Categories
Clothing/Protection

Replacing a Schuberth S2 or C3 Inner Sunvisor

Schuberth S2 Inner Sun VisorSomehow, I managed to break one of the clips for the inner sun visor on my Schuberth S2 helmet (same visor for C3 and C3 Pro). Despite using duct tape to secure it, invariably it would come free and start flapping around whilst I’m in the middle of riding. Less than ideal.

Today I finally got around to fitting my replacement sun visor. A little bit tricky as the pins on the hinges that go through the visor are slanted to ease the visor slotting in and prevent it from coming out. I managed to gently push one pin from behind with a piece of wooden dowel, then prise the visor out. The visor having broken on the other side negated the need to repeat on the other pin.

No matter how hard you try, you inevitably cover it in fingerprints…

Fitting the new sun visor was a bit easier, but required some coordination to slide both sides of the visor into both hinges at the same time whilst keeping them and the helmet still. No matter how hard you try, you inevitably cover it in fingerprints… 🙁

The replacement sun visor cost £35 from SportsBikeShop. Note it comes in two sizes for different helmet sizes.

Search for Schuberth S2 / C3 / C3 Pro visors at SportsBikeShop

Categories
Gear Reviews Riding

Leather One Piece Suit and Track Day

Just picked up this Alpinestars one-piece suit off eBay. With a bit of patience, I managed to blag this decent nick one for a monkey, not bad as they often go for £150-300 odd. Sizing was a bit tricky, as I’m pretty tall and skinny (6’1″ & 11 stone), but an EU52 fits well for height, not too bad around the waist and it only a spot baggy around the arse. Plenty of room for my separate back protector. The knee sliders are also nicely worn, so I won’t look a complete track day virgin… 😉

My plan is to try some track days, starting with a Novice Skills Day at Brand Hatch. Run in combination with Kent Fire Service and MSV, it covers Biker Down, slow speed control, an IAM/RoSPA observed ride and two 20 min track sessions. All for the princely sum of £55. It’s been a while since I did a Biker Down course and more slow speed and IAM tuition is always handy. Watch this space for my report back on the day.

Right Now on eBay Find an Alpinestars one-piece suit on eBay
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Categories
Riding

Five Lesser Known Moto Adventure VBloggers

Roadhawk Ride crash camera-2It seems everyone is riding with a camera protruding from their helmet these days, all super hot shot VBlogger’s in the making and hoping to match the likes of Baron Von Grumble / Royal Jordanian, or simply bring all wrong doers to justice. The reality is, 99% of the footage shot on a bike is pretty dull to watch and the remaining 1% needs some serious editing to create 5 minutes of entertaining YouTube video.

However, here are some more adventurous riders whose YouTube channels don’t contain yet another dull city commute dodging pedestrians. Enjoy!

Categories
Riding

Midsummer Ride’s Dream

“Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do ride everywhere.”

Categories
Riding

Howto: Plan & Follow a Google Maps Route on Motorcycle with your Phone

You’ve all been there, spent ages on Google Maps trying to plot a perfect super twisty route down all the quiet back roads; but come unstuck when trying to follow the route whilst on the bike. At the end of the day, you’ve got a computer with a route on the screen and a phone in your pocket with a GPS and maps – why is it so hard to plan your route from one point to other and then ride it? This howto guide goes through all you need to ride a route off Google Maps on your bike, using your phone.

Categories
Gear Reviews

ABUS Granit Detecto XPlus 8077 Disc Lock Alarm Review

The ABUS Granit Detecto XPlus 8077 is a big chunky, yellow disc lock alarm with a chunky long name. But, as we already have big chunky security chains, why did we buy this disc lock which is surely not as effective? Yes, it’s true, chaining your bike to something does make it more secure, but lugging a 10kg of chain and padlock around where ever you go is less than ideal. Especially as a Givi Monokey top box is officially only rated for 10kg…

→ Check out our full Motorcycle Security Guide

Thus, the choice to use a disc lock that is easier to transport and still reasonably effective as a theft deterrent is appealing. For example, when out for a quick blast to seaside chip chop and don’t want to take a huge top box or when touring and you’re already carrying tonnes of luggage, the last thing you want to pack is a huge chain as well. Far easier to just squeeze in this little disc lock amongst all the other luggage. That and spotting this lock reduced on Amazon Prime sealed the deal.

Abus Granit Detecto X Plus 8077 Disc Lock Alarm

Categories
Maintenance

Fazer Maintenance Day – Carb Balancing

FZS600 Carb BalancingToday has been a productive day finishing off my regular servicing of the bike. The big downside of tackling routine servicing yourself is finding the time, and so I was forced to split the work across to free weekends a couple of weeks apart.

First the oil change, air filter and rear brake service (which included a new Hel brake line). Today finishing off, front brake service, carb balancing and other remaining checks etc.

The Morgan Carbtune tool makes easy work of balancing. The most difficult thing on the Fazer is finding the adjustment screws buried deep between the carbs. They’re almost impossible to see and you just have to poke a long screwdriver down into the engine and guess where they are!

Categories
Riding

Trip to North Wales July 2016

Last weekend I made another motorcycle trip up from London to Welshpool, North Wales to visit family and friends; which of course took a long, convoluted and twisty route there and back. Come on?! With beautiful weather and a couple of days to kill on the bike, do you think I’m just gonna sit on the motorway for 4 hours? Stuff that…

Categories
Riding

Cornering Improvements and Less Chicken Strips

Over the last year I feel my cornering has improved a lot, I’m definitely more confident, leaning further over and carrying more speed (safely) through a bend. This became very apparent following a trip up to North Wales at the  weekend and comparing my chicken strips to doing the same trip last August 2015.

Categories
Riding

Dress for the Slide, not just the Ride

Dress for the slide, not just the rideIt’s forecast to hit 33°C here in London today, but we still wear full leathers. Dress for the slide, not just the ride. 

As tempting as shorts and t-shirt are in this heat, you just never know when you may have a spill. Mary often tells me stories of a stint she did as a nurse in A&E & theatres. Once putting a biker under a general aesthetic so they could use scrub all the grit out of his remaining skin after a coming off with no decent gear on…

It maybe hot and sweaty in gear, but I’d rather retain some skin through which I can sweat.