Looking through the various bike boards, it seems there is a growing discontent surrounding the eBay process versus the rewards, with more than a few people advertising stuff below expectations, to avoid ‘having to do the eBay thing’.

I’ve been doing the eBay thing for quite a while and for me, the buzz is still there. OK there are a few timewasters on the site, but then there always have been. The upturn in keyword spamming is a pain in the rear, as are the idiots advertising Porsche 911s for £3k Buy It Now with a phone number to call - in Borgovenia et al. The fees are a total rip-off, as are the utterly despicable Paypal charges, but then, if you want to play the eBay game, you have to pay your way. Fretting about it gets you precisely nowhere: it is what it is and no one at eBay is about to drop the charges. I don’t like them, but I do OK on eBay, so I pay up.

With the arrival of the Ducati, I’ve been buying bike bits on eBay for a few weeks now, and I’ve had some really killer results. Having paid over the odds at Hein Gericke Northampton for some Alpinestars SMX waterproof boots (£170, but I felt I had to, as the guy let me try on loads of stuff and there were other customers he could have sold to), I vowed to buy the rest of the kit I needed secondhand, and save some money.

Used bike gear is everywhere, and some of it is utter rubbish. When I had my Bandit, I had some good gear and some crap gear, and the crap gear ruined the ride.  Even things as silly as the wrong socks can freeze your feet and spoil the experience, so this time around I want only top notch stuff. Me being me, I don’t want to pay through the nose. (more…)

Have been using my new 750 Monster quite a bit lately, despite the foul UK weather, and I have to say it is a really great little machine.

The riding position is not as scrunched up as you would imagine when first sitting on the bike at a show or in a dealership. It’s very comfy, though it does encourage you not to ride the rear brake/gearlever, as they are quite steeply angled downwards ahead of the pegs. Handlebar controls are all nicely placed, particularly the dim/dip switch, and I like the way the indicators work. Same as Jap stuff, they just feel better. You can clearly see the flashers themselves from the riding position, so you know if they are left on. The headlight is great - no idea whether I have an uprated bulb in there though.

My first two rides were quite jerky. The clutch is right at the end of its travel (suspect worn out plates as slave cyl looks fine) and there was a bit of play in the throttle. I stripped off the airbox last night, checked a few hoses and adjusted everything: cables, routing, bar angles, throttle mech and head bearings and hey presto! Took it to the dentists in Banbury today and it rides a dream, no more on-off throttle bumping around corners and so smooth. Had it up to 75 which is the fastest I have been on it yet. 45 mph winds meant it was really blowy but the position is fine for it, though I may fit a small bikini fairing to alleviate the blasts. Settling the throttle down also helped with pains in my right hand, now I am not so tense there it is a lot better (i am suffering from a pulled thumb muscle at the mo, all ties into computer problems and overuse).

I am leaning more too, takes a while to get back into that, especially on crap tyres! The lighter bike (40 kilos lighter than the Bandit) means I am lots more comfortable with it under me and every ride is another step forward. I also fitted some bargain Road Racing mirrors that I bought on eBay, they are great. Not a sea change over the stock, but they are loads lighter and easier to use: they stick out a bit further and are better for a quick glance. They are anti-dazzle too so good at night. Plus they are black anodised aluminium, and very attractive! Pic below:

Realising the dream of our own 911 is one of life’s great experiences, but entering ownership is not to be rushed. Get the timing right and the payoff lasts forever, says John Glynn.

Life is a journey. From birth, most of us will experience first words/steps, first day at school, learning to ride a bike, first kiss, first girlfriend/boyfriend, leaving education, first job or university, passing the driving test, first car, leaving home, first house, marriage, children, retirement and death. Inception is usually easy: you just sit there and wait for Big Daddy Sperm to start your clock ticking. Similar simplicity applies when entering nine-elevendom.

Popular opinion may be that buying your first Porsche is as precarious as visiting Vegas with property deeds in your pocket, but the steps are very straightforward. Decide on a model, be nice to the bank manager, and follow a few instructions to find a decent example at reasonable money. Once you have the car in your sights, put it through a professional inspection and, assuming all works out, pay for it. Hey presto.

Ignoring popular opinion, I bought both of mine from foreign countries, without seeing them first and with no inspections. Most people would call this a recipe for disaster, but believing that rushing results in a strong taste of regret, I took my time and carefully infused my ingredients over a low heat. I ignored pressure to purchase before prices went up by another couple of hundred pounds, and made sure the timing was right for me. Thanks to this, my cars rolled up when I was ready for them, and this is why I now enjoy easy relationships with both.

When it comes to rites of passage, timing is everything. Hollywood proclaims that the premier rite of passage is the transformation from innocent boy to experienced man, and has made hundreds of movies detailing teenage desperation to “do it” as soon as possible. I’m more than a little mistrustful of Hollywood, so I waited a while before flicking the switch on my sexual awakening. When my coming of age arrived, it was one of those tales to amaze the grandchildren: in a campervan with a beautiful Chinese girl at the end of a Heathrow runway (ah, the symbolism). (more…)

Humanistic psychology holds that we are all born with an innate desire to self-actualise: to be the best we can be. If this is true of humans, what about the things we invest with certain human characteristics, such as our beloved 911s? Doctor Glynn investigates.

The psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs contends that human needs can be arranged into a pyramid, starting with base needs (water, oxygen, sleep) and rising in layers to the ultimate realisation of our potential: the ability to be one’s self at the same time as participating and sharing fuller with other people. Common sense for humans perhaps, but what of the machines we endow with humanistic qualities?

911s have a litany of well-known character traits, endowed upon them by their original designers, characteristics usually described either as ‘flawed dynamics’ or ‘personality’. Personally, I favour the latter. Some might scoff, but the concept of a machine with personality should not be completely dismissed. American psychologist and design expert Donald Norman asserts that “machines have personality traits, if only because they were designed to be conscientious or not, friendly or curt, smooth or abrupt, condescending or understanding, recalcitrant or forgiving.” My kinda guy.

One of the most endearing facets of the 911’s addictive personality is its exceedingly mischievous low-down torque. Combine this stump-pulling grunt with tarmac-tearing traction and communicative steering, and you have a naughty little number, perfect for exploring the empty, atmospheric streets of a sleeping city. (more…)

Saving your car for a special occasion? Then you could be missing out on all the pleasure of a 911 used in everyday life, says John Glynn.

I was lucky enough to share a lot of time with my grandparents when I was growing up, often spending weekends with my maternal grandmother. Tessie was a no-nonsense country girl whose house was dressed with discernment, yet at the same time was warm and welcoming. The kitchen fire was always alight, and the stained glass window at the top of the stairs made it feel like the sun was just outside. She also had a living room ‘kept for best’.

The bright front room was immaculate: a piano topped with portrait photos of her children, the big Telefunken stereogram on which my Grandad often listened to his opera collection, a wonderful wicker rocking chair which now lives in my sister’s house, and a fabulous burnt orange three-piece suite, straight out of the 1950s. Yet Tessie and I sat at the kitchen table.

I was happy enough in the cosy kitchen, with the teapot on the hearth and no lack of laughter, but I never knew who or what my Granma was saving her lovely living room for. She didn’t let people in the house unless they were family or workmen, she wasn’t one for entertaining the parish priest, and perish the thought of having neighbours over the threshold. By not bringing her living room into her life, she was missing the fun of sitting back on the comfy couch, with a cup of tea and a Club Milk, while my Uncle Louis played the piano and gave us a bit of a song.

Many 911 owners make the same mistake Tessie made. Too many keep their cars for best - judging every opening of the garage door on an “is it worth it” basis. I think this is a terrible idea. (more…)