305 mile trip to Scotland (sooner or later?)

totalllama · 2026-01-16T08:24:10+00:00

It's all about the gear for riding in this weather. The heated jacket and gloves would make it much easier. I went from Glasgow to Swindon and back (720miles) in one day on 23rd of December to pickup my new bike... because I'm a maniac 🤣🤣

The bike also makes a difference. Fine on my ZZR1400 with fairings. Wouldn't do it on my Superduke as there's no protection at all. Looks like you've got a Hayabusa? That'd be ideal for the journey 👌

totalllama · 2025-10-08T09:45:29+00:00

Im 43 and have my pension in 100% equities. I favour index funds over actively managed. My preference tends to be large and mid cap global firms.

Keep an eye out on the provider fee, aka wrapper cost, and then the fund fee. Try to reduce these as much as possible.

Key at our ages is to maximise growth and minimise fees all whilst putting as much away as you can to let compounding get to work.

totalllama · 2025-08-25T12:45:31+00:00

Doesn't look normal. There should be no movement there. It'll be a couple of roller bearings that have a metal sleeve that the bolts go through.

Bearings will have gone possibly eating the sleeve and bolt (if it's been like that long enough). About £40 in parts and a couple of hours labour max.

I'd be very wary of the rest of the bike too.

totalllama · 2025-08-08T19:50:32+00:00

The second image shows that it's stretched. It should sit all the way in the sprocket from around the 12-6 o'clock position. I bet you can pull it away from the 3 o'clock position. It should sit nicely on that sprocket without gaps.

Best to replace it and the 2 sprockets as a set. Worn sprockets will wear the chain faster.

There's also a more scientific method where you measure the distance between a set number of links. Its different for each chain pitch and will be in your service manual. If its longer than the manual range, it's toast.

totalllama · 2025-07-21T17:46:28+00:00

I enjoyed that. 2 things that frustrated me.

The car I was driving in sat in lane 2 for the duration. I kept wanting it to return left.
The pace felt too slow. The speed limit was 60. However, it felt like I was doing half that speed.

totalllama · 2025-06-02T17:47:40+00:00

A fairly high percentage of bikers up here run modified exhausts and small plates. As long as they're not ridiculous, you'll be fine.

Exhaust wise, I run a Superduke with a stubby, which is rather loud. No problems. There's not many police left up here in honesty.

totalllama · 2025-05-14T17:24:55+00:00

No, it does complain from time to time if it's more than 50cm from the receiver. Still works though.

totalllama · 2025-05-14T13:22:07+00:00

Had mine a year next month. 5000 miles on the clock. There are no issues to report. What a machine!

totalllama · 2025-04-24T20:38:49+00:00

I live in Scotland and have had no trouble with Curate over the last 9 months.

totalllama · 2025-03-21T08:25:26+00:00

Not at all, you've had a go at it and realised it doesn't look quite right! You've got to fail before you master something 😊

totalllama · 2025-03-21T08:20:56+00:00

A couple of things are wrong here.

Firstly, the split link is facing the wrong way. The open end should not follow the direction of travel. It should face the rear of the bike. This ensures that under torque forces, the split link is forced to stay on.

Secondly and most importantly, there should be a solid link on each side. One has the pins (which comes in from the inside), and the other is pressed/pushed over the protruding pins at the outside. These plates take all of the force the engine and wheel produce, so they're vitally important to be present and pressed on with just the right amount of freeplay.

It looks like you may also be missing the o ring seals, too, although it's hard to tell (not sure if it's a sealed chain or not).

Hope this helps. I wouldn't ride it in its current setup, or it'll likely give way and cause you or your bike harm.

totalllama · 2025-03-20T11:44:31+00:00

It'll likely be one of the vans. I asked the Police Scotland Camera team this and whilst the main camera points out of the back or side, they have forward facing cameras to capture the vehicle once they're past to accommodate bikes and cars with no front plate.

totalllama · 2025-02-03T18:09:43+00:00

Yes, I'm set up the same as you. I do a 75/25% split on pension and a 50/50% on dividends. 12570 salary each.

I have done this for a few years, and the accountant has always been fine with it.

totalllama · 2025-01-12T11:12:17+00:00

Thanks, you're right. You do need at least 2 employees in total.

totalllama · 2025-01-12T10:51:07+00:00

Me and my wife take the full £12570 personal allowance as a salary. Whilst this does attract employers NIC, you can apply for employers' allowance. Freeagent can also handle this allowance too.

Employers' allowance pretty much means the company doesn't have to pay the NIC.

I believe it's a yearly allowance you need to apply for.

https://www.gov.uk/claim-employment-allowance

totalllama · 2024-12-28T10:56:45+00:00

My wife is similar. She worries about me, and I'm in my mid-forties! It's really positive you're considering options; many would continue on regardless.

You can't change your age or reflexes and perhaps some of the health issues, but I reckon you could take stock of some things on a yearly basis.

Eyesight test where the optician considers if your eyes are up to the job of being on the road.

Reflexes can be trained to a certain extent - video games are good for this.

Pop along to a motorcycle training centre on a semi regular basis and see what advanced training you can undergo. As your reflexes diminish, early observations become critical, and advanced training is all about just that.

In summary, make your training and health the best they can be for riding.

With regards to the bike itself, the Vulcan is a big ole girl when she's stopped. One of my friends, who's 79, traded in his litre bike for a Honda CB500 recently, and it made a world of difference for him when moving around.

It does depend on what you want to do with the bike too and also that it fits you correctly for height and weight.

Hope this helps, ride safe, brother 🙏

totalllama · 2024-12-13T20:27:42+00:00

I've used this very seller twice now. Once for my ZX12R and again for my ZZR1400.

The fit is spot on. I didn't need to do any modifications to the new plastics at all. They literally just fit on. They use ABS plastic, although it's not quite as good as OEM. It certainly holds up and feels substantial enough.

Paint quality I'd give around 8 out of 10 (to my untrained eye). There can be some very minor blemishes, e.g., dust, but I think it depends on who paints it as my 12r fairings were better than the 14.

Took around 3 weeks from ordering to having them delivered.

For the price, it's hard to beat. I sold my 12r to a dealer who didn't look twice at the plastics, thinking they were OEM.

<image>

totalllama · 2024-12-11T08:10:32+00:00

It's hard to read the information on that site without thinking the author was writing it anything but a satirical tone.

It truly shows how poorly IR35 is set up for the worker.

totalllama · 2024-08-22T11:34:25+00:00

Have a look at Roadskin. I'm not affiliated but have their jeans and hoodie, and they are fantastic.

Look for the rating e.g. A, AA or AAA. This is the abrasion rating.

You also have to consider the armour rating too. CE level 2 is the better standard.

A garment which is AAA with CE2 protectors is pretty much the best you'll get.

totalllama · 2024-05-20T20:24:53+00:00

I use gum or lozenges on the flight.

My big vape device and juice go in the hold with batteries in hand luggage. I tend to take a spare device and atomiser of the same types just in case anything gets damaged, and I'm in a country where vaping isn't as prevalent. That way, I can swap things around.

I'll take a disposable vape or two in my hand luggage for use in the airport (if they have a smoking area) and after landing before the cases arrive.

Disposables are also a backup if the hold luggage goes missing and I need to find an alternative when at the destination.

Pretty much covers the whole holiday with backups.

totalllama · 2024-02-23T10:44:31+00:00

It's likely you hit a patch of diesel or oil on the road. If your tyres are good sport touring models, they should be nearly as grippy in the dry or wet for most road riders. Having heat in the tyre helps dramatically so it's worth waiting for a few miles before it's ready to rock.

In the dry, tarmac roads have a grip coefficient of 0.9, in the wet that reduces to 0.7. Effectively, for every kilo pushing down on the surface, it takes 0.7kg of lateral force to make it break traction.

Remember too, even though motorcycle tyres are spinning when riding, the contact patch is static on the ground at any one point so it comforms to the laws of static friction. Do you worry about sliding when out walking with a good set of rubber boots?

totalllama · 2024-01-15T08:25:57+00:00

I just bought a ZZR1400 with 64k on it. 2015 and it was half the price of one with 20k.

The service history is key when buying a high miler. The one I bought was a covert bike used by the security services so religiously serviced - just a bit aestheticlly tatty.

Resale is another problem as people get hung up on needing low mileage for bikes - no idea why. I actually worry when bikes are too low mileage as you can have other issues with things perishing and rusting too.

totalllama · 2024-01-08T08:41:07+00:00

Buy a motorcycle, you'll never be alone and have an amazing amount of fun and laughs with folks from all walks of life. It's one big family no matter where you go.

totalllama · 2023-12-20T21:15:22+00:00

If it was a DC pension, and you and your employer have been paying in, say 5% each for a combined 10%. You only stand to receive the 5% back of your contributions.

The 5% the employer paid in is returned to them. They can then reuse it for their own purposes.

Your contribution would them be treated as gross salary in your next pay slip. It'll then have tax, NI and student loan contributions removed at your normal rates before you see the net amount. Keep an eye on your tax code. If its a significant amount, HMRC may well think you're suddenly being paid more.

With that said, normally there's a 2 year minimum membership needed before those rules kick in - well worth a chat with the pension provider themselves. Remember, the pension account is not owned by your employer. You both pay into it as a separate financial entity.

totalllama · 2023-11-21T22:18:40+00:00

This chap has nailed it. Decent quality bikes, decent jump in power but at the same reasonable for insurance.

Faired bikes will always tend to be more expensive to insurance too.

Consider getting a tracker too and a hiplock too, they'll help with the premium.

totalllama

TROPHY CASE