I had never heard of a bike valet but suppose it makes sense for lots of folk. Personally I like doing mine and i like washing the cars too. I find it therapeutic I think it's because I get to see an instant visual result
I raced a Harley today. I was riding through the twisting sections of a back country road with no straight sections to speak of and where most of the curves have warning signs that say "15 MPH". I knew if I was going to pass him, it would have to be a place where handling and rider skill are more important than horsepower alone. I saw the guy up ahead as I exited one of the turns and knew I could catch him. I concentrated on my braking and cornering. A few corners later, I was on his fender. Catching him was one thing; passing him would prove to be another. Two corners later, I pulled up next to him as we sailed down a hill. I think he was shocked to see me next to him. I almost got by him before he could recover. Next corner, same thing. I'd manage to pull up next to him as we started to enter the corners but when we came out he'd get on the throttle and outpower me. My only hope was to outbrake him. I held off squeezing the lever until the last instant. I kept my nerve while he lost his. In an instant I was by him. Corner after corner, I could hear the roar of his engine as he struggled to keep up. Three more miles to go before the road straightens out and he would pass me for good. But now I was in the lead and he would no longer hold me back. I stretched out my lead and by the time we reached the end of the twisties, he was more than a full corner behind. I could no longer see him in my rear-view mirror. Once the road did straighten out, it seemed like it took miles before he passed me, but it was probably just a few hundred yards. I was no match for that kind of horsepower, but it was done. In the tightest section of road, where bravery and skill count for more than horsepower and deep pockets, I had passed him. I will always remember that moment. I don't think I've ever pedalled so hard in my life.
I hadn’t either but came across him on Facebook and watched a few of the videos and decided to give it a go! It is very much a treat though and only about every 18 months after a minging winter. I like to do my own bikes as well and likewise, find it therapeutic. But I’m far from a detailer. I’m good at Photo cleaning, but if you got up close you would see where I’d been lazy what like I like about Freddy is that he has a good eye for detail, things like polishing up header pipes, banjo bolts and the clamps on the brake hoses etc.
I went out experimenting today to see if I could pin point thr issue I mentioned above. I think I know the answer. It is the quick shifter, it appears upon cracking the throttle open that initial power jerk was making me move my left foot I.e. it was nudging the shifter which in turn was cutting the spark but Not changing gears. A fluffed shift if you like even though I wasnt trying to shift gear, the thing was just uuber sensitive! I've adjusted the lever (again) and increased the sensitivity from 1 to 2 ( or maybe 3??) and that appears to have fixed it I never thought I would spend SO MUCH time on the gear lever as I have on this bike. It's been tweaked and adjusted a 1000 times. If it doesnt completely fix things I might just switch it off for up shifts as I use it far more for diwnshifts anyway. Let's see but I think I'm there and only more faster riding will show or not...fingers crossed
Dropping the car in for an almost overdue service Friday morning and hoping to get the Speed in for a suspension setup the same day. Looking forward to the setup, not so much paying for the service.
Hopefully I'll have got shit of this ear infection by then and can actually put my helmet on. This nice weather and inability to ride is killing me!
http://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...reate-tensions-in-north-yorkshire160-11989998 Once more bikers being targeted for going out. This is the 3rd story I've seen today, one for Rothbury Northumberland with a local councillor bitching on, another for Alston Cumbria with a parish councillor moaning and now this elderly cyclist in Hemsley! Wow turn up in a car and socially distance , nothing said. Turn up on a bike and socially distance and cops come. I was challenged yesterday myself in Rothbury and to be fair the copper was good. Just reminded people to remain distanced and went on his way. I got the impression he was a bit miffed at having to be there as he had better things to do but having heard a local councillor going on I'm sure he was there to pacify the councillors rather than doing any real policing. Sorry little rant there but not one story has shown any biker doing anything wrong, talk about stereotypes
It was always going to happen. There is always tension between some locals and bikers, I remember being younger and my grandparents being those people waving at bikes to slow down as they come through their little village This is an excuse for those types of people to shine a light on us. I have to say though, I came across a few groups of 4+ bikes yesterday. Out in the car today and seen the same again. They could have kept to all the social distancing rules etc when stopped but have to remember people are always watching and dont need an excuse to have a dig.
Yes the media are banging on about bikers again in Matlock today. I was there, but there were loads of car drivers too and ordinary people walking about....but no mention of them. People were adhering to the rules in the takeaways etc. A lot of people were couples and of course they're going to be stood together. A lot of the bikers were local to the area too. But hey....don't let that stop you taking photos that make everyone look closer than they really are or writing incendiary shite in your rags!
Well I'm going to go to the same places I always go to and they can sod off. I will 100% comply with social distancing but I wont be told I cant go somewhere because I'm a leather clad biker. The same people complaining are now turning their attentions via social media to the local business's for serving bikers and encouraging the spread of covid. Nasty little people.
They’ll also be moaning if those bikers weren’t buying coffee and snacks and the local economy took a bigger hit. People are sad, and need to get a hobby other than p*ssing on other people’s parades. Cracking day for it, why shouldn’t we be out??!
