photos from Elefant (CSP)

For a 2000 mile journey in winter I really am happier carrying enough
'stuff' to keep me going should something fail; fuses, bulbs, electrical
connectors, spare cables, nuts, bolts, cable ties, gaffa tape and wire.

However having done this trip three times now I've only needed to carry
out a repair on my bike once; which was due to a bad electrical
connection to the fuel pump... that I knew about before I left.

 

Doesn't getting foreigners on mopeds to go fetch brake pads count?

Steve

 

So you could have just left with the original spare fuses if you'd
fixed it before you went?

My point entirely - if your bike is reliable to start with and
maintained correctly you shouldn't need to carry that sort of shit with
you.

 

I took plenty of tools and spares but I didn't take any electrical
repair stuff even though I knew that was the weak point.

I think that between us we probably had tools or spares to cover any
eventuality but the problem was that we didn't all travel together. I
had an emergency control cable kit, a puncture/tyre inflation kit,
easy start, WD4O, a half-decent tool kit that would have been enough
to carry out most maintenance tasks, cable ties, gaffer tape,
insulating tape, plastic metal, 2-pack epoxy glue plus a few other
sundries but no fucking connectors.

I reckon that I had the equivalent of half a pannier of things I
really didn't need but if you can carry it then why leave it at home?

 

What's reliable?

I'd love to know how you can predict a failure if you've had your bike
serviced regularly, had a dealer assure you that they've sorted out a
warranty issue and you've spent a few days preparing the bike for the
trip.

 

Damn poor show considering two Italian built bikes were going.

 

My bike's reliable because it's never broken down or needed to be
recovered. Yours has had enough issues for me to be concerned about it
failing again if it were mine.

 

snip>

I'm not really concerned, more like fucking annoyed that so far two
Yamaha dealers have lied about repairing it.

 

but that's what it's called. The notion that it's only a "Jack" when
flying from the back of a navy ship is spurious.

Though I'm not claiming to be a vexillology expert.

 

I just popped into my local dealer, and they were looking at a fucked
Derbi Mulhacen, which has the same Tenere lump as yours.

The gear selector shaft had just snapped on it. Christ knows how. They
shoved a new shaft in, and discovered that the episode had left it with
only three gears. Expensive.

 

but didn't your type only get to use the British Red Ensign?

 

Oh, that wasn't on the Elefant and, to be fair here, that was due to my
sloppy maintenance not the bike failing.

 

Don't agree completely. When you're riding old shit there's a chance
something's going to fail unless you've preventatively maintained it and
replaced hoses etc. 'just in case'.

Plus there's always the risk of needing to replace damaged parts by
crashing.

 

Crash repairs are lways worth accounting for by taking spare levers and
a roll of duct tape etc. As for riding older shite, if you've got the
dosh and the inclination to do long distances, buy a newer and known to
be reliable bike in the first place.

 

Bo-ring!

Removes a whole aspect of the journey - the uncertainty factor. For an
awful lot of people that's part of the fun. It can be what makes the
journey interesting.

 

Red Ensign for merchant ships, blue if the skipper was RN(V)R, white
for RN ships. But that's all irrelevant, as the jack staff, where the
union jack would be flown, is actually on the bow of the ship, not the
stern. We used to fly the P&O flag on it, IIRC, but only when in port.
It's only a little thing anyway, as opposed to the ensign.

 

actually, reasonably interesting and informative. Unusual for you, but
well done ;-)

 

Except that the usage of the Blue and White Ensigns is rather more
complicated and has little to do with the volunteer reserve.
No - I am NOT going to try to get it right, it is complicated.

 

posted:

As I understand it, it's fairly simple. White Ensign = Royal Navy. If
Royal Naval Reserve are on active service, they are considered Royal
Navy, and therefore fly the White Ensign. If not on active service,
they are civilians, subject to International Law of the Sea as regards
ship colours if afloat (nationality of ship registration). Royal Fleet
Auxiliary fly the White Ensign under conditions of war. Blue Ensign =
Royal Fleet Auxiliary in peacetime. Red Ensign = merchant ship
registered to a UK port (about 400 at last count).