JohnR6

Thanks for the advise. Yeah, I was looking at some rear stands too for my bike, seen them for £35 which is still OK price but where did you see them for £15? That's a bargain! I went to Halfords last night and bought a load of cleaning produces for my bike aswell. Got myself some de-greaser to clean the chain, some metal polish to clean all the crap stuck on my end can and some Castrol bike polish! Gunna try and clean my bike tonight and do the chain. When lubing the chain, I think I might just have to do the old push your bike down the drive a little bit at a time to cover the whole chain or get the missus to hold the bike while it's pivoting on the stand and front wheel.

Hello, After my bike's 600 mile service, the clock is nearly reading 1500 miles. I think it's time to clean and lube my chain but I've never done it before, can someone post some tips on how to do this? I'm thinking of using a can of WD-40 with a rag to clean the chain and then spray some Wurth Dry Lube on it which I've bought the other day. Also, I don't have a stand for my bike so what's the best way in doing this on my own?

Just wondering what you guys wear whilst riding in the Hot Weather? I wear jeans, boots, gloves, helmet and a textile jacket to commute to work and it's bloody hot man!! I see some riders wearing only shorts and t-shirt....is that you?

Aye, those K6 GSX-R750 are awesome!

Good morning guys, It was the first time I had luggage on the back of my bike yesterday, I strapped a Holdall bag to the back seat as I was going to football after work. When I was getting off the bike, I nearly dropped my baby as my leg got caught when getting off. The bike was banked over like over 50 degrees and I thought it was gunna drop! Proper caked myself but luckily, I managed to hold it up! It's amazing how much grip (Even in the wet as it was raining) the tires have when banked over that much at stand still! I guess I should have put the stand down before getting off, but the DAS course which I was only on about 3-4 weeks ago teach you to always get off the bike then put the stand down. Anyway, is there any technique in getting on and off the bike when having luggage at the back?

I'll try that, thanks for the advice mate.

As you said "Why do it? It's not doing your bike any good. The clutch is there for a reason." That's what I thought at first but clutchless upshifts are so smooth and you don't get that "lurching" movement when doing it. And when you're accelerating hard, it gives you more time to concentrate on accelerating and moving forward, rather than spending a second or two pulling the clutch in, changing gear and then letting the clutch out again. That's what I was told my a Police rider last week so I gave it a go. But clutchless "Downshifts" are definitely a NO NO.

The 2006 Kawasaki ZX-6R are nice man! I nearly bought one before I got my lovely brand new 05' R6 but I just knew I wouldn't feel right riding anything but a Yamaha. Just remember though, if you're gunna be getting a Kawasaki, I hope it's gunna be 'GREEN'!

Been doing them since last Friday going home from work and it's really smooth! I only do them when accelerating hard though, as I tried to do them while going at normal speed and the gears just doesn't want to go in. So if I'm not accelerating hard doing town riding and stuff, then I use the clutch to shift. Also, I've been blipping the throttle when shifting down too, works really well especially when it's wet as it stops your back end from fish tailing when their's too much touque in a lower gear shifting down. Do you guys do this? And is Clutchless upshifts OK for my bike, it seems a lot smoother than shifting up using the clutch.......so I guess it's good right?

.....the Heel plates are scratched already! I think it's from all the dirt sticking to the inside of my boots while riding in the wet and then it get's scrubbed and scratched onto the heel plates while changing gear and applying the rear brake! Is their any way in getting the scatches out? Bit of T-Cut polish, will that do? I know I can't wrap my bike in cotton wool but you have to try!

I guess if you keep your fron't wheel on the ground all the time, then Tankslappers shouldn't really happen.....unless you hit a bump or a pot hole coming out a corner or something right?

I haven't experience one of these, touch wood that I won't and I really don't want one! I've been reading about them and I was wondering if any of you guys have experienced one and how did you deal with it? Here's a good read about them from joe250.com: I was just wondering, wouldn't applying the back brake help during a tankslap?

Man, it was pi55ing it down this morning in Manchester (like always), I was riding into work in my R6 like I have been for the last week. Anyway, I gave myself plenty of room and not following the car in front too close, when suddenly the car infront did an emergency stop as some idiot decided to run across the road! I had to do an "In the wet" emergency stop too.......bloody sh!t myself!! I think I slightly locked my back wheel and I skidded out and fish tailed like a ba5tard until it eventually stopped! During that moment, everything seemed really slow but all I can think about was "Oh Sh!t, the back end is all over the place" and the more you sh!t yourself the more brake you want to apply and by the time I realised that I should ease off the brakes, I had already stopped which was a good job!!! I was only going 30mph too! Now I know why my instructor told me to not use the back brake so much in the wet as it locks your back wheel and you end up doing what I just did 30 minutes ago! What a moment it was for me, and it's taught me not to load the back too much now when it's wet! After that little moment for me, everytime I approached a traffic light, I just came off the trottle early and applied the brakes (front and a little a t the back) and released the brakes and then re-applied it again, abit like an ABS system. That way felt alot better when stopping and not as harsh. Motorbikes are great though, you experience something new everyday and you're constantly learning all the time. Let hope we all learn things the easier way like I just have and not the hard way. Ride Safe.

Yeah, I've heard that the Teknik stuff are good too but I'm either going with Alpinestars or Arlen Ness. I guess you are paying a fair bit of money for them so best is to get what you like the look of, but protection wise, they're all pretty good TBH especially if you're paying £400+ for a set. Check these Arlen Ness out, look pretty good and a fair price for what they are: http://www.harpersraceshop.co.uk/item2227.htm

I need to get some leathers soon, I'm just wearing textile pants and jacket at the moment, they are good, do the job and keeps me dry when I'm cummuting to work everyday on my 05 R6. Anyway, I was wondering what leathers do you guys wear? I had my sight set on some Alpinestars 1pz but then I saw some Arlen Ness ones which where cheaper and looks more protective (and also I love that dragon logo on them!). I'm also not too sure whether to get a 1pz suit or 2pz? 1pz is probably more protective but 2pz is more practical and I would use them for work too. If I got 1pz, I wouldn't feel right going to work with them and idiots on the road will always try and race you haven seen you with your full racing kit on!?! anyway, what do you guys wear for riding?