What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[nigel s]

No exploring today, a good old fashioned Sunday summer run.Bury ,Sudbury,Long Melford  half way round where I stopped at a wood I know ,lovely and cool, Home .
A couple of hundred miles , Glorious.
Must remember to put my shorty gloves in the tail pack though , could have done with them today.

[porter]

Finally made it out, 151 miles. Bike ran OK once I put fresh petrol on it. God it felt big and heavy getting it out of the garage and pointed the right way! And my bike gear has all shrunk over the winter!

[purplebikeunicorn]

130 mile round trip today, most via motorway as absolutely boiling in my totally inappropriate waterproof jacket choice (why I thought it might rain, I don't know, but I'd have been better with my summer jacket!), and so wanted to get home.

I'm with UK_Vstrom, my shoulders and back are sore, I've not done a long journey like that since last year.

Biggest door handle on the roads goes to the SUV towing a ginormous caravan on the M6 with no mirror extensions. I'm sure he's been inspecting the front of his caravan the entire journey.

[NeilM]

Picked up the sprocket nut from the local dealer and took it home to fit.

Heath Robinson would have approved of the combinations of bits of wood that were arranger all around the bike. One, wrapped in rag, through the back wheel. A block at the back of the wheel arranged to pull itself under the tyre should the wheel rotate and finally a length of wooden hand rail jammed between the garage roof and the brake pedal.

It worked! 105ft lbs achieved and a satisfying clunk from the torque wrench.

All other work completed, I spun the engine up on the centre stand and ran through the gears, all good and the speedo was working.

Test ride, starting out smooth and careful and not too far from home, then out of Weston and into a 40 mile loop that was everything from crawling in traffic, to 60 mph (and no more!) on the A38.

All done.

I'll pop the cover off today just to check that nothing has moved, and that should be that.

[rus998]

Took the bike for an MOT and she passed  Off to Devon on Monday for 4 days so praying that the sun gods come out as it is wet and bloody freezing here in mid Wales.

[graingerblaze]

I just got back from a quick work trip to the US. I flew out on Sunday when the weather was glorious, last night when I returned it was like mid winter with rain lashing down! Spring was short lived this year.

I do love the trucks and bikes in the US, so over the top and huge. The Harley bagger would make a fully loaded GS look small.

[nigel s]

Graingerblaze,
You have been busy,I hope at least you are getting settled in the new (temporary) place OK.

[graingerblaze]

Yes thanks Nigel. Bike is currently resting under covers in the garage as I’m off to the Netherlands this weekend. Taking the kids away for half term, really hoping the weather starts improving when I get back as only 5 weeks now to the ABR festival. Can’t wait for my weekend escape, bikes, beer and like minded riders should make an excellent weekend. New house should be ready in July so yes, a little busy which makes me appreciate every ride!

Happy exploring 

[Sir Trev]

Porter - know what you mean about bike gear shrinking in the wardrobe over winter. I can barely get into my leather bike jeans for some baffling reason, so may have to look for some GoreTex textile replacements...

Today, after getting my new 800RE home for the first time, I fitted the topbox (eventually - after much swearing over where to bolt down the universal base plate). The TomTom cradle is now mounted above the clocks and tomorrow I'll have a go at connecting the power leads for it, probably to the horn, as that's how I had it on my Ti100.

Need to get this sorted so I can find the place where I get my traditional photo with all my new bikes, well, the last two anyway.

Says something...

[porter]

I blame the central heating Sir Trev, the bike gear fits perfectly when I put it away at the end of October and come April it's all shrunk! Nothing to do with the 5 tubs of Roses I ate over that time we will not mention.

[Sir Trev]

Satnav now has power, via the horn, and rigged up a cheapo action camera using the USB port on the dash until I buy a proper dashcam. It is so nice to have the nav above the clocks, right in my eyeline, instead of looking down at the bars so much. Very happy camper.

Thanks to some horrendous early BH traffic I headed in a different direction today. Will have to get my silly pic another day. On the plus side, I'm getting used to the shift assist now. Will be easier when I can use more revs in a few hundred miles or so but speeding up to overtake is very easy already.

[deecat]

Trev,
I fitted the Givi SR3125 rack kit which has the bracing arms, which supports the rack for heavy weights or a pillion resting on a top box. The advantage of this kit is I can fit my Abus U lock to it,after I added a small bracket.
I also had to drill two extra holes as I use the Suzuki ally top plate which was from my 1000.

[nigel s]

Same as yesterday............bugger all due to the usual  bank holiday weather. Was thinking of doing the 26,250 mid way oil change ,but only just at 26,000, so being ocd couldn't even do that
It has been pissing down for two days solid now. Just took the car to the coast and everywhere is puddles meeting in the middle.Yellow weather warning for thunderstorms this afternoon........... .............Just perfect
Tomorrow looks better

Ho Hum

[Gillie76]

Gave the bike a good wash, chain clean and lube and a spray with Muc off protectant. Tucked up in its pyjamas now while I cook myself some square sausage and black pudding rolls 😋

[nigel s]

 

[Sir Trev]

Quote removed

Cheers deecat - I'll bear that one in mind if I change my dinky E340 Monolock for a bigger Monokey unit. I generally only use the box for my waterproof overtrousers and for storing my lid when I get to wherever I'm going on a ride out, so weight is not usually an issue.

[deecat]

I know what you mean Trev, The wife would only go on a bike with a top box but as she has gained experience we now use a Givi Laptop bag which locks on the box plate.
It has been very handy and we can get a set of overnight gear in it for us both, I have looked everywhere for another one but it looks like Givi have discontinued it.
We will still use the big box along with the soft panniers if we go away for a week.

[NeilM]

I had a choice of two possible places to be yesterday, Biddeford Bike show or the Saddlebags Social Ride. The choice was easy really, so I headed the 100 miles down the M5 / A30 for the annual Saddlebags73 (vlogger) social ride that kicks off from Launceston.

The ride down was nice and dry, not warm but sunny and breezy, until the border with Cornwall... just before the turnoff for Launceston and it hammered down (light showers my arse!). First thing when arriving was to top up the petrol, then into the car park to see which other idiots had got up at the crack of dawn to be here.

Yep, there they were; Phil, also from Weston, on a Harley. Nick from Yeovil on his (new model) Transalp, Derek from Coventry on a Kawasaki and one of his mates who had come from even further North and left home at 4.30am!

An hour and a bit later and 40 odd riders on various machines gathered, off we went; Launceston to Tavistock, then up onto Dartmoor, past Princetown, complete with Dartmoor Prison, through Two Bridges, a photo stop where "Flapjack" Phil handed out his home made flapjack.... with chocolate topping,... mmmmmmmm. Down into Mortonhampstead for a short stop by the public loos, then off over to Bovey Tracey and lunch at the Jolly Roger / Jollys Bike Shop. If you know this place, you know it, if not, look it up on google, it's....unusual!

From Bovey we tracked back onto Dartmoor and ran under Haytor Rocks through Widecome on the Moor, lots of single track roads and gravelly climbs. Through Ponsworthy and another coffee stop at Dartmeet. From there it was a slight retrace of our steps back to Launceston, by which time our numbers where much delpeted, locals having dissapeared one at a time on the return leg.

The weather all day was anything from torrential rain to sunshine so hot you wanted to take your jacket off, this led to some stunning views across Dartmoor, the air being clean and fresh from the rain and the rocks and hills standing or in sharp contrast to the surroundings.

Time for a bit of a natter and a few goodbye's with friends who only see each once a year and then I headed the 100 miles back home again, dry all the way and with surprisingly well behaved traffic.

300 miles round trip. Great day.

[nigel s]

Early start with........................no rain...............Wahey.
Cross country to Slaughden to look at the Martello towers.
I say Slaughden, but all that is left IS the Martellos, the village itself was reclaimed by the sea at the turn of the previous century.
Found a great 7/8 mile stretch of road out of Framilngham heading to Aldeburgh, no straights at all, just bend after bend, ace.
The Martello is now a holiday home.Sleeps four at £850 for 4 days.£50 a night ,not too bad, but if there is a storm the bikes may get washed away
Coming out I set the Beeline to Wickham Market and it took me on to the A12.
Hell no.
I hate duals at the best of times ,but on a bank holiday...........not happening.
Took the next right,and set the Beeline in compass mode and half an hour of b roads with grass up the middle spat me out near where I wanted to be ....all good.
B roads home again and the only traffic was when I had to use the bypass to cross the river, filtered round the stopped traffic feeling good and waving at the cars that let me through.
175 miles in 5.5 hours is only 30 mph , but did get 62 mpg. Not bad for mainly bs.

[NeilM]

Oil and filter change today.

Not due for another couple of hundred miles. But by then I'll be nowhere near home.