Panzer944

Thanks Bippo ... and thanks to all for the warm welcome ... I'll have a look for Pilots ... it's the weird sizes that doesn't help (3.00-18 (f) and 3.50-16®) but I'll have a look around the bazaars and see what's what. Ooops got to go ... the TV coverage for the IOM Senior TT is just starting on ITV4

Hi there - just thought I'd check in ... through an odd, but connected, set of events I now find myself running around on a new YBR125 Custom ... quick version below: - been riding bikes since 1976 - all sorts but gradually moved from sports bikes to sit up and beg due to rugby injuries coming home to roost! - got married to non-biker in 2005 (this is relevant - persevere!) when I had a Tiumph T140 special which I then swapped for a SV650 (nice bike) - fast forward to 2009 and I have BMW R1100R at this time (odd/different/fun/quirky/comfortable - the bike, not the dearly beloved - then again ...) - in 2010, dearly beloved embraces 2-wheeled powered transport and with only a car licence, gets a Rossi Replica Aerox 50 and really likes it ... - thanks to Yamaha's 0% finance and a good deal from local dealer (Skellerns, Worcester) we don't notice paying for it (sort of ...) - in 2012, dearly beloved insists she is ready for next step (gears!) and, after much checking of interest and commitment, I buy surprise YBR125 Custom in early 2013 and she is positively made up ... facebooking all and sundry with piccies of new steed - I then go through the 'gears thing' with her and she then announces its a "no go" followed by "I'm not doing that gears thing" and "I'll stick to the Aerox" ... but, last thing you want is someone forced onto a motorbike who is uncomfortable with the prospect, so I respect the decision - I had already sold the R1100R and had run-in the Custom and was (possibly) looking forward to a FZ8 ... or a Tedium 900 ... - around that time, my job changed and now I have less than a 3-mile commute instead of the old 35-mile commute - I could chop (pun intended) it in, but would take huge a loss ... and, in any case, I still have a hope that 'management' will give the 'gears thing' a second chance ... so I'm sort of stuck with the YBR Custom for now - but - and wierdly - I am really enjoying belting around the city on this little machine (although the tyres feel a tad dodgy) and may well keep it if only for that city commuting thing ... sure, I miss all the power and the torque from the Beemer - but, in real world short distance commuting terms, this wee thing is so, so much easier - have a top box fitted for stuff - other than that she's standard in black On reflection - that's probably not that quick! Panzer 944 (Yes ... I have a hankering for the Porsche 944 as well with a normally aspirated version and a 340bhp turbo version)