check

Went out for a short run of about fifteen miles yesterday just to see if all was OK. I've fitted the new pannier supports, this time the other way round with the open end of the top bracket to the rear. That way when the bungees are fitted to take my tent they wont be pulling the bracket in a way which will take it off.

The speedo seems to be working OK as the odometer was registering about the right miles, although that's pure guess work.

The oil on the left fork seems to have stopped leaking. I read a tip involving running a piece of photographic negative round the inside of the seal to dislodge any trapped grit  which seems to have worked.

All I need to do now is try to work out how many miles I get to the new tank. May be able to do that with a good run coming up next weekend to Kirby Lonsdale for the Lakes Rally.

I'm so glad I'm going to make it this year.

speedy

I spent a couple hours yesterday fitting the old speed sensor. It's really awkward to get to. I had to remove the mudguard and the splash plate then disconnect and move the turn signal unit just to get access to the sensor which sits on top of the gearbox.

After that it was just a case of splicing and soldering in the connector, plugging it in to the stock sensor, putting everything back together again and firing it up. I actually started the engine with the muduard off and sitting on the seat just to see if the unit was getting a signal.

It was, so I tightened everything back up and drove round the area where my lock-up is. I went about ten meters and got up to 210 miles an hour. Weee!

So, first thing this morning I rode along the road to where I have measured a mile and set the calibration.

It seems to have worked OK although I've no idea how accurate it is. The mile I measured was by the car's speedo so that could be out too.

Next time I'm riding with some one I'll test the speed by getting them to ride for a distance at a steady rate.

At least I have some idea how fast and far I'm going!

speed sensations

Well I've got a run of a couple of hundred miles under my belt and apart from one or two issues I'm happy with the bike in its latest incarnation. The first thirty or forty miles were particularly uncomfortable and I was thinking that I'd gone too far with the height of the apes and the seat position. But, after that I settled down and by the end of the weekend was relaxing into the bike. I'd have probably been as tense and pained with any set up as it was over a year since I'd done any riding to speak of.

I had a bit of a mishap on the way back from the camping weekend in Berwick. One of my pannier supports detached itself and disappeared somewhere on the road. I didn't even notice it until I was home and removing the bags. Luckily, the bungee hooks had caught on the mudguard so none of my luggage went roadside. There is a line scored around one side of the tyre but the position it's in shouldn't be too problematical for a while. The foam interior of the left hand pannier was slightly warped from the heat of the tyre but that's nothing. So it's only cost me the price of a new set of supports. Anyone need a left side support bracket?

All in all a lucky outcome!

The other issue is the lack of a speedo and odometer. Not only is it jeopardising my license I have no idea how far I'm traveling and therefore don't know when to refuel. Last weekend I was  over estimating how much fuel I was using and filled up when I didn't really need to.

I'll spend some time over this weekend fitting the stock VSS and see if that works.

Then it's down to the Lakes at the beginning of July for the first rally for ages!

better

Took a better picture today. Shows the pannier supports fitted.