Hi Guys,

We used to have a 'Link' on here that opened up the way to check if a vehicle had UK Road Tax, MOT, SORN .. and so on.

I can't find it anywhere ... can anyone help me with this please ?

Good Mate has just won a (too good to be true) Bike on eBay and I'd like to help him check it out.

Cheers in advance )   Stay Safe.   Polar Bear in Mallorca

     So ... no reports, no pictures, no nothing.  Are we to take it that the annual April Brum Bike Shed Meet failed to kick start the season this year? 
 
Guess that's the end of that one then    
 
Very Sad indeed in my oipinion .. but then .. as an American biker mate of mine often says ... 'What do I know .. I just work at the car wash'  .
 
Polar Bear. Mallorca.   (Founder of the Brum Bike Shed Gatherings)

Quote:  Where is our Mr Motivator when you need him, aka Purplebear aka Trevor 
 
Here I am .. as always keeping my eye on 'the line'    of things .. but not taking part in very much action these days.
 
I more or less lost all of last year completely .. only rode a couple of thousand miles.   I had Six Operations on my Port Side Hip and the Top and Bottom of my Spine. Very long story short .. one guy made a right cock up of a repacemnt hip job and things went down hill bloody damn fast from there on in!  Cost me my lifes savings  trying to get things back to something close .. but it failed to give me anything like what I needed.  Now got an Full Monty Ivanised Wheel Chair, Two crutches and Piddle Bottle .. but not in that otder  !
 
We moved out of Denia (Costa Blanca Mainland Spain) to live in Mallorca in Jan this year .. I brought the 'Spanish Dancer' outfit with me .. but have not ridden it here yet.  I'm sorry to say that 'motivation' has not been a much used word around here lately.
 
So .. Going Forward as they say .. The Fazer Group Annual meet at the National Motorcycle Musium .. or the 'Brum Bike Shed' as I named it.  I started the gathering idea back in 2002 (I think it was) .. 11 of us turned up for that one and that included guys from all five corners of the UK.     
We all agreed that the idea was a success and we've carried on going forward with it every year sinse.
 
The location is ideal .. Bang on Central UK (fair for everyone) Easy to Find (Jnc 6 of M42 as for the NEC) Free Parking and Cafe.   
Dates are nornmally 'considered' but you can never please everyone! This April you have all been asleep and there is only one Sunday left .. so the 27th it is then!   Times .. guys start rolling up from about 1030 onwards .. departure times depend on individual distances to get home, etc, most individuals and groups are gone by 1600.
 
At about 1400 we have the Photo Shoot Line Up .. everyone on a Fazer should be there to take part by putting their bikes front wheel right ON (not just near to) the curved white line .. this makes an almost perfect setting for such a gathering .. be there .. and please do your bit!
 
The Bike Musium is a 'must do once' kind of thing in the lifetime of all proper bikers I guess .. but the entrance charge is a bit much for us OAPs these days. 
 
All in .. a good Ride Out day there and back to kick start your season, chance to meet people and put faces to names.
 
One warning!  Police Cameras!!  This is a very 'hot security' area, the NEC, Brum Internatioal Airport and all the Motorways .. M42, M40, M5, M6, M1, M45 all within half a dozen gear changes!
You WILL all be on camera 24/7 from about twenty miles out .. ride legal and you'll be fine .. play like a prat and they will have you!
 
I'll hold fire there .. but if anyone has questions .. just shout. OK. (Line up photo below, best number ever in line 45)
 
One other note that maybe of slight interest to some?:  My Biking Days are looking close to the last Pit Stop now .. so I recently offered to donate my outfit for the Bike Shed Collection.  The Boss Man turned it down .. seems they only take British Bikes   
 
Have a Nice Day Y'all .. send my the snaps    Cheers.    Stay Safe.   Trev .. The Polar Bear .. Mallorca. 

    The tape over a section of the light unit idea will NOT do if you are going all the way legal in Europe!  It just might get you off a hook if you are stopped by the police while on 'holiday' .. but these days nothing is for sure .. they all want your money!  
 
If you are importing a bike you have to have the EU Spec light units that are fitted to Bikes sold within that country.
 
The Part Numbers are different to the UK Spec units .. and the dipped headlight beam will go Right not Left!
 
Putting a bike onto a Spanish Registration Plate (For example) will cost you a lot of money    .. I suggest you do your homework before you move the bike from the UK     
 
It could work out far less expensive and much less agro to sell the UK bike and buy another (better    ) one once you are sorted and settled over here in Europe!
 
Stay Safe      Trev.   (The Polar Bear Mallorca)
 
 
 
 

I have some photo's of the Carbon Fibre look covered Frame Job from about 2008 I think .. if anyone is interested 
 
Stay Safe .. Polar Bear

     The Blue Gen 1 in the video was my 2001 bike .. the first one of three FZS 1000 that I had.
 
If you look close (and quick) at the start and you can see my small white Polar Bear logo on the bottom of the flip up screen.
 
Last I heard it was sold on to a UK guy (who kept it in France) by the dealer in Redditch Worcestershire.   I often wonder where the other two have ended up and if the owners are aware of what they have .. as in Mike's Magic 
 
The bike made the double page centre fold slot in Ride Magazine .. the year the FZS 1000 was voted Bike of The Year.
 
Stay Safe       Trev ... The Polar Bear   

   Hi Guys,   
 
Lots of forum chat just now about how best to protect your bike during the UK winter months (about 11 of them anually I hear)  We are only getting six months of cold here in sunny Spain 
 
One bit of the bike that often looks a bit messy and rusty (IMO) is the cast iron Ex-up valve box .. tucked up under the engine it is well in line for road crap and neglect .. it's also in full line of sight whenever / if ever the rider has a knee anywhere near down     I've never found the need .. at my speeds 
 
Anyway .. I have discovered that 'painting' the cast iron box with normal Olive Oil solves this cosmetic problem quite well.     Just paint it on when the box is dry and 'warm' .. let it cool off and then the next time it gets really hot it will 'Stove' on and stay a smart looking black .. for ages.     Looks a bit like powder coating.
 
If you give it another coat of olive oil from time to time .. your box will never look crap .. ever.  This really works  .. I had three Gen 1s and never had a rusty box .. or any Ex-up valve problems.  While you are down there .. you might as well pull the valve out and give it it's regular six month (min) internal service 
 
Have a happy winter y'all .. Stay Safe      Trev   (Polar Bear)

Hold Fire Guys ..
 
Be 100% sure you are talking about GLASS here! 
 
Lots of modern vehicles have light units that look like glass but do in fact have PLASTIC lenses!   Some chemicals might destroy them .. even light rubbing with abrasives will .. of course .. scrath plastic!  Check.
 
Stay Safe ..     Trev the Polar Bear

   This might be another good six ?    Trev

Yes .. I have been there and done that too .. one of the best sections of motorcycle sport 
 
The little BSA 250 C15 was a real 'go anywhere' tool .. so we did 
 
Sammy Millar was the king of the wilds then and the annual Scotish Six Day event was the Formula One of the working mans clan 
 
Happy Days indeed .. Stay Safe      Trev

Just for those who may have not seen it .. a Shot of the ''Spanish Dancer'' and Annie in the chair wearing her ''Rossi Rainbow'' Lid
 
Trev

Thanks for the replys Peeps.
 
Over here in Spain the National Traffic Cops are a law unto themselves .. on a good day they will salute and wave me on (and of course I reply accordingly  )
 
However on a bad day .. they pull me over insist on seeing every bit of paper    and then take photo's of the rig .. for free!
 
So .. I will not be surprised if the Dog has to wear a Gold Badge Hemet too.
 
Stay Safe     Trev

Hi Adrian,
 
Probable just as good .. if not far better .. to give the whole bike a good wash off (Hose pipe) with COLD water .. after every ride.
 
(Hot water will kick start a serious disaster reaction with the salt!)
 
Another winter trick that I use if the bike stays outside .. is to pull an old sock over each mirror and control lever .. blow out all the switches and WD40 them   This five minute job stops a lot of frustrating iced up type agro in the mornings 
 
Stay Safe  ..  Polar Bear in Spain