Ny namesake - the Triumph TT600 , in blue and silver - has sailed with majestic - British- aplomb, through another MOT. 34000 miles and still good fun to ride...... p.s.Must have been a good day for MOTs someones Monster went through at Somerset Superbikes, in the morning Whilst the Monster dark was a 'work in progress' in the workshop...
I'd love to Tom, but the postage cost would be prohibitive. Problem now is that cheap plane tickets won't allow you to put a bag in the hold, and the beardies have ensured that you're not allowed to carry jam in your hand luggage. So none of the friends I visit in the UK get any of my jam any more.
Yes, still fermenting away. I give it a stir every few days. Apparently the local distillery isn't open until September. I have been told to seal the barrel when I think the fermentation is over, and if it swells a bit, it isn't. Currently there is just a heavy brick on the lid, which enables CO2 under pressure to escape, but no air at atmospheric pressure to enter (though of course it does when I stir the thing).
Just finished writing out my "Lonely Hearts" ad for the local paper :- "Liberated female companion wanted. Kids, no problem. Tattoos, no problem. Overweight, no problem. Smoker no problem. Benefit claimer no problem. Must like Staffordshire Bull Terriers and alcohol. Strictly no Chavs"
I've had a fairly ordinary day. I'm forever surprised at the amount of space cadets in the US that don't know how to check things out. Don't they have google in America? Anyway I left the office early and went out on my bike for a few hours. Bliss........but I'm confused. I'm not sure if it's the 899 that's brilliant or I'm a much better rider this year
Spend the day finishing off the stripping and brushing of the Panigale tank then decals applied ready for the coats of Satin laquer tomorrow at the paintshop octor:
Nearly had my car written off by a young lad in a Clio driving too close and too fast on the A14. A car pulled out from behind a tractor travelling in the near side lane, in to the outside lane. Outside lane traffic forced to brake heavily. 10 cars manage to stop, lad behind me doesn't. I glanced at my rear view mirror as I applied the brakes and dove towards the divider when I saw he wouldn't make it. He dived toward the kerb, a short over steer battle left and right before he threw it in to a tree. No one except me got out of their car to help. Just drove through the mess and cleared off. I got out and ran over, ready to provide medical care and, unbelievably, he was fine. Car was not too badly messed up either so he'd managed to shed enough speed braking and snaking to avoid serious injury. The lucky bugger. 2 things I have realised from this: Immediate action on an Emergency stop needs to be to look in the mirror, even if you're female, on the phone and couldn't pass your driving test again to save your life. (That's not me, by the way. It's just what I seem to see behind the wheel, doing make up in the centre lane of the M25) 2: joe public are uncaring bastards that won't even stop to help a potentially fatally injured fellow human.
Did well PP. I like to know whats behind me almost as much as whats in front of me- especially on motorways, these days, where stuff travels so close behind. I can control the gap in front, but to a lesser degree the one behind. I recall my driving instructor ( In his beige Fiesta...) telling me that it is good practice to check rear view mirror every 5-8 seconds, and thats what i aspire to, but as you say, in an emergency stop, once you've got control of whats in front- look to see whats going to hit you from behind!! Both at the same time is ideal!!
This is all very sound advice. But remember, if someone goes into the back of you, it's their fault. If you go into the back of someone, it's your fault. I have had similar situations where you don't dare use all the car's brakes because you know you are going to get shunted, but you have to make sure that you still stop in time all the same.
About 20 years back I was driving down the A34 south of Oxford. Dual carriageway, inside lane coned off for resurfacing. Approached roadworks at traffic speed of about 80, traffic slowed to about 30 in the road works section. Slowed with the car in front, looked in my mirror and a Granada behind was still tanking along with the driver looking down, probably fiddling with the radio. Kept an eye on him and he wasn't looking up, hit horn, no reaction so swerved through the cones and into the roadworks. He hit the back of the car that was in front of me. Not sure if I did the right thing or whether I should have held fast and taken it like a real man. At least I knew it was coming, unlike the poor bastard who was in front of me.
At weekend, the local Hells Angels had their yearly event for custom bikes and charity. Seen 4 Harleys parked on the motorway on my way home, pulled in and asked if they needed any tools etc since I only lived off the next junction. They said they were fine, 'just waiting on a trailer'. That was my good deed for the week, I am allowed lots of red wine this week.
Not always so.... a taxi drove into the back of my stationary car in stationary traffic in Taiwan, police involved, went to court, and I was found at fault for 'not keeping sufficient distance from the car behind'. The Police assured me it was nothing to do with me being a foreigner.
