h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It arrived yesterday, out of the blue with two big burly tatooed men. I thought they had the wrong address, but no, it was Alex - on the quiet, not a mention. Grr.

Ouch - Mum's worst nightmare!

How old is he now anyway? And has he passed his bike test?

Yes, little sod!

He's 20, 21 in December - so I guess he can make up his own mind - he kept dead quiet about it though, I didn't even know he was considering it.

No, as far as I know, he hasn't taken his bike test - up until yesterday I'd have thought he'd never even been on a bike - I don't even know if he knows how to ride it.

hello peta
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i dont want to scare you, but
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i have a lodger/relation, and he as a bike, and in the last year or so, he as.
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run up the back of a car with an old lady of 80 driving, she had no lights on
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a woman one day knocked him nearly under a wagon, she was on a moblie
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he was just out to scarborough for the day, and a woman backed over his bike parked up.
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and the last bank holiday,a woman in a merc sent him flying.
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and he as all the top gear, and good helmet. i would,nt have a bike given noadays lol ,. jim

Cheers thanks that makes me feel much better. Nice one.

As far as I can see you've several alternatives...

a)Get into a shouting match about it - which ain't going to work, but might make you feel better

b) Quietly sabotage the bike - taking vital bits off the engine will slow it down

c) Give 2legs copious quantities of alkofrol and then let him take the bike for a test ride

d) Find out if he has passed his test, and if not, push him into it (maybe by offering to pay for some lessons)



What size bike is it anyway? (what's the number on the side?)

I don't know what size it is, I'll have to look tonight. It's definitely not a monster bike, so probably 250 or something.

I like the 2legs solution best, although taking various bits off does have a certain charm!

Lessons, yes that's a good idea. I'll see if he's planning any, and if not I'll push him in that direction.

I probably can't rant at him too much - he knows I drove a 1,000 BMW bike across Europe, so...

sorry but tell it as it can be lol
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you are sort of up the creek without a paddle, if you had a 1,000 bmw,
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i shared a royal enfield and norton with sidecar in my early days with mates, but could never get the gears right, so gave up.
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jim

Well I dunno, I'm a cyclist and we have to deal with the same kinds of idiot drivers as above. The only difference is that most of the time our speed ratio is much bigger making it more dangerous in moving traffic if there is an accident.

At least you can go at traffic speed on a motorised bike.

hi dr mo
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with the new taxes on cars, i can see a lot of so called drivers, thinking, i pay more, so im not bothered about small things like bikes and motor bikes.
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the biggest danger to any bike as to be the people car, at least wagons do see you, but them they are in a mind of there own
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i cant and dont want to learn to drive lol, hence no car.
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jim

http://www.aprilia.com/modelli/road/modello.asp?id=71

Not too bad, this is what he's bought, really small engine, and as you say Dr MO he rides a bike at the moment (without a helmet! - so this might actually be a tiny bit safer.

It looks very wizzy, but it's actually got the power of a hairdryer!

You certainly need to find out what sort of lessons he's had and what safety gear he's got.

As long as he doesn't start it up within half a mile of your house you should be ok... It's going to sound like a angry wasp on steroids but only do about 25 mph, downhill with a following wind.

sounds like the exhaust will be a real rattler lol
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cant acsess the link peta added, im on a digi at home jim

Hi Phil

I think that it's okay - he went out and bought a new crash helmet and a safety suit a couple of days after the bike arrived - he tells me that you have to do a 2 day training thing now to even ride a bike and he's booked in to do his course in about ten days time. I didn't know about the course, I assumed it was like the old days when you could just get on and ride anything under 250cc but he tells me that's not the case now - which is great, darn fine idea if they make them do a course.

So I'm feeling a *bit* more reassured now!

hi peta
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my idiot of a lodger/relation as gone to the extreme. the new bike is all bright yellow with a matching helmet, he looks like custard leaving down the path. lol jimxx

That's funny! Bikers do dress very garishly sometimes don't they? Maybe he wants to look like a canary!

hi peta
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it was a suprise, i was at the hull meet all weekend, and when i got back last night about 9pm, he was in the back yard cleaning it down, i didnt make a comment, i call him ratface, not to his face lol jimxx

I do ware a helmet!

hi d mo
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my lodger as 5 hemets dont ask why, i dont think even he could say lol.they are all more or less the same, just diff colours, the full sheild ones, looks like a spaceman with the visor down lol jim