Thanks, 6 weeks today shall be on the ferry to Santander, glad I went on the Thruxton and not my Explorer as probably broke some plastics and top box which I need for the trip. Teejay
Sorry to hear about your off Teejay, but to say you were thankfull it was the thrux and not your explorer is sacrilege, but I see your point!! hopefully you'll be right for the trip abroad
Did that last year, ferry to santandere. Northern Spain, then Andorra, then back up through biglad country.....very, very nice. Done it on a tiger800. Simples .Didn't miss a beat.
Love my Thruxton, having spent winter personalising it then to see it lying in the road was not good, but no desperate rush to get it ready as the Tex is long distance bike. Having said that, when I get it home over the weekend I have a feeling it will be back to A1 in a very short space of time. Teejay
Teejay sorry to hear about your off. I hope you mend quickly and that the bike is easily repaired. Wessa
Today I stripped the panniers and screen off the bike and treated it with fs365; now I'm ready for any UK weather. Bike looks good without the panniers and screen too. Wessa
Bad luck mate - glad to hear that you are OK and that the bike is not too bad either. I came off last year (going a lot faster) and collected some spectacular bruises but they heal quickly. Sadly the Bonnie didn't!
Hadn't been using the back brake for a month already, because of one piston seizing, so decided to do something about it, and spent the whole evening (and night) stripping off the calliper: That was a ridiculously hard job. After a lot of work, I got the "free" piston to pop out of the calliper with compressed air. The other one wouldn't budge though. (the tire repair can was an attempt in a moment of madness and despair - please disregard that). In the end (at 3am), I managed to pop the seized one out using what callipers are good at: hydraulics. I closed and sealed the banjo bore with a calliper retaining bolt (perfect fit!) and two water pipe washers, filled the empty hole of the "free" piston with water, replaced the piston, and pushed it down with a c-clamp. It took two goes, but the other one did eventually come out (hydraulics work). Looking at the "bad" piston, no wonder it wouldn't budge! Any advice on getting it sparkling clean? People mention scotch brite, wouldn't that scratch it a bit too much? All that's left now is a good thorough clean, rebuild the calliper with the new seal kit, put it all back on the bike, and explain to the missus why the table cloth has dot4 strains that will never come out.
Well, why bother putting it back together? You ain't going to live once the missus sees the tablecloth!
Yesterday went to matlock bath for a run, few triumphs about including 4 sprints but the newer variety not like my old gal,any of you lot there??? I left as the weather changed and got soaked on way back,found my goggles mist up badly in those conditions and had to keep stopping to wipe em. mmmmmm,tried riding without anything but the rain was too heavy. Decided today to change my handlebars for a pair of medium road renthals from ultra low superbike renthals i had in stock to see if it helped with the vibration which sends my hands to sleep sometimes,yes like yesterday for example,lol. I have recently changed my handlebar converter block to a sprint engineering one which seems to give me better control as the bars are not such a stretch. The bars are approx an inch behind the centre line of the fork legs whereas before they were immediately above the centre of the forks and almost at full stretch for me. Took the bike for a quick shakedown and it does feel better as far as the control goes but the vibes are still there. I have ordered some heavy bar ends and grip puppies.........the fight continues.
Rode into central london today which was fine but riding home would have been quicker and cooler if I'd got off and pushed it along the pavement! Also noticed I've done over 6000 miles and haven't booked a service.
Opened the curtains at 7:30, deep joy, vertical rain bouncing of the driveway. Dry by 9am so, bike out, kit on and off we go down the coast towards Barrow in Furness. Along the A590 to Kendal, stop for a drink and sarnie. Game of Follow My Leader with one our Biker Plods up the A6 to Penrith then back along the A66 passed Keswick to Cockermouth. Left turn on to the back roads and back home for tea and buns. What a glorious day, no car drivers trying to put an early end to my days and just a few Lycra-louts clagging up the back roads. Got back hot, tired and sweating my bits off. Time for a shower, then (yet another) beer or three
Charity run for Maggies Centre (cancer care) Fantastic weather so no surprise it was a great turn out of over 150 bikes starting off from The red house hotel in Coupar Angus stopped off at the "Cairn o Mount" A couple of old bikes eventually got kick started into life Below stop of at Braemar, my better half enjoying an ice cream below "comfort break" at Glenshee ski centre
