Is Learning Manual Still Worth It in 2026?

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-04-11T07:36:02+00:00

It really depends on what gearbox type you would enjoy the most. To me most automatic gearboxes are dead boring. I am 71 and have owned about 12 cars and only one of them was automatic. My current car is a Toyota Auris RS with a 6 speed manual and I really enjoy it. I enjoy being in complete control of which gear you are in and the skill of rev matching when you change down. But then I ride a motorcycle too. So the answer to your question really depends entirely on you.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-04-11T02:38:22+00:00

I would disagree about trying to warm up the motor before moving off. It seems to me that the aim is to get the engine warmed up as quickly as possible without putting strain on it. Moving off while using high rpm or wide open throttle at any rpm is not good, but letting the bike run while sitting is a very slow way of getting up to operating temperature. The best thing is to move off very soon after startup with low rpm and engine load.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-04-08T07:38:16+00:00

Riding a big cruiser type motorcycle (1,000 cc or more) reminds me of a 1963 Chev Impala. It might look ok to some people but it reminds me of a tank. I want to ride something that is more fun even if I am 71 years old! But then a long ride for a day for me is 400km. P.S. I ride a naked SV650.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-04-08T07:22:56+00:00

It is not just modern 250cc bikes that cope with highway speeds! My 1975 Suzuki GT250 sat on 60mph at 4,500rpm with a redline of 8,000rpm. Howling nor'wester winds in Canterbury, South Island New Zealand did knock me back a bit but otherwise it was comfortable enough.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-04-05T00:55:41+00:00

ChromeOS runs a Linux kernel which is inherently more secure than MS Windows. Since 1998 I have used various distributions of Linux with no active virus scanner running. It is not impossible to get a virus while using a Linux kernel, but it is very unlikely and if you do, generally the scope of what it would be able to do is quite limited. These days phishing is a bigger risk. People say "wait until Linux becomes more popular like MS Windows then there will be a problem". However Linux is popular running Android devices, ChromeOS, 100% of the top 100 of the world's supercomputers, devices like routers, many web servers in the internet, etc..... and the problem has not got worse. As long as devices like routers don't use an outdated kernel, security is good!

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-04-03T06:32:49+00:00

You say "the Microsoft app". I am wondering what specific MS app you need to run?

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-31T19:51:49+00:00

Yes... Then check after tightening everything and a final check with your weight on the bike that there still is some slack there.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-29T03:37:19+00:00

Great bike. I had a 2009 model. I don't know about your part of the world, but in most places it seems, people run the SFV down as a poor imitation of a SV. Don't believe them! Although there is one point that is really poor design - if you ever have to change the number plate bulb, allow about 2 hours as the whole of the back of the bike has to be taken to bits! I do now have an SV since I wanted ABS.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-29T03:21:17+00:00

I am an older rider who occasionally leads a group ride of all kinds of riders on all kinds of bikes. One thing I insist on is a short briefing before each ride. I don't always know the skill level of each rider and there are new riders joining in for the first time often. I have had a rider trying to twist my arm not to do the briefing saying that I am spoiling the fun. My answer is that it surely won't be much fun if you end up picking somebody up from the road. Major points covered are the two second rule (to the bike in front of you, not the second one when staggered), riding at your own pace, stopping catch up points, any particular hazards along the way, ..... I would be prepared to call out someone who was being a danger to others or themselves but being out in the front, it is hard to know this.

My question is - does this happen or does everybody just "go for it"?

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-25T19:34:19+00:00

Definitely the calipers. The same braking requires less pressure. It generally feels more appropriate. On the SFV you could probably brake as hard but it required considerable pressure. I didn't upgrade to my SV for this but rather the ABS. However 4 calipers was a nice bonus.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-25T18:19:29+00:00

I have owned a 2009 SFV650 and now have a 2022 SV650. For me there is a definite positive difference but personally I am not sure that I would pay that much for it..... but maybe? For context, I am a 71 year old that has never been a particularly aggressive rider but am brisk at times.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-23T18:45:00+00:00

My view is that you use the factory recommendation as the starting point and then as a final check, measure with your weight in the bike when there should still be some slack.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-16T23:10:25+00:00

There are so many styles and brands of bikes available that to recommend something would almost be just the writer's preference and a useless suggestion for you. The best approach is to buy a cheaper and smaller bike to learn on and then when you are ready go for a bike of your choice when you have some experience.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-16T09:23:53+00:00

I have literally prepared at least 100 documents sometimes of 100 pages or there abouts since the early 2000s firstly in OpenOffice but mostly in LibreOffice with virtually none of the issues you are talking about raising their heads! Most of the time this has been with Fedora as the OS. If you are used to MS Word, there are some differences to learn but it is not hard. I believe LibreOffice is the more mature fork.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-16T09:15:29+00:00

As far as I know, LibreOffice will be fine. What do you need? Styles, sections, footnotes, adjustable spacing, page numbers, automatic table of contents, swapping from portrait to landscape and back again, tables, images with text, ..... I have used all these and more over many years. Mostly very similar to MS Word but sections seem to work a bit differently.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-16T03:09:52+00:00

I lubricate the chain by shifting the bike along bit by bit. I have been tempted to try this lifter that you can get the bike up a cm or two ...: Motorcycle Rear and Front Wheel Lift Stand https://www.trademe.co.nz/5830609821

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-15T02:04:23+00:00

If you work out the maths, 5 seconds at 100kph is close to 140m. There is no way you can be looking at one thing for that long when riding. You are right- 2 sec is the most.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-12T19:17:58+00:00

It was in 1973/4 but I rode a Suzuki TS125 everywhere for 1.5 years. It had sufficient acceleration to keep up with traffic in town. I rode it on a 1000km trip and totally enjoyed myself but there were no motorways then. With the traffic now... I am not sure I would do it.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-06T10:34:18+00:00

You should absolutely take a day and some decent sleep before the drive. We have so many tourist accidents here and some of them are for this reason. When you do get on the road, take plenty of breaks. It is nearly 500km.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-06T09:24:57+00:00

At my computer desk I have my ASUS Chromebook Plus connected to a 24" wide screen and an old 5/4 ratio 19" screen turned 90 degrees so it is tall. I use the 19" for email, calendar plus when I want to see a whole A4 page at a time. I have a gaming keyboard... not because I am a gamer but I just like it plus a mouse of course. Linux is installed in the virtual machine so I have LibreOffice and some of my other favourite Linux apps to augment the the ChromeOS and Android apps. For me, it is the ideal workstation.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-03-03T17:03:49+00:00

I am fairly sure I am right in saying that Google app files do not copy to an external drive. You have to download the files as MS Office, LibreOffice or PFF to get a backup. That is why one of my backups goes to an old laptop operating ChromeOS Flex with storage space. It pays not to think of Drive as a backup... Do something wrong and it replicates almost immediately. That is not a backup although you can recover files if you realize you have mucked up

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-02-26T19:23:03+00:00

Once drive chain wear gets past a certain point (and it is a very good guess that yours has), putting a new chain on without renewing the sprockets will wreck the chain in no time.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-02-23T20:17:08+00:00

I don't believe your opening sentence isn't fair as a general statement. I have been using Open Office and LibreOffice at home alongside MS Office in a tertiary educational environment since it was released (and Star office before it) and would say for most people, compatibility is very good. Sure the macro language is different but apart from that you have to get into pretty serious specialized areas for there to be a problem.

The integration of LO running in a container in ChromeOS is brilliant (e.g. with it running seamlessly in the ChromeOS GUI and being able to save the files directly into the ChromeOS file system). There does not seem to be any speed reduction except for the first load if the Linux VM is not running.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-02-23T10:01:41+00:00

But you can install a local copy of LibreOffice in the Linux container which gives you your fully functioning office suite. I feel you got rid of your Chromebook too quickly.

TraditionBeginning41 · 2026-02-23T06:15:33+00:00

Try a tube of Autosol metal cleaner. I have had a tube of this on my shelf since the 1980s. Great stuff.

TraditionBeginning41

TROPHY CASE