mazambaan

He he Patches; not like a bloody push bike that you can just lift up eh? I got stuck in a muddy trench on a cooking Sunday in KZN summer on a pig of a KTM 640 Adventure. I nearly had to go an look for help and was as drained after the extraction as after just about any bicycle race.

Also long debate on Thumper Forum about a report (from DID I think) that WD40 damages the O rings on a chain. Many pro's and con's; jury still out. Lyndon Poskitt who's done 220 000km odd around the world (and recently in SA) says he lubricates with Motorex (bet he's sponsored to say that I sneer).

Interesting about chain lube (I haven't watched the video). I used to use the boil up Duckhams (that is old) lube then any spray lube. Then a mechanical engineer I rode with 15 years or so ago said on O ring chains no lube was ever needed, he just sprayed with WD40 or similar after washing the bike. So we never lubed chains, even on multi day dirt bike rides. So far so good.

I'm getting there Rob; can you disclose; what did you buy, why and how much?

Isn't he meant to wheelie across the finish line? Disappointing

I'll pass it on to the Bootlegger guy I know.

My 2c is that Indola has really good padding BUT it is not removable and they don't have a press stud at the top of the zip so the zip is vulnerable. Mine has basically packed up - it keeps popping. Cape Storm baggies are ok but padding useless but luckily removable so it got chucked and I wear them over bib or shorts.

Chuck would be jealous but the Froome powers seemed to backfire when he blew his nose, and himself, right off his bike. Wishing him a speedy recovery; twas a bad one.

Jup, Camperdown; brother mx rider Brendon. Maybe still terrorises people on an enduro bike; started a Ducati dealership, ran for a while but he's a better nutter than businessman.

Simple problem; team needs to transform, too many white players. If it isn't that, too many quota's. Sorry. Slightly more seriously; is the team too old? I see this in the press.

I can't see the mass of the bags? - or maybe it is so good I shouldn't care, just buy

It is so dangerous and the riders are such genuine good guys (or so it seems), I'm scared to follow it. Apparently seeing it live is insane and I'm tempted but Morzine, ISDE etc etc are also calling.

I take it the converted are familiar with Toolcraft. Excellent service and stock BUT do not speak to them on the 'phone - it will cost you.

Sure; Crutchlow refers to the telemetry and Narc's ability to save it; not reaction times. Stoner says reaction times but nothing on telemetry - does he have access to the Honda telemetry? I reckon its ability.

SA style maybe Crocodile Colenso or Crocodile Colesburg? I don't know what the indigenous version would be Ngwenya Newcastle or Ngwenya Nqutu?

The interesting thing about reaction time is that the spunky chick (Vanessa?) that does MotoGP paddock pass type interviews had a cell phone app that tested reaction time; crudely I guess. All the riders tested were .219 to say .26 of a second. Marquez wasn't quickest; can't remember the detail. Sort of ties up with TopGear testing Michael Shumacher - not really better than Clarkson!. Difference may be what they do; Marquez (and Shumacher) do (did) stuff the others cannot; yet.

Condolences ICM. Riding yesterday I realised, again, how many dangerous drivers there are on the roads and how vulnerable you are on a motorcycle or bicycle even without being a hooligan or nutter yourself. No commuting for me; as much dirt as possible please.

Thanks Grebel; I also suffer a little from tinnitus; the far off diesel loco or generator and I have only recently started using ear plugs after decades of nothing, many of them in open face helmets. Time to investigate.

Thanks Grebel; can I ask who did these for you and roughly how much? I think I have small ear holes (my wife says they are selective about what they let in) so use half a foam plug in each but they still often come out. Custom may be the answer.

Wheelies; I've done lots and a few got away - one nailed a marshal at an enduro, ooops. A great 5th gear one on a Husky on a long firebreak. Then one went sideways and I spent a month in hospital having my knee re-constructed. I am a little more careful since then.

Nice pictures thanks. Flying over the Arctic then Alaska in summer was a great experience - clear weather and I imagine Antarctica to be spectacular as well. All that empty remoteness A cycling pilot or piloting cyclist from the sandpit tells me he keeps a sharp eye open near the Horn of Africa. Too many uncertain ATC's and pilots for his liking.

Calm down wena about the drain covers with your colonial tendencies. These covers are needed for Solly's Scrap (sorry to the Sollys; it is fictitious) and he pays SAPS and CoCT law "enforcement" good money to keep away. Africa not for sissies. You want service - burn tyres.

As to SAA getting "new" aircraft, Avcom seems to think unlikely to actually be new and everything is leased; "new" and "old". No buying or selling. But rumour is that SAA is heading for a new record loss among record losses?

Mr Bean could be the most useful of all - I have a suspicion he qualified as an electrical engineer (heavy / light current?) from Newcastle Uni?

To me the bizarre is that Eskom/ANC persists with the same procurement and employment policies that caused the Eskom disaster. None of them are brave enough to say; reinstate coal quality, from the cheapest supplier or employ the best person regardless of skin colour oh, and make sure those employed as engineers are actually engineers. Reinstate boiler tube checks, ash handling contractors etc etc. The fat chemist and his chums just flail around Dunning Kruger / cargo cult like; well, like a corner chemist trying to run a big power utility. Unlikely to have a good outcome.