Biking highs for 2008

All in all, despite not actually getting out to ride as much as I'd have
liked, and putting aside one particularly large hiccup early in the
year, 2008 was actually a pretty good one. Now the bikes are tucked up
in the garage and the roads are too greasy to bother with, it's time to
reflect on the highs.

Highlights for me were:

- a great run to France in May - no real high speed hoonery (for a
change) but vast quantities of booze and a trundle round Ypres.

- getting rid of the SV and getting back on something fun. Hurrah!

- my first "long distance" run on the RGV - all the way to Derbyshire.
Go me. 300 miles without blowing up!

- an absolutely glorious trip to Chimay. Loud bikes, strong beer,
campfire idiocy and a high speed 200 mile dash through Belgium and
France to catch the train home.

- the RGV, post service. For something so small, it's a brilliant weapon
for embarrassing people on far bigger bikes and it smells and sounds
gorgeous to boot

So, come on, ignore the lows, what did you do on two wheels this year
that you're going to look back on in years to come and think "yeah, 2008
rocked"?

 

The Elefant; the Brenner Pass (second time); the Passo Giovo (again);
San Marino; the rice fields on the way into Ferrara (flat but nice
riding); getting used to a VFR after a Pan.

 

I went to the paper shop lots of times. Then it was too hot. Just waiting
for the rains to stop now and I'll do lots of sunny riding over winter.

 

Bought My First Sprotbike in the form of Bear's old SRAD, which took
me on a fucking glorious weekend's riding on the Moors and Dales in
July.

Erm. Been a bit quiet otherwise - far too many hours at work.

French alps coming up for June '09. Cannae wait.

 

snip>

I've not ridden as much as I'd have liked but I suppose the
Elefantentreffen started the year on a bit of a high and caning the
KTM around the Peak District with a few others at BOSM weekend was
entertaining.

Apart from those two there's been the TOG trip which was fun in a laid
back kind of way, Chimay and our week long tour was good until I tried
to get a lardy old K100 with fucked fork seals over a few twisty
passes in Switzerland and the usual stupidity at the MGP made me glad
I've got a litre class sports bike.

I've think I've done my normal amount of miles but I haven't used the
bikes as much as I'd like. Obviously bunging the chair onto the K has
made for a new experience on bikes so that's been a laugh and should
continue to be so for a while yet but once I've ridden it across
Germany in the cold I might change my mind.

 

ogden wrote in uk.rec.motorcycles:

First time back on a bike in 25 years, and clocked up over 1,000 miles
just going out for a blast at weekends.

I think I may keep up the hobby!

 

I think that's a given for anyone posting in this thread.

C'mon, something worthy of note.

 

A fortnight in the Bavarian Alps. They certainly rock. And generally
hooning around the Dales on the nicest bike I've ever owned.

 

ogden wrote:

Err, its not over yet

 

Yet

 

Riding the Forgotten Error Morini and the Nordwest in the snow at
Hartland. Fun in a perverse kind of way, but eight 30 second odd runs
was quite enough. No Elefant antics for me. It got me realising it was
better to have a bike you didn't mind dropping, even if you don't
IYSWIM. Extending that logic I may well bring the faux WR250 to blighty
and stick some different rims and sticky rubber on it.

Going to BOSM on the rebuilt after seizure GFR#2. Restored my faith in
being able to get an engine out and back in again without forgetting
something important, and proved that you can go camping on a sports 125.

The Manx was as enjoyable as ever. Next year I must make the effort to
at least start a bimble somewhere with some UKRMers. Though my mate and
I did encounter ginge on the coast road IIRC.

I really must try and get stuck in to putting the new improved 'racing'
ignition pickup on the Morini and at least starting to strip the forks
down on GFR#2 to do the seals before the end of 2008.


--
+----------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest * 2 Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+----------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Rockingham on the Tuono. Massive fun. I just need to be less cautious
about overtaking - the main reason I got overtaken was by getting
caught up behind slower riders.

Actually getting my finger out and doing two trackdays in one year.

Unfortunately I'm a 'glass is quarter empty' type, so here are the
lows:

Didn't actually go anywhere by bike, other than commuting. All my
distance travelling is by car these days.

Only rode the YZ twice all year - just couldn't find the time.

In addition to me still not getting the Guzzi's throttle balance
right, it's beginning to look as though it's eaten another engine
temperature sender, so it's not the pleasant ride it used to be.
Currently there's a 4K7 resistor jammed into the temperature sender
connector.

 

- Oulton Park
- Rockingham International
- Silverstone GP
- Rockingham National
- Brands Hatch GP
- Donington Park GP
- Mallory Park
- Cadwell Park Mountain
- Anglesey Coastal
- Went up from middle of Intermediate group to middle of Fast group.
- Conquered my fear of left handers at Oulton's Cascades corner early
in the year.
- Bought the current SV, crashed it 2 weeks later, claimed, rebuilt it
to better than pre-accident and made 800 quid on the deal - bargain

Yeah, 2008 rocked a fat one

 

Trip to the Alps. Highlights were: finally riding the Stelvio pass. This
was topped for sheer engineering lunacy by the Susten pass. I've never
looked into such big holes whilst riding a bike. The locals on their KTMs
are something to watch too as they come thundering past, just when you
think you're getting the hang of the hairpin bends.

Most amusing ride was from Neuville to Ieper. I woke around middday to find
most people had departed for the day. I rode up to Ieper still thoroughly
pissed. I amazed myself by not getting nicked or crashing and parked up
outside a cafe, next to a familiar bike. The owner of said bike, Brownz,
was sitting in the cafe. A couple of litres of coke and a croque-monsieur
soon had me soberish again.

 

1) My first TT.

Excellent riding and great company.

2) Sodding off round Scotland with a tent on my own on a day's notice.

Great roads and good 'quiet' time to myself. Despite it pissing down
with rain nearly every day.

 

Wah. I specifically avoided the lows because the 5th of April was a very
bad biking day...

....and if that's as bad as yours got, cheer the **** up.

 

Heh, you certainly were a ghostly shade of pale when you pulled up in the
market square that morning.

 

Just getting back properly on a bike after a layoff of a few years and
having something mildly reliable in the garage.

French Run. Wonderful weather, great beer, superb moments e.g. watching
Darsy gently glide down the ladder of drunkedness.

France - A week in Bourgogne on the bike, wonderful weather again, fine
wines & excellent food.

World Superbikes - Hospitallity from one of my wonderful suppliers.

Meeting most of UKRM at various events, my favourite bunch of cunts.

Having the offer from a team doing a world championship next year to be
photographer/web presence owner/occaisional spanner twirler. TBC.

 

I forgot to add, being spanner man for Danny again, especially seeing
him get two podiums in his two races at the Silverstone BSB meet we did
with the Daytona 675. Good times

 

Ah. I thought maybe you were going to do a "...and now for your
lows..." post.

<fx: Peers gloomily into pint glass>

Shan't.