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Rack built and gear room organized! Very Nice, with room to spare.

I just pile. Everythings in a pile, i dive in, come out with what i need.

Heading out tomorrow in search of new tracks. I may be some time. ?

Due to hydrophobia, some want to avoid chit like this:

So last week I got a message from I guy I know saying that his old Zebra bike was now residing in Somerset and the new owner was giving it away for free I made contact with the guy and sure enough he he was willing to pass it on , the catch was that it wouldn't start and there was a strange noise coming from the engine. So this morning my boss and me set off in his van for the 45 minute journey across the Mendips to Wedmore. The owner (Dominic) was a very cool guy , ageing surfer an ex French Paratrooper After removing the screen and mirrors we managed to fit it in the van......... Once we got it back to the workshop we started to try and find out what the problem was . It wouldn't turn over so we put it into top gear and rocked it see if there was any resistance, then we tried to start it on the button but just got a loud clunk. We wheeled it inside and I started to strip off the fairing panels, seat and then the tank . For a 30 year old bike it didn't put up too much of a fight, so then I took off the rocker covers on the rear cylinder. From that we found that the valves were moving freely so no problem there. My boss also put a scope with a camera to see if there was anything untoward.... Next I removed the carbs to give me access to the front cylinder and then removed the rocker covers on that cylinder as well. There was no movement on the valves when we rocked it in gear. Next I drained the coolant out and removed the two rads and the front coils to get the valve cover off to see if the cam chain was ok........ The cam chain was fine so we're now suspecting something a bit more terminal. That's as far as I got today, next it will be engine out and see what else we can find.

You go for it Grasshopper we all used to have energy at the weekend but most of us have worn it away.????

Hit the local Mexican place again last night (only place open past 8:00 PM these days). Food was okay but the beers were freakin' brilliant! Ice cold and foamy - had to have two. It'd be rude not to.

Tomorrow should be OK.....but Sunday looks like another wipeout.

well it's fecking miles round it if you hadn't stumbled onto the ferry, middle of bloody nowhere too and the sort of place where if you stop and ask the locals how to get somewhere they'll reply something helpful like " Narritch? ow to git to Narritch? well yew don't wannoo start from'ere bor..." andthen wander off aimlessly into the fog ?

I've been there a few times, it's a great day out. I have a Sammy Miller story as well. I was a travelling marshall in a trial some years back and was riding around on a hillside in Gloucestershire showing riders where the sections were. This rider approached me and even with his heImet on I was thinking 'I know that guy' . The rider then asked where the first section is and immediately I recognised him as Sammy Miller due to his lovely 'Nothern Irish/ New Forest mix' accent. I wanted to ask him for his autograph on my running sheet but thought it was a bit inappropriate. He then rode off across the slippy hillside like he was out for a sunday stroll

I've ridden that in a 'going slow between the cones' competition somewhere on the Norfolk Broads. I was trying to do it on my glitchy Varadero which did not like slow riding until I added a power commando and I asked to try again on Chris's bike. The winner rode a bloody Varadero!!!!!!!! I have video of it somewhere, the bloke just stopped all the time and stayed still without putting his feet down, it was amazing to watch. Sadly he died on the same bike later on I heard.

Special Feature: Norton Gallery @ Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum I really enjoyed this short feature. ?

And I'm still restricted to not leaving the town. Should be out tomorrow......but just the same old thing unfortunately. What you got planned?

Me too Pete half of it would be nice.?

Oh yeh.....I wish I had the energy I used to have!

Oh man that looks good!

Weather is shit, I think I will be home through the weekend, keeping to myself.

I sometimes feel like the hyper active child in this dysfunctional internet family. I always come to the weekend posts with a list of things I'm doing and lots of silly energy. So I apologize if that gets annoying. This weekend I hope to get a new rack thing I bought for my extra riding gear assembled. I really need to give Bagheera some TLC. I am starting my next YouTube video for next weekend, this one will be Charlotte being introduced to the world, well at least to a few folks that might watch.... I also hope to get out for a ride on Saturday or Sunday as well.

I'm reading this while my boys shaving my head so that's not happening

Almost mate, just a couple of municipalities that are still on high alert

It's my birthday on Monday so having a long weekend and a few beers. Now i know that Bob i will be having a drink for you as well as me every year from now on ?

I should think there will. I will be doing some riding this weekend either sat or sun... or possibly both

I found it, Whealie on the Abbey Road crossing made famous by some pop group

Aye, Reedham chain ferry that'd be. My old stamping ground that, still a member (honarary) of the Suffolk Coasters bike club in Lowestoft. I guessed that was whealies bike too.

Tomorrow is an anniversary for me and it's something that I find weighing a bit heavy on my mind at the moment. It will be the 20th year since I had the accident where I lost my leg, there may be some drinking of alcohol involved .

Maybe a bit of maintenance.

Snow forts.

Nice one yen, that was a cracking night in that club. My mate Tone was dancing until he dropped ?

You wouldnt like them, no pia maintenence, no hard to reach frozen nuts in some dank engine hole alone with your diesel fumes hairy rashed ass and crab legs. Thats the life of a real seåman imho.

Aha, found the pics on my back up drive.

I hope to get it running again Pedro but it will definitely depend on what's gone wrong in the engine. It's already covered 104,000 miles so I'm not prepared to just chuck money at it willy nilly.

He is an amazing guy!

Looking forward to this Bob keep us updated ?

No......just unstable!

it's like i said organised ?

One rack for ADV and one for Street gear ?

nice and neat , well organised

Weird, its like two peoples stuff.

I think if they got rid of that nose cone fairing and painted it satin black with the gold it would be the dogs dangly bits

Happy Birthday Fred, have a virtual drink on me. Once this shit is over perhaps we can get for ride and a proper drink.

Definitely echos of the old XT500, especially the versions with the gold rims

I've looked at a couple of these but they're still making decent money second hand. My boss fancies one as well so ee're waiting until a suitable bike pops up.

I;ll take 6.

Plow just went by, again. ?

You da man Tym

It won't be a resto job Bruce, I shall leave it with it's present 'patina' but sort the mechanicals if I can.

It certainly is Ian, i've got a great photo of him on it somewhere. I'll see if I can dig it out.

bout the same id say ?

The pictures helped a lot Bob.....otherwise I wouldn't have understood a word you said. Having said that, I'm not entirely surely what I was looking at in the pics! So it's time for......