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Ian Soady¹ said :-
The worst is leaving the left indicator on as someone waiting to get out may just take it on trust. I have used buzzers, and hooked them up via a relay or two so that they don't sound when in neutral or with the brakes on but as you say when cracking on down the road they can be inaudible. An alternative to my prism would be to mount the bright LED on the inside of the screen but I think the prism is tidier.
You never know what will come in handy!
11/02/2026 09:46:09 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
"You never know what will come in handy!" - Hmmmm. This is the thin end of the wedge to ending up on a TV show about hoarders. It's starts off with a nuts and bolts drawer and a small stack of off-cuts in the corner of the shed. Later on you have a collection of gaskets and headlamp shrouds in the loft and a bundle of clutch cables hanging in the cupboard under the stairs.
Eventually you realise you've got 4 tents, 5 sets of saddle bags, 2 petrol tanks from one model of motorcycle, a stack of part worn tyres that almost reaches the ceiling, innumerable bespoke tools that can only be used for one job on one model of bike that you haven't owned since 1995 - as well as many home made tools from bits of bent metal, keyboards and mice with PS2 connectors, a Nokia 3310 mobile (that's still holding charge) along with a charger for it... and several other phones, expensive HiFi connectors even though you listen to music through your smartphone now, 2 paddock stands, sheet metal from a previous shed, rusting slotted angle iron in various lengths, a folding chair of unknown origin, 4 pairs of waterproofs all of which leak around the crotch but good for working on the bike, same with waterproof jackets.
Since mother died and I had to deal with her considerably less personal effects - I have been having a BIG clear-out.
Guess what - I could just do with a length of plywood about 12 by 20 for a little job... and I just binned something that would have done the trick about 6 weeks ago. Still - I have found bits of "floor" now.
11/02/2026 12:04:23 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I remember One Track in Motorcycle Sport (before your time probably Ren) suggesting that those of us with British bikes had piles of discarded bits of motorcycles whereas enthusiasts for Japan=eses makes had piles of bits from discarded motorcycles....
As for hoarding we still have unopened boxes in the big shed from our house move which is now just over 6 years ago. I'm sure we've bought new instances of stuff that's in there in the meantime.
11/02/2026 15:46:53 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian , there are self cancelling indicators on my '99 BMW, not exactly modern ! Afaik they work off the speedo (pulses) . On a motorway at 70mph if I indicate at the 300m marker board without fail they switch off as I enter the off ramp in urban areas at lower speeds they tend to stay on longer than I prefer so generally I cancel them manually... unrelated is the rocker switch on the dash original or an add on?
Nigel
12/02/2026 14:17:28 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Clever folk these Germans. My speedo is a stone-age analogue version so no use for that. 1999 is modern to me - in fact anything I would have to pay road tax / MoT for is! Yes, I added the rocker switch which was in my box of electrical bits. The ignition switch is just a simple on/off one from ebay but it seems well crafted and has a nice satisfying click to it. The rocker switch has an led in it but I suspect it's originally for 230v AC as I can't get it to light. It's fed from the ignition switch which has reasonably beefy wires although I suppose following my own runes I should fit a relay.
I've also rethunk my warning light and decided it's simpler just to mount the light and its housing on top of the instrument panel. No binoculars were harmed making this mod.
Also:
I've ended up with the nearside radiator about 30mm higher than the RH one. The latter has the filler cap so if I fill that to the brim there'll be an air space at the top of the LH one. Does this matter? There is a bleed screw at the top so I suspect that if I get it up to temperature then crack this it'll let the air out a bit like bleeding a domestic radiator. Or am I going stir crazy?
12/02/2026 15:11:10 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I can't think why what you're suggesting won't work Ian with regards the bleeding. Does it run a header tank?
Upt.
12/02/2026 17:19:35 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
If it does run a header tank (my head is starting to hurt) then would it push all that volume out every time the temp reached that level? Plus would it actually matter losing that little amount of cooling surface area if it wasn't bled. Trial and error me thinks.
12/02/2026 17:46:30 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Thanks Mr North. Yes, probably mostly error. The 2 rads are connected at header level via a pipe. There's no separate header tank but there is a conventional overflow type tank. Actually as I think further there should be no reason why I can't get them both at the same height.
Cricked my knee so work suspended for a couple of days.......
13/02/2026 10:22:40 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
As an aside....where are you Glyn....you've been quiet for a while.
Upt.
15/02/2026 16:08:21 UTC
Glyn said :-
Yes still here Up’t. Feeling a bit sorry for myself as the replacement knee is taking an age to both work properly and stop hurting. I’ve made some forward movement on the Triumph in the 5 weeks since the op. But, getting down on the floor is almost not possible and even worse to get up. There is some progress on the knee but not enough to satisfy my demands. Spending a lot of time stareing into that rabbit hole called YouTube.
16/02/2026 08:46:49 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Good to hear from you fella, keep up the good work.
Upt.
16/02/2026 08:51:04 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It's a long and hard process with replacement knees Glyn so don't lose hope. I had much the same difficulty - pain and despair seeming to take over my life - with my left knee 15 or so years ago. But ever since it's beeen fine although I still can't kneel on it. I have to lie on the shed floor to get at some things. As you say, getting up again can still be tricky!
My right knee is now showing familiar twinges but I'm not sure I could face the trauma of a replacement again given I probably don't have that many years of active life left......
16/02/2026 09:54:41 UTC
Glyn said :-
Thanks for your encouragement Ian. What is it that prevents you from kneeling, a lack of flexibility or pain when you do so? I’ve heard several people suggest that kneeling is no longer possible following a knee joint replacement but no explanation has been forthcoming. I currently have 95 degrees of bend, enough for walking but entry into a small German sports car is not an easy task.
19/02/2026 21:52:53 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It's pain. I don't know why but kneeling on the replacement joint is really sore, as it is if I bang the kneecap on anything hard. It's no problem doing other things. By the time I'd finished with physio, I had around 120 degrees bend (with associated screaming) and that has probably increased if anything. I've just checked my record and it was done in January 2012 so now 14 years in and with no other problems at all.
I think I've just twisted the other one as it's still painful but improving. Age, eh? Can't live with it, won't live without it.
20/02/2026 12:30:19 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
95 degrees of bend Glyn?!?! Why you lucky lucky boy you, I'd have killed for 95 degrees when I had my little accident. I've gotten most of the movement back now save for the last few degrees - plus I can kneel albeit oddly as it's my thighbone that's short so I can't kneel evenly. I've found I can live a normal(?) live without kneeling all that much. Get yaself a little stool if you need to kneel - I find my little food waste bin is about right for myself.
As for getting into a small German sports car? Should have bought something sensible then - German sports car - at your age! Pffffft.
20/02/2026 13:15:49 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
One thing I found immediately after my knee replacement was that modern bike footrests were almost all too near the seat meaning that my knee had to be at its most flexed (or beyond in some cases). I still had the V-Strom at the time and remember fitting lower footrests to help. My old clunker Brit bikes weren't so much of a problem as they had a more relaxed knee angle.
It's been mentioned here before but I found the bike ergonomics site quite useful.
https://cycle-ergo.com/...
21/02/2026 09:57:15 UTC
Occasional Lurker said :-
For the attention of Ren ...
Whilst doing my daily "browse" of this here internet, I couldn't believe my eyes, when I saw in the news, (local to me ), that Horwich Town Council, are considering starting an application to become a UK "Town of Culture" ....
Strange, but it appears to be true ...
What say you to this news ...? Would you be a perfect candidate in some kind of ambassadorial role..? Would you you use such an accolade to take this site to even greater heights..? Seriously, it would be great to hear your thoughts on this news ...
Back down to reality ... I recall, back in 2002, when the Borough of Preston became a City...( The 50th City, in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth's reign), that a lot of the high and mighty of our local leaders all received a nice little increase in their "renumeration".... I do hope that you would also benefit from such good fortune ....
Regards, Tony ...
21/02/2026 10:29:33 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
A cultural attaché role for Ed, I fear it would be wasted on him.
21/02/2026 17:04:47 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Ren.. l'attache pour des motos propres.
21/02/2026 21:17:26 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I'll have you reprobates know my abode is very cultured! Alas I fear the culture is of a different nature, the culture in my house is biological rather than societal. There's a multitudinous compendium of new, undiscovered, and perhaps alien things growing in the dark recesses. I imagine there's entire civilisations been and gone in the 25 years I've been there.
I wonder if the bike also has it's own biodiversity under all the dirt and grime.
I find Horwich to be a very ordinary town, and I mean that in a good way. There's rough bits and scruffy bits, as well as nice bits and posh bits. I feel fairly safe but I lock my doors. There's shops aplenty but like many small towns those shops are chain and charity shops. It's a town like many others.
So I suppose Horwich will have to dream up some random tales to provide excuses to become cultured. Maybe we'll find Van Goch's auntie's brother's friend's cousin moved here for 3 weeks 90 years ago.
Anyhoo I shall await my appointment as motorcycle cultural ambassador (thanks ROD) and hope the remuneration package is large and pays me to ride to exotic places and stay in posh hotels.
22/02/2026 07:43:20 UTC
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