What did you do to your bike today?

[FUBAR]

Damn right mate.

I like it when i stumble on a nice corner you can see all the way along though haha.

Thats just it, you can only go with what you can see. I see so so many bikers who because they know a road and it's bends, just go with the hope that nothing will be in their path. I remember years ago in Lincolnshire going to Willingham woods one evening with a mate who was a much faster rider than I, but not a tit with it, just different standards mainly. I was in front and we were separated by some cars, I went round a blind left hander and boom, right in the worst place a biker was down and ambulance parked blocking my lane with stream of cars coming the other way, nowhere to go! I was able to while leant over for the bend still stop in time and pass it when clear. I then hung back massively thinking the worst when my mate would meet this scene. He had to abort and go around ambulance with only luck that there was enough time between oncoming cars. Could have been horrific, imagine crashing into the back of an open ambulance! lolol 

[fabiamk2SE]

Thats just it, you can only go with what you can see. I see so so many bikers who because they know a road and it's bends, just go with the hope that nothing will be in their path. I remember years ago in Lincolnshire going to Willingham woods one evening with a mate who was a much faster rider than I, but not a tit with it, just different standards mainly. I was in front and we were separated by some cars, I went round a blind left hander and boom, right in the worst place a biker was down and ambulance parked blocking my lane with stream of cars coming the other way, nowhere to go! I was able to while leant over for the bend still stop in time and pass it when clear. I then hung back massively thinking the worst when my mate would meet this scene. He had to abort and go around ambulance with only luck that there was enough time between oncoming cars. Could have been horrific, imagine crashing into the back of an open ambulance! lolol

Aha yeah. That coulda been bad. It makes you realise though when something like that happens doesnt it. Real eye opener of what could have been.

Most the time its fine, but it only takes once.

Youd of thought the ambulance would of put a sign up or somethong though

[Chriswright03]

One of the things to remember at all costs is you should be able to stop safely on your own side of the road in the distance you can see.  I was always taught you need to think that around the next corner a helicopter has crashed and is blocking the road so you nee to be prepared to stop.  Talking of Lincolnshire being a rural county you will often come round the corner and find a great pile of mud/cow **** or whatever just where you want to be and you have to go over it.  In those conditions it is best to have a little bit in reserve.

 

I know we have strayed well away from the thread title but nevertheless some good points being made.

[fabiamk2SE]

Damn right. Sometimes gravel in the road too.

Its really not easy changing line if youre giving it your all is it.

Always leave some on it. Dont think i ever ride over about 75-80%. Keeping it smooth too helps.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Looks like we all have the same thoughts on riding with others. I'm obviously quite inexperienced, a year riding now but dont get a huge amount of time in the saddle, I have ridden with a few people though....

 

... my best mate is a bit too much of a loon, iffy overtakes, sitting right up peoples arses etc, I tend to keep my distance when we go somewhere on the bikes tbh, and have to bite my tongue at the other end. When we went for out 4 day trip he was good as gold 90% of the time though, it was only the last 60 miles home he went back into **** mode. Been on a few rides with my dad, seem to spend most of them on his Bandit, the first trip he offered me it instead of the CB500 I had, second time I returned the favour and gave him my CB1000R. It's always a bit funny riding or even driving with my dad, I dunno if it's just me but I feel a bit like I'm on test again lol. He was quite complimentary with my riding, only telling me to go easy after I took off after a Porsche and M3 I was staying behind them, just wanted to see which was quicker out the two. 

 

Strangely enough, out of the people I have ridden with my brother is my favourite. Yes he wheelies everywhere, says inappropriate things to attractive women and gets us pulled over but he knows there is a time and a place for being silly, I know he wont go for the stupid blind overtake or anything. I can relax with him and concentrate on my own riding which is the important thing. Spookily he's just messaged me and the mrs is at EDC so I'm off out lol 

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

I see the Supervisor is busy in the background.    "You've missed a bit".

 

Thats my brothers current mrs, mine walked through the garden with her massive sunglasses on like some kinda wag, turned her nose up and went back out  

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Done the usual with my brother, phones me and we meet at BP, then he says 'where shall we go then?' and I have 30 seconds to work out where to go. Luckily he had a full tank of fuel to waste so we went for a spank down over to Luton Airport, theres a emergency access road you can go down and see the planes take off and land quite close. Half way there a road was shut, annoyingly no signs until you arrived there and it was only a sewage pipe being replaced, took a slight detour instead of going all the way back down the road Watched the planes for a hour or so then come home, nice little ride, just started raining as I arrived home, perfect timing! Brother wanted a better look over the fence....

 

[Chriswright03]

...................and just then the sidestand broke!  Which reminds me I must get mine looked at as there is a known problem with the bolt bending to an extent where it can snap.  Triumph are replacing under warranty all I have to do is get my backside over there.

 

So today if it stays dry I will drag my backside off the sofa from watching all of the moto gp and fit the radiator guard that finally arrived as ordered.  Oh and as my mates new horn is MUCH louder than my new one I shall fit the original as well to use them both for some serious get out of the way sounds.  Having said that I cannot recall the last time I had to use it.

[FUBAR]

...................and just then the sidestand broke!  Which reminds me I must get mine looked at as there is a known problem with the bolt bending to an extent where it can snap.  Triumph are replacing under warranty all I have to do is get my backside over there.

 

So today if it stays dry I will drag my backside off the sofa from watching all of the moto gp and fit the radiator guard that finally arrived as ordered.  Oh and as my mates new horn is MUCH louder than my new one I shall fit the original as well to use them both for some serious get out of the way sounds.  Having said that I cannot recall the last time I had to use it.

[Chriswright03]

Radiator guard fitted and the bolts that hold the radiator in oiled and put back so they can be undone which could be a mistake. At least how they were there was no chance of them vibrating loose due to the crap on the threads!

 

[Madrunner]

Looking good Chris !

[Chriswright03]

Cheers Mad.  Then on the RATS facebook page one of the guys has posted he made his own!  Looks good as well. Mind you he made his own panniers out of some old ammo boxes he bought off fleabay and then made his own frames to fit.  I really admire folk that can turn their hand to stuff like that but sadly I am not one of them fortunately for the people that sell stuff.

[fabiamk2SE]

Just about to give mine a wash!

[Gyp]

Not directly for the bike but more so for use with the bike. I bought some Shure SE215 sound isolating in ear earphones.

We bought these last year to use with our intercom. Excellent.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Rode it again. Went for a spin down to Hemel Hempstead with my brother, bit of lunch then a run back. 

 

Nice chilled ride for the most part, had a 'limited edition' Corsa get the arse with being overtaken and sit up my arse, we'd be sat behind it and a van ahead of it for ages, 2 chances for the car to overtake the van but it chose no to, so next chance I went past the Corsa ready to pass the ven next, Corsa doesnt like this and sits up my arse. 

 

On the last bit home a Porsche Cayenne was ahead of us as a road opened into a dual carriageway, we both opened it up to pass a slow moving lorry, it moved over and I passed it before quickly realising how quick I was going, so I moved over, it and my brother continued, I left them to it. When I finally arrived behind them at some traffic lights they're chatting away. Got home and my brother tells me the bloke tapped the dash and said 'Not bad for a 3.0 diesel'. Smelling a rat quite quickly my brother replied 'thought it was going to be faster than that, should have got it in red' before tapping the tank saying 'not bad for a 125'

 

Why do people get so upset about a bike being quicker than their 2T SUV they feel the need to lie, making himself look a utter bellend in seconds, until that point we we're quite impressed with it's speed whatever the engine (it was clearly a petrol and clearly more than a 3.0 diesel). 

[Chriswright03]

Bought some 'No More Dirty Bike' from Poundland to clean it tomorrow (maybe).  Just hope it isn't brick acid!  I have also just sold some stuff on fleabay and with the cash that fleabay and paypal have kindly let me keep after they have paid themselves for their hard work I shall be buying a fender extender and a hugger and hopefully cleaning will not be as hard in future.

[fabiamk2SE]

Rode it again. Went for a spin down to Hemel Hempstead with my brother, bit of lunch then a run back.

Nice chilled ride for the most part, had a 'limited edition' Corsa get the arse with being overtaken and sit up my arse, we'd be sat behind it and a van ahead of it for ages, 2 chances for the car to overtake the van but it chose no to, so next chance I went past the Corsa ready to pass the ven next, Corsa doesnt like this and sits up my arse.

On the last bit home a Porsche Cayenne was ahead of us as a road opened into a dual carriageway, we both opened it up to pass a slow moving lorry, it moved over and I passed it before quickly realising how quick I was going, so I moved over, it and my brother continued, I left them to it. When I finally arrived behind them at some traffic lights they're chatting away. Got home and my brother tells me the bloke tapped the dash and said 'Not bad for a 3.0 diesel'. Smelling a rat quite quickly my brother replied 'thought it was going to be faster than that, should have got it in red' before tapping the tank saying 'not bad for a 125'

Why do people get so upset about a bike being quicker than their 2T SUV they feel the need to lie, making himself look a utter bellend in seconds, until that point we we're quite impressed with it's speed whatever the engine (it was clearly a petrol and clearly more than a 3.0 diesel).

What makes you think it wasnt a diesel? The diesel is the one to have really.

My mate had the non turbo petrol v8. Whilst it wasnt slow, it wasnt exactly rapid. Sounded nice, but shifting 2.2 tonnes of car it was good for about 18mpg.

I love blasting off big cars with suited up people driving haha

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

What makes you think it wasnt a diesel? The diesel is the one to have really.

My mate had the non turbo petrol v8. Whilst it wasnt slow, it wasnt exactly rapid. Sounded nice, but shifting 2.2 tonnes of car it was good for about 18mpg.

I love blasting off big cars with suited up people driving haha

The noise mainly, sounded lush, nothing like a diesel. If it was, and it was a 3.0 then I'm getting myself a A4 with that motor in because it'd ****ing fly carrying half the weight

[Dr Zoidberg]

I now have a rear tyre with tread on both left *and* right sides.

[fabiamk2SE]

The noise mainly, sounded lush, nothing like a diesel. If it was, and it was a 3.0 then I'm getting myself a A4 with that motor in because it'd ******* fly carrying half the weight

Haha yeah thats a fair shout!

The v6 diesel is only roughly 250bhp from memory. So not a great lot in a car that size!

My mates was 340bhp. It still wasnt that fast but sounded nice. Bout 7 seconds to 60 still i think.

The one to have is the turbo (if you want speed) but im sure youd of seen the big TURBO badge on the back lol. That must be horrific on fuel though.

Edited 16 July, 2015 by fabiamk2SE

[fabiamk2SE]

I now have a rear tyre with tread on both left *and* right sides.

Both sides? Now you really are pushing the boat out.

[Dr Zoidberg]

Both sides? Now you really are pushing the boat out.

 

I know. Luxury!

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

Haha yeah thats a fair shout!

The v6 diesel is only roughly 250bhp from memory. So not a great lot in a car that size!

My mates was 340bhp. It still wasnt that fast but sounded nice. Bout 7 seconds to 60 still i think.

The one to have is the turbo (if you want speed) but im sure youd of seen the big TURBO badge on the back lol. That must be horrific on fuel though.

 

I'll be honest I was too busy looking at where my brother was and then getting out the way of the pair of them, I can remember number plates very well, wish I'd clocked it and then could have checked what it was lol. I looked online, anything as fast as this thing was going are either turbo'd or supercharged I think. 

[CFB]

Gave it a wash after this...

In Houlgate, Normandy.

 

 

 

Went to see these chaps

 

 

 

 

Sat here

 

 

 

And ate this, waiting for them to arrive

 

 

 

Stayed in a hobbit house for 2 nights

 

 

 

And Tigger came too

 

[Chriswright03]

Well yesterday I carried on with the cleaning of the Tiger.  Think I have mentioned how crappy the fittings are.  Anyway I decided to start at the front and take all of the allen bolts out and clean them one by one.  So I started with the front offside lower fork protector.  Four bolts hold it on three come out easy (ish) and the fourth someone has butchered before and the allen key just goes round and round.  Couldn't force a larger one in so left it and carried on with the other side.

 

So when I took the nearside fork protector off it was well manky under there!  All around the bottom of the fork was caked in muck and gunge which I managed to clean off but it has left pitting from the rust that had started.  Carried on with one or two other bolts and they all came out easily and cleaned up well.

 

Move forward to today and having forun out one of the ways to remove a knackered allen bolt is to force a torx bit into it gave it a go.  Success?  Well no not really.  It started to move and at that point I should have sprayed what thread I could see and move it back in and out but no as I thought I had won I carried on and now it is stuck again.  I cannot force the next size torx but in nor a larger allen key.  I tried in desperation to chisel a groove in the head so I can use a flat bladed screwdriver but that just knackered the chisel.

 

So now I am stuck with one bolt half out.  At least it won't fall out.  I think I shall either have to use a slitting blade on a mini drill (have to get one first) to cut a slot in it or just bust off the guards so I can get at the bolt and buy another guard.  I just know that under the guard it will be full of crap like the other one and in  need of a good clean up.

 

Oh and I have a sore finger from knocking it (more than twice) with the hammer.  Fed up and f***ed off.