On the Road Again!

Back in March after a series of flat or flatish battery moments I bought a solar panel from Maplin and have ever since when the bike is in the garage it is connected through the accessory socket. I blogged it back then, click on the "solar panel" link below, and never reported how good or crap it has been. Good. It has been excellent as it happens. Despite the lack of sun generally in the UK this year, it has been a total success. No flat battery problems and only one ABS malfunction that is usually associated with a low battery. Well worth the money. I would recommend it to anyone and everyone!

For a few weeks I've been using a Maplin solar panel trickle charger. I bought it a while ago and used it with the bike on the drive until I found a cheap 2m wire with BMW plug at one end and a fag lighter socket at the other. With no power in the garage it seemed like a good idea. Proof in the pudding will be on Saturday when I wheel the bike out and hope to have some charge to get it started! The one on the Maplin site now is slightly upmarket compared with mine that cost £9.99 as it has a choice of connector, fag lighter plug and crocodile clips; when mine came only with a fag lighter plug. The new £14.99 version comes suction caps to mount it with. I have mine on a pile of bricks outside my garage door and the wire trailing to the bike inside. As it doesn't look too waterproof I have it in a tasteful clear placcy bag.