Much to J's annoyance, she blurted out last night that based on the weather forecast I should take the bike out for a run today. Annoyance, because this afternoon she said she wanted to go and buy a new dining room set but I said 'can't, going out on the bike'. Any way, despite it not having rained here since new years eve (a record, I think), the run off from the verges would still have a little Jewish guy rounding up his pets. Setting off it didn't seem to bad but picking a seldom traveled route instantly took me into something ressembling a Baron von Grumble video, with the added bonus of oncoming traffic pushing me into the mud in the gutters. The inevitable happened of course and I rounded the bend at the gates of Powderham Castle to be confronted with this. I had to ride through it and those who know me know views on getting my bike dirty. Jimbo, I know that's you sniggering. Cut it out! Look at the state of it! I parked up for a little weep outside Lord Courtney's front gate just to get my mojo back. Here's the bike with all my mate's parked around me... Back in the groove I hugged the coast as much as I could down into the south hams but the B roads are all still minging so I leapfrogged back to the A38 and dual carriaged it home. Tagged onto a small group of brand new KTM's, all squeaky clean and there's me on my off road FireBlade. Irony, huh? Then I rumbled up behind a bunch of motorcycle trainees, ducks in a row behind their GS'd instructor. Stayed up close and noisy to them for a bit just to be aggravating then pulled up beside the instructor for a while. Not once did he take his eyes off the road and look at me. Funny that, they normally spend more time checking their 'six' than Chuck Yeager. Bumped into an acquaintance of mine coming back through the village who cheered me up by saying my bike always looked good and he was going to have to go home to wash his after seeing it. He obviously isn't as afraid of dirt as me. Still, it was nice to get out. I've got cramp in my hand now from firing off the best part of an entire bottle of Muc Off at Bill.
Glad you got out!! Been helping my dad all day otherwise I'd have snuck out... Ps - kens OCD + muddy puddle = ha ha ha ha
I'd have got off and pushed but then, me boots.... I'm going to have get the Brillo pad on my hands again!
Nice 1 Ken glad you got out mate. Was working today else i might av thrown the battery on and been naughty!
Nice pics Ken, great to get out despite the manky roads isnt it? Anyway its not so bad once its dirty, after that you can enjoy the ride.
Yep you're right. Managing to keep first the estuary then in the corner of my visor for 20 miles helped. It's great having that couple of feet of extra view over the hedges that you miss in the car.
I still get that twitch when I haven't started it for a while as I walk up to it in the garage Steve. Of course it always fires up first prod but years of owning Italian has left me paranoid.
You're not wrong Barney. Bubba, I was lucky that the previous owners kept it in showroom condition. I don't take it out if the relative humidity goes above 30%. Yesterday in the mud and flood water was like pulling teeth to me.
