So this is the learning curve!!

[janner_10]

So after a nice ride out with the instructor & then passing my Mod 2 yesterday (whole day in the rain wasn't fun)!!

I went out last night, on the new fazer! Pics attached for your perusal!

Had to drop a birthday card off to my niece so I took the bike.

All goes well, out of the estate and town where I live (Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire) then onto some twisties down to Cheltenham. As soon as I get away from street lights I had to double check I had my lights on - I could not see anything!

Lesson 1: Stock bike lights are shit!

So after chinwagging away and off I go home back through the twisties - dreading it as my lights are shit and 'lo and behold it's foggy. Now this has to be the worst kind of weather to ride in, shit outside the visor, shit inside the visor and shit headlights to boot. A very slow and scary ride home!

Lesson 2: Avoid fog!

So after work today, I did the fazer headlight mod, and fitted 2 new Xenon bulbs from halfords, popped into Skellons in Chelt for the alignment to be fixed! (£8 so cant argue) Then a nice ride out to Cirencester (on the old road, 7 springs for the locals) and now I hit winter sun! I was not prepared with any sunglasses! I will get a pair and keep permanently under the seat.

Lesson 3: Be prepared!

So coming home from Cirencester, down the bypass and doing a nice steady 70 to 80 and WTF my helmet is all over the gaff, so I pull over and tighten the strap right up. Much better

Lesson 4: You helmet may feel tight at 40 mph on your test, but at 80 its got to be damn tight!

I really thought comments like 'now the learning begins' when someone passes their mod 2 were a bit cliché - but by fuck its very very true!

Thanks for reading my inane ramblings!!

https://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s320x320/301679_10150325928476939_533536938_8209783_645018721_n.jpg

ps - Yes i know the sub-frames bent!
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[blade023]

oooo faaazer.... I sat on one of those and it was luuurvely. Very nice bikes with the fairing an all, I was tempted to get the one going for 1200 at my training centre, but I couldn't quite afford it. Funnily enough I've *heard* that Fazer's subframes are actually very difficult to bend?! Not sure if this is true or not, but it's what I've heard.

Nice ride u got there and yes, let the learning begin! (new to 'proper' bikes maself.)
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Current: VFR800 2008 13.7k and rising rapidly!
Sorn: 2003 FZS1000 30k(ish) looking to sell.

[JoeDougieDoug...]

Ah, congrats on passing your Mod 2! The Fazer is a lovely bike, its one of my favourites (going on looks alone). If you don't mind me asking, how much were the new headlights??

Cheers!
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CBT Passed - 22 / 10 / 11 >> Theory Passed - 16 / 02 / 2012 >> Mod 1 Passed - 07 / 03 / 2012 >> Mod 2 Passed - 18 / 05 / 2012.

[janner_10]

[Oldie]

If you don't have a sun visor, lots of folk stick insulating tape, or similar, along the top of the visor. Works well, but remember that it does affect your overall view. Don't even know if it's legal, but I use it on mine.

Congrats on the pass, and a nice machine

[JoeDougieDoug...]

[trikeschick]

Congrats on passing! I have a sun visor built in to my Shark helmet, now while I have perfected flipping it down, getting it back up one handed isnt quite so natural! But practice makes perfect
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"Light travels faster than the speed of sound, which is why some people appear bright until they speak"

[stinkwheel]

As you have noticed. Most of the time on a motorbike, you can't see shit.

There are very few conditions in which you can see perfectly. There seems to be a magic weekend once every 6 months in spring and autumn where there is no spray or rain, the sun is high enough not to dazzle, there are no flies and it's warm enough to not steam your visor up.

That's usually the weekend your bike breaks down or you find your MOT ran out or similar.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ajbsmirnoff]

I've got a fancy-schmancy Caberg helmet with the integral interior sun-glasses. Useful to cut down glare early morning/late evening sun glare, but not completely effective.

The first time I rode in the rain I thought I'd poo myself with lack of visibility till I remembered to focus on the road ahead not the rain drops sticking to the visor.

Congrats on the pass and the Fazer - a chum at work has just bought one.

[blurredman]

Set phaser to stun.
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S, 1979 MZ TS150.
Current: 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 18k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 10k, 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (295cc) - 40k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 51k.

[Noxious89123]

Dark visor > Sunglasses.

Makes you look like a bad motherfucker.
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'06 Honda CBR125RW-6 ~ '00 Honda CBR600F-Y ~ '07 Honda CBR600RR-7 ~ Bikeless
'53 Ford Ka 1.3 ~ '03 Vauxhall Astra SRi 1.8 ~ '52 Vauxhall Astra SRi 2.2 ~ '53 Vauxhall Astra GSi

[TheSmiler]

Hmm like the idea about the sun glasses I don't have any myself as they aren't comfy under my helmet at the moment neither is a balaclava for that matter.

At the moment I just tilt the visor halfway up it blocks everything from rain to sun even the wind from hitting my face.
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CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
A2 completed 23/07/15 Ready for the Golden Crisp Packet

[Cadbury]

Congratulations on the pass, and nice bike! I got myself the same model 600 fazer 2 weeks ago, its my first bike too. I'm having great fun so far.

My High beam bulb went yesterday, so thanks for the heads up on Halfords 2 for 1, as I too found the light to be incredibly poor.

Which bulbs did you get? There seems to be a couple to choose from on Halfords website?

[janner_10]

From memory it was the ultra extreme ones. Do the headlight mod too if you haven't done so already, makes a big difference on these bikes.
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1

[Cadbury]

Thanks. I actually went in last night, and was quite surprised by my experience:

Went straight to the "motorcycle" section of the store, picked up some chain lube, and 2 bulbs for my bike (an H4 and an H1)

Take it to the till, the cashier scans it all through, then stands looking confused at the bulbs.... "these should be buy one get one free" she says. "yeah, that's why I am buying 2"

Turns out the ones in the motorcycle packaging are NOT in the BOGOF, just the ones in the normal boxes.... The exact same bulbs, just different packaging. Tut Tut Halfords, Tut Tut...

Many thanks to the friendly lady in saving me £20 though

Oh, and i fitted them, and it makes a big difference over standard ones. It also looks like a previous owner has performed the mod, but disconnected it somehow. I'll have a proper look when i'm not in an unlit carpark

[janner_10]

I've since altered mine slightly - I put a switch just after the wire leaves the connector.

1 guy I spoke to said the mod wold fail the MOT, so simply switch it off. Why it should fail is beyond me!

Another garage said it wouldn't matter, it's not a fail if its been modified. I put a switch in just incase!
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Yamaha FZS600 (Now gone to heaven) > CBR600F4i (SOLD) > '99 YZF-R1