Author Topic: Re: My new steed  (Read 4986 times)

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Offline drumwrecker

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Re: My new steed
« on: February 18, 2016, 02:56:31 pm »
One ride  I can remember on that 250cc BSA C11 was to Margate to see my mum who was in a convalescent home. It was the dead of winter with snow on the ground and my riding gear consisted of an overcoat, short trousers, long socks and a balaclava hat. I must have woollen gloves as well. I was freezing. Blackheath to Margate and back in a day about 120 miles, not bad then.
does anybody else remember bikes for a certain journey?
Its not always the destination that counts its the ride, having a destination just stops you going round in circles.

Offline Costas

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Re: Re: My new steed
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2016, 03:30:10 pm »
Am sure many do.
Recall very well my trip towards Helsinki in 2000 with my blue XX,  simply cause when refuelling at a station just after Rovaniemi, forgot my cloves, returned after 5 kms and less thay 5 minutes only to discover fuel station closed and no one around to ask. Had to ride the hole trip back in mid september with temps close to 5 degrees using two pairs of schoks as cloves, not that they provide any protection only the illusion. At list it was not raining. Paid for the new RUKKA gloves close to 200€ , only to loose them aboard the boat fm Venice, presumably forgot them on the bikes seat.
Hmm , on another trip that lasted longer than expected in Italy, rode the distance from Vicenza to Venice port and its not aa long one with the summer costume , it was only september (again) and caught a cold that lasted 20 days. Terrible trip back on rode on high fever. Not recomemded.
That was a synopsis of bad rides in cold or relativeley cold whether. 
Embrace the wind.

Offline Phmode

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Re: Re: My new steed
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2016, 04:25:45 pm »
I remember the ride back from passing my test. It was only about 7 miles but it had been an 'eventful' day. I rode round and round an urban block in Warrington waiting for the examiner to leap out in front of me to do the emergency stop.

On about the third circuit a girl flagged me down and I was so twitchy I stopped dead with the front wheel locked solid. Nearly shit meself! The eejit examiner had stepped out in front of the wrong scooterist and she ran into him, poor girl. She had only just passed her test about a month earlier.

I was sent back to the test centre, a real bag of nerves by now!

Eventually another examiner came in, asked me some questions and told me I had passed. I never did do my official emergency stop.

On the way back home the road crosses the M6 and I couldn't resist the temptation to do a couple of junctions of the motorway. On the way back the 2 stroke motor seized; OK, I seized the 2 stroke motor. Had to call my dad to tell him I had passed and ask him what to do about the motor. Being the excellent father he was, he told me he would come and meet me at the exit but that meant I had to push the bloody thing up and over the viaduct over the Manchester Ship Canal  >:(

Totally knackered, I was so relieved to see dad in his works van parked on the bridge waving cheerily to me.

When I fianlly got to him, he turned it on, kicked it twice and it burst into life  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

'That's what you do!' He quipped, got back in his van and rode off with a cheery 'Well done by the way!'

Brian (who never really knew whether he should have laughed or cried but he had no strength left to do either  :o )

Offline tiggerwood

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2016, 06:49:29 pm »
Riding down the old A34 towards Newbury on my six-month and one day old Yamaha SR500, the engine began missfiring and then ceased just South of the M4. Plenty of petrol but no sparks. No passing cars, no mobile phones, so I was reduced to pushing. Six miles later I reached my brother's bedsit and sanctuary. The following morning an aquaintance loaded the bike into the back of his LWB Landrover pickup and took bike and I back to Coventry. The dealer was sympathetic but Yamaha made no gestures of goodwill as the warranty had expired both its time and mileage. I traced the fault to a duff HT Coil which was replaced with a spare Lucas item from a car.

The Yamaha dealers was two doors up from my flat. I used to while some Saturdays away doing bits of diagnostic work before working my way up to rebuilding the gearbox on a Triumph T150V which had been blown up by its previous owner: the mechanics disliked british iron.
Nobody wanted to buy the T150, so it became my third bike. It's high oil consumption was cured by turning the middle piston so it faced the correct way (not my error). Most eventful of my Triumph  journeys was a Sunday night return from parents in Poole, Dorset on an unseasonably cold March Sunday evening. The snow started falling as I left Newbury. No cars passed me as I plodded slowly Northwards. When I got to the top of the Oxford bypass, I found some nice men in blue uniforms who kindly let me through the barriers with which they'd closed the road. They  refused to let me travel on and directed me to the Travelodge where I spent six hours in a bedroom costing £50 with no breakfast (expensive for 1980) before travelling on to work on the Monday. 
« Last Edit: February 18, 2016, 07:04:45 pm by tiggerwood »
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Offline richtea

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2016, 07:59:55 pm »
1. Pushing a Suzuki 125 down the A34 to Winchester (holed piston, no 2 stroke oil. Again.  ;D). It was flying just beforehand - 70MPH downhill. 3 mile push, first bit uphill, but thank goodness Winchester is in a valley.

2. Winchester to Manchester on Laverda Mirage to see my girlfriend (now wife), but hit snow just below Chipping Norton. Stopped, went for a piss (cold fingers an zips really don't work well together), considered the the options, turned round and went back home. Probably my worst ride ever - cold, tired, depressed. I know exactly where I went for that piss - I won't ever forget it! Disappointment on many levels when you only see your girlfirend once every 3 or 4 weeks...  :'(

3. Winchester to Wimborne. Laverda again. Snow again. Managed to get across the New Forest, parked in a layby just beyond Ringwood, and then couldn't get back out even in 2nd gear - too slippery. Abandoned Laverda and walked the last two miles. F*** the bike, get somewhere safe.

4. Rode down through France through Alpine pastures, through Switzerland without a permit (fingers crossed all the way), and then into Italy for the first time (on a Laverda of course), having just come through 8 miles of Mont Blanc Tunnel smog, to find even rusty cars race in northern Italy. We were incredulous. Laughed all the way down Aosta valley. Got accosted (as opposed to a-Costa'ed) by the Polizia. Guns, etc. Well scary to a UK lad. They just wanted to look at the bike. Winner!

Offline Costas

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2016, 08:10:19 pm »
Sunday, a couple of years back, In the midle of the summer with temps scorching at high 30's (as always) , the local gang desided to go for a fast ride in the northern freeway , us with 4 K bikes and a new pal Dimitris with his brand new Agusta MV SENNA edition (respect to both driver and bike).
Excellent ride , have to admit that at the regrouping and refuelling point some 200 kms after we were all a bit envy of the extremely beutifull bike and the way it nagotiated curves, am not saying anything about acceleration,  demonic.
On the way back at the final tolls one of us noticed something looking like fire fm the rear left side of the Agusta under the seat. We came close and nod to the guy about the issue, he imediately stoped at the emergency lane and we all came within close distance signalling alarm. The fire started to look brighter and there was a smell of burned plastic. He cursed himself and the Agusta factory jumped on the bike wich started at the click of the starter and disappeared at the horizon,  we followed him with great difficulty. Every time someone was comming close to him to check on bike he released a bit throtle and the fire imediattely became to erupt fm under seat. Hard on throttle fire diminished to small just nearly visible flames. In this way we reached the Agusta dealer located less than 1 km fm freeway exit . Arrived netered dealers show room and imediatelly stoped bike , which imediately after engine was turned off the fire slowly and gradually became bigger and bigger. A couple of persons run towards us cause our arrival and then endrance to premises was a bit dramatic, one of then the sales man regognized our friend and welcomed him only to receive a direct hit on the chin. Big fuss and people run towards us, we restrained Dimitris (unable to talk, only cursing and shouting ) and began to explain issue, remember bike is still in fire. They all look towards bike and one shouted " someone  get the fire extinguisher".  Fire was immediately surprised and bike was moved outside the show room. Head dealer immediately started talking and then promised immediate replacement of bike , Dimitirs had bouth it only 4 days ago and payed in cash. We were offered coffe ( a must at all dealers)  simultaneously an assistant mechanic was summoned to take bike back in the garage located in the other side of the road. The guy arrived and asked for the key, went to bike turned keys and hit start, bike started and engine with a wonderfull italian style rumor reminds us of good italian craftsmanship,  he sat  himself on seat and rode to the other side of road. Small flames under the seat again but engine worked perfectly.  We all looked with mouths wide open and Dimitris said in a much calmer voice now : it's a marvelous bike who cares about flames all over as long as engine works". For the record they gave him a new bike and issue was the traction control unit .
Embrace the wind.

Offline tiggerwood

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2016, 08:15:01 pm »
Does Dimitris translate to "cool under pressure"?

Clearly it's not just the weather which is hot in your country.
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Offline Costas

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2016, 08:46:47 pm »
Talking about a guy 120 kilos (18 stone) and  2 m ( 6,6 ft) tall, coast guard helo mechanic.
Embrace the wind.

Offline tiggerwood

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2016, 09:24:04 pm »
He's made of stern stuff then!
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Offline Phmode

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #9 on: February 18, 2016, 10:01:03 pm »
Fark that!

Offline tiggerwood

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #10 on: February 18, 2016, 10:44:59 pm »
Spoken from the comfort of your billiards room, no doubt: smoking jacket on, a glass of fine brandy to hand; central heating working overtime to maintain Bermudian temperatures in Berkshire.
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Offline Phmode

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Re: My new steed
« Reply #11 on: February 18, 2016, 11:10:11 pm »
 Too effin right mate!