Motoring Discussion > Bit of January dash....	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: R.P.	Replies: 24

New Sun 6 Jan 13 19:24   Bit of January dash.... - R.P.

The only bike in the garage road ready today (with tyres and levels checked) was the Kawasaki ER-6F and that was the weapon of choice for today's trip - First part of the blast was the A55/A525 to Denbigh - a well worn route for me, passing through the still recovering (from the floods) city of St Asaph en-route. Stop there for a quick snack and then teamed up with a friend taking some back roads to the B4501 and on past the Llyn Brenig reservoir to Cerrigydrudion and then the A5 to Betws y Coed for a brew and then home via the Llanberis Pass and Llanberis. Not at all cold today, wearing my AlpineStar winter gloves, my fingers seemed a little "too" warm...Helmet sun visor down at one point, a little fine drizzle at the 330meter point but other wise dry roads all the way. Part of me regretted not taking the GS today - a mile muncher that wouldn't have even burped at the B4501's beautifully graded sweeping bends - but the Kwaker does deliver on roads like this, maybe not as sure footed or quick - but far more flickable. Nice afternoon out - not much traffic at all. Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 6 Jan 13 at 19:25 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 6 Jan 13 19:46   Bit of January dash.... - Robin O'Reliant

First run since Christmas on the GPZ today (virtually the same bike as yours). I'm getting back into it now and thoroughly enjoying it. Couple of things to sort, leaking clutch cover gasket which is slight enough to leave till the next oil change and I've got to find a better pair of mirrors, the stock ones are useless unless unless you like admiring your fingers. Extenders cost just under £50 a pair!!!! Sorted one irritating problem, it had a tendency to cut out after a high speed blast but restarted straight away again. A quick poke cleared the blocked vent hole in the fuel filler and solved the problem. Roll on summer now, thank God I kept all the gear when I sold my last bike. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 6 Jan 13 19:49   Bit of January dash.... - R.P.

Can't beat it. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 6 Jan 13 22:05   Bit of January dash.... - Ted

Best fun you can have with your clothes on ! Ted Reply to this message | Report message       1

New Sun 6 Jan 13 22:21   Bit of January dash.... - R.P.

I had my "onsie" on underneath my textile jacket and leather pants - excellent Base layer made to keep biker's warm ! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 6 Jan 13 22:27   Bit of January dash.... - Zero

The dragon animal onesie? the tail must be a real pain. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 6 Jan 13 23:52   Bit of January dash.... - Armel Coussine

And the Hello Kitty facemask when you lift your visor... Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 07:25   Bit of January dash.... - R.P.

Had a bit of a "moment" which certainly makes you re-asses yourself and other factors. On a roundabout, slightly damp standard surface, I felt the whole plot wobble - I was a little zoned out thinking of other things - put it down to diesel spillage. Horrible stuff. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 08:32   Bit of January dash.... - -

I'm not a biker but i thought of you lot t'other day. Came back up the A43 semi off road broken surfaced damp dual carriageway northbound past Brackley up to Northampton, on every roundabout was the all colours of the spectrum trail where the NS mounted tank of a passing vehicle had left its deposit. The main spillage was as expected to the NS of the road just before the vehicle that caused it passed the inside corner apex as you left the roundabout and going under power to continue up the carriageway. I thought at the time that if someone deliberately wanted to target bikers he'd be hard pressed to put the spillage in a worse/better spot to catch a press on rider straightening the roundabouts. Made my empty artic feel light enough, could easily have spun me out if i hadn't noticed despite the OS wheels running on clean surface, perish the thought of not spotting that on a bike giving it some beans. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 10:53   Bit of January dash.... - Fenlander

It's my habit to test a new-to-me cars handling on the limit, and effect of the traction and stability control systems, in the first weeks of ownership. Always on deserted roads with wide run-offs and in damp/wet road conditions too. What I'll never risk is doing this on the otherwise ideal nearby roundabouts that link local roads to the A1(M) due to the large amound of lorry traffic and potential for deposited diesel. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 11:39   Bit of January dash.... - Manatee

I usually choose a wet roundabout for that...! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 14:39   Bit of January dash.... - Zero

>> It's my habit to test a new-to-me cars handling on the limit, and effect of >> the traction and stability control systems, in the first weeks of ownership. Always on deserted >> roads with wide run-offs and in damp/wet road conditions too. >> >> What I'll never risk is doing this on the otherwise ideal nearby roundabouts that link >> local roads to the A1(M) due to the large amound of lorry traffic and potential >> for deposited diesel. I too always rack a new car to the limit somewhere to find out what its foibles are, in dry, wet and slippy (diesel is fine) conditions. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 14:48   Bit of January dash.... - No FM2R

I don't. I don't drive fast enough or hard enough for it to matter. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 15:00   Bit of January dash.... - Fenlander

>>>diesel is fine Despite only being a biker for 3yrs in the early days I've never lost my respect for the diesel rainbow. Last edited by: Fenlander on Mon 7 Jan 13 at 15:01 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 15:25   Bit of January dash.... - Ted

You can smell the damn stuff as you pass over it.......given me the wobblies now and again, as has loose gravel on little used country lanes. Some farmers were splashing derv about on the Cat & Fiddle a few years ago to upset bikers. Police issued an open warning to the effect that someone might be facing manslaughter charges if it all went frupnys up. Ted Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 17:44   Bit of January dash.... - Zero

>> >>>diesel is fine >> >> Despite only being a biker for 3yrs in the early days I've never lost my >> respect for the diesel rainbow. I didnt mean it wasn't slippy, I meant thats its an ok thing to practices your skills on. Its the diesel you don't see thats the issue when on a bike. At least in water its visible. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 15:25   Bit of January dash.... - Armel Coussine

>> I don't drive fast enough or hard enough for it to matter. It's when you or someone else forces you into hard evasive action that it matters. That sends a lot of people up trees FMR. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 15:53   Bit of January dash.... - DP

>> It's when you or someone else forces you into hard evasive action that it matters. >> That sends a lot of people up trees FMR. Couldn't agree more. The ESP on the BMW is very very good, but if you are particularly ham fisted with the car, or make extreme inputs, the car can and does still move around in ways that a FWD car simply doesn't. Better to get used to this so it doesn't catch you out. The electronics are good, but they are not foolproof. Even our mk4 Golf which is a "safe" understeerer in 99% of situations can wag its tail on occasion, particularly if asked to change direction suddenly in the wet, while going downhill. It's caught both of us out before. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 16:27   Bit of January dash.... - No FM2R

>>but if you are particularly ham fisted with the car, or make extreme inputs Fortunately I learned how to drive and don't do that. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 16:38   Bit of January dash.... - Armel Coussine

>> >> make extreme inputs >> Fortunately I learned how to drive and don't do that. One day you may suddenly and unexpectedly have to, to prevent something worse happening. It may not be your fault FMR. There are other vehicles/pedestrians/cyclists on the road and they don't always do the expected. But if you insist that it can never happen to you, then don't bother to find out which end of your car unsticks first under provocation and how it does it. I always try to explore that with any unfamiliar car, with more caution these days than at one time, but merely out of curiosity. Or interest, call it. Tsk! What are you doing in a motoring website anyway? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 17:44   Bit of January dash.... - Zero

>> >>but if you are particularly ham fisted with the car, or make extreme inputs >> >> Fortunately I learned how to drive and don't do that. Some of us are not boring old farts. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 17:49   Bit of January dash.... - Armel Coussine

>> Fortunately I learned how to drive and don't do that. And looking at that again, I can't help noticing something just a teeny weeny bit well, er, pompous about its tone. Live by the sword FMR... heh heh slash slash Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 22:06   Bit of January dash.... - No FM2R

>>Some of us are not boring old farts. Which of those three are you denying? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 22:10   Bit of January dash.... - Zero

you choose If you dare. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 7 Jan 13 23:29   Bit of January dash.... - No FM2R

Well... You're older than me. You're certainly a fart. I guess I'll concede the boring. Reply to this message | Report message