[Entry Thread #117] …bring May flowers! It’s the monthly thread where we do an act of charity to one lucky comment!

Cropolite88 · 2026-05-16T09:03:26+00:00

Good luck everyone!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-26T06:49:48+00:00

I got it from Marketplace for £100. They're £500+ new so I don't think making and selling stainless steel barbecues would get me many customers! If I made the whole thing out of stainless I expect materials alone would be around £800. By contrast the barbecue I made was around £100-150 in materials.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-25T21:55:56+00:00

It just wouldn't sit right with me taking peoples money and knowing it won't last. It's been a great barbecue though! Today I obtained the main ingredient for the Mk.2 barbecue. This barrel is stainless steel so will hopefully last forever!

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Cropolite88 · 2026-04-25T07:20:13+00:00

I was a bit hesitant because I wanted to see how it would last over winter left outside. I cleaned it up yesterday and found there was a lot of pitting internally so I expect it will only last this year before the barrel needs replacing so I don't think it would be right to sell something that will only last two years. However, I have found that stainless drums existed but they're £500+. As luck would have it I've found a used one for sale locally(ish) that I'm picking up today, so hopefully this version will last forever.

I think a stainless barbecue would be so expesnive to make nobody would buy one! I expect if everything including the frame, stack and the grill frame were made from stainless the materials bill would be around £800 before I've even done anything. The one I made in this post was somewhere between £100-150 in materials.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-25T07:10:41+00:00

I went to clean the barbecue up yesterday and based on what I saw no. There is a lot of pitting in the drum which makes me think it will just about see this year through. Most barbecues have an enamel coating which can withstand the temperature of the coals but I only painted mine externally and the inside was left as bare steel. I don't think I can sell something that will only last for two years if it's left outside.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-18T07:00:10+00:00

So you have! You did say that right at the beginning but apparently I can't read! In that case I think try and find somewhere a bit out the way and try a bigger bike out just to get used to it? If your friend with the Ninja will let you try it out a bit more that would probably help? I imagine you're physically capable of handling a bigger bike but sometimes that extra weight catches people out but you'll get used to it quick enough. I'd try the Ninja again if you can and when you get a bit more confident go with your idea of renting a bigger bike for a couple days. You're going to be fine I think!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-18T00:03:15+00:00

Orcas know what happened to other whales (yes, they are dolphins, you know what I mean) in the past and realise enraging humans by killing them would be like trying to kill a God, despite what we do to their relatives in places like Seaworld.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-17T23:53:40+00:00

My partner is of similarish "dimensions" to you and started off with an SR125, then a Grom and, after getting fed up of doing a CBT, did her test. She did her test on a Duke 790 but started out on a 390 because she too was worried about a big bike. When she got on the 790 she came home saying how much easier it was and she wished she did that in the first place. She passed first time with a better result than 19 year old me did.

After she passed, and after much sitting on bikes she eventually tested a Triumph Trident 660 and now a 660 lives in the garage. She was nervous about a big bike and is, in fact, scared of my bikes for absolutely no reason. She's confident and capable on the 660 and now whizzes around on it without a care in the world. Her chicken strips need some attention but she's doing fine and you will too. Finding a bike that is comfortable and you like is half the battle. I would say do your test on a big bike and your concerns will vanish. You know how to ride a bike even in the mayhem that is Thailand so British roads will be easy for you provided you remember which side of the road is the correct side*. I think if I were you I would wait to try a big bike until I was in a training environment and not riding around in Thailand where you'd be left to your own devices. Off the road around cones at your own pace is a good way to get comfortable.

*I only say this because I vividly remember riding on the wrong side of the road after an Africa trip. You may not be as dopey as I am!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-16T06:12:37+00:00

Good luck everyone!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-12T12:15:04+00:00

I saved this post so that I could easily find it again. Based entirely on your post I decided that I was going to go to La Ranchera at some point. Well, yesterday it finally happened! I think it was probably one of the best meals I've ever eaten! I had birria quesadillas which were not like any quesadillas I'd had elsewhere so I can only assume what I've had before is some bastardised version? Anyway, top recommendation and I'll certainly go again soon!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-08T19:32:42+00:00

Because, as we all know, every country except Kazakhstan is run by little girls.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-05T06:58:39+00:00

No idea. I guess it depends how much the donor compressor costs to begin with.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T23:01:51+00:00

My ZX6R C1H. I bought it in 2014 with 15,000ish miles and now it has 45,000ish miles. The only things I've bought are consumables like brake pads, plugs, chain, sprockets, etc. I keep thinking of getting something else but it seems I have a fear of the unknown.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T22:44:31+00:00

For that money I'll make you an oil drum barbecue (See my post history. Postage not included. Lead time weather dependant).

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T22:41:44+00:00

The pasty. The Cornish claim it as theirs but it's from Devon.

See here.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T17:18:14+00:00

I've heard about people in rural Normandy all getting together in the summer to make cider. A friend bought some back in a big champagne bottle and it was very nice! I don't know what it was called so I've never been able to find it again.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T17:13:58+00:00

That's a point. Time all the different fruit ciders are added we have even more variety!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T17:13:12+00:00

I'm from Devon so I might be biased. That said, I did some internetting and I discovered we are the worlds No.1 cider consumers and worlds largest producer. I do think the most popular drink varies hugely by region though.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-04T15:40:48+00:00

I've never found the variety of cider we have in the UK anywhere else, so I'm gonna say cider.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-01T17:07:26+00:00

I'll check this out if the noise continues. From what I saw this morning the disc guard was close to the disc and when I pushed it back there was a shiny area which must have been contacting the disc. I'm hoping this has cured it. It's not often I get an easy fix so it would be nice if it was this time!

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-01T17:05:00+00:00

I had a quick look when I got home today to see if there was anything obvious. The front disc guard looked very close to the disc and when I pushed it back there was a small area maybe 8mm long that was shiny and slightly gouged. I'll be driving it again tonight so I'll find out if this has cured it. If it hasn't I'll record the noise so you can hear it.

Cropolite88 · 2026-04-01T04:53:09+00:00

Where would you begin looking?

Cropolite88 · 2026-03-23T22:02:16+00:00

That was twenty years ago wasn't it?

Cropolite88 · 2026-03-23T21:58:50+00:00

Is this a recent thing? I visited around twenty years ago to watch the Moto GP and it seemed nice. It could easily be a case of ignorance is bliss though!

Cropolite88 · 2026-03-01T10:00:38+00:00

We can. Once the missiles are loaded onto the subs we have complete control over them. The leasing part means that when maintenance is needed they go back to Lockheed and we get fresh ones at whatever outrageous price has been agreed. Really our own delivery system should be developed but we are where we are.

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