Mississippi Bullfrog

Lean burn designs were around well before 2004.

Driving along the A55 round the south of Chester heading towards Wales this afternoon. There was ice and snow either side of the carriageway with traffic keeping to a steady 55mph in the left hand lane. Mr BMW comes belting up the right hand lane which in that section was relatively clear. However, there is a junction coming up at which a lot of traffic leaves the A55. Consequently just past that junction the outer lane is much less used and so is filled with snow. Mr BMW fails to anticipate the conditions and hits the snow going like the clappers. Everyone else could see this coming so eased off leaving him space to pirouette gracefully across both lanes until the back of the car left the road and got stuck in the slush. Fortunately enough space was left for the rest of us to proceed without being held up.

They can feel a bit hesitant on light throttle in low gear due to being tuned to run lean. So long as it pulls cleanly when you open the throttle a bit more I wouldn't worry about it.

Back on where this started - ie paying for things - we were at a farm shop / play area with one of the grandchildren this morning. They have a huge barn full of soft play equipment for the granddads to play in. There is also an automated drinks machine which when you buy two drinks charges your bank account for three. I raised this in their shop. "Oh yes, it always does that." Apparently it might refund the extra charge in a week or so. Or it might not. But they don't seem to want to do anything about it. Progress?

I've done timing chains but not on a Mini. You need the right timing kit to set it up properly. So long as you're methodical it's fine. There's bound to be someone selling the timing kit second hand if you look around.

The very fact you're asking the question suggests that for some strange reason you want to keep the Mini. In which case, if you have the space then as said, declare it sorn and cancel the insurance and it won't cost you anything. It can be fun to have an old car to mess about with. Just check how much it will cost you to insure / tax it when you do want to use it. Which is why I used to do up early 70's cars. No tax or MOT costs and cheap insurance. On the downside, cluttering up your life with unnecessary things can be habit forming. Sometimes simpler is better.

From my very limited experience of Dobbins I think the rug goes over them rather than them reclining upon it. However I claim no expertise on these matters. My attempts this morning to feed donkeys carrots ended with a 3 year old granddaughter clutching a bag of carrots in the rain whilst the aforesaid beasts refused to move out of their shelter.

I had to Google what a rug rail is. It seems to be a horsey thing. Interesting coloured walls in your shed. Very upmarket.

I'm hoping to retire next year, when I'll be 65. The biggest issue is living in tied accommodation means we have to find somewhere to live.

I can't use the ABBA stand as it won't fit my Bobber. I have paddock stands and a lift which fits underneath the Bobber. I find that I never use the paddock stands. If you're working on brakes, suspension etc then paddock stands are very limiting.

Went out to the bike....attempted to get my leg over the seat...found legs still too sore after sailing at the weekend....pondered using something to stand on in order to get on the bike....then realised if I managed to get on it I wouldn't be able to get off it at the other end.....gave up....took more painkillers....opened a bottle of claret. Now entirely incapable of riding in every sense.

Things like that weigh on your mind if you're a conscientious kind of person. Sadly, it's all part of dealing with some of the rogues out there. The key thing is to stick to your principles and know you've done it right.

Well the wind picked up but was still very light. There is a skill to light wind sailing so I was quite pleased to get some decent results in the 4 races sailed. The downside is that having not been on the water since September my sailing muscles are shot. Balancing a boat in light wind puts enormous strain on your legs, particularly your thigh muscles. So this morning I am hobbling like a geriatric, going downstairs is agony.

Typical! I get a day off and look at the wind.....

By 2050 we'll be riding horse and carts anyway.

What about floppy ears?

I have tinnitus so I am very fussy about helmets and earplugs. After many years of experimenting here are my conclusions: Flip fronts are usually quieter than full face since they can have closer fitting neck padding. Much of the noise level depends on the bike itself. The noise level between my naked CBF and Bobber is totally different due to the airflow over the front of the bike. I have a Schuberth C3 Pro, it is good, much quieter than my Caberg Duke2 - but with the right earplugs and neck clothing the Duke can be just as quiet as the C3 Pro. So the helmet alone is the full story. Which earplugs work best for you is a very individual choice - you have to try a lot to find out what works for you. Personally I find Eggz work best for me. The majority of windnoise comes from around the neck which is why flip fronts can be quieter. Due to the fact that the front opens they can have closer fitting neck padding. The C3 Pro is also more aerodynamic than the Duke - but the main difference is less buffeting rather than noise. If I go on a motorway trip I often wear the Duke with a buff and a keffiyeh and find that is even quieter than the C3 Pro. If you focus on reducing wind turbulence around the neck area you will reduce noise dramatically. Try feeling the windflow with your hand to find out how the bike is affecting noise. I found that the oem bubble screen and mirrors on the CBF caused a lot of turbulence. I fitted a different screen which improved things but it's still noisier than my Bobber in terms of wind noise. You may be able to improve things by tweaking things around the front end of the bike.

They didn't leave it as it was because the speed of 250cc machines more or less doubled and the accident rate was soaring. I'd hate to have to go through the current system, but I can see why the 1980s system needed to be updated to match more modern bikes and traffic conditions.

The neutral light shouldn't be on when the keys are out of the ignition. I suspect you're primary issue is a short somewhere in the wiring loom. The alarm is probably a secondary symptom. The electrics on these aren't the best. You are going to either need to get methodical with a multimeter or hand it over to someone experienced in electrics. Not all mechanics are experts with electrics so ask around.

Best....framed photos of our daughters with their husbands and the granddaughters. Worst....a tie between the cheese with best before date of 16 November and the handle from the upstairs loo which broke off.

Ye gods...how did it get into that state? Be good if its an easy fix.

It's like a scene from the Walking Dead in our house this morning. I'm too old to go back to work after just 4 hours kip....and then we have a 3 year old and a 2 year old descending upon us later. On the plus side I have a giant red dinosaur sticker on my robes for Christmas which was donated during our Crib Service last night. The midnight attendees were giving me some funny looks. Hope you all have a great day.

I tried one and found it worked for motorway trips but also that I occasionally caught it at junctions and roundabouts causing the throttle to open unintentionally. I therefore removed it. Since then I've found that it's more to do with how you hold the throttle. I don't get hand fatigue anymore even on long trips such as the Dave Myers ride to Barrow.

Crank sensor failure comes to mind. It's a magnet and if the coil develops a crack it opens up when hot, then closes again as it cools down.

The best thing about that sketch is that it was based on an actual event. A bloke in a hardware store wrote to Ronnie Barker telling him of the misunderstanding and Barker turned into the best comedy sketch ever.