This morning I went out on Katie M the mighty Super Adventure and enjoyed the last 100 miles before it's first service...(where hopefully they will fit the headlight protector,tank protection film and GPS bracket,and upgrade the software so I get the trick flashing stop light).Actually I lie,I've got 60 miles left to get to Gear4 at Market Deeping to get it done. Then I got to work on a little non-runner Husqvarna ride-on lawn mower that I won on ebay. Now the phoenix has risen from the ashes and it starts! runs! drives! I'm impressed! Just needs a little mig-welding action on the mower deck,and a new deck belt,and it's finished! It's been an excellent weekend...similar miles on the Katoom yesterday,and got home to find I had won Sargent rider and pillion seats to fit the K1300GT for for a mere £142 on ebay,(£440 or summat new). And sunshine almost wall to wall....fantastic!
Decided to bite the bullet today, and buy an expensive set of Chef's knives. Anyone know which one is best for piercing the film on ready meals?
Finally got round to booking an expensive ferry trip to Santander. Off to the Picos in 4 weeks on my £200 SV650! The bike cost half as much as the ferry trip...
My back finally seems to be working - ground prep for patio is coming along nicely now after a bit of garden action today Just finished updating my Ebay listings so they make more sense - the fitments confused me so god knows what customers thought! I have now listed all fitments, but FFS, Ebay don't allow a multiple option listing under bike parts. I have had to do a couple of false listings to show all options and refer them to the individual listings. What a pain, but done now
Today I went to the Acid Days motorcycle test event. This year, they said they had 200 bikes to test (I counted at least 150 on their website) and the event has moved. It is still local to me, but not a couple of miles up the road as before. It’s got bigger. There is even a band playing and registration was about 40 minutes quicker as if you’ve been before, you are pre-registered. Result! I decided that the bike I most wanted to try was a Scrambler. After all, I’m not going to buy anything; it was simple curiosity. I only had to wait about 10 minutes and I was off for a quick tootle around their 20 km loop. This obviously doesn’t tell you a great deal, but it’s all good fun. The bad news is that the new circuit is about 50% in a 30mph zone, so all I found out there was that the Scrambler’s bars are bit too high and wide for my taste, the throttle response is a bit snatchy at those speeds and the speedo is bog standard LCD fare with a tacho that isn’t very easy to read (compared to the 999 tacho, not much is). There were a couple of twisty-ish sections that were more fun, but I was behind slow-moving people on large Honda cruiser affairs. So I decided to blast past at one point. I say “blast” – they were doing about 45, and I must have gunned the Scrambler to a massive 55 overtaking. As I did so, I saw the guy in front making “slow down” gestures, so I did, thinking “they can’t have put a speed trap around here, surely?” But 200m later, there it was, hiding in the grass verge. I hasten to point out that this was on a B road, in the country in the middle of nowhere much. This infuriated me for the rest of the day. If I hadn’t have been warned, I might well have explored a few more revs on the Scrambler and I would have lost my licence, quite probably, seeing as I only have to be going about 70 mph to do that now here. Was there any warning of this? Were there signs before you started out, saying “Beware, there are speed traps on our test circuit”? Were there bollocks. So what was the point of the entire weekend, unless it was to trap a load of unwary motorcyclists into losing their licence on an unfamiliar machine? Thank God I wasn’t on the Panigale, which I had been intending to have a scoot on. So all I did once I’d handed back the Scrambler was spend a few minutes chatting to the guys from the pressure groups to get the traffic legislation reformed (seeing as the new draconian laws were implemented without a popular vote 2 years ago) and then I went home, as there was clearly no point “testing” other bikes. On the way home, I deliberately went out of my way to go past the speed trap again so that I could photograph it, but they’d moved it. I suppose the idea was to make sure that they could catch new people unawares by hiding it in a different location. Next up – communicating my displeasure to the organisers and then writing a letter to the justice minister of the canton. Although the traffic laws are federal, you can implement them with more or less zeal. The neighbouring canton Valais generates CHF 3m from speed limit violations. Our canton? CHF 40m. And guess which has more traffic accidents? Yup. Ours. So I think it is time for her to hear what I have to say on the matter. Democracy, innit?
Early walk this morning with the dog, saw a kingfisher - lovely. Did the ironing and another load of washing. Gave the car a really good clean. Stacked more wood ready for winter 16/17. Not managing to get out on any of the bikes, so far one only ride this year
Sorry to hear that you live in an equally shitty country, Glidd. The ways that road "safety" measures are being implemented these days ... I can feel a "postal" moment looming.
My letter will be leaving tomorrow. Switzerland now has road safety policy worthy of a police state. It is the end of motorcycling in this country and sadly, I can no longer recommend anyone coming to ride the wonderful Alpine passes here. I'll be riding in France.
I popped out on mine today.Had to see how a new clutch slave did.Did nt go far,just far enough for a cup of tea and a fag.Saw a couple of scamera vans,down Towcester way.
I'm just about fed up of being ill!!!! I have lost my voice now for three days (everyone is happy in my house) think I have some sort of virus will visit docs today to confirm Wanted to mow the lawn and wash my little car but I just don't have the energy I'm feeling a little sorry for myself :Hurting:
I forgot to mention ... yesterday, my 999S turned 40! 40,000 miles and still lovely, rides like a girl half her age
nightmare.:smile: brought me bike gear in this morning to take the mutly home as i aint getting the 848 buzz at the mo.