On the Road Again!

The GS is fixed. Hurrah!   Getting it will be a bit of a trial. Steptoe is out all weekend from about 0930 tomorrow and so I need to get over there from Kent.  Checking all the websites for the trains and London Transport, reveals that I need to be on the 0643 from Ashford International to St Pancras, then a couple of tubes to get me to Putney Bridge and then a bus, and eh voila!  Steptoe's by about 0845!  As long as there are no problems, no delays!!   Then ride back to sunny Kent.   I put the road test of the Explorer back to 4pm or so to give me chance to go and get it.   Fingers crossed. All the hassle is so that I can see what trade-in I can get and also to get to the Kent Pet Food Run!!!

Steptoe has fixed the GS now all I need to do is get the £140 out of the bank to pay him. Work commitments mean I can't get it until Thursday. I decided to take a flexi-day off to save annual leave and go and get it. I have a bit of a trek to get it.  As I have a train season ticket with all zones travelcard I'll go up as if going to work, then tube to Putney Bridge and then 85 bus to near to Steptoe's place. I'll take my camera and satnav with me to map out the return journey.

After a false start and a phone call to Carol Nash the GS started the trip across to Steptoe's to have the bearing sorted. The first guy thought he was collecting a car for a local dealers and said that CN's cover was only local and wouldn't even extend to the nearest BMW dealer that is Cooper's in Tunbridge Wells. A long call later and CN sorted a specialist bike mover and by 1020 it was strapped down and gone. Fingers crossed it's only the bearing. Hoping to hear from Steptoe sometime Sunday.

It is now. I got into Hythe and there was a sudden graunching noise from the rear end followed by oil.  Rear drive bearing gone.  Luckily (!) not too far from home and not at any speed! I managed to sms Steve to tell him I was out and emailed Andrew. Now to get it repaired. Carole Nash breakdown said that when I get it booked in somewhere they will collect it and take it for me.  So far have emailed Cooper's and Steptoe. At least there's no hurry now as long as it gets done before we go to Assen!! See the full trail here: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=607099

Maybe the service needed to have come before the long run to Wootton Bassett yesterday? The bike ran pretty well even so but I needed it to have its annual service. After 66000 miles I tend to have it serviced when I can afford it and when I think it is about time to get it done. More often than not I take it to Neil Harrison aka Steptoe in Kingston upon Thames (or pretty close!). It's a long run round the M25 from my house and then with his loan bike I make the trip back up to Islington for work. Today the M25 was worse than I have ever experienced it. Ebbing and floing, then stopping dead for no apparent reason! In the end my ETA at Neil's was 0900, and it was about 0910. The final leg from the M25 past Chessington World of Adventures (it used to be Chessington Zoo in my day!!) is a nightmare of 30mph nanny state speed limits and cameras. Neil loaned me a G-regd K100 and it was a bit of getting used to. Especially as it has no left mirror. It is amazing how you come to rely o...