On the Road Again!

With the weather being either rain or raining and windy, December wasn't much of a month for riding for pleasure. Luckily I don't ride to commute any longer. So with the last few days of that month billed as "warmest on record" it started to look good. Wrong. The forecast dry weather for the 30th and 31st was bollocks. It was just as wet but not as cold. Drizzle at 10°C rather than the 4°C of the weeks before and all over Christmas. So as the forecast for the 1st is for sun it looked like we might have dry roads (some hope) I set off on a TomTom magical mystery tour across Kent to the Flying Horse in Smarden. It is the annual January 1st classic bike meet organised by the Men of Kent section of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club. The magical mystery tour took me across country to the south of Ashford. There was a setting I must have missed that chooses the shittiest muddy and often single track road. Eventually popping out on A28 near Bethesden and then off on some more mu...

It has taken what seems like a lifetime to get my first ride out on the bike. What with having my eyes operated on six weeks apart and not being able to ride for a fortnight after each one, plus the knee injury.  It seemed like I would never get out and have a go. Today with the odometer showing 75594.5 I set off for the first ride.  Wow! I mean that in a sorta good way.  You forget how basic it is to sit on the bike rather than "in" like on the Rocket.  It felt strange to be up high!   With the tank refilled from the can I had about 5.5 litres in it.  The funnel has a mesh filter to catch the rust and crap I got out before. I set the tap to prime to get some fuel through.  It took a few goes on the starter to get it to fire.  Eventually rather than kill the battery I attached the dbPower 600A unit and switched that on.   Suzi fired up.  Still in the garage.  I had to switch off as it might have appeared...

It started off as a lunchtime pull the bike out and Solvol the rusty bits! It was warm and sunny. By three after midday I was getting bored.  Pepé was out and shining from the polish. There were no calls on the helpdesk and I need to have my lunch and visit the supermarket.  Togged up I left and decided to try the Sainsbury's at Folkestone.  Bigger store, more choice?  I had the list of what was needed in my pocket. For the fashion conscious I was wearing the Joe Rocket mesh jacket, black Kevlar lined cargo trousers, my old boots and the black LS2 helmet.  I took London Road out of Hythe, A20 and then M20 to the Hawkinge turn off, then down through Folkestone on Black Bull Road and out to Park Farm.  Sainsbury had a queue too long and so I headed back along the coast to Waitrose in Hythe. Parked up. No queue to speak off and straight in. Once done I had a short ride home.  The first ride for 8 weeks or so.  Enjoyed thoroughly.