Author: Arthur

Seasoned London commuter, doing my best to stay rubber side down and never stop moving forward.

Categories
Motorcycles

Scottish Motorcycle Show 2023

It was that time of year again for the Scottish Motorcycle Show, a yearly event that is eagerly awaited by motorcycle enthusiasts from all over Scotland and beyond. The show is a celebration of all things two-wheeled and motorized, bringing together manufacturers, dealers, and riders from across the country. With the Birmingham Motorcycle Live show being so far away, the Scottish Motorcycle Show held in Edinburgh is the only convenient show to get to, even if it is a bit smaller than other shows.

One of the most significant attractions of the Scottish Motorcycle Show is the sheer number and variety of bikes on display. From classic, vintage models to the latest sports bikes and touring motorcycles, the show has something for everyone. Manufacturers such as Harley Davidson, Indian, Triumph, Yamaha, and Royal Enfield all have a significant presence at the event, showcasing their latest models and allowing visitors to get up close and sit on new bikes. Unfortunately, there were still a number of omissions from key manufacturers (like last year), no presence from BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki or Suzuki.

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Maintenance

FZ6 Charging System Failure, Rectifier & Stator Checks

There are few things more heart-sinking than being sat on your motorbike miles from home to find it no longer starts up. At first, you’re in denial and keep jabbing at the starter button, but it just generates more clicks as the starter motor refuses to kick in. You then have to consign yourself to the fact, you’re not going anywhere in a hurry.

The fatal selfie stop whence we discovered our dead battery…

This happened to me a few weeks ago on a cold ride up to Dunkeld. It was one of those beautiful winter days where it was bright and sunny, but cold with frost and snow surrounding the main roads. I had just stopped by the roadside to take some snaps of an ice-covered loch but found myself stuck on a bike that wouldn’t start. Thankfully, my daughter was with me pillion and was able to bump start the bike to get us moving again.

A few miles down the road I got an engine management light on the dash and a code 46. This indicated a low battery/charging system issue. After another bump start, we continued homeward bound. Close to home, the battery went completely flat, I lost the dash and lights, but the bike kept going so we persisted. But, eventually, it died as we came to a halt at a junction, though thankfully only a couple of miles from home and not too much hassle to get family out with some jump leads, charge the bike and get me home. Then began the multi-meter fun diagnosing the faults.

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Categories
Motorcycles

My First Shift with Blood Bikes Scotland

Recently, I signed up as a Blood Bikes Scotland volunteer and after some onboarding, I undertook my first shift. I had been thinking of volunteering for a few years, but finally took the plunge last year after being approached by a local rep at an IAM meet-up. It felt like a worthwhile cause, a good use of my advanced biking skills and a great way to get out and do more biking.

Have you thought about volunteering as a Blood Biker? Have you ever wondered what it is like? Read on if you’d like to find out more about what Blood Biking involves and how my first shift went.

What are Blood Bikers?

Blood Bikers provide a free-of-charge transport service to the NHS run by volunteers in their own time. They deliver small urgent items between NHS sites or to patients’ homes in the community. The service runs in all weathers and supports teams in primary and secondary care including GPs, District Nurses, Care Homes, and Community Hospitals.

This service is 100% run by volunteers and is reliant upon charitable donations and the free time offered by members. It can save the cash-strapped NHS a lot of money and help the day-to-day running of care the NHS provides, which ultimately helps patients in need.

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News

Happy Christmas! Take care, it’s been a tough 2022

Happy Christmas!

Take it easy, folks, we’re still going through tough times, and the Christmas spirit is in short supply (budget cuts, austerity etc). So stress not on all the whirlwind of consumerism and obligated gifting. This year, the well-being of family and friends is the greatest priority. A simple catch-up and blether over a wee drink is worth more than some hurriedly purchased tat online.

We’ve all had greater struggles recently, be it physical or mental health, finances or work stresses. Many are still dealing with the fallout from Covid, rocketing inflation has hit some more than others, and work is certainly not getting any easy. I wholeheartedly support those striking over crap conditions and pay. Local nurses I know, have been dealing with some shocking stuff as a nurse at the Forth Valley NHS Trust. It is just one example of tough times many people everywhere are going through, which left unchecked can severely affect health and well-being.

So check in with those close to you and especially those you haven’t heard from in a while who aren’t joining in with activities they previously enjoyed. The quiet isolation of a once close friend can be the first sign of mental health deteriorating. It affects huge numbers of us, yet is still a taboo subject less spoken of for fear of shame. Suicide rates are depressing high, with 5,583 recorded in 2021 in the UK (10.7 in every 100,00), around three-quarters were male and the highest in those aged 50 to 54 years. However, the biggest increase was in females under the age of 24, a scary trend and possibly linked to Social Media and unrealistic expectations.

Do you have a biking buddy you haven’t seen out for a while? – Now is the perfect time to check in with them and see how they’re doing.

The weather may be rubbish, daylight hours short and not much opportunity for biking – which we all know does wonders for stress, but hang in there, we’ve just crossed the winter solstice, and the countdown to better biking days has begun. Look after yourselves this Christmas and New Year, and see you on the flip side.

If you want more help on mental health, for you or someone you’re worried about, get in touch with:

 

 

 

Categories
News

Autumn Update

Things have been a bit quiet here at Beginner Biker Adventures, lots of non-biking things going on that haven’t left me with much time, to be honest. Sometimes it is not all fun on the bikes. This blog is only a hobby and far from a full-time venture. So here is a quick catchup, just to fill you in on the random other stuff I’ve been up to recently.

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Categories
Gear Reviews

Shapeheart Motorbike Phone Mount – 2022 Edition Review

Shapeheart motorbike phone mountLast year I reviewed the Shapeheart mobile phone case for motorcycles, it was a good budget offering but had a few niggles I was less fond of. This year the good chaps at Shapeheart took heed of this critique and have released a new and improved version for 2022, which they were kind enough to send in for me to review. Let’s take a closer look at this new model and see how it compares.

Shapeheart is a small firm from France, kicked off by two clever entrepreneurs who started out making arm mounts for runners and then later branched out into solutions for cyclists, scooters and motorcycles.

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Categories
Riding Videos

Lake Tahoe Motorcycle Ride and Yamaha Super Ténéré XT1200 Review

Check out this new video or a chilled-out Lake Tahoe motorcycle ride as part of my past motorcycle trip to Yosemite. Located on the California/Nevada border and a great excursion for a San Francisco motorcycle route. I rode a Yamaha Super Ténéré XT1200ZE picked up from Eagle Rider, San Francisco motorcycle rental, a great dual sport bike for this adventure.

The route took in some breathtaking scenery alongside this beautiful lake. I also review the Yamaha Super Ten after three days of riding and give you my verdict.

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I actually filmed this Lake Tahoe motorcycle ride back in late 2019 just before the pandemic, I just haven’t had the chance to finish editing it until now. Sadly, much of the area was hit badly by forest fires since I was there, and there is a worrying trend of fires getting worse with each season.

More details about the trip, my plan and the route can be found here.

Categories
News

10 Years of Riding!

How time flies when you’re having fun!

Passed DAS - Big Grin!
Motorcycle test passed 30th Aug 2012

I can’t believe it was 10 years ago when I embarked on my motorcycling adventure. Back then, I was fed up commuting into London on the tube, so I took my wife’s advice (yep, she’s always right!) and learnt to ride a motorbike.

Life has changed dramatically since then, I well and truly converted, now a die-hard biker. For many years I commuted into central London, toured in far-flung locations, went on track days, and did a spot of off-road riding, and throughout I was always looking to better my riding skills with further training. I’ve also made so many great friends within the biking community; it really is just one big family.

The kids grew up fast, also joined us on the bikes and are now contemplating their first motorbikes. Guess that’s what happens when you start ‘um young!

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Categories
Riding

Is it worth getting a 50cc motorbike at 16?

Derbi Sena Xtreme 50cc motorbike 16 years
Do you want the freedom to go where you want, when you want?

16 years old is the first big milestone towards adulthood, with many things you can (legally) do at this age: leave home, join the army, apply for an adult passport, have sex, get married, register to vote and so on. But crucially, 16 is when you can legally start to ride a motorcycle on the road. You can only ride a small 50cc moped and it may be your first set of wheels to get around, but what is involved, what does it cost and is it really worth getting a 50cc motorbike at 16?

What can you ride at 16?

Get a 50cc motorbike at 16?In the UK at age 16, you can legally ride a 50cc moped with a top speed of 45km/h (30mph). OK, certainly no speed daemon, but it’ll get you around faster than a push bike and will have more street cred.

The most common 50cc bike will be a twist’n’go scooter with automatic gears. However, there are a number of traditional geared 50cc motorbikes available, ranging from basic commuter bikes to retro classics, dirt bikes to race replicas. Basic Chinese bikes start at around £1k, with prices going up to about £4k for posher Italian models from the likes of Aprilia.

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Categories
Riding Uncategorized Videos

Random Encounters Video – Scotland Style

Random encounters when out riding in Scotland are quite different to what I used to encounter in London. Check out this short video of some of my recent daily observations from riding around Scotland.

YouTube player

Have you bumped into anything wild on your riding adventures, do comment below, I’d love to hear more.