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I thought I would fit my Altrider bash plate today. I had everything set up. Attempted to give myself a hernia moving the bike ramp more to the centre of the garage to give more room around the front of the bike and then on attempt number 5 managed to get the XT onto it with a shorter run up than usual. Had the music on, a cup of tea, really good paper instructions and I'd watched the installation video which is most excellent. I was all set. Firstly. off came the plastic excuse for a bash plate, then the two alloy brackets that it mounts to, all going well, tea only halfway down, bagged the bits and labelled them. Then the next task was to remove the two allen bolts holding the side stand bracket on. I started hopefully with a ratchet and and allen bit socket. Hmmmm, that seems a bit tight. Switched to a 3/8 breaker bar. More hmmmmming, the breaker bar was starting to curve a little and a small vein was showing on my forehead I reckon. The I got out that impact driver, the really cheap one I got in my teens, at a market probably. Much kerbangingin time to the music but nothing is moving. Time for the next stage, Roxette by Dr Feelgood came on just as I plugged in my B&Q electric paint stripper and gave one of the bolts a going over for about 30 seconds, back in with the impact driver and club hammer, nothing. Then a full minute of heat gun and tried again, it started to move thank god. A minute on the other one and that started to move. At one point I though the bike would rotate the opposite way if I put any more force into my hammer. Removed the two bolts and bagged them when they were cool. Side stand now only supported by the electrical connection, so I found something for it lay on and switched sides to the exhaust hanger bolts that needed to come out. Tea now drunk, Nightboat to Cairo by Madness is playing, love that song. A 10mm bolt about 4 inches long and a smaller 8mm bolt came out with no arguments. Time to start fitting the first bash plate bracket bolts in their place. I found the two replacement bolts which are slightly longer to allow for the thickness of the brackets. The larger one goes in and I start to turn it, but it doesn't feel right. I always put bolts in by hand so as not to wreck a thread and it wouldn't even start. I took it back out and compared it to the Yamaha original. I'm no thread expert and I have middle aged eyes these days but the pitch looked closer together on the original bolt. Bad picture below, the grubby one is obviously the original bolt. I found a nut that would run down the Altrider bolt, it wouldn't go near the Yamaha one. Anyway, out came the plastic bags and I refitted everything. I've emailed the manufacturer for advice. Worst case scenario, I buy my own bolt, but I could have wrecked the thread on the bike if I'd gone in gung ho with a ratchet.

Had a tax reminder for the XR this morning and i noticed it says on it "This vehicle needs an appropriate MOT certificate" when i checks it was right it runs out tomorrow, fucking great a valid excuse to ride the bike i thinks, so phones the place i take it hoping because its raining he'll have a cancellation and fit me in. Sure enough he had three cancellations, i thank god for pansies as gets my riding gear on and off i go straight up the Rhondda Valley a horrible place to drive or ride through even in lockdown the traffic is busy. All goes well with the MOT and its a gentle ride home along quieter more relaxing roads like this As Pete says riding is like groundhog day at the moment its the same here but i'm glad of it and stop at Miriam's bench again to look at the world below only for 10 minutes as Gale is blowing again LOL Here's a short vid of the surrounding area you probably seen it before but here it is again lots of water running down the track today and the wind made it difficult to stay on my line When i get to the bottom i see a sign saying the track has a TRO on it so i shouldn't have ridden it. The TRO is so repairs can be made to the track because this Is doing this So even my groundhog route is being eroded away. It was home on the road from only a short ride but a welcomed release.

OH STOP YOUR CRYING..... I saw the weather you're riding in, just hush......

So today's the only opportunity I'll have.....to go nowhere!

They covered over this road with dirt in PA. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/graffiti-highway-closing-trnd/index.html Thats Tammy up ahead on her Africa Twin.

Last night I had a standing rib roast in an aus jus reduction with garlic mashed potato at the Shaggy Sheep in Grant, Colorado. $3 ice cold Stellas, too. So tender the meat fell apart with a fork, no knife needed. Excellent.

Bolts? Unable to advise! Feelgood? I advise some Lee Brilleaux....

You wouldnt believe the mound of dirt that GTR made it over to be there.

Dirt?

Has to be the most popular girl in the UK everyone seems to blow her.

She’s a bitch always blowing her top.?

Doesn’t look very promising here blowing a Gale overcast looks like rain, I’m staying in the dry.

That's a real shame Fred, get over here when you can and we'll do some classic Cotswolds lanes.

There's a hell of a lot of locals riding them and fucking it up for everyone at the moment, it's very hot around here so i'm even more pissed off because I've got to stay away from them. Blackmill moor is particularly sensitive seen lots of reports of farmers joining together to catch people and police out with drones because some dopy bastards taped off a track up there and organised some charity ride event up there without permission. The other problem is lockdown, there are so many people walking where we ride now the complaints have gone up about people being antisocial on bikes its getting beyond Bob

Its just after the farm at the bottom only walled for a few hundred yards then opens out after a gate

The one in blue here Bob

At least they're repairing it Fred. Where is that one, I don't recognise it ?

Yen, get yourself one of these. One of the best things I ever bought. It has bolt size gauge, thread gauge and length. https://www.pro-bolt.com/progauge-bolt-measuring-tool/

Im not sure who this Gale is butt she does get quite the attention from you Brits.

We need pics!

You will probably fail.

No......just unstable!

You must be a superhero.....

I’m quite taken with this but why is this cunt riding around hunched over like Quasi fucking Modo?

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

Great! I know on Google that AdvRider is top, then AdvBikeRider (who don't validate your registration), then us. So bit by bit we're gaining momentum......but of course we're battling against Facebook. That's killed off so many forums over the years.