Had my follow-up after my radiotherapy today.....no more scans,until 6 months and that's for a mammogram on my other booby so happy!!! JEN 1 - CANCER 0 YES!!!!!
Today I went to see my friend Bernard the Ducati guru in the Valais who is attending to my 999. You won't remember that it has become very difficult to start when hot, or even warm, and even from cold, it isn't as easy to start as it used to be. This has been going on for a couple of years or so and has been getting steadily worse. I did ask the garage where I now have servicing done to fix it, but they didn't, or couldn't. Bernard the Ducati guru retired and sold his garage to his mechanics. Then, because it was located in the middle of a vineyard in a small village, Ducati made them move it a few miles to a main road. I've had to go there for the last few years. However, I discovered that Bernard had retaken control of the old garage and was servicing and preparing bikes for old friends and a select clientele again, although he didn't sell any new ones. So he was clearly the man to fix my problem. Since taking the bike to him a fortnight ago (you can't hurry these people) he has tested the compression and found it to be a miserable 7kg on one cylinder, and about 9kg on the other. The values should be between 11 and 12. He is convinced that this is causing the starting problem. But what is causing the compression problem? Almost certainly the valves which have never been adjusted in 46'000 kms.... Yes, they have been supposedly checked at every service, according to my bills, but never actually adjusted. Bernard tells me the values are way out. He also showed my my air filters, which were clogged and looked like shit. Strange, when according to my last bill, they were changed for new ones last year, 6'000 dry miles ago... He tried my bike, found it hard to start and that it ran like crap. I hadn't noticed the performance fall off, as it must have been very gradual over a couple of years or so. So the bad news is that the heads have to come off and it's all going to cost money I can't afford. And I imagine that I am going to have some tough conversations with Bernard's ex-mechanics, who, it should be said in passing, are very nice guys and Bernard is convinced that they are as honest as the day is long. Hmmm. The good news is that I imagine that when I do get my bike back, it will probably have foaled about an extra 20 horses or something, and that is going to be fun. It will be like a new bike all over again. Watch this space. Naturally this is all very annoying, as ever since I arrived in Switzerland, my Ducatis have been either serviced by Bernard (for about 17 years) or by an old Italian in the 80s who looked after some big collections of Ducatis and classic MVs and whose work surfaces you could have eaten off. Their work has always been flawless (if expensive). Then I was forced to a new garage and the problems start. Bollox.
An attendant stopped me in a hospital car park today to tell me, "You can't park here. It's badge holders only." "But I have got a bad shoulder you moron." I told him
got this recollection of you getting it mapped to ether sort this fault or that's when the fault started? maybe mistaken.
No, I never did. I think the other garage reset the TPS, but if the valves are out and the compression is off, that wouldn't do the trick. And it hasn't.
Got cross with another contractor 2 vans and a car now to paint next door!!!! Waited till I went out and the big van moved and parked outside my house!! Just about had enough of them either blocking me in or taking my space I told him to move his van as I have had enough and park back in the space he had left He did after he told me he pays tax oh yeah well so do I now move it!!! Reported them today to be told they need ease to the property well what about my ease having to park away from my house for three contractor vehicles how's that fair!!!! Why not ask next door to move their vehicle and hey presto they can walk 2 steps to the door if they want ease Bloody ease unch:
