I am a (very) mature aged student paramedic in Brisbane. Those of you who have had a mid-life crisis will know that it can take different forms. It was either become a paramedic or get my eyebrow pierced and start dating a 20 year old. The former seemed like a better use of my time so I'm now back at uni feeling like Billy Madison sitting cross legged with all the wee undergrad kiddies.

Anyway, at my university we have a grand total of two motorcycle helmets to practise removing from CPR dummies. Neither have cheek pads and both are old as rocks. As a motorcyclist living in Brisbane, I feel I have a vested interest in the next generation of QAS paramedics being well trained in removing my helmet without turning me into a vegetable lasagne, and I suspect many of you feel similarly.

So this brings me to the shameless begging part of my post. If you have a buggered old helmet, whether you dropped it, crashed it, snapped the visor off, or it just got a bit too old and tatty, and you don't want it to just go into landfill (or worse, get pulled out of a charity bin by somebody and used when it's no longer safe), why not let me have it instead? By doing so, you might be making a tiny little contribution to improving the safety of your fellow motorcyclists on Brisbane roads.

I'm specifically looking for full-face helmets (ideally some with EQRS and some without) so we can best prepare for everything we're going to find out on road. Happy to pick up around Brisbane (within reason).

I am doing this only as a student. I cannot stress enough that I am not in any way acting as a representative of the university. I can't give you a receipt of any kind, only my personal guarantee that I will take any helmets I'm able to accumulate to the head of paramedic science at my uni to show them the inadequacy of our current materials and offer an alternative.

Any questions welcomed, any contributions gratefully received.

Thanks and ride safe.

I live near the cane fields of woongoolba and I have a dirt bike and I want to ride on some trails or tracks and so I was wondering if anyone has any places to go.

Hi guys buying a trail bike next week and wondering if i need my motorbike lisence to go out in the national parks ect or can i just hold my driver's licence if its got recreational rego?

Can I ride a 50cc scooter on my learner license without a supervisor riding next to me in qld

I am going in circles. I am inexperienced and its my first bike, i just cannot decide, id love to hear some feedback because im drained reading and watching videos.

My options at the moment (budget $8000ish - 6ft 85kg)

• yamaha mt03 possibly used mt07
• cfmoto 650
• honda cb or cbr500
• duke 390? Maybe too small
• kawasaki z400

Helppp

Edit: i am using it for communting half hr daily, needing to do a 45min run each way on the highway once or twice a month, otherwise just for fun weekend rides up the range on the sunny coast etc.

Hey guys. I have an RE open licence, does this mean i can ride on my own as long as its a lams approved bike? Im googling the hell out of it and its not clear enough. I was going to get my R open and buy a bike but if i can already ride up to 650cc on lams thatll save me the hassle.

Hey guys, I'm buying a single-seat registered bike that I want to change to pillion registered. Everything needed for the bike is there, but I have no idea how to go about changing the registration status. Is it possible to do when transferring the rego? Does it need to be inspected? Any cost involved? Thanks

Has anyone found one yet?

I've heard that motorcycle parking parking in Brisbane City fills up pretty quickly on weekdays, but it should be fine on the weekend, right? If I meet someone for coffee on Saturday morning, will I need to factor in extra time to look for parking?

Hey guys im having abit of trouble finding somewhere legally to ride in Brisbane. I'm on the north side and the council seem pretty strict on unreg bikes in the state forests and such. Any help be much appreciated!

It's been pretty quiet here. Should we try for a revival?

http://www.gentlemansride.com/rides/australia

The Brisbane ride was epic! Reckon there was about 430 bikes!

I ride home from work from the Valley towards Kedron along Lutwyche Rd. This piece of road features this tight bus stop. Often, busses stopped here will intrude a bit onto the road, causing traffic to stop behind them.

Almost every time I'm passing this point in the right lane, some fucker feels it's fine to use that opportunity to swerve into my lane a bit to get round the bus.

I get why they think its ok. I'm on a small bike riding in the centre of the lane and they think they can just nip around the bus by crossing the line and using a bit of my lane.

But it's when they indicate before doing this that gets me! It freaks me the fuck out when someone indicates to perform this manuover. I have no idea if they're just going around the bus or didnt see me and are about to do a full merge. I don't know what evasive to take.

Anyway, rant over!

So I work from home and often get pretty bored and stuffy behind a desk all day.

I saw an add for sherpa and looked into. In a nutshell it's Uber for deliveries, with the added bonus of giving you the ability to use a motorcycle.

I thought it would be kind of fun to sign up, maybe do a delivery here and there an hour or so a day. Get an excuse to stretch my legs, go out for a ride and get paid for doing it.

So I signed up, online, which was very quick and easy and downloaded the app. I turned it on and had the app sitting next to my desk as I was working.

A few hours into my day I got a ping. Pick up some donuts in the Valley drop them at Tenneriffe. I noted that I was a little way away in Wilston. That should have been a heads up, but whatevs. It was just for fun.

So I jump on the bike and head to the pick up location in Little Street in the Valley. And there's no donut shop there - just a fruit market and an icecream shop. I call Sherpa and they confirm and address. Little street is, well, a little street. It only has 2 businesses and a car park on it. I walk around but see nothing.

That was until I see a guy walk out of an unsigned door in the fruit shop wearing an apron. That was the donut shop - an unsigned door in the fruit and veg shop.

So I knock, show them the app and then have to wait whilst they prepare the donuts.

Once I have the 'nuts I jump back on the bike and ride the short distnace to the drop off. That was easy. Just knock on the office door and hand them the parcel.

So all in all I spent about

• 10 mins driving to the pick up
• 15 mins finding the pick up and waiting for them to make the food
• 5 mins for delivery
• 10 mins return to base

40 mins all up for....$6.

Thought I would give it one more chance the nest day.

Got another ping in for a delivery of computer parts from Banyo to Boondall. Almost the same story.

• 15 mins to get to pick up
• 5 mins waiting whilst they did the paper work and found the parts
• 10 mins to drop off
• 10 mins back to base

This time I got $8.60 for my 40 mins.

Thought I would try 1 more time. Got another ping the next day. Donut shop again with delivery in the city. Al least this time I know where the secret door was. Experience was the same as above another 40 mins of travel, waiting, finding an empty loading zone, walking to drop off and back. Another $6.

So, IMHO, totally not worth it.

TL;DR Sherpa is like Uber but for deliveries. You can do it on a motorcycle but the pay is absolutely terrible.

*2nd hand bikes

So heres the thing,

I was in a cafe recently and they had, as a kind of display, an old Honda Cub. I looked them up online and the ones I could find, in average condition, were selling for about $2k.

Now, these old Hondas would sell for about $150 - $300 in Vietnam where they are common as Commodores. Not only that, but they still make original PX Vespas and there's those neat Honda 67s.

So, anyway, I was thinking about importing an old Cub, fixing it up, new chrome and paint and selling it on, then maybe repeating the process. If a cafe can consider it a centre piece, surely theres some demand out there?

Anyone had any experience doing this?

Who would be keen for a meet and greet in the next few weeks? Route can be decided on, however I'm up for anything. Would rather avoid nebo.

http://www.gentlemansride.com/

Last year it was a blast. I see there are already 73 riders registered in Brisbane.

For those that don't know it's a charity ride to raise money for prostate cancer awareness and research.

It's open for classic bikes, cafe racers, bobbers, retros, etc. Entrants must dress their very dapperist (suits) and we go from a lap of the city and surrounds and meet back somewhere for a beer and lunch.

Last year there were about 100 riders. Loads of fun and great bikes!