Flying Brick rally Eifel end April

Really looking forward to going back to the Eifel for this one after yet another UK club talked up the joys of pointlessly stooging about in tents as a fun time. Bring on comfy hotel, proper food,real rides and monster car park bonfire into the night. That's the way to do it - can't wait
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Some of the Flying Brick forum BMW K series bikes

Nice bikes horrible music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qqnK1HdBRE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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Video

Now the ZX6R is ready for video - studiously avoiding any instruments in the field of view

Helmet

Put a couple of pink stripes on the Schuberth C3. Took the visor off after watching a you tube video of some muscle bound American calling the helmet This Guy. It came off just as he said it would but it took ages to twig the knack he oh so quickly skipped over on putting it back on. If you are the other person in the UK with this helmet here it is. There is a grain of rice sized protrusion on the inside of the visor that needs to be flush with the release lever when visor is at full opening. When this is the case on both sides the visor is magically held in place and will ratchet down to shut.

Parking

Ethel really getting sniffy about her parking slot !

Great new helmet bags

One for the ZX6R and of course one for Ethel too. CGR Bike Gear will custom make one offs + fleeces, polos etc made to fit. Great. If its good enough for Eugene Laverty its good enough for me !

A nasty shock in the morning

Here's the original ZX6R shock now thankfully replaced by the Hagon

Ethel scowling

Just noticed Ethel in the background of the ZX6R photos imperiously refusing to even recognise the presence of the other bike and mouthing - slut, it'll never last you mark my words.
Wonder if she spat the lost topbox off in a fit of pique ?
Anyway today fitted an identical 56 litre replacement box this time taking no prisoners. Instead of the internal wing nut screw that connects box to rack we have stainless Allen bolt plus mega washers plus Loctite plus Nyloc nut. As if that is not enough the front flange and upper rail of the rack now have zip ties connecting them. Thus in the astonishing case of the box pulling through the bolt these are intended to keep it on the rack as the box bounces up and down. Just as well that I never want to take the box off anyway.
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ZX6R winter jobs - what's it like to ride now ?

Great ! Just as Ian Joyce of Bright Motor Works said it would be the suspension front and rear is now supple and gives a smooth ride. The steering has lost its wooden feel and now turns very quickly. Ian blasted the newly fitted brake pads clean and now their sticky feel has gone. Net result is that the bike now really zips up to unprintable speed, glides along and has brakes that really do mean business. All round very pleased. Parts fitted over winter were hugger, race alloy can hanger with rear rests and big clonky original hanger removed, Girling braided steel brake hoses front and rear with another load of clonky original bracketry removed, Hagon rear shock with no gas bottle plus front forks overhauled. As suspected these did turn out to contain snot like goop instead of the nice clean oil they now have. Possibly 16 years old as the forks have to be stripped for this, no Beemer drain plugs here, and the sliding internals were gummed up. No wonder it felt like rigid forks as they probably were.
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ZX6R with winter jobs all done

Ah that's better, nice new Hagon shock for ZX6R

ZX6R with original shock

The original shock provided a concrete hard ride plus it looked fuzzy as if it had been dragged up from the seabed. Never liked that ugly black pipe and tacky gas bottle either.

Credit where it is due

Oops, travel insurance co that settled lost topbox claim is Chartis not Cordis. Another senior moment there then.
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Insurance is not a rip off

Rang Cordis who insure our business for travel and in 15 minutes over the phone they agreed settlement of the top box and contents. Great. Now look forward to payout as all the replacements are rapidly arriving.
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Manx taxi

Out at Douglas Rd Corner a rider came in with a dead engine. He wanted to get back to the paddock for the practice so on to Ethel he jumped and we took the back roads back to the paddock. Great fun.
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Same day at Peel castle

Built by Vikings roof nicked by a later king for the slate.
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Niarbyl IOM on a grim day

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Slippery Sam Triumph

5 times TT winning 750 triple so named due to finishing one TT with so much oil leaking it was hard to keep the right foot on the footrest.
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Ex Capirossi 990 Moto GP bike

Quietest bike in the paddock was never fired up.
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MV the real thing

Here is one of the last MVs raced ny Agostini which went out on track at Jurby
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MV replica at Jurby

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Nice Simson mofa at Jurby

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Ethel looking mean and track ready at Jurby

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Insurance is a rip off

The other night somewhere between Crowborough and Stansted services on the 29th Feb 12 between 2000 and 2130 the top box fell off Ethel and was not noticed until I got to Stansted services. Contents were wallet, cards, mobile phone, satnav, cash, keys - you name it. All these are now in the process of being replaced. Looking at my Footman James policy I noticed there is  £250 personal effects cover so I duly put in an honest claim for less than £200 for private items. They straight away refused it on the basis that only motorcycle related items like clothing, helmets are covered. I pointed out to them that it is no wonder that people either do not bother with insurance or make fraudulant claims. On the basis that it is very unlikely that the top box will ever be seen again I should have said that it contained a £750 Arai helmet and was a Givi box worth £460.

It is looking like it is going to be the same story with the business assets that were lost as the insurance companies there are already wriggling like a bucket full of eels to get out of it.