Has a test ride on Norton Commando 961 today from Krazy Horse Cotswolds . I must say Norton have done an excellent job of retaining character, the feel of a bygone era but with Ohlins and Brembos that do a very good job. The ride gave me a broad smile, and that is how I judge a bike, but it did my neck in, and could do with a bit more oomph. However once you understand how to ride it it works very well. Well done Norton, a much better build than our other British brand(Made in China) Triumph.
It’s an ugly fucker though. That rear overhang and the awkward seat/tank interface are making my teeth itch
Did a 400 mile ride out to Anglesey and then around north and mid Wales, longest ride I’ve done in a day in years (since I used to tour in Europe). Wore my mesh jacket which was a mistake going through Snowdonia with piss down rain and 12c temp, I was freezing. 899 never missed a beat but the brakes got progressively worse as the day went on. Thought I’d sorted them but obviously not. Anyway a good day.
Luckily the rear seat overhang is behind me once in the saddle, and the seat tank interface is covered up by my more than ample belly, so it’s not a problem.
Tuned into Glastonbury yesterday evening, a set by PJHarvey, the first few songs informed me that she had been in that medicine cabinet again. Then she got the broomstick out and everything was ok again, of course those two bottles of Hoegarden help matters.! Overall a nine out of ten for her kooky performance, but what happened to those music lyrics from the past, lick my legs i'm on fire.......... All a little woke these days.!
We’ve got friends staying from Cornwall for the weekend, stayed up drinking until 3am, but don’t feel too bad today, oddly. Pub crawl today, then a bbq later.
Hiding in the room today; went into town and found 33 degrees quite oppressive. Germany’s game is at 9pm tonight and there are large numbers well into the beer at 1pm. Decided discretion was the better part of valour and left them to it; there’ll be some sore heads tomorrow. Fortunately the one Sky channel we get is showing the Dutch GP.
I’m sure he does, would have been nice had he acknowledged it the same way he acknowledged Tina Turner and Christine McVie later in the show.
So after niggles with the v4 at aragon and always worrying it would be reliable for 3 or 4 days on a euro, I changed it for this
Yesterday we went to the Fake Festival at Tynemouth As the title says they were all fake bands and it was held at Percy Park in Tynemouth. Well organised too as there must have been about 3k people there. Alanis Morrisette was good, Bon Jovi very good (though the American accent was a bit shit considering the singer was from Birmingham), Stereophonics were good (But not as good as the Phonics we saw a couple of weeks ago), Kasabian and the Foo Fighters were brilliant. And Queen not so much.........Freddie Mercury may have had Freddys moves but looked (and sounded) like a kebab shop owner We left half way through the Queen set seeing as they were last on. But overall it was a good day
Nice trundle out on the Triumph then the culinary delights of Brunel's Buttery in the docks while people people paid to drive the steam engine...
Whilst my MTB OTB concussion is keeping me off my bikes I’ve been making slow progress on my back door .
Seeing as there was nothing on the telly but some boring bloody football… I thought I’d have a quick blast over to Whitby around about 6:00 ish … A coffee at Clara’s, in the summer months this little coffee shack is open 9:00 am to 9:00 pm seven days a week, fab Whitby Abbey as seen through the whale jaw bones, the implement of the poor creatures demise is clearly mounted on top,…a harpoon head. The man responsible for all my air miles ..Capn Cook , what a guy Lovely little run out, about 85 miles round trip for me
