Roman Holiday

Vespas are rather tricky coves to ride, the brakes are shit and the gear
selector would be better described as a randomiser.

I've had the front wheel off the ground in a full on wheely style (shame
I wasn't near a Piaggio dealers with my knee down) but it looks mega shit
when it lands with a look of abject terror on your face as it does a
strange cross between flapping fish on the riverbank and an out of
control tin plate toy across both lanes. <note to self> The clutch is a
bit all or nothing.

To be honest the whole experience is like riding a bike that's been
crashed. Nothing is quite in the place it should be and the levers are
all over the shop. I can see the attraction of them...

It also failed its MOT on something I should have checked but didn't
(notchy head race). To compound my misery the new computerised MOT
system means I can't just nip it back later in the week to get a
certificate as everything has to through the computer and I'll *have* to
pay for a retest.

What the tester briefly told me whilst we were waiting for the test to
'time out' is there's going to have to be some changes to the system or
it's going to cause massive problems. Especially for the car chaps.

 

Don't try to stop it.

 

That's a bit dodgy if true. Another way for the government to screw us.
That means that I'll have to check things before the test next time
rather than letting the tester do it and going back for the free retest.

 

My mate Simon Cohen was the drummer in that band. He lived on my street
where I grew up.

 

You get used to it.

Easy innit?

I think everyone lands a Vespa wheelie like that. I sincerely take my hat
off to the guys that race them.

Could need adjustment. Or it's fucked.

When my pals have tried mine it's been a git to get it back off them. They
play on it for hours then say "Nah, still don't like them." Yeah, right.

Don't remove all the wires and cables to get the headset off. With a bit of
jiggery pokery it does lift just enough for you to rest it on the legshields
to get at the top fork nut.

The new MOT is a total farce. My XJ600 was tested in about ten minutes. It
was the drinking of the tea that took the other thirty.

 

You're supposed to pay for a retest now...

 

gazzafield wrote:

I think it's mainly due to my hamfistedness.

They are quite fun, good in traffic and very "Brighton".

Same here. It's an hour and twelve minutes to test a car which seriously
limits smaller garages as the computer won't allow you to do them any
quicker than the set time.

Van passed its MOT today, took 30 minutes.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, sweller

That is completely fucked-up. What a joke.

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - Manufacturer of the "Champion-105" range of rearsets
and Ducati Race Engineer.

WS* GHPOTHUF#24 APOSTLE#14 DLC#1 COFF#20 BOTAFOT#150 HYPO#0(KoTL) IbW#41
SBS#39 Enfield 500 Curry House Racer "The Basmati Rice Burner",
Honda GL1000K2 (On its hols) Kawasaki ZN1300 Voyager "Oh, Oh, It's so big"
Suzuki TS250 "The Africa Single" Yamaha GTS1000

 

Free within 24 hours.

 

In Spain mechanics offer "pre-MOT" (pre-ITV) inspections, so you pay for
being sure that the inspector you pay too finds nothing.

 

That's only for certain items, which are as follows:

ABS Warning lamp, Bootlid, brake pedal antislip, direction
indicators/hazard warning, doors, dropsides, loading door, mirrors, rear
reflectors, registration plates, seat belts (but not anchorages), seats,
sharp edges, steering wheel, tailboard, tailgate, VIN No, horn, headlamp
aim, lamps, emissions, fuel filler cap, windscreen, wipers, washers,
wheels and tyres (not bikes).

Anything else is full fee.

 

There are other problems for the small independents, such as if you fail
to turn up or are late it'll cost the garage £1.50 for the slot that's
been booked on the computer.

That's about the same as it costs him for the MoT certificate now but if
you don't show he doesn't write it out so no cost other than the time
wasted.

The idea's ok but the implementation is poor.

 

That's an end to the cheap test, too. You'd have to cover the
tester's time. I did wonder a little when charged twenty quid for a
test recently (the station went computerised a couple of months ago)
rather than the usual tenner. "Sorry, got to charge you trade rates
now" was the response to the raised eyebrow.