From the Archives

From the drawer.

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!

First Ride of 2022

The first ride was on Friday 21st April. I have been out on the V-Strom quite a few times since the turn of the year.

This time I swapped the bikes around in the garage and pulled Suzi out. 

Choke down. Ignition on. Nice healthy green light. Press starter. Loads of cranking. No start.

Move fuel tap to prime and repeat. Second press on the starter and we have life.

I decided to fill the tank. At this point I couldn't remember when it was last filled. In Hythe BP it took just over 7 litres...

Felt a bit squirrelly on the way back so checked front tyre. Only 12 psi! Pumped up to 36 with the electric hand held.

Looking good for Sunday and the Meldrews' breakfast meet.

Also just short of 76000 miles.

Engine almost finished

The engine is almost completed now. 

Isn't that a sight for sore eyes!  

Kettle Archive - From a 2012 post on another blog

I guess I am not alone in having a huge collection of photographs taken before the digital age?  Thought not.

So I thought I'd look out a few and scan them in.  I have a collection of pics taken of the Kettle (Water Buffalo or Wasserbuffel) on a few runs out and a couple of trips in Austria for the Wasserbuffel Club's rally at Schloss Moosham.

1993 - Garage in Zastavka on the trickle charger

1993 - Hundertwasser Autobahn Services

1993 - On the alpine road

1999 - Maltatal waterfall

Woburn Abbey Deer Park

The next little batch are all from the 1993 Wasserbuffel Treffen.  The treffen is hosted in the Schloss at Moosham, and a lot of the hardier types camp, others stay in the apartments across the road, and some in the nearest town of Mauterndorf.

Twenty-seven years ago (nearly!) I was booked in the youth hostel a few miles away but one of the German guys said to share their room as they had a big room in the gasthof and a spare bed.  They took pity on me as I was from the Czech Republic, so that it costs me nothing, apart from the odd beer to repay them all.

We stayed in this Gasthof

My GT in the centre with the Eddie Lawson replica Shoei

Schloss Moosham's apartments on right

With Thomas Wahle on a ride around the mountains (1993)

My GT front right

Mauterndorf 

Exhausts

Dr Phil messaged to say he had a set of standard pipes that would be perfect. The seller wants £400 for them.

I took a few hours to think about it. He says they will clean up beautifully and they are about £300 less than new expansion chambers.

So let's go with that. I don't think Phil would sell me a pup. All the other work he is doing will make the bike look superb.