so u dont want newbies in is that what your saying now ? bit harsh in it                                                                                                                                                                               

  Well it's one way to get rid of me from the site, post loads of bike related topics and not much else. Bore the arris off me for sure and I'm well bored enough already!!   I try my best to source interesting bike related news, for the newsletter, and I'm grateful to those who contribute to that but as I said, I would hate for the site to be predominantly bike topics.   In our every day lives we talk about all sorts, not just bikes so why should it be any different on here?                                                                                                                                                                               

i second that kwak again lol                                                                                                                                                                             

  Oo I say!! twice in 51 yrs someone agrees with me, I'm doing well lol                                                                                                                                                                             

i put my cover back on my daytona to day     there thats a bike coment lol     yeh u doing ok kwak                                                                                                                                                                              

  PML @ 'cover back on', ya div!                                                                                                                                                                               

Whats the old saying yet again

You cant please all of the people all of the time !
                                                                                                                                                                             

General chat/anything  goes????????                                                                                                                                                                             

I posted a bike related topic (bike compatability site) and only myself and RK have posted on it, maybe because its relevent to RK's situation at present but even so its a mine of information. Rk compared his bike to another one and was amazed his was the better model, hense he is re-thinking now, is it wise to swap?  I don't think it's about bike related topics at all, I believe if rubbish wasnt posted then there would be no forum at all ! I have started to think about what I'm posting incase its looked on as 'rubbish', surely thats affecting my freedom of speech? However, I have started to wonder though if newbies are put off by the banter ?  I know I was worried and hung about for a few days, then threw myself into the chat room one night - some of my friends from there are still my friends today.     They may be lacking confidence and think will they 'fit in', be able to add to the thread - if thats the reason my best advice is, throw yourself in the pit and join in, thats what I did 2 years ago and I've never looked back.  And you don't know unless you try.     I personally think it's a big thing starting a post - its a reflection on you as to what is going on in your life, what you want to know, etc - it makes people pay attention - or thats the theory.   Members come and go - there has been  a lot of  member changes since I joined but there is always someone to have a laugh with.  I'd like to see posts from members who haven't posted for a long time so we can add to them.  Personally I feel this site has a good balance of fun and knowledge - other forums are full of bike related stuff and personally if you're like me and don't know a lot it goes over your head.  Though on this site I wouldn't be scared to ask for help for bike problems and fear looking stupid, but I would on other forums.     I believe if people arent happy they will leave whatever changes, in their dribs and drabs - surely its best to keep your 'core' happy ?                                                                                                                                                                             

i enjoy the banter on  here  and  can pop in the chatroom  ...if it aint  broke... dont fix it  !!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

hear hear !!      *is that going to be judged as an inappropriately short comment ?*                                                                                                                                                                             

  No, cos it aint inappropriate.                                                                                                                                                                             

Well at least this thread has members offering opinions, as varied as they might be,for my 2 cents worth most guys/ladies always contribute to biking related topics when they appear,if they're slow in appearing who's to blame?                                                                                                                                                                             

I posted a bike related topic (bike compatability site) and only myself and RK have posted on it, ............. I have started to think about what I'm posting incase its looked on as 'rubbish', surely thats affecting my freedom of speech?   Par for the course - people generally contribute to chatty threads more than they do to the more "technical" threads. This is human nature, not site-specific to BM only.   & there's no such thing as freedom of speech... Particularly on a site where you have to pay to enable yourself to make a contribution to the forums   Most forums (paid membership or not) have a policy laid out and a "new members: please read before posting" sticky thread so that people are made aware of any site rules for posting on their forum.   The "rules" of posting on this site's forums are unclear. For example, you don't know that you're "not allowed" to post a direct link, until you either get a post removed/edited for it, or until someone bumps up an old thread that mentions it.                                                                                                                                                                             

plus they always seem to deviate from the original subject !!!                                                                                                                                                                             

Human nature again. Forums are conversational and conversations flow from one subject to another. When you use a social networking site, you're not expecting it to be reminiscent of a management meeting with a strict agenda and no variation until AOB is brought up at the end of it                                                                                                                                                                              

I agree with WB when you are having a conversation face to face the topic can change and then return to the original.  This could be a debate which lasts for a while as everybodoes opinion varies to some degree :)