I'm getting too old for this

This week I've done about 500 miles on the R80. Not a lot I know, but
probably more miles than I managed to rack up across the fleet in the
whole of last year :-(

Lots of it has been motorway, the rest of it has been busy city centres
or on mud and leaf strewn minor roads. About half of it has been in the
dark.

And as I sat on the M4 last night, whilst I was enjoying being on the
bike "for a change", I can honestly say I would have enjoyed sitting in
the Skoda with the heater and the radio on a lot more. Using about half
the fuel.

I think I need the leaves to go, and the sun to come out. As I'm not due
to ride anywhere until tomorrow evening that gives mother nature some
time to get that sorted.

As an aside, the old girl seemed a bit sluggish last night; earlier in
the week I could get 3 figures up on the (gps) speedo with relative
ease, last night in the cold I realised at one point when I went to move
my wrist that the throttle was on the stop but I was travelling below
90. I didn't notice a headwind, so perhaps the bike was avoiding
windchill or something

 

I know what you mean.

I went out a couple of weekends back with a mate.
The roads were damp and liberally smeared with dead leaves, so grip
looked bad, and in several places was bad.

Not enjoyable at all, and when the heavens opened we decamped to a pub
and spent the afternoon sat in the smokers lean-to feeling pretty
pissed off about the prospect of riding home.

I think it's time I tore the bike down and got on with some winter
fettling.

--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/

2002 Triumph Sprint RS 955i (It's big, and it's black)
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr (Gone, but not forgotten)

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7/8)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11

 

You guys appear to have the wrong bikes and riding gear. Get a decent
machine with great headlights and a heated waistcoat and gloves. Adapt your
riding style. I'm loving it.

I just need to sort out a visor squeege on a rope arrangement.

 

http://www.creativitypool.com/downl...id=0d45c114aa8b2fb133b798492d763034&mode=view

 

Couldn't agree more. Commute in all weathers on the K75 and to be
honest the only weather I *hate* is high winds. Everything else you can
dress for. Personally, I'm using 3 year old HG stuff, keeps me
perfectly warm, got to go a lot colder than this before I wheel out the
heated gloves and waist coat.

Don't even have working heated grips at the moment and it's not
bothering me much (summer gloves plus bar muffs.)

Roads are slippery (commute takes me through some shitty lanes) but
don't really care much about this 'cos I haven't fallen off yet and am
probably riding 20% slower than I was in the summer on this stretch.

Making the most of commuting on bikes whilst I can, because I'm really
not sure what the future holds. Much thinking has actually punched the
fact into my cranium that 10+ hour days and 200miles round trips don't
work.

 

Well TBF you are not a sugar mong. I did years in Caithness with Rukka gear
but time marches on.

Getting the wind chill off does make a huge difference, in the way your
fairing does.

Riding on wet and slippy roads is great practise for a smooth careful riding
style. And it has a wonderful Darwin element )

I kinda knew it would dawn on you eventually. TBF you have kept it up much
longer than most people could have managed.

 

You can buy gloves with a built in wiper on one finger. I had some, but
they've gone the way of an old oak table.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

Full Triumph Goretex oversuit and HG lobster gloves, R80RT with heated
grips, uprated bulbs, grippy tyres and standard equipment barn door. I
think I'm pretty well sorted for the conditions.

I know that the Zed would be more dynamically capable, but there would
be a lot more of me out in the wind and my temperature would tumble so
I'd need the heated codpiece et al.

I'm ignoring the Harley.

I'm sure now would be a good time to buy a proper modern sports tourer
(though I'm sure nothing could beat the R80 for weather protection), but
it's unfortunately not the best time to out the current fleet and I'm
sure if I came home with another bike without emptying the garage, T
would subject me to extreme torture with musicals and I've not got the
strength left for that.

I am considering a new lid as an excuse to get an anti-fogging thing as
that might improve matters a little

He'd love that

 

Well we have established you are just completely Nesh then!

The 80RT is a shed TBF though the low CoG is an assistance

round the neck?

 

I didn't think it would. I've done 1 hour plus commutes in the past.
I've also done long days all of my working life. I guess though doing
this in my 20s and 30s is one thing, in my 40s I'm realising that I
suppose there are limits.

We will see.

 

<gg8n3t$nvi$>:

<snip>

Wow, that's brutal.

 

I was warm enough, just not enjoying it

You're right, boxers of that era are pretty miserable. I'll pick up your
RS later so I've got some spares to hand though. Tenner alright?

 

I gave up motorcycling masochism when I stopped doing the Dragon rally.

A fiver, anything later than /6 is modern rubbish.

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

 

I had a chamois leather, tied to a piece of string for that years ago
when I was a courier.
I was using throw-over panniers at the time, tie the string to the
chamois and pannier strap, wet it every morning, then leave it just
inside the top flap of the pannier. Easily pulled out when you are going
along, a quick wipe then put it back. If you drop it for some reason, it
is attached to the string, so easily retrievable even at 70mph.
Alan.

 

I hate driving into the low winter sun in the morning - I can't see a thing
with my visor down and not a lot more with it up.

 

Sadly it isn't running, sorry.

 

So neither of you is up for the Elefant, then?

 

I don't mind the cold. The BMW has a decent fairing and I've got warm
kit. It's the winter rain I hate. ****-all visibility, sheets of spray,
bike and self (despite the fairing) covered in cack, leaves on the roads
all turned to slimy slippery mush, and no facilities at work like a
shower or somewhere to dry out kit.

 

Do they still sell Vee Wipes, I wonder? Brilliant widgets they are/were.

 

No not really.

It wasn't the cold I objected to as I was plenty warm enough. It was
the shitty greasy roads which I did not like


--
Dan L

Too much time to think, too little to do.


http://thebikeshed.spaces.live.com/

2002 Triumph Sprint RS 955i (It's big, and it's black)
1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr (Gone, but not forgotten)

BOTAFOT #140 (KotL 2005/6/7/8)
X-FOT#000
DIAABTCOD #26
BOMB#18 (slow)
OMF#11