What did you do to your bike today?

[Stu]

Replaced the battery! 

 

The original one was showing signs of power loss! 

 

A few times I have hit the starter and the dash has gone blank and reset so replaced it just to be safe 

[Mick67]

A bit late but yesterday rode up the Elan Valley some of the way then stopped for a sarnie, did a U turn and rode back to Rhayader turned towards Builth then Abergavenny then headed home.

Today out on the bike but no idea which way we are going.

Oh and noticed the fuel cap was tight on the key so put a smidge of graphite in the lock to lubricate it.

Edited May 29, 2023 by Mick67
added to post

[Fish]

A few of us went out for a little bimble down to the Custom Cafe Eastbourne.

 

https://fb.watch/kQGH3UL-Sv/

[veracocha]

Replaced the ABS ring on the rear wheel. Delighted it all went well. 

[Ellyt247]

Nice ride out to Bike Shed London.

 

Always wanted to go since I moved to Kent but never really planned it until now. Was meant to go with a friend but they dropped out. Never mind, nice ride on my own for some lunch and see what the hype is all about

[geofferz]

Yesterday. Fast group is next level

I was front of the pack in the slow group so I moved up to fast group this time... then I was staunchly at the back of the fast group

[Yorky]

11 hours ago, geofferz said:

Yesterday. Fast group is next level

I was front of the pack in the slow group so I moved up to fast group this time... then I was staunchly at the back of the fast group

You're safer at the back of the fast group than at the front of the slow group.

Fast group riders generally know what they are doing, far less so in the slow group.

[smallfrowne]

Yesterday morning was mostly spent waiting for the drizzle to naff off, as I too was out trackside - but at Cadwell. I did go out for the sighting laps but was black flagged due to the slicks I had on. Weather said it was going to be nice all day but all it took was the 10% to come true. Didn't take the wets or even a coat, poor me. But did at least take some warming coffee, oh and stumped up for a brekky. 

Anyway, afternoon session was good but I was only getting used to the bike, it's so fast for me. I realised the throttle had no free play in it, which made all the difference exiting the old hairpin. So much better with a bit of slack in it, turned into a new bike and by the 3rd and last session was being chased by a scary sounding zx10, but kept him at bay, haaa we must both be slow. 

 

The lads next to me had a good idea with an IKEA sofabed. 

 

Then today I've been helping the Ukrainian kid and his gn125. He's been complaining that it revs out and is slow. So he'd bought some sprockets to play with. Standard is 14/42 (or 41), and I thought maybe try 15/41 but no he's bought the most extreme he could. 16/36. So, had a good faff with that, taking stubborn sprocket nuts off and trimming chain wi' an 'ammer and punch. He did bring me pint cans of stella and kinder surprise for the bairn so I am definitely not complaining. Oh and the bike is still a nail with lots more to do, so I might not need to buy much more booze for the foreseeable... Or I could get him to dig my soakaway instead, hmmm. 

[geofferz]

23 hours ago, Yorky said:

You're safer at the back of the fast group than at the front of the slow group.

Fast group riders generally know what they are doing, far less so in the slow group.

Yeah at least I was the holder upper instead of the holder upee... But they overtook terrifyingly close. Track conditions were bad too, super slippery. 

 

In the 20th I'm there all day in the intermediate group which I suspect will be goldilocks for me (day events run 3 groups, evening only 2)

[smallfrowne]

7 hours ago, geofferz said:

Yeah at least I was the holder upper instead of the holder upee... But they overtook terrifyingly close. Track conditions were bad too, super slippery. 

 

In the 20th I'm there all day in the intermediate group which I suspect will be goldilocks for me (day events run 3 groups, evening only 2)

Ahh I've done the inters/fast evening thing and quickly changed my mind about it. I was like a mobile bollard for the fast uns. They were excellent at passing though, hilarious to be part of. Not sure who they were now, but from one of the BSB classes. I did them a favour and swapped group. 

[Steve_M]

4 hours ago, smallfrowne said:

Ahh I've done the inters/fast evening thing and quickly changed my mind about it. I was like a mobile bollard for the fast uns. They were excellent at passing though, hilarious to be part of. Not sure who they were now, but from one of the BSB classes. I did them a favour and swapped group. 

I’ve booked myself into inters (I’m definitely middle of inters on normal track days) a couple of times to find the organisers have over-booked the novices and under-booked the fast group and have promptly promoted me, and others, to fast. Bloody embarrassing to go out in the last batch for a session to be lapped while still warming up your tyres. The other lesson learnt is not to do a track day in the week before a race series on the following weekend… Aaargh. 

[geofferz]

I wasn't embarrassed, there's always someone slower and faster, I was just scared! 

[Steve_M]

The only time I’ve been scared on a track day is when someone decided to overtake me up the inside into the hairpin at Cadwell. He was fully committed under me as I headed to the apex. I had no indication he was going to pull that stunt, especially after the earlier briefing where there had been some discussion about what “overtaking with respect” meant. 

[Fish]

Little trip down to Southend then back via a dealer who had a KTM demo day.

[Mick67]

Went down to Bristol and the wife bought me a HJC R-PHA 90S Carbon helmet for my upcoming birthday.

[fastbob]

On 22/05/2023 at 23:51, smallfrowne said:

Sounds a nice ride fastbob. I used go rowing on the Avon in Stratford upon Avon, after catching umpteen buses and trains from Cov.

 

Now I'm not sure why but I was drawn to your "Bike(s)" listing, with the Harley as being 1585cc - I've never bothered to do the conversion from cubic fahrenheits or whatever it is myself - times by two and add 32? Anyway, that's an interesting size, bigger than I thought. So I went googling and one of the top hits, ultimatespecs.com lists some engine details:

 

 

Where is the hp?!!

 

 

300kg. Interesting. Anyway I'm not taking the piss, I'd love to have a go on one someday, but I never thought to look up the specs before and I'm just a bit in awe of the top trumps nature of some of the values. I bet it's a laugh to ride.

Just spotted this . It's NOT double overhead cam . It's got push rods FFS . 

[S-Westerly]

Rode to Guildford and back on mostly A and B roads; just over 200 miles. Nice and sunny but still quite cool so not wearing my mesh jacket!.

[Gerontious]

Today I bought roadside rescue. and went for green flag. I looked at their website and went through the quote process. it came out at just over a £100. including European rescue. I thought I might find cheaper so I popped over to compeer the meerkat. and oddly, they told me the same thing would be £51.

 

I was moderately surprised by this result. but hey ho. in for a penny. and bought it.

 

Direct from green flag. £100+

Via a comparison site that earns commission. £51

 

makes perfect sense.. the worlds gone mad.

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by Gerontious

[S-Westerly]

Actually rode it just for fun. Home to Leominster to Rhayader where stopped for lunch ( not nice) then on to Abergavenny then Chepstow and home - about 150 miles. Chilled out completely now. 

There were loads of bikes out today, most of whom seemed to be doing pretty much the same. 

A good day.

[Gerontious]

And today in an ecstasy of excess. the dreaded 16,000 service. though Honda have seen fit to downplay it and call it an "Annual" - the swine. Chatting to the tech and he was impressed by the state of my chain. And then gave me chapter and verse on the state of some of the chains he's seen on much younger bikes than mine. "You use oil - don't you". Gear oil and paraffin I said and he nodded in that kind of way that tends to infuriate people who think they know better than the engineers who design and test chains.

 

Anyway. that's done and now the countdown begins.

[Tinkicker]

Got a vehicle tax reminder for the DT.  Applied online, declared it not to have been modified and smugly taxed it for a further year for £0.00.

 

Bout time I got something back from the thieves in government.

 

 

[Gerontious]

1 minute ago, Tinkicker said:

Got a vehicle tax reminder for the DT.  Applied online, declared it not to have been modified and smugly taxed it for a further year for £0.00.

 

Bout time I got something back from the thieves in government.

 

 

 

You can go right off some people.

[Bianco2564]

Decided to give super unleaded a go in the Ninja, just to see if the negative hype about e10 giving worse mpg is true.

The Kwak is averaging low 80s mpg regularly, fill up tonight was just under 84mpg.

 

[S-Westerly]

I find that if I use the E5 stuff I get maybe 1-2 mpg more. Don't know if it's the fuel or the sort of riding I tend to do after taking this fuel.

[Bianco2564]

I only use the Kwak for work, its exactly the same route and miles covered every 4 days so should be a reasonably fair test.

Can't complain at all on its economy, costs me around £18-19 per week to get to work, 229 miles for 4 days and only one fuel stop.