Taxed again!

One of the benefits of having a classic bike is registration as historic. 

Road tax is free and there's no mot test either.

Suzi taxed and insured again for another year.

From the Archives

From the drawer.

Tip Run Kettle Finds .

Whilst clearing a load of stuff from the garage for a tip.run, I opened up my old Freewheel Shuttle trailer.

It's been buried under pile of stuff for years probably since we moved here in 2001!!! The lid has almost fallen off and the hitch is very rusty. I should have done this year's before and towed it to the tip when I had the Insignia. Now it's going to be a problem getting rid of it. It's past repair. Such a shame but it needs to go.

What did I find? A tent. Some blankets. A groundsheet. But more importantly a black GT750 tank with flap and a key but no filler cap or tap. I knew it was there though.

But what was more interesting was a box with "rear mudguard" on. The postal address to me, was at my previous address. So it had to have been before April 2001!!!

When it arrived I stashed it away and it found its way into my old trailer.  I hadn't even opened the package.

I'll do that tomorrow. I can't even remember buying it. I guess it would have been eBay.

The black tank is another matter. This would have been around 1995 or so. A guy got my contact details from the Suzuki Owners Club and emailed me. He gave me the tank and some other small parts for free.  

Something that never happens nowadays in the modern world.

I am praying that after 20+ years wrapped in bubble wrap in a box, and in the trailer, it's not a rusty one like the one on the bike.

I also found another small box containing 4 brand new indicators.... Photo blurred, and two mint silver side panels!

I posted on the Kettle Club FB page but it got deleted. Sharing your good luck is good,  not on the Kettle Club sites though!

Suzuki Day @ The Ace Cafe

I am torn. 

I can only go to one event over the weekend. 

Either

Suzuki Day at the Ace Cafe in West London on Sunday.

or

Oldham Athletic away at Southend United on Saturday....

Which will it be, With all the best will in the world I'd love to go to the Ace Cafe on the Kettle.  But I really like the trip to Southend on the V-Strom for football.

Coin toss up?

Meldrews' Fifth Sunday!

Amazing. The weather forecast for today was ... Accurate!! Truly.

Our meeting for the Fifth Sunday was to be the Cliff Top Café at Capel le Ferne, between Folkestone and Dover. 

The café is under new management. They smile now when you are ordering. They are also dog friendly, something the previous owner wasn't. 

The café is as its name suggests on the cliff top. Some 200 feet below is the railway line between Dover and Folkestone. And the English Channel of course.

We had a coffee and bacon sandwich and a chat about things in general before setting off home.

The sunshine started to waver. My route back was into Folkestone down the A20. It seems that the 40mph limit is only advisable if you own an Audi A3.... After being tailgated down the hill I decided to come down to the harbour and out along the coast.

The sun came out again. Today was "Kate Bush Day" on the harbour arm and there were loads of women of a certain age in red dresses all over the town. 

It was very windy though for the last part. A quick stop for essential stuff in Aldi and I was home before the rain started.

It wasn't much, but it has become persistent. Drizzle. Rain. Drizzle.

So another few miles under the wheels. 

Suzi.... Awaaaay!

Today the weather did the opposite to the forecast. Instead of rain in the afternoon it has been ☀️!

So rather than slog about on the bus, I went on the bike. I pulled the Kettle out and she started second press on the button. I am sure it would have been first if I had forgotten to depress the choke lever.

The bike is lower than the V-Strom and I can get both feet flat on the ground. 

Once on the move with the BT46 tyres it steers very quickly. The first time out I tended to oversteer a little until I got used to the balance and steer.

So today it was like a dream. Just a short ride to Folkestone Invicta for the football. 

After the last longer ride to Gibson's Farm Shop, today was very short. 

I decided to put some fuel in to see what mpg I was getting especially after the "spirited" ride the other day.

An amazing 38.2mpg..... Maybe as it frees up....

Meldrews 5th Sunday in the month?

This Sunday, 30th June, is the fifth Sunday. Our "not really a club" club, The Meldrews, usually have a run out to commemorate this auspicious day.  

So. Kettle or not go?  That is the question.

I will have to give it another good clean if it rains, and rain it is forecast to do!  But. When dry I love the old girl.

Tank badge bolts!

Even gold is cheaper!

On my ride yesterday one of these came loose and when I touched the badge in the garage it made a leap to freedom!  

Of course.  No mater how much stuff I pulled out. Could I find the little bugger!  Of course not.  As they are rusty and it is necessary to ensure that the bike is better than when it came out of the factory in 1976, I have to source new ones. One pain of being excommunicated from the Sect. Having my GT750 badge ceremoniously removed.

So I located the part number on Robinson's Suzuki Parts list. They are still available.  Only £4.32 each. I managed to find a seller on eBay that had then at only (!) £3.19 each!

Wow. Do I feel better now knowing that every eye will check the bike over and see the new bolts!  :)

First Ride Out for Ages!

After almost a week on the battery charger, on and off not continuously, I decided as it was actually dry today, to pop it back in and press the "go" button.

Immediate success. It took four stabs of the button with the choke down and she burbled into life.

It's 39 years since I brought her home from the Suzuki dealers in Hanwell, West London.

That burble and the odd pop and rattle is music to my ears.

I got togged up and set off for a short ride around. By the time I'd got on the main rode I had to switch the tap to "RES".

The tank took £20 or 13.9 litres to fill to the top. 

Then I was off, Folkestone, Hawkinge then down to Gibson's Farm Shop at Wingham.

Letting her run in a sweet spot around 50mph on the speedometer. On the short bit of the M20 I did run her up to 70. Smoothly in top gear just opening the throttle gently.

She had a rest whilst I was inside buying cherries 🍒. These are from their own orchard and £2.99 a punnet and BOGOF.

I added a pork pie too. Also sourced locally ... 😉

The ride back through Elham Valley at a lower pace was very relaxing.

I was home about an hour and three-quarters after leaving. 

As V-Strom is off the road with an expired test certificate it does leave Suzi with the job of being the bike I can ride. But before any more miles go under the wheels it's cleaning and polishing time!

Once indoors I put the fuel stop into Fuelly. The result was one on the best mpg's since she was put back into service.

Dead as a dodo!

Okay, the bike hasn't been used much this year. Other commitments and of course, weather. 

So it was still has a little surprise when even with the power pack (that can start a 2 litre diesel car!) there was nothing but a click.

As I no longer have a battery charger I was a little stuck. The battery is a Motobatt and usually it's very good at keeping the charge levels up. 

First stop was to pop into Halford's and Argos online to see that they have. I don't have any power in the garage and so I had to opt for one that I can use in the house. I opted for a 4amp charger and picked it up for £22.  It's cheap but seems to have decent reviews though.

Once the battery was out of the bike I had it set up on the table in the conservatory.  I had expected, according to the instructions, that the needle would be way over the right and as the battery charges it would swing to the left. It started off in the middle.

It's been on now for only about and hour as has moved slightly to the left!  

Bit blurred!

Fingers crossed. 

P.S. It's nearly a year since I last posted!

Random Pix from today!

Just some pics I took testing the new memory card in the Nikon D50.

Thursday Ride-Out

With the Kettle Club meet on Sunday in Rye I decided to get the bike out and give her a short run.

It took a few kicks to get her to start. Not a lot of action from the electric boot.

First stop was Six Mile Garage to fill the tank. I couldn't remember when I last filled up and so 14.05 litres seemed a reasonable amount to squeeze in. Suzi still wasn't on reserve so I didn't know how much I could squeeze out of her.

She started first press of the button. Of course.

I set off back the way I had come and took a run down the M20 to Folkestone and then up to the Battle of Britain Memorial. Purely to put some miles under the tyres.

Another quick jab on the button to start and back into Folkestone to drop into Bob's for some whelks. One kick to start this time.

A smooth run back.  Another thirty or so miles since the rebuild. Run in yet?

Fuelly shows she has done 506 miles since she came back last year. Averaging around 34.5 to the gallon. Not the highest but getting better than the high twenties from the past!!!

British Bike Night - June 23rd 2022

Some pics from tonight's bike night.

I went on the GT and then parked behind this one! Gulp. Where mine is pretty much standard with work still to be done, this is absolutely fantastic piece of work.

My Old Girl!

At the end of the evening, or atl east when I was tired of walking around, I had a little trouble getting Suzi to start!  She wouldn't start on the electric started and took a few kicks to get her to slowly pick up. 

Before I go far in future I need to make sure that the battery is well topped up.