Nice one Chris. it beggars belief IMO that air ambulances are not supported and provided by the government as part of the ambulance service. They make such a big deal as to how much a road fatality costs financially in lost taxes etc let alone the emotional loss suffered by relatives yet do sod all to help 

Ordered a belt drive.

Well the new belt drive has arrived now to find the time ti fit it!

Belt drive should be easier to fit than a chain? shouldnt it? haha. 

 

Top stuff Chris! 

 

I'm just putting a few bike bits on ebay. One of which is a pair of Givi V35 panniers, if anybodys interested? Just want them out the way really, but will have to be collected really. I dont have a box big enough haha. 

Well not bike related but took the discovery up to the peak district for some proper off road ing today. What a laugh.

Car is scratched to pieces and we were pretty well shaken but the car did well. A few cheek clenching moments on some steep muddy sections.

Car is now disgusting.

Well not bike related but took the discovery up to the peak district for some proper off road ing today. What a laugh.

Car is scratched to pieces and we were pretty well shaken but the car did well. A few cheek clenching moments on some steep muddy sections.

Car is now disgusting.

 

Mega! Where abouts did you go mate? The Peak District is my area .  

We all met at derby, up the Ashbourne road then went here there and everywhere ending up near Buxton.stunning views in the mist early this morning.

We all met at derby, up the Ashbourne road then went here there and everywhere ending up near Buxton.stunning views in the mist early this morning.

 

Literally on my doorstep then . 

 

Did you have a go on that little track just off the Ashbourne to Buxton road? They used to do passenger runs there when their was an event on. My brother had a go, it rolled over. Great fun. . 

 

Yeah, abit frosty this morning too wasnt it 

Not a clue mate, I was so busy watching the trees, rocks and mud.

There was nearly one of those today, lost my traction control and had a moment at a very steep muddy lane - nearly ended in tears !!!

Edited 10 April, 201610 yr by Madrunner

Not a clue mate, I was so busy watching the trees, rocks and mud.

There was nearly one of those today, lost my traction control and had a bad at a very stew muddy lane - nearly ended in tears !!!

 

Sounds great fun though. Not something you'd want to go out on your own doing though eh haha. 

Mega! Where abouts did you go mate? The Peak District is my area .

Oooooo. I'll be up there for 3 days in August with the Triumph boys....yes I know i have a *** but I joined them before i bought it and they're a good bunch  :clap:

Oooooo. I'll be up there for 3 days in August with the Triumph boys....yes I know i have a *** but I joined them before i bought it and they're a good bunch  :clap:

 

Do you know where about's you're going mate?  

 

I live in Buxton . 

Nice one Chris. it beggars belief IMO that air ambulances are not supported and provided by the government as part of the ambulance service. They make such a big deal as to how much a road fatality costs financially in lost taxes etc let alone the emotional loss suffered by relatives yet do sod all to help 

I agree entirely Ade and to highlight the fact if you 'do' faecesbook here is a shortish video from the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.  Worth a look if only to get a grasp of the size of the problem.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Ambucopter/videos/927119904013281/

Have a few pictures but sadly I appear to have used all my space on here so cannot post them.  They show just some of the vast amount of bikes on the run and the thirty odd bikes just for the Marshalls.  Harleys have never been and never will be a bike for me but I cannot fault them form the Sherwood Notts Chapter for the work they put in yesterday.  Apparently they do quite a lot of that volunteer marshalling including the Ride to the Wall and they are very good at it.

 

As yesterday was such a success we are already talking about sorting out the run for next year.  I think the bosses of the Air Ambulance had their doubts about how well it would go and because it needed a vast amount of work from them for some time as well as on the day they I am hardly surprised.  Hopefully they saw it as a big success.

 

Strangely we had more riders leaving the half way point in Nottinghamshire than we did at Lincoln in the morning. We put that down to some just joining us for the second part and maybe riders from Notts did that rather than ride across to Lincoln for the ride then ride almost home before doing it all again.  No matter they paid their tenner and it was very well received.

 

Pleased to be part of something as bug as that and it was great to see riders of all sorts of bikes mixing together without stupidity or snobbery.

Now the bike is fixed I took it for a spin yesterday. Bike felt great, maybe a little too much preload after losing some weight but other than that it was a joy, flicking left to right on a mere thought, front wheel wanting to reach for the sky. It was a complete giggle.

 

Unfortunately whilst I was out, I called in at a bike shop and was taken by a Triumph Rocket 3! I've never been into the cruiser scene so what is wrong with me? What could create such evil thoughts to go through my mind? Will I end buying chrome polish and leather chaps?

Chris, have you done the RTTW? It is that same mentality with bikers of all types coming together for a common cause. If you haven't done it then please visit their website and join for this years.

No I haven't done the RTTW although a lot of our local RAT group do it each year.  To be honest I hate riding in big groups and only did this because I was a Marshall and therefore not having to ride the entire ride in a large group.  Having said that there was still 30 odd of us riding together and being dropped off at our various points and then joining on the back of the group.

 

Me and a mate did cheat a little on the route back.  Rather than do the full route which we had already done we shot back down the A15 from Sleaford to the starting point at The Wave viewpoint at RAF Waddington to get back before the masses so we avoided the queue for a brew!

 

As regards the cruiser scene.  Not my sort of thing and I would imagine you would spend hours cleaning it rather than riding which really isn't for me.  Having said that one of the RATS has a Thunderbird and it is custom painted in Thunderbird paint scheme along with his helmet and it is always very clean BUT he has done 86000 miles in the last 6 years on it!!!!! So not a keep it at home and don't ride it but clean it sort of Guy then.

Not a big fan of group rides myself but the the whole atmosphere of doing the RTTW is something special. I was expecting a slow ride in from Woodall services where I met up with the group but it was far from it and being in the middle of 100's of other bikes with all the noise, bikes as far you could see in front and behind was just a buzz. The arrival whilst slow because of the sheer volume of bikes being marshalled into parking up wasn't too bad although leaving afterwards was slow and you just wanted to get on with it but everyone is still laughing and joking.

 

The cruiser thing I'm just doing my best not to scratch that itch but it's hard work. Hopefully I have more willpower than normal.

Now the bike is fixed I took it for a spin yesterday. Bike felt great, maybe a little too much preload after losing some weight but other than that it was a joy, flicking left to right on a mere thought, front wheel wanting to reach for the sky. It was a complete giggle.

Unfortunately whilst I was out, I called in at a bike shop and was taken by a Triumph Rocket 3! I've never been into the cruiser scene so what is wrong with me? What could create such evil thoughts to go through my mind? Will I end buying chrome polish and leather chaps?

Omg have you had a bang to the head ? A rocket 3 ?! Really ?!!!

You need to grow a Freddie mercury tash and hang out at the blue oyster bar in your leather chaps...

Scary.

I don't know what it is. I know it's very wrong but I still want to do it, for Christ's sake I'm still in my forties.

One of the guys down my road has a yamaha xvs1300 (?), bloody huge and not that fast but you can definitely tell when he's going for a ride

I don't know what it is. I know it's very wrong but I still want to do it, for Christ's sake I'm still in my forties.

For a lot less money and leather you could always opt for a councillor . ...Just a thought.

Have you asked the mods to open up a new section specifically to cater for this addiction ?

Worrying. I'm am rapidly heading to the end of the forties and so far have not suffered from any such pervertedness.

Replaced a small sponge auxiliary filter, which had disintegrated. It attaches to the side of the main air filter which I replaced last week. Had to remove seat and tank again. Only realised as I read the manual today and had missed the bit about the smaller filter. Must read more carefully! Ordered EBC disc pads front and back. Discs are ok. I tightened the slackish drive chain to within tolerance. Just the pads, coolant and brake fluid change remain and that will be just about every thing changed and a lot of enjoyment as I haven't done bike maintenance for a 40 years, taking apart the easy bits on old Brit bikes in my dad's motorcycle shop. That was when spotty 16 or 17 yr olds used to ask him to put their 650s on the stand. I am not kidding.

For a lot less money and leather you could always opt for a councillor . ...Just a thought.

Have you asked the mods to open up a new section specifically to cater for this addiction ?

Worrying. I'm am rapidly heading to the end of the forties and so far have not suffered from any such pervertedness.

Isn't this supposed to be the section where we discuss cake?

Agh indeed Chris, as long as you're not wearing leather chaps and sporting a Freddie tash whilst you're chomping on a creamy horn.

Just trying to remove that image from my poor head!