Winterize your bike

Sounds suitably American, doesn't it. At this time of year there are two options for motorcyclists. You can either wrap your bike up in cotton wool, stick it in the garage and wait for spring, or service it and ride it through the winter.

If you are going to be a total wimp and put it in the garage, you will need to make sure it is suitably pampered. Give it a good clean and service and park it on the centre stand, or special axle stands, to keep the weight off the tyres.

A cosy dust cover

You'll need a small electrical greenhouse heater to keep the chill off, and a battery 'conditioner' to trickle charge the battery and keep it perky until next year. To finish off the ensemble, perhaps a hand embroidered dust cover. It may be a good idea to run the engine occasionally during the lay-up, to keep the oil from draining off all the bearing surfaces.

Before you take it out into the warm, spring sunshine check oil and coolant, chain and tyre, just in case something disastrous has befallen your pride-and-joy during the dark months cowering in the garage. Search the Internet for more details of winter storage for your bike.


On the other hand, you may be a real tough biker and keep riding in all but the most severe weather. If so give it a service and check the condition of the tyres - you're gonna need some tread on that rubber. The chain will need to be oiled and the coolant levels topped up. The coolant mixture is important as it will act as an anti-freeze.

Keep your bike clean. The salt and grit spread on the roads by our highways people will corrode the iron work and scour the shiny surfaces. There is lots of advice out there, go search for more info.

Brrr!

Last year, I rode on days where the temperature didn't get above freezing, days where it didn't stop raining, in fog, high winds and most other conditions. But I took the car in the snow and in freezing rain. Just use a bit of common sense. You may be a rough-tough biker, but you don't have to kill yourself to prove it!

Keep it shiny side up!

Vacation!

... unless you are in the UK, in which case it is 'holiday' - our late summer holiday.
A whole week away from work. The Land Rover will be filled with liquid gold and the caravan hitched on behind, and we'll set off to park in wide open spaces with no TV and no computer.
But wait ... what will I do for a week without checking my emails, or Facebook, or Twitter? I'll tell you. I'm going to read, write, tour some local attractions, take photos and drink red wine. I might watch a movie. I'll get up late, and go to bed late. I'll take time for a proper breakfast, too. And dinner (that's the evening meal) will be taken at a leisurely pace,  followed by a stroll around the local area to take the evening air.
When I return there is likely to be an update to the Yellow Wedgie blog - there is usually something to report. So, it's 'Hi ho Silver! Away!

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.

Not this time

Well folks, it was Shaun Varga who won the Twist n Go competition, not me. The current issue has his first article about the prize - the Yamaha T Max.

I'm vaguely disappointed. It's always a shame not to win, but I enjoyed the day out at Jack's Hill Cafe. But since then I've had a separate article published in the magazine, and I am preparing more for submission to T&G and its sister publication, Scootering.

Well done Shaun! I'm looking forward to the next installment - and remember - keep the shiny side up!

Ride out published

The report of the day out in Towcester is published in Twist & Go magazine - see my Scratchypen blog for more details.

Still no news of a winner, but watch this space, as soon as I know, you'll know.

The Devil Rides Out

OK, not the Devil. Two other winners of the first part of the Twist and Go prize rode out with me.
After a two hour, 110 mile ride with the temperature around freezing, I got to Jacks Hill Cafe (watch out for the 'Ton-up day' in July) on the A5 around 7.45 am, just enough time to thaw out, down a big mug of tea, and get ready for the assessment. 
We were under the watchful eyes of Mark and Graham from Rapid Training and spent nearly three hours riding around the Northamptonshire countryside. It was about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on! We took turns to lead the group on a varied selection of motorcycles; me on my GS500F, a 1982 BMW R80 and a Honda 300 scooter. The instructors were on a Honda 600 Hornet and Suzuki GSX-R 750. Just having the opportunity to follow those guys was an education; their observation on my abilities - even more of an education.
We were treated to lunch, or in my case the 'bigger' all day breakfast which was a damned good prize on its own, and then the long ride home.

As yet, we still don't know the result, but just getting to the assessment day was great - When the result is known, you will be (almost) the first to know... watch this space!