First Bin of the Summer...

Yes folks, after 3 short months I have binned my GPZ500s.

It happened on the final leg of my return home after the excellent, if
a little cold BoSM '06.

Just past Gatwick, about 80MPH, engine loses power, bit of a rattle,
stick the left signal on and move over to the hard shoulder, then BANG,
engine seized, back end locked, fishtail, tank slapper, slide along the
road, bike slides on top of me, resting on my legs, red hot exhaust
burns through my overtrousers, and that's about it...

Then the first few people to stop couldn't lift if off my legs, so I'm
laying there shouting to 'GET THE FUCKING THING OFF MY LEGS: IT'S
BURNING ME!'

Many thanks at this point to Beav who'd said to just leave my Draggin
Jeans on under my waterproofs, as the overtrousers melted through in
seconds, leaving the molten-plastic spattered Draggins to protect me
from serious burns.

Finally they drag it off me, dragging me with it as my feet are caught
up in my cargo net, and then I just stood up, took of my helmet and
said thank you to everyone.

A Policewoman arrived, off duty, and said she'd called it in, luckily
the lovely Highways Agency lady shooed the on-duty fuzz away when they
did arrive, as they've probably have just tried to find grounds for
prosecution or somesuch.

End results:

Bike recovered and awaiting binning [1]

Blister and bruise on leg from where the fucking thing was sat on me

That is all.

Whatever shall I buy next?

[1] FAO: Nick - if the exhaust isn't totally shitted I'm sure it can be
salvaged

 

Hm. I wonder if that was the crank self-destructing.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Sean Hamerton belched forth and ejected the
following:

Bandit

 

<snip tale of woe>

Glad you are okay, could have been a lot worse.

When you and Nick both started your bikes, I did think to myself that they
both sounded very different [1] to each other, when the engines are
basically the same [2].

[1] Nick's sounded like it had got a canary stuffed up it's chuff, and yours
sounded a bit rattly (to my untrained ear).
[2] I assume that's the case, but it is a complete guess on my part.

--
Dan L (Oldbloke)

My bike 1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr
Space in shed where NSR125 used to be
Spare Bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X (Patio Ornament)
BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6), X-FOT#000, DIAABTCOD #26, BOMB#18 (slow), OMF#11

 

Sean Hamerton wrote:

<snip>

Oops.

Hope it heals quickly, at least it wasn't worse.

Something faster.

 

It did sound different, but you were keeping up very well on the M1@80ish.
When you peeled off where the M25 leaves the M1 and waved I thought you were
fine.

Nick and I took the scenic "London Tour" through Swiss Cottage, Baker St,
Hyde Park Corner ad through Camberwell and Peckham etc.
Quite entertaining and Nick will probably tell the story of is "incident"
with the Vauxhall Astra.

Glad you are Ok, and I was told by Nick not to say "Told you so" about
backpacks on motorcycles being a spine crusher.
So I won't say it ;-p

 

Yeah, like an electric milk float!

 

The slide down the M23 was lovely actually, small rip on the jacket,
rucksack has a tiny hole and that's about it. It was fine until the
bike decided to sit on me... It was rather nice sunning myself on the
hard shoulder for half an hour waiting for my pops to come up with his
ambulance car and blue lights.

 

I seriously suggest you call a company like the AA or RAC or whoever
you (may) be covered with to have it re-recovered to your home.

If you ask them to bin it they'll flog all the bits of it (exhaust,
signals, your new chain & sprocket set, wheels, etc, etc) but you can
probably flog the various bits on ebay and make a bit of cash.

I was charged £104 for my police recover last April (a week after
BoSM) so I suggest you at least get £104 back out of it. You could
probably put it on ebay as it is and make more than that straight
away.

Please also be aware that the storage fees you're already paying for
the bike will soon mount up. If you don't have AA or RAC cover to
recover the bike then I would suggest putting a call out on UKRM to
any locals in the Brighton/Gatwick area that may have a van or trailer
which they will help recover your bike with.

It'll heal - your protective clothing has done its job.

Have some nice anti-inflams or painkillers tonight, and have them
ready for tomorrow too.

Get well soon, dear. At least you've got the bin over with now.

What do you think you're going to do? You may find that just telling
the scrap yard to 'keep' your bike is very easy option. It may well
be. I suggest you don't make any rash decisions to pack it all in
today, or tomorrow - think about it for a while.

You will be told by many people that bikes are a real danger and you
should stick with a car as they're far safer. You will get people who
say "I told you so" and others that will say that they hope you've
learned your lesson and go back to cars. You may agree with them, you
may not. It's your decision.

Bandit 6. ER-5. UKRM CB250... the possibilities are endless.

 

It's not as exciting as his Sean's.

A Vauxhall Astra bumped into me in London. Very rude.

 

Yes, I seem to recall hearing about your nipples.

<snip>

I was intending to ask for a CIHAGM for nostalgia purposes. But the
hangover force was strong.

ZXR400.

 

Do you have a target painted on your bike or what is it with you
attracting this sort of behaviour?

 

"Sean Hamerton" schrieb im Newsbeitrag...

Oh no! What a bad thing to happen after an otherwise wonderful day. I hope
your leg and other bruises heal up quick, and do not let yourself get off
biking through that.

If you get something new to drive, start it slowly until confidence settles
in, and then enjoy!

 

I was following Robbo, so it's obviously all his fault as I can't be
held responsible for anything I do, or something. I'm only 12 so am
not even classed as a responsible adult.

There were a few other minor riding indiscretions like speeding
through a Gatso or two, and jumping a few red lights. I'm sure any
NIPs will arrive in the fullness of time. Or perhaps not.

The prospect of 16 or 19 points being awarded in the space of an hour
does make me inwardly giggle. I would, however, prefer zero points to
arrive. <crosses fingers>

 

He'll be alright.

How was your journey home? I'm sorry I missed you - we didn't get out
of the hotel until late so I wasn't there to depart with you.

 

Sean Hamerton wrote

Shit happens. Although you may be in luck as I think the committee is
still in dispute over previous submissions and the FBotY may still be
unclaimed. We don't do one for returning *osmers, sort of inevitable
iyswim.

gixxer thou.

 

It *was* BGNs first ever "London Filtering Training"
Rode like a poof he did ;-)

13 days and counting...

Zero points was your score for the marks out of 10 for "Filtering with
intent"

 

Yupp, so it would seem.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

**** me you're sharp you are...

 

That's what you get when you say that you've not slung a bike down the road
in "X" months/years/evers.

I bet you check your oil more often in the future. Oh yeah, don't tell your
burd you binned it, tell her it wore out on the way home.

A Zed of course. 750 or thou.

Commiserations too Sean, it's a bummer to hear that.


--
Beav
OMF#19
VN 750
Zed Thou

mail is beavis dot original at ntlworld dot com (with the obvious changes)