XT Alan

Give him a break Guys. In my opinion, he's only a kid trying to be part of the "in crowd" and has obviously got a bit carried away. It's tough, when you've only got 50cc to play with :wink:

Everyone who has a bike, has an image of themselves on it. They mod the bike to fit the image. We ALL do it to some extent. Cars are impersonal and are shared within families. Bikes are personal.

I'd also advice going straight onto the R6. It's obviously what you REALLY want. Just take it easy, which isn't too hard. Run yourself in, as it were. Just keep the revs below 7,000 for a while, cos Sports 600s have nothing much in the way of power down low. They only really start to fly above 9,000 rpm.

Fork protectors Ross. Super motard is basically a traily with with road wheels and tyres. Very trendy here in Europe.

I'll take a look. I enjoy this forum and also the XT660 forum I am on. I also still do the Bandit forum, which is really excellent for technical things. AND I am having a lot of fun arguing with the AMA Fundamentalists on Thumper Talk :wink: Being on too many forums can make it tricky to keep up, (I sometimes have to go riding or even do some work :shock: ) so don't be offended if I don't get too involved.

Take a trip to South Wales on a Saturday Night, they're all at it

Hi, I'm in the middle of a debate on the TT Forum. When I suggested that Ricky Carmichael, good as he is, just might not be the greatest motocross rider on earth, the reaction was the same as if I had suggested that Bin Laden should get the Nobel Peace Prize. Being the only European taking part in this "discussion" has been interesting. I reckon that the only true test in Motocross, as in any sport is World Championships. What do you all think? Is AMA Motocross better than the World Champs? AMA road racing isn't close, but maybe Motocross is different.

I would ask Yamaha for advice on this, just to be on the safe side. If the subframe is detachable you could straighten it, but this will also weaken it more.

Try writing a poem as therapy: When I ride his Gixxer, I always have to fix her,....................

This is my first ever Yamaha. I got this one, because the XT660R is in a class of ONE. No other manufacturer makes anything quite like it. The perfect DO ANYTHING and EVERYTHING machine. If I go even farther down the trail bike route and start to want more off road ability, the Yamaha TT600 competes with a Honda, a Suzuki and KTMs. Then I would make a decision based on quality, performance and my ownership experience. So far Yamaha are doing well at turning me into a Yamaha fan.

Here in Aberystwyth we do a run on Boxing Day down to Cardigan. Up to 20 of us. Stop off in a pub down there for a bite and a coffee and to thaw out, then back to Aber. Probably the fastest ride of the year! Hardly a car on this great road, which in the summer is a complete pain in the arse. On one occasion, a friend and I went for a spin and stopped off at the Dolwen Cafe, near Llanidloes. When we walked in we were completely white with frost. The other customers had a good crack with us about being "old enough to know better". But you know what? Particularly on the faces of the men, there was envy. They were stuck going to Garden Centre with wifey and we were having a little adventure. PS If you don't know it Pete, the Dolwen Cafe is a 5* establishment. Proper British food - roast and 3 veg and the best All Day Breakfast in the Universe.

The rain's the same, but the tyres and clothing are a lot better. So riding out in bad weather is just as much, if not more, fun than it is in the summer. The only thing which keeps me indoors is freezing fog, which, if you wear glasses makes riding pretty much impossible. Let's face it, even here in the Welsh mountains it actually hardly ever snows. Winter is the best time of year for me. All the pocket rocket boys (and girls) are tucked up back in fantasy land reading Fast Bikes. The caravans are parked up and the roads are left to us hardy all year round types to enjoy.

If you keep drinking this foreign muck, you'll be 65 within a few months. :roll:

Squabbling - It's the way with us Welsh. Keeps our wits sharp for taking on the English Pete not only mentions them, HE'S BOUGHT ONE :shock:

Look at all the trouble you've started Taff!

In a few short weeks, many riders will be putting their bikes away and riding only on those odd days when it doesn't rain and when the roads aren't covered in salt. What a waste! Hereabouts, from September on, the holiday makers and day trippers stop clogging the roads and the cafes. I get to have Wales all for myself until Easter. Question: How do you keep your bike looking showroom while riding through the rain and the salt? This is what I do and it works. Be warned! It takes at least 10 hours to get your bike ready. 1- Clean and polish the bike to perfection. Polish everything: even under the engine and around the rear suspension. Crystal Glo is a great do everywhere polish. 2 - Apply GT Products Protect and Ride Hard Wax to EVERYTHING that shines or might corrode. Paint or dab it on liberally with a kid's painting brush. Every bolt head on the bike for example. It takes ages. So that no shiny bits are left. 3 - Spray/wipe ACF 50 all over the engine and inside all the nooks and crannies. I used to use WD40 which will also do this, but isn't quite as good. 4 - Go for a ride. As soon as you come back put the bike indoors and spray WD40 on to the exhausts (DO NOT BREATH IN THE FUMES). A cloud of WD40 mist will put a protective coating on all the electrics and get to places that you have missed. If you do this before the bad weather sets in and then wash once a week followed by a spray/wipe of ACF and WD. Your bike will cope with winter and clean up beautifully come Spring. When people see my bikes, they simply do not believe it when I tell them that the bike is used in all weathers.

1) They can't do heavy lifting. 2) They slip between planks on wooden bridges. 3) They get wrinkles as they age. 4) They don't make good bouncers. 5) They're uncomfortable. 6) They don't float if your boat capsizes. 7) They can't keep so much of the sun out of your eyes. 8) You can't shelter behind them in high winds. 9) They can't hold you up when you're drunk. 10) They're harder to find if you lose them.

The success of HD is all about marketing and image, it is nothing to do with ability. Bit like the new BMW Mini, ATVs and thin women.

No point in having an R1 if you're going to ride slow. See Psychology of Speed thread. Stay safe and don't get caught when your right wrist gets the better of you

Llanidloes to Staylittle and then over the mountain road to Machynlleth.

Lagunda Seca is a really great track. Can't wait to see the Ducatis spinning it up sideways down the Corkscrew.

Today I had a look at a new Blade sitting alongside an R6 in David Jones' showroom. The Blade is tiny :shock: , the R6 is, physically quite a bit bigger. The build quality of the Blade also seemed inferior to the Yamaha, particularly the quality of the paint and plastics. Times they are a changing! Only a midget could possibly be comfortable on the Blade.

After I bought my new boots, I realised what a mish mash of makes I wear. I am a fashion disaster. Boots - Forma (new) or Gaerne (5 years old). Leather Pants (7 years old)summer) - J&S. Cordura Pants (3 years old) winter) - Hunter. Jacket - Shoei (4 years old), Gloves - Akito(6 months old summer) and Spada (2 years old winter). Helmet - (6 months old) Nolan. Kidney Belt - Sinisalo (new). Best piece of kit - Shoei jacket. Worst piece of kit - Leather pants - comfy but falling apart after all these years. What do you all wear? What is good? What isn't good? Motorcycle clothing has improved beyond recognition in the last 30 years, both in quality and function. This, brakes and tyres are the biggest improvements I can think of in my time as a biker. Bikes themselves have obviously got more sophisticated and perform better in terms of speed and handling, but they are much more expensive to run and, in the case of Japanese bikes, are no more reliable than they were 20 years ago and they definitely cannot take as hard a life as they used to.

What a good looking set up, this XT really looks the part. Mine now has a top box on Yamaha's own brand carrier. The carrier is not pretty, but it has very useful bungee points all over which meant that when we went to Scotland I could lay and attach my tent and sleeping bag across the back seat securely. Top box is 35 litres and takes cameras, utensils, clothing etc. All kept nice and narrow with no effect on the handling. A big tour would need a set up like the bike in the picture. My concern with panniers is the way they can change the handling characteristics of a bike and top boxes can often cause head shakes due to turbulence.

The RH pannier could be smaller like on the Deauville and some BMWs.