Messages

I thought the idea was to stay in unless your journey is for work or absolutely necessary. So far I have lost 3 aquantancies to this virus, one of them a paramedic. Stay in and save lives we are told, anything else is stupid and selfish.

I've Holiday safe bike travel insurance. Email from them today saying you're not covered for any cancellations made based on following Foreign Office Advice not to travel. I've tickets for two people travelling return Plymouth to Santander to Portmouth mid May to early June with bikes/ cabins etc on the Pont Aven - Brittany ferries. Brittany are likely to extend their cancelled sailings, presently to 20th April, nearer the time which should result in a refund. Thought Holiday Safe were the dogs nuts, turns out when push comes to shove, they're a pile of shite. I suppose better to find out now when I probably don't need them than when I'm in a muddle and the only option is to rely on an insurance company and they riggle.

All insurance companies are the same and unfortunately it is clearly stated in their terms and conditions that they will not accept claim resulting from following any government instructions. A pandemic is treated the same as a war by insurance companies and have never paid out. Nothing new just not understood. I have cancelled holidays to Italy and N Ireland for the NW200 and so far been refunded by Booking .com for the house rentals but P and O will only defer the crossing with a credit note for 12 months. If you are on the cheapest ferry option their is no option but the more expensive flexi bookings can be cancelled and refunded. Check your agreement paperwork. For Italy I have lost my deposit as I cancelled before paying the full amount. But hey there are people who have suffered a lot more than me.

Found it.
https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/news/2020/march/car-motorcycle-mot-test-due-coronavirus

Apparently new guidance issued today extends mot by 6 months if due between March and September. Not got time to look for it now but it should be on .Gov site somewhere.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/do-i-still-need-a-car-or-motorcycle-mot-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/ar-BB11zc5M?ocid=spartanntp

No change. All vehicles used on public roads must have a current MOT unless exempt class

we were all booked and ready for the NW200 again but that too is cancelled

Like many other things, PCP is a good product if sold correctly and is suitable for the customer. PPI was exactly the same, a good product for those it suited. What you cant cater for is the commission hungry sales people who will sell anything to anyone if it makes them money. Also the public rarely reads the small print in any contract, they just want to pay their money and sign the agreement without fully understanding what they are getting into or committing to. All issues are clearly covered in the PCP contract material, its just that he customer is often too lazy or stupid to read it. Saying that our local BMW dealer didn't half stitch up my mate with a PCP deal and told him that should he die, the contract dies with him and they just take the bike back without further charge. Well he died 2 years into the deal leaving a right mess for his son and I to sort out. I must add I have moved house recently and the dealer is nowhere near where I live now.

Price comparisons are useless if you don't like the bike (for whatever reason) being compared. Surely a more useful comparison would be the total service costs over the estimated period of ownership, in years or miles. So a fair comparison might be a BMW/GTR/FTR/moped or whatever your selection, owned from new for 50,000 miles and include all services between 0 and 50k, as in that period some bikes may only need 2 big services and others need 3. Car leasing companies cottoned onto this years ago by ensuring replacing the vehicle at "x" miles when "x" is the service point before the first big one. Bank fleet cars had massive stickers on the dash instructing the user NEVER to exceed 13000 miles without
contacting their fleet department.

We have a newish bike shop in Leeds, sports bike something or another, on Regent St, Leeds where all the bike shops seem to set up. They are the only bike shop I have ever known where you can buy a helmet and return it if you change your mind.

Sportsbikeshop are brilliant. We have bought parts, helmets and clothing from them. Fortunately only had to return 1 item ever which was the wrong size for me. It was easy to return, post paid by them and full refund to my card within a few days.

Send him to his local training centre. They will give accurate advice.

We have toured Ireland, North and South of the border many times and have always enjoyed it. Yes the weather can be a bit wet but the scenery, roads and locals more than make up for it. We normally go from Holyhead or Cairnryan and take in some of Scotland as well. This year its the NW200 again for us via Cairnryan, ferry fare si £120m return for bike and 2 people. Last time we went the weather was glorious for 2 whole weeks.

This bike and more like it have been for sale for some time. Personally I would go for a good used 2 or 3 year old bike for the same money or less and buy an extended warranty from Kawasaki or other. A 2009 model will only have the warranty offered by the seller. There are plenty of them  about in dealers or private.
Any bike or car stood for 9 years will need a serious looking over before taking to the road as rubbers and mountings can perish if not cared for.

So with the new road 5 gt out what do people think, or stay with gt 2 a spec  ,anyone gone for the 55 profile

Changing from standard spec may create problems with your insurance if you need to make a claim. You wont know until the claim is rejected.

we use a system much older than Viper's. When the boss wants to stop I get a dig in the ribs. Other than that we stop roughly every 90 minutes or when we need fuel.