Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

Since my horn didn't work, I thought I'd clean all the contacts and treat them with contact spray. Bloody fiddle getting to the handlebar switch. All to no avail though. So I decided to hard wire the horn to the battery. Nothing... Now waiting for a snail horn to be delivered...

 

Had a run out today on the speedmaster. Roads dry=yes, cold=yes, but enjoyed the ride. Called at Bill Smiths in Chester and they have a new Speed Twin in as a demostrator. Had a good look around the bike and sat on it (could have had a test ride, but wanted to get home), will go across next week.
The sitting position is a little different, the pegs are set back a little (not as far as the Thruxton) which pushes your weight onto the handle bars. The overall package looks good. Will need to test ride the bike work out if this will suit me......
Wessa

 

Took the old gal out for a warm up ride as it was warmer today before the rain came, been a bit too cold for my old fingers even with the hot grips.
Filled up with fuel, checked her over then covered her over in the garage for a well earned rest .

 

Stripped the paint off the top box rack yesterday. Prepared for top coat painting with several coats of acid etch today ..... looking good.

 

Went camping, won the welly throwing contest hit the pub, got pretty cold!!!! This was the weekend before last.

 

Bloody hell, camping in January. That is proper hard core......

 

When I woke up I thought I had a hard core! (I said hard core) I took a stove and boiled up water for a hot water bottle, that got me through the first couple of hours.

 

Do you make a habit of camping in the middle of winter.
Wessa

 

What make and model is you sleeping bag?

 

Finally finished installing the YSS PD valves into my Speedmaster forks, got held up trying to get the allen bolt holding damper rod slack, service manual said 30Nm to tighten but it was way tighter than that on one leg.

Hoping to get a try out on Monday on commute to work.

 

I'ts a craze called wild camping Wessa, I was shivering just watching it on youtube

 

Went to Venice last weekend, not a bike in site, all the bloody roads were flooded, , seriously though, cracking place to visit though imagine it's rammed when the weather gets warmer.

 

Did an oil and filter change on my Trident today. Also gave it a bit of a polish while it was out in the open. Did you know that microfibre cloths melt on a hot exhaust? No, me neither. Every day's a school day at Chateau Goolie!
Also checked the soft link on the new chain I put on the other day. About half a turn on the riveter, per pin, made me feel happier and the link still turned freely. So I sprayed a bit more lube on it, just because I could! I normally get over 20,000 miles from a chain, but the one I replaced had a nasty tight spot in it after less than 10,000 miles, which I didn't expect from a DID X-ring. Replacement was a JT extra heavy duty Z3 X-ring model, the pins of which were too big to pass through the old chain, so hopefully it will give me another 10,000 miles or so - or at least enough to last until the sprockets need changing, hopefully.
First, and probably the last, time I change a chain without changing the sprockets, which at that mileage should be hardly warn if previous experience is anything to go by. Rear looks virtually untouched. But it just doesn't feel right somehow.Does all that make me a bad person? Time will tell, I guess.
BUT, oh boy, does all this working on the bike make my body ache? Must be getting old! Ah well, just the brakes to check over and clean up and then I think it's time to tax the beastie and go for a nice gentle ride - so that'll be early March I expect.

 

Yep it sure as hell looked extreme. Been up Snowdon a few times when I was younger and fitter and the guy makes some really good points about wearing the right kit and planning your trip. In my more senior years I do wonder about the wisdom of going onto the mountain on your own in such extreme conditions, but hey all sorts of people will continue to do it, even though the mountain is a killer. Happy days eh!
Wessa

 

Yep lovely city.. Now't better than a coffee and ice cream in Marks square in the sunshine..... Mind have been when it is flooded as well.
Wessa

 

I used two but my main one is a three seasons Bergman Mummy style with a cheaper two seasons over that. Unfortunately that didn't add up to five season warmth! I've had my Bergman for about 25 years. It got a big tear in the botton when it, my tent and cooker fell off my bike on the M5 near Gloucester coming back from the IOM TT. I phoned the cops from the services , I was having a cup of tea looking at my bike saying to myself, whats wrong with that picture when it dawned on me! They told me that the local papers headline next day was "Motorway Madness" as my tent wrapped itself round the front cab of a lorry. Tent and cooker were trashed, Bergman still good, 23 odd years later, just a big rubber tyre track down it which has faded over the years and a large tear.

 

Yep, found that out too recently. After trying every kind of solvent I had to soften it, and failing, I ended up patiently scraping the mess off with the edge of an old credit card to avoid scratching the chrome.

 

After being on holiday and getting approx 2 miles on the bike. its back to work and a week of minus weather. Anyway to cheer me up I sorted out my luggage options on the Speed for getting away over night etc. After many questions and fing about I went for the Givi pannier rails and the Lomo pannier set.So Ill see how they work and let you know.


I was looking at the Ventura only the price is double and also theres no ability to add a dry bag/ holdall to the set up.
This system is cheaper and more flexible although I will need to replace the pillion foot rests.
For the price, I did think about buying a welder and making my own, bloody rip off, for a bit of tubing and some bolts.

 

Good kit is Lomo, should serve you well

 

Snap crackle and pop.

 

Stay safe guys, hope you've though about asphyxiation?
CO is THE silent killer.

 

Rung mate up and said my street is dry so roads are good.
Ok what you thinking?
How about a coffee at JS Doncaster, not going out all day and certainly not back in dark?
Ok but I need to do some diy but I could do with a new helmet.
Eh f*ck that you can do it when its raining!!!
Ok.
Right I'll call for you in an hour.

So I goes round and we whip off through the lanes in a right dog leg route. Don't want A1, A19 or any of that.
Gets there fingers freezing, both of us.
Coffee and bacon sarnies, yum.
Mate tries 20 plus helmets.
I try half a dozen.
One of us buys one, which one?

FFS expensive coffee!

 

My mates on an 09 675 street and said I thought the 765 would have been faster cos I can just keep up with it.

Hang on says I, I'm running it in so only revving to 8000 ......

Oh never thought about that!

Bless him

 

S

Sooo jealous Dili, still paying off the rear brake calliper. Looking forward to pix and review on vision.

 

They’re still in the box in the back of the car