InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

One of the benefits of the newer style TomTom devices is the free for life (or until they change the software!) upgrades. I connect mine from time to time to pick up the small community upgrades.  And often it is a surprise that there are any map upgrades... Why they don't email the user base and tell us! Anyway, I decided to do mine this evening.  I connected the 410 to the laptop. Started MyDrive Connect and entered my password. Two upgrades.  The Europe and US maps. The US maps probably aren't really needed but as they are installed on the SD card in the until I might as well import and install them. It all started well, then after several failures when the message pops up to say that their servers are busy it all has to be restarted.  Over and over.  After 50 minutes it is 78% through the download.  It has already been to 100% but failed to keep the connection to their over worked servers.   Maybe they should have thought of that when they sol...

Got the tank off this morning to check out why when on PRI there is no fuel flowing. I noticed once the seat was up that the rubber and metal strap at the back was missing. So of course, I needed to get a new one. All this adds up. Had to drain off over five litres of fuel that went in last weekend.   Once the tap was off you can see how caked it is in fine rust particles.  The main tank feed had no filter at all, it was loose in the tank.  Plus  the reserve filter is split and not doing much filtering. I cleaned what I could but it's still not letting any fuel through. What a mess  Filter free tap The one I sourced last week arrived. Useless. It needs to go back as the top plate is way too small to fit the mounting holes. Emailed the eBay seller and of course nothing is straightforward. Looks like this one is going in the bin! I have tracked down a new NOS genuine part (very expensive) and have ordered that. So another weekend...

Every year we have to pay a tax to the Government to be able to use our vehicles on the road. Over the years it has had a few different names and since the 1930's hasn't been spent on the roads! It simply goes in the Government's coffers to spend where they like. In a pandemic we are expecting the huge financial burden to be spread across taxation, both directly like income tax and of course, indirectly on things like purchases and that includes petrol and the vehicle tax.  The Government still calls it "Vehicle Tax" although loads of pedants will try and make out it is an emissions tax.  It is vehicle tax that used to be based on the engine capacity of the vehicle and vehicle type. Now it is based on bands depending on the noxious emissions your vehicle pumps out. As Pepé is currently untaxed and in the garage, I won't have the reminder form V11 sent to me from the licencing agency. I will have to login to the vehicle tax website and use the unique vehicle n...

Although it seems quite amazing, it is 50 weeks since I last went to work in the office in the Laycock Personal Development Centre.  On March 12th 2020 I left the office and was then told by email as I have underlying conditions that it would be best for me not to travel to work by public transport and sit in the office with Covid becoming the demon virus. So I have worked from home ever since.  Firstly using my personal Dell laptop until that decided to fail all the time as it was never designed to be used 8 or 9 hours a day. One of my colleagues collected my work Lenovo and packed it up and had it couriered to me. Although a Windows 7 Pro machine it worked okay and I was able to work. I made one trip up to the office to clear my locker and to trade the Lenovo in for a new HP Elitebook - the one I am currently using. That was back in mid-October 2020. But what about the logistics of working from home? I share a small two bedroom house with my wife, Claire, and a dog, Reg...

The MoT ran out on the 19th February and so I need to book it in to be legal to ride to the testing station. I have chosen the take it to Laguna as usual. Called and the earliest they can do it is Monday 8th March at noon. I am probably not going to get too much riding in before the end of March but this should prepare things for getting out and about.  The first date in the Government's roadmap to get us out of lockdown is not until the end of March! I can't tax it again until I have the MoT in place.

The Motorcycle Action Group's top five priorities list is now under  review by the Roads Minister.  MAG surveyed members for their top  priority actions that will lead to better outcomes for motorcyclists. Representatives of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) met Roads Minister,  Baroness Vere of Norbiton, on 27th January.  During the meeting, the  Minister asked MAG to create a list of its top five priorities. MAG Chair, Selina Lavender, was keen that the list should be truly  representative of the opinions of riders.  Therefore, a survey of MAG  members was conducted resulting in the following list of priorities: 1.    Access to all Bus Lanes 2.    Better Road Surfaces 3.    Safer crash barriers 4.    More and better parking provision 5.    Simplified licencing and training Unsurprisingly, the survey results coincide with themes that MAG  regularly campaigns on a...

Into week 3 since it was done on 7th February.  The drops that I have been using have dropped to two drips each of the maxitrol (from four) and bromfenac per day. So far I have had no problems apart from needing glasses to read small print. As my left eye wasn't as bad and yet to be done, I can use my current reading glasses. At least that eye can read clearly still. Once the left is done and theoretically both eyes should be the same I can get some new reading glasses! The current pair were from the £29 range at Specsavers. It's a shame to waste a good frame.

Perseverance. Very apt for February 2021.  Having thought about it I have loaded the OM10 with a Kodak ColorPlus 200 film and as it was a nice day I shot a few of the garden flowers - daffodils to be accurate. This is one of the films I bought a month or so ago from Analogue Wonderland .  They came in stock briefly and were sold out.  They are the cheapest colour negative film that you can buy. Yes, even in the UK we have flowers growing in the garden in February..... Of course, the fruits of my labours won't be seen for a few months until I shoot at 24 exposures.  With the roadmap out of lockdown only being published by the UK government for England yesterday, the timetable for getting out and about somewhere different that being stuck locally is still looking like 10 weeks before we can freely move further than the end of our own streets! This does of course mean that photogenic opportunities are very much restricted. We are all look...

As a fall back in case the old petrol tap is knackered, I have bought one off eBay that Phil suggested to me.  It arrived today. Looks pretty good. When I get the old one off at the weekend I'll see if it needs cleaning and maybe put this one on until the Suzuki part can be cleaned properly.  I just want to get the bike fired up. The other job to do it fit the speedo cable. For some reason Phil didn't refit it and it is a bastard to get the top fitted and screwed up tight. I fiddled with it the other day, again, and still can't get the thread to take on the speedo base. I have also ordered  a new rubber guide (part number  58621-21204)  to fit into the B model front mudguard. When I bought it I couldn't get another A front guard for love nor money.  I prefer the A type with the stays but I couldn't get one, hence John Storrie fitting the current B model.  

I think that this part of the lockdown project may have come to an end. I decided that the OM10 was far more difficult to get used to using than the IS-10.  The results of the photos that have come back from Harman show that perhaps if I stay with it, black and white may not be my medium. With the camera set to the right ISO and pretty much middle of the aperture range when it was either bright or middlng weather, the photos all look over exposed. Setting the ISO and the aperture allowed the camera to choose the shutter speed. A few of them are here. St Leonard's Church, Hythe Military Road Royal Military Canal, Hythe Royal Military Canal, Hythe This one of Reggie looks better as a portrait. Getting him to sit still was quite hard! If I continue with the OM10 I will revert to colour film... Some more? All taken at St Leonard's in Hythe.  Claire and I were married here in 2000.

Government announces plan to scrap EU law, ensuring British drivers avoid £50 a year insurance hike. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-announces-plan-to-scrap-eu-law-ensuring-british-drivers-avoid-50-a-year-insurance-hike

Spent Saturday morning trying to get Suzi to start.  Plenty of life in the new Motobatt but not even trying to fire.  Checked the tap had been on prime to let fuel through. Nothing at all. Dry as a bone. I need to drain 5.5 litres of fuel off and then remove the tap to see what the problem is. Must be blocked. Failing that I might need to buy a new tap.  OEM are an arm and a leg. I was hoping to get out and have a ride today as it is nice and sunny. Next week now.

Checked today to see if Beeline had fixed the routing problem where it ignored the ports of Dover and Folkestone for trips overseas. Finally, they have. It worked around Christmas and then in the new year it went wrong and wherever you planned to go, it made the Channel crossing via Portsmouth-Cherbourg route. Even a trip to the Hook of Holland was routed that way. Despite there being a direct ferry from Harwich in the UK. Fingers crossed they don't bugger it up again. To Paris. And to Amsterdam! At the time I posted on their Facebook page to ask if anyone else had this problem, and there were no replies. Although there were a few suggestions that rather than plan a route from A to B, to plan in smaller chunks. So to get to Paris for instance.  Plan from home to the Channel Tunnel at Cheriton. Then once on French soil plan for Paris etc. Obviously a good workaround but I want to plan one route from home to get an idea of the total di...

I ordered two new rear indicators. I know. An extravagance. The originals look very corroded. They'll come off and go in the box with all the other stuff. They are nicely packaged in boxes "Hendler Indicators'. The paddy bag on top are the new handlebar clamp bolts from Robinson's. Nice and shiny. First things are getting Suzi running, then swap bits over.

It's 8 days since we had the Astra-Zenica Covid jab. So far no further side effects. My brother Neill had his on Wednesday even though he is not 61 until next week. It shows how well the UK is getting on with inoculating the country. He had the same side effects that Claire and I had.  And just one day the same as us.

It was raining of course.  So we had to be quick.  All that shiny alloy and new chromed wheels.... I didn't want water marks before I get to ride it. There was time for photo or two and then Suzi was put away in the garage until it dries up. And locked up with the Abus!! Claire took the photos on her new Samsung A21. I am very happy.. that is a smile! OMG! It's heavy! 🏍️ Still a lot of work to do to clear surface rust on the rack and mudguards, and fit the parts that have arrived over the last week or so. Need the pressure washer on the swingarm etc. All the bits that Phil wasn't tasked to do. Hopefully the weather will be better over the weekend and we can get her out and get some fuel in the tank. Currently dry for transporting. Phil suggested that for the first tank I put some oil in the tank. He didn't say what percentage but maybe 20:1 might not be too much to oil up the plugs. I need the check how much is in the oil tank as well...

Today I was looking at a couple of photographs that Phil had sent and there were some bits that I want to tidy up. I have already sorted the rusty air box end panels out and they are ready to go on when "Suzi" finally arrives home. Those came from GTReiner in Germany. So this picture highlighted some other bits that need changing. The replacements for the chipped and pitted clamps have already been ordered from SuzyTwo and arrived last week.  I chose polished aluminium rather than black as they will no doubt scratch and corrode too but can be polished. That would leave the rusty and unsightly bolts and washers. So what to do? Replace them! Of course. This time I went and had a look on the Robinson's website.  I have ordered four and they come complete with washers.  Of course, now I look at the Suzuki badge too .... Robinson's is only about 20 miles away and I toyed with click and collect, but in the end the £2.75 postage and packing charge is about...

We had quite a lot of rain over the weekend and into this week. It cleared away any lingering snow and although not that warm, people are able to get around. So I was hoping "Suzi" (name courtesy of Neill Devall) would be home. I am on school half term and with the milder, although normal for this time of year, temperatures I had hoped Baz at Specialised would have got the bike back to me this week. And then the phone rang.... Tomorrow about lunchtime and we will be reunited! 

I saw today in the club's Facebook page that they are looking at the current situation with the Covid pandemic and may cancel the Rally again this year. This is a shame. I had intended on going over to the Netherlands and have posted before about this. I still have my booking com reservation at the hotel near the rally site, at Het Spijkerhuys . I need to check when the latest date for cancelling is without getting charged!! Bummer I know.

It's always difficult.   Claire pressuring me to sell the Rocket now that the Kettle is due home any day. To be brutally honest I don't want to sell the bike. I had a guy come around from a "we buy any car" kind of place to give me a rough idea of that it was worth and after nearly three hours they said that they didn't want it.   I was a bit miffed at that as I had taken off all the personal bits that I wanted to keep, and now I have to piss about putting it back on to use the bike as the lockdown is brought to a close. It runs perfectly and has been regularly serviced. It's five years old and so there will be a few marks but generally it is is in good condition.  Paint good and no body damage. Claire wants to replace the Corsa at some stage and as I get nearer retirement we won't need two cars. Mine is not worth much in any case. A ten year old diesel Insignia is worthless. Having a diesel engine makes it as evil akin to having pissed on one of ...

Although I probably don't need it... Where have we heard that before?  Well, I remembered that the fuel cap gasket was a little aged and with the tank brimmed I had had a slight leak when on the sidestand. The remedy? Buy a new rubber for the filler cap. I toyed with the entire cap. But as it is out of sight under the flap I decided not to bother and just get the rubber. Another part from  https://www.suzytwo.co.uk/

It's a week since I had the operation to remove the lens in my right eye and have it replaced with a new one. Today I had a follow-up phone call to check on how I was doing. To be totally honest it has been a miracle. As well as everything being brighter I no longer need a prescription lens in my glasses.  I have two bottles of drops to take for a month, four of one and two of the other a day. I have a chart on a pad I tick off each time! It was nice to get a call and I told them how it is progressing. I don't think it is 100% yet but as I have worn spectacles since 1982 for distance vision, do I know what that even is? Three weeks of drops to go and then my checkup at the surgery.

This lockdown project may come to an end.  It has been the most costly so far. One film lost in transit somewhere and the batteries were pricey. The OM10 is definitely a summer camera. I say this as a convert to autofocus!!! With a cap on and sunglasses when it is -4°C it is hard work to keep focused. The split ring system takes a lot of getting used to. I may stick with the IS-10 for now! I finished the  Kentmere Pan 400 off yesterday on a visit to St Leonard's Church in Hythe. Claire wanted to put some flowers on where her mother's ashes are buried as it would have been her birthday. I took the camera and took some pictures of the church and fingers crossed they won't be a total loss. After the loss of the earlier film I need to research where to send it.  My preferred company is £20! I need to find another source. Plus I don't really want prints. Getting the exposed film back electronically is far better. More on this ...  Update 15/02/2021 Found a com...

We had the Astra Zeneca jab on Thursday 11th February at around 1220. Although there are a lot of side effects listed on the sheet that we were given we had none immediately. Overnight and today though! Wow!  Firstly in the middle of Friday night about 2am I began to shivver like I was in a freezer!  I couldn't stop shivvering. Finally I fell asleep. I woke late and I had a headache.  A real skull crusher! Once up. My joints were a bit stiff.  Dosed up with paracetamol this lasted all day. These are all listed on the post jab sheet.... Claire was the same! Today got up and it had all passed and we were both fine! All we both have is a little tenderness in the upper arm around where the needle went in.   Let's hope that is the end of it! Second dose in April sometime!

It might be a bit premature with my eye surgery only being 6 days ago, but I need non-prescription sunglasses when it is bright or sunny.  So I bought a new pair. They are the classic RayBan shape. They are UV400 Polarised Lens and they are quite dark. What set the Cavir apart is that the arms are wooden. Yep. Wood. Pretty good for £24. They fit nicely. Comfortable.

Not for my camera but my right eye. The surgery on Sunday went off pretty well. Another success for having a National Health Service funded by payments each month out of our pay. Everyone working should pay national insurance and this is deducted before you see the money  in your bank or pay packet. It covers so much. My eye operation done privately and not on the NHS would have been around £3500 upwards. After four days my vision is very good. I can see equally well with both eyes. I have to avoid bright light and am wearing sunglasses. Luckily I have a pair of non prescription sunners. I have to keep putting drops in six times a day for two weeks and then four times a day for another two weeks. I have a checkup on March 7th and then the option to go ahead and have the left eye done.

Today had the first dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine. In and out of the surgery in about 5 minutes. The second dose in about 10 to 12 weeks.

One day when the great plague is over and we can get out again, maybe the Alps and the Grossglockner will be on the cards. Maybe it will be in 2022. I will have retired by then and will be able to travel out of season. By that it means not in school holidays when it is expensive. The last long trip I have done was to the Wasserbüffel Club Austria Treffen way back in 1999. Since then only shortish trips to Paris etc. This photo was taken in May 1999 on the Grossglockner Pass. Taken on Casio QV10 digital canera One day eh?

Weather etc. Hopefully tomorrow or next week.

We are asking our members and friends to support the MCIA initiative (as detailed below). At the end are links to two example letters along with details of how to  find your local MP. As usual we would be interested to hear of any responses. MCIA 9th February 2021 Subject: Early Day Motion in support of the extension of CBT certificates As you will be aware, lockdown restrictions mean that Approved Training Bodies (ATBs) are prohibited from offering motorcycle training,  resulting  in riders being unable to renew their expiring CBT  certificates . Consequently, those affected, including key workers,  cannot  use their PTW, which affects their ability to commute, or carry out their jobs. Therefore, MCIA is pleased that Independent MP, Jonathan Edwards, has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament, which asks: That this House notes that Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) certificates for motorbikes and mopeds are issued on a two year basis for learner drivers; f...

Claire and I both had an SMS from the surgery to invite us to book our first vaccinations.  Surprisingly it's this week and on Thursday. So we are off there at 1220! More on this development to follow.

Some people have had deep snow. Others very little. Parts of Kent had cars lost in snow drifts. Here on the coast we had a few inches. Wrapped up warm for dog walk Had a walk down the south bank of the Royal Military Canal this morning. A bit icy in places and a little snow. Canal not frozen. Un homme et son chien Very cold though. We still have a snow warning in place until tomorrow evening.

February 8th was the anniversary of the passing of my good friend John Storrie. John was one of the good guys.  John was a great stalwart and lover of all things Suzuki, but more importantly the GT750. Those of us that knew John are privileged to have known him and those of us that had him as a friend were more privileged. RIP John 

My brother started calling the Kettle "Suzi".  In 37 years of owning this bike I have never given it/her/him a name.  It's not something I did until I bought the Triumph 1200 Explorer is 2013 and I have that the name "Döra the Explörer". I have decided as a tribute to rocker Suzi Quattro the Kettle will henceforth be officially called Suzi Triplo.

For weeks one on the local online news agencies has been predicting snow on an almost daily basis.  It arrived.  We were told it could be 10 to 20 centimetres. Er... so.... There's still time... Reggie enjoying the snow!

Reporting live from the eye clinic. Awaiting the surgery on my right eye to remove the cataract. Was due under the knife at 1045 but they are running late. I have applied the two different eye drops they asked to be done and hour before..... Waiting.... In the end through the preliminaries by 1130 and in the hot seat  Ten minutes and it's all done. Mr Magoo on the street  Drops for 4 weeks..... No computer working for at least 3 days, maybe 5 ... During assimilation to the Borg.   I am hoping to have almost 20/20 vision in this eye once it has settled down. In a month, March 7th, go back for the opthalmic surgeon to check it over. And then book for the left to be done.  That could be as soon as March 14th!!

It looks as though if we are lucky the Kettle will be home on Wednesday. The snow that held up the collection might cause a few disruptions for the delivery. It's unusual for us to have all that much snow but even an inch causes problems.  We have been told it might be upto 20cms, the "Beast from the East" is allegedly back  Let's hope it either doesn't happen or if it does it buggers off early. We cleared the garage earlier in the week and took a car load of accumulated crap to the tip so that there was room for two bikes. Again! The Rocket has gone to the back. For now 

Another parcel. This one containing two handlebar clamps.  The ones on the bike look very scratched and the paint needs sorting out.  I thought I had a couple of spares but when I went through everything I didn't find them. So I bought a couple of new ones. These are polished aluminium and not the black painted ones. https://www.suzytwo.co.uk/ourshop/prod_867913-CLAMP-HANDLEBAR-GT750.html

Sometimes you just need to close your eyes for a few minutes...

How frequently do they recommend you should replace your bike helmet? I bought my current "best" helmet, the Shoei Qwest on February 5th 2013 - EIGHT years ago today!!!!!!!! It still looks nearly new. Only the addition of the Cardo and the French law reflective stickers. It's still an argument whether the stickers are required or not. The French said yes for everyone but the EU legal service said not. So I put them on rather than have a roadside discussion with an Agent de Police. The Cardo works okay but is getting very long in the tooth. It connects to my android phone and the TomTom.  Unlike a lot of people I am happy for it not to play MP3 🎶 to me as I ride along.  As long as I get satellite navigation directions I am okay. So new helmet or not? I am feeling not at the moment.

This is still my helmet of choice when I need to have the TomTom working and telling me where to go.  With lockdown it has been in the top of the wardrobe waiting to get out again. I have charged up the Bluetooth kit in case that day comes. Bought in 2016 before the Devall Boys trip to Czech for the MotoGP, it is still in excellent condition. As long as you are careful and don't bang them about. When I last wrote about it I said I was a little disappointed with the Bluetooth volume.  At around 70mph it is totally useless if you wear earplugs. And I do.  I contacted LS2 and asked if there was a firmware upgrade available to change the volume settings, but sadly there wasn't and isn't. I am amazed how many people spend hundreds of pounds on a helmet and then carry it, banging into people and harder things! Of course, I still have the Shoei Qwest as well as my "main" helmet.  It's a bit like have "Sunday Best" clothes that rarely get worn! I tend to we...