Anglesey Ride

At last, I have finally made it to Anglesey, a destination I have had on my hit list for far longer than I care to admit. It’s the rain, you understand, no matter how attractive a place may be, and make no mistake it is an attractive area, the thought of riding into virtually permanent downpours dampens my ardour. Pun intended. It turned out to be a very brief visit to the island itself, no more than a U turn really. I crossed the Menai Strait via the George Stephenson designed Brittania Bridge and returned, pausing briefly to grab a photo on my phone, via the Menai Bridge created by ace engineer Thomas Telford. . Apparently, when constructed way back in 1862, it was one of the first modern suspension bridges to be built in the world.  Sorry, I have a thing about bridges, particularly suspension bridges old and new, they  are great feats of engineering and well worth a visit. Both pictures are courtesy of Wikipedia, my phone picture is dire but included for posterity – lol.

The weather proved challenging to say the least. Mist and fog with visibility varying between half a mile and 100 yards. Sunshine in Wales and zero degrees on the Cheshire Plain. There’s nowt better than variety I say, bring it on. My route out took me over the Pennines via Bakewell, Monyash, Crowdecote, Longnor and the A 54 to Congleton. Not the most straightforward route, the A6 to Buxton would have been much easier but no where near as much fun to ride despite the dodgy weather. From here I rode via Holmes Chapel onto the A54 heading for Chester to make up time on the faster roads. Whilst on this road I came across an unmarked Police Range Rover HSE in black parked at the roadside with nothing but sneaky strobe lights. Luckily he must have just finished doing business as I caught a glimpse of the strobes before he turned them off. He followed me for a mile or so before switching the lights back on and disappearing down the road to another shout. Onto the A55 for a trouble free blast into Wales, apart from a diesel soaked roundabout that is, which might well have had me on the floor if traffic hadn’t prevented me joining unabated. From Pensarn the journey becomes a little less mundane and far more picturesque. The A55 hugs the coast here with the sea on one side and foothills of Snowdonia on the other. It is easy to become distracted when traversing an area of such natural beauty but concentration, as you know, is paramount on a bike.

Following my aforementioned brief encounter of Anglesey food was now the order of the day. As I was travelling alone, I wasn’t too concerned about finding a nice cafe for sustenance and social interaction so I opted for the lonely alternative!! A Burger King on the A5 – lol. This also doubled as a fuel top up point meaning I didn’t need to stop again before home. I headed to Bets-y-coed via the A5, what a great road, lots of corners, snow capped mountains for a backdrop plus the sun was shining. Perfect. There were loads of bikes too, all packing tents and luggage so I guessed that the Dragon Rally must be on this weekend. A check on the web when back at home confirmed this. From what I saw they were in for a good turnout. Hard case rally goers are not deterred by weather. They also seem to ride every type of bike imaginable from the ubiquitous GS down to old battered trail bikes. Several sidecar outfits passed me too, a rare sight these days.

The return route I had planned via Mapsource meant I zig zagged a little but in doing so I missed all major towns. Unfortunately, the A5 was closed for repairs prior to Corwen meaning a 12 mile detour which quickly plunged me into thick fog as I descended into the valley. It cleared at Corwen but was to return on several occasions on the ride from here to Stoke on Trent. During fog free sections I could appreciate the fine views on offer, note to self, must ride this road later in the year. I went though some village with an unpronounceable name sporting a sign for the Horseshoe Pass, another note to self, must come back and ride that too.

Once I reached the Potteries all traces of fog disappeared meaning  could “press on” down the A50 and A38. However, mist had returned by Ripley and persisted for the remainder of my journey home but visibility never dropped below half a mile so no problems. I arrived at Blindboy Towers bang on 5.30pm exactly 8 hours after I departed including two visits to the petrol pumps and lunch. With 340 miles added to this year tally too, I flopped onto the sofa a thoroughly chuffed but knackered old motorcyclist. Better get plenty of rest, tomorrow I have to clean the bike and boy is it a mess.

4 Counties Ride

That will be Nott’s, Leic’s, Derby’s and the smallest county in England, Rutland. Saturday was very cold but gloriously sunny so I rode to Pidcock’s BMW in Long Eaton via Rutland Water and Melton Mowbray. The roads were bone dry apart from a couple of icy back roads as I left the A1 and rode a lap of Rutland Water. A few arse pinching moments there I can tell you. There seems to be plenty of interesting things in this area so I will return later in the year with Julie for a bit of sightseeing.

The main reason for riding to Pidcock’s was to get my first look at the BMW S1000RR sport bike. What a tool that is. Not my personal cup of tea now as I’m too old for head down arse up madness. If I was younger, more supple and not blind, I would have put my deposit down there and then!! The Japanese will be losing sales that’s for sure.

I returned home from Long Eaton via Ashbourne and Matlock, anyway but the road works strangled M1, giving me a thoroughly enjoyable ride distance of 165 miles.

Mablethorpe for Fish and Chips

I have booked the K1300GT into Pidcock’s BMW at Long Eaton on the 27th February for it’s 18,000 service and a new pair of tyres. Due to the recent heavy snow preventing any riding during the Christmas two week break, I am a little behind on my mileage tally. So, why book it in for a service then? Motivation. I am loathe to have the bike serviced “early” meaning I have until the 27th of February to accumulate 1,900 miles!!

We are back into the groove. Blag and I planned a 3 ride option for today with the weather and my head cold contributing to our decision first thing this morning.
Option 1 – Anglesey = 400 miles
Option 2 – Norfolk Loop = 280 miles
Option 3 – Mablethorpe = 180 miles

We chose option 3 as my head cold had not cleared and we missed the Fish and Chip ride over Christmas. Heading east via Newark, Leadenham, Bardney. Horncastle then onto Bluestone Heath road across the Wolds to Alford and into Mablethorpe for bang on midday. The roads varied between damp, wet and really shitty but neither condition spoiled our enjoyment although corner speeds were well restrained. The chippie opened as we parked the bikes, perfect timing, and, as the meal was the first frying of the day, it was superb. The best I have had for a while.

Our pace increased on the return ride as the roads were drying rapidly. If we had departed at midday I suspect a totally dry ride would have been possible. Oh well. The main Mablethorpe road via Louth bypass and Market Rasen being our preferred route back as traffic was virtually non existent. To maintain our unhindered progress, we changed direction before Market Rasen town and headed towards Caistor missing this too and taking the parallel Brandy Wharf route back to Gainsborough. A perfect choice, no traffic and a now dry road meant we could have a little fun on the numerous good bends which bless this road. From Gainsborough we stuck to the main road to Retford as this too has a series of nice corners. A gentle ride from Retford and Clumber Park finished off a pretty good day

As Blag and I chewed the fat clutching a mug of tea, we both noticed the difference in cleanliness between our bikes. His KTM Adventure looked as if he had ridden 20 miles whereas the K1300GT would have picked up first prize in a Lincolnshire Ploughing match. Perhaps it’s the larger section rear, or the very intelligent rubber flap on his bike that extends the leading edge of the rear mudguard down to the swing arm. I would have taken a photo of the two together but my wife has blagged the pocket digital camera for Grandson purposes – lol.

Including my weeks commuting to work the tally for 2010 is now 380 miles, leaving 1,500 to go before the service!!

First Ride of 2010

At last, a reasonable day, no ice, no snow, no rain and, unfortunately, none of the forecast sun either. Oh well, beggars can’t be choosers as my mum used to say. Her indoors was called out early this morning to administer some Grandmotherly chores and parted with “You go out on the bike if you want”. Blimey. I felt like Free Willy, soppy as that may sound, that’s how desperate I was to get out on the bike.

I finished my duties then hit the road around 11.30am, embarking on my favourite 100 mile circuit of Notts and Lincs, including coffee and biscuits at the Bandits gaff near Caistor. A brief stop but they were off to the flicks in Lincoln to see Avatar with their son. Whilst there, I did get a quick look at the 1960 ex Indian Army Enfield he has been knocking about on lately. The man is mad – nuff said.

As to be expected, the roads were greasy with salt and diesel ever present meaning a steady, smooth ride was the order of the day. It wasn’t cold either although I did have my Keiss heated vest on rather than bulky multi layers and thermal leggings to keep my knees warm. Traffic was vey light apart from Sunday marketeers leaving Hemswell and shoppers heading for the supermarkets in Retford and Gainsborough. Away from these centres of commerce I was free to make smooth, uninterrupted progress.

It was nice to see maybe half a dozen other hardy types out on their bikes but only one returned my bikers nod. Miserable buggers. Sadly, my pristine, cleaner than new K1300GT looked a sorry sight on arrival back at Blindboy Towers. A thorough wash down with my favourite wash and wax soon had her gleaming again. The muck literally fell off, a result of my liberal application of ACF 50, GT85 and FS365 anti corrosion treatments. Sounds like a bloody formula for a jar of curry sauce!! My bike resembles a non stick frying pan, no it’s not round and black, but nothing sticks to it. Result I say.

Bridgestone BT023

Bridgestone have announced the BT023 sport touring tyre which is to replace the oft maligned BT021. The new rubber will be a direct competitor for the likes of Michelin Pilot Road 2’s and Dunlop’s Roadsmart with specific fitments for the K1300GT class of heavy sport tourer. This is what they say on their web site.

Bridgestone has developed the new Battlax BT-023 tyre for consistent high-level performance in both touring and sport riding. By combining good wear life and wet performance for touring, with the grip and steering control for sport riding, the Battlax BT-023 provides a wider range of choices for larger bikes.

Front

Rear

Bridgestone aims to strengthen its position in the sport-touring sector of the replacement motorcycle tyre market with the launch of the Battlax BT-023 in February 2010. The advanced new tyre significantly upgrades the performance of the

BT-021 it replaces, both in the key touring areas of mileage and wet performance, as well as by meeting the handling expectations of the most demanding sport riders.

Mileage – wet performance

The tyre provides superb wear life and wet cornering thanks to the re-designed angle-groove pattern and Silica Rich Ex compound with “RC polymer”.

Comfort and stability

Both the front and rear tyres are constructed with Bridgestone’s proven Mono Spiral Belt (MSB) technology, providing top-level grip, shock absorption and straight-line stability at speed.

With a 3 Layer Compound (3LC) on the rear tyre, the shoulder compound gives reassuring grip through corners while the centre compound with its wide contact area adds stability and smoothness when cruising. The result is a confident ride, with rich feedback and a secure contact feel in all conditions.

“The Battlax BT-023 is an important launch for Bridgestone” says Gunther Podevyn, Senior Manager Motorcycle Tyre Products, Bridgestone Europe. “Sport-touring is the largest market sector and with the BT-023 we have a product that can deliver full-spec performance at a high level. We expect strong sales, especially through our new Bikers’ Club outlets across Europe.”

The Battlax BT-023 will be introduced with 5 sizes for the front (60 to 80 series) and 7 sizes for the rear (50 to 70 series). An optional specification will also be available for heavyweight bikes such as the BMW K1300GT (120/70ZR17 and 180/55ZR17). With a special pattern and cross belt construction on the front, combined with an MSB + 1 belt rear construction, this option is designed to give heavier bikes light handling, sharp braking and long wear life.

The new Battlax BT-023 will be available in European markets from February 2010. I e mailed Bridgestone today and they confirm the launch is on schedule and to contact them in 4 weeks for further details.

Weather Window

Heavy overnight rain has cleared all but the most persistent remnants of snow, however, flooding and standing water are the current hazard. The rain should clear overnight meaning Sunday is looking good for the first ride of 2010. I for one can’t wait. With 16,200 miles on the odometer and only 2 weeks to go for the k1300gt’S first birthday, I’m now well short of my 20,000 mile annual target!!

New Grandson

 

The waiting is finally over. Our youngest son and his partner gave birth to a strapping 8lb 9 oz baby boy around 9.30am yesterday morning. Mother and baby are doing fine and were able to leave hospital today. Due to work, I couldn’t make it to the hospital yesterday so had to wait until this evening for my first look and cuddle. The picture is of a very proud dad and his son. Mum is enjoying an early night as she has had little, if any, sleep since her waters broke 2.00am yesterday!!

Motorcycle Road Tax Petition

The BMF are asking that in this an election year, all motorcyclists should sign-up to show the strength of feeling over motorcyclists and motorcycling being treated unfairly.

Angered that under the Chancellor’s recent pre-budget report, road tax rates for motorcycles are set to increase this year, the British Motorcyclists Federation have set up a petition on the No 10 website asking the Prime Minister to intervene and stop the increases. The BMF say that at a time of economic hardship and when sales of motorcycles are already down some 27% year on year, it makes no sense for any government to increase taxes on motorcycle ownership. Unlike the car world where motorists and the motoring industry have benefited from the car scrappage scheme, conversely, due to the weak pound, the price of motorcycles has increased and now motorcyclists are to be faced with a Vehicle Excise Duty increases of between 4% and 6% – and this at a time when the Consumer Prices Index is only 1.9%! The BMF’s Government Relations Executive Chris Hodder said: “This is all wrong. While in monetary terms the increases of between £2 and £4 are admittedly quite small, it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the principle of increasing owner taxation at a time of economic hardship when the motorcycle industry is struggling to stay solvent.”  The petitions says: We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop the increases in motorcycle tax proposed for 2010 Given that the motorcycle industry is facing some of its darkest days with sales slumping by around 25-30%, it makes no sense for any government to increase taxes on motorcycle ownership as is proposed in the Pre-Budget Report. We petition the government to support the motorcycle industry as it has the car industry and freeze or lower Vehicle Excise Duty and provide some other stimuli for the industry and not to attack it further by increasing the cost of ownership for law-abiding citizens. The petition can be found at:

Click here for the E petition

Proper snow!!

I can’t get my breath, the weather forecasters have actually got it right. The token snowfalls we have been experiencing over the festive period pale into insignificance with today’s 6 inch deposit – o’er missus – with more on the way tonight. Needless to say, the whole area is in turmoil, with local towns gridlocked, cars in ditches, trucks jacknifed, public services at a standstill and local schools closed. It looks like the mighty K will remain in the garage for the foreseeable future. Oh well, more polishing.

Snow & Ice Return

My weather eye suggested Saturday or Sunday had the potential to be a riding day with a trip to the east coast for festive fish and chips high on the agenda. We know how to live in mining country – now’t but the best cuisine – lol. Seriously though, we usually manage a day at the seaside during the long Christmas break. There is nothing better than a ride out on a cold, clear day followed by a saunter down the beach to revitalise then fish and chips to restore the inner warmth. Well, apart from a clear, warm, sunny day and a bloody good steak that is – lol.

This would be the first year we have missed out!! More snow on Saturday put paid to any hopes of riding the bike. Not much snow, maybe a centimetre or two, mostly wet and slushy, so I had my fingers crossed that it would turn to rain overnight and magically disappear. Err no. Actually, it froze like crazy, add another dusting of snow during the early hours of Sunday and the clear but wet main road at the bottom of the photo may as well be on Mars. Oh well, maybe I’ll remove the front calipers today and clean the 2 or 3 millimetres that lay behind, after all, it is the only bit left to do!!