Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

@Airhead for sure. I doubt I’d really want anything over 750, and in reality if I did, it would be a beast for touring rather than racing. Intention is something suitable for frequent journeys to/from London, and then in time maybe multi-day tours. Must seriously consider suitability for small amounts of luggage. Sod getting a superbike and scaring myself.

@lynx thanks!

@Dramatic_Hammer no idea, Suzuki something. The one in the pic, couldn’t see model decals when I tested it in the carpark.

@skinny yep for sure. All about the practice.

@n3il shudder... bet that bruised @Soul !

@hugo7 you may be right, but I think that some schools are still a little loose. Yep same advice from a few others with that timing. Gonna get the app - is it the same regardless of bike or car?

Indeed countersteering is something quite subconscious for most of us, but yea it’s some crazy percentage greater effort to pull than push, so definitely worth reminding myself to try push the bars to get the best result.

Exciting. So much to learn.

Went out on the bmx immediately after yesterday, and the cargo bike today. Felt good to be on a bicycle but really interesting how that training on the motorbike has already started to inform my use of the bicycle.

Mentioned the grease discussion as some say copper grease, others say red rubber grease some say silicone grease. Search on any forum and there is always a discussion.

The calliper looks the same as bindit, looking at exploded diagrams to see what the pins are.

Also I recommend OE pads. If the calliper manufacturer is Nissin OE so see if you can cross reference with Honda fitments as Honda dealers seem to get them cheap. https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Genuine-Triumph-Tiger-885i-Rear-Brake-Pads-T2020077/1016910644 as an example of OE being cheap. Most dealers stock ebc or carbon lorraine as the profit margin is bigger.

Edit: Looked but can't see what is there. But looking at the pins http://www.gannonoils.co.uk/images/stories/molykote-G-3407-caliper-pin-grease.pdf will be fine. Gannons is a contact for a price

If the examiner feels that the person doesn't have the confidence to be safe they are failed. Used to do CBT's a while ago.

I have never done this....Never dropped a bike turning right at a traffic light and was pinned under the bike. There were school kids walking past laughing at me. Two old ladies had to lift the bike off me.

Went to view this GN125. ‘93, 14(!) previous owners, 41,000 miles, and bits like grab rail included but not fitted. Missing badges apparently in the bag of bits.

The guy wouldn’t let me ride it as I’m not insured, but instead he had me on the back for 10-15 mins so I could feel it operating. Seemed okay. Felt a lot nicer than the Yamaha I’d done the CBT on.

It clearly needs some work but it’s got MOT til March, Chinese tyres on the new rims, and everything seems to check out. New pads as well apparently.

He’s not in a hurry to sell, apparently, and he wants £685. I think that’s at least £85 too much, but looking at ebay and national prices he seems to be in the middle of the asking/sold prices.

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with a 125 you can usually expect to sell it for what you paid for it - if you look after it - so something simple to maintain and scrub up for a sale is probable a good shout.

You can probably get something newer though - although if this has been going since 1993 then there can't be much to go wrong?

Seat has been badly recovered ;)

Looks a bit rusty, scabby. Good to knock the price down and with a bit of wire wool will come up shiney. What make and model are the tyres? Check the fork seals and check for any play in the headset and rear end.

Shitty tyres can really knock your confidence.

Gonna get the app - is it the same regardless of bike or car?

No, I don't think so.

I'll see if it's still in my app library.

Just bought Granville's brake caliper grease as it was available on Amazon and per/g it was better value than the previous stuff I linked. Also figured if people are using it on glow plugs as well it should have a high melting point.

Granville 0841A Ceramic Brake... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KIMKCNK?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Considering the speed he test rode it with me on the back, albeit dry, the Chinese jobs didn’t feel awful. No tight spots on steering, no play, suspension felt good front and back, and even with the two of us it only felt like it bottomed out at the back once on a speed bump.

It’s certainly looking like hell, but I like it like that.

Be warned! I agreed on £625 for it, sorted insurance with Bikesure, and will shortly be posting a million questions on fixing snags I find in the coming days. Oh, and of course to cover the dent in my overdraft, listing all my earthly possessions for sale too.

congrats!

Thanks! I hadn’t really planned to own anything smaller than 250, but it made sense the more I thought about it. Cut my teeth (hopefully not literally) on a small engine, get the hours in.

Then I can ride it to the DAS lessons when they happen, get my license, continue playing on the little motor, and get a big boy bike when the right one comes along.

The alternative of sitting on nothing for months after the CBT feels like wasted opportunity.

get my license, continue playing on the little motor

Good luck with that

I bought a CBF125 when I got my CBT.
Ironing out the teething issues of riding a motorbike (changing gears instinctively, not panicking if I have to give it a fist full of right hand; either stopping or going) on a little bike was the right choice (for me)

I have a theory test revision book, if your anywhere near Laindon Essex, or Whittington hospital.

Countersteering is exponentially harder the faster you go - takes a great deal of physical effort to turn a bike at high speed. I found it extremely good practice years ago to see just how fast I could make a bike turn without upsetting it. Pushing is much easier than pulling as you've got your weight behind it and should be getting forward over the front anyway. Don't know if it was an urban myth but someone told me that Eddie Lawson used to bend the bars on his bikes from countersteering so hard...can maybe believe it for the pro-am monsters. Didn't work on my 350 YPVS though.

Think about it consciously and practice. You'll be amazed how much you can throw a motorcycle around and it will help big time when you think you've run into a corner too hot...

Fun too.

That is the similar to the ceratec stuff.

Good move - I'm sure we'll be able to help if you have problems.

Got a bike with plastic fenders and the idiot that owned it before has hammerited all over them. Whats the best way to strip the paint off em without fucking the plastic

For sure. I’m a bit nervous about riding this bike (or any bike for that matter) but since nothing happened on the test ride I’ll soon find out on my own!

Be good to waste a tank of fuel on carpark manoeuvres and leaning/steering practice.

The bike’s in my shed, taking up the last of the available space. Hope to get a few miles in tomorrow after taxing it.

My old 125 did 230+ miles before needing a tenner in the tank.

You'll need to do some serious car park practice to get through a full bucket of petrol!

Oh man, I’d love to get miles like that. I could do the A4 to London and back without getting to fumes.

This one has no fuel gauge. When I asked about that, and about keeping an eye on the miles, the chap shook the bike side to side and gestured at the noise of the tank and said “miiiiiles left” and laughed.

Congrats, now remember shoulder checks and to breathe.

Good way to do it, personally I reckon a few months to a year on a 125 is a great idea before doing DAS.

I had been riding motorbikes on and off road since I was a kid, including almost killing myself on a moped when I was 17... I did about 8 months or so on a 125 commuting 40 mile round trip daily then passed DAS with 3 lessons, 3 days later set off to Portugal on an NTV650.

I’ve got the theory on the 3rd. I’ll get that out the way regardless, but yea I think I’ll be happy delaying the DAS a little. Maybe it’s just an aversion to L-plates, but I’d be happier getting a full license even if I’m stuck on the 125 a while afterwards.