Page 100 of 106 FirstFirst ... 50909899100101102 ... LastLast
Results 1,981 to 2,000 of 2110

Thread: I want to get a bike license

  1. #1981
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0


    Noticed on the new MOT that the mileage on this had gone up by 12 miles in the last 18 months. That's 4 miles back from the MOT station 18 months ago, 3 miles in and out of the garage and 5 miles to the new MOT station yesterday.

    Its covered an additional 360 miles but that was in the back of a van

    Does this mean I failed the 5K challenge ?

    I'll be taxing it on the 1st and trying to get some miles in before the end of Summer

  2. #1982
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    At least it's stayed clean eh?

  3. #1983
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    Down to Ide Hill today to meet a mate then onwards and downwards from there to Dungeness for fish and chips.







    Wasn't the greatest today. Yesterday had a fair bit of rain and I'd worked a route out trying to keep the number of busy main roads in Kent to a minimum. Problem is the little village lanes were through the trees and the roads were still pretty damp in places and if not that, narrow and low speed bendy, and if not that - FECKING UP TO THE EYEBALLS WITH SHATTING PEUGEOTS DOING 12MPH :evil:

    Average speeds were low until we hit Camber, which was also rammed busy but we did manage a relatively clear bit of racetrack through to Dungeness from there.

    Cosy of old SXOC fame also headed down in his Caterham.



    Ended up following him back up through the lanes via Tenterden whilst my mate headed off through Rye and west along the coast for a different way back to Surrey for him. Better speeds on the way back but still not exactly cooking on gas. Everywhere so busy.

    Did the last 15 miles (including through the Dartford Tunnel and part of the M25 on the fuel light playing roulette, and got a little wet about 10 minutes before getting home. Ah well, some seat time better than no seat time even if it wasn't the best :up:

    162 miles total. Looks like 150 miles to the tank is about the realistic limit before you start panicking. Not so bad for what it is.

  4. #1984
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by arry View Post
    At least it's stayed clean eh?
    No such luck ! It got filthy going to the MOT in the rain




  5. #1985
    Guest
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    337
    Rides
    0
    For anyone interested been video logging my (new to me) quite old track toy, done about 4 videos of the bike stripping it down and doing the front forks etc but here is the first walk around video from last month:





    Put quite a few miles on the 954 road bike and my ktm green laner the past month but not many photo's to show just now, suppose to be better weather latter part of the week though

  6. #1986
    Guest
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    337
    Rides
    0
    And I did my first bike track day! What an amazing day, I did fall off but got it back together and cracked on for the rest of the day, what a buzz would recommend it to anyone!


  7. #1987
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    Well done mate. It really is a great sensation to do a track day. Completely different to riding on the road.

    I pmed you
    Last edited by Jonny Wilkinson; 04-08-2020 at 11:57.

  8. #1988
    Guest
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    337
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonny Wilkinson View Post
    Well done mate. It really is a great sensation to do a track day. Completely different to riding on the road.

    I pmed you
    Yes mate best feeling I've ever had on a bike, I've been road riding for 12 years now on quite a few different bikes plus the occasional green laning etc and never felt so free.

    Thanks for the advise, very kind, I will get back to you about it tomorrow!

    Cheers

  9. #1989
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    Today's must have accessory - get your knee down.....Whilst carrying your coffee!

    https://www.blueshiftmounts.com




    Only Twennyfive Dollah pre-order

  10. #1990
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    This week I really do feel like I could fall into a bucket of tits and come up sucking my own thumb

    Earlier in the week I went out to check the oil on the Nine T - no mean feat, to be honest, as the bloody stupid 'engineers' down at BMW decided to put the sight glass in a place where sight of it is damn near impossible, and an oil cooler that only releases oil when it's left on its side stand for a bit, so it's a ten minute process to sort out a decent reading and more faff than it should be without a centre stand.

    Anyway, it was a little low after ~700 miles relatively hard use so I decided to top it up. Ah, what's this tomfoolery? An 'anti tamper' oil filler cap - essentially you need a special 3 pronged tool to undo it. Where's the tool? In the toolkit. Where's the toolkit? Under the seat. How do you get the seat off? You need an anti tamper Torx bit which is...... under the seat Are you shitting me BMW? Seriously?!

    So, I get my own toolkit out and luckily I have an anti-tamper Torx to remove the rear seat, then remove the front one too. Nope, no bloody toolkit as someone's lifted it and not passed it on Why do people do this?!

    **** it, 'invented' my own 'special tool' and to **** with the consequences:


    Oil now topped up to the right level and we'll see how many miles we have to go before I do decide to fork out for an actual tool to replace the missing toolkit version. Probably not that far, because it seems boxers like a drink more than I do .

    Next up, I decided to buy a rear rack - three reasons 1) pushing the bike backwards with nothing to grip onto is a bit scary for lil ol' crippled me 2) wifey wants to come out on this one and there's no grab rail, and the rack doubles up as a grab rail, and 3) if I get a rack on it then I can stick my Kreiga on that, leaving the rear seat available for a big ass 60L rollbag and then I've got loads and loads of storage Thought about looking for a cheap one but Unit Garage came recommended from absolutely shit loads of people so I thought I'd give that a go. It turned up, and I got it out of the box and yes mate - quality looks bob on - decent




    Until you go to fit it and.....








    It's fecking miles out

    Oh, and that's some serious casting defect on one of the longer bolts they've given me to fit it with






    Well and truly pissed off. Seems even buying near brand new bikes and quality bits from quality suppliers you're not guaranteed an easy life

  11. #1991
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    Anyway, got through to supplier and said WTF Brah - they were really good and sorted out a new bolt set to come out to me in post ASAP. Also said that the rack is designed to fit under tension so just give it a tug. Did so, and it did fit, albeit I was extremely careful not to crossthread or end up stripping the thread in the subframe as the last couple of bolts wanted to go in at an angle, of course.



    And now Donkey is ready for touring - if I can find somewhere to go and get some time off of work, which is unlikely but hey ho:



    Whilst on the phone they were telling me about all of the other great products I could customise my bike with. Not particularly interested TBH - I like the way it looks, the way it goes, and that'll do for me for now. Then I'm sure he was trying to sell me some sort of chequered padded shirt and some brogues...... it's a hipstermobile for sure.

    In fact it's such a hipstermobile that....... accessories catalogue includes.........






    An actual surfboard holder For those few people that are keep beard oilers AND bleached blonde hairists. Duuuuuuude.

    Onwards and upwards.

  12. #1992
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    136 miles up the east coastline to the Stour, taking in the Stour, the Colne and the Blackwater across the day. Chased the coast / rivers for the breeze as stiflingly hot.

    First up, stopped to see Bourne Mill just south of Colchester. Had never seen it before, despite growing up in Colchester and having worked in the town for a few years recently as well. Odd that I had no prior knowledge of it. On quite a busy road which is a shame but absolutely stunning nonetheless.






    Then it was time to get something to eat, and I'd heard of a place called the Waterfront Cafe in Mistley, right on the Stour river - local biker group recommendation so I thought hey, why the hell not. Got there and pitched up at the only catering wagon I could find on the whole stretch. As I got off the bike, nice owner came out and greeted me with 'lovely bike mate' etc. Looked at menu and thought hmm, I seemed to recall the food was fancier, but whatever. Ordered a burger. It was bang average. Thought LOL, recommendations are always naff from bikers........ Got home and realised the actual Waterfront Cafe hadn't pitched up for the weekend as it was too hot for them to keep their food cool . Oh well, I'll have to go up there another time to try it.



    Then I realised I was ~15 miles away from a mate of mine in Brightlingsea and I haven't seen him since March before lockdown - so it seemed about right that I'd go have a catch up with him. Brightlingsea harbour is quite bustling and busy:



    We stopped for a quick pint of shandy in one of the trendy bars at the bottom of his development, where a young lass was singing solo over her guitar and the weather was great and there were posh ladies in floaty dresses aplenty.

    Showed me his boat:



    He wants to take that over to Holland next year - sod that

    Then headed home through the nice lanes past Mersea Island and back south to Maldon. Few choice overtakes were done. Monstering the torque of the boxer out of the bends.

    Good times

  13. #1993
    Member GrahamB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2002
    Location
    Resistance is futile...
    Posts
    19,116
    Rides
    0
    Nice write up Arry

    If I ever see a tw@t on a bike with a surf board, I will hunt them down
    SXOC Member #62SXOCCar Gone & ZX-12RPS4 - AFKAN
    Pessimists are people without dreams. dhún an doras ar do bhealach amach...Wii - 2031 7909 3288 5367
    Gamers Read This...

  14. #1994
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    But it might be Arry !




  15. #1995
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonny Wilkinson View Post
    But it might be Arry !



    I look ****ing great in a wetsuit

    Honestly though, I can't grow a beard and the chance of me having sunbleached blonde hair?

  16. #1996
    Guest Asht_200's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2001
    Location
    ashflix.com
    Posts
    22,542
    Rides
    0
    For Arry and Jonny

    I’m not a biker, but this just blew me away! A 316hp supercharged Ninja


    https://youtu.be/odlTlqMxfMI


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  17. #1997
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    TBH, something with half that power is hard enough to get any fun out of, let alone 300 bhp. That's close to 1500 bhp/tonne. You just end up not using it or riding like a complete twat (in which case your days are numbered).

    There is a similar vid where they are maxing out at 200 mph, one bike has to back off and the other rams him. Game over for both of them.

  18. #1998
    Guest arry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Essex
    Posts
    64,839
    Rides
    0
    Dunno, I took something that powerful out this morning and - although the roads were still wet and full of gravel in centre of lane - I'm still alive:






    But yeah, mostly just a for the sake of it bimble. 55 miles ish.

  19. #1999
    Guest
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Devon
    Posts
    337
    Rides
    0
    My second track day video on the fireblade!



  20. #2000
    Guest
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Helston, West Cornwall
    Posts
    24,465
    Rides
    0
    You're not leaning off too far Your upper body is still too close to centre.

    What Robert said on in the comments is about spot on but to reiterate, you went from off throttle to open throttle at the apex on a damp track whilst leant over quite a way (because your upper body wasn't leaning off enough so the bike has to lean further and you can't get your knee down to find how far over you are leant) on average tyres probably running too high a tyre pressure and possibly still with cold tyres (I don't know what lap you were on but it could take 5-6 laps to get them up to temperature at the pace you had in the weather you were having).

    Thats a fair old sentence lol.

    Basically,

    Get better tyres
    Go into the corner on a lightly open throttle
    Wait until you are picking the bike up before adding power
    Lean off more with your upper body so the bike doesn't have to lean as much
    Relax on the bike with a light grip on the bars
    Add stomp grips to the sides of the tank
    When moving side to side, lift your arse out of the seat with your legs so you are gliding side to side. Your leg muscles should be killing you the following day.

    On the positive side, your lines were better. Still a little early on the apexes but much better. And you don't lack bravery in terms of leaning on a damp track. Try to do some dry track days
    Last edited by Jonny Wilkinson; 28-08-2020 at 12:05.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •