Claude's bike collection

The charming Claude who I met up at Windy Corner at the Manx GP has a
stunning bike collection and has been sending me images. Here they are
in a Photobucket album.

http://s598.photobucket.com/albums/tt70/gryceslurp/Claudes%20bikes/

Nice coupla tweeks done today

The KLT blew a headlamp bulb a few hundred metres from home the other night. Took out the old bulb to see it had completely blown apart. Looking at it I noticed it was a 100W instead of the standard 65W main beam. It could be that this was the first full beam ride since the rebuild and is what happens to over rated bulbs. Anyway stuck in one of Lidls finest 65/55W bulbs , happily the correct combination, and so far so good. On the K75 I got rid of the nasty rusty hinge under one of the panniers and treated both boxes to a set of new slide on ferrule hinges. Aha ! For the first time the lids do not crash down upon opening but open smoothly as if on gas struts.
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Ethel at The National Motorcycle Museum the other day

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K1100LT v K75C

This week I had the first good run in one go on the KLT some 320 mostly motorway miles.Boy is she ever thirsty - 40 mpg if you are lucky. But then she has real grunt zapping chains of A road dawdlers and thrumming along motorways at 80,90,100 mph - whatever you want it is there, zap ! I've not ridden a bike with a full on touring fairing any distance before and was amazed at how good it is. In the dry you sit in a still bubble. I was pleased that it rained and astonished that the expected sodden gloves did not happen. The bike is so serene at motorway speeds that I had time to observe how rainwater turns into a fine mist as it leaves the edges of the fairing and screen to completely miss the rider. I rode through consistent rain and parked up dry ! The bike is however very sensitive to correct tyre pressures. I converted the incomprehensible Bar readings to PSI and had to add 4 lbs to the front. Result instant correction of vague feeling from front end. She is a very lardy bike with a small steering lock that catches you out in U turns in the road. All in keeping with the overall feel of the bike, big, ponderous, do it my way or else. It makes me think that the K75 with another 20 bhp and touring fairing would be the ideal compromise. Now where do I get a turbo kit...
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