4 Day week

No, I’ve not been put on a short working week. Tuesday I went to the Birmingham office to work and for a meeting with work colleagues based there, and as usual I used the motorbike for the commute. Nothing untoward about that except on the way home I had to pass the scene of a recent accident and I thought I picked a clean line through the debris on the road. Except, Wednesday morning I’m all dressed up in my gear, topbox loaded and I’m ready to go when I discover that I’ve a flat rear tyre.

So Wednesday and Thursday I use the car and get Friday off to get a new tyre. Why a new tyre? Well firstly, it had already had one repair job done on it, and two is all you are allowed these days, and secondly, the tyres cost around £90 and a repair job is £30 - £35 and as it had already had one repair spending £60 - £70 on something that costs £90 doesn’t compute in my books. The front was fine and has plenty of miles left in it but the rear was starting to square off so a new Avon Storm ST (AV56) it was to be, except the nearest stockist is the other side of Nottingham.

Friday morning I stick as much air in the tyre as I can get it to hold, around 30 psi, and with foot pump in the topbox I set off for Colwick. I find MTS without any real problems even though I only have a rough idea of where it is. Tim is cheery and welcoming in his greeting, he has another customer Ken in front of me with an immaculate Yamaha R1 in blue which is in dire need of some new rubber, back and front so that he can go off to tour the Pyrenees in a few weeks time. The new Pirelli Super Corsas being fitted will be in need of replacement by the time he gets back if his calculations are correct – he reckons to around 2,500 miles per set…. Ouch! At £225 a pair that’s expensive riding.

While I’m waiting another Yamaha turns up. This on is a Fazer 1000 in grey set up for light weight touring – topbox only, no panniers. The owner Ken is semi-retired from the coal industry and he and his wife are soon off to France for a week or two. His bike also has Avon Storm tyres on it and his rear is down to the minimum wear strips. We are comparing wear rates and mileages covered when another R1 turns up, this time a very well looked after and original Rossi Limited Edition from around 2004. Well looked after except for the rear tyre that is. That tyre is down to the steel the whole way round for a strip about 1” wide. Tim has finished Ken’s R1 by now and walks over to have a look. The owner says he’s had the bike since November and this is the first tyre he’s had fitted. Tim says he’s lucky it’s held together.

My wheel comes off, new tyre fitted and after returning home I set off with Mark and we ride together to Buxton where I turn round and return to Derby via Chesterfield and Clay Cross. Mark continues to Manchester where he is staying with his girlfriend for the Bank Holiday weekend. When I get home I get the bike in the garage and fit new brake pads to the rear. That should be all the maintenance needed until next Bank Holiday at the end of May when it will get an oil and filter change and (hopefully) a new MoT.

Tomorrow’s Bank Holiday Monday so this week will also be a 4 day week, and next weekend marks the end of my probation period with my new employer, so fingers are very definitely crossed.