Top Gear.

ok so a few lack a soft touch dash. if you want to see a really s**te dash step into any vauxhall :) my cavalier had a soft touch dash but i've not seen one in another vauxhall and i work in the vauxhall dealership!

Hmm... within reason.

I still believe there is a difference between rejecting a car purely on the strength of the badge it wears vs actually looking one over and rejecting because you're not keen on the styling - whilst you've still made a subjective choice, you've actually looked at something in the latter scenario and made a decision based upon what you've seen and determined a preference for or against, rather than just dismissing it out of hand because of the badge.

I've never used that as a factor as to whether or not I want a particular brand of car or not.

Be honest... if you're buying a BMW, you'll be in full possession of a 'f*ck you!' attitude anyway, and not give a flying f*ck... ;-)

But bikers don't overtake, they mince past, their floppy Mickey Mouse ears flapping in the wind.

No thanks. I'd rather take the bus.

Steve, is that you?

Cavalier's were prone to leaks, weren't they?

"You need to try one before you dismiss it"

Or some such :-)

I think Soft touch dash in terms is the strange rubbery coating they put on grab handles, dashes etc. I may be wrong though. Anyway - it's shit. It flakes off on grab handles...

In some respects, maybe, but one is a credible argument based on some sort of subjectivity, the other isn't really based on anything but some sort of sheer bloodymindedness and bigotry.

No, it's Vamp...

I have.

The last bike I rode was some 750cc mental thing. Quick? Oh absolutely. Sounded sweet, except... hmm... after an hour that throbbing engine between your thighs made you walk funny, indeed mince past. It takes several minutes to get suited up or down either end. Their corner speed is low. You have to watch the road surface like a hawk for imperfections, diesel, and such like.

Hard work, fun in a straight line, positively loopy on a twisty road.

Thing is that when you drive silly miles from time to time the ride quality of a longer wheelbase car are very much appreciated.

Thing is that when you drive silly miles from time to time the ride quality of a longer wheelbase car are very much appreciated.

nope it's like a material with a line of foam stuck to the dash. i know as you could see what it was made of when a mate drilled into it for some gauage pods

Not on a regular basis going by the below, so it's hardly surprising you've come out with yet more ill-informed s**te and presented it as fact... again.

...which you then invariably more than save, and then some.

Average run from Canterbury to Dorking by car on a Monday morning - 72 miles in total... 2hrs... sometimes 2hr 30mins.

Took a CBR600 last month at one point... 1hr 5mins, including filling up with fuel just after I set off.

But yes... I can see your point on that one... (1)

Only with the likes of you onboard...

Yes, you have to slow down a bit in poor conditions, but in the dry and with a confident rider on board, they're certainly not slow - I can take a few fast sweepers round here faster on a bike than I can in a car.

Yes, and?

I love my cars... but I've never yet managed to get the adrenalin rush I've had from some of the bikes I've had, from one.

You've obviously never experienced this, and have little regular riding experience of bigger bikes, so it's hardly surprising you've spouted the above.

(1) *boggle*

I must admit though, for some reason I seem to get more of buzz out of driving fast that riding fast. Although obviously the straight line thrills of the bike are hard to replicate heh. And I do like the sound too. Of course, the fact I only got to ride the 'big' bike for like, a month before circumstances took me off it again, probably means I didn't really get quite as practiced at it as I am in the car heh.

A fair call, but then one could argue that they were never going to like it, because it had the wrong badge and that made it ugly, or something. Let's face it, if you have a problem with the badge, you're going to go in trying to pick fault and making yourself not like it anyway heh. Send SteveH to look at a new Ford of some kind, even if it was the greatest car ever, he'd still hate it. Send Tim Kemp to look at a new French thing, same again etc etc

Everyone keeps on about 'straight line'... they're great in twisties too.

Especially if you find a decent bit of road to test this theory out along. :-)

Like the stretch outside Steve Firths place, apparently... ;-)

Yea, I pretty much just barelled in like I would on the SO XLR125, and then, erm, noticed I was doing about 70mph more everywhere and it was all happening very quickly. The bike has FAR more talent than me, as I say, I only had a month or so on a bigger engined bike before hopping off again heh.

Obviously though in true Usenet style, it should be noted I am a riding god and could totally waste any of you down any road on anything. Probably.