what you wouldn't do to your bike?

Ape Hangers...on scooters...

And neons than shine onto the floor.

[L3nny]

I don't like the whole airbrush wolf howling at the moon skull and crossbones look. I can appriciate the artwork but I just think on a bike it looks tacky, especially when the paintjob costs more than the bike is worth.

allow anyone near it who thinks "stick on ears" are good for a helmet

and over personalisation. respraying it a different colour is okay, so long as its tasteful. but for the love of god please dont make your bike have fur

oh.. another... stickers that just dont belong like bandit Type R's..

[squirrel_hunter]

Tank pads.

Lammypie----You are about to cop the wrath of Lisa----"Fur on bikes"--wait till you see what she does

SQ--Why tank pads,do you mean the old type rubber ones,plastic knee grippers, or the clear protective film to stop scratching from zips and your knees?

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by Dave20046

A horrible loud exhaust.

Since when did you have a quiet one!!


For me, washing them in washing up liquid, I may as well rinse it in grit off the road!

I think one thing that is common place is that people fail to maintain their bikes to the recommended standards. Having the money to buy any vehicle,tax and insure it is the easy bit and maintenance is generally overlooked in the equation.Possibly why there are so many DIY mechanics,not that that is a bad thing providing it is properly executed,but on the other hand the reason why so many bikes are sold without maintenance records.
Point two being the Sunday morning cowboys who buy a bike,thrash it on a Sunday morning for 5000miles and expect top dollar on resale when a regularly used bike with full maintenance on 15.000 miles is possibly a better buy.
IMHO

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by Dicky Ticker

SQ--Why tank pads,do you mean the old type rubber ones,plastic knee grippers, or the clear protective film to stop scratching from zips and your knees?

Tank pads are the quickest way to ruin a bike.

The ones with a naked lady, or HRC, or carbon look, or the name of the bike are the worst. Followed closely by those massive rubber ones that stick out from the tank and have a random number of colors never seen on the bike that it is stuck to. The knee gripers I simply do not understand as my knees have never slipped off the tank. And as for the protective film that is normally seen on a bike thats done 17 miles a year, what is it being protected from, dust. Just leave the tank alone.

Now who wants this soapbox next?

You obviously don't have a belly the size of mine and wear textile gear. Without a tank protector, that really is the quickest way to ruin a bike, one ride and the paintwork looks like a well used skating rink. Agree about silly colours or graphics though. Mine was black on a red bike.