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 ... ?

Miles on the NC750x

Since March I've ridden 3,000 miles on the new machine. I must say, I'm pretty impressed all round. I bought the X version, a pseudo-adventure style. The other option is the S, a more standard naked style. Both are available with manual or Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT).

[Catch my latest YouTube video - Roundabouts and bends on the NC750x ]

It didn't take long to get the hang of changing gear again. That was one of those silly things that I missed with the CV (Constantly Variable) transmission on the Silver Wing.

I could have paid extra for the DCT, which performs like the 'flappy paddle' gear change in expensive sports cars - two clutches look after odd and even gear ratios, the next gear is pre-selected before it is needed - then it disengages one clutch and changes to the other. All very clever and automated, although you can select gears manually, via a switch on the bars. None of that fancy stuff for me - I wanted a man-gearbox!

She likes to rev, and the smoothest gear changes (for me) are made between 3 and 4.5k rpm. Another interesting point is the low revving engine - red-lined at 6500. Doing a bit of mental arithmetic, I reckon that gives her a theoretical top speed of around 120mph. That's enough for me!

The original tyres were Dunlop Trailmax, but at 450 miles I picked up a rear puncture and the rear was replaced with a Dunlop RoadSmart. The Trailmax seemed to be a bit of a soft compound and was wearing quickly, whereas the RoadSmart, appears to be lasting well.

One of the things that got me interested in the NC750 was its advertised fuel economy; at 81mpg from a 750, quite a claim. Well, I am pleased to report that very soon after its first (600mile) service she was achieving 79mpg in rush hour traffic. On longer commuting runs, on a tank of fuel, she is now regularly averaging 82 mpg, with a best of 84mpg. Apparently Honda's electronics are responsible for that. The computer knows exactly how much fuel is needed for any throttle/speed/acceleration situation, and meters it accordingly. Happily performance is not hindered with all this miserliness.

Her slim figure makes her ideal for wriggling between the traffic. Steering is sharp and precise, breaking is more than adequate, with ABS (Anti-lock Breaking System) and wavy disks front and rear.

The novel design feature is the not-a-tank. It looks like a traditional fuel tank, but it is all storage, big enough for a full-face helmet. The 14 litre fuel tank hides low down under the seat. The filler cap is concealed under the rear pad. Neat trick! Also keeps the centre of gravity lower for better handling.

So, all that advertising, was it hype, or was it accurate? Well, as I am a cynic by nature, I was expecting the usual exaggerations, in that respect I am disappointed. But with the NC750X, pleased as Punch. Well done, Honda.

If you are after a good looking, lively, sharp handling, economical, general purpose bike, it will be difficult to find better. If you want speed, boy-racering, and want to impress the one-day-a-week-only-if-it's-not-raining riders - may be you should look at something different.

[PS - I have heard that the DCT option has been hugely popular and there is a bit of a wait for orders. Hopefully, they will catch up soon]

[See my latest video at Roundabouts and bends on the NC750x ]

More miles on the NC750X

I've clocked up a few more miles on the new Honda, and she really is good fun to ride. Some of the reviews are not impressed with the power produced by the 750cc parallel twin, but it is ample for everyday use, and the engine delivers plenty of torque - which is what you need for overtaking - without revving the guts out of it. If I was doing a track day I would choose something else - but I ride to work in rush hour traffic. The NC750X is great for that.

The back wheel is exposed and in wet conditions sprays muck over everything in sight, so I have ordered a hugger from Skidmarx. It's due early in June. I'll post some pics when it arrives.

The weather is improving, so I've taken the linings out of my Rukka. Things were getting a bit warm. Anyway here is the next video - on my YouTube Channel, Scratch600. More miles on the NC750X 

New places to mount the camera

I've been out and about on the new bike, Honda NC750x, and I'm pleased I made the change. Back to big wheels and a gearbox - interesting. We've had the 600 mile service, the next one isn't for another 8,000 miles.

Anyway, there are different places to mount the camera, in this video I've used the mirror stem and the passenger foot peg. Have a look. Tell me what you think.

It's here, on my YouTube channel, Scratch600

Out to play

The last video wasn't much fun. Let's face it a queue of traffic is pretty boring and frustrating - especially if you are in a car.

This time we are out and about. I started the day at Southampton General Hospital then transferred to an office in Winchester. The route - definitely not the motorway - this was much more fun.

The video is on my YouTube channel, Scratch600, or from this link - 'Out to play'

Chaos avoidance

I thought I'd try a different route to work.

Since the Highways Agency have bridge repair work at Juntion 9  of the M27, the adjoining roads have been gridlocked most mornings during rush hour - not the the HA care.

The roads are choked, the tail backs then bring Segensworth roundabout to a halt, that in turn blocks the A27 back as far as St Margarets roundabout - basically it's chaos.

Anyway, I thought I'd try something different. So instead of heading to Junction 9, I decided to head for Junction 8, via the A27. I happened to choose the day that the A27, Bursledon Road qualified as the worst traffic jam in Hampshire.

I thought you might like to see it, here it is on my YouTube channel, Scratch600

Why not subscribe and catch new videos as they are uploaded?

Another Vid on YouTube

Whenever I ride I always clip on my Drift HD helmet camera. You never know when you'll need that little electronic witness.

On the days I work in Winchester I usually use the M27 / M3 to get there in the morning, and have a relaxed ride home across Morestead Down. On 14 August, as I had heard on the local radio - Jack FM, actually - that the M27 was blocked due to an accident, I decided to go in to work over the downs.

It was a sunny morning, which made the contrast between shadow and bright sun difficult for the camera to adjust to. My view, as the rider, was better than the video shows because the good old human eye works better than the best lenses in that department.

Anyway, of the 40 or so minutes I travelled to work, these seven are the best - overtaking!

I've got a leisurely ride planed for the beginning of September, I'll try and get some interesting footage for you.

Here's today's offering - The Morning Rush Hour

The bike is my Honda FJS600 Silver Wing, and the route is from Park Gate, through Burridge, Bishops Waltham and Morestead on B, and unclassified roads.

Home movies

Though I have recorded many hours of tarmac and traffic, none has been completely newsworthy. But I have found it interesting to review a few situations and learn from what I see.

I have tried editing with Serif Movie Plus, Apple iMovies and Windows Live Movie Maker. iMovies has the nicest transitions, and Serif a pretty good work space, but the best results overall seem to be with Windows.

There are three clips on YouTube, so far:

Winchester to Bishops Waltham 3Apr13 - highlights of a run home from Winchester across Morestead Down

NewForestShortcut 28Apr13 - On a run to Bovingdon Tank Museum we took a shortcut across the New Forest using the B3078

Rush hour traffic 2May13 - A short clip of rush hour traffic, and how not to filter

All these clips a from the Drift attached to the side of my crash helmet, in wide angle at 1080p and 30 fps

Let me know what you think ...

Rhapsody in Blue

I've been talking about a new bike for some time, well the deed has been done.
I spent a lot of time considering what I wanted from motorcycle, and after considering the options I've settled on the Honda Silver Wing.

The 'Wing is a 600cc maxi-scooter, capable of more than 100mph, and with its CV transmission, rapid acceleration. For me the selling points were the on-board storage, and its weather protection.
I took delivery from Farnham Honda just over a week ago and I've covered 350 miles in some of England's finest winter downpours.

Already I'm glad to have made the change, and I'm glad I took the offer of Farnham Honda to take a demonstrator out for a few hours - an offer not matched by any other dealer in my area.

Honda out - Suzuki in

I rode out with an IAM group on Sunday, and apart from a few sideways glances, we all got along fine. The ride was along some very dirty, leafy, wet and slimy Sussex lanes. I kept up, and did everything that the 'big boys' did, including the flood water, so once she's loosened up we'll be pushing my friendly observer for some road time.

Out to play at Goodwood - spot the Silver Wing

Spring in the air ... or is it?

After a few days of sunshine and dry roads, I got the feeling that spring had arrived.
The GS500F has been going well all winter. She was serviced at 11350 miles, 2000 miles ago, and has just gone in for her annual MOT test (for those outside the UK, this is a test of road-worthiness carried out by government certified inspectors). Other than a liberal covering of road grime and filth there is nothing wrong.
Being able to ride on dry roads is a real pleasure, excitement returns to the bends and the bike's full potential can be used.

The 500 cc air-cooled twin is still returning 65-70 mph (Imperial) depending on whether I do the slow, stop-start route to Gosport or Fareham, or the flowing motorway route to Winchester or Havant (or the occasional blast into the New Forest).

It must have been because I cleaned it, because the weather has recently taken a turn for the worse, lots of English rain. Next week I gotta go back to work after a week's holiday. Apart from having to do a full, five day stint, the first day is due to be a long trip to Frimley Park, in Surrey. Let's hope it's a dry day, otherwise, after 50 miles, I'll arrive pretty soggy. Then there will be the run home ...

 M3 between J4 and J4a - © Copyright Nigel Cox and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Six thousand miles, actually

Back in November I bought the Suzuki GS500F with 4000 miles on the clock. On Thursday we passed the 10,000 mile mark.

This momentous event happened on my way home from work. I'd left my office in Winchester at 5.00pm and headed out of the city along Bar End Road. I ducked under the busy M3 and joined the unclassified road that runs through Morestead and on to the B3035 at Corhampton.
From the A31 the road rises steeply and arrives at the top of the downs with a satisfying long left hander that opens to a short straight section. As the road starts to descend you need to ease back on the throttle and move tight to the left hand verge. Snick it down into fifth for the tight right and left bends that precede the drop down in to Morestead.
The 40mph limit keeps things steady through the cross roads and the tight left as you head back up on to the downs.

10000 miles here! Keep to the left ready for the right hander dropping down to Owslebury cross roads.

The road rises and there is a series of rights (here was the 10000 mark) before the drop down to the Owslebury crossroads. You need care here as the road is fast and straight but, like all crossroads, drivers can go in any direction without warning.
Straight through and up the other side of the dip where the road closes in and there is a slight left at the brow before you see the warning signs for a '30mph' left as you drop sharply into a very tight, '25mph' right. Back uphill into a wooded section where there are a series of bends, opening to a drop where there is a crossroads on a sweeping right hander. The road rises again into another wooded section and more bends that need to be read carefully. Watch out for debris. There may be washout from the side of the road, or branches, flints, gravel. Keep your speed down so that you can pick a safer line if necessary.

Awkward right turn round the bollard

As you clear the trees there is a cross roads were I leave the 'main' road and take the right turn towards Bishops Waltham. This road has a poor surface, drops from the junction then rises up between high hedgerows. The straight section ends in a shallow right followed by a tight left where there is usually more debris. There is a tight section running down, between houses and past the pub, to the B3035, just as it runs in to Bishops Waltham.

It's a nice run when the weather's good, but be careful when conditions are anything but perfect.

Vultures!

If you are in Hampshire with nothing much to do, I can recommend a visit to The Hawk Conservancy near Andover. The Hawk conservancy is basically for saving rare birds of prey. They are currently working to save a species of vulture from India that have declined from 30 million to a few thousand in about 15 years, due to the use of Voltarol in cattle. Apparently the drug kills them within 72 hours of eating a carcase. Their decline has caused a huge increase in the wild dog population, rabies and other diseases as they are basically nature's dustmen and undertakers.

They do three flying displays of various types of birds, the most impressive
being 'Valley of the Eagles', where there are about 10 vultures swooping low
across the audience. The finale is calling two American bald eagles back from
over Thruxton race circuit some 2+ miles away.

A good day out, and as far as attractions go, good value for money. Don't forget to 'Gift Aid' it!