Sponge

Cheers @F12Berlinetta! Had her for just about a year now. Still loving it as much as day one. Next modification will be an Invidia midpipe. Keeping the stock mufflers for night time sneaking though!

[quote name='Diablo']Hello there @Sponge, long time no indeed see. :bigsmile: I am really happy to hear that in this time, a lot of good has happened for you, and that there is also a mini-Sponge out there too. :p Congrats on all that you have achieved, mate. On to the car, she's a belter! I do like those models of Lexus, both the previous-gen and yours. Excellent colour too, can never go wrong with silver to be honest, and the mods you got going on only improve upon an already stunning motor. So good to see you doing well and I hope we get to see more of you around these parts.[/QUOTE] Cheers for the warm welcome back! It's been far too long! It'll take a few months of reading to catch up with all that's happened! How are things with yourself?

I'm pleased to say that the game is somewhat smart enough to control the AI properly when they're fleeing from you.

Did a 'police chase' on the racetrack against a Gavril D and it was rather challenging to keep the Marshall in a straight line while trying to PITT the D. (That sounds so wrong...)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/3d/c2/d6/3dc2d6408c8749026d3da5a849489bfa.jpg

 

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Just ordered this:

 

http://bolthely.hu/kepek/obddiag/22041_3.jpg

 

and will buy this when the adapter comes and after I create a PayPal account I'm going to order this:

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/K-D-CAN-BMW-Ediabas-Inpa-NCS-EXPERT-E81-E82-E87-E88-E36-E46-E90-E91-E92-E39-/00/s/NTAwWDUwMA==/z/QC8AAOxyNThTebal/$_12.JPG

 

so I can dive into the dark side of garage coding and brick the car.

I've got the bigger version of the bluetooth module and it's great for hooking up to my car to check on all the sensors :) Got mine currently set up to track MPG and how much horsepowers I'm putting down. Also coolant temps as my thermostat is having a little issue staying closed.

The scenarios are rather frustrating! I am still to be successful in descending the hill in the Gavril D! Always start flipping a quarter of the way down.

I thought you preferred the 370z

It's always been the 350z for me, I've only come to love the 370z because 350's are becoming rarer by the year and their mileages are going a bit too high for my liking.

The dream car I want has always been the Nissan 350z:

Although a much more realistic car for the future would be a Vauxhall Insignia VXR Touring

Knowing the Mrs, she'll want 9,000 children so a two seater sports car is out of the question!

I know the feeling all too well, Ry.

Hope you find something quickly, I've recently had to wind up my business and go back to an old job so I feel your pain :(

I've got a to and from uploading to YouTube now. I'll post them up once they're done! Might take a while though...

EDIT #2: Here's the way in, a few 4,500rpm pulls but mostly legal!

EDIT #1: Here's the way home. My apologies for the fail at the end!

Correct! My VFR is pushing around the 120-125 BHP mark, but that's with an awful lot of tuning.

Probably has bits of metal floating around in the oil now too. :hmmm:

That was over 15,000 miles ago, but the oil was actually alright. Yeah, there were metal bits in but that's normal haha.

The wine/whistle is there at all RPMs, give it the beans and it ROARs. But I'm not allowed to do that yet. (1500kms to go)

Little trick of the trade. Rag the gonads off of the bike. The engine will run in better and will also give you better fuel economy & power :)

I ran my new YBR in for about 500 miles before someone suggested ragging it to me... After about a week of full throttle acceleration, the bike was so much nippier and it generally sounded smoother.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rJ8HtEoa62o/VUCVfyrQeTI/AAAAAAAAZcs/PSzm3pUJC2o/s1280/20150429_143215.jpg

 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0X66j3dYhbY/VUCVNnXVxOI/AAAAAAAAZck/OMPH2SR1tTw/s1280/20150429_143232.jpg

 

 

Honda CBR500R ABS > Triumph Street Triple RX ABS

471cc > 675cc

2cyl > 3cyl

48bhp > 110bhp

192kg > ~168kg

That's a pretty machine! The triples have a lovely whine when you're giving it the beans :D

Yep, but I'd rather not be a

and look after my back. :)

 

Looking good all-rounder and that seems to be the best by far.

I must admit that the VFR is a very good mixture of sporty and tourer. You can REALLY have some fun on it when the time permits, but you can also sit up and rack up the miles in just as much pleasure.

Coupled with their immensely reliable V4 engine, it's a underrated bike!

One of these, just a special edition that includes most of the optional extras from factory (cheaper than dealer fitting).

Ahh yeah. The street triples are very nice and sound pretty good for a three cylinder too.

If I had to go for a Triumph, though, I'd definitely put my money on one of THESE

That bike. :eek:

 

Can I buy it in a year or so? :p

Of course you can!

Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you (with those specs) :lol:

 

Tempted by a TST RX myself...

Ha! My return was long overdue.

What's a TST RX? Not something I'm familiar with

Actually... i didn't :o. Fiat Punto wasn't mine, and Honda City isn't either. :lol:

Oh... That's embarrasing! Well, erm...

Erm...

Your camera is good quality then!

:lol: Surprisingly, yes. I do still here. Although, many things have changed since then... :hmmm:

I've noticed. I see you've also got yourself a tidy little motor!

:eek:

Oh god. Are you STILL here?

:leaves:

Still riding?

I am indeed. Still got hold of my Honda VFR800 VTEC (Yes, VTEC has kicked in many times, yo!)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/metal_man_409e/th_IMG_47483407735475_zpsqiwnfors.jpeg

This thing has been rather heavily tuned! Bit of a monster at times!

- Power Commander III USB with custom map

- K&N Filter

- Upgraded High-Flow Airbox

- HIDs

- Clear Indicators (Stock were orange)

- Straight through exhaust system

- Decatted

- Delkevic Titanium headers & Collector

- Pair & Flapper valves disabled (Helps low end power and ridability)

- o2 eliminators (Stops overfuelling on low revs)

- Michelin Pilot Road 4 tyres

- LED sidelights

And a bonus picture of the 'acquired taste' cute face!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/metal_man_409e/th_20130705_132032_zps9pp3hy1w.jpg

A post from Spongie???

 

:shug:

 

It's been a while, how have you been? Clean car by the way. :)

Indeed! It has been a while. I'm doing alright thank you :)

The car is cleanish, but it needs a good going over with a clay bar to really make it clean.

It's certainly been a while since I've been here. In that time, I've done many great things.

One of which is; Buy a car!

Bagged myself a 2005 Vauxhall Vectra Estate.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/metal_man_409e/th_20140315_170012%20copy_zpspjmpt3o4.jpg

She's only an 1800cc, but goes like stink thanks to my cold air feed and general overhaul of the throttle body. Not sure on what HP she's got, but I'd estimate that it's around the 130BHP mark.

The mods so far;

- Cold Air Intake

- Uprated throttle body

- HID Headlights (Projector Housing, so not chavvy!)

- MTEC Xenon Sidelights

- Ice White footwell lighting (front & rear)

- Insignia washer jets

- Lowered springs

For now! Plenty left in the pipeline!

Surprisingly enough, I'm losing love for bikes now.

Passed my driving license, almost got my first car and will be moving in to my own house within the next 30 days or so. On top of that, I've started my own business repairing and selling desktops/laptops/mobiles/tablets etc...

Stressful doesn't even begin to explain it haha.

:mcoffee:

Ah very nice! Honda reliability is second to none! A 500cc should be decent enough on economy. I can't help but cringe at the 47bhp output though. My old 1997 Thundercat (600cc) developed 95BHP at the back wheel with only a K&N Filter and a Remus Carbon exhaust on.

As for tips. The best thing my grandad ever told me is: Treat EVERYONE as an idiot.

Other things I've picked up along my two wheeled life are;

- When unsure if cars are pulling out of a junction, watch their wheels as opposed to the cars themselves. You can see the wheels move much sooner than the car

- Riding a bike near idle in the highest gear does NOT give better fuel economy. On a 500cc IL4, you'd want to think about shifting between 4500rpm & 5000rpm.

- When turning corners too quickly, use the REAR brake instead of the front. If you pull the front while leaned over, you'll lock the front wheel up and fold.

- Watch out for grids/painted road markings, especially in the wet.

- Proper road positioning is key, I always ride in line where the driver of the car in front is. Leave a two second gap to enable you to plan your escape should an issue arise.

- Don't forget to cancel your indicator, about 2% of bikes have self-cancelling indicators

- Car drivers might not have seen you behind them, so occasionally do a small weave to grab their attention (Every 40 seconds or so is a good timing)

- When riding in wet weather, clean and re-lubricate your chain every 3-4 days

- Chavs in Chav-Chariots will ALWAYS want to race you. Show them that their Vauxhall Corsa/Citroen Saxo is actually a shed by riding next to them in first/second gear as they're at their top speed (It's hilarious)

- Leaves, Mud, Gravel and any other loose road surfaces are dangerous. You never know what's around the corner so be careful when on unfamiliar roads.

- If you're in trouble at the side of the road, a fellow biker should stop and offer assistance. If they don't, then they're not "true bikers"

Many happy miles on two wheels (Occasionally one ;)) But most of all, stay safe!