It's been a while............

It's been a while since I have done a Blog, no specific reason, just busy with life, I guess. Both Dan and I were nominated for Community Awards for our work with Castledown Radio, Bluez N Zuzz and the Really Red Radio Roadshow. Did not win, but we got a certificate and a small plaque thingy. Dan did not make it, he was on his Chosen man week with the Rifles regiment.

Weekend before last we went to Essex to see my mum and brother and sister, on Saturday we went out to the Secret Bunker in Essex, and on Sunday we were out again for a couple of hours. It was very nice weather, and we had a great time.

This weekend was quieter, on Saturday after my radio show I took out the rotten window frame in the garage, and any loose bricks, and cemented them back in. Time will tell if they will stay in! The window is boarded up until I get something to put in it.

Sunday the clocks went forward and we had a slow start, I went out into the countryside and it was lovely, got back and pottered around. In the afternoon I eventually put the new ammeter on to the Bullet, and set the throttle so it closed when you let it go. Then I went out over the Salisbury Plain to Durrington and back, some 27 miles. Bullet run's OK once started, still a pig to start, need to sort the threads out (I have the gadget) and try the electronic ignition again. I found the handlebar pic on the web, I think my old handlebars are that shape, now I know what they are for!

Brought the bike in to work this morning, despite the fog! Wasn't so bad at home, ended up taking my glasses off again. Cold but sunny now. No heating in the office!

Just picked up a strange call on my mobile, I've had this head-hunter chasing me for a few months, now he finally call's back. Job is either product manager or sales manager in Brighton, company is asl-electronics.co.uk. What to do!

Barry and I are off to NAB Las Vegas in a couple of weeks, and I am trying to decide what to do about a holiday!

Bye for now, must do some more soon..

Update on MG ZR and my bike

As you can probably guess I have been working on the bike, but first the car. I've been too worried to write about the problem so far, but it may be resolved, so here it is. Last Tuesday my wife and I were on the way back from Basingstoke, and the temp gauge on the car went up and down and up and down on it's own. When I got home I checked the coolant level and it was low. I checked under the oil filler cap and there was horrid gung. Now MG ZR's are well known for blowing the head gasket, so I thought "bugger", it's gone already!

Well, the internet is a great thing, but do you use it if you feel ill? I used it to try and find out what was wrong with the MG, and convinced myself it was the headgasket. With quotes from 450.00 pounds to 1,300.00 ringing in my ears, I took it to Lillywhites, my local garage (owned by the family who's son sold me the car!). I spoke to Simon, and he said he would check it out. This was Monday morning. All day Monday passed, then Tuesday, so I went in Wednesday morning, and left a message for him to call. Since he did not call I went back Wednesday evening, and the place was packed with car's!

Simon had pressure tested the cooling system, and the coolant reserve cap, and checked the thermostat was opening, and checked for air pockets in the coolant. Nothing. He ran the car up and it did not overheat. He has put it down to me not filling up the coolant (needs checking weekly!), and the sludge in the oil cap to the fact that we do short journeys and it is cold. So he suggests we use it and keep an eye on it, which we will do. And the cost for all this? Nothing. No doubt he will make some money when I take the Focus in for it's MOT in April.

As for the bike, well I spent ages on Sunday fitting the Eureka Electronic Ignition, and could not time it! So I unconnected it, put the points back, timed it and it's reasonable. Now I am having to tinker with the carburetor every time I start. Used it for two day's to work and back, when it run's it goes well, when it doesn't it will stall and so on. Doug reckons I need to strip the carb and clean it. I just want to use it!

Anyway, now you know.

Bye...

Let's play catchup!

It's been a while so I thought that I would try and play catchup with what's been happening. Been pretty busy at work with my colleagues out at an exhibition, also we split into two divisions (Network-Centric Communications ((NC2)) and Broadcast), and had a big staff meeting to announce it.

At home Dan and I went off to join the gym at Tidworth, need to get back there now and have a bash! Dan's off on an Insite trip to the Army (Rifle's Regiment) in two weeks time. Tash is planning to move out early May. We could find ourselves all alone!

Bike was used a couple of times for work but it is so hard to start I have garaged it until I get time to look at it. I have electronic ignition for it to fit, and a new ammeter. MG is playing up, could be terminal. Don't even want to think about it.

Been trying to get the sat dish for the radio re-tuned for Astra, which is also proving to be a pain. It has just been proved that snr3 (Sky News Radio 3) can be received on a sky receiver (makes sense), so we need one of those. Or two! Planning eight hours of live radio from this years Tidworth Area Festival on 26th July, should be good. Website is www.tidworthfestival.info.

Went to hospital with Julie to have her leg's scanned, now waiting for the results.


That's all folks.

Don't usually do jokes.....

....but I found these names on Yahoo and I thought they were so funny I would share them with you!

"Here's the full list of unfortunate names from the UK: Stan Still, Helen Back, Doug Hole, Terry Bull, Tim Burr, Rose Bush, Pearl Button, Will Power, Barry Cade, Mary Christmas, Chris Cross, Teresa Green, Ray Gunn, Jo King, Sonny Day, Justin Case, Lee King and Max Power.

A similar search in the US found these: Bill Board, Anna Prentice, Annette Curtain and my personal favourite Carrie Oakey".

Doug's latest bike and an update on mine...

Doug finally brought his 750 Triumph Trident 3 into work today, and what a beastie of a bike it is! I understand that it is known as the first superbike, and also that it is the last bike designed/built by Triumph. Nice!

Doug has also rescued my bike by putting a new barrel on a custom decompressor cable, made from a pushbike gear lever. Fitted it lunchtime, and it works. Still a complete pain in the but to start, though. The electronic ignition and new ammeter arrived a couple of days ago, just need to fit them. I must say, once the bike is running it goes and ticks over well, it's just starting it!

Last night we finally got to see "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", staring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. It's a love story, basically. Brad Pitt plays Benjamin, who is born old and gets younger and younger until he becomes a baby and dies. Cate Blanchett is the love interest that meets the old Benjamin when she is a young girl and as she grows old, he grows younger. It's a good, arty film, long at 2hrs 30 minutes, but worth it. Well at least I thought so. We went to the Reel Cinema in Andover, for the first time.

Anyway, lot's going on, maybe I will post again, soon....

Been busy....and working on the 'bike!

Unusual I know but I have been busy AND I have done some work on the bike! I think I mentioned that the throttle cable broke on the RE, so a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday I decided to take the tank off (recommended by Pete's manual) and had to take the seat off, then I was cleaning around the bottom of the bike and I took the footrests off and the brake arm!

Having drained the petrol tank, I then took off the front wheel....because it was clonking. Spent a while cleaning it (there is a line of rust around the rim). Also took off the front mudguard. And cleaned it!

Decided to replace the handlebars, the original ones were some odd hi-rise things, so I bought "proper" low rise handlebars for an Indian import Bullet, new hand grips and a kit of new rubbers (to replace the one rubber holding the speedo cable to the front mudguard).

A week later and the bit's had arrived, so on Sunday I thought I would spend a couple of hours fitting them. No! The original (Magura) hand grips etc would not fit in the handlebars, even though they are the same 22mm. I had to file out with all sorts of things the centre of the bits! Took ages! Finally got it all together, and tried to start it.

It started first kick, then died. A few kicks later it started again, then died. And again! I checked the plug and cleaned it, checked the fuel, tried again. Then the decompressor lever broke! So I gave up...

Next day (Monday) tried to get a new decompressor lever, but Hitchcocks say it's no longer available. Can't get it from Ashwin in India, either. Nut's! Monday night the bike started OK (there was not enough fuel to run it on main, but it ran on reserve). Have to push the decompressor manually, which is ok when it is not too hot! Went out to Tidworth and got petrol.

Been thinkimg what to do, don't want to fit a chrome lever, would prefer to find a second hand Magura lever from Ebay. Might botch it with a pushbike lever for now.

Last Saturday was Valentines Day and Julies birthday, Kim and Steve came from Stevenage with their son Ben and, after lunch, we went to Salisbury. When we came back we went to the Amesbury Archer, which was packed! Remember to book next time (if there is a next time, because service was rubbish and the food cold!). had a great day...

There, now you are up-to-date (more or less!)....

Great RE Books and DVD by Paul Grace

I've just finished reading "No Way To Treat A Classic British Motorcycle" by Paul Grace, which was given to me last week for my 50th. It's a great read about how Paul takes a collection of old and donated parts and builds a 1959 framed RE Bullet Scrambler. Then he takes part in a couple of scrambles. Along the way we go to Russia for a great ride on a Ural. Fantastic!

I've also read Paul's "The Classic Motorcyle Diaries" which was a Christmas present, and I have Pauls' DVD of his trip up to the Himalayan snow line on a RE loaned to him by an Indian Enfield Dealer (the same one used by Charlie Boorman On his TV show, By Any Means).

Called "The Long Way Up", Paul's DVD documents his trip on the RE with a new-found Indian friend, with no support vehicles, camera crews etc etc. As much as I like "Long Way Round/Down/Pari-Dakar/By Any Means" etc, this DVD is a refreshing and somewhat spritual trip on a motorcycle. I wish I could try it someday!


Both books and the DVD are well worth having, and can be bought from Paul's website, www.greenlane.biz. At pocket money prices, they make great presents!