pilninggas

Happy birthday Drewpy. Have a good one (all 45mins left!)

Go for it - i work by a Harley dealer; used to hate them but now i actually quite like them. As Drewpy's sig says they are noisy, gutless bits of pig iron. But they are pretty rugged and have a style that no-one quite emulates (victory maybe?). If i get another bike, i think a harley will be high up the list.

i'd rather take 3 points and a £60 fine, than an appearance at court on perverting the course of justice charges. Very likely to rile a traffic or TST copper if they find it on your bike, a real tin-opener for a can-of-worms.

This

That truly Sucks Kev. Far too many people who don't give a fuck about other people's property in this country. No punishment if they are caught.

you are not having too much luck! I live in a deprived area, which has a higher rate of crime. Last year I built a garage, but before this all of my bikes were outside. Apart from kids wanting to piss around with it when it was uncovered, it was generally ignored - Get the best lock you can buy, as said by Dirty a decent cover and chain the bike to the nearest solid bit of iron that is fixed to the ground. I can understand the landlord's concern - it is probably violating his insurance policy and would leave him without cover in the event of fire; it is also not ideal to have containers of petrol indoors, for your safety and your fellow tenants.

love riding up Porlock hill, tanking past cars cooking their clutches @30mph up the top by the cattle grid.

http://www.ventura-bike.co.uk/fitments/Yamaha/1065-yzf_r125_y_.aspx good compromise for the R125. Tankbags are okay - but even if careful they can scratch the paint; especially so if you have something heavy like a chain and lock. I have one, but use it as a tail-pack. You could use soft-panniers, beware of them getting caught in the wheel or burning on the exhaust.

I just think we've almost been brainwashed into this mentality - i've had 1 zx6r and 1 xj6 written off in the last 3 years by idiots in cars. Both were modified, and both were dealt with - without prejudice - by the insurers. I think unless you have a totally non-standard paint-job or a nitrous-bottle they don't really care. Obviously declaring mods is better, but they are clearly more worried about non-disclosure of claims, convictions or usage (all of which are clearly fraud). I think they know that they would have to prove that the policy holder had carried out the mod, and that it was not done by a previous owner and basically gone un-noticed.

I wouldn't honestly worry about insurance issues - unless the change in size is too extreme (bead does not sit properly, is forced in etc). All the insurance company will be interested in, in the event of an accident/claim is that they have legal tread, no damage prior to the accident (that could have been foreseen - failed sidewall etc) and are not marked 'not for road use'.

Yes have a good one!

Just goes to show what a load of old EU nonsense these tests actually are - expected to wring a bikes neck in the wet, totally daft.

Deltic

You're just jealous John

As Drewpy said super 97-100 RON is only really useful in engines running a higher compression than standard, more ignition advance or boost. A higher octane number does not make for better petrol, it makes for a charge more resistant to knock. At present only BMW motorcycles uses knock sensors which can allow the engine to get more power running on super, don't waste your money. It is also a myth supermarket fuel is inferior, the British and EU standards for fuel compel the manufacturers to very narrow variations in formulas. Ethanol, aside from perishing fuel system components (at concentrations above 15/20%), also makes the fuel hygroscopic meaning it will 'go-off' [absorb water] if in the tank for more than a few weeks. In theory above 15/20% the vehicle should be running 'flexfuel' sensors that can alter injection criteria to maintain the stoichiometric ratio (unleaded 14.7:1, ethanol 10:1ish).

Who wants to look me? i'm no oil painting! yeah, didn't realise the date marker was on.

haha, no i'm back at home now! I went to Arnhem and Nijmegen to see where Monty messed up Market Garden - the Rhine is a formidable beast cutting through Netherlands, no wonder it was such strategic barrier for the Allies and the latterly the Nazis/Wehrmacht. I crossed into Germany so I could go over the Rhine a bit further up.

Here are some of the pics: Hook of Holland: Peace Palace AKA The International Court (where megolomaniacs like Slobodan Milosevich get tried): Near Haarlem: Afluitsdijk, linking Holland to Frisia: The German-Netherlands border near the Rhine: Dock on the lesser Rhine: A submarine and an Enigma machine: btw, i edited some of these in photobucket to be the correct way up, but they are still on their side - i will try to fix.....

Got back about 1 1/2 hours ago, 1300miles since wednesday, some decent roads over there, not biking classics but worth a look. Will post up some pics and a full review asap. merv

Well I'm in the hague,in scheveningen which is next to the north sea. Great run here,other than a poxy two hour delay for the tunnel. Rode over the polders of zeeland - damn the land is low. 425. Miles Cheers merv

tunnel came in at £65, cheapest late deal ferry was £40 norfolkline, so for a quick crossing not too bad. I usually take a ferry, so it will be nice to compare.

[un]fortunately that isn't a dilemma i face.

On my own, it's like solo backpacking with more adrenalin!

will do.