Whats The Last Thing You Bought?

Thanks, I thought the 125 was an essential stepping stone before he totally gets carried away with himself

I can't believe how expensive passing your UK motorcycle test is now.
Just the mod 2 (final accompanied ride test) with a 2.5 hour lesson before it is over £450

A cbt, theory test, mod 1 and mod 2, and being over 24 years of age, will now get you a full unrestricted motorcycle licence whilst draining over a £1000 out of your pocket

 

When I passed my test the examiner was on foot watching you go round the block. At one point he would leap off the pavement into your path holding his clip board up, indicating that you need to do an emergency stop.

When one of my mates took his test his examiner chose the wrong bike and was promptly flattened.

 

I did that same test!

In 1969 we were all riding Lambretta scooters, and nobody wore a helmet. One guy owned one and we all borrowed it for our test. We didn't wear it all the way to the test centre though, we kept it on the floor until the last set of traffic lights, put it on there, did the test, and took it back off as soon as we were out of sight again!!

 

@Baza @ajc400 Ahh those were the days. I can relate to them both.

 

Same test for me back in 1987.
Honda mtx125 which I'd just rapidly put a new crank seal in that morning, after it consumed the gearbox oil the night before the test.
Sod's law and all that!

 

The old "one part" test for me on a DT250MX in early '82. One of the last tests before they brought in the 125 rule and, possibly the two part test?
Quite a laid back experience compared to the OTT nonsense (and expense) new riders are burdened with.
Came out of the test centre with the examiner, read a car No. plate, then just kept riding round the block until he told me to (emergency) stop. A few yards slow riding at walking pace followed by a pass certificate! Happy days.
Even happier 2 months later when I took delivery of a brand new Z1300. A completely different Era you might say!!

 

Yes, I passed the bike test on my GP125 in 83 and it was a 2 part thing then. You had to do a training course for the part 1 and then the part 2 was nigh on the same as your original test @Pegscraper. My budget was not as flush as yours - I went for 400 Superdream but enjoyed that until I could afford something newer and flasher

 

Nowt wrong with a pooper dream @Boothman

Ex wife had a 250 version which I used to commute on now and then, and had many a GP on the way home from work

 

New Z13's were nearly £3k but Bol'dor Kawasaki in Doncaster had a brand new "last years" model on offer at just under £2300. A small bank loan later and it was in the garage. Insurance wasn't even an issue back then. My, how things have changed!

 

In looking for a pair of riding trousers I was considering a pair of Fuel Sergeant but they're not waterproof and with Winter just around the corner I settled on a pair of these.
Armoured with removable liner etc, plus they are a great match for my AS Ketchum jacket.

I got them from a local bike shop, not from the link.

https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com...MIqI-OgLLAiAMVqZdQBh1GBywLEAQYCCABEgItOvD_BwE

 

I bought a Fodsports FX7 Bluetooth mesh intercom! I think it is truly nice, functional and convenient.
https://www.fodsports.com/fx7-bluetooth-mesh-intercom/
I ordered yesterday, will arrive to my place within the next few days. Can not wait to try it!
Maybe I will also share my experience with you about this latest Bluetooth mesh.

 

Since Speedy has been relegated to our back yard, my last two purchases have been due to his change in location. Oh yes, then I remembered and included a third related purchase, too. We have two of these little flashing packrat deterrents in our garage "just in case", too.

 

Are rats and rodents such a big thing out your way @Sandi T ?

Not really an issue in the UK so I had to look the product up.

 

Nothing directly bike related but picked up a nice little Weller Heat Gun for £10 at a radio rally. Doesn't look as though it's been used much. Very handy for larger soldering jobs, especially outdoors on the car etc.

 

Weller is, or was, a well regarded name, so has to be a bargain for £10 ...... as long as it works

 

Part of the rally was indoors so I "located" a wall socket and tried it before leaving.
I had a 1970's model but I lent it someone and never saw it again.

 

We can have problems with packrats around here, @Eldon. And they can do a lot of damage--expensive damage--in quite a short time. Both Steve and I have had to have wiring repairs on our car and pickup truck to the tune of about $1K! Thank goodness insurance covers it...but we have a $500 deductible. We've not had any for awhile but even inside our garage we have two of those flashing Rid-a-Rat things. Additionally, Steve typically puts a powerful light underneath his truck at night since it's parked outdoors in the driveway.

We've also used traps recommended to us by our pest control guy the past several years. The traps we were using prior to that didn't do a darn thing except catch lizards! And we actually like those little guys. But the traps that TJ turned us on to have worked great and we've not noticed signs of any packrats for awhile. But I'm not taking ANY chances! There a powerful light next to my Triumph that I turn on at sundown and also that Rid-A-Rat. If we see any packrat droppings anywhere , we'll put out another trap near my bike. And Steve's truck.

Really, packrats are pretty much the only thing I'm concerned about now that Speedy has to live outside. Well, packrats and the sun!! (...and getting my bike down the ramp and and through the gate in and out of the yard) Yes, my bike will always be covered but the way my bike is situated, it will always get a fair amount of afternoon sun. Not such a big deal from about November to April but the rest of the year it feels like the sun is only about a mile above Tucson.

 

Very informative post @Sandi T
I never realised it was such an issue.

Over in the UK we get rats obviously especially where there is a freely available food source i.e. gamebird feeders and corn stores.
We feed the birds in our garden and have quite a nice selection that comes to visit, geeenfinch, goldfinch, pied wagtail etc. Even a Kite and a grey squirrel visits on occasion.
We regularly put out sunflower and niger seeds plus a birdseed mix which in winter can attract the odd rat to move in under the logstore.
They are soon exterminated by that guy on the StreetTwin... me "I'll be back!"

 

I'd not heard of packrats so a bit of googling tells me they are very similar to their European cousins.
We also have several bird feeders and a two tier bird table which is like ringing the dinner bell for Mr Rat. A .22 pellet takes care of them when they appear, the last one two days ago. I've put down traps in the past, in places I thought birds couldn't access and they've caught rats but also killed a couple of small birds which was upsetting so I don't use them anymore.
Occasionally, a Sparrowhawk puts in an appearance and takes one of the small birds.
Grey Squirrels are our nemesis here with the back garden adjoining woodland. I'm reluctant to shoot them so I've rigged up an electronic "deterrent" which gives them a bit of a zap, much like an electric fence. It certainly makes them JUMP but having very short memories (I mean, they forget where they've buried their nuts don't they!) they're back again a day later. Little b*stards!

 

@Pegscraper, I'd get rid of the traps too if they caught birds. We get lots of birds in our back yard because Steve made a lovely little fountain out of a big ceramic pot. Lots of types of birds show up there to drink and splash about. Our fountain water source draws finches and doves and hummingbirds and lots of other types of birds. But my favorites are the hawks the glide in and perch on the edge of the fountain looking very regal and for all the world like the kind (or queen) of the land.

Growing up in rural Minnesota, we always had loads of squirrels around. They were quite pesky but didn't seem to do any real harm so (as far as I know!), no one in our family tried to run them out of town, so to speak. I think I mentioned that a couple of lizards have wandered into the packrat traps which I find upsetting. Now, if the traps caught a rattlesnake, I might feel differently!