smallfrowne

Ah. Nicely resolved then And no, absolutely not.

Nice work, satisfying. And yeah it probably doesn't help not having a cover on. Underslung caliper issues, they love getting wet and grumpy (that was meant to be grimey but I'm leaving it). My dad came round to test and show me his setup for a weeks worth of luggage but I ended up ordering him some new brake pads. He is very heavy on the rear it seems! It's only done 4k or something but barely a wafer left. It's also an underslung caliper and it looked rough for being basically a fair weather bike. I'm sure he'll clean it before he drops it off, he will won't he... (I probably wouldn't ) And is then expecting a loaner bike (the new green one!) like some kind of dealer service . Oh and if that is the old bleed nipple in your picture it still looks lovely to be fair. Wemoto bless 'em always seem to send me the wrong pins so I've got a collection of them, end up reusing the old ones, which is a bit unsatisfying, nevermind.

Well. That's that I think. Went over every bit of crazy paving I could find on the way to my sisters and back again to pick up some pistachio spread. It must've just been the old oil in the shock. It's absolutely laaaaaarvely smooth now. Only trouble is the front now. Time to do the oil on them I suppose. At least that won't cost me 150 quid, just faffery. But that's breakfast sorted, croissant and pistachio spread

Service Time Today the kawa was in for a bit of pampering. Brake Fluid. So lovely and see-through now. And nipples on relatively new bikes are just so lovely to undo. Coolant, even rinsed it through a few times before putting new stuff in. Only the finest made in Rotherham stuff an' all, Granville Rapid Cool. Though now its blood is no longer green but red, seems wrong for the kawa. Also I just realised now that the portion of water locked in the engine side of the thermostat will have diluted the mix, to an amount I don't really know and that's annoying me. £10 or so down the local bullseye motor factors. Motul 7100, sod it, it's all mystically red and not very oil coloured. £59 with a gen-you-ine kawa made in china filter from the ol' sportsbikeshop. Very little metallic shards at the bottom of the old washing up bowl upon tipping away the old stuff as well. Ktech shock is refitted ready for a little test tonight (hopefully). They said they didn't see anything wrong with it, though the oil was ready for a change, so not money completely wasted maybe - £150. They have offered to give it a bit of check in the workshop if I ride it in. If it's still trying buck me off on the bumps I will be down there this week, they're a good bunch - sorted me out for various other matters in the past.

Oh yes you can. There's one popped up near me. It was only ever a single lane, but very wide. Now they've put a bus lane on it and it's all complaints about people queuing in their cages. But it's errr exactly the same as before except busses have more of a chance. It's also not for motorbikes, which doesn't make sense though, there's not an "unsafe" choke point at the end like in the article. Just racist towards bikers. And now it's not as wide it's harder to filter I imagine. I don't commute anymore so I've no need to complain other than I feel it's a bit racist and classic if-I've-got-to-queue-so-have-you mentalism. We all know bikes are cool so are at the top of the food chain and look down upon the cager.

It's worth setting up your preload height. Not a bad job if it's easy to get to and you have a helper. I do sometimes have a helper, other times I have to set up my phone taking a video, recording the tape measure which is attached at the rear seat somewhere and left dangling over the rear axle.

I'm going to pick it up tomorrow from them and fit it back this weekend hopefully. But yes it was previously wound in all the way to get some control. Unsure how many miles it'd done but the bike had 5,800 miles on it when I got it. We'll see. The stock one seemed fine on that trip to the lakes to be honest, but it's a bit shocking if the ktech isn't better.

Yes I normally do mine as soon as they tick the job off at the MOT place before I ride off. Technically I think you are meant to go straight home after the test then walk to the posty for the tax, or get the bus. Ha. As if.

Yes I will, not back to the lakes though!

Nothing's ever easy. The green machine has been through it's rigorous roadworthiness test now so I've ordered the service stuff, except plugs and air filter. Everything looks a doddle on a naked, I err hope. The previous owner put ktech front and back on it but I've had the ktech shock in for a service, at a setup down Rotherham. I wasn't very impressed with its riding characteristics - it was bucking right up over rough stuff, except at fully wound in on the rebound - which you aren't meant to do. Proper bouncing. I've put the original shock on it for now, which is better but I've got to go back and collect the ktech one, didn't take long. They've said they didn't really see anything wrong with it, but we'll see. I'll refit it and retest, see if I go flying off again. They've repaved all the roads round me, it's hard work finding a crap bit to test on, what a bother.

Bugger. Which type of kit did you use out of interest? Shroom head plugs or wiggly worms?

Took the day off. Too hot to work. Up early kettle on and walk the dog, careful not to wake anything else. Bike out, cheese sarnies made. Jam too why not. First proper decent try of the green one. Up the A1 to Leyburn, Hawes, and west. Heading for the ferry. After an hour in, what's going on? Numb fingers? I'm holding on too tight a lá Cougar of top gun. Ease into it, get comfy... Stop for a coffee thing. It's more milk than coffee but it's helping. Chap on the bench talking to another couple about going hang gliding. I think he'd had a few coffees already or was just really ready to go. Never used his emergency chute in 20 years. Hope that didn't change today mister. Ferry. Last time I was on this I was on the DR650, not long after I'd got it. Didn't realise until now, but them's Dutch plates! Of course. They get everywhere. Think I could've got away without paying the £2.70 but my inner bonio kicked in. Then the ferryman let me off first, "narrow lanes, hard to get past this lot". Thanks ferryman. Sandwich time with the cows. And the bull. Then, I'd managed to find it, again, having done it on the DR, but in the opposite direction. The big ol' Hardknotts pass. It's the only one I knew really. I'll have to find some others. It was a bit errr, bumpy. Ya dunt get roads like that in Rotherham. So that was nice. And no mechanical issues. The DR had thrown a balancer shaft at the exact top of the pass last time. I distinctly remember the sound of a horrible mechanical failure within the engine. I rode it home mind, and all the little springs, washers, pins, etc had settled nicely at the bottom of the casings which I found later on... 330 miles on trip A when I got back. I think it should do Germany alright. I'm pretty sure I made it to 130miles without having a major panic for petrol as well. Though I couldn't resist topping up at £1.37 a litre in the middle of nowhere, cheapest I'd seen all day.

@rob m ooh that looks grand to me. Just right. How was/is the beer? @Simon Davey very happy haha. It's pretty much a a recreation of the poster on the gate, but instead of Tommy Bridewell it's me.

No no no, nothing released or changed after 2 and nothing on a Friday! At least that's what the old heads at work used to say. Only exception is if you are going on holiday straight after.

I will stop going on about it after this, but I just got the email to say the track day photos were available. I don't normally buy anything unless they capture me crashing but... I'm pretty sure in this shot I am blocking him off on the last corner down to the chequered flag to keep my top spot in the championship. Or, I'm just a moving bollard cocking up his testing sheet. Notice the lack of windscreen on my one, that's why I'm not leant over as much as him.

Nice one @rob m. Hope you don't see any more rain.

Thanks. Yes it is. He's a gentleman on and off the track, really is. Offered him an apple pie and he graciously turned it down.

I errr, went to Cadwell but detoured slightly off the beaten path. And the wheel took hold of some sods. Rammed tight into the bead of the tyre. Bike is a bit of a state but it hung on til the last session with some fettling, and I'm glad it did. Peter overtook me on the last lap of the last session, warm summer evening, blue skies, otherwise quiet track, right before the mountain. And there he went, just sailed on out there into the air. I was beaming after that, what a way to end.

That is classic bonio. I bet she wasn't even annoyed. I've did this this morning: Missed a session then back out though. Last time round Peter Hickman lapped me at least 3 times. Black lines all over barn corner and out on the start finish, into the distance. Bloody excellent

Well, that's my thinking. Boring because I won't need to join a class action facebook group

It's a Z900. Nice to be on "boring" Japanese again.

KTM camshaft fears allayed, tucked it in the garage, out of sight out of mind. Instead I now have something green to ride. I did ask Martin if he could shift out from ruining my image!! He did not and moved in for closer inspection/annoyance.

Cheers, it's a bit of an effort getting shut of stuff but kind of freeing; I could get used to it. It's funny it reminded me of a very early memory of my dad getting rid of his xr2i. My little lad came running up the drive to see it in the bloke's van. "Look, it's in the van going to a new home". "No. It isn't." And sits firmly in on the path, crossed arms.

Sold it. Goodbye big viffer. Swan song turned out to be getting me to and from download every day over that weekend, 300miles ish. Handy since the M1 is mainly roadworks between here and there. Mind it was pretty fun getting out of the car park using the wet grass to find traction because the Michelin 2ct's couldn't find grip on the mud.

Talking of dead end roads. The Italian job road is one as well. We sort of got near it that trip, but not really. Another time.