So with the new year 2017 now well and truly with us the effects on motorcycle manufacturers product line for the year have been revealed with the Euro 4 laws coming into force. As usual most manufacturers are taking the opportunity to rationalise their line-up, dropping the poor sellers. The full picture can be read in these two articles on BikeSocial:
BikeSocial: In Memorium and BikeSocial: Rest in peace
According to the first of these 2 articles it is a surprise that the VFR1200F, Honda’s great hope just a handful of years ago, is being killed off. Well EXCUSE ME but if you check back in my blog to when it was released in 2010 you will see that I dubbed it "the bike nobody wanted nor asked for", and so it has turned out. Good initial sales quickly tailed off and it just never proved as popular as the Blackbird that it replaced. So, no, I am not going to dance on its grave but I am not going to mourn its passing either. Might just raise a glass to the Suzuki Bandit (both 1250 and 650 versions) as it passes into history because unlike the VRF1200 the Bandit (RIP) was iconic, a real world motorbike for real bikers with a strong and loyal following.
Showing posts with label Motorbikes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Motorbikes. Show all posts
Thursday, 12 January 2017
Friday, 30 September 2016
Motorcyclist fatalities
Motorcyclists account for just 1% of total road traffic yet account for 19% of all road deaths.
Well yesterday I drove a minibus into central London and as a motorcyclist I was gob smacked at the antics I saw. Had one "biker" get seriously upset with me when I inadvertently went to make a lane change not seeing him in my blind spot even though I was being especially vigalent with my mirrors and peripheral vision. Many of the riders I saw were simply "suicide jockeys” preparing to become donors, just hope they have signed up to allow their organs to be given to someone who will value them more than they do.
Well yesterday I drove a minibus into central London and as a motorcyclist I was gob smacked at the antics I saw. Had one "biker" get seriously upset with me when I inadvertently went to make a lane change not seeing him in my blind spot even though I was being especially vigalent with my mirrors and peripheral vision. Many of the riders I saw were simply "suicide jockeys” preparing to become donors, just hope they have signed up to allow their organs to be given to someone who will value them more than they do.
Friday, 1 July 2016
SIPP update
All my working life I have contributed into whatever pension scheme was available to me through my employer thereby taking advantage of employer contributions on top of my own. Then a little over 5 years ago I was engaged by an IFA who came highly recommended through a number of personal recommendations. However, after following advice given and making recommended investments things started to unravel. The main investment turned out to be a scam and the next biggest investment in Verdant Australian Farmland turns out to be semi-barren drought plagued land returning a total of Aus $240 over the 5 years I've had it - I'd have got a better return leaving the money in a current account.
Mentally I've written off this loss of over £80k, but at the same time I've engaged a legal team to seek compensation or recover whatever monies they can. There are no promises and my hopes are on the pessimistic side of reality and reality is that I will be doing well if I recover 50% of that figure.
Meanwhile, I am still enjoying my driving job with University of Derby, the free time it allows me, the income it provides (not what I've been used to but keeps me off the homeless list) and the opportunities that not working 9am - 5pm provides.
Mentally I've written off this loss of over £80k, but at the same time I've engaged a legal team to seek compensation or recover whatever monies they can. There are no promises and my hopes are on the pessimistic side of reality and reality is that I will be doing well if I recover 50% of that figure.
Meanwhile, I am still enjoying my driving job with University of Derby, the free time it allows me, the income it provides (not what I've been used to but keeps me off the homeless list) and the opportunities that not working 9am - 5pm provides.
Thursday, 18 February 2016
First ride
Monday saw me get the bike out of the shed and off for a first ride since early November last year. My destination was an office in Manchester to deliver some papers. The outbound ride was mostly up the A52 / A523 on the route that does Ashbourne, Leek, Macclesfield, Stockport. As a result of not setting out on schedule I was left with a blast back via the M6 / A500 / A50. Boring! But what a chilly ride and a bright clear day resulting in a massive grin and an hour of trying to get warm on returning home.
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Another Bank Holiday trip - French Alps
May is bookended by Bank / public holidays in the UK so with some pre-planning and booking of accommodation my youngest son Mark and I got on out motorbikes and headed off to do some of the Routes des grandes Alpes south of Annecy, France. The plan was:
Day 1, Thursday: ride to Folkestone and get through the Channel Tunnel then ride the peage to Troyes for an overnight
Day 2, Friday: stay off the peage and use country roads to ride as direct a route as possible to Annecy
Day 3, Saturday: into the Alps, Col de Roselend, through Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Val D'Isére to hotel in Termignon
Day 4, Sunday: Termignon to Barcelonette via Col du Galibier and Col d'Izoard
Day 5, Monday: Barcelonette to Dijon via Pérouges staying off the peage toll roads
Day 6, Tuesday: Hit the peage, high speed cruising back to Calais, through the tunnel and back home via Staines for Mark and then on to Derby for me.
Things sort of went to plan, except I forgot to put the lid back on my automatic chain oiler after filling it up so had to fabricate a temporary cover using gaffer tape, and, my bike wouldn't start to get off the train in Calais - eventually traced to the kill switch (which I never use).
Somewhere in France at a service station, our bikes and Mark stood by his.
The peage toll roads are boring but the countryside is vast, rolling and rural so taking the time to have a good look around while riding can be rewarding but the trip is still boring. We stuck to the 130kmph speed limit as it gave us a good blend of fuel economy / speed / distance. Planned stops at intervals of around 220kms/130 miles meant we stayed sane and not too sore in the sitting down area.
Troyes has some interesting street 'furniture' demonstrated by Mark.
Troyes is quaint and the hotel quirky. The choice of where to eat was good, especially if you can understand french and french quisine. Main course in one cafe, crepes for desert in another and a good walk round the town between courses.
Lake Annecy.
Day 2 saw the sat nav pass up on it's duties and refuse to show us the route I had loaded so we just stuck in our destination and let it do it's own thing. The result wasn't far different from the planned route and we did cross a reservoir on a high bridge which was awesome. Annecy is beautiful even if parking at the Ibis is only by public car park or unsecured in a courtyard outside the front door of the hotel, otherwise fabulous. Pleanty to see, views of and across the lake and more.
Just to prove I was there on the trip.
Heading in the right direction despite a recalcitrant sat nav.
Day 3 started with The Cormet de Roselend as a gentle start to proceedings and a baguette lunch in Bourg-Saint-Maurice was pleasant. All went fine as far as Val D'Isére where "Route Barrée" stopped further progress. So we back tracked looking for an alternative route, whiuch is when the sat nav decided to freeze. Eventually (after 2 more "Route Barrée" signs) we decided to try Col de Madeline but after 45 kms that too was "Route Barrée" just 9km short of the Col itself. By now we were at risk of running out of day light so decided to go up to Albertville and jump on the peage, which we did, but missed our turn-off so had to go down to the next exit, get off and back on again - what a faff! But with sat nav still frozen we made it to Termignon, found the hotel, got a quick bite to eat and hit the sack. What should have been a gentle day had become our longest day with highest mileage and a big disappointment not being able to do the Col de l'Iseran.
What a view...
At the top of the Cormet de Roselend.
At the top of the Col du Galibier.
Sunday started dull grey but heading south the sat nav came back to life (sort of) as we picked up the D902 and proceeded over the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier, doing the tunnel 200 metres from the summit where the pass was still closed by snow. Down into Briancon where we had a McDonalds 'lunch' before moving out to ride the Col d'Izoard where our stop was enhanced by some crazy French historic car owners (a group of about 20 cars) and their antics. We also got buzzed by a police helicopter (twice) before we commenced our descent to the D900 at St Paul. These are fabulous biking roads and arriving at Jausiers we had to decide on whether we rode the Col de la Bonette - deciding not to after our long day the previous day and knowing we had a long day ahead the next day. Sensible yes, but still a disappointment. Barcelonnette was sort of cute, not very big but friendly. We had to wait for places to open up to get an evening meal but enjoyed ourselves at The 7 Portes where we ate well.
Yes, there is snow up here.
At the top of the Col d'Izoard.
First stop on the way home.
Starting our journey home on Monday, heading for Pérouges near Lyon we stayed off the peage and skirted round Grenoble where we hit our first brief shower. Pérouges is a very commercialised Medieval walled village, worth an hour wandering round but not much more. Fortunately bikes park for free so the visit cost us only a snack we bought there. Resorting to sat nav and peage we blasted up to Dijon for our last pre-booked hotel stop. On the way we hit a heavy shower that tested our riding gear but after 20 kms we rode back into sunshine and dried out before arriving at our destination the difficult to find Kyriad Hotel Dijon Gare on the Rue Docteur Albert Remy. Happily we were to park in their underground car park (also pre-booked) and get everythin goff the bikes and into our room before the heavens opened for the night. We elected for a short walk to La Scala where we ate well before retiring for the night.
Mark points out a feature of the medieval architecture.
Tuesday started with glorious sunshine to lift our spirits. Sat nav had some trouble with satelite reception so leaving Dijon proved tiresome but we made it out to the peage and commenced our return to Calais. I had planned regular breaks and calculated that we should arrive with 20-30 minutes to spare, and so it proved. Back on British soil and the M20/M25 run to Staines saw the worst traffic we'd seen since doing that stretch on the outbound trip. A quick cuppa at Mark's place and then I hit the road for the final leg back to Derby. Mark had done over 1700 miles and my final tally was just shy of 2050 miles.
Now looking forward to Canada... but that will be driving, not riding, through the Rockies.
Day 1, Thursday: ride to Folkestone and get through the Channel Tunnel then ride the peage to Troyes for an overnight
Day 2, Friday: stay off the peage and use country roads to ride as direct a route as possible to Annecy
Day 3, Saturday: into the Alps, Col de Roselend, through Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Val D'Isére to hotel in Termignon
Day 4, Sunday: Termignon to Barcelonette via Col du Galibier and Col d'Izoard
Day 5, Monday: Barcelonette to Dijon via Pérouges staying off the peage toll roads
Day 6, Tuesday: Hit the peage, high speed cruising back to Calais, through the tunnel and back home via Staines for Mark and then on to Derby for me.
Things sort of went to plan, except I forgot to put the lid back on my automatic chain oiler after filling it up so had to fabricate a temporary cover using gaffer tape, and, my bike wouldn't start to get off the train in Calais - eventually traced to the kill switch (which I never use).
Somewhere in France at a service station, our bikes and Mark stood by his.The peage toll roads are boring but the countryside is vast, rolling and rural so taking the time to have a good look around while riding can be rewarding but the trip is still boring. We stuck to the 130kmph speed limit as it gave us a good blend of fuel economy / speed / distance. Planned stops at intervals of around 220kms/130 miles meant we stayed sane and not too sore in the sitting down area.
Troyes has some interesting street 'furniture' demonstrated by Mark.Troyes is quaint and the hotel quirky. The choice of where to eat was good, especially if you can understand french and french quisine. Main course in one cafe, crepes for desert in another and a good walk round the town between courses.
Lake Annecy.Day 2 saw the sat nav pass up on it's duties and refuse to show us the route I had loaded so we just stuck in our destination and let it do it's own thing. The result wasn't far different from the planned route and we did cross a reservoir on a high bridge which was awesome. Annecy is beautiful even if parking at the Ibis is only by public car park or unsecured in a courtyard outside the front door of the hotel, otherwise fabulous. Pleanty to see, views of and across the lake and more.
Just to prove I was there on the trip. Heading in the right direction despite a recalcitrant sat nav.Day 3 started with The Cormet de Roselend as a gentle start to proceedings and a baguette lunch in Bourg-Saint-Maurice was pleasant. All went fine as far as Val D'Isére where "Route Barrée" stopped further progress. So we back tracked looking for an alternative route, whiuch is when the sat nav decided to freeze. Eventually (after 2 more "Route Barrée" signs) we decided to try Col de Madeline but after 45 kms that too was "Route Barrée" just 9km short of the Col itself. By now we were at risk of running out of day light so decided to go up to Albertville and jump on the peage, which we did, but missed our turn-off so had to go down to the next exit, get off and back on again - what a faff! But with sat nav still frozen we made it to Termignon, found the hotel, got a quick bite to eat and hit the sack. What should have been a gentle day had become our longest day with highest mileage and a big disappointment not being able to do the Col de l'Iseran.
What a view... At the top of the Cormet de Roselend. At the top of the Col du Galibier.Sunday started dull grey but heading south the sat nav came back to life (sort of) as we picked up the D902 and proceeded over the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier, doing the tunnel 200 metres from the summit where the pass was still closed by snow. Down into Briancon where we had a McDonalds 'lunch' before moving out to ride the Col d'Izoard where our stop was enhanced by some crazy French historic car owners (a group of about 20 cars) and their antics. We also got buzzed by a police helicopter (twice) before we commenced our descent to the D900 at St Paul. These are fabulous biking roads and arriving at Jausiers we had to decide on whether we rode the Col de la Bonette - deciding not to after our long day the previous day and knowing we had a long day ahead the next day. Sensible yes, but still a disappointment. Barcelonnette was sort of cute, not very big but friendly. We had to wait for places to open up to get an evening meal but enjoyed ourselves at The 7 Portes where we ate well.
Yes, there is snow up here. At the top of the Col d'Izoard. First stop on the way home.Starting our journey home on Monday, heading for Pérouges near Lyon we stayed off the peage and skirted round Grenoble where we hit our first brief shower. Pérouges is a very commercialised Medieval walled village, worth an hour wandering round but not much more. Fortunately bikes park for free so the visit cost us only a snack we bought there. Resorting to sat nav and peage we blasted up to Dijon for our last pre-booked hotel stop. On the way we hit a heavy shower that tested our riding gear but after 20 kms we rode back into sunshine and dried out before arriving at our destination the difficult to find Kyriad Hotel Dijon Gare on the Rue Docteur Albert Remy. Happily we were to park in their underground car park (also pre-booked) and get everythin goff the bikes and into our room before the heavens opened for the night. We elected for a short walk to La Scala where we ate well before retiring for the night.
Mark points out a feature of the medieval architecture.Tuesday started with glorious sunshine to lift our spirits. Sat nav had some trouble with satelite reception so leaving Dijon proved tiresome but we made it out to the peage and commenced our return to Calais. I had planned regular breaks and calculated that we should arrive with 20-30 minutes to spare, and so it proved. Back on British soil and the M20/M25 run to Staines saw the worst traffic we'd seen since doing that stretch on the outbound trip. A quick cuppa at Mark's place and then I hit the road for the final leg back to Derby. Mark had done over 1700 miles and my final tally was just shy of 2050 miles.
Now looking forward to Canada... but that will be driving, not riding, through the Rockies.
Monday, 23 March 2015
Yamaha Tenere XT660Z for sale
A friend of mine is putting her Yamaha Tenere XT660Z up for sale, details are:
Black on the 59 plate
12 months MOT
Appx 20,000 miles
Red key and standard keys
FSH
1 careful lady owner from new!
Touratech bash-plate
Touratech luggage rack
Touratech headlight guard
Centre-stand
Acerbis brush guards (aluminium inserts)
Metal Mule lowering link (easily removed if standard height required)
Pillion pegs were removed & boxed on purchase – will be refitted as required
Looking for £2,100.00
Drop me an email if interested and I'll pass on her details
Black on the 59 plate
12 months MOT
Appx 20,000 miles
Red key and standard keys
FSH
1 careful lady owner from new!
Touratech bash-plate
Touratech luggage rack
Touratech headlight guard
Centre-stand
Acerbis brush guards (aluminium inserts)
Metal Mule lowering link (easily removed if standard height required)
Pillion pegs were removed & boxed on purchase – will be refitted as required
Looking for £2,100.00
Drop me an email if interested and I'll pass on her details
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Sunday, 15 February 2015
Honda XL700VA-A Transalp - update 5
Thought it was about time I posted some more up-to-date pictures of my Honda XL700 Transalp, so here they are:
Topbox, panniers and heated grips make it a practical tourer
MRA Vario touring screen and Bark Buster hand guards for my protection
Centre and side stand for practicality during servicing
Crash bars to protect the bike in the event of an off
Ram mount for GPS SatNav and waterproof case for mobile phone
To power everything there are twin power sockets tucked in behind the screen and after market mirrors are much smarter that the tatty standard mirrors. In total the bike has now done 18,250 miles which means that I have doubled the mileage in the 2 years I have owned it.
Topbox, panniers and heated grips make it a practical tourer
MRA Vario touring screen and Bark Buster hand guards for my protection
Centre and side stand for practicality during servicing
Crash bars to protect the bike in the event of an off
Ram mount for GPS SatNav and waterproof case for mobile phone
To power everything there are twin power sockets tucked in behind the screen and after market mirrors are much smarter that the tatty standard mirrors. In total the bike has now done 18,250 miles which means that I have doubled the mileage in the 2 years I have owned it.
Monday, 9 February 2015
Honda XL700VA-A Transalp - uodate 4
Saturday I took my Honda Transalp back to CMC at Daybrook, Nottingham, for it's annual service. When I phoned to book the service I reminded them that they had said the air filter would need changing this time. However, on arrival they had no record of my request and said that it was a 12,000 mile service item so I pointed out that it was them that said it wasn't done at the last service and would need doing this time around. Soon after the bike was up on the ramp I am called over to have a listen to a ticking noise which they said was the plug caps tracking and breaking down - so I said that it was the same noise (only louder) that they had concerns about at the previous service but were then unable to explain. So it needed new plug caps, but they didn't have any, nor did they have an air filter - do you notice a pattern building here?
Next up, I am advised that at 20,000 miles it should have the valve clearances checked and a full fluid change - estimated at £350. Had I been advised of this when I booked the service? Er, No! And I didn't have the budget to do it this visit. So they set about the rest of the service, with one spark plug removed the bodywork all has to be removed to remove the other (front cylinder). I checked the plug and said to leave it and I'd do it when the plug caps and air filter were done as it was in fine shape and not in need of replacement.
I went for a walk up to their showroom and finding a quiet spot I rang Bob Minion Motorcycles, my local Honda dealer in Derby. Yes, they had plug caps in stock. Returning to the service side I then had to wait while a guy took longer to clean my bike that the service monkey had taken to perform 'the service'. On the way home I called into Minion's and got the plug caps and had a chat with Gavin who runs the workshop - the brake fluid change is a 4hr service item, the valve check isn't really necessary and the air filter is something they change every 8,000 miles because of the fuel savings a clean filter returns. Anyway, once I have found out how to remove the bodywork, me and my mate Phil will be doing the valve check, replace the ari filter and spark plugs and their caps. Gavin gets to do the brake fluid change.
Am I going to use CMC servicing again? In a word, No!
Next up, I am advised that at 20,000 miles it should have the valve clearances checked and a full fluid change - estimated at £350. Had I been advised of this when I booked the service? Er, No! And I didn't have the budget to do it this visit. So they set about the rest of the service, with one spark plug removed the bodywork all has to be removed to remove the other (front cylinder). I checked the plug and said to leave it and I'd do it when the plug caps and air filter were done as it was in fine shape and not in need of replacement.
I went for a walk up to their showroom and finding a quiet spot I rang Bob Minion Motorcycles, my local Honda dealer in Derby. Yes, they had plug caps in stock. Returning to the service side I then had to wait while a guy took longer to clean my bike that the service monkey had taken to perform 'the service'. On the way home I called into Minion's and got the plug caps and had a chat with Gavin who runs the workshop - the brake fluid change is a 4hr service item, the valve check isn't really necessary and the air filter is something they change every 8,000 miles because of the fuel savings a clean filter returns. Anyway, once I have found out how to remove the bodywork, me and my mate Phil will be doing the valve check, replace the ari filter and spark plugs and their caps. Gavin gets to do the brake fluid change.
Am I going to use CMC servicing again? In a word, No!
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Honda XL700VA-A Transalp - 2 years on
Yup, its two years since I took ownership of my Honda XL700 Transalp. To mark the occasion the dealer who sold me the bike, CMC in Daybrook, Nottingham, sent me a reminder that it was due an annual service which is now booked for this coming Saturday morning. Also, the lender has written to advise me that the final payment is due on 7th February - after which it will truly be mine and I will be debt free. That is a great feeling.
Now some friends have suggested that I should trade the Transalp in for something newer / bigger / different / whatever saying that as I have been paying out monthly and I am used to servicing a debt of that nature, that I wouldn't notice it if I continued as I have been. My response is that I am happy with the Transalp and don't see a need to replace it and that I want to enjoy being debt free for a while. Maybe next year I will change, maybe.
Now some friends have suggested that I should trade the Transalp in for something newer / bigger / different / whatever saying that as I have been paying out monthly and I am used to servicing a debt of that nature, that I wouldn't notice it if I continued as I have been. My response is that I am happy with the Transalp and don't see a need to replace it and that I want to enjoy being debt free for a while. Maybe next year I will change, maybe.
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Motorcycle Live at NEC - our day out
Had a full day at the NEC Motorcycle Live event with my buddy Phil Swain. Shopping success in the form of a discounted helmet (still cost £290) but disappointment in failing to find a pair of waterproof trousers I liked.
Really pleased to have a chat with Motorcycle Adventure authors Graham Field and Sam Manicom on the Overland Magazine stand where I was given a bottle of Fuchs Motorcycle polish for simply turning up wearing one of their shirts - thanks guys (and gals). Other notables spotted as we walked round included Nick Sanders (RTW speedster), Nathan Millward (of postie bike fame) and Henry Cole (general whinger and Greatest Motorcycle Rides presenter).
Me on a Triumph Thruxton
Phil on a little Yamaha
Me on a not so little Yamaha - not much 'ball room' and needs larger fuel tank
Me on a Norton - rock hard seat/saddle
Phil on a Honda NC750 Integra - we both gave it the thumbs down but liked the NC750X
Phil loved this little number
Phil chatting up the totty on the Tomos moped stand
This is what Phil was chatting her up for, show reduced price to £999
Phil on a 250cc on the Herald stand - he's got to an age where he prefers light weight bikes
Had some problems with my camera so not many pics, but that didn't deter from a good "Big Boys Day Out", although the day ended expensively - I'd booked to have 2 new tyres fitted on the car so called in on the way home, 2 front wheels off for the fitting and inspection of the rears found them to be split right across the tread. Bugger - 4 new tyres lightened my wallet to the tone of £480 - I could have done without that!
Really pleased to have a chat with Motorcycle Adventure authors Graham Field and Sam Manicom on the Overland Magazine stand where I was given a bottle of Fuchs Motorcycle polish for simply turning up wearing one of their shirts - thanks guys (and gals). Other notables spotted as we walked round included Nick Sanders (RTW speedster), Nathan Millward (of postie bike fame) and Henry Cole (general whinger and Greatest Motorcycle Rides presenter).
Me on a Triumph Thruxton
Phil on a little Yamaha
Me on a not so little Yamaha - not much 'ball room' and needs larger fuel tank
Me on a Norton - rock hard seat/saddle
Phil on a Honda NC750 Integra - we both gave it the thumbs down but liked the NC750X
Phil loved this little number
Phil chatting up the totty on the Tomos moped stand
This is what Phil was chatting her up for, show reduced price to £999
Phil on a 250cc on the Herald stand - he's got to an age where he prefers light weight bikes
Had some problems with my camera so not many pics, but that didn't deter from a good "Big Boys Day Out", although the day ended expensively - I'd booked to have 2 new tyres fitted on the car so called in on the way home, 2 front wheels off for the fitting and inspection of the rears found them to be split right across the tread. Bugger - 4 new tyres lightened my wallet to the tone of £480 - I could have done without that!
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
Big boys day out
Early tomorrow I will be picking up my mate Phil and the two of us will be heading down to the NEC near Birmingham to the Motorcycle Live event.
A chance to see and sit on as many bikes as takes our fancy, see young ladies in brightly coloured tight fitting Lycra clothing, see if I can sort myself out a new helmet, maybe some waterproof trousers and winter gloves.
Also need to sort out Christmas pressies for son Mark (he's provided a shopping list).
Hopefully find time to meet some of the folks on the Overland stand - Graham Field, Sam Manicom, Paddy Tyson but sadly not Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent who was there at the weekend.
So we are both looking forward to a great 'Big Boys Day Out'.
A chance to see and sit on as many bikes as takes our fancy, see young ladies in brightly coloured tight fitting Lycra clothing, see if I can sort myself out a new helmet, maybe some waterproof trousers and winter gloves.
Also need to sort out Christmas pressies for son Mark (he's provided a shopping list).
Hopefully find time to meet some of the folks on the Overland stand - Graham Field, Sam Manicom, Paddy Tyson but sadly not Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent who was there at the weekend.
So we are both looking forward to a great 'Big Boys Day Out'.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
A Short Ride in the Jungle
An update:
I have finished reading A Short Ride in the Jungle by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent which turned out to be a surprisingly good read, and as I said in my earlier post, it was way better than I expected given her background and fancy name (proving that I should not judge an author by their name, I mean Zoe Cano... fabulous name and a very poor read (Boneville or Bust)).
Ant (Antonia) obviously has a bit of an obsession around the Indo-Asia wars from 1945 through to today focused on the senseless injustice of American involvement and the bombing that they inflicted upon the natives on the ground, and with the American failure to then clear up the UXO that is still there today claiming innocent lives. At times this fixation gets close to spoiling the storyline, but it always stops just short of that and ends up enhancing the reader experience. Personally I would have liked just a little bit more about her journey but I have to accept there is only so much you can write about bumping over rocks, grinding through mud or buzzing along a tarmac road while still keeping the reader's interest.
So if, like me, you are old enough to remember seeing the nightly BBC news broad casts coving the American war in Vietnam, then this book is both a reminder and an insight into what went on and is still going on today under the communist regime. If you are younger and have no idea what inhumane stupidity politicians can inflict on their countrymen and women and those in far off and distant places in order to line their own pockets then this has to be on your list of books to read. It is well researched (and by that I do not mean Google) and written from the heart, full of the author's passion for the subject, her experiences, observations and the emotions triggered at the time.
I have finished reading A Short Ride in the Jungle by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent which turned out to be a surprisingly good read, and as I said in my earlier post, it was way better than I expected given her background and fancy name (proving that I should not judge an author by their name, I mean Zoe Cano... fabulous name and a very poor read (Boneville or Bust)).
Ant (Antonia) obviously has a bit of an obsession around the Indo-Asia wars from 1945 through to today focused on the senseless injustice of American involvement and the bombing that they inflicted upon the natives on the ground, and with the American failure to then clear up the UXO that is still there today claiming innocent lives. At times this fixation gets close to spoiling the storyline, but it always stops just short of that and ends up enhancing the reader experience. Personally I would have liked just a little bit more about her journey but I have to accept there is only so much you can write about bumping over rocks, grinding through mud or buzzing along a tarmac road while still keeping the reader's interest.
So if, like me, you are old enough to remember seeing the nightly BBC news broad casts coving the American war in Vietnam, then this book is both a reminder and an insight into what went on and is still going on today under the communist regime. If you are younger and have no idea what inhumane stupidity politicians can inflict on their countrymen and women and those in far off and distant places in order to line their own pockets then this has to be on your list of books to read. It is well researched (and by that I do not mean Google) and written from the heart, full of the author's passion for the subject, her experiences, observations and the emotions triggered at the time.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
MoT time 1
Saturday was a busy day, but most important on the day's 'to do list' was the annual visit to Smalley Cross Scooter Centre for the MoT check. This was the 9th such visit to SMSC since I rang them in a panic when I discovered that the Deauville I then owned had ran out its MoT and II needed to re-tax it that day. Mr C Hendry the MoT tester was there and ready for me even though I was 15 minutes early for my appointment, and as has become customary, I was allowed to assist when it came to flicking switches and moving the bike around and stood back out of the way drinking the mug of tea kindly provided by one of the younger staff members. The tally of miles since the last inspection was just over 5,250 since the previous visit so there was always that doubt at the back of my mind.
The end result... a pass, with no advisories suitably reflecting my care and maintenance regime and allowing the bike to be used out there on the Queen's highways and byways. Magic!
The end result... a pass, with no advisories suitably reflecting my care and maintenance regime and allowing the bike to be used out there on the Queen's highways and byways. Magic!
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Thundersprint 2014
My friends Phil & Dave went to Thundersprint 2014 and sent me a few photos that I thought I'd share them...
Remember these? BSA Bantam.
Yamaha RD400.
More BSAs.
Ready to race.
Remember these? BSA Bantam.
Yamaha RD400.
More BSAs.
Ready to race.
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
Ride to work
Joy of joys, today dawned chilly but bright and promising a better day, so with a commute to Sheffield on the cards it was a case of pulling the bike out of the shed and being brave but not foolish on the greasy roads. Care on the corners and roundabouts and making progress north on the M1 resulted in a good 1hr 10 minute commute time (it is regularly 1 hr 30 mins or more in the car).
Best bit, coming home. The day had stayed dry and bright so the roads were excellent and the return time matched the outbound morning trip - less time on the motorway but same journey time due to the shorter trip. What a great way to commute! All those frustrated car drivers should get out of their boxes and onto 2 wheels, preferably with a V-twin engine.
Best bit, coming home. The day had stayed dry and bright so the roads were excellent and the return time matched the outbound morning trip - less time on the motorway but same journey time due to the shorter trip. What a great way to commute! All those frustrated car drivers should get out of their boxes and onto 2 wheels, preferably with a V-twin engine.
Thursday, 20 February 2014
1st ride-out of the year
Sunday saw me on the 1st ride-out of the year. 13 riders met up at Donington Services next to J23a of the M1 for a cross country ride south to Stoney Cove at Stoney Stanton. Got a photo of the group thanks to a kindly diver at the end point, shame we didn't get the bikes in. Turn out was very good with 11 Deauvilles, a Triumph Explorer and my TransAlp 700.
A right motley crew - would you buy a 2nd hand car off any of them?
A right motley crew - would you buy a 2nd hand car off any of them?
Saturday, 8 February 2014
Naked
My Transalp is in for service today at CMC Daybrook, Nottingham. My side of a deal that gives me a perpetual warranty for as long as I own the bike, which also allows me a courtesy bike. So here it is, a 2005 Yamaha Faser 600 that is obviously a shop bike that has seen a hard life despite the low mileage. The engine is a gem, unlike the rest of the package.
A 5800 miler, the engine is its strong point
It is tiny but the clutch is impossibly heavy
I recently bought a glossy motorcycle magazine that proclaimed 2014 to be the 'Year of the naked' (motorcycle). Well, it is generally accepted that this model Faser is one of the best in class and typifies the breed. Well all I can say is truly horrid. First off, while I am only 5' 8" tall weighing 210 pounds and with a 29" leg I dwarf the bike, it is tiny. The seat is more slippery than a glass surface covered in sheet ice and then covered in diesel - open the throttle and you slide off the back, touch the brakes and the wedding tackle makes painful contact with the fuel tank. It is cramped - footpegs are so high that even my stumpy little legs have difficulty tucking up into the crouch position that the footpeg position dictates. The handle bars are so narrow that it makes the front end feel twitchy. The instrumentation appears to be fairly comprehensive although I have yet to find a gear indicator so I am never sure which of the 6 gears I am in, but as it is so lowly geared and the ratios so close together I find that at anything over 40mph I am already in 6th and looking for more, which brings me to the worst feature - the clutch, which is so, so heavy that the 20 mile ride home resulted in a painful wrist.
That ride home highlighted the problem (for me) with naked bikes - the wind blast. I can cruise comfortably on my Transalp at speeds up to 85mph (in Europe, obviously) but this little bike is quite literally a pain at anything above 60mph and combined with the slippery seat means that there is no joy to be had - a motorway bike it is not.
So, if 2014 is going to be the 'year of the naked' then all I can say is that 2015 will see an awful lot of pre-owned naked bikes for sale as disgruntled owners trade them in for something that is more - more user friendly, more comfortable, more useable, more fun.
A 5800 miler, the engine is its strong point
It is tiny but the clutch is impossibly heavy
I recently bought a glossy motorcycle magazine that proclaimed 2014 to be the 'Year of the naked' (motorcycle). Well, it is generally accepted that this model Faser is one of the best in class and typifies the breed. Well all I can say is truly horrid. First off, while I am only 5' 8" tall weighing 210 pounds and with a 29" leg I dwarf the bike, it is tiny. The seat is more slippery than a glass surface covered in sheet ice and then covered in diesel - open the throttle and you slide off the back, touch the brakes and the wedding tackle makes painful contact with the fuel tank. It is cramped - footpegs are so high that even my stumpy little legs have difficulty tucking up into the crouch position that the footpeg position dictates. The handle bars are so narrow that it makes the front end feel twitchy. The instrumentation appears to be fairly comprehensive although I have yet to find a gear indicator so I am never sure which of the 6 gears I am in, but as it is so lowly geared and the ratios so close together I find that at anything over 40mph I am already in 6th and looking for more, which brings me to the worst feature - the clutch, which is so, so heavy that the 20 mile ride home resulted in a painful wrist.
That ride home highlighted the problem (for me) with naked bikes - the wind blast. I can cruise comfortably on my Transalp at speeds up to 85mph (in Europe, obviously) but this little bike is quite literally a pain at anything above 60mph and combined with the slippery seat means that there is no joy to be had - a motorway bike it is not.
So, if 2014 is going to be the 'year of the naked' then all I can say is that 2015 will see an awful lot of pre-owned naked bikes for sale as disgruntled owners trade them in for something that is more - more user friendly, more comfortable, more useable, more fun.
Thursday, 6 February 2014
Classic Motorcycles
Picked up a mate of mine (another Phil) on Sunday afternoon and went for a wander around the Classic Motorcycle Fair and the exhibition centre at the Donington Park race track. Arriving around 2pm we were give free entry and it was obvious that it had been poorly attended and that traders had already left or were packing up to leave.
Anyway, we had a wander around, I took a few photos and here they are, starting with the 2 strokes...
Yamaha RD350 - this one was really neat and on the money
Honda NS400R - not my cup of tea, but clean and tidy
Kawasaki H2 750 triple - import from USA
Kawasaki H2 750 triple - another US import
Suzuki Stinger (I think)
Suzuki 350 Hustler
Another angle on the 350 Suzuki
Suzuki GT750 - neat but not 100% complete
Suzuki GT750 - a favourite of mine back in my youth
Honda CB400/4 F2 - I owned a F1 in blue back in the 1980s
Mine never quite looked this good, back then it was my daily transport
This one did look sweet (in my eyes)
Suzuki MT1800R / VZ1800 - now, if only I could afford a 2nd bike...
What was mind blowing was the prices being asked by traders for basket cases needing full restoration, many of them incomplete and all of them badly corroded and in need of bucket loads of cash to get anywhere near road worthy let alone show standard. Anyway, those were the highlights for Phil and I.
Anyway, we had a wander around, I took a few photos and here they are, starting with the 2 strokes...
Yamaha RD350 - this one was really neat and on the money
Honda NS400R - not my cup of tea, but clean and tidy
Kawasaki H2 750 triple - import from USA
Kawasaki H2 750 triple - another US import
Suzuki Stinger (I think)
Suzuki 350 Hustler
Another angle on the 350 Suzuki
Suzuki GT750 - neat but not 100% complete
Suzuki GT750 - a favourite of mine back in my youth
Honda CB400/4 F2 - I owned a F1 in blue back in the 1980s
Mine never quite looked this good, back then it was my daily transport
This one did look sweet (in my eyes)
Suzuki MT1800R / VZ1800 - now, if only I could afford a 2nd bike...
What was mind blowing was the prices being asked by traders for basket cases needing full restoration, many of them incomplete and all of them badly corroded and in need of bucket loads of cash to get anywhere near road worthy let alone show standard. Anyway, those were the highlights for Phil and I.
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