2009 motorcycling highs and lows

Just thinking.

My highs this last year:

Elefant Rally, no question. Thank you, Mr Bonwick. Much hilarity, plenty
coldness, just one biking experience I'll never forget. (See lows)

Buying the Street Triple on a complete impulse after one hilarious
20-mile test ride. I really feel sorry for whoever bought the Carl
Rosner demo bike afterwards, because I didn't spare it the rod, and it
only had 200 miles on the clock. I doubt I was the only one.

Buying and sorting out a £250 old Honda 250 Super Dream for Nyumber One
Son. Amazingly, it's still going. Hasn't missed a beat. he wants my
Ducati now.

Getting the swiftest insurance payout I've ever known after that teenage
twat decided to get out of his car and go walkabout in the middle of a
motorway. (See lows)

Managing to get all the bits I need for my Suzuki TS250 restoration.
Work starts in earnest when winter ends.

The French Run. Always fun.

The lows

Having to ditch the Yamaha Tenere on the way back from the Elefant when
it fried its wiring loom, reg/rec and alternator. Spending three hours
by the side of a German autobahn in sub-zero temperatures.

Being skittled on the K after teenage twat decided to go walkabout in
the middle lane of a motorway.

That's about it, really.

Anyone else?

 

Most of the Alps trip.

The rest of the Alps trip.

 

Finally getting my hands on a pukka litrebike. When I had the GSXR750 as
a stop-gap I wondered just how much faster a thou could really be. Then
I bought one. ****. Me.

My commute: whatever people might say, a gixer thou is a wonderful tool
for cutting through central London traffic. And if 145bhp through stone
cold tyres onto diesel-soaked roundabouts and bus lanes isn't your idea
of fun, you're missing out. Really.

The journey to Dover for the French Run. Never before have I ridden so
fast, or fast for so long, as I did that day. However, see Lows.

Sticking it to mother nature and making the trip to Chimay regardless.
The weather was fantastic, the racing at times astonishing, and it was
made all the more glorious by knowing people had bailed out at the
slightest chance of rain.

And, most of all, the Alps run. 2200 miles and 10 days of sheer lunacy.
More money spent on speeding fines than on petrol! Pursuit bikes! Police
videos! Unmarked cars! Armed roadblocks! Points on licences that don't
even exist! These aren't lows, people, these are the things that make
the memory last a lifetime! I pity anyone who wasn't there. (Having said
that, see Lows)

The international law enforcement community.

Germans

Swiss Germans

German police

Swiss police

The bit between Balingen and the French border. That was rubbish. Mostly
thanks to an assortment of the above.

 

High - Leaving my bro in laws place near Malaga on a sunny May morning
to spend 3 days riding across Spain to Santander without a map, or a
word of
Spanish, the Costa Brava coast road, the Millau bridge and the Picos
d'europa. Getting my "Great escape" story in Bike mag.

Lows - none, it's been a good year for me.

Happy new year to you all.

 

In communiqué <1jbl7s9.uqqhbr1mlsbn2N%>,

Precious few highs this year. Manx week was supposed to provide a few
but the weather didn't co-operate.

Getting SWMBO's Honda in to an Ebayable state (with your consultancy
assistance) was quite satisfying. I really ought to be out in the garage
resurrecting the 2C/375 Morini, but can't summon up the enthusiasm until
the thermometer goes a bit higher and my sinuses a bit clearer.

Parting with the Nordwests was a bit of a low point (well the 'racer'
one at least).

Recognition that I am now past exploring the forests of the Limousin on
the faux WR250 was a very low point. Still, I am taking steps with a
view to creating a few high points by taking to the tarmac hills with it
next year.


--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

(The Older Gentleman) wrote in

Most of the Alps trip inc. the single funniest event of the year: after
being passed by the FBC somewhere near St Moritz, I approached a Swiss
border post, expecting to be stopped. I didn't slow down below 30mph
because the border guards were somewhat distracted by four familiar faces.
A cheery wave to Penfold, the only one looking my way, and I crossed into
Austria.

Mostly enjoying my 33 mile commute by bike (not had to do it in freezing
conditions yet, might use the train next week)

On the Alps trip, the fierce wind & rain on the B500 from the CH border to
Schlusee was stronger than I had experienced before. Especially the bit
across the plateau which had no trees to shelter behind. I was a little
anxious at times. I think everyone else went a different route, and most of
them were taxed for being such pussies

Spunking out about £700 on clothing, bar muffs etc to make the winter
commute bearable.

 

The fortnight in the Tirol and Dolomites, and the Alps with the
UKRMers. Great roads, scenery, hotels, bike, company, partner and
(mostly) weather.

The TOG tour.

None.

 

Highs:
French Run - Helen's first long trip as pillion and she really enjoyed it
too
Wheelie School - a real hoot
Fitting high performance air filter, Termis and Power Commander to the ST3
and getting 109BHP on the dyno and a fabulous noise from the bike
Surviving the 70mph plus double blowout on the V-Strom

Lows:
Realising the cost of the double blowout (new wheels at £450 each and new
tyres). I got the wheels done on the insurance (20% reduction in NCB) but
couldn't claim for the nearly new tyres. I reckon I'll only pay an extra
£200-£300 on insurance over 2 years before getting back to 100% NCB so it
was worth going down the insurance route.

 

None.

It's been a very non-motorcycling year again.

--
Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration,
Brunel University. Ivan.Reid@[brunel.ac.uk|cern.ch] Room 40-1-B12, CERN
GSX600F, RG250WD "You Porsche. Me pass!" DoD #484 JKLO#003, 005
WP7# 3000 LC Unit #2368 (tinlc) UKMC#00009 BOTAFOT#16 UKRMMA#7 (Hon)
KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty".

 

The Elefant . Good company and i've never seen anything like it.
The Slovenia Run - good company and suicidal blat through the worst
rain
i've ever ridden in from Austria to Metz.
Buying a sidecar.

The Slovenia Run - Platy and Lady Nina bought it.
The sidecar maiden voyage into the M40 armco.

Steve

 

Following Platy through heavy traffic, in torrential rain at
ridiculous speeds on the way to Dover. Keeping up with him for half an
hour before deciding that I really didn't have a death wish. Kevin and
L having food and a warm bed at the end of it. Much appreciated.

No biking since June due to the broken leg. Missing out on Chimay
still rankles.

 

Managing the whole year without binning anything.

The wife finally getting signed off from the hospital 2.5 years of surgeries
following our June 2007 off.

Getting the wife back on the bike and more importantly, her enjoying it.

Lows..

None that I can think of except maybe not doing enough riding.

--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

The Non Alps Weekender - The back roads from Laon to Verdun, fast, sweepy
and deserted.

The French Trip - with relaxed itinery - waking up in Caen, a relaxed blip
to Chartres for Lunch (not Castres), then a faster bimble into Pithiviers
following Platty and wondering why his viffers chain was making such a
racket - and then finding out why !

The week in the south of France, exploring the Var & Maritime Alpes.

The Non Alps Weekender - Dropping my viffer on my leg whilst waiting for the
ferry home and using Newhaven - Dieppe; never again.


Planning on making 2010 just as good.

 

Getting single again

Passing bike test

Riding solo on a bike for the first time

Getting a commuter bike and terrorising the traffic on the way to and
from work each day

Finding some great friends through the local IAM group (I'm not actually
a member but we go for non IAM ride-outs around the area)

First wheelie ooops! that was interesting (unintended as it was on way
back from passing my test while on the bike schools GSF650 and on a

None

Summary: Bloody good year all round and motorbiking is fun even in the
wet and cold (yeah I know, I'll get over that eventually).

 

The SO XL500 getting me to the French Run and back without losing too
many components.

Visiting Paris, with Spete, on the way back from the French Run. Dunno
why, but blatting around Paris on a big single just seemed so appropriate.

Total loss lubrication on the XL, while traveling to the French Run.

A somewhat breezy ride back to Belg, having bought the Sprint ST. 70+
mph winds, IIRC.

 

Haven't ridden a bike this year. Been busy.

 

Highs: Finally admitting I'm an old gimmer at heart and buying a nice
R100RT. Don't know why I didn't do it sooner.

Lows: The police stealing my Ducati over the festive period.

 

Incredible lack of expenditure on anything remotely motorcycle related.

Managing to ride motorcycles less than I did in 2008 when I only rode
for one weekend.

 

Getting the ZX10R (technically I got it at the end of 2008 but didn't ride it
until 2009 cause of a broken leg)

TOG tours

*OSMs

Mum passing away.

Way to few miles on the bike.

Almost being out of work with very little pay for a few months.

 

Highs
Replacing the triumph with the Ducati.
Day out with WC to Southend
Going halves with the boy on a shiteold ZXR400

Lows
Weather was shite, so not enough time spent on the Ducati