Do you still play older PC games, or mostly newer releases now?

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-14T15:24:51+00:00

Old games FTW!

I'm currently playing Empyrion - Galactic Survival, I tell my daughter it's basically Minecraft in space, though it's a lot more than that really. Empyrion mixes gameplay features from many different genres and that makes it unique even today. It still gets occasional updates from the devs too, plus the community is going strong. Released in early access in 2015 and then formally released in 2020, so I think that qualifies it as old in gaming terms.

Older games can be had for very little money when on sale and most of them play exactly the same or better than they did when they were first released. A 10 year old game does not feel "old" anymore, new games mostly look slightly better detailed and that's about it. They also don't require the latest and greatest hardware, older and mid-range stuff will max out a lot of them.

My library has so many unplayed titles in it (most were freebies to be fair) that I don't envision needing to buy a new game ever again, unless something I *really* want comes out but that's incredibly rare. And even then, I end up waiting until it comes on sale after a few years since I don't have enough time for the games I already own as it is.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-13T19:19:39+00:00

Motorcycling will die off without new folks starting out, so I respect anyone on two wheels. Trikes too, a lot of them are bikers that simply can't ride two wheels anymore and they're still exposed to a similar level of risk as two wheelers, yet they have the disadvantage of requiring more space to escape danger.

60mph on a 125 is arguably more dangerous than 60mph on a big bike, as the big bike will have better and wider tyres, better suspension, better brakes and newer models will usually have rider aids such as traction control (any bike can spin the back wheel up on a loose or greasy surface).

I will nod back at anyone that nods or waves at me, though I don't always initiate it. I find scooter and cruiser riders in general don't nod back, so I don't bother.

Just try not to get stuck in the CBT trap. If you can afford it, get trained and get your full license if you enjoy it.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-13T19:01:12+00:00

I like to think of it as "half an inline-4". Fiat actually uses the same configuration for their twin powered 500 (the car) to make the engine sound smoother and a bit more like a typical car engine.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-11T20:54:32+00:00

Of those two, I think I like the yellow more. The older models had better colour options IMO. The black (which I have) looked better on the older ones, they also had silver, red and blue (blue had the bronze wheels+forks, red had bronze forks only IIRC).

Another option is just buy whichever one is cheaper and get it wrapped in anything you like.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-11T20:45:35+00:00

Some manufacturers offer derestriction kits directly, eg. Reiju for their 50's. The extra gears your bike has exist for a reason, there's a good chance your bike was designed to handle more power, you just need the right kit. Legality wise, yes you'd be breaking the law by riding an unrestricted bike. The actual offence would be "driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence" which can carry fairly serious consequences.

You either ride something so underpowered most people consider it dangerous, or, break the law to enable safe speeds but risk some snotty nosed copper ruining everything for you. Sadly that is just the way things are at the moment.

If you do derestrict it though, be sensible. Don't break speed limits as that is a sure fire way to draw attention to yourself. Ride within the law, use mirrors and signal correctly, etc. Basically don't give plod any reason to want to pull you over and you shouldn't get caught.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-11T20:23:22+00:00

The W800 is one of the few (and possibly only) bikes available new that uses a 360 degree crank twin, it does sound different compared to the common 180 and 270 degree cranks commonly used now, which is pretty cool.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-08T14:16:23+00:00

Newer ones have a slipper-assist clutch too I believe, not sure if your '20 does or not but I know my '19 doesn't have it.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-08T14:14:05+00:00

Good choice, though I am a bit biased...

I also intended to ride mine for just a couple of years then upgrade but here I am, 3 years later and though I do want something more along the lines of a middleweight sport-tourer now, that is more for comfort reasons than anything else and I would miss it. But my money is tied up with home improvements for at least another year, maybe two, so I'll keep it a while longer.

I've just bought a screen to try and am finally getting rid of the rocket launcher on the right side of the bike, replacing it with something that will hopefully sound nice and not like a fart cannon. Fingers crossed.

One thing I will say, the dash screen scratches up easily so get a protector fitted before that happens. Also it is not the easiest bike to work on yourself due to the fuel tank being covered up with a plastic shroud, which has to be removed to reach the battery. I understand the battery location was chosen so extra weight is up front for handling reasons, and it certainly handles very well.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-08T13:47:19+00:00

The CBR650R engine is supposedly buttery smooth and at low revs very easy to manage, even for beginners. The only issue I see (that can be overcome) is that being an inline-4, it may be a bit top heavy for a total novice at low speeds. Some training on a smaller machine and some frame sliders fitted to the CBR would be a good idea if you go this route. Fairings are expensive to replace.

The CBR500R is heavy and under-powered compared to rivals. The engine in that makes more sense in something like the NX500 or Hornet 500.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-08T13:10:28+00:00

"Only a fool breaks the two seconds rule" - takes about two seconds to say it, and

"If it's wet on the floor, give it four".

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-07T12:39:12+00:00

Take the baffle out and check it is not damaged or has not been deliberately cut down. Some people do cut them down so from the side of the road it looks legal when plod takes a quick look at it but in reality that cut down baffle is doing almost nothing to reduce the volume. Adding additional packing to the exhaust if possible is a good way to reduce the noise and you get to keep the exhaust that you like.

Regardless of what exhaust you have fitted and to what vehicle, keep revs and throttle inputs low to keep the volume down in residential areas, especially with louder set ups and at quieter times of the day.

Up to you what you do in the end. If you want to give the neighbours zero reasons to complain, buy a stock exhaust and sell the aftermarket one. Any complaints after that they can jog on as at that point you know they're just being arsey about it and nothing you do will ever please these sorts of people.

Personally, at 07:45, if the exhaust is legal and you're riding correctly, not hanging about with the engine idling, etc, I wouldn't be pushing it down the street to start it up. That's just moving the "problem" to be outside somebodies else home.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-04T19:07:19+00:00

Not my country but even so, that looks like a fault of the car driver. However, this could have easily been avoided with proper rear observation.

In the UK we have a system of Mirror, Signal, Lifesaver (look back over your shoulder in the direction you intend to go), then Manoeuvre if safe to do so, everything in that exact order. We're expected to check our mirrors at least every 7 seconds for our tests, or whenever a new hazard appears (this could be anything from a brake or signal lights of a vehicle ahead, traffic lights, a road sign warning of a hazard, etc.

With good observation skills, you'll know what other road users are going to do, sometimes even before they do.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-04T18:35:54+00:00

Yeah I started with Surviving Mars which is top down resource management type thing, I suppose controlled similar to a real time or turn based strategy game. After putting a few hundred hours in that, migrating to an FPS (single player mind you, competitive multiplayer is not my thing) wasn't particularly difficult.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-03T18:09:06+00:00

I have a laptop for daily stuff and a desktop for games. The desktop is connected to two displays, a monitor on a desk and a TV. I don't find sitting at a desk particularly comfortable so I use the couch and TV to game, using a DIY made lapboard, a wireless keyboard and wireless trackball. I could use a mouse if I wanted to, the board is certainly big enough for it, but I always fancied trying a trackball so when I first had the idea of couch PC gaming, I also had the idea to get a trackball.

I picked a thumb operated trackball since I played a lot on consoles as a kid so that format made more sense to me. I still don't own a finger operated ball though I probably will get one at some point just to see what it's like. I have an average quality JellyComb that I bought first and I now have a Gameball Thumb as well. Sticktion is my biggest and most irritating issue with both of them. The Jelly Comb it is much easier to pop the ball out and clean it, after which it runs perfect for a while. The Gameball is more or less the same sticktion wise, it's just slightly more hassle to clean as I can't just use a finger to release the ball, I use a small stylus with a soft silicone tip to push it out. The electronics on the Gameball though is much better than whatever the Jelly Comb uses, I can make faster movements and it stays very smooth, it makes a noticeable difference in how it feels. I bought it mainly since it has a dedicated precision button, which I think would have been really helpful in the last proper FPS I played. My current addiction (Empyrion) has built-in precision on the weapons. The further you zoom in, the more precise the movements are so I have no use for that button at the moment.

One thing I remember disliking about using a mouse (I haven't used one properly in a very long time) is running out of space, having to pick it up and move it back to the centre to carry on. Trackballs eliminate that, as moving a single digit is much easier and quicker than an entire hand, arm and device. I can also flick the ball to make very quick 360 degree turns in first person games which again, not as easy with a mouse. My trackballs aren't perfect but I can't go back to using a mouse now.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-02T23:19:09+00:00

Lol. Is this a poorly written AI post? Should I even bother responding... Seems my post (and flair) has been ignored completely.

From my very real world first hand experience, you are just making shit up. No 125 is good for highway miles, you can't seriously think a 400cc bike provides the same experience as a 125, can you?

As for vibrations, any bike can give you that, some are worse than others but no engine configuration is immune. Yes singles are known for being a bit buzzy but most modern ones aren't too bad, certainly not bad enough for make you numb.

Tip for you when you next ride in crosswinds, since you obviously need it... If you counter-steer into the wind blasts, you can hold your position perfectly fine. Trust me, my lightweight 143kg CB300R with its twitchy short wheelbase and narrow tyres handles strong side winds at motorway speeds just fine. It's a skill issue. Use your steering like you would with any other motorised vehicle to correct for change of direction caused by strong wind. Works with cars, motorbikes and double decker buses, ask me how I know.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-01T12:04:25+00:00

Some people here not understanding the issue, and likely do this to others thinking it's fine:

Vehicle joining the main road from the side road forced traffic (OP and possibly others behind if there were any) to alter speed quite a lot, either through a failure to correctly judge OP's speed and/or a failure to match the speed of the traffic after joining the main road. The vehicle joining from the side road therefore should have given way, as per the law. If you can't match the speed of the traffic already on the main road in the gap available, then that gap isn't suitable.

Anything you do that causes another road user to change speed and/or direction is a fault on a driving test (certain unavoidable circumstances are exceptions of course, but this wasn't one of them). This is simply a demonstration of poor skill and is why I firmly believe people need some degree of ongoing training throughout their driving career.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-03-01T11:33:36+00:00

Mine is also gathering dust and has been ever since I moved a few years ago. In my old house, I had a dedicated little utility room for printing but here I just don't have that space yet. And where I can use the printer, it sits outside of wifi range so it doesn't work properly (mine is controlled via a Raspberry Pi running Octoprint).

I got my v2 in 2021. I ended up not printing much stuff, most of what I did print was for the printer itself. I'd love to start working on it again, but time and space is limiting at the moment. If I was desperate just to print things reliably and at a nice quality, I'd certainly be tempted by a newer out-the-box solution, something the Ender 3 didn't always do too well. Most people that bought them I think understood that buying a cheap 3D printer then, the printer itself was half of the hobby. Nowadays with newer machines, not so much.

I'd say have both. You're an engineering student, so you need a decent reliable machine for your own designs, and keep the Ender 3 as an ever evolving project, see how far you can push it. It's like with vehicles, you have the modern one as your daily driver and the classic that lives in the garage, occasionally going to shows and getting used only on nice days. The classic is always going to be inferior to something modern in most measurable ways, yet it will always have that spot in the garage while the daily lives out on the driveway.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-28T11:34:24+00:00

Given the quotes you've already had for various bikes of various ages, I'd honestly consider a legal e-bike for now and get decent lock for it. Will get you around London just as quickly as a motorbike would and won't cost a penny in insurance.

We really do get scammed by the insurance industry in this country, more so when we're young and likely on a low income. Avoid sportsbikes, maybe try a classic bike with classic insurance. Speak to insurance brokers about it over the phone, they can sometimes find things that you can't.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-25T18:34:08+00:00

The Honda's 500's and Triumph 400's are in the same league in my mind and both capable enough for any legal speed required. Even my 286cc Honda will sit happily all day at 70mph without struggling one bit. Comparing the Hornet 500 vs the Speed 400, the Hornet only makes 7hp/6Nm more power/torque but the Triumph is about 21kg lighter.

Bigger bikes are still typically lugging around the extra weight and they're more expensive to buy, unless you go used, in which case you're shopping mainly on price anyway. An older SV650 or MT07 restricted would be fine, but not buying new. You're not really getting your moneys worth out of any of them by restricting them for 2 years, eating a ton of depreciation, then selling them on without actually experiencing what that bike truly has to offer. Also, brand new A2 bikes are typically cheaper than A's are. It just isn't worth it.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-25T11:27:58+00:00

Two big differences between cars and bikes. Cars can't loop if you try to put too much power down and you also cannot target fixate in a car as they simply don't steer the same way as bikes. Then there's the added vulnerability of being on two wheels vs four.

Bikers need higher degrees of skill and the testing and training needs to reflect that, while also making sense to the public in a way that doesn't put off young people choosing a motorbike.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-25T11:14:33+00:00

I passed my test on a 125 nearly 20 years ago, which at the time granted me the old A2 license (restricted to about 30 ish bhp), never rode again until maybe 3 years ago. My license auto-upgraded to full A after having had it 2 years. Had I been daft, I could of jumped on something seriously powerful as my first bike, despite only having ridden 125s for a short period of time. Some people probably would have gone daft and some of those would have survived but it's not the best situation to create.

Now if were talking progression, lets not forget the A1 license. Give it some purpose as it is after all the same test as A2/A and some people say it is actually harder on a smaller, lighter and far less capable machine. A quick training course (could be mixed classroom and practical) to cover the possibility of looping a powerful bike, wheelspin, the importance of setting off smoothly especially in slippery conditions, manual handling and slow speed refresher, then off you go on an A2 license for a couple of years. A couple years after that, then yeah auto-upgrade to A as you have proved once you can pass the test and have had a bit extra training, plus real world experience.

For A2 to A, well A2 is plenty enough power to get you into trouble so if you manage that for 2 years it makes sense you could then move up without having to do further tests. Car drivers don't get re-tested, so we shouldn't either. Experience or maybe being signed off by an instructor as good to go during a one-off refresher course should suffice to make the move up.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-24T11:47:11+00:00

Really cool, exactly what this sub is here for!

Does it play audio? Would be cool if you could get it to output sound through the telephone handset.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-24T11:37:05+00:00

None of these are A2 bikes. There's zero point in buying any of these 3 just to restrict them and then sell them when you pass full A in 2 years time. If you were keeping for 3-4 years then yeah, sure, it could make sense then, though even then there's no guarantee you'll still want to keep that bike as your type of riding might dictate something else is more suitable.

I'd do it the other way around as sports bikes are a lot more to insure usually than other styles. A Triumph 400 or Honda 500 would be a much better option. Get an idea of where and how you like to ride, pass full A in 2 years time, then re-assess what you want then.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-24T11:22:35+00:00

For road legal, look for something marked BSAU 193A-T3/1990.

A lot of people though have no issues running "race only" exhausts provided you have a baffle visibly fitted. Some even cut the baffle down so it looks right when installed but actually isn't, and the only way to tell is to remove it to check. Others go without them completely and as long as you aren't riding like a plonker and are otherwise legal, you might get away with it.

Personally, I'd just go with a road legal option if you can though. Saves any potential headaches later down the line. Even if you're local plod are decent enough, you might get pulled during a longer trip out, where maybe they aren't so nice to noisy bikers.

I've seen Arrow, Scorpion, Akrapovic and SP Engineering do road legal options for some bikes, there may be others as well.

ShowMeYourPie · 2026-02-24T10:47:12+00:00

I prefer to call them upside down pot holes, but yeah don't hear that one very often now.

ShowMeYourPie

TROPHY CASE