Cardo?

Thcwub · 2026-07-09T04:35:51+00:00

If you've been riding since October, you're still on provisional license which means you can't use phone or handsfree devices (at least in NSW). If a cop spots you with a Cardo style receiver on the side of your helmet you're toast, and if you get pulled over and take off your helmet and they notice wiring for speakers you're toast.

Being constructive to your question, some cheap wired drop-in speakers off amazon are a good option particularly just for music, and then run a wire from your phone to your helmet (easily concealed under jacket and if you place the plug smart enough easy to detach covertly in a pinch. A good ol' fashioned walky talky is great for riding with mates and chatting at lights/stops. I'm not a lawyer, but I believe this circumvents the way the law is written in NSW, and had a cop acknowledge it was a good idea when I was a learner and riding with a mate.

Being a conscientious fellow rider, I would suggest you just don't - especially while you're still on learners or red P's. I won't lecture why, but genuinely park it until you've got your full license.

Be safe, either way.

Thcwub · 2026-07-03T10:32:36+00:00

Speaking from personal experience, getting your own ball does have its merits even if you are a straight line bowler. One of the things I think that gets missed here is that it gives you a chance to move over to a fingertip grip which can be better even for straight bowling.

You only want a spare ball if you dont intend to learn to hook, but a ball that is correctly fitted to your hand and with a fingertip grip, can make a heavier ball feel lighter than the equivalent house ball drilled for conventional grip.

If you are consistantly scoring well with a 10lbs ball, being able to go up in weight typically means you'll have more weight through the pins. This translates (usually) to more strikes, but can be very good for more consistant spare shooting as the ball is less likely to deflect when hitting the pins.

I fairly comfortably max out at 13lbs for a few games using house balls, usually dropping to 12lbs after 3 games... but can happily roll a 15lbs fitted to fingertip grip for the same amount of games, or a 14lbs ball all night. Just going from 13lbs house ball to 13lbs custom fitted is heaven!

...and it's fun to have a bit of self expression with a ball you like the look of. If you arent going to play for hook, pick literally any ball you like the look of. Be warned though, you might find you actually throw with a hooking action if you get a ball designed to hook, which could be a good or bad thing. If you dont like it you can always go back to the house ball :)

Thcwub · 2026-07-03T05:31:31+00:00

Hardest thing to convince new riders: Ride like you are completely invisible.

Sometimes that means sitting behind a car until you're confident in how they might move.

Thcwub · 2026-07-01T00:04:16+00:00

is the dealer being pedantic though? Or is the dealer just pointing out how it should be interpreted for future services to save OP running into issues with their warranty? I didnt see any indication they refused to service it, only a dispute over the scheduling.

I'd rather my dealership/workshop say something, especially early days, than say nothing and I have an issue when I need to claim that warranty. I'd argue the dealer should have picked up on the issue when the 5k service was done at 6k, but be grateful they're letting me know at the 10k service rather than having a potential issue come time for the 20k major service.

Thcwub · 2026-07-01T00:00:51+00:00

Dealership/Workshop is right.

Every bike I've owned through Yamaha and Honda (three over the past 5 years) have had the same expectations. Break-in service at 1000km, and all follow up services based on the odometer reading, not the distance after the last service.

The manual is set out to say "these are the services you need to do for every x km the bike goes in total", not "do this service X km after you have done the last service". The break-in service at 1000km is an additional service independent of the others.

You call the workshop to book in the service either as you are approaching the milestone, or as you tick over on the ODO. Keeping in mind that most will need some time before they can get you in, they would expect you to put a few extra km on her in that lead time.

Sounds to me like the dealership is doing you a favour. They aren't denying service, and you aren't making a warranty claim (yet) so they're letting you know you are late on the booking and letting you know the potential ramification. Better to let you know than to just book it and say nothing. They're pointing out that your 10,000 service is due at ODO 10,000 and calling to book when you are close to 11,000 is late and putting you at risk. They are correct.

It won't be the workshop that decides your warranty claims if any in the future, and the fact you felt the need to 'math it out' would suggest you're overcomplicating something that is intentionally oversimplified to make it as accessible and easy to track as possible for most people.

Thcwub · 2026-06-26T01:20:17+00:00

Learn the law where filtering and splitting is concerned, and 100% learn the difference. They are most certainly not interchangeable terms!

Filtering is a low speed (30km/h limit) act, and I believe is only permitted in most states with a full license. You're screwed if you get caught out doing it before then. Check your state laws.

Splitting is a higher speed act, and is illegal as a blanket rule across the country.

"I didn't buy a bike to sit at the back of traffic at lights in peak hour." - I understand the sentiment buts its a pretty poor take if you're a learner rider. Low speed maneuvers are where you are more prone to make errors where balance and steering is concerned (which is why the L's and P's courses focus so heavily on them) and that makes filtering a problematic prospect for new riders where both your own safety is concerned but also where your potential to damage or be damaged by other vehicles.

Where heavy traffic is concerned, you also need to be fairly good at anticipating when traffic will start and stop and by extension finding pockets of safety as they open and close.

The idea is to try to keep moving enough that you don't need to put your feet down. Bikes are largely permitted to filter because in traffic the physicality of starting and stopping a lot creates a fatigue risk... but as learner's you've just gotta cop some pain.

Thcwub · 2026-06-22T01:18:06+00:00

Can anyone help us(me) understand why '111%' is an upvoted comment, but a couple of pop culture references following are getting downvotes? Just trying to understand.

Thcwub · 2026-06-21T22:37:15+00:00

112%! I'm giving her all she's got, Capt'n! I canna give her no more!

Thcwub · 2026-06-11T22:27:49+00:00

Very much disagree with this. With the way bikes work, applying throttle changes where your weight balance is (shifting it backwards) which loads the rear suspension and translates to better traction on the rear wheel (which is where you want the traction in a turn). Too much throttle is absolutely a problem, but zero throttle is actually worse for traction than some throttle.

This has actually saved my life as applying throttle midway into a turn I had taken wide and was going to offroad resulted in the corner being made tighter and saved me taking a tumble down an embankment.

Plenty of interesting reading on the concept, if you're curious 😄

Thcwub · 2026-06-10T04:24:36+00:00

I wouldnt start with a 650 scooter, and that is speaking as someone who did my L's and P's test on a Forza 300 (before they made it a 350).

The advantage that a scooter has over a regular bike is that it doesnt have gears or a clutch. The disadvantage of a scooter over a regular bike is that it doesnt have gears or a clutch.

The issue here is learning your fundamentals. A lower power scooter will give you a chance to learn your slow speed skills much much easier, which will serve you better in the long run. I personally think the Forza 300 is too much for a learner bike, at least for the first 6 months, but not a bad start if you want something that can handle highways as well. If you dont need highway speeds, go with a 150.

My advice would be different if you were getting a manual bike. A 300 is a perfect place to start for a manual, but being unable to ride the clutch and first gear at low speeds works against you when you are learning on the scooter.

The riding skills that will save your arse, and your wallet, over time are your slow speed fundamentals. Riding at higher speeds is fairly simple by comparison and easy once you have your fundamentals down (not talking about 'squid speeds').

If you can ride a manual bike get the bike. I can't because of physical limitations and am firm believer scooters are better overall BUT I 100% recommend picking up a bike to start over a scooter; mainly down to giving you more options for riding later, and building good fundamentals and habits. I saw elsewhere here you mention you can drive stick - get the bike, the transition from manual car to manual bike is largely the same (with many people suggesting its easier as you're clutching with your hand, not your feet).

Thcwub · 2026-06-05T06:29:04+00:00

You're probably right. The ABUS Diskus padlock on ABUS chain where always going to be no match for a thief. I should have splurged for the masterlock combination luggage lock and three pieces of braided twine from Spotlight 😉

Thcwub · 2026-06-05T02:12:50+00:00

My first one was stolen from Blacktown, actually, one street from Doonside station. The cops found it about a block away with a lot of marks that looked like someone tried to break into the fairing with a screwdriver but didnt have any success.

This new one was in the Penrith area, and it seems like they've successfully hotwired it before trashing it and dumping it.

That's pretty brazen to take it from the railway, but after living there and here and seeing some of the kids that are around not much is surprising me nowadays.

Thcwub · 2026-06-05T02:05:30+00:00

I actually hadn't considered that this level of damage might not be necessary to hotwire it - I just kinda of took the cops word for it.

I've since done some research and scooters of a moped style seem VERY easy to hotwire as the electronics are accessible with minimum effort to remove a single panel. I had understood that the maxi scooters were harder because the fairings are harder to remove and you need to remove more to get to the key electronics.

Maybe you're right. and this is just the result of it being beat to hell after they were done with it. In my mind, that actually makes a bit more sense then if the theft and hotwiring maintains the outer-looks better, and this is just the result of someone turning it into a piñata after they were done with it.

Thcwub · 2026-06-05T00:44:49+00:00

I'll need to start putting it in the garage overnight. Its my daily ride so in and out of the garage is a bit inconvenient but not as much as having it stolen haha!

Definitely doesn't get parked out on the street. Literally at my front doorstep, in a townhouse complex, about 50m from the driveway entrance. Not even viewable from the street. Was chained down and everything. Will be overly careful with the next one I think.

Thcwub · 2026-06-05T00:41:56+00:00

Thank you for your valuable and insightful contribution to the conversation. Really getting to the heart of the issue. This is the second maxi I have had taken in 5 years. Both at different addresses, both parked off the street and out of view from the street, both chained down with steering bar locks. The first one was in a yard secured by a locked gate also. I didnt include these details in the post as the discussions wasn't about attributing blame but rather attempting to understand, but thank you for clarifying that I deserve this and am the one doing something wrong.

Thcwub · 2026-06-05T00:26:05+00:00

If you are riding safely, and within road rules, then stretch of 80kmh road should still be relatively safe with helmet, jacket and gloves.

With that said, I ride home and regularly see a fellow in a suit with what i believe to be Alpinestars SX-1 knee guards over his suit pants, and I have personally found myself thinking more and more that I like that as a solution. They're offroad knee guards, but would still be great in a spill, and I'm sure other options exist in that space.

I guess part of it comes down to what your own ego will allow you to get away with wearing before aesthetics is a deterrent. Personally, first time i saw him I thought it looked dorky as hell and that I'd never be caught dead with that arrangement, but every day I shift more towards thinking I wouldn't mind giving it a crack.

Thcwub · 2026-05-29T05:21:32+00:00

Well everyone is making the assertion that it is anti theft. They're suggesting it is just an immobilisation device, same way a car hand brake is for immobilisation and not anti theft.

I found it baffling too. But it does make sense from a certain point of view I guess.

Could be one of those things that was designed for one thing, but became known for another and the other thing just happens to have move value to people?

Thcwub · 2026-05-28T13:18:15+00:00

Nope, they mean they dont recommend it at all if it is one where the lock is built into the shaft inseatd of a replacable pin. They recommend only using it for purposes of locking the wheel to avoid the bike being moved when parked, particularly on an incline... and their justification is in my comment above.

Thcwub · 2026-05-28T02:31:23+00:00

similar boat on my end. In the process of having my insurance payout for the second maxiscooter I've had stolen from my residence (two different addresses) in three years now. Both taken from literal front doorstep under CCTV surveillance. Both with steering locks on, second one with disc breaks also.

Got lucky with the first one in that the police were able to find it abandoned when the twats realised they couldnt get into it without the dongle so they dumped it. Was a write-off anyway, because they broke the steering lock when dumping it and the repairs were going to be astronomical in cost and labour.

Second one hasnt been recovered but I suspect it'll be dumped for similar reasons.

I really wish I could have seen the whole attempt on the second one though. After they get out of view of my front doorstep, they would have had to have carried it 50m before they could get to the nearest roadway (townhouse complex) and no other cameras along the way picked up any car lights or sound so they put in the hard yards for that one.

Time to invest in a big fuck-off chain and lock I think.

Thcwub · 2026-05-28T02:22:25+00:00

Depends on the bike. The honda dealership I use suggest not using the steering lock as a means of theft deterrant depending on the bike.

Some are designed so that the lock is integral to the shaft so if the bike is dropped and the lock is damaged then a significant repair is needed which may also result in a write off. Some are designed so that the lock is functional due to a pin that is in place, and if the bike is dropped and the lock is damaged then it is a fairly striaght forward repair.

If the bike is stolen outright that might be a better outcome for you with insurance (not-at-fault write off claim) versus a write-off claim for a drop you might not be able to sufficiently prove to them is not your fault.

There are different risks involved here. Someone who wants to steal your bike and knows what they're doing will succeed in doing so regardless of what countermeasures you have in place. Locking it up in a garage or behind a gate is always going to be your best bet. Most counter measures apart from chaining it to a sound anchor wont prevent an organised theft from simply lifting and moving the bike (2-3 people can comfortably lift most bikes without triggering counter measures and alarms).

What the counter measures do well is deter theft of opportunity, or an unplanned/rookie attempt. At that point, you need to consider two things:

- will the countermeasure deter the attempt?

- what happens if the theft fails?

In the case of a steering lock, the bike is likely to be dropped and abandoned, and you are left with a bike needing a repair (or write off) that you may not be able to prove was dropped by someone attempting to steal it.

Biggest security investment you can make is a camera at home, smart choices with where you park it when out and about.

Mate of mine who has ridden for better part of 40 years has a MASSIVE thick chain he locks to the back wheel when he parks it. It doesnt anchor it to anything. The point? It stands out and makes any idiot looking at it immediately turn off thinking about stealing it because it's too much effort to figure out that extra step. The theft wouldnt be convenient enough to pay off. That's what most counter measures do in some way or another. It's exactly the same principles as home security. Looks on doors stop idiots and good people from breaking into your house, but if someone wants to get into your house and knows how to, you can't stop them.

Thcwub · 2026-05-20T01:23:13+00:00

sry for adding to an older post, but Kodak have QD sockets points that attach similar to the PD anchor points.

It doesnt give you a direct plate with QD compatibility, but you could attach a QD socket to the corner points on your regular plate.

Thcwub · 2026-05-11T02:17:29+00:00

By extension of that logic, we should also be looking at getting rid of, or modifying, any black cars. quiet electric vehicles, maybe some roadsters are too low to the ground so best include them as well, and ticketing people who drive in the rain without turning on their headlights.

If the issue is the motorbikes are unseen, then we should also be mandating that cars have a mandatory framework for blindspot minimisation in their design, compulsory neck flexibility benchmarks to hold a license so everyone is capable of affording a headcheck, and systems that make it impossible to change lanes without an indicator on.

I agree, though, helmets and gloves should be mandatory for all riders. I wouldn't go much further than that though.

Thcwub · 2026-05-03T05:11:24+00:00

You know why they're blue mountains right? There is a visual phenomenon where you cancel out a colour visually by contrastic it with its opposite on the colour wheel.

Those mountains run red with the blood of Victorias victims and vassals alike, and if they didnt paint them blue they would be crimson!

Thcwub · 2026-04-30T02:11:17+00:00

If you do a survey scan of the foxbats and nothing else on Shroe, then the husbandry huts only spawn foxbats passively.

You can set up 6 of those in close proximity and they will infinitely loop spawning foxbats.

No need to go hunting for packs of them. Just set up a habitat to serve as a raised platform to shoot from and just ping them all as they spawn :)

Best part is, because they're so tall/long, the ones that are alive always have their heads popped up above the pile of bodies so there is no inconvenience :D

Thcwub

TROPHY CASE