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Messages - imaginetheory

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16
General Discussion / Re: How many miles on your Rear Tire?
« on: September 24, 2016, 09:00:17 AM »
I run the same make and model of tyres on all of my scoots.
But 2011 Agility RS50.
Michelin Boppers April-October. Michelin City Grip Winters October-April.
 
I got near 12,000 miles on the boppers this year, keeping in mind they have now been on two different scoots. Ive tried Maxxis, Pirelli, Kenda etc etc and no tyre i've used has felt as good to me as the bopper has. Does well through torrential rain, Grips to the tarmac well even when its cold out, Have worn well. Im now fitting a new set of boppers until October.

The City Grip Winters are great for the colder weather we get here in the UK. Plenty of grip to the road, they wear well too, I can usually get 6-7000 miles out of a set before having to change them. I ride through ALL weathers including snow (if my road has been plowed that is, huuugeee hill) so a good winter tyre is important for me.

What I like about Michelins is that they dont cost the earth, They do what they are supposed to do and do it very well and they last a fairly long time. Ill happily try other tyres but its Boppers and City Grip Winters all the way for me.

17
General Discussion / Re: Took A Tumble.
« on: September 20, 2016, 12:38:16 PM »
Hell0!?
Emergency vehicle drivers go on strike in your country!?
Are they unionized?
Fire them...and post their jobs.
And I am a union member.
I thought only the Italians did stuff like that.
Stig
Yep. It's only happened a few times but paramedics have striked as have firemen. Yeah they are unionised. There was a strike last year where police officers and firemen had to volunteer to drive ambulances and there were volunteer emergency rapid response vehicles in the form of search and rescue helping out. although the strike only lasted 11 hours and it didnt really affect many people, back up plans are always in place  ::)

Doesn't happen often, Just when our government wants to make cuts on cuts on cuts based on cuts  ::)


18
General Discussion / Re: Took A Tumble.
« on: September 19, 2016, 10:02:34 PM »
That's exactly right. Not near enough time behind the wheel is required of drivers these days. And how to avoid an accident/evasive maneuvering is hardly ever mentioned, let alone practiced. Nor is driving in the dark. The system in Finland at least addresses some of these situations:

"The training for B class license requires 18 hours of instructed driving, including a spell on a slippery driving course, and 19 theory lessons. After this, the person must pass a computerized theory test and a driving test in city traffic with a minimum length of 30 minutes. C class training is similar, but longer, including time spent driving in nighttime and adverse weather conditions."

We definitely need some serious changes in driver training, for sure. And a way to minimize distractions!
The standards required in the UK for the driving test are LOW. you could in theory take your theory test on your 17th birthday and go and take your practical driving test the next day if you wanted to. Personally I chose to do my normal driving test and then I did a advanced drivers course, a poor weather driving course (i did mine in snow and ice) and I did a blue light and siren course so I can volunteer as a blood runner or volunteer as a emergency vehicle driver when there are strikes etc. When i did my normal driving test, the instructor didn't care about me knowing how to drive, just knowing how to pass the test.

Fortunately my motorcycle instructor is actually teaching me to RIDE and ride safely instead of just passing a test. Ive got 40 hours in with him so far, fairly close to going for test actually.

Good to hear you're covered. Nothing's worse than being left high and dry. In some states, or cities in the US, if someone cuts in front of you, or cuts you off in a lane change, and your crash the police often rule the fault as yours as they cite failure on your part to operate your bike. As horrible as it sounds you have to be hit for the other guy to be at fault.

Ride safe,

Wolf

Yep, Ive heard about that a few times from a family member who lives in Salem. Fortunately for me, over here at least the police will actually blame the person at fault even if contact isnt made and so will my insurance. I have better cover than most though as I use my scooters for work and business insurance works ALOT faster than standard insurance to minimise losses.

Update on the whole situation too -
The driver's insurance who came into my lane has accepted liability and will be paying out the vehicles full value brand new, which means I can go ahead and replace the brand new scooter with another brand new scooter. All of my gear is also being paid for at brand new value so I can go ahead and replace my helmet, gloves, jacket, boots and kevlar jeans. Im investing in a good helmet camera and might upload a few clips to youtube occasionally just for fun. Still cant post vids/pics due to legal reasons etc etc.

Ride safe.

19
General Discussion / Re: Took A Tumble.
« on: September 15, 2016, 12:45:25 PM »
By using the RTC term I take it you're in the UK? Hard to avoid the rain out there. Could be a Philadelphia thing where I work, but People around my area are crazy enough under dry conditions. I try not to risk it when it's raining. That's generally a 'take the car, or train' day for me. Plus, I've never liked parking my bike in the rain, even if I bring my tarp.

Glad to hear the police where able to catch the guy. Hope he covers your repair and any medical cost.

- Wolf
Yes, Im from the land of Tea, Crumpets and Rain  ;D Im just used to calling them RTCs as usually its very rarely a accident, so until proven as such its a RTC.  ::)

You just learn to get on with the rain and adapt to it. Usually after a nice long dry stint like we have just had everyone is a bit more careful but this guy wasn't haha.

I have good business insurance on my scooters, They did good on my last one, they'll do good on this one. Bike is a wreck, I wouldn't even try to repair it and its what I do for a living. I would drive but I dont have business insurance on my car so if its a work thing and its raining, Tough, Saddle up.  :)

20
General Discussion / Re: Took A Tumble.
« on: September 15, 2016, 09:13:37 AM »
Glad to hear you're okay. That's a strong check for the 'Wear your gear' box too. I try to avoid riding in the rain, but sometimes you're just caught and have no choice to ride through, or find a place to pull over. In the rain it's harder to see things, especially in a mirror. Generally, drivers, or riders can only make out headlights. Some bikes only have singular lights which can blend in with a vehicle behind them which has two. This can make guessing the distance in relation to a driver confusing or feel farther away. 

Not saying the guy who only hit you wasn't at fault, but the danger can be increased in bad conditions. Since there's a police investigation does that mean the guy stopped, or did they just catch him?

- Wolf
Because of the work I do, I cant avoid riding in rain sometimes. Theres not alot dangerous about it, if you do it correctly. Ive ridden through all types of weather including rain, thunderstorms, hail, snow, fog, you name it.. this is the first time Ive had a off in wet weather. Would I do anything differently? Not really.

I have a copy of the truck drivers dash cam footage and the driver slowed to a near stop and then sped off, Followed by a biker who had witnessed the whole thing to his place of employment where the police subsequently arrested him for failing to stop at the scene of a RTC and dangerous/careless driving.

The police investigate every RTC that is reported to them to have a record of what happened for insurance companies etc and to rule out any wrong doing/blame + if there is blame to see if it would be in the public's interest to charge anyone who is to blame. As far as I know they are now gathering evidence to be able to take this to court. They have asked me and the truck driver not to release footage/pictures until its all done with in court etc etc which is fair enough.

They usually show up to every RTC called in too as they are usually closer than an ambulance and any officer driving a patrol vehicle has to pass advanced first aid courses I believe.

Apparently when the truck driver got to me I told him "that was a nice crash"  ;D

21
Agility 50 / Re: 2011 Kymco RS50 Agility - BumbleBee
« on: September 14, 2016, 07:58:54 PM »
Ive been having a little play today. The GPS mount snapped in the tumble I had, Being a cheapskate and wanting to experiment a little, I tried to fix it by plastic welding it. Its fairly strong and I cant see it breaking through normal vibration etc. The other side looks ALOT neater, I just didn't take a pic because I had left my Soldering iron to rest on a plastic trash can  :o :-[ I plan on attempting to repair the current foot board and belly panel using the same method, If I am successful I will return the new ones and save myself some ££


22
General Discussion / Re: Ck1 ecu upgrade???
« on: September 14, 2016, 03:30:09 PM »
They are right. It wouldn't do anything.

You could mess about with gearing (changing sprockets etc) but you would only gain 3-4mph either way. Honestly, a 125cc isnt built for speed. Want to go faster? Get a bigger bike.


23
General Discussion / Re: Took A Tumble.
« on: September 14, 2016, 03:28:04 PM »
Brother, I'm SOOOOOO glad that you're ok. And you are another testimony to others in favor of wearing your gear. No one plans on having an accident. Again, I'm so thankful that you are ok.
We never plan for it but we should prepare for it, each time we twist the throttle we know the risks that we are taking.

Been driving since I was fifteen. In all these years I have never seen so many bad and careless drivers as now.
Its because people are taught to pass a TEST not taught to DRIVE and drive well.

24
General Discussion / Re: Took A Tumble.
« on: September 13, 2016, 10:22:37 PM »
very glad you were not seriously hurt. Seems like when bad things happen, it happens in the blink of an eye.
About two summers ago, I was sitting at a red light holding both brakes. This idiot comes up and rear ends me. $300 in damage to my scoot. I came out of it with just a bruised ankle. The guy was driving with a revoked licenses and NO insurance.
This spring, I was making a U turn on a country road and dropped my scoot on myself. My left leg was pinned under it. Lucky I had my riding boots on. No injuries that time. Just hurt pride and a couple of scratches to my scoot. Pissed me off. Guess i`m getting a little careless in my old age.
boo

I was rear ended earlier this year too, Ended up being pushed a fair distance and got some knee issues for life. This is my second off this year. Luckily the police are fairly on top of catching unlicensed and uninsured drivers over here and everyone involved in both offs had insurance. Unfortunately it just seems to be the season for people having offs, I just think that its good to use these offs and share the experiences to try to convince new riders to wear protective gear.

It also seems that the standard of driving has somewhat dropped over the past year or two, People just dont care and aren't as aware/alert as they should be.

25
General Discussion / Took A Tumble.
« on: September 13, 2016, 07:15:00 PM »
It's been raining heavily on and off all day. I still had to go out and work though. While on my way to a emergency call out 40 miles away, I was heading down a dual carriageway (two lane road) and had a car try to make a lane change without indicating or checking mirrors.. at 65mph. I went on my horn, but the driver either didn't care or couldn't hear me over their music. I Could Not brake heavily to avoid being hit from the side because of a truck behind me so had no choice but to put myself into the hard shoulder.. which quickly turned into a grass embankment and I went tumbling  :(

Brand new scooter too, 150 miles on the clock!

Im absolutely fine, I was wearing all of my gear. My helmet is battered but did its job. Im actually glad that I wasn't using my cheapo helmet today. I have a bruise to my arm but that's about it. Another good one to tell newbies - wear your gear! Could have been so much worse. Ill be able to post what pictures I have as soon as the police investigation is done with.

26
Agility 50 / Re: 2011 Kymco RS50 Agility - BumbleBee
« on: September 12, 2016, 02:35:07 PM »
I was going to go for a mount similar to that however because I own a few bikes and switch between them all the time, I wanted a mount that I could just hook on the bars and go. I dont want to have to unscrew mirrors all the time, It gets a pain in the butt sometimes.

Im now retiring BumbleBee as my "workhorse" she has been replaced by a brand new TGB125. Im keeping her and will still be doing the 12v install  etc just won't be riding her as much as I used to. The decision to do this had to be made, at 19,800KM shes showing her age and is becoming a little unreliable. The TGB was at a good price by the dealer, I got trade price on it and they have a good reputation within the courier industry over here.

Ive fitted the old grab rail back on, have a footboard and belly panel on order. Ive got LED strips waiting to be fitted as a bit of a "something to do when bored" project.

27
Agility 50 / Re: 2011 Kymco RS50 Agility - BumbleBee
« on: September 10, 2016, 06:47:08 PM »
Update on the GPS front.. Recieved the mount and waterproof case, I was going to cut the plastics on the bars to mount it to the actual bars but decided not to. Wedged in a few rubber pieces (I know you cant really see it) into the mount and fitted it to the right hand mirror. Its nice and solid doesnt move. The case itself goes on nicely but feels a little cheap, For peace of mind ive drilled it in the back and will cable tie the case to the mount just in case i hit a big bump and it dislodges itself.

Where its mounted, It doesnt stop me from using any of the switches, Doesnt obscure the mirrors and is still in a reasonable line of sight. For now, the 12v socket is loose under the seat and I just run the charger from under the seat straight to the bars, What I will do is take plastics etc off and route the GPS charger through the panels and up through the handlebar covers to the case, so itll look nice and tidy :) Apologies for the poor quality pics, Im using a basic phone right now.




28
Agility 50 / Re: 2011 Kymco RS50 Agility - BumbleBee
« on: September 10, 2016, 11:50:47 AM »
Problem now sorted.

Rollers were WAY too heavy. The pack said 7g but when I weighed one it weighed 13g  >:(

5.5g rollers fitted and shes nippy how I like her again  :D


29
General Discussion / Re: Need to keep my hands warm this winter..
« on: September 10, 2016, 11:48:36 AM »
I ride with bar muffs every winter.. yes you do look a little silly BUT they keep your hands warm and dry.
They are cheap (The ones i use are £12 = $15.92USD) and easy enough to take on and off your scoot.

I just wear my summer gloves all year round with the muffs on.


30
General Discussion / Re: Auto shops vs Scooter shops
« on: September 10, 2016, 09:32:13 AM »
There are a lot of scooter/motorcycle shops that do this too, Luckily a lot of my customers can tell when they are being had on by the shops and tend to call me for some advice/to get me to go and check the "issues" out.

Some of the best "quotes" I have ever seen with my prices in brackets - £129.99 to replace a headlight bulb on a Honda Spree (£19.99) . £450 to service a Suzuki Burgman 400 (no more than £200). £300 for a new rear tyre on a Honda Spree (£59.99) . New brake pads on a Yamaha Aerox £199 (£49.99) £2,000 for a top end rebuild on a lexmoto gladiator 125cc (chinese) (£290)..

Personally, I give every scooter I work on a quick check over. If it's a small, no parts cost job like tightening up a few bolts or cleaning a part up, it's free. If it's going to take less than 15 mins and requires a part, it's part cost only. I'll advise when something needs doing soonish and I'll put it in writing but I'll only ever quote for the job when requested, No pressure on the owner.

There's making money being a P.O.S (in my eyes they are anyway) and then there's making money being honest, I know which Id rather do. and the funny thing is, I see these guys in the shops sitting twiddling their thumbs all of the time, yet Im never able to stop because Im ALWAYS on the go.

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