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@taffrah-blog
A Trip to Newquay
It has been some time since I posted on here again ā this work lark keeps getting in the way and I find myself increasingly stretched for time; the perils of modern day living I suppose! Regular readers will recall that in my previous post I was extolling the virtues of the Kat as a two up tourer, but was reserving final judgement pending our trip down to Newquay in Cornwall; a round trip of someā¦
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Two Up Riding
Its been a while since I posted on here, but then the last three weeks have been rather hectic between work commitments, the fact my wife has come back from overseas service (after four months) andĀ various family commitments virtually every weekend. Nevertheless, my journey into motorcycling has continued. First and foremost, since my wife has returned from deployment, I have been able to addā¦
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All Year Biker Treatment
Those of you who follow this blog will now I am rather fond of my bike! So when I stumbled across these people (http://allyearbiker.co.uk/) whilst surfing Facebook one day, I was intriguedā¦ If you havenāt clicked the link, I will sum up the spiel ā basically the franchisees will deep clean your bike before treating it with ACF50. This means you end up with a near showroom condition bike that hasā¦
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Three Month Review
Today marks the three month āanniversaryā of my bike ownership! Which is strange as I have not yet reached the three month milestone of holding a full Cat A licence.. but as I alluded to in an earlier post, I fell in love with Suzy and bought her before I had even commenced my Direct Access training. Some might call that stupid, others might call it fate. For a pragmatist like myself, I call herā¦
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2000 Miles Later She's a Different Beast!
Those of you who read this blog will recall that way back when I first passed my test (all of seven or so weeks ago) I rode down to Devon, which was the third time I had ridden Suzy. You may also recall that I thought she wasnāt quite up to the job of touring; though I did include a caveat that it could be my riding at fault..! Well, roughly two thousand miles have passed since then, and thisā¦
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Cockwombles
Harsh title? Maybe... Why though? Well, it's Sunday today and the sun has been shining. So after cutting the grass I just had to take Suzy out for a spin; time to fulfil the tired clichƩ of a Sunday biker! I reckon every biker in Hampshire was out, especially as when I went past Loomie's as they were parked not just in the car park but on the other side of the road too! Sadly on two occasions I got to witness what gives us bikers a bad name. The first was unbelievable - a guy on a ZX6 wheelieing up the A272 at a hell of a speed... Unreal. But at least he was going in the opposite direction. The second was scary. I was doing a tad over the speed limit on a single carriageway stretch of the A31 (ok about 75) and was overtook by a Gixxer, very very close and very very fast - in excess of a ton twenty I reckon because he or she left me standing. Given the crosswinds which were buffeting me like mad I struggle to imagine what it was like at that speed. Now, I'm inexperienced but even with years of riding under my belt I wouldn't do shit like that. I'm not going to pass judgment on them,Mach to their own at the end of the day but I was gobsmacked by the antics I saw today.
A few pics from my blast out on the bike this afternoon - was a great run out, though did have a hairy moment when a mad old woman pulled out on me whilst looking straight at me! Good job āthe systemā is teaching me to deal with such incidents! Iād already played out the scenario before it happened otherwise it would have been a bit scary!
Day out in the New Forest
Playing in the New Forest
Another glorious day on the sunny south coast today so I decided it would be a good opportunity to take Suzy out on her first "playtime"! I've recently bought a copy of "Motorcycle Roadcraft - The Police Rider's Handbook" and thought today would be a good opportunity to try to start implementing "the system", which is a very simple sounding, but incredibly good method of riding. The twisty roads and mix of tourists, animals and cyclists would be a good way to test my observations and skills (which are very much in their infancy!) Once I got through Southampton and over to Totton, the traffic moved from being heavy city types to tourist traffic; so watching out for random turns and stops!! I headed down the A326 toward Lepe, this was a straightforward A road but was fun nonetheless but getting to Lepe was a treat! The beach there was packed and the sun shining, one could easily have thought it was summer! After a quick coffee and a smoke, I headed along the single track road up to Beaulieu. The New Forest roads are limited to 40mph and one can see why! In the space of 2.5 miles I had to deal with a suicidal pheasant, a few cyclists who seemed to have forgotten the highway code completely (annoys me that, as I cycle myself - and the New Forest is renowned for its anti cycling attitude) and a rather chilled out donkey who thought it would be fun to stop in the middle of the road for a rest! All the while I was trying to implement "the system" and must admit when I got it right you could sense the difference - its definitely the way ahead. After Beaulieu I headed off to Lyndhurst, then onto Brockenhurst and finally to Lymington before heading back around to Beaulieu again through the forest and along as many twisty B roads as I could find - all the better to practice "the system". Whilst travelling along these roads I was astonished by the amount of close passes I witnessed on cyclists by cars - some people have no common decency... I left the New Forest and headed for home, this time along the M27 in order to try to build my confidence on 6 lane highways. Good weather definitely helps! All told I covered a 103 miles of varying roads today - I'm loving the biking more and more every time I climb aboard Suzy.
Some photos from the Devonshire tour š
A tour to Devon
So, 6 days after passing my Mod2 I was about to embark on a journey down to Devon, first to Plymouth then onto Bideford, then home which would be a total of around 400 miles. Not like jumping in feet first! But then again this is what I bought a bike for - to experience the freedom of the open road and to tour. My father in law suggested this might be too much, and he was probably right, but as a biker himself, rather than discourage me, he rode up with my mother in law the day before on his Honda Blackbird and then would ride down with me on the Thursday, April 2nd! The weather forecast was not great either... Well they arrived ok and we had a nice meal up in the local pub. Next morning we were all up bright and early and I mad us all a big breakfast! Fuel for the road! We loaded up the bikes and off we went. It wasn't raining at the time but the clouds were ominous and the roads were sodden from the previous nights rainfall. We headed west, first on the M27 where the wind and spray battered us. After 30 miles or so we stopped, just outside Ringwood, to make a plan for the rest of the journey. It was miserable frankly but there you go! The next scheduled stop would be in Bridport, Dorset. Off we went - enduring strong winds and rain, and the traffic around Bournemouth was horrendous. Stationary traffic for miles and of course, I had never filtered before! Oh well, no time like the present to learn! I followed my father in laws lead wherever possible, but occasionally the gaps just weren't there some were eventually separated, but we regrouped at a garage in Bridport. By this point I was getting tired, but I was learning a lot about riding in poor weather so that was good, and so we headed off to Exeter where we were going to visit Sarah's granny. By the time we got there the weather had improved somewhat so the going was a bit easier, but the wind on the the A30 dual carriageway was very strong and gave me a couple of brown trouser moments! Still again it was a learning experience! We got to Exeter anda welcome cup of tea and ginger cake. After an hour or so it was time for the final stretch down the A38 and into Plymouth. By the time we actually got to their house in Guzz (sailor speak for Plymouth) I was knackered, the bike was honkingly dirty (though not as bad as the blackbird!) but I'd enjoyed the education! After a couple of days in Plymouth, it was time to head over to Bideford to visit my father. A 56 mile journey over Dartmoor along a nice twisty A386. This was Easter Sunday. The weather that morning was lovely, warm but not too hot and cloudy but with breaks - it looked promising. Off I went and once I cleared Roborough, I pretty much had the road to myself! What a treat! Glorious views, an open twisty road and my bike - what more could I wish for! The journey was a delight and I learned a bit more about Suzy's cornering - she's great but I need more practice! A smidge over an hour and I arrived in Bideford. After a couple of days there it was time to head for home. I decided not go the way I would in the car, instead opting for a more scenic route, so I took the A377 to Exeter going via Crediton. Again, the weather was beautiful and I once again had the road to myself more or less which was wonderful. I got "the feeling" for the first time on this road - by which I mean I felt as one with the bike, a kind of motorcycle nirvana I guess! Despite getting slightly geographically confused in Exeter (ahem) all was good and the difference the weather makes was very noticeable on the A30 - I flew along there no problem! Once through Honiton, I rejoined the A35 and yet more miles of queuing traffic! Good job I'd experienced filtering on the way down, because I had to do it again! I was more confident this time so it was much easier. A quick fuel stop in Dorchester for both Suzy and I, off we went for the last part of the journey home. It was un eventful for the most part, though by the time I was home I was looking through a haze of bug guts!! Delightful! The weather remains excellent, so now she's had a proper clean and polish....a well I guess we'll have to see where the road takes us!!!
Proof I'm not lying!!
Mod2 Nailed! 27 Mar 15
Couldnāt believe it! I knew things were going quite well when in nailed Mod1, but then the Wednesday, which would be counted as day 4 of the DAS did not start so well - I just couldnāt ride like I knew I should, silly mistakes and all sorts. As the day progressed though, with some stern but fair advice from Mark, things got a bit better and by the end of the day I was becoming competent. The afternoon was taken up with a ride on the A3, my first foray into dual carriageways. That was initially scary as I had never had a bike up to that speed before, but after a few minutes I settled into it, though overtaking my first truck and feeling the suction effect of the slipstream was an eye opener to say the least! We rounded off the day with a visit to Loomieās cafe - a famous biker hangout here in Hampshire. Hereās hoping Thursday and the fifth and final full day of training would see progress.
I turned up on Thursday feeling good, but no way was I prepared for just how well things clicked! We went out to the Gosport area to do test route after test route, and all the silly mistakes Iād been making just disappeared. Iām still not sure who was more surprised - my instructor Mark or myself! By lunchtime I felt so in the zone and I knew if I rode like that on my test I would pass. By 1400 and a coffee stop, Mark asked me what I felt I needed to cover and I answered with ānothing - Iām ready for thisā. Such is the beauty of Markās methods - he teaches you to ride not just to pass your test and when the penny drops, it really does drop. So off we went back to base, home I went feeling confident for the first time ever!
Test morning. 0745 start with Mark for a quick ride around to warm up before the test at 0912 (they have weird times at Lee on Solent centre!). I felt no nerves, I was still riding well and I knew Iād be ok. We got to the test centre and waited for me to be called. Paperwork done, and worlds most uncomfortable radio fitted, off out to the bike. The show me tell me section was a breeze, and the examiner went through what would happen. So off we went, starting with the independent ride. That was fine, then it was like having a sat nav talk to you! Before I knew it, we were headed back to the test centre. Just prior, the examiner asked me to find a suitable stopping place on a road near a school; I couldnāt. We carried on down a few more side roads before I tried again. No problem, stopped, observations and off we went again and back to the test centre. The examiner gave nothing away as we went back inside. His opening shot? āWell Taff, where do I start?ā My heart sank. He said, āIām giving you a minor for hesitation on the the stoppingā¦ā then he just shook his head and paused for effect; oh Christ what had I fucked up on? āAnd thats all I could fault you for - a really good, confident ride congratulations!ā I was overjoyed and Mark looked really pleased too - that ride back to base after was the most stress free ever! Surely a sign of things to come!!
I have to mention Markās website here - www.wolfies.org.uk because he really is the best instructor one could hope for - if youāre in the Portsmouth/Fareham/Gosport area and looking for a school look no further - you wonāt be disappointed.
Mod1 Smashed!!
...at the second attempt :-( I sat my first attempt last Monday, which was day three of my DAS. It was the culmination of a great days riding and I was feeling quite confident, right up until the gate in the test area shut behind me! I rather went to bits after that. My slalom was appalling, engine revving all over and wobbling like mad, as was the figure of 8. Slow ride ok but when it came to the u-turn, well I went off too slow and had to put my foot down or drop the bike; instant fail. I carried on though and ironically once the pressure was off the rest of the test went great - the comments about my emergency stop and swerve were very positive, not that it made any difference of course. A fail is a fail. Bugger. Rebooked the test for today. So, today arrives and I head over to meet Mark and pick up the bike before heading over to the test centre. I wasn't feeling as good today's which I wasn't great about, but off we went. I hadn't ridden for a week, but it felt great to be back on the bike and fortunately I wasn't rusty! We had a good ride in, my roundabout nemesis seems to have gone now too, which was my only real problem for mod 2. Arrived at the test centre with five minutes or so to spare so no time to faff around and get stressed. The examiner was the same as last week and he remembered me; I suppose with a name like mine it's not surprising. He was very patient though and was quite happy for me to wait and compose myself. Into the arena I went, I felt a but like a gladiator, or more like a Christian headed for the lions! Manual handling, easy. Slalom... Not as revvy but still not brilliant, same for the figure of 8. I got a minor for missing one yellow cone out! After thinking back I still can't see how that happened but hey ho. Slow ride... Good, real slow and real straight. Now for the u-turn. I can do these on a sixpence on the road but I was still bricking it - this was after all where I screwed up last time. Off I go, right lifesaver, turn and...happy days! Confidently done and with lots of room to spare. And once that was done I instantly relaxed. The sighting lap was a breeze and then it was time for the emergency stop. Through the speed trap at 59kph (oh my!) and stopped real quick. The the swerve and avoid - through the trap at 51kph and that was it back to the test centre for debrief. I knew I'd passed, but it was still a bloody relief to get that certificate in my hand! Waiting for a date for my module 2 now - hopefully this week sometime!
DAS Day One - Conversion Day
So, after having passed my theory test last week, today was the first day of my Direct Access Scheme training. It was to be a conversion day from a 125 to the 600 I will be riding for my tests. Thus far, my sole experience of riding a motorcycle had been the five hours or so I had done on my CBT back in September. My experience during that had been a bit of a mixed bag - I was ok on the road riding element but to be brutally honest my exploits in the manoeuvring area left much to be desired! Thus I was not going to be allowed anywhere near a 600 today until I had shown I had full mastery of the diddly little 125, in this case that pesky little GN125 again! So I arrived at the training area around 0910 this morning, for an 0930 start. Out came the GN125 and a quick chat with Mark my Instructor about what we'd be doing. Basically I was to ride around the training area for as long as was necessary, getting a feel for the handling, and especially getting back to grips with the clutch and this I would do until I had demonstrated I was fit to go on the road, where we would go for a little ride out to see how I was on the road - only once I had done all this safely would I be allowed near the 600. If it took all day, Mark said, then that was ok. I don't think he expected me to be much use to be honest and I'm not sure that I did either! Onto the little bike I got, fired it up and off I pootled, stopping and starting, hill starting and making turns. It was good - everything came back quickly. After about 15 minutes, Mark said we should head out on the road. I was a bit nervous, but not nearly as much as when I did my CBT. Off we went then, heading into Gosport and a mix of heavy traffic and some country lanes and a few housing estates to see how I got on with junctions, plus a quick coffee stop at a local garage! At the garage, Mark was genuinely pleased with my progress. A few "iffy" turns aside he was happy with my handling of the diddy little GN125. He reckoned I was ready to try the 600, so we headed back to the training ground. Out of the back of his van came a Suzuki Bandit S, and I smiled liked a kid in a sweetshop, for the Bandit S is very, VERY similar to Suzy, my GSX600F. A comprehensive briefing on the handling qualities, the power to weight ratios and the weight of the bike and then watching Mark ride her around a bit and it was my turn to take it out around the training ground. Again, Mark said we would stay there for as long as was necessary for me to become both comfortable and competent in handling it. I climbed aboard and the weight felt broadly similar to how Suzy feels between my legs (ooh Matron!) so the weight wasn't a shock. The peg position was further back than the 125 but everything still felt accessible. I turned the ignition, clutch in and fired the engine. The throb of the engine felt exciting, so I gently touched the throttle and experimented with the clutch; feeling for the bite. Once i was happy with where the biting point was, I set off up the training ground. Into second gear no problem, in fact it was a lot easier than the 125. I turned, feathering the clutch somewhat and headed for the other end of the ground, it was at this point I went a bit, shall we say, wibble! Two laps and I still couldn't turn her tightly - my clutch control was appalling! This didn't bode well. So I pulled up stopped the engine and had a smoke to calm down. Mark to be fair to him didn't appear phased, after all I had NEVER piloted a "big" bike before. Once I'd had a break a lightbulb moment occurred and the clutch control seemed to just fall into place! Mark then set up a slalom and figure of eight for me to do, and, in his words, I did several perfect runs! I was elated! After a few more runs, my reward was to take the Bandit on the road. We had intended to head out toward Porchester, but the traffic heading that way was solid, so back toward Gosport we went. The Bandit felt so much more responsive, yet so much more, I don't know exactly, so much more solid I suppose. One didn't feel nearly as vulnerable and you get everywhere quicker! All was well until we got separated at a roundabout in Gosport, and for a while we lost contact! So inadvertently I ended up doing some independent riding! I pulled up in a safe place and we eventually regrouped. Mark to his credit was unfazed! We headed back to the garage again for another coffee and quick debrief. He was impressed and was pleased with my performance even though it was a bit rough in places. After coffee Mark led us back to the training ground and whilst doing so doing a running commentary so that I could see what was happening. My word, what a difference! My riding, by copying Mark's lines, checks and observations,became much smoother and more fluid; a great confidence boost. We arrived back at the training ground for a final debrief and off home I went, with a massive grin and a great feeling for tomorrows Mod1 training!
Suzy goes on the road....
ā¦.. Sadly not piloted by me! No, alas, Iām still not licensed to take a 600cc motorcycle out on Britainās roads. Fortunately however my father-in-law is and chance would have it that my in-laws were up visiting over the weekend, and so what with the arrival of Suzy he brought his riding gear up with him.
A rather dull morning this morning but no rain, so off came the cover, and after briefing my father-in-law about Suzyās pickiness with regards to her ignition key, she was fired up and started first time again. Good girl! He then rolled her back and then turned her down the drive and off he went. It was strange rather to see her going off down the road but on the other hand a real treat to actually see her in action. Ten minutes later he was back with a verdict. All good! Compared to his 1999 Honda Blackbird she was of course rather tame, he said, and her throttle was a lot more sensitive. For me this is not much of a problem as I have nothing else to compare her to, apart from that pesky GN125! He also commented on how smooth her gears were and how good the brakes were at scrubbing off her speed.
Next was the best bit however - I was to get a ride on her as a Pillion. The back pegs were put down and on I climbed. Her back end sank quite a bit! The preload on the rear will definitely need adjusting before I take the wife out on there! Off we went down the road, where I got to experience her pull first hand. She motors away nicely, powerfully but not TOO powerfully - I got the impression she will excite me but not scare me. A good thing!! The big inline four 600cc engine roared without being anti social and one could feel the power in her, although her significant weight helps temper it. She cornered nicely, at no time did I get the feeling she was sliding from under us - a sensation I have experienced on the Blackbird! As we cruised around, I noticed how comfortable the pillion seat was; a big plus as one of the reasons I wanted a bike was to go touring with my gorgeous wife and so knowing the pillion seat was comfortable was a good boost. The grab rail felt substantial as well, again superior to the experience I have of the Blackbird, so another bonus: if she gets tired of holding onto me, the wife will be easily able to hold that without feeling insecure.
All too soon however, it was back up the drive and I dismounted and Suzy parked on her side stand. Time for me to see if it was fluke last time I got her on her centre stand! I am pleased to report that it was not a fluke and once again I got her onto her centre stand with no problems! Happy days!
She now sleeps under cover, steering lock, disk lock and data tag protecting her. I have a week now to wait until my DAS course commences; a long week I suspect but I really cannot wait!
A wee addendum to my last post...
You may have read that last (rather long) rambling of mine and asked yourself why didn't he read the manual?? Simple answer is I don't have a manual! Or I didn't anyway. Much trawling of the Internet and I EVENTUALLY found a PDF copy that was genuine and free, and not a link that either tried to infect my browser with porn, steal my details, charge me for downloading or any of the above!