InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

I have been looking for sometime for information on my wife Claire's family in Ireland.  These men are not  a band of renegades but four brothers that joined the British Army and fought in WW1. We have tracked some of the progress of Timothy, the eldest of the bunch. Clicking on the tag will take you to other posts. But to add to them is the photo from the local newspaper in Cork (Corcaigh) that is in the Republic of Ireland. When they signed up, albeit to Irish regiments, it was still part of the UK. Timothy is top left. As it says on the clipping Timothy was MIA. He was never found and is one of many casualties that day in October 1914. Another excerpt from a newspaper is below. This was sent to me by the curator/researcher at the Irish Regiments Museum. " Cork Examiner. 21/10/1914. 5252. Timothy Leary, Dublin Hill, was summoned by Constable Keeffe for having been drunk and disorderly at Dublin Hill on the 9th October. Complainant said the defendant was disorder...

Dr Phil messaged to say he had a set of standard pipes that would be perfect. The seller wants £400 for them. I took a few hours to think about it. He says they will clean up beautifully and they are about £300 less than new expansion chambers. So let's go with that. I don't think Phil would sell me a pup. All the other work he is doing will make the bike look superb.

How did Old SOCS come about?  It started in early 2019. I had an idea of getting some of the older and longer serving ex-members of the SOC together to have a surprise ride-out for our dear friend John Storrie. We had a private group on Facebook to handle details. John at this time wasn't a social media user. That event went off really well in July 2019 and once over, we renamed the group to "Old SOCS". Tony Taylor became one of the admins and it was opened wider to ex-SOC members. The first event to be planned was a weekend in summer 2020. A weekend of camping or B&B in the Lake District at Coniston. Víc Dunkley took over the running of it and arranged music and more. I also liked the idea of Southern and Midlands meetings to give everyone a chance to attend. Why "Old SOCS"? Over the years the main rally for the SOC has been called the "Invader Rally". The Invader was the name given to the T2...

Time to let them go  After almost 21 years of service and countless thousands of miles it was time for the wheelie bin. The Oxtar boots have gone.   Superb service but once the oft glued gear change pad split it was time to be retired to that landfill somewhere. http://invictamoto.blogspot.com/2013/05/new-boots.html

Who could have imagined a championship without Marc Marquez? This is a chance for someone to kick on and take the #1 place.  But who will it be? It looked like Quateraro. Runaway winner of two races.  Then KTM with Binder, a winner in ČR.  Maybe Dovizioso, race winner Austria Part One? Then Oliviera wins the second race in Austria! It's all to play for!!!

First proper non friendly game of the new season. Usually just a week before the Premier League starts but not this year. Arsenal as FA Cup holders play the League Champions, Liverpool. It's at Wembley and as usual under Covid-19 rules no fans allowed.  Let's see what happens.  Update 18:24 1-1. Aubameyang 12 Minimino 72 Penalties. Update 19:00 Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties. The 16th time the club has won the Charity/Community Shield.

With the exhausts looking too rusty to recover it looks as though we are looking at a blow to the budget. Delkevic make replica exhausts for the Kettle, but at £1499 they are too hot for me. https://delkevic.co.uk/suzuki-gt750-m-a-b-75-77-kettle-full-exhaust-system-chromed-oem-replica.html However, they make expansion chambers. A 3-3 system that is about half that price in either chrome or black ceramic. https://delkevic.co.uk/Suzuki/GT750/1976/suzuki-gt750-1974-1977-expansion-chambers-exhaust-pipes-black-l-m-a-b-models.html https://youtu.be/ZUArjXUTuY4 There are other makers. I almost bought Allspeed exhausts some years ago, maybe 25 (!) but didn't. Maybe I should have and kept them nice and safe!! The prices now are very high. http://gibsonexhausts.co.uk/index.php/allspeed/allspeed-pricing Another choice might be Higgspeed. https://higgspeed.com/product/expansion-chambers%e2%80%8b/suzuki/suzuki-gt750-lmab-models-1974-1978/ There are so many choices and catering for many siz...

Dr Phil has started to strip the bike and the extent of the rust is worse than expected. I was hoping to save the standard exhausts but that looks like a dream rather than reality. He sent some photos. None of them good. It looks like the exhausts are scrap. What to do now?

Last weekend I was my brother Neill's best man. I hope my speech, kept short, went okay. Is head in hands a good sign. It's me on the right, standing.

I bought these way back in 2014 for Claire when we went on the trip to Spain. She was having difficulty in using the standard foam ones and these are smaller. She didn't get on with them and so they went in the top box. I found them on the shelf in the garage. Gave them a clean and may try them out.

I was expecting that with Uwe in holiday for later this week that the ignition wouldn't get to me until October. On Friday I got an email from Uwe to say it was posted already. As soon as it arrives it will need to go Dr Phil to fit in the rebuild. Things are advancing.

Some decent trips here but until we know when we can go to games it's not all that helpful.

After a lot of years, my brother Neill was hitched to long term partner Catherine today. They opted for civil partnership rather than marriage. Close family and social distancing to the fore  Good luck to both of them. 

I had to go to Watling Tyres at Swanley to have the punctured tyre repaired properly.  The RAC guy came yesterday and we pulled out the screw and he did a temporary plug. The temp plug is restricted to 50mph so it was a long old ride up the M20 to not exceed that! In the end it cost £40 to have the rear wheel removed and the tyre plugged.   So much cheaper than a new tyre!  Plus properly fitted plugs by the likes of Watling (other tyre specialists exist too) is perfectly fine and legal. I would thoroughly recommend this branch to anyone that wants to ride-in/ride-out.  If you take your own new tyre they charge £20 to fit and balance.  

When I rode home from Neill's after the visit tot he BMW dealers I had no idea that somewhere along the way I had picked up a screw in the rear tyre. Luckily it was right in the centre of the tread and easily fixable.  As I have cover with the RAC I called them and it was about three hours before the patrol turned up.  It's summer holidays so I wasn't working anyway. It took a few goes before he could get a plug to fit and then re-inflate the tyre from his compressor. The plug held. I called around the tyre places and only Watling Tyres at Swanley would have the staff in to remove the wheel and do the proper plug. So tomorrow I will take a slow, restricted to 50mph, ride up to Swanley.

The end of an era. I have been on the Three UK network for around five years but today had a letter to say that my contract is going up. It is currently £17 and they want to put it up to £22. A bit steep. I only keep Three for our annual trip to the US, as data and call usage is free unlike all the other UK providers. But Covid put paid to a trip this year and I doubt 2021 will be much better. Three is also useless at home. I rely on my phone being connected to my home WiFi for calls and data.  Whilst companies rush to get 5G working they seem to ignore areas where 4G is shite. Hythe is one of them. Checking on "My Three" shows that over the last three months I have used an average of 0.27gb mobile data per month. I use the internet a lot from my phone but it's home WiFi that provides the connection. I always look for free WiFi when out as mobile data often poor. When Claire's O2 contract ran out last year she switched to Tesco Mobile. She cut her monthly payment by 5...

Maybe a bit premature buying five litres of two-stroke oil for the bike considering that it is 248 miles away and not coming back for months, but... The offer price was good and it was recommended on the Kettle Club site. £18.99 for five litres and free delivery. https://www.westwayoils.co.uk/products/2-stroke-oil-red-semi-synthetic-5-litres

Since I climbed up the ladder to the bottom rungs of Type 2 diabetes things have started to progress. Today an eye screening. Hopefully it all works out. Update All clear.

Another month comes along and still waiting for any idea of a refund. Even the charge back claim with MasterCard seems to have got nowhere.

I was out early today to rise across to Tunbridge Wells to meet my brother Neill, and give him a ride home after he had taken his BMW K1600 in for a warranty recall on the gearbox. The ride out was pretty much as expected across to Tenterden then Sissinghurst and to the A21. Apart from a weird TomTom bypass of Tenterden that had ne join the A28 behind a car I had overtaken miles before. It was pretty much as expected though. We had a look around the showroom. They seem to have loads of bikes plated with 20 reg and ready to be collected. Then off to Neill's place. I didn't have the TomTom set but left it on. The Yamaha My Ride app was though. After a coffee and a chat I was back on the road. When I started up the bike the yellow light came to say I needed fuel. The miles to empty said 52. As I set off it dropped dramatically and I was working out whether to fuel up or go home and fuel up another day. The nearer I got to home I decided today rather than later, and so ...

Sunday. The heatwave of 34°C plus days is finally over and so getting togged up in bike gear isn't too onerous. So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ride to H's and back after a coffee and bacon sandwich with fellow Meldrews member Cal. The ride up through Elham Valley and back through Alkham Valley.  Where in the past I"d give it some welly now I am more of a cruiser. You can still enjoy a ride at 45 to 50 rather than 60 to 70mph.  "My Ride" worked today with no need to login. Even though the temperature is lower, it is very muggy. Even riding along in a mesh jacket it was still sweatsville.

All suggestions are to get rid of the RITA ignition and replace with a state of the art system from Accent in Germany. http://accent-electronic.de/ I emailed Uwe, the maker, and with Kettle Club discount plus postage it ran out at €134.95. Gulp. I ordered it through PayPal this afternoon.  Delivery is quoted at 4 weeks although his shop is closed most of September. So it may be into October before we see it. If we are lucky it might get sorted before the end of August. Fingers crossed eh? I'll have to let Dr Phil know ASAP. Links http://www.thekettleclub.com/news/2016/10/30/accent-electronic-ignition---major-discount-exclusive-to-kc-members/ https://www.oldjapanesebikes.com/blog/2012/07/30/elz2coil-accent-electronic-ignition-system/ http://www.kettleclinic.co.uk/kcforum/viewtopic.php?t=8597

Finally found the coils in a box that wasn't in one of my three tea chests of bits. Always the way. You know you have seen an item but can't remember where. Let's hope that since 1987 in a box that they still work. Also ready to be boxed is the centre pipe. A quick rub over with the IBM print train brush, that is almost as old as the bike, and it looks shiny enough! Both ready to be boxed and in the post or Hermes to Dr Phil. Thursday August 13th. Sent by Hermes today. A little pricey with £200 of insurance. These parts are pretty irreplaceable.

Considering I have owned the Kettle since 1984 I haven't amassed many photos. Correction. I haven't kept many photos.  In deepest Austria For many years in those pioneer days in the mid-20th century before the internet and digital technology, I used  Zenit and then Chinon SLR film cameras. From my Dad I inherited the use of colour slide film (Kodachrome) rather than negative print film (Kodacolor). These were stored rather cleverly in the dry garage in Flitwick. Sadly, one day there was a flood and around 20 years worth were destroyed.  That included many of this bike, plus all of the bikes from about 1979 to 1990. They ended up in landfill. In years to come, they might get dug up by archaeologists!!! What I have of the GT are here on Flickr. https://flic.kr/s/aHsmMLJnXY

I rejoined the Kettle Club yesterday. I missed being one of the "Standlake Few" as I was a national officer of the Suzuki Owners Club. The official line was that the club was opposed to the formation of a new club at what had been published as an SOC camping weekend. Rather than it being a problem, I didn't attend. Up to then I had been involved in the setting up and publicity for the "Kettle Run" along with my dear departed friend John Storrie.  I was the SOC magazine Editor and John was membership secretary and technical officer. We had been two of the four people that took over running the SOC at an EGM at the Cross Keys in Pulloxhill in 1983. The others being David Greenhalgh as Chair and Graham Walker as Secretary.  John was the "face" of the "Kettle Run" events mostly held at the National Motorcycle Museum and once at Didcot Railway Museum. The latter less successful. From humble beginnings with around ten bikes we soon had as many as a...

Just checking on the DVLA website that they still have the bike listed and registered! When I took the bike to Dr Phil last week I forgot to put the centre downpipe (from my collection of bits in tea chests) into the parts box.   Doh!   The centre pipe on the bike is basically rust and this one needs a little spruce but it okay.  Phil was showing me a range of pipes that I could get but they start at about  £700 a set for expansion chambers and I don't think I have that in the budget. I don't particularly want chambers and lose the mainstand. Phil also suggested we  fit the Accent electronic ignition. To do so I need to have original carbs,  as the ones from the RITA system won't fire the new system. Something to do with ohms! The RITA system was working aok when the bike last run but it is over 35 years old and there are no parts for it if it goes phut. I'll get Phil to package it all up and maybe put it on eBay. Someone might want it. Once...

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19..... The road home  Two long days on the road to cover 591 estimated miles home. Of course in the car it is much easier to knock off mile after mile in comfort and not get too tired. One overnight in Belgium to give us a short day on the 8th... That would have been today folks but Covid-19 doesn't care for our holiday!!! By now we should have picked Reggie up from his holiday at the kennels.  Let's hope 2021 is better 

The hunt for that elusive holy grail of 50mpg still goes on. See Even a 500+ mile mostly motorway and mostly 60 to 65mph cruise with cruise control on for miles and miles couldn't do it. Maybe it's simply unattainable.

Didn't realise I had one. InvictaMoto

After a day in Lake Como taking in the sights and eating and drinking we are back on the road Today would have been the Passes day. A whole day of taking in the high passes around southern Switzerland. http://devalltravel.blogspot.com/2019/12/rt20-day-12.html Except of course ...

With the trailer safely manhandled onto the drive last night and reconnected to the car we were ready to load. With a marked lack of air in the tyres moving it around wasn't good. Or easy. The Taiwanese Cheng-Shin tyres are pretty rock hard. They will be replaced with Bridgestone BT45's later in the rebuild. It took three of us to get it into the wheel clamp. Neill and I then tied it down with his tie-downs. Thanks to Claire for the extra push. 😁 We set off about 0930. TomTom saying time of arrival was 1329.  Once I was used to towing and relaxed I was able to drive safely! On the M20 and M26 traffic wasn't too bad. We were able to cruise at 60 mph okay and keep in the flow of traffic. Moving the time went out a bit to 1344 arrival. I suspect that this is because initially it calculates on legal limit speeds and we were some 10mph down. The M25 was quite congested but we were soon on the M40 and ready for a break. We stopped for a coffee and pee break at Cherwell Val...

Not as difficult as I had imagined. Bit of faffing about getting the lights to work but okay in the end. So almost ready to go.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19! Today a day at leisure around Lake Como. Maybe a boat trip or a visit to the funicular railway? Tomorrow after two nights here we head northwards into Switzerland, avoiding toll roads, we visit a lot of alpine passes to check off the list... Instead today at home I go and get a hired trailer so that tomorrow, I can take my GT to a guy to sort out the engine and get it usable again.

In an effort to see just how bad some of the chrome has pitted I have been using the toothbrush method of working Solvol Autosol into the metalwork. And then buffing with a microfibre cloth. There is quite a lot that needs to be replaced at some time, but some has come up quite nicely.

Two short rides today to Folkestone get get bread and seafood cocktails for lunch from Dockers.

I bought these last year as a summer alternative to my usual TCX waterproof boots. I didn't get the opportunity to wear them and it was only this pandemic affected summer that they have been worn regularly. I liked the idea of the tan coloured boots. A bit different off the bike.  Mistake. As you can see from the photo where that mistake is. At first I was a little concerned about the longish laces might get caught around the pedal. But when tucked under the ankle strap it's okay. Getting them on needs the zip down and laces loose. Then do up the zip. Then tighten the laces. Sorted. Reverse to get then off  I usually take a 9.5 shoe and had to buy a 10. There's plenty of room to wiggle my toes even when the laces are tightened.  Comfort wise. I bought them to wear off the bike as on. So far they feel like a normal walking boot with leather gear change pads. They are comfortable to walk in once at the destination. No problems so far. Let's see how they perfor...

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19!!!!! Today we have another relatively short day with the drive from Bologna to Lake Como and a hotel there right on the lakeside. The main event today was the visit to the two Ferrari museums in Modena and Maranello! It's not that far to the north-west of Bologna.  Luckily for us Ferrari like to have visitors in August, whilst the other museums are closed. So we would have been to: https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/museums/ferrari-maranello https://www.ferrari.com/en-EN/museums/modena-foundation Sadly of course, bloody Covid-19 has pissed on that particular parade. From Modena we would have continued to Como and our hotel  there. The last few nights in Italy and we are already pointing northwards towards home.....

Still sweet fanny adams from Travel-Up except for their monthly (or so) email in tiny print to blame everyone except themselves for the long waits for customers to get a refund or even a credit note/voucher. The latter could have been sorted quickly and they would still have all the money and commission in their bank account ... So a friend suggested that I apply to my bank for a chargeback. It worked for her with Barclaycard.  I checked on the Tesco MasterCard site and found the form. All details entered today and submitted. Fingers crossed.  It took about 15 minutes to complete so hopefully something will come from it. I'll not get my hopes up until I see it credited into my account.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19 today we would be heading for Bologna from Lucca.  I haven't been since 1986 and it would have been nice to go when all the universities were closed and the city a little quieter. The hotel not the grandest but it is one overnight stop..... Bologna was one of the most expensive cities for hotels on the entire trip. But we are at home in Kent instead.

If only.... If it wasn't for Covid-19... Today after our second night in Lucca we would be heading down the road to the station once again. Today a trip to Florence. Tickets pre-booked for the Uffizi Gallery. Here's where the Canon camera would come in handy. Although, being in the car I have room for a collection of cameras and their chargers. Except of course. Covid has put paid to this.

Who would have thought that after two MotoGP's that Mark Marquez would have scored zero points and sat out a whole race through injury? A mistake in the first race and then chasing the lead led to a fall and a broken arm. Still it makes for an exciting return next week at Brno.

Two weeks running we had MotoGP back and at Jerez. In the pandemic times we have no spectators but racing went ahead. Everyone writing off Valentino Rossi, but a podium in the second week with a demonstration of braking to stay ahead of team mate Maverick Vinales shows he can still compete. Like I said last year! 

Wow!

Kick off at 5.30pm at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal vs Chelsea. 1-1 at half-time.

The date is rescheduled from October 7th 2020! I suppose I could get the money back but I'll let it ride until next year.

A new month starting and here we are. We should be waking up this morning in the hotel in Lucca. After breakfast a stroll down to the station to buy return tickets on the train to Pisa. It's only about 45 minutes away. But which station to get off at? We will see as we get nearer. The main attraction being the Leaning Tower. I promise u wouldn't have done the lame pretend to hold it up picture.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Pisa Except due to Covid-19 it's not happening.