Sir Fallsalot

5 minutes ago, Skippy said:

I have a significant birthday this year, so I will be 65 years old on 13th of May. I won’t be buying a new bike and I won’t have to go through any devious shenanigans either.

Instead, I am spending six days with three mates from the UK, who are going to meet me in Zaragoza on the 24th of May.

We will spend six days arsing around on motorbikes, reminiscing about our youth, but more importantly, making new memories.

No Invite for Pete then

After fitting the rear suspension back on last night I took the dog out for a test ride today i was going to go out last night but it bloody pissed down, went up over my mountain as there's a good range of different terrain up there. I noticed the difference as soon as i pulled off the bike now glided over small bumps on the road hardly noticing them at all, with the old shock fitted they felt quite harsh and the front of the bike didn't feel so loose either, it's  a bit hard to explain but for a long time now the front has felt very light like there's no resistance at all just didn't feel quite right, well that's now gone.  When i get onto the mountain track i was instantly surprised how good the bike felt on the rough surface,  the suspension just soaked it all up even the front seems to be working better.

I was heading east as the sky wasn't looking too good coming from the west and was following me a the whole time i was out

There was a lot of water about and the ground was still quite slippery the suspension didn't do anything to help that 

I stopped to take a photo here on a nice leafy lane 

Only to have the bike roll off the stand it's a bit steeper than the photo shows.

When I got on the bike i found the fall had twisted the front end a bit I had to stop at the next big rock to straighten it out and then the next post to knock it back as i'd gone too far on the rock. 

Look at the weather behind me that's the way i'm heading when i get up this hill onto Manmoel mountain road.

And this is what i'm trying to stay n front of

This is looking into the Ebbw valley towards Aberbeeg. There's no bent on that road it's straight the curve is due to the panoramic photo 

I wanted to check out a track off Manmoel mountain road to see if its still ridable i went down and took some photos for my records on the way back up

last time i was here this was all enclosed in tree's

I got as far as Brynmawr when the heavens opened and out came a hail storm so i took shelter under a bridge until the hail stopped but got off the bike the wrong side and when cocking my leg over it got caught and me and the bike ended up on the road luckily the car coming seen me in time and stopped, what a bloody old plonker.

After that i decided to head home as there was no sign of the weather behind me getting better and i was heading further away from home so would be out in it longer when i turned back. Ended up going down the Ebbw Valley i haven't been through here in a while in the old days it was a nightmare but there's a bypass now so a much more pleasant ride. I got caught in a few showers on the way back but they were not heavy so got home only slightly moist. 
I have a little bit of fine tuning to do with the shock and then it's see how long it lasts.

Just now, Clive said:

Ours will only empty the bin, anything on top or at the side gets left behind....

We are allowed one Shirley Bassey on the top of a closed wheelie bin

Had a little test ride on the dog with the new rear shock fitted today, first thoughts on it are very good just hope it lasts. I might get out for a proper ride tomorrow on it, Sunday is Easter rising a sort of mini rock festival thing at the local club, bands all afternoon until closing time i think we are going to that, Monday i will probably be recovering.
Oh and if it's raining i nipped down the scrap yard this morning to pick up some stainless steel bar so i can have a go at making new wheel spacers for the dog, the surface of the old ones are rough and damaging the seals so time for new ones.

14 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Nice Fred, how does the dog feel with its new suspenders ?

Like a different bike much better on the road and it just smooths out stony tracks feels really plush, although on whoopy stuff i found it easy to bottom out but i was going a little fast over them, its set up for me by them and haven't touched the settings it came with, i might have a little play with it to see what happens. Overall though i'm well happy with it i wish i had spent the money years ago.

1 hour ago, XTreme said:

But it's going to be a long buildup process and I need to choose my time carefully.

Because I've been thinking about the Milestone (or some may say Tombstone) that awaits me in a month's time!

You see, I was the teenager that people said would never live to reach the age of 20 due to my (perceived) status as an erratic and risk taking motorcyclist. Well I reached 20 just fine despite hitting the deck about 20 times!

In my twenties I had the same thing, but not on such a grand scale because by then I was leaving a margin for error. Not a wide one admittedly, but a margin nonetheless. And I only hit the deck once......unfortunately it was at 110mph. But I got up as I always did!

Time went on and I reached my 30's.....then my 40's, 50's, and 60's. And I'm still here and still doing it, and never hit the deck since 1978! Now I'm staring down the barrel of my 70's!

So I want to build up this age milestone in the conscious of the wife (who just about tolerates motorcycles)......in order to make a special occasion of it! And what better way to mark this occasion than putting a deal together?

However, she has over 40 years experience of dealing with me bullshitting, deflecting, manipulating.......and at times, just outright lying! So it's going to be a tough nut to crack.

Basically I've got to try and work it to the point that she suggests it.....not me! Then I suppose I'll sort of grudgingly agree! Just to keep her happy you understand?

Watch this space!

Did  you get hacked by Marcel because i don't understand what the hell your on about 

one to get Pete's photoshop senses tingling 

10 minutes ago, Pedro said:

I edited to XR after looking at the kickstart and the oil filter casing.

I'd say it's the dominator the early ones had kick and electric start and that swingarm is steel all the XR's are Aluminium. Also the XR frames are tubular steel rather than box section steel from the swingarm mount up and that's definitely a dominator sump guard.

Just now, XTreme said:

Surely you could have Photoshopped yourself slimmer?

There's only so much photo shop can do 

2 hours ago, Renegade said:

I'm not paying £12.50p to have this cleared, because it shows me with a top box on the bike.

Here !

They had me on the CB there but if the bike was a Honda the photos were free for some reason, still didn't want them because they made me look like a fat twat 

2 minutes ago, Saul said:

Looks quality, but spendy? 

Cheap as chips in the world of shocks, hoping its going to be better than whats on there now, £360 built and set up for my weight apparently 

A new shiny thing for the dog arrived today

2 hours ago, boboneleg said:

Yup called having a Sean here  

2 hours ago, YamaHead said:

Well, @ least there's NO visible litter in the background.... Fred's pics just make you cringe @ the thought of having your bike that close to H2O & dirt.

No photo shopping there just the puddle dodger having a Connery looking at it  

30 minutes ago, Tango said:

Most of my lids over the years have had Double-D ring fastening chin strap, but my newest lid has a Micro buckle. I don't know, but I'm not liking this buckle. I find that it digs into my neck and Adam's apple, making it pretty sore after a couple of hours riding. I never had that with any of the Double-D ring straps on previous lids. 

But, it seems that finding new lids with a Double-D ring fastening is getting pretty difficult!

How do you guys get on with the fastening on your lids?

I found the D ring too fiddly especially with gloves on. I have only had one with the micro buckle rub my neck turned out i hadn't positioned the protective padding behind it properly, it was ok once i got that right

28 minutes ago, Six30 said:

I know @boboneleg enjoys these …

 

Any particular paint you use on those and does it last my wheels are desperate for a refurb even a shit spray job would be an improvement 

4 hours ago, Six30 said:

@XTreme chucked it there..... you can take the boy out of wales.. but you cant take wales out the boy... fucking chav

Now the oversized top box makes sense the gypsy bastard 

1 hour ago, Marcel said:

I hope it's the last one FFS ! 

Anyway the Harley earned its keep this morning...holyfuck what a wack of snow...I'll be going out again a little later..been on it since 7 am...

That bit looks fun 

1 hour ago, Six30 said:

where are you,  back in Wales ?

Haven't you learnt anything yet its too dry for Wales 

Lovely morning here got some weed killing to do before they go to seed so no bike riding for me 

18 minutes ago, Six30 said:

weather nice , managed to get out .... 

 

 

Fuck off you photo shopped that sea in i know that road and there's no sea at the end of it 

5 minutes ago, busabeast said:

I have to agree, yes it's a cleaner interior with just having a switch but it's like they tried to reinvent the wheel and in fact they have gone backwards with it

I was in my bosses Audi which had an electronic hand brake, i pulled up to a barrier and put the handbrake on while i waited for it to be opened when it opened do you think i could turn the bloody thing off i had to phone the boss to ask him how and after i could see it on the dashboard telling me what to do i missed that in my panic 

And how i didn't spot this before it went to the powder coaters i don't know. Cracked the paint straightening it out FFS