Modern Vespa

i'm just back from hastings where approximately 5000 bikers hit the seaside for their may day gathering, along with an equal number of hippies/druids/morris dancers for the annual 'jack in the green' festival. despite the fact that the latter sounds like AA for weed smokers it's actually rather interesting pagan-type festie although witches and hippies (especially old ones ) give me the screamies. we sat up on top of a hill next to hastings castle, bashed on drums, chased babies around and drank lots of hot tea. i made my excuses early as i've got work to do this evening but really i snuck off so i could go and ogle all the bikers before it started to rain and they all went home. i can still smell the leather and petrol.

oh and billy i rate anyone who is sad enough to polish their rims in their front room approximately an 11

Yea an 11. I'm sadder than I thought. You really should see my shiney rims.
Erm I think that came out wrong.
Regards
Bill X

Surely you've only got one

has maver chosen his crocs to match his golden virginia packet?

back from a great day out at windsor racecourse.

none of my horses won but both my children won on the last race of the day so they came home brandishing their ten pound notes and calling me a loser.

just ironed a shirt for tomorrow and about to watch lost.

no, they match the amber leaf packet

close but no cigar. not bad for a non smoker though.

top effort 10/10 8)

Hey we just fell off the front page people ! This will not do.

Regards

Bill Xx

For no apparent reason, it surprised me to find that people outside the US are watching Lost. It shouldn't, but it does.

I am personally obsessed with it. And when the final LOST logo appears at the end of every episode, with more questions created than answered, I yell "Nooooooooooo!"

Stupid show.

I've tried getting angry with LOST and shouting at the tv that'll I'll never watch it again but I keep coming back. I love it.

I sometimes wonder what I'll watch when it's all over.

BSG? Oh, wait...

Thanks for the extra insights CT.

where have you been jim?

I've been riding around Northern France with Alice and friends.

Sorry to hear of the sad events/bad events over the w/e, delighted to hear of the happy/good ones though.

Got back today from that brilliant long w/e in Northern France, 750.0 miles door to door, a nice 'round' number. Best company, brilliant roads, good food and booze, lots of laughter.

Oh, another 'annoyance' - by the time we arrived at our hotel in Arras my windscreen had lost two of its four bolts that allow it to electrically adjust - and the last two were literally hanging on by a thread and a half. But Walton Road Garage can wait until Friday. Track-day at Brands tomorrow, and I'm servicing one of my old X9's on Thursday.

I might have calmed down a bit by Friday.

Dunno how I ever found the time to go to work...

So I'm out walking this evening trying to sort some things out in my head and a WPC standing on street corner wished me a very good evening Sir which I thought was very sweet indeed.
I'll admit it totally caught me out but it certainly put a smile on my face.
Sleep well all.
Nice to see Jim back.

Bill X

It's nice to be back Bill.

It's warmer over here in Blighty, that's for damn sure.

did you get her number

No I didn't because I'm sure she gets it all the time because she was really pretty and I didn't want to be really obvious.
I replied with "Hello, How are you?" but there wasn't a reply.
She was all geared up in the black stuff and seemed to be waiting for something because she was checking her "comms" but she didn't have to say "Good Evening" but she did.
The odd thing was there wasn't any police vehicles around so I have no idea how she got there because I'm a good 4 miles out of town.
Who knows.

Sleep well all.

Bill X

Every day I think how much easier my life would be if I didn't have to.

After my long weekend I was thoroughly relaxed, refreshed and raring to go - then the ET4 wouldn't start. I swear this is its LAST CHANCE before it goes on eBay!

Caught up with the weekend's news from everyone and I'm lost for words, so the best I can do is offer congratulatory or consolatory virtual hugs all round, delete as appropriate.

welcome back alice! are you joining us for lunch on sunday?

i've just dropped the c-bomb on an oaf of a taxi driver who started hurling verbal abuse at me because he thought i'd honked him (it was the car next to me )

Allow me to strip the carb and rebuild it for you.... and perhaps do the valve clearances. Bring it over some weekend.

OH! if you're doing valve clearances i wanna watch and learn. i'll bring pastries

Now there's an offer I can't refuse, Doug! Thanks!

I think I will have to refuse lunch, though, as I have some bike-related tasks to do over this weekend, and also some places I want to ride to. (Also, I've had cheaper three-course meals than the lunches on that menu!)

(I need to do the bike things on Sunday because I'm going to a friend's stag party on Saturday. So yeah...)

I don't know how easy the GT is to do, but the ET is a peach due to easy access to the head via the hatch at your feet. My engine was out so even easier, just sat in a garden chair ever so comfortably and got on with it. Took about ten minutes all in. Judging by Cheeky's thread elsewhere on the net, it isn't that difficult, just a bit fiddly getting access to one of the bolts.

I am personally obsessed with it. And when the final LOST logo appears at the end of every episode, with more questions created than answered, I yell "Nooooooooooo!"

Stupid show.[/quote]

+1 on everything you said. my favorite show although i havent seen any of season 5 yet.... im waiting for it to finish so i can have a season 5 marathon......then my head will explode as it is apparently even more comnplicated now

The GT / GTS is a giant pain in comparison, as there's no hatch. You have to disconnect the rear shocks, take off the transmission cover (to rotate the crank), jack up the center of the bike so the engine tilts upward, and then you can take off the valve cover and get to the valves.

(note that I'm not trying to discourage genie from attending... the setting of the valves will still be educational).

For those wanting to put Bridgestone Hoops on their GT's first check that the 120/70/12 Hoop is a tyre for the front not for the back.
HO2 is the rear and HO1 is the front
Bridgestone don't make a front Hoop in the 120/70/12 size so they are going back and I've ordered a pair of Michelin Pilot Sports.
I've learnt something today.
Regards
Bill X

I'm sure you don't let me check... Edit - no you don't need to dusconnect the shocks... see here. I am sure you can rotate the crank at the camshaft with a bit of gentle persuasion if you have the plug removed...

http://www.gtsownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=257&start=0&hilit=valve

Who do you guys use for your breakdown cover while in France and Belgium ? I've always used the AA or RAC but I'll be interested in using an alternative ?

Regards

Bill

I can't wait till Sunday afternoon.

Alice The 24 hour 2CV race at Spa Francorchamp is on the 17th and 18th of October and me and Nik will be going.

Wanna come ?

Regards

Bill X

no big loss.

the pilot sports will suit your cornering style.

2cv racing - maybe we need a dcsc entrant. £100 each should secure a good runner. if doug can race-prepare it we could do a relay style endurance race!

btw, i sat in a fiat 500 abarth today and was very tempted, but the vespa would have to be traded in as my deposit

Billy, don't take pilot sports.... no good grip when wet.
I have the hoop in back (140/70) and a ML 50 in front ( 130/70).

You forget I don't ride in the rain and when I do I do it badly.
Pilots are on thier way.

Regards

Bill X

The 130 Hoop just looked too fat for the front end and it's not going to have the grip of a dedicated front. It's really meant for the rear.

For a front tyre you want something like the K61 that is a little narrow and is light to turn with loads of profile.

My supplier couldn't supply those but he could get me the Pilots for tomorrow and I need these tyres for the weekend so decision made.

Absolutely right - an okay dry tyre but very skitty in the wet they also start to under perform when you get down to half tread life. Quick recipe for ending up on your arse.

I had Continental twists on the GTS 250 they were pretty good. Performed faultlessly on the twisties down in Devon last year.

Part of the package with Carole Nash, but only for bikes up to ten years old. If a MAG member (only 20 quid!) then it's an extra 50 quid for EU-wide breakdown and recovery - and for bikes up to twenty years old.

Also, the AA won't recover from an RTA, the others above will.

Heh, lovely day. Seven 20-minute sessions, that's 140 miles on track at WOT!

The tyres are now properly scrubbed-in:
http://www.wotmeworry.org.uk/track_may_09/

Excellent thanks Jim.

Hope you have a great time tomorrow Jim. I did a couple of track days last year brilliant fun.