Two wheels good.

[Warren t claim]

And yes, I'll add to this topic soon!

[brandersnatch]

Keep ‘em coming Warren.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[DodgeRover]

When I decided to do my bike test the outfit I did it with sounds a lot like yours, except my instructor was fit female and liked cider, as a shy 19 year old, this was as far as I got damn it passed my test first time despite locking the front wheel on a patch of diesel on the emergency stop and being convinced I had failed the rest of the way round!

[bub2006]

Great to see these back Warren. The links not working for why pans weren't being used though.

[minimad5]

Alright to add my bit ??

My path towards getting the full bike license was quite simple.
CBT - Other than having a bird on the day, who was more bothered about what time it finished (ooh and had no balance at all), the day was smooth and brilliant.
Me and Dave - well I think that was his name, bimbled out in the good weather, stopped for a cold drink and a snack and headed back "Yeah you're alright" and certificate achieved.

Mod 1 - Honestly, can't remember the thing.
Mod 2 - Had dodgy headset, and the tester (Mark) who sat in his Focus swearing, was just about to give up ... I walked over (was told to stand at the bike and await instructions), after him sweating and explaining the walkie-talkie wasn't working, I asked if he could try another battery and headset.
Thankfully the clouds / moon and gods aligned and it suddenly worked - Thank fuck, as the test had already been re-scheduled 5 times before.
So we set off around Chester, an area that I wasn't too familiar with.
Told to pull up when it was safe etc, so I did.
Take off again, so I did (then looked in my mirror - BOLLOX, I had stopped just within an old and very faded bus stop. That's it I failed, or so I thought !)
The nerves and worry was gone, as in my mind I had failed.
The rest of the test was a blur, and back the test centre he rushed into a room as I waited outside.
Kev - My instructor, asked why we took so long to get on the road, and how I thought it went.

"Minimad5", i was called into the room, yep my head was still 'ash fuck, here we go I've failed'
But the bloke in the room wasn't Mr test man, nope he was an older and pretty sound bloke.
"Right, you've got two minors and a small note about being silly, you stopped close to an unused bus stop, so congratulations, you've passed"

On the ride back home, we passed this 'unused' bus stop, and once back at the riding school my instructor passed a comment "He's never in all my years let anything slide"
I had a lucky day.

After this, I quickly put a bid on a Honda CB1 400, drove down to Kent and returned home grinning like a nutter.
Then got the CBR1000F from Warren, then a friend of mine asked me to come round, as he wanted a chat about his Transalp.
He had a stroke whilst on holiday, and could no longer ride it, so wanted someone he trusted and knew to use it and look after her.
So the CB1 had to go, advertised it on eBay & a bloke messaged me wanting more info, supplied more pictures etc and his mate met me in Chester (opposite Honda dealership)
A ropey blue transit turned up, he literally threw the bike in, give me the £££, and shot off.
I got a lift home one a mates Bandit, threw him some fuel money and set about getting the CBR road legal, and cleaning up space for the Transalp.
The CB1 money helped pay for the Transalp 600Xl, and what was left was spent on the CBR.

Today - Still have the CBR (after selling it to Warren, then his mate and buying it back again), cam chain tensioner, regulator rectifier, wiring loom and a tonne of other stuff have all been changed.

Transalp - Awaiting some love, I used it for a while and then bike thefts in the area went from one a week, to literally 3 a night, so I hid her away... Which gave me a chance to have the rear wheel spokes re-done in stainless, but unfortunately the place has now closed down, so still need to do the front - Suggestions for good places welcome !!-

CBR1000F number 2, yeah i also have another.
When i sold the 'original' one back to Warren I felt I was missing something, so got this other one.
It was cheap, I quickly found out why:
Fork seals were all tissue beneath the dust seals
Cam chain rattled like a tin of nails
Didn't hold a charge
Most panels were filled with WOB
BUT it has come in handy, as I got the original CBR back and have taken many spares from this (Fork stantions, rear shock and some other misc bits)

So now, I try use the original CBR as a daily hack to and from work, but the weight of her really makes me want to move her on, as fighting to get her out of the secure storage location (at 5am) really isn't ideal.
Unsure if I should spend more money on it, or sell as a project, She has a slight stumble at 6k, then clears and pushes on again, and front forks are weeping again (which has really pissed me off, as I spent good money on seals etc and entrusted a garage to do the work)

My goal is to save up some pennies and replace it with another sports tourer, but with less weight.

Thanks for reading !

[Warren t claim]

Great to see these back Warren. The links not working for why pans weren't being used though.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/li ... ds-3525545

FTFY

[Warren t claim]

Alright to add my bit ??

My path towards getting the full bike license was quite simple.
CBT - Other than having a bird on the day, who was more bothered about what time it finished (ooh and had no balance at all), the day was smooth and brilliant.
Me and Dave - well I think that was his name, bimbled out in the good weather, stopped for a cold drink and a snack and headed back "Yeah you're alright" and certificate achieved.

Mod 1 - Honestly, can't remember the thing.
Mod 2 - Had dodgy headset, and the tester (Mark) who sat in his Focus swearing, was just about to give up ... I walked over (was told to stand at the bike and await instructions), after him sweating and explaining the walkie-talkie wasn't working, I asked if he could try another battery and headset.
Thankfully the clouds / moon and gods aligned and it suddenly worked - Thank fuck, as the test had already been re-scheduled 5 times before.
So we set off around Chester, an area that I wasn't too familiar with.
Told to pull up when it was safe etc, so I did.
Take off again, so I did (then looked in my mirror - BOLLOX, I had stopped just within an old and very faded bus stop. That's it I failed, or so I thought !)
The nerves and worry was gone, as in my mind I had failed.
The rest of the test was a blur, and back the test centre he rushed into a room as I waited outside.
Kev - My instructor, asked why we took so long to get on the road, and how I thought it went.

"Minimad5", i was called into the room, yep my head was still 'ash fuck, here we go I've failed'
But the bloke in the room wasn't Mr test man, nope he was an older and pretty sound bloke.
"Right, you've got two minors and a small note about being silly, you stopped close to an unused bus stop, so congratulations, you've passed"

On the ride back home, we passed this 'unused' bus stop, and once back at the riding school my instructor passed a comment "He's never in all my years let anything slide"
I had a lucky day.

After this, I quickly put a bid on a Honda CB1 400, drove down to Kent and returned home grinning like a nutter.
Then got the CBR1000F from Warren, then a friend of mine asked me to come round, as he wanted a chat about his Transalp.
He had a stroke whilst on holiday, and could no longer ride it, so wanted someone he trusted and knew to use it and look after her.
So the CB1 had to go, advertised it on eBay & a bloke messaged me wanting more info, supplied more pictures etc and his mate met me in Chester (opposite Honda dealership)
A ropey blue transit turned up, he literally threw the bike in, give me the £££, and shot off.
I got a lift home one a mates Bandit, threw him some fuel money and set about getting the CBR road legal, and cleaning up space for the Transalp.
The CB1 money helped pay for the Transalp 600Xl, and what was left was spent on the CBR.

Today - Still have the CBR (after selling it to Warren, then his mate and buying it back again), cam chain tensioner, regulator rectifier, wiring loom and a tonne of other stuff have all been changed.

Transalp - Awaiting some love, I used it for a while and then bike thefts in the area went from one a week, to literally 3 a night, so I hid her away... Which gave me a chance to have the rear wheel spokes re-done in stainless, but unfortunately the place has now closed down, so still need to do the front - Suggestions for good places welcome !!-

CBR1000F number 2, yeah i also have another.
When i sold the 'original' one back to Warren I felt I was missing something, so got this other one.
It was cheap, I quickly found out why:
Fork seals were all tissue beneath the dust seals
Cam chain rattled like a tin of nails
Didn't hold a charge
Most panels were filled with WOB
BUT it has come in handy, as I got the original CBR back and have taken many spares from this (Fork stantions, rear shock and some other misc bits)

So now, I try use the original CBR as a daily hack to and from work, but the weight of her really makes me want to move her on, as fighting to get her out of the secure storage location (at 5am) really isn't ideal.
Unsure if I should spend more money on it, or sell as a project, She has a slight stumble at 6k, then clears and pushes on again, and front forks are weeping again (which has really pissed me off, as I spent good money on seals etc and entrusted a garage to do the work)

My goal is to save up some pennies and replace it with another sports tourer, but with less weight.

Thanks for reading !

Funny you should say that about the bus stop.

I was riding along with Daffy Duck Dave in his Mk1 Avensis for a test and my punter was doing brilliantly, I was confident that this was going to be my first pass without even one minor mark down when Dave asked him to pull over and on Breck Rd Wallasey and my pupil just slightly stopped on a bus stop that wasn't marked on the road, just a post. Obviously Dave knew it was there. Still, one minor is still a great result.

The problem bike instructors have that our car counterparts don't is that win or lose the pupil has to ride the bike back to base. If they've passed I've often let them tear off the L plates so they can feel like a proper biker but still insisting that they wear the one way radio just to discourage any lack of concentration. If it's a fail then it can be a difficult journey to say the least depending on whether they blame themselves, the examiner or me for the lack of pass certificate.One very strange case which was a one off for me was a pupil who'd actually passed his test with flying colours two years earlier but hadn't bothered to send his D10 pass certificate off to the DVLA for some strange reason. He didn't come to us wanting lessons but to essentially hire a bike to retake his test. We had a feeling this wasn't going to end well so told him that as our minimum hire period was two hours he may as well have a refresher before his test. As we left our compound it was fucking obvious he'd not ridden since his last test and he really was struggling with his balance and coordination. I think we spent about 45 minutes trying to get him to complete a feet up U Turn to test standard and the remaining 15 minutes doing slow speed left and right turns. As the 10.07am test approached even this cocky fuckers tablet of Deludeonol was wearing off rapidly. During his test I didn't even risk heading over to the nearby cafe as I half expecting the examiner to appear back on his own to inform me that both bike and "pupil" had experienced a tarmac interface. Fortunately, both returned safe and sound and I dutifully had my arse sat on the "Walk Back Wall" which is where the examiners would take the pupils back to so they could write their paperwork on and occasionally ask us why the fuck were we sending people so shit for their test. Sadly the Walk Back Wall has been removed but if you have morbid curiosity I've added a pic of the test centre and the wall was behind where the Passat is parked. To my eternal shock and surprise Mr Cocky Cunt had passed, albeit only just. Needless to say this was all down to him and nothing to do with my intensive training abilities.

dsa1.PNG (567.92 KiB) Viewed 4921 times

[bub2006]

A brief take of one of my tales was when I was doing one of a few CBT's over the years. Mine was due to expire in a few days so one morning I decided to pop into a centre in Nottingham on the off chance they had a slot. Yes they did. Winner! I used my own bike as I knew how it rode etc but yet I very nearly didn't even pass the off road part in the morning. The examiner set out the cones to do a turn in the road/u turn. I took one look at the width and said no way will my bike do that. He said that was the width and nothing will change it. I attempted twice but no joy. I politely said to the bloke teaching that if he thinks it's possible he can try it. He did. 5 times. He did widen cones eventually and all was well. The bike was an MZ Saxon sportstar 125 2 stroke. Great little bike but had turning circle of a small cargo ship. Also when I was in my teens I kept my little scooter till I was 19 but I was itching to go from 50 to 125. I sold my little scooter and bought a 1976 jawa 125. This was in 2006! Height of fashion!

[Warren t claim]

As recycling is apparently all the rage these days I thought I'd copy and paste this post from 2012 as it seems relevant here. Enjoy!

Funky Mopedz

Back in the mid 80s when I was a gangly teenager many of the local lads ran around on two wheels when they were 16. The lure of independent transportation and the ability to cause mayhem to the locals was enough to make us all sign up for paper rounds to pay for our bikes, insurance and helmets. In my day you bought your insurance for £50 from the local broker and it was called a Norwich Union Rider Policy, an unusual insurance arrangement as you insured yourself as opposed to the bike, you simply bought the lowest capacity policy they had which covered you up to any bike less than 100cc. This also meant you could have a few bikes at the same time without any insurance hassles. In the mid 80s rider training was in its infancy and you didn't have any CBT to do to validate your licence so any learning was strictly a trial and error thing. Riding gear usually comprised of a secondhand helmet, ski gloves and a thick coat to go over your clothes and keep you warm. You were then ready to take to the road on whatever bike you had at the time. What bike you bought depended on a few important things, namely your budget, availability, street cred and most importantly date of first registration, this was because you could either get something flashy like a Suzuki X1 that was only a few years old but legally restricted to 30mph or go for something made before 1977 like the infamous Yamaha FS1E and have a top speed only restricted by your own childish attempts at tuning. Fortunately older bikes were plentiful and available for a reasonable £30-50 so most of us went for the older option. Here's a few that I had the pleasure of owning......

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The Suzuki AP50. Suzukis slightly more substantial alternative to the Yamaha FS1E. These little Suzukis came with an autolube facility for their little two stroke units that was an absolute swine to bleed and as it used to lube the journals in the crank you couldn't just lob a bit of Silkoline in the tank when you filled up with petrol.

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The Honda SS50. These were quite different to anything else that was available at the time due to them being a 4 stroke. Very reliable and economical although somewhat slower than the two strokes. The later ones had a 5 speed gearbox and a frankly useless cable operated front disc brake.

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Here's the famous Yamaha FS1e, this one's in "Popsicle Purple" and still sports its pedals that almost inevitably got junked as they look sad. These little beasties had an unusual gear arrangement where neutral was at the top and the (4)gears went up as you pushed the lever down. Top speed was a little over 45mph. Be prepared to pay an eye-watering £2500 if you want a nice one today.



So am I alone in being nostalgic over my teenage mopeds or do you have any tales to tell of your own?

[Warren t claim]

EXCLUSIVE DARK WOB UPDATE.

I thought I'd add a few bits and pics about what my contemporaries were riding back in 1986.

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The Puch V50. Really unreliable and had the scooter style twistgrip gearchange arrangement on the left side meaning it's teenage boy rider had to suffer wrist ache in both wrists.

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The MZ 50. A tiny bit gutless even when fitted with an aftermarket, unrestricted peashooter exhaust. Fucking durable and well built though with only shite chrome letting it down.

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The (early) Yamaha RD50. I nearly got into a load of shit with one of these. In my enthusiasm to get on the road I made the error of going out with the older lads on their (unrestricted) 50s while I was only 15 years and 360 days old. Needless to say we attracted the attention of the local plod and while the others fucked off I was left as easy meat at 30 mph and got pulled. I was given a seven day ticket in which I gave my name and address but a blag age, and in the process totally fucking that up too by saying I was 17 and as it was taxed I was sent on my way. To cover my tracks I got a mate Chris (RIP. I never did get to repay the favour) to stash it as his place after I'd reported it stolen before he rang the plod to say he'd found it. You'll doubtless be surprised to hear that I actually got away with this little escapade scott free. Did I learn from this and count my lucky stars and never ever do something like this again? Did I fuck and I'll tell that tale a bit later.

The following few pedz warrant a mention because although restricted in standard form a Micron exhaust and an 80cc set of head and barrels made them shift (relatively speaking)

The later RD50.

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The Kawasaki AR50

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