What did you do to your bike today?

OK my front brake has been a bit spongy and lacks bite for a bit now but I've not had chance to do anything about it.

All of a sudden yesterday it's gone nice and firm again with less travel and plenty of bite.

Has it cleared an air bubble or something? Anything to be concerned about? Can't see anything wrong and the fluid level is still fine.

I want to get them rebuilt when the weather improves anyway.
 
Checked & found my details to make sure I'm 100% Legal, With this mild weather I'm Gagging to get out. Won't do till I'm right but my head is getting right so the body won't be far behind. :cool:
 
I did half day big bike training today in prep for DAS. I got to ride around on a SFV650 for a morning.

We started off with the instructor following me around B'ham as I rode my 125. He was happy with my riding ability, but picked up on a few observation issues (excessive life savers at one point.)

We then found a large car park so I could get a feel for the 650 before taking it on the roads. The bike itself was a bit too small, so my legs felt cramped. The difference in 650 and 125 was interesting. It pulled a lot more, but not in a way which felt too much.

I'd learnt some bad habits on the 125 in regards to braking. Because the gear boundaries are so narrow and most of my riding is done in busy traffic, I used my back brake perhaps a bit too much. At speed, that wouldn't be too much of an issue with a 125, but on a big bike, it was interesting to see just how much front brake you needed.

I was told to only really use the back brake at under 15mph and when stopping the bike.

Once we got on the roads, the bike was fun to ride. I think I was expecting more crazy power, but it felt perfectly manageable. Gearing was much easier too.

Overall it was a good half day, the only issues which were flagged up were due to observation at various points. Stuff that can be worked on and will become second nature with more miles under my belt. The move to a 650 was pretty comfortable, and it was nice to have that extra power when needed. I'll now book my DAS up asap :D
 
Thanks for sharing, I'm quite nervous about it. I know, I've gained bad habits whilst riding on the 125... How much did you pay for the training with an instructor?
 
Glad you enjoyed it :) going from a 125 to a 600 is quite surprising how much nicer it feels. I had to do a 'conversion day' which was a few laps on a Honda CG125 then a hour or so on a Suzuki GS500 then the rest of the day on a Honda CB600F.

I was really intimidated when I saw the 600 lol. Any idea when you'll be doing your DAS? I wish I could've done mine over 1 week rather than a few months. Hopefully Sat/Sun will be the last days of me being a learner!
 
He let me record it, so I might put up some footage :D

I paid £70 for the half day. I think it's normal to go on a 125 first, but I rode there on my 125, so we used that while he assessed if I was safe to carry on.

There is a lot more power on the bigger bikes (obviously) so it was more about the throttle, and being gentle. I actually found it much easier to be gentle with the throttle on the 650, my 125 throttle isn't nearly as smooth and responsive.

Nerves are normal, so try not to worry :). The big bike was much heavier, but once moving, that wasn't an issue. Once I'd done a couple of miles on the big big, it felt easier than the 125 tbh! Whereas on NSL roads, you're thrashing a 125, the 650 was perfectly comfortable and had room for a lot more if needed.

My Mod1 will be in March (that was the earliest free dates :( but am open to cancellations.) If I pass Mod1, then mod 2 will be asap. The instructor seemed to have weekly block bookings for his students with the nearest test center.
 
Looking forward to the footage! If I ride as much as I've watched I'll be going forever :D

That's not too long :) my Mod 1 was a few days before christmas and that was the last time I was on a bike!
 
IC3 said:
You should :D

Edit Taken te bike out for a ride yet? Over here its been 2nd day where the temp is around 12-14c, slight wind and nice dry roads. :)

Edit2 @lmfy2k, What's the first bike from the left on 3rd pic?
Click to expand...

Not yet, been raining since yesterday on/off, if tomorrow is dry i'll be out. :cool:
 
After not riding much this past couple of months I had a day off work so went for a blast up to the Tann Hill Inn - the highest pub in the country. Even though the weather wasn't great, especially up at the pub, the ride was fantastic - one of those days where everything seems to just feel right.

The first 20 miles felt a bit rusty - I normally ride and commute all year round so not riding much for such a long time felt strange, especially on the greasy and muddy roads where I was struggling to not stare 20ft in front of the bike, but then the confidence came back and I was throwing it around the lanes :)

Every now and again I feel like changing the bike, just for the sake of it really as I've had it nearly four years now, but I don't think there was any other bike I'd rather have been on today. Good weather protection, torquey loud engine, switchable suspension and dual sport tyres and top box for the camera - perfect for todays ride!

Ride to Tann Hill by Dave Wrightson, on Flickr

Ride to Tann Hill by Dave Wrightson, on Flickr

Ride to Tann Hill by Dave Wrightson, on Flickr
 
looks bleak

reminds me of an american werewolf in London haha,keep that bike I doubt you'll find one that does everything like that,plus be reliable

theres some flats near me named tan hill flats,rough as a bears arse
 
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