The Bikeshite Thread

[PiperCub]

^^ Agree - while you'll always come across at least one Honda-Hater in any group of bikers and true enough, they've had a few miss-fires, so have all the rest of the big four (prob more so), they consistantly make good machines and are usually a safe bet. 

[CreepingJesus]

Any thoughts on using safety boots? It never used to bother me - lace-ups or riggers - but I knew a few folk swore off them. One of whom was a consultant anaesthetist in the Western's A+E...!

[Guest Hooli]

I'd like to service my bike, and buy a new battery.

 

So I'm after battery, spark plug, air filter, a small in line fuel filter, oil. Where is a good place for service parts for bikes? For cars I usually get everything from ECP but nothin' doin on their site for my bike.

 

How old is it? I can't recall.

 

Cause I know they had points surprisingly late, I fixed a '91 model that did for example.

 

Might be worth taking the side off to clear the centrifugal oil filter too, I can't recall exactly where it is under the RH cover though.

[Guest Hooli]

Any thoughts on using safety boots? It never used to bother me - lace-ups or riggers - but I knew a few folk swore off them. One of whom was a consultant anaesthetist in the Western's A+E...!

 

I've heard stories of them folding up & cutting your toes off. I suspect that point the rest of your foot is rather buggered anyway though.

[Guest Hooli]

Loomies?

 

http://www.loomies.co.uk/

[CreepingJesus]

I've heard stories of them folding up & cutting your toes off. I suspect that point the rest of your foot is rather buggered anyway though.

Heard something similar, but it was in respect of the toecaps trapping your feet in the pegs while you're going over.

[Guest Hooli]

TBH toecap boots are too clumpy anyway, you won't get much feel of the controls.

[andy18s]

Don't bother with a steel toed boot.

You're going to need something with the flexibility to feel the brake/gear levers

Laces are ideal for snagging on the gear lever on your Xtz Tenere,meaning you are unable to stop it toppling over and trapping you between it and the fuel station pump....ahem

 

A comfy hiking type boot would be fine

Once you decide what style of bike you want you can buy gear to suit

[hairnet]

Yes. May be even better than the cars.

 

 

^^ Agree - while you'll always come across at least one Honda-Hater in any group of bikers and true enough, they've had a few miss-fires, so have all the rest of the big four (prob more so), they consistantly make good machines and are usually a safe bet. 

only one of the big 4 to start with bikes

 

yam music kwak all sorts inc bridges trains suzuki looms and weaving before cars and bikes

 

honda started on piston rings and then into bikes

[hairnet]

wemoto for service bits although ive never bought a spurious oil filter

 

always genuine

 

spark plugs ebay

 

bitzforbikes m and p

 

for a cg david silver also

[Guest Hooli]

It's probably worth changing the fork oil at some point, but it can get a bit involved. it never gets done though so always makes a big difference to how well a bike steers & rides.

[hairnet]

batteries

 

tayna in abergele - bought a bmw batt for a friend in ireland

 

here was 85 quid ireland was 130 euro

 

tayna was less than 50 quid for a motobatt - they do yuasa and mf also

 

mds battery also - had good service off them

[John F]

OK, I didn't realise that 125s hold their value in the wet / cold part of the year... but then again, I haven't seriously looked at buying one since the 1980s...

[UltraWomble]

I've heard stories of them folding up & cutting your toes off. I suspect that point the rest of your foot is rather buggered anyway though.

Ive heard the same but never seen it in years of working in A&E and what not - I wear non steel toe riggers  - warm and snug.

 

+1 on the 125cc Vs Big Bike cost - bought my last 500cc CB for £700. Bloody nice bike too.

 

I keep thinking about the cheap and cheerful Chinese knock offs buying something like a Sinnis 125 for a commuter hack brand spanking and taking advantage of the 3 years credit option at £25 a month - at the end of three years binning it off and buying another one. Downside is only 24 months warranty which is probably only useful as bog paper, so year three is Russian Roulette if you are using it as a commuter.

[DodgeRover]

Sinnis seem to have the best reputation amongst the cheaper 125 manufacturers.

 

If they're still going Altberg boots are fantastic.

 

Edit just checked yes they are if have a pair of these: I actually sold 2 more pairs on the back of a friend borrowing mine when she left hers behind!

 

http://www.altberg.co.uk/product/hogg-all-weather-original/

[hairnet]

roll off slightly flick toe

[5speedracer]

I'm down a cul-de-sac, so I'm hoping that I should be ok and not too much foot fall or passing car traffic. I have the option of lamp post on the street or digging a hole in my tarmac drive to concrete in a ground anchor. I'm hoping one will suffice! Also it'll be partly hidden by one of the many cars on the drive...

Scooter, 300cc or so. Plenty fast enough to get out of the way and good mpg. All over the place in Euro cities.

Kymco Downtown 300 for example.

[John F]

In post 2062, SiC says he doesn't want a scooter-styled bike.

[PiperCub]

batteries

 

tayna in abergele - bought a bmw batt for a friend in ireland

 

here was 85 quid ireland was 130 euro

 

tayna was less than 50 quid for a motobatt - they do yuasa and mf also

 

mds battery also - had good service off them

 

+1 for Tayna batteries. Delivery is usually under a day. The last one I bought arrived 18hrs after the order was placed (Mid-Wales to southern Hampshire).

 

Have bought several car batteries from them, no problems at all. Am going to buy a new battery for the LC today coincidently. 

 

Personally, wouldn't touch Yuasa these days - expensive & don't last any longer than a cheapo one. (shame as they used to be really good). 

[They_all_do_that_sir]

OK, I didn't realise that 125s hold their value in the wet / cold part of the year... but then again, I haven't seriously looked at buying one since the 1980s...

 

I know a fair few bikers who have 125s as winter bikes to commute on. They tend to have a market all year round.

 

I started out on a CG125. Northern Ireland didn't get CBT rules until fairly recently so it was a case of just buying the bike and away you go. I'd had a couple of 'crossers so I knew how to ride a bike and with having a car license I knew how to behave on the road. In the absence of either I imagine it would be pretty daunting. I remember the first time I filtered thinking "F**************K"

 

Anyone looking to buy a 125, go for it but I would advise doing the full license as A) any training you can get is worthwhile and B ) the license isn't that expensive especially if you pay per lesson and only do one a week, spreading the cost. Worth it even if you never intend riding anything bigger, but gives the option of a 250 and motorways. 

 

However, a couple of places over here offer intensive direct access courses, cost of which is around £500. Sooooo £1200 for a 125 or £700 for a scruffy but reliable 500 and £500 for a full license?

 

I done my bike license before the current rules so passed the test on my CG125, restricted to 33bhp for two years and then able to ride whatever I wanted after then.

 

On the way home from the test centre I took the motorway, and scared myself silly. 11bhp (when new!) into a headwind, struggling to get 45mph on the 5 lane section out of Belfast......

[John F]

Didn't you use to be able to ride a 250 on a NI provisional licence until comparatively recently?

 

I remember a Norn Irish mate of mine had a 250 Superdream on L plates back in the 1990s...

[UltraWomble]

Security 101

 

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

[5speedracer]

In post 2062, SiC says he doesn't want a scooter-styled bike.

Missed that.

My opinion is 125s are ok if you're urban all the time. Dangerous liability on open A roads and Duals. Motorways, no way !!

[martc]

Laces are ideal for snagging on the gear lever on your Xtz Tenere,meaning you are unable to stop it toppling over and trapping you between it and the fuel station pump....ahem

 

From my experience I can substitue XTZ for MZ 125 and fuel pump for Zebra crossing and have the same degree of embarrasment. Although I was helped up by a gaggle of yummy mummys.

[SiC]

Missed that.

My opinion is 125s are ok if you're urban all the time. Dangerous liability on open A roads and Duals. Motorways, no way !!

Surely depends on the motorway and time of day?

 

I mean this is rush hour in Bristol:

 

The motorway at this point is either a slow moving traffic jam or a car park. Probably going to be safer than side roads where people can pull out at any moment.

 

The plan is to do a CBT, see if I like it. Get a 125cc, try it for a couple of weeks. If it scares me or annoys me, then scrap the idea. If reasonably quick and enjoyable, then do it once or twice a week.

[Guest Hooli]

Security 101

 

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

Suzuki riders!

[5speedracer]

No a bad plan, 125s good for filtering.

No lose much on a 125 if you don't like it either.

[John F]

Silly sod... they'd easily be able to steal that bollard by simply sliding it out from inside the chain.

[LostnotFound]

 

 

However, a couple of places over here offer intensive direct access courses, cost of which is around £500. Sooooo £1200 for a 125 or £700 for a scruffy but reliable 500 and £500 for a full license?

 

 

 

Presuming you don't chuck it down the road you'll get that 1200 back to swap for a big bike. The 500 quid is also only that if you don't put a foot down on a U turn or forget to cancel an indicator. A retest for mod 2 including bike hire and for the instructor to hang around smoking whilst you do it, is going to be over £100 a time. Having a 125 whilst doing DAS may also allow you to practice between lessons and takes the pressure off passing as you still have a bike to ride and can always stick the retake after the next pay day.

 

I do think DAS is the way forward if you have experience on bikes and know you'll love it and will have no issues passing 1st time. I don't think there is anything magic about 125s that spending six months on one before stepping up will help someone who has ridden off road a bit and has road sense from driving already.

[Eddie Honda]

if you don't put a foot down on a U turn

I know someone who got away with it on the test. Examiner "didn't see that" and got him to do the exercise a second time.

 

(Examiner was incidentally the same bloke who tested the candidate 10 years previous for his car test.)

 

Re: Steelies. I wear them for riding only because I'm a lazy bass going to work and back as it saves me carrying extra footwear.