Nice little BSA...

Here's a nice little red BSA Bantam, on Ebay for 410 pounds, with 11 hours to go.

And here's another one, or at least parts of more than one, for 175.00 pounds. I would rather have the red one, although I expect the price to go a lot higher as the bidding ends.

Had a go at fixing the S10 yesterday, I think I have done it, lot's of trial and error with washers (both metal and rubber) but hopefully the handlebars are stiff enough now to pass the MOT. The reflector came yesterday and it was stuck on within minutes. Planning to take Monday off (it's my birthday, don't tell anyone), will try and re-test S10 on Tuesday. Still need to fix puncture, but I want it MOTed first. If/when it passes must get some new pictures and post them up.

Still looking at luggage for the bike on Ebay for my trip to Wales. got a few months yet (end of April), so not too rushed. February will fly by, though, what with Julie's 50th birthday and two shows (well, one in Feb and then fly out at the end of Feb for CABSAT in Dubai).

Yesterday (Saturday) was sunny but COLD, so flaming cold, today looks really frosty out so I guess it will be much the same.

Well I suppose I had better get on.....

S10 failed MOT....

Well it failed, but not on what I had expected! The rubber handlebar mounts are missing a washer on one side and have got far too loose, and the rear reflector is missing! Went back to work after the MOT and a colleague noticed that the front tyre was going down. Bugger! It seems to have a developed a slow puncture during the MOT, and the garage are not having anything to do with it. I shall have to take the front wheel off and get it fixed, sort of the handlebar mounts, have already bought a reflector.

Bit busy at work with kit, demo's and other stuff, Ian's away on business so I get his email as well. Radio wise we had a couple of training sessions on telephone interviews which were good fun. Interviewed Chris about 1300E owners club, it was good. Needs editing and then may publish on the E club site.

Licence app has gone off (again) for CR, with me and Wellington Academy as company directors. Let's hope it works out OK this time.

Picture is an Enfield Twin, the owner restored it in the 70's. Nice picture of a nice bike.

My birthday on Monday 1st, decided to take the day off, nothing special but I do have rather a lot of leave to use up. Julie's 50th in two weeks, so lot's to do.

Hopefully will get time to work on the bike over the weekend, have two weeks to get it sorted and back to MOT re-test.




Second pic is an old magazine cover that Chris put on Flicker, it's just so evocative of a different age, I love it.


Must go....

Catch-up

Been a while since the last blog, one minute I am on it every day, then nothing for a week! Weathers been better with no snow, more expected later this week. Been real busy editing and adding sound effects to the Bellinger Players panto we recorded in December, it went out on air last Friday/Saturday. Baz liked it!

Bikes been to work yesterday, when I cam to come home the choke of all things was stuck closed, it was hard to start. Went out last night and took the tank off and managed to spray the choke mechanism with oil to get it freed off. Put it all back together, now it's as ready as it will ever be for the MOT!

Predicted problem points include the exhaust downpipes (I have replacements but the bolts in the head are a real mess and I don't know how I would get them out!) and the rear brake, which is more-or-less seized. Again, I have a replacement calliper but I can't undo the brake fluid cable connector on the one fitted to change it. If it fails I might have to get a braided cable and try and undo it at the other end. Will book it in today.

Other than that money's tight, Julie's 50th next month, and lot's of other bills. Dan's got another pre-selection test today, and it's very frosty. He needs to crack the run time to get put forward for selection. Work's busy, heading for a good year end in Broadcast but an awful one in NC2, so overall it's hard times.

Other than that Tash is back, and no longer going out with Dean, both the cat and the rabbit have lost clumps of fur, and Julie has a bad BAD shoulder that wakes her up. My birthday next Monday, I've bought what I want from Julie and Tash, tell you about it next time....

By the way, the red S10 with luggage is on Ebay at 950.00 pounds, with 7 days to go. Looks in really good condition....

Out on the S10

Afon Tryweryn near Bala on a quiet day




Managed to get the hand guards on the S10 yesterday, and re-fitted the wheel after the tyre was fitted on Friday. Went out for 20 minutes, bikes fine, I've just become very nervous of the roads being slippery after the snow (which has all gone now, at least until Wednesday, they say). Might need to change the rear brake caliper and look at headlight allignment before the MOT.

The S10 Forum meeting has been confirmed as follows:

Super Ténéré Owners Forum 2010 Meeting
Ty Isaf Campsite, Bala, Gwynedd, Wales. LL23 7PP
30th April – 3rd May 2010
Tickets are available at £27 (reduction on twin tickets)
If anyone requires information about the meet please use this email only:
xtz2010@xtz750.com.

Looking forward to it, need to get some luggage together for the bike, and pass the MOT!

Quick catch-up...

...since I haven't blogged since Tuesday. B&Z's went well, set up but didn't stay, since it was Baz's turn, officially. Snowed again Wednesday and then started to rain/melt, now it's Saturday it's more or less gone, and it's raining, quite heavily.

Friday I managed to get the local tyre place to fit the replacement tyre to the bike back wheel, might get it back on this weekend and if better weather Sunday take it out? The MOT is due on the 26th.....

Apart from that busy with editing the radio panto we recorded in December, it's now booked to go out on air this comming Friday & Saturday, so better get a move on!

Still looking at Bantams, Doug's bought two more motorbikes, not fair! He claims he is now buying them as investments, to do up and sell at a profit. Wonder if Julie would believe that story! Seems you can buy a box of bits that might make a Bantam for a few hundred quid, or a Bantam that runs for a few hundred quid plus a bit. No money about now, though, just got the carpet bill!

Tuesday midday....

Snow surrounds cottages near the Seven Sisters cliffs near Eastbourne in South-East England.





...and the snow we had last Tuesday onwards is still lying on the ground! And I am REALLY BORED WITH IT now! Yesterday (Monday) the Focus refused to start, with a flat battery. So I managed to get Julies car round it, and jump started it, but decided to put the Focus battery on charge, anyway. Took the MG to work, which smells like it is nearly overheating.

And last night I took Julie to the gym in Amesbury, because we still have snow in Maple Crescent and Wood Park. And we could not climb the little hill into the gym car park! On the way home we came across three horses trotting down the main road in Tidworth, tried to ring PCSO Maria, left a message, then two RMP's turned up, looking for the horses. By now they had gone up to the Leisure Centre, maybe for a session of gym and swim!

Today the Focus was OK after 24 hours of trickle-charging the battery, also managed to do the plastics and glass re-cycling on the way in. Had to help one of Trilogy's guy's up the slope to work (his Mercedes was just sitting with it's wheels spinning), got my Focus in OK.

So, tonites Baz's Bluez n Zuzz, will try and give him a hand to set up, if we can get trailer out of the business park!

Need to sit down and think a bit mid to longer term with personal aims etc. bank account is emptying quickly, and bills are going up (petrol now 114.9 per litre). Need a sanity check on the bills I pay, and to work out if money in = < or > money out! Dan's not working and will not get into the Army without getting his run times in hand, and, with the snow and ice, he can't go out training. Also need to get a handle on work, and getting out more.

So, onwards and upwards, work to do!

Well now I am bored with it.....

...because the same snow we had a few day's ago is still here, and I still have a cold! Did radio Saturday morning and then not a lot else (took the MG out for the first time in ages, just to the garden centre and then tidworth Tesco). Is it the time of year, my head cold, or am I just being lazy!

Must get back to work and start the year tomorrow (Monday), whatever the weather. Tuesday is Bluez n Zuzz (if we can get the trailer out!) and Wednesday is meet with Baz to work on the panto (which I should be doing now).

Looking forward to the next couple of months there is obviously something to organise for Julie's 50th, which is Feb 14th. Not sure what we can afford but got to do something. Will have to finish off decorating, too.

And then there is the bike. It's been sitting in the garage since Nov 17th, more or less, with a running problem which is either now fixed (it ran well on New Years day when I managed 20 miles) or it's hiding and waiting to bite me later. Right now it needs putting back together, and I should get the exhaust fixed up, the tyre changed and the rear brake changed before the MOT, which is later in January, I think the 22nd? Got some free handguards off the S10 forum, and also found yet another thermostat and sensors assembly that is being sent to me. Bike needs all the fairings back on. Snow/cold does not help one bit!

Bike in the photo is the new Battlefield Green Royal Enfield, launched in India recently, for sale to the US for 6000 dollars.

Must get on with today, should be editing the panto/doing the vegetables/getting Dan up/etc etc.

Bye for now..

Still off sick and still snowy-white out!

Managed to get up the castle for 5 minutes to photograph it in the snow, it is sunny but there is a cold wind a blowing!

Snowed a bit today!!!

...so stayed at home, also got a cold, yeuch!

Choice of Bantam's

Just been on Ebay, randomly searching, and looked at some BSA's. The green Bantam is up for 1K, the "box of bits" green one is 100.00. Bit of a risk, though! Next months Classic Bike has an article on building a "cheap" trail bike from a Bantam. Not got any money right now.....

It's looking like snow this afternoon in Andover, there has been an emergency weather warning, so we will see.

Other than that quiet (too quiet!), Tash has a cold, so has Dan, and I have the sniffles. Not sure about Julie.

Too frosty/icy to take the bike.........

...so it's back to work by car, to start 2010. Who knows what this year will bring....



Bikes not mine, unfourtunately! It belongs to a Romainian member of the S10 forum, and he has been making his own crash bars. Wish I was that clever......lovely photo, great setting...

New Years Day update.....

So, New Years Eve we went to the Crown Inn, we were probably among the 10% oldest there, it was better than watching naff TV..disco was good, came home about 1.30am. New Years Day managed to get out on the bike in the morning, did 20 miles round trip through the Collingbournes up to Burbage and back, front wheel slipped on the castle bend and for the first time I put my foot down, it had slipped on a pile of grit, put down to prevent ice!

Bike seemed to run well, so maybe it's fixed. Not put all the fairings back on yet. It's been off the road more or less since November 14th! Mind you, we had a lot of snow and ice during that period, and there is more predicted for January!

Had a nice dinner with Dean and Tash and us lot and Nan, sat around afterwards, not doing much. Saturday did radio show and then went to Salisbury, Dan got 28 Weeks Later (another zombie film!) and we went to Matalan and overspent on clothes (I found three jumper type tops for 6 pounds each). Went to KFC in Andover on the way back and bumped into Tash & Dean! Oh yeah, my drivers electric window broke again when we go to Salisbury Park & Ride. Had to strip the door down to pull up the window. Now got to fix it properly.

Sunday (today) took down Christmas lights, cleaned out the rabbit, didn't do much else. Had Lamb Shanks for dinner. Back to work tomorrow. Going to be hard.


The RE is a trials type 500cc, on Ebay for 500.00 pounds, 6 days to go. I bet it will go over a grand! Maybe one day I will get one....or something like it...

Will catch up in a few days....