Wednesday 2 September 2009
Sunny Hunny
A visit to Sunny Hunstanton, with my son, Chris. Didn't take many photos but thought i'd share this one of Chris in the pink leathers ... I really must get them dyed
Monday 6 July 2009
Saturday 4th July
A lovely ride out to sunny Hunstanton with a few guys and ladies from "the Snug".
Thanks to Skids for organising and leading the way ...
Thanks to Skids for organising and leading the way ...
Monday 29 June 2009
The VFR's back on the road again, freshly MOT'd and with a brand new Honda clutch, so ...
This blog probably gives the impression that the only place I go to is Cadwell Park. Well, to prove the point ... I went again on the 21st June
Chatting to Anshuman - it could have been in the pub - a little while ago, it seems that he'd never been to watch bike racing, so I offered to take him. I checked the diary and I had a choice, Snetterton - 17 miles away, and British Superbikes - or Cadwell - 100 miles away to watch club racing. No contest. Club racing wins over BSB and Cadwell wins over Snetterton. Both because I like the closeness and the intimacy. At club racing you can walk around the paddock watching machinery being worked on and get close to the competitors. You also get an amazing range of machinery, especially in the formula libre class, being ridden by all kinds of people, from youngsters (the youngest was 13) to oldsters (72!) and quite a number of women seem to be competing on this day.
My favourite, though, was the 70cc twist-n-go scooter competing against the 125's, and being far from last. Here, at Hall bends, he seemed to be in his element.
Anshuman posing in the sun!
One thing the MOT threw up was that one of the fork seals might need attention. Well, sure enough, it does. It's blown, and is in need of replacement. Urgently. 'Cos I have a rideout on Saturday - around 150 miles - and the ZXR isn't my 1st choice for that sort of distance.
I'll get both seals done while i'm there and let's hope that that's the last problem I have with the bike this year else i'll have no budget left to get out and ride!
This blog probably gives the impression that the only place I go to is Cadwell Park. Well, to prove the point ... I went again on the 21st June
Chatting to Anshuman - it could have been in the pub - a little while ago, it seems that he'd never been to watch bike racing, so I offered to take him. I checked the diary and I had a choice, Snetterton - 17 miles away, and British Superbikes - or Cadwell - 100 miles away to watch club racing. No contest. Club racing wins over BSB and Cadwell wins over Snetterton. Both because I like the closeness and the intimacy. At club racing you can walk around the paddock watching machinery being worked on and get close to the competitors. You also get an amazing range of machinery, especially in the formula libre class, being ridden by all kinds of people, from youngsters (the youngest was 13) to oldsters (72!) and quite a number of women seem to be competing on this day.
My favourite, though, was the 70cc twist-n-go scooter competing against the 125's, and being far from last. Here, at Hall bends, he seemed to be in his element.
Anshuman posing in the sun!
One thing the MOT threw up was that one of the fork seals might need attention. Well, sure enough, it does. It's blown, and is in need of replacement. Urgently. 'Cos I have a rideout on Saturday - around 150 miles - and the ZXR isn't my 1st choice for that sort of distance.
I'll get both seals done while i'm there and let's hope that that's the last problem I have with the bike this year else i'll have no budget left to get out and ride!
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Tuesday 26 May 2009
It's been a while since I last posted - mostly because not a lot has happened since last year. I've been for a few rides with friends and colleagues, and taken part in a couple of rides with the local IAM group (http://www.ngoam.co.uk/), none of which were worth particular mention.
Non-biking life has been busy, with sailing lessons and a bathroom refit occupying me somewhat.
In the last month, though, I've taken part in a couple of Martin Hopp (http://www.hoppridertraining.co.uk/) events.
A few weeks ago I did the Advanced Machine Skills course, covering off slow-speed riding, swerving and emergency braking, with a nod towards look, lean and roll. Oh, and picking up a dropped bike - we've all dropped a bike, this showed the most efficient way of picking the damned thing up. The instructors are a great bunch, and their bike skills are amazing. Even though this is the second time I've attended it was a really useful refresher.
The last week I took part in the Hopp Cadwell Better Riding day (see the Hopp website for more info'). Before that, though, the bike went in for a service.
After the service I went for a ride with some work colleagues and noticed clutch slip at about 9,000rpm in 3rd gear (that'll be 70mph, officer) as I accelerated away from a roundabout on the A47. Knowing that I had the Cadwell day ahead I booked the bike in to have the clutch attended to.
Picking the bike up from the workshop on the Tuesday evening I was advised to take it easy for 50-60 miles, so rode home steadily and parked up.
The next day I loaded the bike up with overnight gear and went to ride away. In gear, clutch out, the bike hardly moved. With a little coaxing I was able to ride to the workshop, 17 miles away, and the clutch seemed to fix itself - withstanding a couple of short, hard blasts of acceleration - so I rode to work all ready and enthused to ride to Louth to stay at Keddleston Hall ready for the day on track on Thursday. Once again, attempting to ride the bike after work, the bike barely moved - struggling to get me out of the underground car-park. Hard revving with the clutch slipping seemed to clear the problem; I managed to get to Louth by frequently gunning the engine to deliberately slip the clutch and clear the problem. Overnight the problem re-appeared, a call to the RAC ultimately resulting in being directed to a local bike-shop (Louth Motorcycle Company - top guys), who had a look - unfortunately unable to fix it. By this time I realised the only way to get the bike to go was to just accept that gunning the bike would (temporarily) fix the problem: down the two straights at Cadwell, for example ...
I arrived at Cadwell having missed the first two sessions. Luckily Martin Hopp remembered me from previous days and allowed me to register, bike noise check and a personal pre-track safety briefing. So, on the 3rd instructed session of the day (that'll be the "lean" session, follows the track familiarisation session and the "look" session, and preceded the "roll" session), I tucked myself behind the instructor to get a sighting lap and re-familiarise myself with the route. 2nd lap, put me in the sights of the instructor and then I was away. Of course, the morning sessions are really quite gentle, so the clutch didn't get worked hard with the result that it slipped, which meant I wasn't getting consistent drive out of bends, making it an "interesting" ride.
A long lunch didn't help, returning to the bike it struggled to get up to 30mph. Expecting to have to pull off the track, I rode down from the paddock to Hall Bends and opened the throttle, sure enough, it slipped but the bike accelerated enough that it wasn't left behind while everyone was on cold tyres. Out of the hairpin, another short, hard blast of throttle, gently around Barn and hit the throttle hard as the bike came upright .. the moment of truth ... the engine spun up for a second, then the clutch bit hurtling the bike forward. So the pattern ran each session, each lap. From Barn all the way to Mansfield, the clutch worked reasonably well following the initial slippage out of Barn, from Mansfield to the Hairpin and Barn, the clutch wasn't worked hard enough so slipped, giving just enough drive for the section to be covered at a good pace.
The bike will be in for the clutch to be sorted over the next week, then i'll be looking for another track event to ride to see what I can do without the clutch slipping! Oh, and a trip to Manchester to watch Oasis, Kasabian and the Enemy (via Snake Pass!!).
ps. No pictures - I have enough of me around Cadwell!
Non-biking life has been busy, with sailing lessons and a bathroom refit occupying me somewhat.
In the last month, though, I've taken part in a couple of Martin Hopp (http://www.hoppridertraining.co.uk/) events.
A few weeks ago I did the Advanced Machine Skills course, covering off slow-speed riding, swerving and emergency braking, with a nod towards look, lean and roll. Oh, and picking up a dropped bike - we've all dropped a bike, this showed the most efficient way of picking the damned thing up. The instructors are a great bunch, and their bike skills are amazing. Even though this is the second time I've attended it was a really useful refresher.
The last week I took part in the Hopp Cadwell Better Riding day (see the Hopp website for more info'). Before that, though, the bike went in for a service.
After the service I went for a ride with some work colleagues and noticed clutch slip at about 9,000rpm in 3rd gear (that'll be 70mph, officer) as I accelerated away from a roundabout on the A47. Knowing that I had the Cadwell day ahead I booked the bike in to have the clutch attended to.
Picking the bike up from the workshop on the Tuesday evening I was advised to take it easy for 50-60 miles, so rode home steadily and parked up.
The next day I loaded the bike up with overnight gear and went to ride away. In gear, clutch out, the bike hardly moved. With a little coaxing I was able to ride to the workshop, 17 miles away, and the clutch seemed to fix itself - withstanding a couple of short, hard blasts of acceleration - so I rode to work all ready and enthused to ride to Louth to stay at Keddleston Hall ready for the day on track on Thursday. Once again, attempting to ride the bike after work, the bike barely moved - struggling to get me out of the underground car-park. Hard revving with the clutch slipping seemed to clear the problem; I managed to get to Louth by frequently gunning the engine to deliberately slip the clutch and clear the problem. Overnight the problem re-appeared, a call to the RAC ultimately resulting in being directed to a local bike-shop (Louth Motorcycle Company - top guys), who had a look - unfortunately unable to fix it. By this time I realised the only way to get the bike to go was to just accept that gunning the bike would (temporarily) fix the problem: down the two straights at Cadwell, for example ...
I arrived at Cadwell having missed the first two sessions. Luckily Martin Hopp remembered me from previous days and allowed me to register, bike noise check and a personal pre-track safety briefing. So, on the 3rd instructed session of the day (that'll be the "lean" session, follows the track familiarisation session and the "look" session, and preceded the "roll" session), I tucked myself behind the instructor to get a sighting lap and re-familiarise myself with the route. 2nd lap, put me in the sights of the instructor and then I was away. Of course, the morning sessions are really quite gentle, so the clutch didn't get worked hard with the result that it slipped, which meant I wasn't getting consistent drive out of bends, making it an "interesting" ride.
A long lunch didn't help, returning to the bike it struggled to get up to 30mph. Expecting to have to pull off the track, I rode down from the paddock to Hall Bends and opened the throttle, sure enough, it slipped but the bike accelerated enough that it wasn't left behind while everyone was on cold tyres. Out of the hairpin, another short, hard blast of throttle, gently around Barn and hit the throttle hard as the bike came upright .. the moment of truth ... the engine spun up for a second, then the clutch bit hurtling the bike forward. So the pattern ran each session, each lap. From Barn all the way to Mansfield, the clutch worked reasonably well following the initial slippage out of Barn, from Mansfield to the Hairpin and Barn, the clutch wasn't worked hard enough so slipped, giving just enough drive for the section to be covered at a good pace.
The bike will be in for the clutch to be sorted over the next week, then i'll be looking for another track event to ride to see what I can do without the clutch slipping! Oh, and a trip to Manchester to watch Oasis, Kasabian and the Enemy (via Snake Pass!!).
ps. No pictures - I have enough of me around Cadwell!
Monday 1 September 2008
Ely - 29th August
After popping into work during my holiday I was offered some time in-lieu.. so had Friday afternoon off, and made a random choice to head West (ish). A gentle winding route, down the B1108 to Watton, turning right up the B1077 through Saham Toney towards Swaffham. Turning right at the end of the B1077 then left into beachamwell Road, and left along Cley Road through Cockley Cley, Gooderstone, Oxborough to Stoke Ferry where I turned right onto the A134. At the roundabout after a mile I turned left towards Wissington and, eventually Southery. Meeting the A10, Ely was signposted, so an easy ride down to Ely. 
First stop - the riverside. It wasn't the first place I went to Ely, but I do believe that the centre of Ely can give Hampton Court Maze a run for its money.
A slow walk along the embankment led me to a nice coffee shop. This is the view from the patio
Having parked near the quay, I had to go get an ice-cream, too. You may notice that that's my bike .. the ice-cream had been eaten by the time I'd got my camrea out!
I rode up into the city and eventually found this parking space. It was hot and I was wearing leathers so I decided not to walk anywhere but take photos of wha I could see from here.
I feel a children's programme moment coming on.. "Through the arched window" ..
And a little way along was the leaning cathedral of Ely
After which I had a gentle ride to the White Swan in Great Yarmouth. I had to stop in Mildenhall to scrounge an allen key from a garage to tighten up my right mirror. Then, even on the bike, the traffic was horrendous with long queues of stationary traffic - and solid white lines so I had to sit in the queues for some distance. Grrr.
Friday 22 August 2008
Why can't cats ride motorbikes
I think this may be the answer ...
Having scrubbed in the tyres really nicely at Cadwell, ready for posing (yes, I know it's vanity but, hey!), the rear tyre gets a puncture, so I replace the tyre. :-(
The piece of metal that did the damage. Curled between the rubber and the tyre casing. I didn't want to risk having the tread shred.
S'pose i'll have to scrub the new one in... :-)
Having scrubbed in the tyres really nicely at Cadwell, ready for posing (yes, I know it's vanity but, hey!), the rear tyre gets a puncture, so I replace the tyre. :-(
The piece of metal that did the damage. Curled between the rubber and the tyre casing. I didn't want to risk having the tread shred.
S'pose i'll have to scrub the new one in... :-)
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