New canvas bike cover

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

My old canvas motorbike cover had seen better days when it disappeared. I can only assume that the cover blew off the bike in the wind and someone threw it away, mistaking the dirty and ripped cover for a discarded rag, and I can't blame them for that. ...

Keeping off the cold with handlebar muffs

Friday, January 9th, 2009

The first frost of Winter happened back in late-Autumn last year, quite an early frost, and it was the perfect time to use the heated hand-grips on my motorbike. At least, it would have been the perfect time to use them if they actually still worked. I rode ...

Freezing on two wheels

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

I really shouldn't have ridden my motorbike to work this morning. I saw a sprinkling of snow outside when I opened the curtains, unseasonably early, but the road and pavement looked clear. When I got outside the road seemed to be grippy, testing it with my boots, even ...

Back on two wheels

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

After finding my bike had a puncture yesterday, I arranged its recovery today. The bike was picked up from the company car park in the middle of the afternoon, and I got a call a little over an hour later informing me that the tyre had been repaired and ...

Missed another gig

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

I missed a gig recently, and fortunately worked out why I had missed it and had another opportunity to see the same band soon afterwards. Unfortunately, events conspired against me. For a start, tickets were not available to buy for the gig, but I kept myself feeling positive ...

A reply from Exxon-Mobil

Saturday, September 13th, 2008

I recently mentioned how Esso refused to serve me petrol unless I took off my motorcycle helmet. I was angry enough at this absurd policy that I wrote to Exxon-Mobil's head office to complain, and I got a reply. The reply stated that Exxon-Mobil take motorcycle business seriously, ...

Motorbike rattle

Friday, August 29th, 2008

At the end of last year the exhaust on my bike accidentally separated from my downpipes because of rust, which was rather embarrassing. I was able to get some replacement pipes fitted quickly, stainless steel this time. After the new pipes were fitted I noticed the slightest of ...

Idiotic helmet policy

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

Esso staff have a few minutes ago denied serving me petrol unless I took off my crash helmet, ignoring protestations that I do, in fact, ride a motorbike, with some rather decisive empirical evidence. I'm not quite sure how taking off my crash helmet deters fuel theft, particularly as ...

Interesting traffic

Friday, July 11th, 2008

Interesting sights in the past couple of months whilst commuting: A lorry overturned on to its side on the roundabout, stopping all through traffic; A car on its roof on a bypass early in the morning, with a police car stopping anyone driving in to it; A car on fire on the motorway ...

Cool running

Thursday, June 26th, 2008

Now that I have put coolant in my bike, the engine doesn't get quite as hot as it used to. Why didn't anyone tell me? This sort of information really ought to be in the manual.