Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

Did laugh though.

My motorbike tax runs out at the end of August, and I have the option to renew it for 6 months or a year as per usual. As I'll be retiring it for the winter, does anyone know if there's a way to pay for say 1 month at a time, so I can ride it until the weather turns and avoid paying tax when it's sitting in the garage? You'd think I'd have worked this out in 16 years of riding wouldn't you.

yeah can't you tax it and then sorn it, and you get a refund of the remaining time?

Ah good shout. Searching online it seems some people just cancel their direct debit when they want to stop it, but know the government prefer things taxed or SORN.

A battle between mechanical idiot and bastard British two strokes ended in a surprise victory for the idiot today.
Nice sunny day so wheeled the 1968 bantam out the shed it’s been in for probably four or five years. With a lockdown YouTube diet of Americans fixing trucks and abandoned farm implements I managed to sort out some spark from the aftermarket electric ignition kit, diagnose a carb problem and then take apart an Amal carb. Obviously I didn’t learn the lesson from fixing a new chain on the road bike yesterday - don’t work with little fiddly bits on a grass yard (lost half a quick link) and only spent five minutes looking for the float axle. No idea what was wrong with the carb but leaving a fuel filter of and the bastard thing starts!!
Having ridden it round the lanes it is still a heap of crap and no wonder the British bike industry went to the wall, my c90 is safer, quieter and a nicer ride. The bsa feels as though at some stage it will either head for a hedge or just stop dead but still a day of victory for me. Now to remember what the gear pattern is.

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Day 1, 100 miles on the TET down to Salisbury…!

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@Soul will be keeping the motikom despite grievances. Just worth it for the noise cancellation. Remarkable how it just eats away bike noise and wind but I can hear most of what’s going on.
I can hear a fucking podcast at low volume.

Trying to choose between two seemingly samey adventure-ish pants is proving difficult...
Price is basically the same and they're both (allegedly) waterproof... Venture R seems more motocross and Venture XT seems more adventure. From what I can make out the XT has pockets (possibly) and R doesn't (possibly, it's not terribly clear from what I've found so far) which might tip the scales in favour of somewhere to put phone and wallet off the bike on a warmer day?
Anyone care to weigh in?

Alpinestars Venture XT

Alpinestars Venture R

Yeah, sorry you have some gripes but the core function of them is just so good. Completely transforms riding for me. So much more comfortable / safe for my ears.

Nothing at that price is going to be actually waterproof. Would highly recommend laminated goretex if budget can stretch.

I prefer the look of the XT if that’s of any value.

prefer the look of the XT

+1

I keep a small packable pair of gortex trousers with me in case of rain. I figure that in the rain you're getting wet somehow, so it's mainly about providing a protective layer to stop you getting properly wet then cold.

Also not wearing them all the time prevents wear in the seat and crotch. Which imo will reduce the waterproofness of almost everything. Thus keeping them waterproof for longer.

Obvs it totally depends on your use.

Noticed that there are a few bits going cheap for aircooled bonnevilles so picked up this short rear mudguard on a bit of a punt.

What would be the best thing to spray the under side with?

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Yeah I definitely have low enough expectations on the waterproofness but if they're reasonably splashproof/ a quick shower I'll take it for now!

From what I can tell the R doesn't have pockets and the XT does so leaning towards them now alright... also the zipper cover on the XT looks a bit more comprehensive... I think I only really considered the R because they're basically DH pants which I wear all the time and know I find them comfortable.

Some laminated WP trousers are only £30-50 more than these. Not a lot for much better protection.

Stone guard spray paint?
It's what I've started using instead of underseal for my old moped mudguards amongst other things.

Cheers. I'll check it out.

Was thinking tough black.

This site is usually good for reference :-

https://www.frost.co.uk

@lynx knows quite a bit about auto underbody treatment.

Cheers. Will check it out.

Probably not going to happen for a while as I need to work out what lights I want - LUCAS style, but which ones are good - plus indicators which I have no idea on.

You'd be able to use all the plug-n-play Motone stuff I imagine? Worth a look if you haven't already

i feel inclined to tell you to replace the bungee cord with something else.

very common cause of eye injury.

just had a patient this morning who had one hanging out of his eye.

Hi there, long time lurker here etc etc. I’m trying to change oil and filters on my bike but can’t get the oil filter off. Is there a golden technique regarding removing oil filter? Mine is pretty tight and I can’t get it off with my bare hands.

probably a pain in the ass to get in the UK but Maund Speed is really nice.

is the filter easily accessible and have you tried the universal filter tools.

Can you whack a screwdriver through it? Google remove oil filter with screwdriver for a collection of ham fisted mechs demonstrating this destructive technique. You don’t need loads of space for this approach.

Strap wrench? Relatively cheap (if you already own a socket set) and can usually be threaded into place in a confined space.