Gravel path! Oh no……. road cone? Standards old boy! Usually block paving on here, occasionally tarmac but gravel, gravel? One chap has Yorkshire stone flags but he carries his bike in on a soft tyre quad with lifting equipment attached. Gravel, have you tried the GS web sites, love them on there makes the bikes look a little Adventurist. I need a lie down now.
Just got back. From just off Sandford Rd I left with the genuine alloy bracket firmly affixed and the no. plate mounted with a fresh pair of plastic screws/nuts. Passed the southern entrance to Mead Ind. Est. thus verifying that it is the same one Computers Schools Africa, Africa Schools Computers and, indeed, Computers Africa Schools is on. Carried on round heading for the northern end and, before heading in to locate Cookster's MOT joint, pulled over to check the plate. Only to find it semi mangled. At least the bracket didn't snap - but I don't suppose it'll last long now! I'm reminded of Walter Mitty, only it isn't "pocketa" I'm hearing. Think of it as something like F, F, F, F C-ing F-ing S and F right up the F-ing A. You had to be there.
Welcome WTL, good post. This week I have had my first ride on a bike for 23 years - knee injury at work and ongoing issues stopped me riding. After quite a few operations on my left knee I decided that now it is as good as it is ever going to be so if I wanted to try riding again now was the time to do so. On this basis I treated myself to a Hypermotard 1100 Evo back in May but due to it being winter here with a lot of rain it took me 4 months to go out on it. Had a short cruise around the Adelaide Hills and quickly realised I am a bit rusty to say the least BUT I did enjoy the feeling of freedom you seem to get on a bike. As for the knee ...... it wasn't 100% happy I have to admit, and was letting me know so, but will see how it goes when I have had a few more outings.
Best of luck to you, nadge63. As for my own knee injury - shattered patella in '81 - all they did was put a cast on. I use dihydrocodeine for my back - which dad gave me a strip of, that he used to take for his knee, which plagued him all his life. I believe his was a rugby injury from his school days. I've had it easy by comparison. My back is the worst, but riding helps, by keeping it centred. I used to ride all year round, in all weather, but I don't think it would be a good idea today, mainly because of the arthritis. The arthritis is the clincher. But, luckily, with a Ducati, I'm terrified of dropping it; and only slightly less of getting it wet! Well, I hope the summer makes the difference for you. You can't beat freedom - but you can't be really free without open-air personal transport!
So anyway - just to update this thread - the 2nd 'original' no. plate bracket failure gave me to suspect that either it was missing a component, or outright wrong. Now, thanks to Sev, I've confirmed that is the incorrect bracket, and have the correct, new, genuine Ducati parts on the way. Testing. Testing.
My new avatar. What with having said about my avatar being a Triumph TR5, I feel I should update this now that I've changed it. It is now a Chevy Corvette. A yellow Chevy Corvette. I also like the yellow SRT Viper. I don't like Italian sports cars; basically the only cars I like are American muscle cars. Say, minimum engine size of 5 litre V8; and this is why I'd accept a green Plymouth Barracuda even though it isn't yellow, the ideal colour for any vehicle. There's this bike I once owned, that I don't want to mention any more, that was known as 'the Lamborghini of motorcycles', so I thought I'd like Lamborghinis, but when I finally saw one I thought it was ugly. Ferraris I've seen since whenever and took an instant dislike to, despite the fact you can get them in yellow. And even wayer back when, I thought I'd like a Maserati, thanks to Blue Oyster Cult (haven't figured out how to get an umlaut on this phone!), but no, though they're prettier than the other two: no. I like a car you can jack up at the back and run on nitromethane and looks the right kind of funny. Ideally yellow, like a Ducati.
i had one of them (the car). and predictably to my friends, still have those little red rear side-marker lights new, plus a bonnet badge.
Life's been good.. There goes the neighbourhood.. and a Diary, yep, looks like you could be "The Confessor"
Chin up mucker, Aldi have their own version in the middle aisle I saw yesterday. Or there's also Waitrose's own version...
Right, that's no. plate 3 made. The bolts connecting the bracket to the Termi are too short - or it's still not the right bracket. So, I'm about to investigate that. If that was you, Cookster, apologies for not stopping! I was looking for a fasteners place on the Maida Vale section and, not finding such, and not having a plate, I went straight to Spa. For Kwacker 2-stroke fans: KH250 and 750 4 cylinder 1000, apparently built from 2 750s. They fired her up and rode about a bit. Smelt like being in the paddocks many years ago!
Look good weather or bad none of us are going anywhere at the moment without fuel! The TR5 pic? I rolled my TR4, then got a Triumph 2000 and the back axle went, so bought a CB250G5 (ah electric shocks to the LH knee off the HT lead in the wet) and here I am just having bought a 999 Biposto; not going anywhere as I used the fuel reserve riding around trying to find fuel.
CJ250T..my first new bike. Got it from Rye's of Fulham in 1977, in yellow. It must have had an effect, because years (lots of 'em) later, when I saw the 900SS that I now own - also in yellow - it was the colour that clinched the deal. I always used to laff when people used to drone on about how sweetly the 400/4 handled, 'cos the cycle parts were exactly the same as on the CJ twins, which no-one (correctly) ever used to praise... Having said that, it wasn't too bad....just not great. It was an Italian bike (Guzzi) that learned me what a motorbike is supposed to handle like.... Interestingly, I was out yesterday taking advantage of the relatively clement weather to get the 950 run in before the winter sets in. Went out and did 100-odd miles on it, bimbling around Stratford, Henley, Redditch, the Vale of Evesham, Stow, Moreton, etc... Then came back and did 50 miles on the 900SS, 'cos didn't want the old girl to feel neglected (and the battery needed a good charge and wanted to fill up with Esso Supreme - I hope it's still zero ethanol - before laying her up). Now, 2 bikes 19 years apart....the 900 has got an Andreani fork kit and a Nitron shock...and the 950 is the S version with the Ohlins....but not really a massive difference. Just shows geometry will out. But both bikes still make me smile like an idiot when I'm riding them.....and that's what it's all about, for me.
That’s what it’s all about. The grin factor! Defies definition, has no measure but yes. CJ250t in yellow. Memories, my then girlfriend had one. Bike zero grin factor, her on the other hand…..
