for pulling up at a stop with someone else.

He's posted a follow-up video to report damage etc - Had a brief look at his other videos - clearly money isn't an issue, looks like he's got a collection of sports bikes...

Hey Liege, welcome to the forum!

Hey, welcome to the forum Rich!

Trust me - it's massive! When I first pitched it I was shocked. I'd read many reviews and found some bikers complaining about how small it was, so they were getting the 350 model instead. So I went ahead and bought it thinking it would be good for me, but also two-up trips when I get my full licence and I couldn't believe it when it arrived at my door. Not quite sure what those people were looking at... But hey-ho, if I find myself mainly camping on my own, at least I know I can get a second (and considerably smaller) tent! Oh and although I haven't tried it yet, I've checked the measurements against those of my bike and with the two vestibule side doors, I should indeed be able to park my bike up inside with only part of a wheel sticking out... I'm going to look like such an idiot at the camp site, solo woman, tiny 125, portable mansion / garage...

I second that DT... That's on my shopping list for when I arrive at my camp site - will help me settle down for the night! Regarding the roll mat / camp bed point - I ended up buying a Therm-a-rest Prolite Plus mattress. They aren't cheap, but basically they pack down so small and are really light, I was able to pack that into my 15 litre pannier along with everything else - hence the reason I only need to lash the tent down onto the back. I've tested it out already, and found it to be more comfortable than a roll mat. Guess it depends on your requirements, which for me was space saving. I'd agree regarding a larger tent too. I have a 2 man tent, but it has a ridiculously huge vestibule - perfect for storing everything away from your sleeping quarters whilst still being able to pull up a seat and cook if the weather is bad. That was another requirement of mine. It doesn't pack down all that small, but then again it wasn't very expensive. My tent is a Vango Omega 250.

You need to start up a blog Grouch, at the rate you're going I could see an independent film company picking up your story. The turbulent life of a Yorkshireman and his 125... But in all seriousness - at least this is a simple one in comparison...

Hey Tommy - yeah I'm glad I put it back as well! I'll also be going on a test run - probably over Yorkshire way, or just somewhere in the Pennines. In the meantime, it really helped me to do a test pack as it enabled me to get rid of the things I really didn't need - I am only camping in the UK at the end of the day. They claim you're never more than 6 foot away from a rat don't they? Surely the same must apply to Tesco... I could pack lighter - for example I'm bringing my own cooking utensils instead of eating out all the time, but that was a personal choice as I want it to feel like a real trip! When I near my destination, I'll swing into a shop and pick up some food - so I've left room to do that. I didn't really fancy relying on heading again after arriving at the campsite as I have no doubt I'll be tired doing all of it on a 125! When I laid everything out, my fleece was the hardest to pack into a small size, so I'm just going to take the lining out of my bike jacket and wear that, things like that help to save a lot of space. The only thing I need to do now is book some time off work for when I'd like to go, but I'll make that decision once I see an improvement with this weather... Enjoy the TT, you lucky thing! Should be great and we'd definitely love to see photos.

Hey Tommy, I too will be going camping around May time. I started up a thread a little while ago and the folks on here gave some good advice, check it out: It'll be my first camping trip on a bike too. Hopefully people's responses may jog your memory. But if not, feel free to give me a shout and I'll let you know what's on my list!

The speed of your XT will no longer matter Grouch when you've got your 2T play-thing...!

I'm here! Have been a bit quiet recently, but still checking in regularly Firstly, Arancara - sorry to hear about your YBR being stolen, dirty scumbags... On the plus side, I like the little secured area you've built outside your house - I hope it helps. Your little Chinese bike looks smart, but it's a shame to see what you've had to go through considering it's new. I doubt other buyers do what you have, which is perhaps why their longevity is so poor. With regards to my YBR - bought it new in September last year, it's completely standard (decided to save my money for obtaining my full licence). It gets worked quite hard - my commute to work is an 80 mile round trip over the Pennines, so I've encountered all sorts of weather and have learnt to live with the crap headlight in dense fog (although my glasses are now considerably thicker... ). It's also taken me on a few 400+ mile trips, and I'm planning a camping trip at some point this year which is looking to add 800+ miles onto the clock. So what have I spent on it so far, and what has gone wrong with it? The bike has only been maintained via the scheduled Yamaha service intervals and my own basic maintenance (chain adjustment, cleaning, tyres etc). I regularly coat the bike in ACF-50 and (touch wood), the bike isn't showing any signs of corrosion or rust despite it being used in all weathers and being stored outside. Occasionally the rear, right indicator falls out of it's rubber bung. Very minor point to raise though and takes two seconds to pop back in. In fact it's only happened twice, and I wouldn't be surprised if I caused it when moving the bike about. Still, thought I'd mention it as other owners have raised a similar point. Presently, one of the bulbs has gone in the instrument panel which means half of the speedo isn't lit up in darkness. I'll be fixing that once I've gone and bought a replacement bulb. I ended up having to buy a new rear tyre after 500 miles due to a puncture. You mention that your new bike has better handling than the YBR, however I notice in your original picture your YBR has the stock tyres on them. Most owners upgrade to Pilot Sporty's - and the handling is far better with them on. I was considering replacing the stock on on the front, but it hasn't caused me any issues throughout winter and again, I'm planning on getting my full licence later this year which will mean selling the YBR. All in all, it's proven to be a reliable little tyke - and great fun! Here's hoping your Lexmoto turns out to be stress-free.

It's amazing the effect a bike has in terms of getting to be from work!! Continue enjoying. :-) xx

Had a few raised eyebrows at most so far, but only been in the game since last August. Most people I speak with are intrigued to know why I want to ride, especially being a woman and all that jazz. If anything I received more negative comments when I got around as a pillion, oddly enough.

Welcome to the forum Rob. Definitely share pictures with us when you get a chance!

Hey - welcome to the forum!

I'm afraid I don't have ny actual experience of short-term insurance, but I did a search on the net and came across this: http://www.flexirider.co.uk/. Might be worth a look?

Congratulations! Hope you're out enjoying yourself. Take care!

I can see you ending up with a collection of bikes once you get your full licence! :-D