Escapism

Escapism, that's the sole reason for me wanting to be on the bike right now rather than sat at my desk. If I was on my bike I wouldn't be thinking about my upcoming unemployment, the vast amount of work I have outstanding, the pile of unsorted paperwork I need to clear, my fight to get a £230 refund from Admiral, the room full of stuff I need to sort at my parents place or where I'm going to store all my old Bass stuff I don't want to sell.

I need a ride.

The Long Way

My plan was to take "the long way" to work every other day to avoid a reoccurrence of my oil/condensation problem. This is easier said than done when it's cold outside and the roads are greasy. I was planning to put a good 15+ miles on the bike this morning as I haven't ridden much since Sunday but my nice warm bed, the thought of -1 deg conditions and the prospect of a crap day at work kept me in bed.

Oh well, only another couple of months until spring.

A new Chromasexual comes out

After talking about bikes up at Thruxton on Sat, Dean and my Dad arranged to go and see a Triumph Thunderbird Dean's Granddad was selling. Last night, after a few hours of chatting and bike prodding, he bought it. A nice shiny 1996 Triumph. It's a nice looking bike and one that I think has a little more class than the usual custom bikes. It's got loads of extras and knowling Dean's Granddad, we know it has bene pampered and looked after.

High five on the bike purchase! Road test to follow.

Quest for Yoshi

On Saturday, I woke up and prepared myself for a road trip.

The week before, Dean had been in contact with a member of PBMagForum who had a cut down Yoshimura can for his K2 he was happy to sell to him at a tiny price. Dean couldn't refuse and instead of paying £5 in postage we decided to ride up to Leeds to pick it up. We rode out to Thruxton at about 10am where we met my Dad who was booking up his training with the riding school based there and Dean chatted with his old instructor for a while. Some coffees and some lost knickers on the 303 (Laura's bag came open) later and we were heading north. A34 (near miss), M40 Dull, M69 (short), M1 (soul destroying) and then through Bradford (shit hole) before heading into North Yorkshire and towards our YHA in Malham. We didn't leave early and had stopped 2-3 times so it was dark and chilly by the time we arrived. A couple of beers and a mean steak and mushroom pie later and we were all knackered. An early night was followed by a broken nights sleep. I got up at 8 ish still just as tired as at 11pm the night before. Euurrghhh.

A ride through to Skipton for some 'Spoons fryup and coffee was followed by a ride into Leeds city centre. After a short while riding around looking for somewhere to park which involved riding the wrong way down some one way streets, riding though the pedestrian area and hating Leeds, we were finally sat in a 'Bucks drinking gay lattes. We went to meet Gray01, from the forum, outside the Marriot and soon we were chatting and bs'ing with him. I think it was about 1 before we decided to head back to the bikes to head south. We ahd plans to take a scenic route but a combination of aches and pains and strong winds changed that plan. We followed the same route we ahd taken up and after abttling with the wind for about 4 1/2 hours, we arrived back in Andover. Another succesful road trip.

The temptation to fit the new exhaust was too great and we decided to park up under the street lights for some "mechanics by street light" action. The footpegs had to be taken off but the noise with the baffles removed is awesome. Well worth the effort. Dean tested the bike on a quick jolly to get Fish and Chips and after we had finished watching the Blade trilogy, I cripped out.

£5 for postage or 525 miles, 2 days and a whole loads of laughs. We made the right choice.

Long way home.

After this mornings ride, I thought I would take the scenic route home. Stockbrige, Wallop, the 303, Shipton, Tidworth, Ludgershall and then home. Another 35 miles ish just for kicks. A brilliant little ride that was a good way to put a full stop on a crappy day at work (a quick blat at illegal speeds always does that). Some internet browsing tonight has ensured that come payday I will purchase some nice shiny nuts and bolts for the Viffer and maybe get some new kit for myself.

Job's a good un.

Italian Tune-up

Dot........I took your advice.

It would appear the 25 mile detour I added to my usual 3.3 mile journey this morning may have done the job. It was very cold this morning which was the worst situation as I was hoping to get plenty of heat into the engine but after checking the oil at work, it appears to be free of milk, although it is a little cloudy. It's definately time for a service, a quick call today will see if I can get something arranged for the next few weeks but fingers crossed I can avoid the large cost of an engine rebuild.

Big and bright, Milky White.

On the ride to work this morning I noticed a slight knocking from the engine. It was only noticeable at idle but was always thee. By the time I had got to work it appears to have stopped, it happened again on the ride home. A quick check of the oil level revealed a white residue in the oil. This indicates water in the oil. Possibly a head gasket problem which would mean a very expensive repair. A quick check of the, very useful, VFR forum confirmed the "water in the oil" diagnosis although they suggested it may just be condensation caused by me only using it for short journeys. The cure, if it is the latter may just be an Italian service (A good thrash). Although I think I should change the oil first, flush the system. With only a few hundred miles to go before I was going to get it serviced anyway this seems like a waste of money and time but........Should I keep using it to get to work this week? I have to get to an interview on Friday so maybe I should attempt an oil change by torch light one night.

I'll decide tomorrow.

Timing chains, fatty treats, pillions and grease.

An early start with a few coffees and some COD4 PS3 action to wake myself up was followed by some necessary dull stuff which involved Tesco's, the bottle banks, the sink and the car wash (for Dean). All this was preparation for the 3 hours of cleaning that followed. Chain was attacked and the, now, standard rear wheel off clean began. Nothing too fancy but a bit of a mechanical once over. Dean did his bike at the same time (annoyingly leaving his in a shinier state than mine) and after a load of nasty chemicals had been inhaled, lots of degreaser, WD40, FS365 and furniture polish had been used, the bikes were packed away.

I was planning a ride after this but I remembered I hadn't eaten all day (it was now about 2:30pm) and I needed to munch. Laura very kindly cooked the supplies we had bought in the morning after patiently waiting for 4 hours for her breakfast. A full English was demolished and washed down with a few coffees. Ming swung by on his way back to Oxford, he was not happy after discovering that weeks before his plan to sell his car was actioned, an expensive engine out repair job was needed. We had discovered that he needed new rear discs/pads and he had asked Jack to look at the nasty sounding knocking coming from the head which we now know was the timing chain. Ming's plans have been well and truly crapped on as this latest repair may set him back a very large bundle of notes but hopefully he can try to settle into his new job whilst not getting too stressed with all his other woes.

On a cheerier note, me and Dean booked our ferry tickets for the NW200 in May. A plan has developed which I'm really looking forward to, lots of riding in Ireland and catching, what many say, is the best road racing in the world.

Laura's now kitted out in full bike gear so her and Dean have had a few local rides with Laura as pillion. The summer that lays ahead may well be full of road trips, bike racing, European discovery, track days and new skills but the most exciting thing is that is looks like it will be shared with friends. Awesome.

BikerBook

Disillusioned with Facebook I deactivated my account. Someone sends me a link to "BikerBook", a motorcyclist specific rival, and I sign up within minutes.

Another Monday, another week of rainy commuting ahead. I actually considered walking this morning to avoid getting my nice clean swingarm dirty. A little bit crazy, I know, but the act of cleaning the machine creates a bond with it. A protective relationship that means taking it out in such horrid conditions causes guilt. I really have to get over this. Who knows where it may end ?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/26/nsex126.xml

Cleaning Pride.

Yesterday after a quick 100 mile jolly with Big L, I decided my bike needed a quick rinse. The week of winter commuting had taken its toll. The quick rinse turned into a full on mechanic clean with the rear wheel off and the shiny exhaust covers being removed. This continued until I lost the light and had to put it away. The bike still looks dirty but at least I know that the back of the swingarm which nobody can see is clean.

Soggy Crackers

Another soggy morning, another radiator covered in wet bike gear.

With the prospect of having to commute for up to an hour in these conditions being a possible reality soon, I have been thinking about buying some better textile gear. I've been really impressed with the cheapy trousers I bought with their ability to keep me warm in subzero temperatures. They have their faults but I could be converted to Textile for the wet or cold days.

Soggy Crackers

After a monster Halo 3 marathon sesh last night, and no more than 3 hours sleep, I hopped aboard the Silver Dream Machine and didn't even wait for a little warmth to get through the engine before setting off. The rain was pounding, the water trickling down my arms into my gloves, the droplets running down my boots onto my socks.

Parked up in the usual spot I trapsed inside, there I stripped all the layers of soggy "waterproof" clothing. It is on days like these that riding everyday in all weathers takes willpower and a good memory of better days. A nod to the classic Kawasaki rider who I passed on the roundabout. It was too wet to notice if it was a winter hack or a pristine classic, either way it looked good to me from inside my helmet.

Another long weekend of cleaning will be scheduled.
Winter weather + nervous gritting team + lack of light and water at the garage + riding every day = 1 dirty rusty Honda.

Procrastination

My plan for today involved an early morning coffee and bacon buttie followed by a few hours cleaning the Viffer. My weak will shone through when Big L text'd me and asked if I wanted to postpone the cleaning and go for a ride instead. I naturally agreed. This meant I missed my buttie but got a good 'Bucks instead. We went the usual way to Southampton which was taken at a subdued pace forced on us by the crappy conditions. Even on the nasty, slippery surface, I was glad to be out on the bike.

I got back at 1:30 ish and decided to attack the now filthy bike straight away. After a few hours I gave up for the day (I still hadn't eaten brekkie). The winter has taken its toll on the poor 5 year old Honda, rusty bolts and furry fastners are everywhere. Over an hour and a half on the chain and it still looks orange. More time is needed tomorrow.

Tranquillity

This morning there was a calm air across Andover. There was no wind, no noise and very little traffic. I felt guilty firing up the Viffer and getting moving. Maybe the world just hadn't woke up or maybe it was a conspiracy to make me feel even worse about going into work when others are at home with the day off indulging their every whim. I'm not lazy, I just understand my own needs.

The Rover's Over.

Today the Rover left. I was out the door at 8 with the intention of driving up to Rapid Fit to pass the POS over to my Pops. It had only been sat outside since Saturday's puncture incident but it wouldn't start, dead battery. The battery was so dead that the central locking wouldn't even work and there wasn't even enough charge left to give me any dash lights. Doh ! A quick call to Pops and I blagged a lift to work and gave him the keys. After helping him pick it up after work, it is now in Autotrader and parked outside his place waiting for its next lucky owner.

Today's forecasted snow didn't arrive but knowing my luck it'll arrive before the commute tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Snow expected..........Hummmpphh.

The ride to work today was nothing special, the only thing to note today is that as snow is expected for the next couple of days I think the bike may have to stay in the garage and other means of transport found. I'm an all weather riding up to the point of suicide. Riding a bike in icy/snowy conditions is not about wimping out, an accident just waiting to happen.

Mingus has decided to join the biking posse and is planning to sell his motor, scale down to a cheaper motor and get stuck in. Good on him, he's been chatting about it on and off for years but there has always been something standing in his way. Lets hope it lives up to his expectations. (and more road trip partners for the Weasel!)

Tomorrow the Rover is being picked up by my Dad to get prepped for selling. I will not be sad to see it go. I may change my mind when i have to walk the 3 miles home in the snow tomorrow night. It's a good job I love bikes as much as I do otherwise this situation may depress the feck out of me.

Some ideas for road trips were thrown around today. A little Newquay jolly in March being the earliest being sorted. Si's first and Dean's first taking a pillion. Laura is keen to jump on the back and join in. Some dates for the NW200, Scotland and Europe were banded around as well. more thought needed there though.

If the weather's a bit better at the weekend I may have to escape for a short little road trip. Just a "there and back" but far enough to feel the freedom. Fingers crossed it's not raining/snowing/blowing a gale etc.

Another Long Island Ice?.......Yeah why not!

Yesterday my new battery arrived and despite all the information stating the opposite, it was charged. I'm still not sure it is fully charged so a little research and maybe a night on the trickle charger will happen before it is fitted.

Due to the copious amounts of JD and Long Island Ices last night the plan to go for a bank holiday ride were replaced by 12 hours of feeling shite. The usual cure of as much liquid as I can handle without being sick didn't work and I only faced food at about 7. (cheers Dean, a mean prawn risotto).

The only riding I managed on day one of 2008 was over to my folks place to fix their PC. I wasn't feeling well enough to cope with anything more so I didn't even take the scenic route. I would have taken the Rover but It's currently running on the spare tire after a flat on Saturday. A quick wheel change got me home but I haven't dropped it back at my folks place yet and I'm sure they won't believe me that I was on my way to drop it back to them when it happened.

The bike wasn't cleaned after I got home and I parked it up in the newly reinforced garage. Thanks to Dean's dad we have added 2 large bolt style locks and a big padlock to the existing weedy door lock. Cheers Mr M.

I think tomorrow will involve some road trip planning. A combination of having a full team at my disposal and the quietest time of the year should give me a few hours to spend on Google Maps. Yeah Boy !