Duxford Remembrance Day 8th Nov 09

Took the swoopy non motorway route to arrive just before the NAM brigade. This year was disappointing in that no historic aircraft flew but this was made up for with a free museum pass. Just shows how much has been added since I last went and everything was in an old hangar. Now there are sparkling glass halls with B17,B52,Blackbird, Typhoon,Liberator and loads more in the US hall plus a land warefare hall complete with a Normandy Experience. Best was an ordinary hangar with the doors open with a Hurricane and F109E in working order just standing there.
Not good news was that one of the NAM observers who taught me a lot was recently nerfed off his K1300GTSE on a local roundabout in a classic SMDNSY incident. He has bruises but the bike has cosmetic damage which on a £12k+ bike can be staggering to fix.
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IAM bike test pass !

After a year's training on Sundays, with a bit of a gap this summer, I
applied to take The Test a few weeks ago. The examiner contacted me
and requested a selection of dates and today was the one chosen.
I had done a series of Mock Tests, some results were declared as
nearly there, others with very nearly there, one not there at all but
all had the usual positive NAM critique and suggestions on
improvements. So after every Sunday the week's riding has been an
extended practice period to try and bring all the required elements in
to play.Every now and then at the end of a ride I have reckoned that
that was the one. Too bad no examiner saw it.
Well, today was the day to stand up and be counted. I had wished for a
cold, dull day and preferably raining. Reason ? Less traffic, speeds
are lower and expectations of adding " sparkle " to the ride are
lower. Someone must have been listening because just as we met up the
dull grey skies opened and down came the rain. Great.
After a briefing on what was expected off we went. Ethel closely
followed by the examiner's Blackbird.The route went through towns,
shopping areas, villages, open countryside and dual carriageway stuff
with hazards galore on the slippery roads. Having flunked the last
Mock Test when I completely missed the 30 signs in a village and
whizzed straight through at 60 I had decided that today dull would
have to do and stuck rigidly to the indicated speeds even though I
know from the satnav that they are 10% optimistic.
No matter how many times you go out observed it is still an unnerving
experience to be aware that someone is closely watching what you are
doing. I am quite used to being in very close, 1 metre, company with
another bike ( just so long as a qualified IAM rider is aboard ) but
somehow it plays on your mind.
So today was a super legal soggy trundle around for an hour ending up
with a bunch of Grade 1 scores and all the rest at Grade 2 ( scores go
down from 1 to 5 ). Job done !
Thank you everybody at NAM for showing me so much that I never knew
and never letting me forget that, in the words of today's examiner,
when you stop learning you are dead.

Subaru unimpressions

Hired an 08 plate Subaru Legacy Estate petrol auto for a West Country business trip this week. Entry to the car is backwards then sling your legs in as it is very low slung. Raising the seat and lowering the steering wheel height makes the indicator warning lights invisible to the driver. Fitting a twin socket into the 12v outlet is only possible with the auto stick in neutral - it fouls in the P position. The heater controls are tucked away low by the same lever so are not in the drivers line of sight or colour coded for hot/cold and the hazards are scattered away over on the passenger side. So much for lousy driver ergonomics. Almost. If you get in the car and do not start it straightaway the immobiliser prevents it starting until you blip the key off and on. Just as well I had asked if there were any pointlessly goofy design ideas I should know about and was duly tipped off. Off we go at last. The engine is a revver. Kick it down flat and it wangs round to the red as it changes up, the all wheel drive makes roundabouts fun. Floor it from standstill, wang round to the exit with the throttle flat and ping out of the exit with the car flat to the road and stable. There is no surplus of power but it holds 80 on cruise control up hill and down dale. Whilst driving the poor ergonomics again let it down. A great big handbrake lever juts out above your left leg, the flower pot sized twin drinks holders are placed behind your left elbow where you cannot reach and the mirror controls are lurking in a dark and gloomy door recess. The centre console is very groovy in brushed alloy but has fiddly little cd controls.
This car is what happens when a non driving fashion nerd designer is let loose on a nice piece of engineering.
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But Ks grab the attention

Of all the bikes parked up at the test day it was the 3 Ks that drew plenty of attention. A stunning maroon K1100LT outshone both Ethel and an e bay K100RT 500 quidder !
I'm no longer surprised when owners of gleaming new Beemers come up to say " I had one of those - smoothest bike I ever rode "

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Another Balderstons test ride day

Today was another Balderstons test ride day so I took the chance of another go on the K1300GT. This time I trundled round playing with all the toys. Top goodie is the heated seat, just the right level of heat which combined with the 2 stage heated grips keeps you warm and alert. The heated grips seem to be thermostat controlled but the result is that you end up with cold grips - I'd rather control them myself. Electric screen let's you have more or less noise and windblast. The adjustable suspension switch makes the bike feel firmer on sport setting compared to the plush standard setting. A stunning super rocketship of a bike.
Next I rode the new naked 800R. Wow ! BMW have built a Buell. At last an 800 I like - no fuelling glitches and no twitchy handling ( 800ST and 650 thingy respectfully ). The motor rips around the dial, the exhaust snarls and the induction growls. Free of shaft drive you can smack down the gears, chuck the bike into a bend and wallop the power hard on with no dramas - just a huge grin ! Big wide bars , low seat and low flickable weight would make this a stoating town bike.
Now, how can I get a go on a Triumph Street Triple as the 800 is vibey through the bars ?
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BMW Coverall one piece suit - what a letdown.

Having got a wet crutch in a London downpour the other day and wanting
to be able to wear business clothes under bike kit I set off this
lunchtime to try out a BMW Coverall suit at Wollaston BMW in
Northampton. Sure enough, hanging right there, were 2 of the suits.
"OK to try these on ? " says I to seated bloke at a telephone
listening on the speakerphone to his missed calls " Help yourself " he
said, not bothering to get up or offer any other advice than " We call
'em Babygrows ".
Immediately upon lifting the hangar from the rack I was struck by the
lack if substance of the suit. Looking at it reminded me of a water
ski dry suit - that is the loose fitting job not the neoprene wet suit
number that makes the ladies look mmmmm, mmmmmm - it is unlined and
does not have the ankle to neck zips I thought it would have. Instead
it zips open from ankle to waist on both sides, the zips stop there,
and then the top has a waist to neck zip. The net result was that I
could not get both arms in because it does not open wide enough !
For our footy club we have one piece sub suits which unzip straight
down from neck to ankle one both sides, you stick your feet through
the elasticated holes at the bottom of each leg, stand up and zip the
whole thing up all the way on both sides.
I even took a business suit along to see if I could step into the
Coverall with it on. You would have to step into the suit as you would
ordinary bike trouser, unfurl the suit legs and then zip up the sides.
If I could net get in with a T Shirt on I dunno how you cope wearing a
suit jacket.
Aerostich of America have covered all these aspects ,so I understand
from their website and will make the suit to measure. Too bad their
suit is almost double the BMW item price but then if it is as good as
all the reviews say then its got to be worth it.
Better start saving..........................

Llangollen 13th Sept 09

Motor Cycle News has been running stories on harrassment of riders by Welsh police and asked riders to turn up en masse today. Vast numbers did arrive including Ethel. We went A5 all the way up and blasted home all motorway - 280 miles, set off at 0900 and home by 1600. We saw a police car and bike at one roundabout, another car in a junction and a white van camera above us on a bridge. That was it - we did not see anyone pulled over. The problem facing the police there is massive traffic volume on inadequate roads. Everything imaginable is winding along them nose to tail. Cars, bikes,vans,lorries, caravans, Euro motorhomes towing cars, bicycles, horses,pedestrians - the lot. To make things even worse long sections of road are wide enough for 3 cars with grisly results as witnessed today. Shocked motorists were sitting in the kerb near an ambulance showing little sign of activity. 200 metres along the road a bike was lying on its side.200 metres the other way a car with a big pear shaped dent in the drivers door and front wing was off the side of the road.
The only way to make the place safer is to reduce all types of traffic. A scheme such as those used in cities like Athens whereby only certain licence plate numbers can drive on certain days across all vehicles would do it.
Anyway I'm not going back in a hurry - I've seen sheep and hills before, they're no big deal.
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Ethel self serviced at last

Having decided to carry out the 60k miles service work myself I invested in a torque wrench, hex and socket set with extension and wobble bar and Haynes manual to complement the original BMW handbook. I was astonished by just how simple it was to replace bevel box,gearbox and engine oil with filter. The air filter was also easy once it dawned on me that the whole filter pulls clean out, I thought it must be fixed but it simply is held in place by a shallow perimeter gully and then the cover snaps back on. Treated Ethel to stainless filler and drain plugs, brake caliper bolts too. Next up will be footrest hanger bolts and disc rotor bolts. Put in a xenon filled headlamp bulb too. Put on a set of Conti tyres, the Dunlop rear squared off at 11k miles, and chunks of the front centre tread had gone awol. This has transformed the handling. No more top heavy feel at low speed, the handling now feels planted and the orrible understeering is gone. Now Ethel goes where you look and the ride is so much more relaxed. Next jobs are to replace the in tank fuel filter and fork oil and to fit LED running lights.
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Self service

Having accumulated the parts and tools in time to have a go at servicing Ethel as the miles to 60k built up today turned out to be the day. With Haynes and the owners manual laid out there was no turning back. I had replaced the spark plugs the other day so today the engine oil and filter, gearbox and final drive fluids were replaced and all the relevant drain and filler plugs replaced with stainless items - did the front brake caliper bolts too whilst I was at it. Armed with all the data + torque wrench, sockets for both Allen keys and bolts it was ridiculousy easy to do. Great ! Next jobs will be the fork oil, LED running lights and headlight xenon bulb + plastic headlight lens cover - Bank Holiday looks good !
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New boots

Having ridden to Birmingham in pouring rain for a meeting the other day I was surprised to find I had got wet feet. The soles on both boots were coming away from the uppers on my el cheapo e bay Axo boots after 16k miles. Nothing for it then but new boots. Having read all the glowing reports I splashed out £249.99 less HOC 5% discount - thanks Honda !- on a pair of Daytona GTX leather and Goretex uberboots handmade in Germany. What with Schuberth C3 helmet and now German boots all that is left now is the riding suit and that will probably be upgraded to a BMW Coverall one piece. Anyway I was initially disapointed with the Daytonas. The tops seem made for people with big fat calves and wellied about, the heel rubbed and the thick instep made gearchanges clumsy. It also transmits hitherto unknown vibration through the footrests. Buyers remorse set in until I adjusted the rear velcro fitting straps, inserted insoles and put on white sports socks. Aha ! Great fit and super comfy. Also repositioned the gear lever and away we went. So far so good.
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Satnav woes getting better

Coming home from Donington all I had to do was reverse the nice swoopy cross country route up. Trouble was that due to stacked traffic I came over all London Biker anf plunged through to such great effect that all of a sudden, and for no particular reason, Ethel and I turned up in Nottingham. Enter the latest Satnav goody - the Givi S850 satnav pouch. This is a bumbag with a plastic window + a rain cover with a window all of which velcros together and on to the bars. It even has a diddy zip for the power lead and a holder for a pointer pen thingy. In to this went the lovely Jane, MK1 Tom Tom ever, and off we went into a sudden downpour. Aha, just as with the Great Ziploc Bag experiment any additional film in front of the screen cuts visibility, 2 of them cuts it even more. Next I will try it in night mode and see if that gives better contrast. Good bits, it works as a holder and is totally waterproof. Iffy bits, as the pouch is expensive at £46 you may as well take the whole thing off when leaving the bike which is more velcro scrrching than I can really be bothered with. Also any drops of water that get in whilst scrrching it all together turn a funny milky colour and obccure the screen.
Either way I reckon it is a must have item for GS owners as it has Givi written on it in big chrome letters.
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MotoGP at Donington Park Friday 24th July 09 - last time, hooray !

Could not resist the temptation to hear MotoGP unsilenced bikes live so am here at Donington as I write. The MotoGP bikes sound great with the Ducati the noisest thing on wheels, outside a top fuel drag bike, yet. It rained for the first 20 minutes or so and Melandri on the 2 year old rebadged Kwacker was going round quick and neat.As soon as it dried out the pitch of the engines rose and it was time to put the earplugs in. The Yamahas flat drone makes it hard to tell if they are quick or not, the Ducatis are all blood and thunder and look a real handful, the Hondas are very neat and trim which makes you wonder why they are not doing better than they are and the Suzukis trundle round and round doing ok but looking just a bit off the pace.
Donington continues to be a shambles. Once again all the bikes are parked on shale, the car park attendants had no idea if Coppice was open to spectators. At the gate I was told to walk half a mile to another gate as his scanner was broken. Breaking it gently to him that the MotoGP bikes I had paid to see were imminently due out he turned a blind eye and I was in. Even the relentlessly partisan circuit commentator Fred Clarke seems to have had enough of the Donington fiasco announcing with exasperation that Radio Donington is not working on normal radio sets - you have to buy a Circuit Radio for a fiver. On this open practice Friday there is a fair crowd yet the goodie shops are mostly shut.
Good luck with Formula 1 Donington - bet you do not make the first race.

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Leap of faith

Coming back from Sussex on Friday the M25 produced solid traffic the moment we arrived on it from the M23 planning to follow it around to the M1. As a novice at threading through traffic on a big bike with panniers I cautiously trickled through in 1st gear then noticed a gaggle of bikes built up behind me.Pulling over I let them through to see how it's done. The London bikers just plunge through the gaps around 20 - 30 mph and did not get caught up in slow manouevres or clutch slipping so when a fully kitted Beemer zapped clean through I decided to say damn the torpedoes and give it a go. What a revelation. The cars mostly see you coming better at speed and mostly pull aside. The bike is much easier to ride - I kept it in 2nd at 30mph - and found that with lucky timing you would arrive just before a car restarted and could more easily weave the bike around to get through. All of a sudden it became fun as we ploughed on relentlessly until the M40 came up and we took the Silverstone route home. Thanks for the lesson London bikers - one more skill learned.
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Do not buy from The GPS Warehouse - their products and customer care are shit

Having received a returns note for the 12v BMW Blackberry power lead that failed on me in France I sent the item back. A string of e mails ensued claiming there is nothing wrong with it although they never confirmed testing it with a Blackberry. The suspicion is that as we traced power to the mini plug but none out of it then that must be at fault. Nonethess they sent it back to me - no refund. The connection to the Genuine BMW 12v outlet is very loose and wobbly and of course no charging symbol comes up on the Blackberry. So fuck you The GPS Warehouse - never again - and I will warn every forum I know not to deal with you.
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Michael Jackson

The sunshine is being blamed for the death of michael jackson but he actually tripped over his kids pram so dont blame it on the sunshine blame it on the buggy

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Farrah & Michael

When Farrah Fawcett arrived in heaven, God granted her 1 wish. She wished for all of the world's children to be safe. So God killed Michael Jackson.

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Michael Jackson

Mr Jackson has requested that he be melted down and made into toys so he can still play with little kids
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Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson has died aged 50. In the spirit of recycling, he will be melted down into plastic party cups, so kids can still get their lips around his rim.
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Michael Jackson

Michael jackson didn't even die of a heart attack.... He was actually found in a childrens ward having a stroke.
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Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is not going to be buried or cremated, but recycled into shopping bags so he can remain white plastic and dangerous for kids to play with.
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France trip day 7 Sat 20th June 09

Really glad I stopped over in Rouen for the Friday night as I did not realise how tired I was until I hit the sack and zonked out. Up bright and early and ready to go by 7. A thankfully dull day at last, I have sweltered all week in what is really winter kit. When we met up with the British bike club people earlier in the week I tried on a Joe Rocket meshed summer jacket which would be ideal so the hunt is on. This morning Ethel took a day off from belching out a big cloud of blue smoke on start up - dunno why she sometimes does this - and we were off and away. Just for a change Telenav actually worked and threaded us out of Rouen for the 120 mile dull autoroute run to Calais. Of course upon closing in upon the final exit Telenav crapped out and froze but by then I could hardly go anywhere but the ferry. Immediately upon arriving back in England I was struck by the brutal aggression and inconsiderate attitude of English drivers. The contrast is immediate, the traffic density is a shock, they drive too fast too close with a general attitude of Fuck You.
All of which brings me to a huge thank you to Northants Advanced Motorcyclists for the superb training over last winter which gave me 1500 miles of fast but drama free riding on my little European adventure.
Next up I fancy a run to Thuringia in the old East Germany and maybe Grenada next year. Who knows ?
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France trip day 7 Friday 19th June 09

Another superb full day out with Jack Hawkins leading the way all along Omaha beach through to the British / Canadian end plus the Hillman Battery and on to Pegasus bridge plus loadsa stops and explanations at off the beaten track places. Great. Got out Gixered on some really fast twisty stuff - boy that bike really picks up and wangs around corners but was pleased to mostly be in touch on old Ethel on some great biking roads.
Really, really pissed off with the shit Telenav gps download needed for the Blackberry because Vodafone UK packages do NOT work in France. The garbage Telenav has crapped out on me every time I have really needed it. Tonight it was fine until I was directed off the Autoroute outside Rouen into a choice of directions at which point Telenav froze and stopped navigating. I took a guess then had to stop and reboot Telenav which then took me miles out via one track hillside lanes. My destination was a hotel on an industrial estate just off a dormitory residential area. I eventually arrived with some lucky guesswork. So Blackberry users out there - do not consider or buy Telenav, it is a shit product that does not work.
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France trip day 6 Thursday 18 June 09

Today was the best biking day since I came back to riding. Jack Hawkins www.freewebs.com/gixajack , having provided excellent accomodation and great food, then led a private battlefield tour of no less than 17 different USA locations each of which was provided with a full description of what happened, when and why. As a shit tourist, I've seen loadsa churches, castles, museums n stuff plus loathing tourist tat, I asked for off the beaten track points of interest and then let's get back on the bikes and ride. And that is exactly what I got for 9 hours. The riding was great, twisties, swoopy stuff and great fun keeping pace with a well ridden Gixer. Can't wait for morning when we set off to visit Omaha beach then on to the British section.


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France Trip day 5

Went 60 miles west this morning to British ex pat riders picnic at Cartenac. Very friendly bunch of assorted early retirees, some content with their lot and others seemingly eager to share woes. I heard last night from another ex pat that many want to return to the UK but are trapped by the property crash and are stuck with devalued funds running low.
Took my leave of the Honda Owners Club to go east to Normandy via Rennes and Avranches - a very hot ride. The couple I am staying with have true ex squaddie black humour and very interesting lives. A great evening including healthy, spicy food - thank god for that after the past few evenings.
Tomorrow its off to see the American invasion areas on Ethel with off the beaten track places to visit and insights.
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France trip day 4 June 16 09

Satnav resolved - well almost. Got it to charge from new connector, bought from Super U lady in Dinan with such a spectacularly open fronted dress I was amazed but delighted she is allowed to wear it to work. Kept having to lean forward to say Pardon ?
Went on a bimble deliberately keeping off main roads. Doing this France appears uninhabited except for the odd car that is about pulling straight out from the right as villages do not always have right of way warnings at small junctions and it is here that old habits die hard - give way to the right because they do come out without looking.
Tomorrow is the last with the Honda brigade before I go up to Normandy for guided battlefield tours - led by Jack on his gixer.
So tomorrow we are being picked by the local British Bikers club to pick up ex pat riders along the 100km route to a picnic.
Then its straight back through and on to Normandy.
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France Trip day

Today we had a little trundle out to the tourist ghetto that is Le Mont St Michel. The French have managed to reverse engineer Disneyland. Baking hot day and sweltering under remaining bike gear of jacket and back protector. Glad to get going again - went to a picturesque seaside place with oyster beds - 12 oysters to eat fresh Euros 3.85 - but no takers amongst us. Tomorrow I am going for a proper ride aiming for anywhere off main routes going West. Who knows where I'll end up. Funny how magnetic bikes are. On Day 1 a Belgian rushed up before I had got off the bike to ask directions to the D Day beaches then today the same thing with French and Germans eager to talk bikes and ask what we are doing. Odd how you are never alone for long when travelling solo yet get isolated when in a group.
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Satnav woes

The plot thickens on the Blackberry satnav failing to charge from the 12v outlet. Tests show that current is reaching the connector to the handset but the charge symbol does not appear. Another PDA does show charging. The Blackberry does show the symbol and charges from the mains. The plug into the handset or the handset socket look to be main suspects - so the search is on for a new cable and connector.
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France trip Day 2 14th June 09

Having reset the satnav not to switch itself off all the time it was an early start for the 200 mile run over to Normandy to meet up with the Honda Brigade. No dramas , missed a few satnav turns but enjoyed riding through non motorway France for a time. Then, 18 miles short of the destination, the. Blackberry battery went flat and took the phone out with it. So it was back to old fashioned navigation as I stumbled upon the house, with people investigating Gold Wing electrics. With help from Steve the electrician and others we established that the expensive special BMW cable and socket is faulty. Good news is that the car size socket worked but of course I did not bring the adapter to fit as I thought I would not need it. So now need to go shopping for one of those or hope the battery charge holds out long enough...
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France Trip Day One 13th June 09

What a day ! Zipped down to Dover taking the country route as much as possible only to pull up behind a K75 waiting for the ferry ! Also sitting there was a Suzuki kettle with Difazio hub centre steering and a BSA triple also with the same front end. That was it - the smooth crossing flew by in endless bike natter . The Blackberry satnav is a nightmare. Vodafone satnav does not work in France - what is the point of letting you set up destinations in the UK only to find it is useless when you get there. Similarly the Telenav download cuts out to give a blank screen every 60 seconds or so and no matter what I do you end up riding along pressing the Space bar to make it display. I got totally lost in Rouen and ended up asking a young guy on an 800GS the way only for him to lead me all the way out to the hotel. He even invited me over for dinner but found out his girlfriend had arranged for them to go out. So I'm waiting for a pizza delivery. Who knows what tomorrow will bring...
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The wrong Dan !

Whilst searching for Dan 55 in the Donington paddock on Sunday I noticed a fairing outside an awning with 55 on it. I steamed in and asked the rider if he was Dan - he said yes and chatted somewhat absently. I noticed the bike was a superstock 600 and was surprised not to see the 250 Yamaha twin I had expected. We said our goodbyes and noticed that the 55 fairing was not his - he was Dan Kneen number 34 who has just finished 3rd in Sunday's race. Oops !
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Dan 55

Met with Dan Jackson of Gabfesters forum here at Donington Park then watched him take a steady 16th place by my reckoning - well done, nice ride Dan
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The slum that is Donington Park

Spent today at Donington Park watching BSB practice sessions. On arriving all bikes were directed on to a long loose shale track to a shale surface bike park with entry through the kind of wire covered gate you see on tennis courts. On leaving I noticed proper hard bike parks 10% full. There were no directions to circuit entrances so upon slogging all the way back to Coppice we were told no spectator entrance here, go over to that gate to get in. Overgrown lank grass is eveywhere, paintwork is peeling, seating facilities are nil for most of the circuit, the lovely grassy infield now has the remains of a disused motocross track scarring it, the paddock toilets are filthy and rank, the paddock motorhome area is a jumbled up power cable strewn fire hazard nightmare-if one goes up they all will, catering is burger shite. The whole place has the look and atmosphere of a derelict landfill.
Donington does not understand that the paying public expects better than this and never has. Too late now. Place your bet now that the Formula 1 rug gets pulled out from under them and the whole place deservedly gets flattened for a new runway for E Midlands Airport next door.
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BMW Day at The Ace Cafe Sunday 10th May 2009

A group of us will be coming down from Northamptonshire to attend the BMW Day at The Ace Cafe Sunday 10th May 2009 from 0900 located just off the North Circular Road at Stonebridge near Park Royal. Some Gabfesters from the very friendly forum of that name will be meeting us there too.
Now, if I can persuade Rambling Bob to bring his English accordion maybe he could give us all a song....
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Catching up with NAM

Finally caught up with Northants Advanced Motorcyclists again last night having been tripped up by an endless run of do this and that over recent weeks. Great to be back in the company of the brisk, swoopy style that is the NAM trademark and satisfying that a lot of The System is at last starting to become automatic. Still got a little way to go though as the ride showed that a couple of sloppy habits have crept back in to my riding. Good to hear that Sunday's turn out produced 52 riders and 8 new associates signing up. If you are reading this and have not done so then find your local branch and turn up - it will enjoyably change your riding for the better.
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The wrong trousers

This weekend not just one but two types of biking trousers came up for daft money. First up a pair of JTS leather jeans in excellent unmarked condition surfaced at a car boot sale - got em for £12 ! Only fault a broken zip but this under repair for £18 so great, RRP £139. Next in one of those horrible chav clothes sheds I stumbled upon a pair of Karrimor stretchy cycling trousers - great under kevlar jeans for £9 so now all trousered in !
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050 Road Test

Today Pure Triumph on The Embankment in Wellingborough kindly held a test day. I had booked a Triumph Sprint ST 1050 and duly turned up. Having handed over driving licence, passport and signed for £1500 excess I was given the keys and use of the bike for an hour on my own. Other manufacturers take note, if Buell, Harley and Triumph will let you loose why can't you ? Sitting on the bike the first impression is of how small it is. Both feet plonk on the ground, you sit in the bike rather than on it with your bum flush against the step to the pillion seat and a hunched reach to the bars. All the controls are to hand and feel sweet to use. There is little sensation of weight as you paddle the bike about nor any top heavy feel. This feels like a well worked out complete package. Turn the key and press start with a whiff of throttle, wang goes the rev counter ! Yeehar, this is going to be fun. Snick into first for the first of 6 very positive gears and away we go. Lovely, silky triple power delivery with the fuelling nicely sorted out. Onto dual carriageway and gently up through the gears - hang on - what was that snarl beginning just as I changed up ? Go back down a gear and let it rev - whoohoo ! There it is, that triple yowl that I've read about in the comics. The power delivery is linear, no nasty snatches or sudden upward power steps just a constant whooosh. The handling also feels like that of a small bike. It is absolutely planted on the road at all times, smooth over the bumps and goes exactly where you look in an instant with no dramas or sensation of falling into bends. Onto the twisties and the temptation to leave it in lower gears is too strong to resist - just listen to that ! Effortless rapid progress with nice predictable but strong engine braking. Hauling the bike's speed down to get back onto a dual carriageway needs only a finger on the front brake - you just know you've got all the brakes you'll ever need. Granddaddy niggles ? No heated grips on this bike, the wind blast from the tiny screen comes as a shock, the speedo dial is in a tiny font and hard to see and there is no gear indicator. Tell you what BMW. On the basis that you do not mind using proprietary engines, this one in a miniaturised K1300GT would make a stunning all rounder.

Michelin Maps

Just received Michelin maps 513 Normandie and 512 Bretagne as back up in case the on board Blackberry fails.
Hard to believe that 30 years ago whilst living and working in Germany I would cheerfully set off on 2 week trips with a pile of maps and no mobile.
Today I gulped looking at them. Mmmm Satnav rules....
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Normandy Trip

Just finalised plans for the trip to Normandy via Brittany this summer.

Ethel is off across to Calais then on to Rouen for the night. Next day we go on to the St Malo area for 3 nights to explore then it's off to the St Lo area and 2 days of escorted battlefield tours finishing off with another night in Rouen before coming back via Calais the next day. Can't wait...........

Anybody with any useful tips is welcome, such as " I know a great K75 specialist in.........on the way, just in case "

BMW Test Day

I recently enjoyed a BMW Test Day.

Here is my alternative, totally subjective and unrepresentative Road Test report by way of a contrast to Motor Cycle News “ On the track, at 18000 revs, this bike still has 500 rpm to go over the rest so the winner of our group test is…..” nonsense.

GS650. This is like a BMX bike with a light switch power delivery engine in it. It really does twiddle about like a bike but this is unnerving when stepping off a heavy bike. Everything happens all of a sudden, go, steer , stop – bam, bam, bam. Not at all the commuter trudger I expected. This too had the horrible fuelling glitch just as you feed in the clutch to pull away that I had previously experienced when riding an 800ST and kindly cut out on me in front of the Beemer masses just as I fed the power in.Oddly enough the very same 800ST was there and smirking in the background – the joke’s on you mate, you are now only fit to be used as a test hack.

K1300GTSE Wow ! What a bike. An absolutely stonking engine. Wanna rev it ? OK goes like stink. Wanna short shift ? – does the same. Creamy smooth power and slick shifts everywhere. Only downside is tingly vibration in 2nd gear at 30mph through the footrests and tank. A huge improvement is modern indicator switchgear. Thank God for that. I looked at the bike before I went out just to see if this one had it, great, otherwise I would not have ridden it. I do not need 160 bhp cutting in just when I don’t want it. I have yet to meet any German with 6” long thumbs – but they must have existed to have designed the now thankfully obsolete old switchgear.A big heavy lump to move about to park. It steers and corners great but gives the sensation on cornering that something big and heavy is being swung about in circles, well bits of circles, so plan ahead accordingly. The brakes wipe out speed instantly so no worries there.Predictably the only toy I played with was the heated grips – the ride itself didn’t seem to need anything else. OK then I forgot.A great bike in my view – I really liked it.

GS1200 Stop the world I want to get off. Go around the world on this ? You must be kidding. Turn the key and press start the thing leaps to the right, everything judders about and the engine sounds rough and clanky.Away we go and it sounds like a cross between a WW1 biplane and a tractor, engine delivery linear but not smooth through the bars or footrests plus muffled pops and bangs in the exhaust on successive downshifts, gearbox clonky both ways.It handles, steers and stops OK but as a concept I just don’t get it. Handy for looking over hedges I suppose but dunno what else.Monster height makes give way junctions and parking a nightmare for 29” inner leg. OK, I know buy this lowering kit and that lowered seat – but then what is the point in the first place. I gave up and handed the bike back to sort out when I got back as I just couldn’t be arsed to try to haul the thing about.

Schuberth C3 Helmet

Tired of waiting for new stock in white I rushed over to Hein Gericke in Northampton to scoop up the gloss black one in my size.Just goes to show that you gets what you pays for. An instant improvement over my £99 HJC, as should be expected I suppose. Immediately upon setting off the wind roar was noticeably quieter, then in traffic you notice an increased vision splay from the wider visor aperture and can see traffic out of the corner of your eye. Up to speed and wind turbulence or gusts make no difference at all, no more sudden head bobs. There is some wind noise but noise is low. The helmet is very light by comparison to what I am used too – you do not notice it is there. The ventilation works properly too, the dreaded sudden misting up of spectacles as the speed drops to walking pace is gone so no more constant visor raising at every roundabout or town.The helmet shell is small in comparison, down from size 62 HJC to 58 Schuberth and the helmet profile is smaller too. The strap is connected by means of the plastic ribbed band arrangement you see on ski boots, which in this case goes through a snap shut fastener with a downward pull tab to release. Very funky. The drop down internal tinted visor is in a pleasant neutral grey and does not foul spectacles.All in all a very nice product that works, well done Mr Schumacher !
After a week I discovered that the spoiler under the chin is removeable, velcro, so it is no longer such a squeeze to shut the front. Also belatedly discovered that the visor has a snap shut over a catch which stops the wind noise mentioned above and makes the helmet eerily quiet !

Airhawk seat cover

The Airhawk seat arrived yesterday and this morning was the first opportunity to give it a go.Trying out various amounts of air it turned out that the least amount used to inflate it is best.It is super comfy, does not skid about, and with so little air in it does not boiing you around. The cover has a fabric top which is nice to sit on. It has the added benefit of the raised seat height creating a better riding position, in my case, as I am now more up over the bars and suddenly have a riding position I really like. The pad completely covers the riders seat area of the K75C and does what I wanted - namely give extra width at the front sides of the seat where it can dig in after a while.So far so good.................

Enter Ethel the Beemer

Here is Ethel the Beemer my lovely old 1986 K75C all ready for a busy summer.
The idea of this blog is to keep a live record of various ramblings as we go off on trips plus any various bits and pieces I've come across.