Service!

 No use shouting that unless you are in a restaurant - and probably not there unless you want to incur the wrath of the maitre D.

The Dacia is trundling along nicely. She has over 163,000 miles on the clock and is heading towards her next service. It will be due around 165,500. 

But the engine management light came on about 1,000 miles ago, and initially I thought that I would have to bring the service forward. Everything is still functioning as it should, power is not reduced (yes, I know it's only a Dacia!) and fuel economy is still around 60mpg. So, I'm working on the assumption (assume nothing!) that it is probably a dirty filter somewhere that is in need if attention.

That's the problem with modern cars. If a warning light comes on and the computer throws a panic, the car stops and won't go - no matter how much pleading you apply. Whereas, back in the day, with my Morris Traveller, there were no warning lights, no know-it-all computers, you could usually hear what was happening - noisy tappets, rattling big ends, dodgy plug leads, timing a bit off - but it kept running until you got round to fixing it, or it died in a big way.

Those were the days!

Spring stuff

Pen and ink, by me

 Now we have exited the wettest winter on record here in Devon and Cornwall, spring is beginning to make an appearance. Some early tulips came and went, wild garlic arrived - and was promptly removed and put into home made pesto - and the trees have all acquired that lovely, spring green tinge. This chartreuse green will disappear as the leaves mature and the darker, summer greens take over.

The hydrangea, too, is making the effort with buds hiding among the new leaves. They deserve their own portrait.

Image: Hydrangea in ink. (c) 2026 by me

So much more

The world of motoring - unless you are lucky enough to be driving the 'more interesting' kind of vehicle - is pretty bland these days.

Ink and watercolour - by me

Most cars are the same shape, same colour, same performance - and have so many driver aids it's not surprising that drivers don't know how to drive anymore. Some call this blandness 'vanilla', but I rather like vanilla, especially in ice cream. 

So, I will fill this space with some other stuff while I wait for interesting car-stuff to happen, which means there will be so much more to entertain you. 

Let's lift a glass to celebrate ...

Pot holes ...

 Now there's a word to get you all going!

Yep, there are loads of 'em, and after the winter we've had it's hardly surprising. I won't enter into the 'councils aren't doing enough'-'why aren't they all filled immediately after I call'-'it's disgusting, the country is falling apart' conversations, but I do have suggestions.

I find the ride is more comfortable, and less damage is done to the wheels and suspension if you don't drive in to them. 

Sounds obvious, really, but having been a passenger with some friends, recently, apparently not.

First, don't follow too close behind other vehicles, keep at least the 'two seconds' gap. This will allow you to observe the road ahead and plan your route around many potholes.

Second, along with the first, keep your speed down. Again allowing you more time to observe and avoid.

Third, concentrate on your driving and observe the road ahead. Together with 1 and 2, it will help. On roads you use often - remember where you last saw them, unless your memory is failing.

Fourth, take extra care at night. Main beam is useful, as long as you can manage to find the dip switch when required, which seems to be an issue on newer cars.

Let's face it, most of you are not interested in driving you just want to get from A to B with the least effort, as fast as you can. No amount of advice will help you, you will just whinge when you bend your rims, and blame anyone except your own incompetence. I appreciate many of you have been further de-skilled by buying cars that do it all for you, but hey ho, that's progress. The standards of your driving can only get worse ... unless you do something about it.

Happy potholing!

Two seconds - or too close

I first posted this in 2011 -  after 14 years, nothing has changed. Although not one of what a current campaign calls "The Fatal Five", following too close is a significant cause of accidents, and woud be classed as careless driving. (The Fatal Five are listed as: drink/drug driving, careless driving, speeding, using a mobile phone or other distraction, not wearing a seat belt).

"Only a fool breaks the two second rule." Read on ...

Of all road accidents, around 97% are caused by driver error - following too close is one of the errors most often cited.

 

So what's all this stuff about the 'two second rule'?

At 30 miles an hour, a car travels 88 feet (26.83 metres) in two seconds.

A fit, alert and attentive human being, concentrating on the road ahead and the traffic around them would have a reaction time of at least 0.6 second. This means, if the brake lights of the car in front come on, it takes 0.6 second for your eyes to tell your brain to apply the foot brake, and for your foot to start lifting off the accelerator. Next, your foot has to travel from the accelerator and across to the brake pedal, before you can apply pressure and slow the car.
At 30 mph, you are already nearly 30 feet (9 metres) closer to the car in front.

Once you've applied pressure to the foot brake and the brake pads start to bite against the discs the car will begin to slow down and eventually stop. When it does it will have travelled another 46 feet (14 metres).

The above figures are the best case scenario. If your car's brakes are poorly maintained, or tyres not in tip-top condition, or the road surface is wet or greasy, the distances mentioned above will be greater; much greater.

So, if you are travelling two seconds behind, you should have a pretty good chance of not running into the back of the car in front.

How do I know when I am two seconds behind?

Pick a mark on the road, say a bridge's shadow, or manhole cover. As the car in front crosses the shadow, say to yourself, "Only a fool, breaks the two second rule." This should take you about two seconds. If you cross the same mark before you have completed the sentence, you are too close. Aim to be far enough behind to complete the sentence before you reach the mark. Easy.


But what if I am travelling faster than 30, will the two second rule still work?

Yes, it is a useful guide. The faster you go, the greater distance is covered in two seconds; 176 feet (54 metres) at 60 mph. But, the Highway Code suggests that stopping distances get proportionately longer - 240 feet, 73 metres - so, speak more slowly.

When you are next on the motorway, check to see if you are complying with the Two Seconds Rule, and if not ... Back Off!

Just for fun you can test your reaction time here:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/games/reaction-time.html

... and check out stopping distances here:

http://www.passingplacedriving.co.uk/stoppingdistances.html

Choices

 There are many things to consider when driving on our roads. Speed, weather, road conditions, other motorists, pedestrians, animals, time of day, the list goes on. If you are concentrating fully on your driving then all should go according to plan ... should.

Unfortunately, there are drivers out there who; are not concentrating on their driving, don't care about their driving, whose confidence exceeds their ability, whose vehicle is in an unsafe condition, are drunk or drugged, using a cell phone, who are just bad drivers. 

This German registered Tesla driver fell in to one, or more, of the above considering, too, that he is in a foreign (to him) country, for example: driving too fast for the conditions, overtaking in an unsafe manner, failing to observe the junction ahead, driving too close to the vehicle ahead. 

Having done all that, he found that some of the lanes in Devon are, shall we say, constricted. We watched as he had to reverse and send his passenger go guide him through the gap - then rushed off, in an embarrassed huff, once he had cleared the parapet.

So, the simple advice regarding road safety, when you have to choice of being a Tom, Dick, or Harry - don't be a dick!

Two years!

 Well. there's a thing, as my old gran used to say! I haven't posted here for two years. I've been so busy!

The previous post was a moan about cyclists abandoning their vivid yellow clothing in favour of camouflage greens, browns, and blacks. Nothing's changed there. They still don't want to be seen, yet whinge when you don't.

I'm still driving the Dacia, now with 146,000 on the clock, and still doing 60mpg (on summer grade diesel).

Electric cars continue to improve, especially range-wise, but are still not a really viable alternative for high mileage rural dwellers - yet.

And it's been 11 years since I passed advanced riding tests for both IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) and RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). They completed my set with the IAM car test in 1982. How time flies.

But what does the future hold? Who knows - except I will soon have to renew my driving licence, as us old farts have to do that more often. There are supposed to have been some rule changes to cater for the diminishing abilities of older drivers. When the reminder arrives I'll see what is required. I still have my original licence with entries dated 1972, but I don't think they'll accept that.

Until then I'll keep burning rubber! Keep it shiny side up, folks!

Hide and seek - cycling revisited

 Gosh! It was 11 years ago that I wrote about how evolution had provided certain species with protective colouration, either to protect themselves (usually from being eaten), or to warn others that they are a danger. (See: Black and Yellow means Danger)

The post was about wasps and cyclists both wearing black and yellow so that they could be easily seen and avoided.

What has happened since is proof that evolution is a continuing process - nothing to do with wasps, which continue to dress in their bright, fear inducing, warning colours - but cyclists. When I wrote the earlier post I lived in urbania, streetlights, wide footpaths, and traffic at 30mph or less. I now live in deepest, darkest Devon.

The cycling clones who either live in, or visit the countryside for their holidays, have, by and large, evolved from the conspicuous, brightly coloured pestilence that you could see from afar, your heart sinking with dismay at joining a queue of slow moving traffic unable to pass with the compulsory 1.5 metre gap, to a covert, secretive, and almost invisible camouflaged shape lurking in the shadows and hedgerows.

What has happened to the gaudy, hi-viz, eye-screechingly yellow tops? They have been replaced with, grey, green, brown, and black - and not on their own, sometimes in combination. 

Now, the lanes of north Devon are lined with banks, bushes, walls, and trees. These, in turn, cast shadows so the standard colour-scheme is ... grey, green, brown, and black, usually in combination.

I've tried to understand this change. Has being visible caused them to become targets? Is there some fashion where yellow is no longer de rigueur and wearing it is an embarrassment? Have cyclists, like lemmings, some kind of death-wish? As a keen motorcyclist I was more than happy to wear bright reflective gear to avoid the SMIDSY effect (Sorry Mate I Didn't See You|). 

I shall continue to give them a wide berth - assuming I see them, of course - because; I have no desire to hear their inane drivel if they think I'm too close, pathetic whinging should I bounce them into the bushes, or have to polish off the nasty marks they leave on the paintwork. 

I can't envisage that being camouflaged will do their cause any good, and will be interested to see if any court cases are decided  against them on the grounds of failing to ensure their own safety.

I'll revisit the matter in another 11 years.

Who needs electric!

 Continuing the theme of economy, the Dacia has been serviced recently, including a new timing belt. So she is running rather well at the moment. Add, that the pumps are now serving 'summer grade' diesel, driving like an old duffer and a new record, for me, mpg figure ... 71 mpg.

This was achieved in dry, favourable weather conditions on a run between Netley Marsh, Hampshire and Gosport, Hampshire. Most of the distance was on the M27 with a speed restriction of 60mph, with light, free flowing traffic. A 30 mile trip.

By the time I had got back home to Devon it was down to 61mpg.

No bad, eh!

Electrifying!

 I haven't mentioned electric vehicles for a while, but I will admit that they do appear to be an attractive option.

But for me the downside (other than the cost of buying or leasing) is still range - how far can you go on a full charge.

When I fill the Dacia with B7 Diesel I know that I can do 600+ miles without having to look for a service station. I can leave home, visit by son (160 miles), both daughters (+50 miles), mother-in-law (+60 miles) and get back home (+140 miles) without worrying about where I can get fuel. On summer grade diesel I am getting 60+ mpg. Winter grade fuel makes 56+ mpg.

The best e-range seems to be with Tesla at some 350 miles - but at ridiculous expense. The cheap end of the market looks like 150 miles is what you can hope for in good conditions.

So, although even cars like the Nissan Leaf are cheaper, they are beyond my price range, if I used one for the above journey I would be looking to refuel (recharge) about 2/3 of the way to my son's house. He has no parking, so on-street parking has no charging points. I might get to mother-in-law's place without another charge, but things would be getting stressful. A full charge - with an extension lead and 8-10 hours in her company - might just get us home again.

Motoring will cease being a pleasure and will be reduced to searching out the next charging point - are we there yet - waiting while you get a 'top up' (because a full charge takes over night) so that you can do may be another 80 miles.

Our ordinary day-to-day motoring may be less frenetic as 150 miles could get us around one of my wife's mooching photographic trips around the countryside. Of course, here in Devon, the lack of public charging points becomes patently obvious when you start trying to find one. 

May be the introduction of E10 petrol (up from E5) with 10% ethanol to reduce pollutants may convince petrol users to switch - as their performance and fuel consumption will be worse.

So I think there is still a long way to go before a 'milk float' is viable for me. What is currently a four hour journey to my son, will become six with the delays for charging added. Definitely a different approach to motoring will be required. Oh, and as the cost per mile is about the same as conventional fuels, there is little incentive there. 

Extreme!

 Update on the economy run. Best so far is now 68.3 mpg. 

Unfortunately winter-grade* diesel is at the pump and I am now struggling to get 55mpg, but hopefully once the ordinary fuel is back decent economy will return.

*One of the winter-grade diesel additives is anti-waxing to stop it 'freezing' at low temperatures.

Economical, or what!

 A couple of posts back I mentioned that I was getting an economical 55mpg out of the Duster, but now we are back on the road and allowed out to play, things are getting interesting.

First we have been running from home to Exeter at regular intervals. Half of the route is along the A30 so cruising around 65-70mph is the norm. On the round trip we have averaged about 58mpg.

On days when my dear wife takes me out for a 'mooch' - touring the lanes, looking for some unsuspecting flowers and vistas to photograph - we rarely get above 50mph, and are usually under 30 (they are that kind of lane!). These times are when things get strange. Today, after filling with diesel in Bideford and resetting all the readings, we got home after some 35+ miles having averaged 67.7 mpg. Now I reckon them hybrid things would be pushed to get that - so I am well chuffed (not good English, but it conveys the appropriate emotion) with that!

Do you remember the antics on the Mobil Economy Runs of the 1960s?

What do you think?

Banged up in Devon

Certainly no chance of a motoring story now. One month in solitary and only allowed to make essential trips to the supermarket - but it does mean that I am so bored I washed the car!

I've never been a fan of the automatic car washes, nor the 'do-it-by-hand' offerings which always seem to have dirty water, and cloths that have washed a hundred vehicles before they get to mine. So I do it my self, which means not very often.

I have a method. Ideally the day is not too sunny and hot, nor windy and cold. Picky eh!
First, with luke warm (tepid) water and a clean sponge, I wash off the heavy accumulations - a mud and cow shit combo mostly. Sometimes I can use three or four buckets full. This reveals the colour of the paintwork below - already she's looking better.

Next, more tepid water with either a specialist car shampoo (if I've had a gift), or domestic washing-up liquid, not too strong. Most enthusiasts would not recommend the Fairy approach, but it does cut through the grime and grease nicely. I start with the roof, then work round the car at window level, bonnet, down to door panels and grill and bumpers. This keeps the dirt moving downwards. I wash the wheels last as they are the dirtiest. A stiff brush is good for getting between the spokes on the alloys.

Finish the washing process with a rinse with clean water and a fresh sponge, drying with a chamois leather as you go. Super job!

I don't usually bother with polish, but this time I did. It said on the bottle it was for motorcycles, but one shiny body panel is the same as any other, so I used it. A real good shake to get the creamy liquid nicely mixed and we were off. I do one panel at a time, spread the cream on with a circular motion - wax on! Once it has gone cloudy, polish it off with a soft microfibre
cloth - wax off!

By doing the job my self I get chance to inspect the condition of the paint close-up. I get to notice small scratches and blemishes that have been caused by normal day-to-day use, and I get to clean the parts others can't (or don't) reach - door shuts, bonnet edges, wheel arch edges, etc.

So that filled about three hours, I still had time to sit in the garden with a cold beer and admire my handiwork.

Stay safe, stay home, wash your hands, and wash your car - Happy Covid-19 lockdown!

Bit of a Duster-ing

The last post was in December 2017 - it is now February 2020! Strewth - time really does fly!

Anyway, 2018 was good. Settled in to retirement, stopped (nearly) pining for my old Honda NC750, and got to grips with life in the slow lane.

2019, and things got a little hectic. Son moved out, we covered ridiculous miles looking for a new home, them we moved out, and ran away to Devon.

So that was the short version. Continuing with a motoring theme, we found that the roads down here are not really suited to an SRi Astra. Wide, and low profile tyres, combined with low and slightly sporty suspension do not work well with potholes, mud, slurry, unidentifiable lumps, sheep, and random spring water.

The above, together with the prospect of new tyres, a service, and a new cam belt, made us look for something more appropriate.

High on my list was a Defender SWB, Range Rover, or Ford F150. Not surprisingly, Julie thought something a little more in the 'value' bracket was in order. We decided on a Dacia Duster.

Don't laugh. We have a '17' Plate, 2x4 version, which is returning 55mpg, and copes with every thing the south west peninsular can throw at it - including stupid old gits who drive in to it in car parks.

Although it lacks off-road ability, being 2x4 and not something I plan on needing, it has 'proper' size tyres, softer suspension with longer travel, better ground clearance, and being a little narrower in the beam, means it is most suited to life in the lanes.

So if you want something practical, comfortable, economical, and priced right, you can't do much better than a Duster - Renault technology, Romanian pricing.

I still miss riding the bike :(

Formula E, for Ernie*

Formula E (for Ernie); I thought I'd better watch it before I said anything - I should at least speak from experience.

A Unigate milk float from way back
(Wikipedia GNU Free Documentation Licence)

Now, I haven't watched F1 (Formula 1) for a couple of years, because it is boring. It is a two-horse event where all the excitement revolves around which is the quickest team to change a set of wheels. Formula E has just started its fourth season, and I have never seen it, so wondered if it would be better. I sat and watched the second round, Hong Kong, day two.

Apart from the obvious - no engine noise, just whining - there was a total lack of charisma, character, or excitement. The presenters are lacklustre, the drivers (when interviewed), too. It probably is wonderful if you are a computer / electronics geek. For petrol-heads it's about as exciting as racing milk-floats.

The actual race was interesting ... inasmuch as there was a modicum of overtaking (lacking in F1), lightened by the comedic events during the compulsory pit stop. There is more excitement with Scalextric.

Obviously, the way forward for the motor industry is electric cars, and Formula E must be a great arena for research and development, but once we have the world travelling by E-cars (and, heaven forbid, driverless, or should I say, autonomous - although looking at some Audis and BMWs around me in traffic I'm not so sure it won't be an improvement), we will need to build a few nuclear power plants to cope with the extra demand.

Will I watch Formula E again? No. And unless F1 changes, I won't return to that, either. I'll stick with proper racing, with real racers, DTM, WEC, BTCC, MotoGP, Superbikes.

(* for those not old enough to remember Benny Hill, 'Ernie' drove the fastest milk cart in the west)

End of an era

A year ago I posted how pleased I was with my second NC750X - at 5,000 miles, well it's all change again!

Due to a change in my working arrangements, the requirement to commute has disappeared - so has my reason to ride a motorcycle. Since the end of July I have covered only 100 miles on the bike. With no likelihood of that increasing I decided to sell.

She had amassed 11600 miles in the 16 months I was using her, but to leave her in the garage, unused and unloved was a shame.

So now I am a bike free zone. Thanks to Crescent Motorcycles for their help and good service.

I'll be clocking up some miles in the car though. Tomorrow I head for Cumbria for the second time in a month - that's 300 miles each way. I'm sure I will encounter some interesting events along the way.

GONE!

 and now ...   

Half a year on ...

My NC750x 2014-2016

My NC750x 2016 onwards

It's been a busy nine months in all respects, and especially in the transport department.

In my last post I told you about the article in Twist&Go magazine. In that I sang the praises of the NC750x as a great commuter and workhorse.

In March she was due for the annual service, and the two year warranty was about to expire. The nice man at the Honda dealership (Crescent Motorcycles) gave her the once over, to see if anything needed fixing under warranty, before it expired. All was in order, but, of course the showroom is filled with sparkly new machines ...

As the old one was approaching 16,000 miles i made tentative enquiries about PXing for the new model, or maybe up to an Africa Twin, or down to a CB500x.

I talked myself out of the Africa Twin because, although a great bike, it would be the equivalent of taking kids to school in a Range Rover - nobody in their right mind would do that ... would they?

So I took the CB500x for a test ride. And what a great commuter that is, but I found that I had to work it too had for the 50 mile round trip that is my daily commute. So the NC750x was still in play.

The 2016 version is similar, with a few styling changes, but notably the dummy tank storage has increased by a litre, and the front and rear suspension have been upgraded, with Showa forks on the front and a pre-load adjustable mono-shock on the rear. This makes the handling noticeably crisper.

Economy is still brilliant - seems to be slightly better than the 14/15 model, and the new instrument pod is clear and concise. I've retained the standard screen, as it is larger that the previous one. It isn't as big as the replacement, but I am comfortable with it. May be if I was taller ...

Needless to say I was easily convinced of the wisdom of buying the new model, and favourable terms were offered by the dealer. So at the end of March I took delivery - and over 5000 miles later I'm still smiling.

Might be some video on line soon, if I can find some interesting roads or events to show you.

Ride safe.

Twist & Go Magazine

It's been so long!

Well, there hasn't been an awful lot of excitement lately. My job has moved to Winchester, so every day I get to do a 45 mile round trip to work and back. On a good day that can mean 45 miles of filtering along the M27 and M3. Great.

The NC750X has now clocked up13,000 miles and she's looking good. So good that I wrote a review for Twist & Go magazine - The January issue should be in the shops now - look for us on page 60.

Other than that, BMW drivers continue to prove that stereotyping works. Of all the prat drivers I encounter those in BMWs still score highest. Audi and Mercedes are starting to climb the charts, but they still have some way to go.

The daily commute

Well, not every day. Some days I go to other destinations around Hampshire, but this day I managed some particularly fine filtering.

Traffic was pretty much solid from J9 to J5 on the M27, and slow again on the approach to J3. I left the motorway at J2 and took the Totton by-pass in to the office.

I've edited the 45 minute trip to around eight minutes for my latest video.

Nip over to YouTube and take a look.

A bit windy!

Ride out this morning with the rejuvenated RoSPA Hampshire RoADAR group; a 100 mile round trip to Goodwood for coffee.

We met at Wickham Square and the weather seemed to be getting brighter after a wet start, although it was pretty gusty. Andy led the group and Lillian was back marker. Six of us, three BMWs, Two Hondas and a Suzuki, headed towards Southwick but were soon being trailed through country lanes with a whole variety of surfaces, bends, gradients and gravel.

As we went across the South Downs the wind increased, and the rain returned in patchy showers. After slightly more than an hour we got to Goodwood for a break, coffee and a chat.

The weather was no better for the return trip which took us past Cowdrey Park through Midhurst, and on along the A272. Some of the wind on the exposed sections made the going difficult, keeping your line through the bends was certainly a challenge.

We finished at junction of the A272 and A32 at the famous Loomies cafe. Thanks for an interesting run chaps. More at the end of April - hopefully with good weather.

Now what happened in the MotoGP opening round in Qatar ... ?