Classic Choices

Two very different interpretations of what a classic should be.

Above is Eamon's unmolested Moto Guzzi SP 250 which he brought over from Ireland, and below a fully-restored and extremely shiny BSA Gold Star owned by a bloke from England. 

Each to their own, but I have to say that I much prefer the wee Guzzi.

(Spotted at MZ rally in Wales)

The Scream

(Spotted at MZ rally in Wales)

Weekend Reading

Trailer Queen

From Facebook

Terra Nova

Interesting bike at my work this morning. It's a Derbi Terra 125.

A proper full size motorcycle for learners squarely aimed at prospective adventure bike riders. Very tidy it is too. I'd be curious to know how it compares to the other small 125s on the market.

Carry On Again

  
As mentioned in an earlier post I had acquired a small Renntec rack for the TT600. I fitted it this evening and I am very pleased with both how easy it was to fit and how it looks now it's on.

However, I think that I'll lose the plastic seat hump thingy as it looks a bit odd now, and it is stopping me strapping anything to the pillion seat. It's also likely to get scratched/damaged and I'd prefer the option of returning the bike to the way I got it should I decide to sell it later.

Under Cover

Heading to North Wales for a spot of camping this weekend. Here’s hoping that the Weather Gods are kind to us. It’s a long way to ride in the rain for the chance of a pint or two with friends.

Carry On

My recent trip to Ireland showed up the TT600’s serious lack of luggage carrying capacity. I know that it’s a sports bike, and not really supposed to do much of that sort of thing, but it’s a pain if you want to go anywhere for the weekend on it.

A quick hunt online turned up the fact that Renntec make a small rack that bolts right on. So, I ordered one from a company in England. It was supposed to arrive in 2-3 days, but there was some sort of problem at their end, for which they apologised, and it took over a week.

It arrived today, and very nice it is too. It’s a useful size without being too obtrusive. There are some simple instructions and a handful of nuts and bolts for fitting it, although I’ll be using stainless ones instead.

Oh, and as an apology for the delay they included a half-decent disc lock. This was nice of them, it will probably get donated to the raffle at whatever rally I next attend.

 

Chilly Digits

That’s the heated-grips gone. Removing them was fairly straightforward as they weren’t spliced into the wiring loom. It took me about fifteen minutes in total.

Simply unclip the various wires which had been cable-tied here and there, remove the leads from the battery terminals, and take off the small plate that had been attached to the left-hand handlebar cluster for the control element.

Having done that, just fit the new rubber grips and tidy everything up.

If you’re wondering about the can of hairspray, I find it really useful for fitting grips. It’s liquid when wet, so helps the grips slide onto the ’bars, and dries to a tacky finish, which stops them moving about once they’re on. 

Edit: I took the bike in to work today and it's a vast improvement. The grips feel "right" and you can now feel the throttle response, where before it was a bit spongy and vague. Much better.