Well Dan and I went to the Spring Vehicle show at Wyke Down, and it was juts glorious! The sun shone, there where some great bikes and cars (and stationary engines!), and we saw Doug, and bought some bit's and pieces (some 10p spanners, a funnel, WD40, latex gloves, you know the sort of thing!).

Took the car in the end (Focus, playing up like mad, MOT Monday 27th), RE would not start properly, fuel problems after yesterdays carb re-build. How annoying is that! And I could not get Julies rotavator to start, either. Maybe me and engines just do not get on after all.

Put the colour tune on the RE when I got back, wound in the screw on the carb, and it started. Ran for a while, started to smoke a lot, so stopped. Might get to use it before Friday (going to Las Vegas for NAB).

Last night (Tuesday) Dan and I did B&Z, great fun, had the volume cranked right up, enjoyed the music. Not many kids there, but it was half term!

Booked a holiday to Turkey when we got back, used Sunshine.co.uk again, we are going to the Surmeli Efes Hotel in Kusadasi on the 28th June, just after Dan finishes college (we hope!), 7 nights all inclusive. Cost about 425.00 pounds each, and all 4 of us are going this time. Fingers crossed!!!


Must go, lot's to do before Friday!

Easter weekend 2009

Easter 2009 started with a day at Margaret's, tiling a little bit of the bathroom. Saturday after the radio I cut the hedge and cleaned up part of the garden round the shed, and then Julie and I went to a few garden centres around Romsey.

Sunday I defrosted both the fridge and the freezer (exciting life!) and stripped the carb on my bike. Fitted all new gaskets and rubbers etc from Hitchcocks (ordered Wednesday arrived Saturday). After a very nice Sunday lunch tried to fit Tashies car speakers in the doors but they did not fit. Then I re-assembled the carb onto the bike, changed the air filter, fitted ab in-line fuel filter, and a new rubber bit between the carb and the air filter. It started OK, went out quickly, seemed OK but did get hot.

Went out with Dan on pushbikes for half an hour, had tea and watched Jumanji. Today hope to got to Wyke Down Spring Car Show and Autojumble.

Went to the MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) Spring meet last Sunday, Julie took us over by car, and then went shopping, whilts Dan and I drooled over the bikes. A few nice classic bikes, really loved these choppers. The red on's made by a company called Battistinis, based near Bournemouth.

Dan and I have jsut signed up for the Sarcen Trail, to walk from Avebury to Stonehenge, it took me 9 hours last time, to do 26 miles. The date is 3rd May, Tashies birthday. By the way, we are back on speaking terms again, and she is coming on holiday with us. Very close to going to Surmeli Efes hotel, Kusadasi, Turkey. Looks great!

Yesterday (Good Friday) I did the tilling in Margaret's bathroom, small job, but it looks good with the new sink. Have to strip the wallpaper next and paint. Today I am off to do radio very soon, and then who know's. Easter Sunday we are having a family roast dinner, Monady may go to the vehicle meet at Wyke Down.

This comming Friday boss Barry and I are off to Las Vegas to NAB show (National Association of Broadcasters). Should have been meeting up with Don to build the stand but he's not well, so there will only be three of us. All early signs are it's going to be a very quiet show.

Must go, walking to the radio, as part of my exercise to get fit for the Sarsen Trail!

Playing catchup (again)

As you can probably tell I am bike-mad at the moment, all these bikes are on Ebay, I had a go last Sunday at buying a red Tiger 855 (not the one pictured), it was as old as my Enfield (L plate), but it bid up to over 1,300 pounds, and I just did not think it was worth it. I like the silver BMW above, but it is out of my price range. If the Dakar BMW stay's low, I might have a go, but I suspect it Will go over 2k.

The blue Yamaha Tenere is an import, no tax or MOT, still cheap at 500 quid, but not sure how you would register it? Maybe somebody will buy it for an off-roader only. Looks like it should be in a museum?

We have done a few things recently, Friday went to Farehan to sort out graphics for the US trade show, then looked around the town. It is nice, no access to the sea though. Then we went to Holly Hill Park, that's was really nice, and next to the sea! Saturday we went to see "The Boat That Rocked" with Baz, we liked it, he didn't! Yesterday (Tuesday) Julie took Dan to see Sgt Greg at the recruiting office, sounds like a bit of a waste of time. My turn next, I guess.

Last night was the RE OC meet, and it was a run-out, for the first time this year. Got there OK but when it came to start again to go out, the bike just would not go! I kept kicking and kicking but no joy! And I really want to go out on bike run to see what it would be like! Pushed it round the corner at the pub, changed the plug, checked the fuel, checked the points. Still nothing. A couple of the other members arrived by car, they reckoned it was flooded. Got it going with the fuel off. Stalled again. Got my helmet and gloves on and got it going again, then set off home. Stalled twice on the way. Annoyed or what!

So, I am not sure what to do. I keep swinging from wanting to get an off-road type bike (hence all the pics!) or, when I polish the RE, keeping it and getting it to run better. Will probably get a carb kit and take it off and clean it, also need to do the thread inserts and try and get the electronic ignition working.

Looking at a holiday with Julie, Dan and would have been Natasha until we had a row over her going out with Scott again! Maybe Turkey. Because the mortgage rate has gone down I have accidentally saved over a thousand pound, so that's where the moneys coming from. It's either that or a new bike (or furniture/carpets!).

Focus needs MOT this month, RE next month. Still not sure about the MG ZR, it lost another load of water recently, it just disappears! Oh well, Julie likes it, I want to too, but I just cannot trust it not too blow up! Focus feels a bit on it's last leg's, too..

That's a long one, buy for now....