skellyworld

Stavros

2011-01-26T00:55:00.003Z

So, Jenny Gow has gone from the paddock of the premier grid of motorcycle racing. Well, fuck me backwards, what a surprise. Never mind the cuts at the BBC, it has everything to do with the fact that she couldn't tell one end of a bike from the other. Even the football nutters have heard of Valentino Rossi, so her knowledge was a little lacking when she noted him as a world champion, but I, for one, would prefer to hear the gossip from the pits. Forget the Y-factor, or whatever, let me know what the riders really feel and I'm a happy bloke as long as some geezer with experience is commentating. Bring it on, Stavros.

Guilty Pleasures

2010-08-31T01:45:00.000+01:00

For some it’s a sneaky bar of chocolate or maybe a cream cake during a diet. For others it may be something more clandestine, such as a secret liaison or subscribing to one of the many freely available porn channels. For me though, it’s nothing more sinister than watching “cop shows” on the TV.

In no way would I describe myself as a meddling do-gooder, but I do like to have some indication as to where my tax money is being spent, and I would like to know how the Police are tackling crime. Official figures are about as much use as a chocolate teapot, massaged by whichever corrupt and self-centred group now calling themselves the Government are in power. Don’t get me wrong, I would need a lobotomy to believe that the media are presenting me with a full and honest picture, but just as in the old movies, where good and bad were clearly defined and the good always triumphed, I would like to see the good guys winning.

Being tarred with the same brush is something that most people have to either endure or ignore, depending on their place in the social hierarchy, but from a motorcyclists point of view and particularly from mine, it’s a bit of a downer. Ride a cruiser and the common perception is that you are either a 1% wannabe or a total wanker, either way you are going too slow and can’t handle bends in the road. Ride a street bike and you are either a newbie or not hard-core enough, and if you ride a sports bike then you are either a riding god or a hooligan. As I currently ride a street bike and have been riding for 30 years I don’t fit in to the first category, and as I ride every day, whatever the weather, I don’t fit into the second, either. I suppose that this goes to show that perceptions can be wrong and that sweeping generalisations are very, very wide of the mark, usually bordering upon insulting.

So when I indulged in my guilty pleasure tonight and watched a cop show on BBC1, I was left with mixed feelings. All of the motorcyclists who were caught doing stupid things were riding sports bikes, and all of them were well into their 30’s and 40’s. Wrinkly ninjas trying to recapture or re-invent their youth. I’d be comfortable blaming the media for slanting this story but I have seen it for myself. At places like Box Hill where the latest, greatest and fastest sports bikes were ridden by middle-aged men who should know better. Their uniform of big-name clothing and power-ranger designs reflecting their earning capacity rather than their riding ability or sense of style.

Sure, I get upset sometimes by the half a dozen eejits tearing around on their scooters, but that’s mainly because of the noise these damned things make, usually when I‘m trying to watch TV. But then I remember my biking past and smile about it. At one time we all rode two stroke machines and I’m happy that they have discovered two wheels. What truly disturbs me is that middle-aged men are being caught for behaving like idiots and the media blames the youth. This may be true where cars are concerned as the under 25’s, who only make up 15% of the four wheeled fraternity account for ¼ of all road deaths, but on two wheels, it’s those in their mid 30’s to mid 40’s and riding sports bikes who are doing the most damage. To themselves and to motorcycling as a whole.

Smells like....

2010-08-25T02:34:00.000+01:00

I use my bike to commute to work and I use it to visit friends. It would be fair to say that unless it has snowed overnight, I use my bike every day of the year. I also drive a car, and there are times when this is the only sensible option. It could be that using both forms of transport makes me more aware of the hazards of two wheels, but it makes me angry when I discover that over 60% of motorcycle deaths are caused by car drivers. And those who choose two wheels are forced to endure ever stricter tests and engine capacity limits. It’s not the bikers who need to be trained to recognise their own mortality but the nutters who drive ever bigger cars and believe that they are invincible.

As an example, I followed a car this evening who legitimately turned right at a traffic island. The driver slowed their vehicle, indicated and proceeded with caution to make the turn. Then, from the left a Volvo appeared and ignored the car in front of me, who had to brake harshly. The driver of the car in front blared his horn at this total idiot and the reply was a single finger salute. Thankfully I was 20 metres behind the car and could avoid the near accident, but when I pulled up to the cash-point behind the same driver, I could see that he was still angry.

I could empathise with him but wondered about the twat in the Volvo. If he was prepared to crash into a car just to get around the traffic island first, regardless of the consequences, how would a biker fare? Very badly is my conclusion. But even so, those wanting to pass their bike test have to beware of these nutters and take avoiding action, regardless of their own safety. If they don’t they will be classed as accidents waiting to happen and the authorities will never punish the numpty with 2 weeks driving experience and the 200 hp car.

New and young bikers have to deal with a 33 hp restrictor to limit their exuberance, but new drivers could, hypothetically, hit the roads with a Porsche Carerra GT3 or something with similar performance.

Why then are we punishing the victims rather than the perpetrators? Why are the victims asked to train harder and suffer a limit to what they can ride, whereas the nutter on four wheels can do as they please? I witnessed it again tonight and I have to wonder what runs through these peoples minds. Bikers don’t drop off trees. We have families and friends who would miss us and depend on us. If we were killed by a nutter on four wheels, do they think that this would be worth getting around the traffic island first, or cutting us up when we overtake.

As radical as it seems, many bikers are asking their governments that before anyone can take their car license they must have two years experience of riding a motorcycle. Draconian as it is, I’m prepared to agree with them. I am disgusted at the ineptitude and thorough negligence of car drivers. It makes my blood boil that they have scant regard for other road users, but even more that they care about the victims less than they care about themselves.

Has any biker had the excuse that they were using a mobile phone and therefore didn’t see the victim? No. But this is enough to prosecute the biker and send them to the courts for negligence. We have to watch out for you, but you don’t have to watch out for us. Smells of laziness, I say.

The Blurb Says .....

2010-08-17T01:18:00.000+01:00

Whenever I’m interested in a product or service, I like to gather as much information as possible. Under certain circumstances this could lead to a little lack of spontaneity, but as I’m not ridiculously wealthy I’ve never parted with large amounts of cash spontaneously. After reading the press blurb about the apparent virtues of the product or service, I will undoubtedly attempt to find reviews by people who have actually parted with their own money for it. These, I find, are usually far more enlightening and although I’m prepared to admit that some have their own axe to grind, most are invaluable.

The biggest noise in the U.K. motorcycling press is most likely Motor Cycle News, and the nicest aspect for those of us who are considering purchasing a new or second-hand bike, is that they have hundreds of reviews. Click on a link and it’s possible to read what the MCN journalist had to say, but scroll down the page and you can read what people who bought the bike with their own money have to say. And there is often a huge discrepancy.

For instance:
MCN - Tour by all means (it’s plush enough).
Owner - It does give cramp on long treks.

MCN - Six-footers may find an SV650 a little cramped.
Owner - I'm 6' 2" and have no problems with the bike.

MCN - The rest of the bike suffers from famously-bad build quality.
Owner - Build quality was not as bad as the press would tell you.

And so it goes on. And on. And on. A never-ending disagreement between those who are given something which they can destroy and walk away from and those who have put their hand in their own pocket to pay for the privilege.

I ask myself why we even bother? News reporting seems to be a matter of relaying Government statistics, the Press is owned by very few powerful people with their own axe to grind and impartiality has long since left the building.

All hail the owners review.

Status Quo

2010-07-30T01:00:00.001+01:00

A couple of years ago I was asked by a non-motorcyclist why they should get into biking. I rattled off the usual list of reasons including the feeling of freedom, cheaper running costs and every emotive experience I could conceive, but I was floored when they then asked me why bikes were so ridiculously expensive.

Yes, the top-of-the-range sports bikes are technologically at the cutting edge, but most bikes are not in this category. Most rely on well tried and well tested components, in many cases over a decade old. A new set of stickers and a trendy paint job do not warrant a price-hike, but this doesn’t seem to be the way that the manufacturers think. They are convinced that we will all pay an extra months salary for this supposed update, and they are right. Without a doubt there will be those who simply must have the latest model, and with their cash in their hands, stake out a place in the dealers showroom to show their level of commitment. The fact that these people are usually dressed in the latest “Power Ranger” leathers from an overly expensive brand does not go unnoticed. They are the weekend warriors who stop being an accountant or personnel manager at five on a Friday and call themselves “Mad Dog” or “Rocket Ronnie” on Saturday. They have money to burn and a garage full of bikes which they could sell, but are not prepared to let anything out of their sight, even though they have not used these bikes for many years. They want a big return on their investment, and are prepared to buy up everything which they can afford in the hope of making even more money in the future.

So, curious of how things may have changed in the last two years, I asked a non-biker the same question, only this time it was me asking them why they didn’t consider motorcycling as an option. The answer I received was similar, but not the same. This person was into big power and although they were prepared to consider a bike, asked me to tell them what they, or any other car driver could get for their money that would make it worth it. Power, comfort and all the gadgets were my criteria, so I brought up the MCN website and the Autotrader website in different tabs for a quick comparison.

After fifteen minutes we had three and four litre cars with full leather and electrics, all in lovely condition and all for a maximum of £700, so now we had a benchmark. I checked the MCN website and found that the best option was a bike which was four years older and would cost a small fortune in insurance costs. The car was a BMW 540i and the bike a Kawasaki ZZR 1100. Given my love of motorcycles and touring, I’d have gone for the bike, but when you consider that it was £250 more expensive than the car, it’s easy to see why the car wins every time.

My suggestion to all of you who hoard bikes which you do not ride is to release them onto the market and get more people on to two wheels. If you don’t we’ll all have to become accountants, pay ludicrous amounts of money to ride or endure old technology whilst being left behind by our four-wheeled cousins. You choose.

The Nutter on the Bus

2010-07-29T01:17:00.003+01:00

I have little doubt that my interests draw me, and most other people, to those with similar interests. My love of motorcycles has given me a range of friends and acquaintances who also appreciate this travel option, and since my return to the UK, I have been lucky enough to have a friend who has loaned me a motorcycle. I pay all of the bills, i.e. Road Tax, Insurance and maintenance, and it’s on a you-break-it-you-fix-it basis, but I’m grateful, all the same.

The bike in question is a 2004 Suzuki GS500, a model which seems to have been around for ever and is a favourite for rider training. Compared to my last, and sadly now deceased bike, it’s underpowered, slow handling and totally un-glamorous, but it is comfortable, cheap to run and attracts no attention from would-be bike thieves. Utilitarian is a word which springs to mind, and whilst this may be the case, it’s also changed the way I think about what I actually want a bike to do.

I use this unassuming ride to commute for five days out of seven and it has performed admirably. I have also used it to meet up with the aforementioned friends and acquaintances once or twice a week and it has proved to be reliable, plus, its lack of power has kept me out of trouble with those who have flashing blue lights. Sure, it has zero credibility and I initially had to endure many jibes, but when I began to explain the reasons why it had changed my way of thinking about bikes, a lot of chin-rubbing ensued. My arguments were apparently making sense as those around me began to see my logic.

What I want, or more correctly, need, is a reliable and easy-to-work-on motorcycle which will take me to my destination and back with the least amount of mechanical hassles. Yes, there are tourers which are purpose-made for the job, but they cost a stupid amount of money and I am not interested in entering into that level of debt. In fact, I don't want to gain any level of debt. The people, the sights and the experience are all I crave, but if my theory about like minds attracting each other is correct, then why do I seem to attract the nutter on the bus?

Reality Bites

2010-07-21T00:32:00.006+01:00

My general view on life is that working for a living is the surest way to destroy a social life. Without a doubt, I would be a very happy lottery winner. Having the time and cash to experience all of the things I'd love to do, rather than have to do, would be truly wonderful.

I've never understood those people who tell me that suddenly coming into a huge amount of money wouldn't change them or their way of life. My first question to them is always to ask why they are trying to win a huge amount of money if their life is already perfect. I suspect that there is more than they are willing to admit to. Maybe their aspirations are a little less adventurous than mine. A fortnight in Spain or a cruise around the Caribbean are not what would head my "to do" list. Oh no. For me it would be riding a motorcycle through some awe-inspiring landscape, meeting the locals and experiencing the culture which surrounded me. I'm sure that my time in America and Australia have given me the inspiration to do it again, but reality bites.

Since being back in Blighty I've been working my ass off trying to catch up with all off those unpaid, and unwanted, bills. But I've also been trying to decide where to go next, and on what. I've read tales about three Australian guys trying to drive a hearse from the UK to Oz, three British blokes driving an electric milk float from the furthest point East to the furthest point West in the UK and everything in between. All of them have inspired me to do something, but exactly what has eluded me. My fall-back is motorcycling, so I've recently tried to focus on that as a starting point, assuming that the rest will follow.

My later ramblings will be concerned with this very quest, but should anyone have any ideas, I'd be very interested to hear them.

Horses for Courses

2010-02-08T23:44:00.004Z

After taking a belated "gap year" I now find myself back in Blighty. After six months of pootling around Colorado, USA, on something called a Heritage Softtail Classic and a further six months in Sydney, Australia, on a Triumph Sprint ST, I'm begining to wonder whether or not I've made the right move. Let me explain.

The jaunt to Colorado was to see what can euphamistically be called an old friend. She's done very well for herself in the time that she's been living there, and although she was keen on bikes before she emigrated, she never passed her bike test. This was addressed soon after she moved, and being both surrounded and influenced by, shall we agree on "patriotic (?)" locals, bought herself a used 1200cc Harley Sportster. She still had it when I arrived, but after much debate, often late into the night, part-exchanged it for the afore-mentioned Softtail Classic. Never having ridden one before, I was amazed at how low, comfortable, slow and heavy it was. The weight disappeared once we got onto the open road, and it would (and did) cruise all day at the speed limit of 65-70mph, the big screen keeping the worst of the bugs out of my mouth. But what really impressed me was its comfort. The seat is a truly lardy-arse affair and the footboards make far more sense over there than they do over here. I certainly scraped them around the mountain highways, but when I began to take things a little easier, less metal was being left on those stretches of country tarmac. I used this bike on most days, managing to cover around 3000 miles on it, and the longer I rode it, the more I liked it.

After an amazing six months I flew via New York to London, and two weeks later via Singapore to Sydney. My brother and his wife had emmigrated there a few years ago, so accomodation wasn't going to be an issue. It was great to see them, but I was even happier once he showed me his new toy; a year old Triumph Sprint ST. He's been a bike nut as long as I have, and although he threatened to buy a Sprint when he lived here, he couldn't really justify the expense (he is married, after all).

He'd been using a 2001 Honda CBR600F as his daily transport, and I was initially restricted to this, and although it's a perfectly adequate bike, I really wanted to give the Sprint a blast. I encouraged him to ride with me as often as possible, behaving myself as much as I could, and after six weeks he booked himself a long weekend away from work and we set off for places unpronouncable. After two days of nagging he relented and let me ride the big, blue beastie. Ooh, did I like it? You betcha! Smooth, powerful and comfortable. I could see why he wanted one for so long, and Oz seemed like the perfect place to own it. Even miles away from the big city the roads are in really good condition, although it's also really easy to find yourself gently speeding up, which is not a good idea on roads with a 110kph speed limit and cops with 4 litre cars. Oh, and guns.

In all, both bikes were a bit of a revelation. I've toured a bit in the past, always on large capacity Japanese bikes, so the Triumph felt familiar but better than anything I've used before. The Harley, on the other hand, was a new experience, and given the conditions under which I'd used it, was just as good fun. And I never thought that I'd hear myself say that!

What Not To Wear

2008-09-30T21:29:00.000+01:00

It’s the last day of September, so it has been cold and wet here. Not having the use of a bike at the moment, I journeyed into town in a borrowed car today, and when I returned to the car park, my attention was drawn to two young guys on Supermoto-style 125s. I watched them as they blatted past, noticed the L-plates, and watched them again as they came back from the other direction.
What struck me immediately was what they had chosen to wear. As I mentioned, it was cold and raining, so it would not be foolish to imagine that they would be wearing some sort of waterproofs, but no. Both were dressed in sweaters, tracksuit pants and trainers. Neither of them wore gloves. The only piece of protective clothing they wore was a helmet of indiscriminate make. Considering the road and weather conditions, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief.
My recent “off” was a low speed affair as I was travelling in a built up area, but even so, there was some damage to my gear. My AGV helmet protected my bonce perfectly, but is now redundant; my Ninja gloves lost some leather but kept all of the skin on my hands unbroken; my Sidi boots lost a vent toggle and took a bashing, unlike my feet, shins and ankles and my Camo jacket lost a popper whilst preventing any broken bones. The only non-bike wear that I was using was a pair of Wrangler jeans and these were the only items of clothing which had to be binned. I had a couple of cracked ribs, a small degree of “road rash” and the inevitable bruising, but my gear did it’s job.
Although I can appreciate that these youths probably don’t have the finances to buy top quality kit, they should at least have it drummed into them that even inexpensive gear will protect a rider better than trackies and trainers. I’m generally too tight or skint to buy the really expensive stuff, but even the gear I was wearing protected me, as its recent road test proved, whilst these two young guys proved what not to wear.

Bike Damage 1

2008-09-29T19:16:00.002+01:00

This is the damage to my bikes front end as viewed from the left hand side

Bike Damage 2

2008-09-29T19:14:00.000+01:00

This is the damage to my bikes front end as viewed from the front

Bike Damage 3

2008-09-29T19:10:00.001+01:00

This is the damage to my bikes front end as viewed from the right hand side.

The Royal Oak - Leatherhead

2008-09-23T15:08:00.001+01:00

It’s true to say that my favoite pub is the Royal Oak in Leatherhead. The owners, Tina and Colin are totally biker friendly and try to encourage all bikers to frequent this fine establishment.
If you’re looking for a generic pub in the Wetherspoons mode, forget it. This is a pub in the proper, old school sense of the word. But if you’re looking for a place to feel welcome, to relax and talk bikes with like-minded customers, then give this place a try.
Recently they’ve been running a Help for Heroes campaign in an attempt to remove the horror of war from the general public, who are more than happy to send our young into battle, but don’t want to see the outcome. It lasted for three days and was well attended, but the fund raising continues.
Besides the good ale on offer - Speckled Hen, Abbots etc, there’s a lockable car park for those who’ve enjoyed the hospitality a little too much for the authorities and would like to see their bike at a later date. Just let Colin know that you’re leaving your bike overnight and unless the thieving gits turn up with a crane, your bike is safe.
Give it a try and take it from me that the Speckled Hen is worth the visit. Who knows, you may even like it.

It Had To Happen

2008-09-23T15:02:00.001+01:00

Not so long ago, someone said to me that there are two types of motorcyclists; those that have tasted tarmac and those that will. I didn’t give it much thought at the time, especially as I was one of those who had never been unfortunate enough to have had an accident. I’ve been riding motorcycles for 30 years, starting with off road bikes until I was old enough to have a road license, and have progressed through an assortment of the good, the bad and the ugly to arrive at where I am now. I’m no Valentino Rossi and as all of my riding is done on public roads, I have little inclination to ride like a racer. Sure, if the situation presents itself, I’ll pick the pace up and have some fun, but overall I’d say that I ride within my limits. Especially when it’s raining.
And last Friday it was raining and I was taking things easy when some total nutter decided to pull out from a bus stop and perform a “U-turn” in front of me. Being 9:30 in the evening meant that it was dark, but the lights on my bike are more than adequate to see and be seen, and there is plenty of street lighting as the incident happened at a junction next to a school which also has a set of traffic lights. At the crucial moment I decided to lay the bike down rather than T-bone the black BMW which now presented itself as an immoveable blockage in the road ahead of me. Either way it was going to hurt and fuck up my bike, but there wasn’t a lot of time to make in depth decisions and I’d rather chance a few bruises than a broken neck.
The driver of the offending vehicle responded with the usual excuse; “Sorry mate, I didn’t see you”, but as there was no other traffic on the road at the time, and I was travelling at well under the speed limit, I wondered how this could be. The short answer is that he was running late for a party, and ignoring the usual rules of the road seemed a better bet for getting there quickly.
Fortunately for me, I was wearing my Held Camo jacket and Ninja gloves, Sidi boots and AGV helmet, so I wasn’t seriously hurt, but as for my bike, well, that’s a total mess. His car had a few scratches on the rear bumper, and I now have the hassle of not having a bike whilst the insurance companies bicker about how much and how soon they’ll pay. Meanwhile it’s the biker who suffers. No change there, then. But I have joined the club for those who have tasted tarmac, and I have road tested my gear under the most important circumstances. I’d just like to think that it will be the last time I have to take this particular type of test.

Held 6732 Jacket Review

2008-08-04T15:39:00.001+01:00

A couple of months ago the weather flipped itself over and reminded us what warm and dry is. I gave it a week or two, just to see if it was a fleeting aberration, and although there were a few days of drizzle, on the whole, summer seemed to have arrived.
My Spada jacket had been doing its job nicely up until that point, but the thermal lining isn’t removable and I was ending my journeys in a somewhat moistened condition. I’d had my eye on a couple of summer jackets in the shop, and as pay-day neared, I gave each of them more serious consideration.
I had trawled the net in the hope of finding a leather jacket, but I was disappointed. I found that they fitted into at least one of three undesirable groups - 1: traditional/old fashioned, 2: power ranger or 3: overpriced. There was, in my research, a fourth group which was “so ugly that you wouldn’t even buy it as a dare”, but I’m sure that this is subjective, so I thought that I’d give a summer textile jacket a try.
The jacket I eventually settled for is made by Held and is their 6732 Camouflage jacket. It’s available for a very reasonable £79.99, and as a no-nonsense summer-weight jacket, is perfect for everyday use. As the Camo print uses a lot of white in the design it creates the benefit of being more visible, but has the downside that it needs washing more often. There are two zipped pockets on the outside and one pocket on the inside which fastens with velcro, and the jacket fastens with a chunky plastic zip at the front. On my 60 mile round trip to work I’ve found it to be rain-proof and cool, the two most important items on my criteria. The armour which it comes with is best consigned to the bin, although this is upgradeable, but I took mine from my Spada jacket and it fits just fine.
It may be a bit “loud” for a lot of riders, but for me it’s just what I needed and is a nice departure from what I’d usually buy. Right, so where is that urban jungle?

To Nod or Not?

2008-07-14T19:25:00.001+01:00

One of the most contentious matters within biking, and one which is sure to cause some debating, is the decision as to whether or not to nod to other bikers. It’s a discussion I’ve had with other riders, and, I’m sure, a discussion many of us have had at one time or another. I ride everyday and have my own opinions, but I’m always interested in the opinions of others, so when this subject raised itself again this week, I thought that I’d attempt to find out what bikers across the world were saying on the subject. I obviously don’t know every rider in the world, so I took the easy option and did three things; 1- ask those riders I do know, 2- ask the customers in the shop and 3- browse the net.
As much as I’d like to have reached a solid conclusion about this matter, the jury is definitely still out. There were a few things which a large percentage of riders seemed to agree on, though, and they were that we don’t nod to scooter riders, Harley riders nod to no-one and most of us would be happier if we all nodded to each other. And this seems to be the case across the planet, not just here in the UK.
But is this an anachronism? Should we, as bikers, still expect to receive acknowledgement from other bikers now that the whole bike scene has changed so much? At one time the motorcycle was the only personal transport option for those who could not afford a car, but nowadays this is rarely the case. A quick hit on the MCN website for bikes for sale up to £500 brought up 17 hits, whereas the same price on the AutoTrader website returned 1426 hits. That’s nearly 84 times more cars available than bikes at the lowest end of the scale! Doubling your money gets you the choice of 338 bikes against 12,000 cars, so the kid with a limited budget and opportunity to become independently mobile isn’t going to choose a Chinese made 100cc buzz box over a Vauxhall Corsa. And by the time he is able to afford to join us on two wheels, he’ll find that Harley riders nod to no one, scooter riders are ignored like a bad smell and the rest of us just can’t make up our minds.

Held Ninja Glove Review

2008-07-11T22:06:00.000+01:00

All good things come to an end, and my old Lewis leather gloves were definitely past their best. They’ve survived all sorts of abuse over the two years which I’ve owned them, but as the different parts began to go their separate ways, I looked around for their replacements.
My criteria were that they had to be leather, have unlined palms, ventilation, knuckle protection, and also have cuffs which would allow me to wear them both inside and outside of my jacket sleeves. Oh, and I’d prefer not to spend a small fortune. So, not too much to ask for, then?
I first trawled the internet to see what was available, and then visited the shops which sold the gloves that had made it on to my shortlist . In the end I found them right under my nose at GetGeared.
The Held Ninja gloves have been good selling items for us, although I’d not really considered them up until that point. What a mistake and a revelation that proved to be. They are wonderfully comfortable, beautifully made and fulfil my needs totally. I put my money where my mouth is and bought a pair, and I have been happy with them ever since. I’ve recommended them to other riders and we’ve sold out of them twice. I’ve had to show customers my own gloves and have taken advance orders for our next delivery, and then sold out as soon as they’ve come in, even without my recommendation. I can’t praise these gloves enough, and if your criteria are anything like mine, I would suggest that you get your order in. They’re selling fast and for all the right reasons.

Cafe Racer Sport 2 Glove Review

2008-07-11T19:08:00.001+01:00

I’ve forgotten how many pairs of bike gloves I’ve owned. Over the years many things have changed quite drastically in the design and manufacture of gloves, from the materials employed and the methods of construction, to the level of protection offered. Kevlar, carbon fibre, kangaroo, calf and goat hide have all found their way into bike gloves, and even stingray hide has now become an option. What hasn’t changed so drastically is the riders desire for these gloves to perform their basic functions.
One of these functions is to keep our hands dry and warm in the worst of the weather, but this seems to be something of a holy grail for the manufacturers. Around six months ago I left home in good weather wearing my leather Lewis gloves, only for the conditions to change to pouring rain. Thankfully I was wearing my Spada jacket and had my Rain Master trousers tucked under the seat, so most of me stayed dry, but both my Sidi Vertigo boots and my Lewis gloves took on as much water as they could, leaving my hands and feet cold and very wet.
I don’t (yet) own any over-boots, so the old trick of supermarket carrier bags inside my Sidi’s is a convenient and easily stored option, until finances allow me to purchase a pair of waterproof boots, such as the Sidi B-2. I also don’t own any over-gloves, so after getting my hands soaked, I decided that modern technology and materials could come to my rescue. I purchased the Café Racer Sport 2 gloves for a very reasonable price, and I was initially very happy with them. They are truly comfortable, nicely made, offer knuckle protection, adjustment at the wrist and cuffs, and, above all, are mostly what the manufacturer says they are. Windproof? Yes. Breathable? In cold to warm weather, yes. Waterproof? No! They are perfect for withstanding showers and light rain, but on my ride to work in pouring rain last week, they became saturated. And two days on the radiators have still not dried them out completely.
I would definitely recommend these gloves to anyone who wants something comfortable, cheap and with some protection, but they should also invest in a pair of over-gloves for use in really poor conditions.
So there you have it. A glove which is too warm when the sun really does make an appearance and absorbent when the rain does the same thing. At either extreme these gloves are the wrong ones, but for everything else, they’re well worth the asking price. But for me, the search goes on.

Ssshhh!….It’s Newlands Corner

2008-07-04T23:45:00.000+01:00

Like many bikers, I love to find, or have new places pointed out to me which are bike friendly. In my stomping ground we have one of the best known places in Surrey, namely Box Hill. But recently a new place appeared on the radar, thanks to Sarah, who is one of the GetGeared staff. And that place is Newlands Corner.
Over a couple of weekends I had the pleasure of being taken there for the purposes of promoting the store, and I was amazed at the totally different attitude displayed by the assembled bikers. There was none of the snobbery which can be prevalent at Box Hill, and the mix of bikers and their bikes left little to be desired. There were classic British café racers, cruisers, tourers and sports bikes all parked-up with their riders enjoying the company and fine weather. People were moving between groups and the banter was light. No one looked down on anyone else, and even those with L-plates were welcomed. Which is something which apparently doesn’t happen amongst those who congregate at Box Hill. I actually had a chat with Gwen, who is one of our customers and also a learner. She had tried Box Hill and had nothing good to say about the bikers there. Now, she’s a friendly and approachable person and was chatting away happily to different groups at Newlands Corner, but had been shunned by the Box Hill crowd. And she’s not an isolated case. Matt, the store Manager, and also someone who is still on L-plates has had the same sort of reaction. Why, when we all had to start somewhere?
I hate bigotry and the poor attitude being shown by the Box Hill crowd resembles this very closely. Surely we’d all be better off as bikers, to encourage new riders. The more of us there are, the better, as far as I’m concerned. Surely we can all empathise with those wobbly moments we’ve all encountered, the nutters in their cages who pull out in front of us without looking, the first time we ever ventured onto the motorway or nearly lost the front on the crappy road surfaces we’re forced to ride on? It’s not just those who ride crotch rockets that encounter these things, and whilst we shouldn’t try to scare those with L-plates into cars, or worse, public transport, we can at least share our experiences.
For those looking for a new place to go or for those who find other meeting places too much of a clique, try Newlands Corner. The people are friendly, there’s a café and if you’re really up for it, there are miles of walks in what must be one of the nicest spots in Surrey.

Full Face Helmet Test

2008-06-29T20:06:00.001+01:00

The latest “SHARP” testing by the Government on crash helmets has caused some controversy, especially concerning a few of the expensive, big name brands. It seems that neither money nor market share, never mind street-cred, can determine the protection your head actually gets from your chosen lid. And as I’ve recently discovered an open-face helmet being sold for £30 and which displays the ACU Gold sticker, this is possibly no great indicator, either. It’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing one of these on a racetrack soon.
I saw the reports when they were published on the MCN website, and there were some surprises. My present helmet, and the brand (if not model) worn by Valentino Rossi, scored 3 stars out of a possible 5. At around £120 for an AGV K-Series helmet, that makes it a bargain against a 2 star helmet such as the Arai Condor (around £200 to £250), Astro (3 stars and between £330 and £400), Viper (3 stars £330 to £400) or the Corsair RX7 (3 stars £450 to £500). The Arashi Viper at about £70 and 4 stars makes mine feel overpriced, though. I can’t remember ever looking at one of these so I can’t comment on their quality, but these tests did provide some interesting results as far as GetGeared was concerned.
The Scorpion EXO 700 which we sell scored 4 stars and costs £120 and the Shark S500 achieved the same stars at a cost of £110. This is the same quantity of stars as another couple of our stock items, the Shoei Raid 2 at £185 and the X-Spirit at £350. This leads me to believe that the cost of a helmet has a lot to do with the quality of the construction, rather than just the protection given, although desirability also plays a large part, I’m not sure how to quantify this. I’m no follower of fashion or racetrack wanna-be, so what other riders are wearing doesn’t influence me much, and if a helmet provides me with high levels of protection and decent levels of construction and comfort, I’d rather spend my hard-earned cash on that.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be taking mental notes as to how these tests influence the decisions of those customers who do buy a crash helmet. Will it be the plain facts, the cost or the allure of a big-name brand which wins? I’ll just have to wait and see.

Retail Epiphany - Intro

2008-06-29T17:51:00.001+01:00

I’ve not always been in “Retail”. By trade, I’m a Technical Illustrator, but there are only so many nuts, bolts and oddly shaped engineering components which can be drawn before brain death begins. I’d sensed its onset and changed direction, which has led me to working in a motorcycle clothing store in Surrey.
Every industry has its own styles and within those styles there are more, individual styles. These include dress codes, acceptable behaviour and language, management involvement, décor, music (or lack of), atmosphere and so on, and this last week at work has seen many of the above styles start to crystallise.
We’ve all worked hard to set-up the shop, and for me, today (Sunday, 29th June), saw the end of the first week where the business in the shop was nearer to being how we’d like it to be. We’ve also been open long enough to start drawing some conclusions, especially about our client-base. Some come in on a weekly basis, others at the weekends, others still appear on a monthly basis. Many former browsers have become customers, only to be replaced by new browsers. For some, the shop is a place where they come and socialise, both with us and other riders, and because our client base is quite wide, there is always an eclectic mix of bikes outside.
The different parts of Retail Epiphany are a personal view of my time within GetGeared in Leatherhead, Surrey.

Funding the American Dream

2008-06-20T00:11:00.001+01:00

I was recently made aware of a group of bikers who meet at a local pub. It’s exclusively for owners of Harley Davidson motorcycles, and from my point of view, somewhat strange in its outlook. Let me explain.
These riders turn up on their bikes, all shiny and looking like they have never seen a drop of rain, (which is probably the case) apparently for the social aspect of motorcycle ownership. Nothing wrong with that I say, but it’s only after a couple of minutes that something strange becomes apparent. Each and every one of them is dressed in Harley Davidson clothing, from head to toe. From something as simple and inconsequential as a bandana to more expensive items such as leather jackets and jeans.
And why is this? Well, if someone was to turn up in anything that wasn’t an HD branded garment they are fined by the club!
Not only I, but other HD riders I’ve spoken to are dumbstruck by this. It seems a totally ludicrous rule to enforce and whilst we can all appreciate their decision to buy and ride a Harley (even if it is only on sunny days), it surely removes any of the individualism which they bang on about.
And it doesn’t end with the clothing. Anything and everything on their bikes must also be HD branded, and again, fines are meted out to those who dare to err from this.
Now, I for one don’t see the relevance of being told where to buy my clothes. That stopped as soon as my parents no longer provided them for me, so why does a club even have members who are prepared to be dictated to in this manner? Is it really a club for subservient masochists? Those who want to be dominated? Or maybe for those who long to be led?
I don’t see this sort of blind behaviour from any other owners group. Victory owners clubs don’t do it. Suzuki owners clubs don’t do it. Even the most fashion conscious Ducati owners clubs don’t do it. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, no other owners clubs have such a rule. So why does this one? Having to spend your life browsing the HD catalogue must be one of the worlds most futile pursuits. It offers nothing that many other companies can’t do better, as Performance Machine, S&S etc have proved. And why, when the club is based in Surrey, are they obsessed with funding the American dream? Harley Davidson make more money from their extensive catalogue of bolt-ons and clothing than they do from selling motorcycles, which may explain many things, but not why a bike club in Surrey treats it like their holy book.
To me and most other sane people, one of the pleasures of the social aspect of biking is talking to other bikers, not only about their bikes, but also their choice of gear. We all have some common ground, but I’ve yet to find two people in the same place dressed in exactly the same gear. Until now, that is. And in my opinion, it’s a sad day for biking.

Biker Fashionistas

2008-06-11T01:33:00.000+01:00

Because of the very nature of my job, I talk to a lot of people who ride motorcycles. They vary from the full-on hardcore type to newbie’s, still wobbling around on their 125s. They pull up to the store on everything from a vintage Matchless to the latest Japanese hyper-sports missiles, and the one thing which they all have in common is the love of riding a motorcycle. The one thing which they don’t all have in common, though, is a preconceived notion of what brands they should be wearing. This seems to develop at a later stage, after some time in the saddle and meetings with the “Biker Fashionistas”.
Don’t get me wrong, we all have our favourite brands, and some actually are better than others, but there can be few, if any, types of clothing that have to meet such stringent standards and expectations as motorcycle gear. As riders, we’re covered from head to toe in gear that will protect us from the worst impact that the tarmac can inflict upon our fragile bodies, should we have the misfortune to more closely acquaint ourselves with it. The materials involved in the creation of these garments is truly mind-boggling and ever changing, as technology becomes more and more involved.
But even though the fabrics are strong enough to withstand a charging elephant, the leather is from Antipodean marsupials (or even Stingrays) and we have more armour than a Medieval warlord, it’s still not good enough for some. It may be good enough for the front row of a MotoGP grid, but if it doesn’t have a particular manufacturers name on it, then it’s viewed with disdain and raised eyebrows. These are the people who would have us all wearing one brand (their particular favourite), regardless of the merits of any others, and are oblivious to other riders opinions, and, to an extent, their finances.
I, for one, like to have a choice about what I wear. I expect it to perform certain functions, such as being waterproof , but it matters little to me whose name is on the garment. I don’t look down on those who choose a different brand from me, and love to discuss the other persons reasons for their choice with them. There is too much uniformity already, in my opinion, so the more choices we have for individual expression, the better.
My advice to anyone asking for it is to always buy the best you can afford, but don’t confuse cost with quality. Someone taking their bike on the track is going to have very different requirements from the person doing the daily inner-city commute, and expensive Italian race suits are really not necessary when the average speed is little above walking pace. Most bikers understand this, but our voices are usually drowned out by those few who want to promote a few big name brands. Don’t be reduced to a clone of them, and, above all, don’t let the biker Fashionistas make your decision for you. Express yourself.

Rainmaster Rain Trousers Review

2008-06-10T01:08:00.003+01:00

Let’s face it, rain wear is supposed to do one thing, and it should do it well. It’s main purpose is to prevent us motorcyclists from getting wet, and if it does that properly, then anything else is a bonus. The rain trousers I’ve been using are, yet again, from my friendly independent retailer Bikers Paradise, and are called “Rain Master”. They cost me a very reasonable £12.99 and for the last two winters, have performed admirably.
They are available only in biker black and have an elasticated waist with three velcro straps to fasten the bottom of the legs. They are long enough to hitch up well inside the waist of a jacket without leaving any area exposed to the elements, even when in a crouched position on the bike. They also pack up small enough for me to stuff them into the limited space under the pillion seat.
Because the bottom of the legs have a large gusset, getting them over my boots is not too much of a problem, but I wouldn’t say that I’ve never performed that strange one-legged dance all bikers seem to do when trying to get into their rainwear. Oh well, it gives passing motorists a smile and elicits knowing nods from other bikers.
As to these trousers performing their one job, I’m glad to say that they haven’t let me down yet. There are rain trousers with bigger brand names on them, others which are more colourful and there are those which cost more, but, for me, these do that one required job and I’m happy with them.

Sidi Vertigo Boots Review

2008-06-07T23:17:00.002+01:00

I’m now on to my third pair of Sidi Vertigo boots, and when my present pair finally become too far gone, I’ll replace them with another pair. I bought them from Bikers Paradise in Coventry for the superb price of £129.
Each pair I’ve owned have lasted for around a year, and would undoubtedly last considerably longer if I looked after them. I do start off with good intentions, but as the leather treatment dries up in its container, I usually manage to find an excuse for avoiding putting any of it on my boots. The closest they come to getting any maintenance is having the toe sliders replaced when needed. These are available for around £10 per pair, and assuming that the screws which hold them in place have not become too stuck, it’s a quick and simple job. In fact, almost everything on these boots is replaceable, although I’ve never had cause to change anything else.
One of the nicest details with these boots is the calf adjustment, which is operated by a small ratchet on the back. Apart from allowing those with different sized calves to tailor the boots to their preference, it also means that wearing them inside or outside leathers is not a problem.
On many occasions I have worn them all day without aching feet becoming an issue, and the air vents on the outside of each boot ensure that a lovely cool trickle of air keeps my feet cool when I’m on the move. Thankfully, the vents are easily closed when the conditions aren’t so pleasant.
And the minus points…..? Well, they are, like most sports boots, quite narrow so if you’ve got wide feet, forget a pair of these. They do develop a squeak when you walk in them, but that’s just a part of their character, and they are not waterproof, although mine wouldn’t let in so much water if I applied some leather treatment to them.
So there you have it. These are my favourite boots and I would have no hesitation in recommending them. Give them a little care and attention and they’ll become yours, too.

Spada 940 Jacket Review

2008-06-06T22:30:00.002+01:00

I bought this jacket in October, 2007, when the weather turned nasty. I needed a jacket which was waterproof and warm, but I didn’t want a long, touring-style jacket. And as it was the run up to Christmas, I didn’t want to spend too much, either. I did the usual browsing of websites, but ended up buying from Bikers Paradise in Coventry, only a few miles from where I was living.
On the price front I have to say that this jacket has turned out to be a bargain. I paid the very reasonable sum of £59.90 for it, and regardless of how crappy the weather is, I have been kept warm and dry. I’ve ridden for two and a half hours at motorway speeds in pouring rain without a drop of rain getting in, and it’s kept me warm when I’ve had to ride in the snow and the frost. So, I can vouch for it being waterproof and warm, and for that matter, windproof, too. The Velcro which covers the front zip and secures the cuffs and side pockets still grips with unbelievable tenacity, keeping out draughts, and the zips on the two side and two top pockets still keep everything secure. There’s also a handy mobile phone pocket inside the jacket, and a larger, zipped pocket on the other side.
So, the good points of this jacket are it’s very reasonable price, it’s resistance to poor weather conditions, the fact that it comes with elbow and shoulder armour and even after 8 months of daily use, it’s still as good as new.
The only “bad” point which I can find with this jacket is that the lining is permanently attached, and when the weather does warm up, the jacket becomes a mobile sauna. But overall, I’d recommend it to anyone buying on a budget, or looking for a good winter jacket.

AGV K-Series Helmet Review

2008-06-06T00:03:00.002+01:00

Working in a shop which sells bike wear, I’m often approached for advice as to what gear would be suitable for the prospective customer. The reply will always be based on two premises; 1- buy the best that you can afford, and 2- you’ll always get what you pay for.
Now, apart from my boots, (Sidi Vertigo) GetGeared doesn’t stock the gear I’m currently using, so I’m not endorsing the stuff we sell over anyone else’s. It’s a personal view on what I’ve spent my hard-earned cash on, and hopefully of some use to anyone considering using the same gear.
First up is my helmet.
The AGV K-series comes in a huge variety of shell designs, and my particular helmet is the “Hot Rod” design. I bought it a couple of years ago from Alf England Motorcycles because I’d had other AGV helmets and found them to be perfectly adequate. I paid around £120 for it, and after something like 12,000 miles it’s still in good condition.
All heads are different shapes and sizes, but this one fits me beautifully. I’ve heard it said (by a bike test examiner, no less) that you either have a Shoei or Arai shaped head, which is not only wrong but based on “label engineering”. Valentino Rossi uses AGV helmets, so it’s whatever works for you that matters. If it fits like a bucket, it’s the wrong helmet, regardless of the name on the front.
I find that up to the legal speed limit (70mph) that this helmet is lovely to wear, but when the pace hots-up to 90mph plus, the wind noise is a problem. I usually wear ear plugs, but on the occasions when I’ve forgotten them, the roar from the helmet gets to annoying levels with prolonged use at this sort of speed. Having no spoiler on the back has never been a problem, and although the helmet sometimes causes my head to be moved around at speed, the rest of my body is usually suffering the same thing, and is always down to the disturbance of the air from the vehicle in front of me. If I was prepared to do 100mph and more on the public highway, I’d be more concerned about being banned than wind noise, so, as I said earlier, it fits beautifully and after 12.000 miles and little maintenance, it’s still a fine helmet.
The bad points are that it fogs-up quickly on cold days, but fit a fog city and the problem is solved, and that regardless of the vents, a hot day and hard riding will leave you’re hair wet and stuck to your head.
Considering the price, this is a superb helmet. Recommended.

That's why I need a ......

2008-06-01T22:54:00.001+01:00

I was over at Ryka’s this weekend. Both on Saturday and Sunday. I was there handing out “flyers” to publicise the free hotdog-and-coffee, and entry into the competition for £150 worth of motorcycle gear promotion going on at the store. The weather was dry and warm and Aprilia were there, too, giving test rides on bikes from their range. So, every 30 minutes or there-abouts, quite a few of the bikes in the car park left, to be replaced by others. Apart from the shiny, new Aprilias every other major manufacturer was represented, which, for me, formed the penultimate part in the convoluted logic which has led to my latest decision.
It all started when the boss had a puncture in his Harley’s rear tyre. He tracked down Mike Teager from Rubber Ranch, who offer a mobile tyre service and would be at the store later that day to fix it. He may have imagined a sparkly, highly polished chrome lump awaiting him, but this particular Hog has a “no maintenance or cleaning” warrant issued upon it. After wrestling off the rear wheel and repairing the puncture, Mike chatted with me about tyres for my SV. The Dunlop Sportmax it currently wears are the same ones that came with the bike when I bought it, new, about 6 months ago. They’re handling the daily blast up the motorways well enough, but in the wet, they offer me little confidence because of their lack of feedback. Now, it doesn’t take much to persuade me to have some sticky Pirelli’s fitted, but they would soon be squared-off because of all the straight-line riding, and so not suitable. We eventually settled on a good sports/touring tyre from the same manufacturer.
Part 2 in my train of thought began when I read somewhere that most modern tyres allow the rider to lean far further than they believe they can. Being a curious person, and seeing that the weather has been allowing me to carry out my experiments into lean-angles, I’m now certain that this statement is true. Up to a point. The SV seems to prefer sweeping bends where the power can be fed in early in the bend and increased continually. My favourite two right-handers on the way home have provided me with just such bends, and I’ve been exploiting them to the best of my ability and with a huge grin. Probably because the left side of the tyre isn’t too warm, the tight left (after two more right-handers) has seen me leaving accidental “darkies”. Fun, and simultaneously buttock-clenching as this is on dry roads in dry conditions. In the wet I have to ride like my Granddad.
Sticky tyres were becoming more important to me as I headed into part 3, and this led me to thinking about how the change of tyres would affect (or show-up) the suspension and brakes. Hmm, so that’s braided lines, possibly new pads and discs, definitely a fork rebuild and a new rear shock added to the tyre bill. This was getting expensive and the more I thought about it, the longer the hypothetical shopping list became. I could easily add a new exhaust system, rear-sets, power commander and double-bubble screen to the list, but when I added-up the cost of it all, I began to wonder if it would be worth it. I also didn’t notice that my priorities seemed to have changed.
I really like the angular looks and V-twin engine of the SV and I now seemed to be looking for a bike who’s looks I appreciated and had a V-twin engine, but went a bit faster and handled the twisties better. Part 4 had begun.
MCN and Bike Trader provided me with an idea of what was available given my (hypothetical) budget, and I read as many owners reports as possible. The usual suspects were present, R1’s, R6’s, Gixers, Fireblades etc, but also a few Italian desirables. Knowing that I would only be able to try and exploit these bikes in good weather and knowing that good weather can be short-lived, I realised that it would be a low annual mileage bike. So the available evidence tumbled around in my head until I found myself looking at bikes in Ryka’s car park and the final piece fell into place.
And that’s why I need a …… Ducati 748. It’s the “real deal” as far as uncompromising sports bikes go and undoubtedly a huge influence as to why the SV is here at all. It’s a beautiful piece of single-minded engineering and far more exclusive than the Japanese offerings. But it leads me to ask 3 more questions; 1- how can a price be put on happiness? 2- have I just found myself another way to get into debt? and, 3- how did I reach this conclusion from just wanting better tyres in the wet?

Communication Breakdown

2008-05-04T19:01:00.000+01:00

Online communities are strange things. On the one hand they are places where people with the same interests can meet and share their interests and insights, and on the other, they can be places where those with little or no influence in the real world, exercise disproportionate power and influence. They can be informative and, on occasion, inspiring places to visit, but after more years than I care to remember of joining and leaving this type of site, I have to say that on balance, they are full of cliques and have organisational structures that leave a great deal to be desired.
I work for one of the big online motorcycle-wear and accessories retailers, who, after much deliberation, have opened their first shop. I also belong to a number of online bike communities, one of them specifically for riders of the same bike as myself. This weekend the shop had it’s Grand Opening with a very decent 20% discount off everything. Being more than happy to get excellent deals on my gear, I thought that I could help others get the same by letting my online community know that this was happening. But what happened when I tried to do this? I received an email telling me that the community website does not allow advertising. I was astonished. I had sent a personal email to the organisers of the closest groups to the store, not for my own sake, as I do not receive a commission on sales, but to share the opportunity to get a great deal and save some money. A purely altruistic measure on my part, but one which was met with the short-sightedness that exemplifies the worst aspects of online communities.
If I’d have tried to start a thread on the topic, I could understand the argument of the moderator, but like any “jobs worth” in the real world, they applied blanket coverage instead of using their initiative to pass the message on to other members of the group and allowing them to make up their own minds.
Nonetheless, the opening went extremely well, and all of those who did visit us went away with a smile and a bargain. It’s just a shame that I was unable to meet some of the members of my online community face-to-face.

Thought Experiment Number 3

2008-05-03T21:36:00.002+01:00

Good God

And the Lord spake unto the philosopher, ‘I am the Lord thy God, and I am the source of all that is good. Why does thy secular moral philosophy ignore me?’
And the philosopher spake unto the Lord, ‘To answer I must first ask you some questions. You command us to do what is good. But is it good because you command it, or do you command it because it is good?’
‘Er,’ said the Lord. ‘It’s good because I command it?’
‘The wrong answer, surely, your mightiness! If the good is only good because you say it is so, then you could, if you wished, make it so that torturing infants was good. But that would be absurd, wouldn’t it?’
‘Of course!’ replieth the Lord. ‘I tested thee and thou has made me pleased. What was the other choice again?’
‘You choose what is good because it is good. But that shows quite clearly that goodness does not depend on you at all. So we don’t need to study God to study the good.’
‘Even so,’ spake the Lord, ‘you’ve got to admit that I’ve written some pretty good textbooks on the subject…’

Clean Bike Blues

2008-04-24T21:34:00.000+01:00

After months of working from home, I finally got the chance to go over to the shop today. I knew that I was going to be there, and as yesterday was my day off, I had decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to wash my bike. Not something I do too often but something I should probably do more. A couple of hours later it was all shiny and clean again. Gone was the weeks of crud which clings to every near-inaccessible part, the polish had been applied and I sat on the bench and admired my handiwork. I put it back in the garage shortly afterwards in case bad weather or vindictive pigeons were looming, and made a mental note to watch the weather forecast later in the evening.
This morning the sun was shining and it was blue skies and fluffy white clouds. I was pleased. The run up the M23 and M25 went well, and only the queues into Leatherhead slowed my progress. I didn’t mind, though. I parked my bike outside the shop and was in a good mood. That was at 9am.
The builders were long gone and the decorators only had the outside of the shop to finish. The shop fitters were busy and even though it looked like organised chaos, the place was really coming together nicely. We were expecting a delivery of stock sometime in the morning, and at 10:30am, it arrived. And so did the rain. I stared out of the window in disbelief as the rain lashed against my bike. With the delivery arriving in huge cardboard boxes too large to fit through the door, we dashed in and out like total nutcases. As soon as we’d finished, the rain stopped. Typical.
With the delivery sorted and the computer systems up and running, it was on to the next job. As we cleared the old shelving from out of the storeroom, we heard the ominous sound of thunder. Hmm, more bad weather to come, then. Again the skies opened, but this time the rain was joined by hail. We closed the outside door to the storeroom and decided on a smoke break underneath the fire escape, the only sheltered place outside the building. Thunder, lightning, rain and hail all within the space of a couple of hours. I wondered if someone was trying to tell me something?
For the rest of the day we busied ourselves with just getting on with business, and around 6:30pm, I decided to make my way home. The sky was blue again, but so was I. There was my bike, rain spattered and looking in need of a thorough cleaning. Those shiny black wheels were now displaying traces of dirty water, and the floating dust had unkindly chosen to settle all over the paintwork in cloudy circles. Oh well, I thought, I’ve bought this bike to ride, not to look at, so two minutes later I headed off down the M25. And boy, did I enjoy the ride?

Thought Experiment Number 2

2008-04-21T04:52:00.004+01:00

Continuing with the theme of war, this thought experiment is a moral dilema for the subject.

When No One Wins

Private Sachs was about to do a terrible thing. He had been ordered to first rape and then murder the prisoner, whom he knew to be no more than an innocent civilian from the wrong ethnic background. There was no doubt in his mind that this would be a gross injustice - a war crime, in fact.
Yet quickly thinking it over he felt he had no choice but to go ahead. If he obeyed the order, he could make the ordeal as bearable as possible for the victim, making sure she suffered no more than necessary. If he did not obey the order, he himself would be shot and the prisoner would still be violated and killed, but probably more violently. It was better for everyone if he went ahead.
His reasoning seemed clear enough, but of course it gave him no peace of mind. How could it be that he was both going to do the best he could in the circumstances and also a terrible wrong?

Let Them Know

2008-04-19T22:31:00.003+01:00

Politicians. Love them or loathe them, we're stuck with them. Rather than letting them get away with just romping around the world spending your hard-earned tax money, having affairs with their staff and avoiding giving straight answers to simple questions, why not let them know what's winding you up and give them something to do? Click on "Write to Them" in the Political Links section and inform them of what life for the rest of us is really like.

Bombs, Lies and Videotape

2008-04-19T20:35:00.003+01:00

Sometimes it’s difficult to know what to believe. Very rarely are all of the facts presented to us when we are asked to make a decision, and often, those asking us to commit ourselves conceal elements of what they know. We’re told that this is because it would only make the decision making process more difficult, or that we need not concern ourselves with the fine details.
But how do we gain the majority of our information? Do we actively seek out the truth or do we passively accept what we are told by those with influence? Few of us have the luxury of enough spare time to research matters fully and so rely on what we can gather from the media, who themselves, have their own agenda. It’s cheaper for them to hire a so-called expert than to pay for a journalist, especially when the subject they wish to cover is far away from home, and so we receive a one-dimensional opinion rather than a more balanced report of the facts. And the “expert” can be chosen who will offer the sort of opinion that the particular media baron agrees with. Far better than wasting valuable resources on a mere human who may uncover and expose facts which are opposed to those views?
We’re all manipulated by those with an axe to grind or opinions to push, and a recent (and ongoing) example of this is the war, or occupation, in Iraq. Even after the largest ever march by the public through the streets of London, the lack of evidence on the part of the Government and UN weapons inspectors, no mandate from the UN and a complete disregard for the truth, Tony Blair committed the UK’s armed forces to battle alongside the Americans in the Middle East.
It wasn’t just us in the UK who were told bare-faced lies. The leaders of this vindictive circus i.e. the US Government and media, did the same to their citizens. Those who tried to question the decisions received little or no coverage, and were branded as unpatriotic, but some still bravely spoke out. Bill Moyers compiled a fascinating report on the deception of the American people by its leaders, and this can be watched by clicking on “Buying the War” under the Political Links section on the right of the page.

Thought Experiment Number 1

2008-04-14T20:35:00.003+01:00

Albert Einstein famously used thought experiments to help him in his scientific endeavours. The following example does not concern physics, but challenges us to examine what we think we know.

The Indian and the Ice

Dhara Gupta lived all her life in a village near Jaisalmer in the Rajastan desert. One day, in 1882, as she was cooking dinner, she became aware of a commotion. She looked up to discover her cousin, Mahavir, had returned from a trip he had begun two years before. He looked in good health, and over dinner he told them of his adventures.
There were tales of robbers, wild animals, great mountains and other incredible sights and adventures. But what really stunned Dhara was his claim to have seen something called ‘ice’.
‘I went to regions where it was so cold, the water stopped flowing and formed a solid, translucent block,’ said Mahavir. ‘What is more amazing is that there is no state in between where the liquid thickens. The water that flows freely is only slightly warmer than that which has solidified.’
Dhara did not want to challenge her cousin in public, but she did not believe him. What he said contradicted all her experience. She did not believe it when travellers told he of fire-breathing dragons. Nor would she believe this nonsense about ice. She rightly thought that she was too intelligent for that.

UK Motorcycle Sales 2007

2008-04-13T23:37:00.009+01:00

I wondered which bikes sold best in the UK and did a bit of snooping around to try and find out. Eventually I found the MCIA website and things bacame much clearer. Needless to say, I was pleased that the bike I own was the best selling Sport/Tour model for 2007, but some of the figures for other bikes really surprised me. As a nation it seems that we really like our Sports bikes, and generally, the bigger the better. We also seem to enjoy our Sports/Tour bikes, and undoubtedly the Ewan McGregor/Charlie Boorman effect has had a huge influence on the sales figures of big "trailies" (Adventure Sport) market. Not many, if any of these, will ever make a full-blown round-the-world journey any more than the sportsbikes will see a racetrack, but the figures do at least give us some indication of our aspirations as bikers.
The make and model of the top 5 are listed, along with the total sold (in blue) next to them.

MCIA Sales Statistics to December 2007

Sport/Tour

Suzuki SV650S 1265
Suzuki GSF650S Bandit 1215
Honda CBF1000 1021
Triumph Sprint ST1050 1009
Yamaha FZ6 Fazer S2 828

Supersport

Suzuki GSXR1000 2196
Yamaha YZF R1 2106
Yamaha YZF R6 1984
Suzuki GSXR750 1963
Honda CBR1000RR 1918

Touring

BMW R1200RT 706
Honda NT700V 669
Honda ST1300 Pan European 377
Yamaha FJR1300 340
Honda GL1800 Gold Wing 252

Trail/Enduro

Honda XR125L 496
Yamaha DT125 402
Yamaha XTZ125R 401
POR Apache 125 387
Yamaha WR250F 367

Adventure Sport

BMW R1200GS 1235
Triumph Tiger 1050 1036
Suzuki DRZ400SM 856
BMW R1200GS Adventure 770
Kawasaki KLE650 Versys 659

Custom

Suzuki GZ125 635
Jinlun JL125-11 629
Harley Davidson FLSTF Fatboy 1584 539
Harley Davidson FXDB Streetbob 1584 405
Kawasaki Eliminator 125 357

Naked

Yamaha YBR125 2272
Honda CB600F Hornet 1070
Honda CG125 982
Suzuki GSF1250S Bandit 940
Suzuki GSF650 Bandit 732

Definitions of Motorcycle Types

Adventure (including Supermoto)
These bikes are similar in style to enduro motorcycles but are predominantly designed and capable for onroad use. Often they will have features similar to machines included in the Touring category e.g. fairings, luggage carrying capacity etc.

Custom
These machines include ‘cruisers’ and ‘choppers’. They have flat but typically feature high handlebars, low seat height and forward footrests. Body panels and fittings contain high polished chrome content.

Sport/Touring
Machines that fit between Supersport and Touring bikes categories. Typical features include full or partial fairings and practical rider and pillion seating with low to medium ride handlebars. Tend to have medium to large capacity engines.

Supersport
These machines are designed to mimic or directly replicate racing bikes. They normally have full fairings and low handlebars and are sometimes referred to as race replicas.

Scooters
Have an engine, as an integral part of the rear suspension or the chassis is a step through type, irrespective of cc or wheel size. Includes all types of transmission.

Touring
Bikes generally have large engines and are designed for long-distance riding. Typical features include a more comfortable seating position for rider and pillion, luggage carrying capability and weather protection, such as fairings with a fixed or adjustable windscreen.

Naked
Machines are built to a basic specification with no fairing (or only a small handlebar fairing) and an upright riding position. Engines are large to medium and often called retro.

Trail/Enduro
These bikes encompass trials, enduro and trail bikes with an off-road or cross-country capability.

Figures courtesy of MCIA

Biking in the UK

2008-04-13T19:20:00.003+01:00

Every so often in this country we have one of those seemingly rare days. The sun is shining, the clouds hold no threat of bad weather and it coincides with a day off work. If these things are all in place, then there are only a few more items to add to my "perfect day" shopping cart. Namely, I've got enough cash (or the card isn't straining at it's limit), there's nothing else I have to do which I can't get out of, or there isn't a caravan convention happening nearby. If I can tick these boxes then I know that I'll be able to unwind from the hassles of life in one of my favourite ways, and that is, riding my motorcycle.

I do ride it just about every day, but that's only as a commute around the M25 to work and back, and really can't be classed as a pleasurable pursuit. I don't own a car, so my choice of transport is limited, but when I filter through the lines of traffic creeping along in a miserable, funerary formation around the UKs largest multi-lane car park, I'm reminded of why I chose two wheels over four. As long as it's not pouring with rain, that is.

It's not always the arriving at a destination which is the aim, it's the journey there, too. That maybe a little philosophical, but I'm sure that it's true for many other riders. And also for those who choose their form of transport more for pleasure than as just a means to an end.

This blog is about my thoughts and experiences about life on two wheels in the UK, and will be updated when I have the time, the inclination and something to say. There will be links to websites which I find interesting and deviations from the biking theme as other interests capture my imagination.