-Mongrel-

A definite improvement over the Bettinsoli and shouldn't depreciate too badly. Happy at the moment and maybe next time there's a spare few quid in the kitty I'll upgrade again.

Possibly interested in the lab subject to a bit more info.

No it isn't, but my Gixer, Mille, Vfr vtec, CBR600, Fireblade and Thundercat all required the drive taken off the 'box. As you say though, you should carry on as you are and I'l stick with doing it the quick way. Bit like shooting, if you miss then do the same thing again.

It might have been, but I went into a RFD today and decided that while I really liked the 686 in most guises and indeed a 682...a Browning 525 fitted me better! As such I bought it on the understanding that if I shot it and didn't get on with it I could return it for a full refund within 3 months. A round of clays this afternoon had me shooting at just above my normal average which, for first shoot with a new gun is encouraging, but it just seems to mount really nicely for my frame.

You're right, stopping and closing are two different things. I checked out my 'style' today, it's a fractional shut off. Certainly not all the way, probably half an inch of movement but enough to take the drive off and a definite closing of the throttle. It makes for an almost instant change of gear at pretty much any speed. I also tried your alleged method of holding the throttle steady and waiting for the bike speed to match engine revs while maintaining steady pressure through the change lever. I was surprised. Surprised that it changed up at all, but it did, albeit when the bike had almost stopped accelerating altogether. So it's possible, but mate, that is not a quick shift in any way. Quickshifters are brilliant, I used one on my Gixer 750 track bike, but a bit much on the road.

Whats the differences? Similar money for a new Silver Pig or a good secondhand 686, what would you buy and why?

Agreed mate, don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the Salts, for what you pay they are decent rods. And as with all things, it doesn't matter how much money you throw at a hobby, if you don't have the skills you wil be beaten. I can outcast some lads with Zzippys, and be outcast by old boys with 20 year old fibreglass rods, but I catch a few and enjoy my time on the beach, my experience is enhanced by using a nice rod though.

HSBC are sheeite nowadays alogether, used to be good but just faceless entities now. Closed both my business and personal accounts with them.

Yeah, I would too. the Centurys are four times the rod that the Salts are! Don't get me wrong, the Salts are good for what they are, but built to a budget,. The Century rods are quality blanks and streets apart. I have a 14' Salt which is good for light work, I also have a Century Tip Tornado Light which I use for just about everything else until it gets real heavy in which case I use a Shambrook AnyfishAnywhere 6 plus bait.

If you don't let them get wet in the first place, you won't need to dry them.

It's possible. I've trained my Chocolate Labrador to a good enough standard for wildfowling and rough shooting, I'm confident that if I wanted I could push her on to game shoot standards. She was 4 1/2 when we started, had good basic training as a pet and a strong retrieve instinct. The biggest problem is she can be a little hard mouthed, that's years of chasing and chewing tennis balls and rubber toys for you, but I'd rather have a recovered bird with another puncture hole than an unrecovered injured bird. It may take a little longer, and you may have some bad habits to overcome, but it is possible.

Really? You want to change gear fast and get back on the gas to continue accelerating (otherwise why bother quick shifting) but you wait until the road speed matches engine revs in theory unloading the gearbox (not that it will because drag will always want to slow the bike), by which time you wouldn't be accelerating at all? I don't think so. Unless you have a quickshifter, you close the throttle to unload the box. Not fully admittedly, and only momentarily but, shut it to a degree you must.

Time to dispel the rumours!

You have PM

Same as. If he puts some time/effort and money into getting on the road again, THEN you can maybe help him out a bit.

After dropping numerous carts in the mud last season, I've now taken to keeping half a dozen loose in a waterproof pocket of my jacket. The rest are in resealable bags, 6 to a bag, and these are in turn in a waterproof box. At least if you open the box and then drop it , your carts are still clean and dry.

Despite Gixer1's assertions, MOST Aprilia Rs's will let you down regularly. I should know, BOTH of my lads wanted one as they look great, they both bought 125's and both of them spent as much time fixing them as riding them. Great fun little bikes but not a daily commuter IMO. The Varadero that Magman is offering has to be a decent option for a big fella. Full size bike with a 125 engine and at that price worth looking at. As also suggested, if you can afford it, do a restricted test, get a 'proper' bike with decent enough power to get you where you're going, and, in a couple of years you pull the restrictors out and have a full fat bike. Bandit or Fazer's are cheap enough and restrict well. Did I mention that you should have a look at Magmans Varadero? Alternatively you could have my Blackbird and disable 3 of the cylinders, might get it down to 33bhp then!

What about if I own a car, a motorbike and a van, all legitimately. Have I not paid for my bit of road and therefore be entitled to ride my bicycle on it should I so desire? I think this 'who owns the road' tangent is just semantics, none of us own the road, we just pay for the privelege of using it. That still doesn't stop me believing that cyclists should be licensed and insured. A number plate type deal and a legal requirement for insurance, same as other road users (,Yes, I would also include horse riders in this one before someone mentions it).

And rightly met with silence, but not Baldings joke I'll bet. That will have been a script writers faux pas.

You should consider yourself very lucky. It's more than common to meet dog walkers and twitchers on the wander around the harbour. Joys of living in the South East!

No, In England and Wales all land including the foreshore is owned by someone, and as such you need permission to shoot. Foreshore is defined as the area of the coast or tidal estuary between the mean high and low water marks. That is any area. In theory, with permission you could shoot on Camber sands below the high water mark. In practice it's almost invariably marshland because that's where the wildfowl are. That said, there are areas I shoot which are on the beach! The birds flight between some very large lakes and the marsh areas, but what I'm stood on is the seaward side of the sea wall and it's a gravel type beach. Perfectly legitimate.

I can't see where David has suggested that anyone specific has not complied, but is commenting more on the tone of the above posts, including yours, of which some are undeniably suggestive of non compliance! I'm sure he'll correct me if it's me who has the wrong end of the stick.

I was warned by a policeman that the offence is 'Failure to display a valid tax disc', but as he had done a PNC check and confirmed that I had taxed it he would let me go on my way with no further inconvenience or penalty. I have driven several times since, and my motorbike hasn't had a disc on display for years...beacuase the local scrotes kept nicking them! I've never yet been fined for it. Blimey there's some quick fingered individuals on here, didn't know about the exemption so I stand corrected!

From the BASC wildfowlers code of conduct; In Scotland the foreshore is the area of land between the high and low water marks of ordinary spring tides. In Scotland, whether the foreshore is Crown or private ownership, the Crown retains in trust certain rights on the foreshore (except Orkey and Shetland) by virtue of which members of the public may engage in wildfowling. The public right may, in certain cases, be taken away by statute, e.g. nature reserves. The onus is on the wildfowler to establish whether such reserves exist. There is no shooting of wildfowl in Scotland on Sundays or Christmas day. In short, so long as it isn't a nature reserve, you can legally shoot between the high and low water marks of Scottish foreshore. Whether you would want to shoot on a busy beach, or even whether it would be wise is your decision to make as a responsible shooter.

Firstly i must say that I have never been on a game shoot. But, surely the answer to the question of ducks flushing on a pheasant drive, is that the shoot bans the shooting of those duck, in the same way that they ban shooting of say Grey partridge on some shoots. Obviously they could have a dedicated duck 'drive' and then swap to non-toxic carts...or is that too simple?