Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Hi there

I'm now looking for recommendations or experience with gear for a 8yo pillion.
It's for occasional rides on a smallish vintage bike so nothing crazy.

I'm after convenience and ease of use, but it should go without saying that I don't want to skimp on safety.
Given the nature of the ride a certain amount of stylish looks is welcome too.

Thanks

Varied massively on head position

It's actually really hard to get any reliable info on helmet noise due to the number of variables; bike, body position, length of neck, head angle, jacket collar style, etc.

Yeah I was playing with it a bit on the ride home (after forgetting to pick up earplugs).
Upright with very straight arms was almost no wind noise, which makes me think the Duke is not a sports bike hat!

Bare minimum is ankle boots and decent gloves (plus lid of course). Maybe you'd find a small leather jacket, you could get armour sewn into it. Just leaves injury to the legs!

Swish. Already agreed with Ultimate Ear. They're pretty amazing with the service aren't they? Really appreciate the advice!

I had a few minutes on a 1000rr yesterday. I've immediately lost my interest in litre bikes. Sweet fucking slam dunking jesus, is there anywhere you can push these bikes outside of a track and not feel like you're just a ragdoll?

A friend bought one for commuting (against a lot of advice). Basically wore out 2 gear boxes from riding it in 2nd gear the whole time. After a couple of years admitted it was a poor choice but still enjoyed it. Still think 250 2 stroke sports are the most fun in town or a biggish twin obvs, or maybe a 600 single. :)

Takes a little getting used to but you can rag the new ones around like nuclear powered versions of the famed supersports 400s of yore. They're approximately the same size and weight these days . You just end up short-shifting everywhere.
Only gets lairy when you start trying to wring them out. Go to jail speeds are far too easy.

Yeah, they're great... definitely helps they're ~5 mins drive from my house but cool that they do mail order stuff.

Big single on injection with some small wheels would be my choice. I have carbs and big old wheels, so not exactly nimble, but blats of torque without waiting for it is great

Raar cylinder of my xv250 has stopped sparking.

Should I be able to pull the ht lead out of the coil or is it likely to be permanently attached?

Thanks. not far off what I had in mind.
What boots to go for then?

Also. do you know of a guide to add armour to a non armoured jacket? I'm relatively handy and trust myself to do it so would like to lean on someones experiences so I don't have to invent everything myself. If someone made and sold finished pockets that I could just stitch in that would be nice...

It's going to be difficult to get bike specific boots in small sizes but you'll probably find steel toe cap work boots, only problem with that is the poor kid will struggle to walk in them for a while!

I've never done it myself but a friend of mine gets the armour sewn in by his local alterations place. If you open up the liner at a seam you can sew the armour to the inside of the liner. There were some types of armour that came with little poppers that you pressed through the liner to hold them in place.

Overall I'd think quite carefully about the kind of biking I'm going to be doing with a tiny pillion. You might put a lot of effort in just to find that they don't like it as much as you think they will. It's always easier if your pillion understands the risks involved in getting on a bike. I don't take pillions as much as I used to but I've never had young ones on the back, it wouldn't be enjoyable for me.

Something different. Nails in tyres. Leave in or pull out?

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Remove it and plug it. Maybe get a pro to do it. Sometimes they never deflate, sometimes they deflate on a Bank Holiday Monday 20 miles from the nearest habitation and in a mobile black zone.

You could always carry some tubeless inflating goo in a can just in case, they have been know to let go of the contents under the seat though.

^ this.

Remove and plug at a shop wont cost the earth but a tow or a crash in the middle of nowhere will.

My side stand has stopped flicking up on its own when I give it a nudge. Have to push it all the way up and several times have wondered why the bike won’t start (if I left it in gear) or stalls when changing to 1st, only to find the stand still has an inch to go before the sensor finds it.
Started doing it overnight really. Can I just grease it? Or do I need to replace something? The spring looks to be fine

Probably just got some grit in it. Can you get someone to hold it upright while you work it back and forth with some lube?

I’ll see if my better half will lend a hand.
Are stands themselves universal fitting other than specific length or would I need a specific model replacement should I replace it? For aesthetic reasons, not the mentioned problem above. It’s a little rusty.

Just use a bottle of Teflon spray (don't spray onto tyres etc though...).

Spray generously then work it back and forwards. Do it again and again until it's free moving.

Riding around in winter will do this; just needs a bit of regular maintenance.

I've got GT85. Same stuff?

It's got PTFE in so should do the same job just fine.

Defo pull and plug.

The kits are pretty cheap on amazon, but will also be available in loads of motor shops. Worth having one spare at home as they work on cars too.

I've got a Dynaplug kit in my little tool case (mini torch, cable ties, gas canisters, micro mini tool, insurance and recovery deets)

Getting use to it wasn't the issue.
They're hella accommodating as well, took in all my shite technique and patted me on the back and made me feel like a knee dragging hero. That's the problem I had with it though, at some point, all those electronics will just tell me to fuck off and torpedo me into the nearest cliff face.
Also it did way over a ton in second. SECOND!

Are stands themselves universal fitting other than specific length or would I need a specific model replacement should I replace it?

No. They are specific. Although there may be overlap between models (or brands in the same group).

It's not just the length, it's the angle too- which impacts the length.

You can always disconnect the sensor.

My bike is going to need it's first MOT in Jul. I probably won't be back till Sept.

A few questions:

1. What are the repercussions of not doing it till I get back?
   
2. What are the repercussions of having a short SORN on future value? - I guess I'd have to declare it to my insurers?
   
3. Will my bike fail if: a) it has a slightly warped rear disc that sometimes rubs? b) has a disconnected clutch cut-out switch?
   
   
   

Cheers.