Re: Should advice ever be prescriptive?
 

Having working bearings and an unbuckled wheel probably helped, but having to find fun in the corners and not on the straights definitely has encouraged a smoother more rapid ride from he who shall not be named.

Re: Should advice ever be prescriptive?
 

Get smooth then quickness happens. Who'd have thought it!

Re: Should advice ever be prescriptive?
 

I know, it's amazing how you can apply your ladies technique to motorbikes like that!:p

Re: Should advice ever be prescriptive?
 

Tell him the truth about what old tyres are like.

When I was learning these things I could spot bollox a mile off and if someone lied to me or patronised me to try and get their point across then everything they ever said to me after that was suspect, and I thought they were a cnut.

My view has always been "tell me your honest appraisal of the facts and let me make my own decisions" or f*** off.

Re: Should advice ever be prescriptive?
 

I'm not as subtle as you Chris ;) but I've told him what I think and also what others have thought of old tyres but know he is old enough to make his own decisions.

Went out yesterday and he was very careful. He wants to get smooth rather than just fasst. He's been driving for 20 years but funny how on a bike you start at the beginning again. Something must have sunk in as he's now looking at safety gear and tyres!!!

As I said, he is a really decent bloke but like many, wanting to do things on the tightest budget (and justifying any expense to the non-biking wife/father in law etc) and its balancing what is must to have versus nice to have.