Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

There's no point. They just grind the disc away.

I know new trumpets and beemers have a proximity key, it needs to be fairly close to start,

The Sportster I had in 2009ish had the same. It was utterly shite.

I doubt it worked as a killswitch as it never* cut out on me but about 50% of the time it wouldn't start becuase it couldn't detect the key being in the ignition.

*ok, that's bollocks, it was a Harley so it cut out all the time but for other reasons.

I know but 2 discs locks and a feck off big chain will take longer and hopefully are a slightly less attractive prospect than the posh expensive bikes I try to park next to with just one form of security.

(i ride a '98 BMW r1100rt so its hardly an attractive bike for thieves in the first place)

I had an '02 BMW R1150RS disappear in Mayfair in broad daylight.

Have you not seen any of the vids of cunts taking 10 minutes grinding away. Plenty of people watching them but they just scare them off by threatening them with the grinder and/or a big hammer

(i ride a '98 BMW r1100rt so its hardly an attractive bike

Go and wash your mouth out with soap right this second. Bmw's are beautiful motorcycles. Shame on you.
:-)

If they really want it and are prepared to go to those lengths ain't much you can do

Has anyone done one of those intensive license courses for a bike? I've had a normal driving license for years but I think it could be time to take up 2 wheels.

Yup. It works. As long as you pick a decent school.

Anyone had a TDM 900 ?

Decent locks and a descrte tracker that has its own little battery. Texts you it's location every x minutes on a payg sim if it leaves it's geo fence without allowing it. Don't know the trade name for then but they are becoming popular and getting smaller ad well as having better GPS chips. Got a spot in my better bike ear marked for one, you'd have to do a lot of dismantling until you found any trace of it.
Talking of locks got an Oxford boss alarmed u lock/ disc lock and chain affair after last week's half theft.
Chain is actually reasonable, but lock is not £85 worth imo. The barrel side of things looks and feels up to the Job, but these folk don't pick locks, they brute force them.
The alarm element is the right amount of sensitive, wind doesn't set it off, but any bike movement does. The alarm itself makes a few warning beeps which are loud and clear enough, but then the actual alarm to me sounds quieter (but persistent) for 10-20 secs then stops until it's moved again. It's also very easily silenced by putting a finger over the hole where the noise emits from :s
100-105db I would say, when really it needs to be in the 120db+ range in order to do anything

I borrow one of those 18v Makita HD battery grinders from time to time and with the right cutting disc, they go through hardened steel like butter. Seriously, I was shocked - I reckon you'd go through an Almax in 2-3 minutes tops, both links. You'd maybe need two batteries as they run down quick. As you mention, that's nothing in a busy London street.

I used to borrow a TDM850 (ages ag0.) One of the original ones with the 180 Crank. Excellent town bike, could be ridden riotously fast over bumpy roads. Some people like the sound of the 270 firing order better, but the old 180 with a Devil pipe sounded mean too. I nearly scared my 'very keen to get into 2 wheels friend' out of motorcycles altogether with a pillion ride from Canary Wharf to Islington. Handled great two up.

If you can be arsed to carry it, depending on your bike you get a high security d lock (I use a fagh but you could us New York, high end abus etc) through a spoke of your wheel and your fork - mine goes above my brake calliper - basically like a giant disc lock. Figure a lock of that calibre should delay a theft for a while.

I've got one of these at work, goes through most d locks with ease (releasing customers bicycles when they lose their keys), not tried it on a heavy duty model, would hope it would chew up the blade and drain the battery.

you're not helping. Luckily i live outside london and dont use it to commute in.

#trainwanker4lyfe

I know. Just being honest. Biking sucks in London atm. I'm getting old but it was much better in my days, etc. My next new bike will probably be an electric Brompton, when they finally release it.

electric Brompton

I'm super tempted by one. Let's see how much £££ first though.

I'm guessing above £3k+ with options. Formula 1 technology innit. If it replaces my SH300 and doesn't have a lot of theft/annual expenses attached it will be worth it according to advanced man maths.

it'll probably weigh a ton, non electric one tops out at about 12kg, which makes carrying it a drag, how heavy would an electric one be? Would you actually be able to carry it any distance?

I shouldn't need to. I'm happy to lift 40kg into the van, i think it will have the little wheels for getting it in and around a supplies shop or up and down the path to the house if I'm feeling weak!

Even 25kg wouldn't put me off a flight of stairs. I see what you mean though, it gets away from the way people are using them atm.

Stripped thread in my oil tank. Cock.

Trying to find somewhere in Italy to helicoil it isn't easy, given I speak no Italian. Was looking forward to hitting some Alpine pass.

Anyone know how to say helicoil in Italian! Ha

Pretty sure Helicoil is a brand name so may be the same? The better system for the job is a time-sert if you can get one, they're a solid sleeve that deforms as it's fitted which stops them backing out with the bolt next time you remove it.

Otherwise is there enough thread to pack it out with PTFE tape for a seal? If not then Araldite/Devcon/JB Weld...

Yeah I was looking at timesert, looks solid.

No, literally all the thread came out with the bolt. I'm perplexed, as I own and use a beam torque wrench.

I tried some jbweld type stuff n top of the attachment to seal it, but it drips a little bit. I'll proerbly still ride it, as its not losing much oil, just annoying.

As the owner of an old Triumph that leaks something like the Exxon Valdez I can attest that as long as you keep an eye on the oil level it shouldn't be an issue.