Modern Vespa

I have little to bring to this thread today except a hangover/mongover. Kam, I'm quite jealous of your allotment. I think all I would do is make tea in a shed, sit outside it and contemplate what sort of special cabbages could be grown.

Ugh....

Alice please check your email.

Checked, replied, and barely able to contain my excitement

Alright, no question answering for me, then. I have the day off as well (and all weekend too!) so I'm taking an impromptu ride up the coast. I'll stay overnight in Eureka, and then meander back when I'm good and ready.

Should be a bit over 600 miles in two days.

And my GPS has gone missing.

Bah!

Have any of you UK Skokers found anyone other than PMTuning who sells the bitubo front shock for the GTS and who will deliver them to your work (i.e. NOT the card billing address), please?

I've been googling and can't find anyone. I called PM and they won't do it because they don't know me from madam and have had prob's with card fraud, which is fair enough but rubbish for me because getting parcels from our local delivery office is near impossible.

i didn't bother trying to find it anywhere other than PM because their prices are the best by about 50 quid. sorry, i guess that's not what you wanted to hear. can you get some house-bound relative to order it for you?

Does the GTS need stronger shocks now you're riding it?

Jess, that sounds faaab. I can't read about other people's trips without getting the most terrible wanderlust. Hope I make my first million soon so I can quit the job and scoot around the world!

I know you're taking the peace, but I'm too stoopid to understand the joke

I know Emma's putting on a bit of weight, but I still think I'm more of a load than she was before she temporarily hung up her keys (or to be more accurate, put them in my pocket).

just home after a great afternoon. drank a bit too much at lunch (the rain was my excuse) so got less done than i'd hoped. got the carrots and french beans in and found time to have a nice sit down with a cup of tea.

kate - you're welcome to drink tea in my shed anytime. i'll dig and you can keep me entertained with stories.

genie - glad your new tyres seem to be more confidence-inspiring.

had a(nother) pint in the pub garden on the way home and now settling down with a nice glass of wine

Right, The Pilots are on the Hornet and I'm already getting excited when I look at those virgin profiles.
All the bits that came off have gone back on the right order and it's not blowing around the header which is always a bonus.
Me thinks it's a good time to go out and see what these new puppies can do.
Ride safe all.

Regards

Bill Xx

Hey Bill, now you're single, I'd think about putting Europe to one side for a weekend and going to the Big Chill 8/9 Aug. David Byrne and Dub Syndicate makes it worth at least a day trip on Sunday (I know you're not keen on camping - though heaven knows why, given it's an Established Trooth that you look like Magnum already, and how camp is he!?!?!?).

And it's in Lovely Herefordshire, so would make a great trip on the scoot in the leafy lovely watery rolling red earth cidery gloriousness that is Herefordshire.

Did I mention I like Herefordshire?

trooooth, boyeee!

who's drunk. hands up

i blame the cachaca - it only takes a couple of tablespoons. i'm a lightweight. and i run 5 miles before dinner.

Whatchoo typing with if your hands are up, Genie? Talent.

I'm not drunky. I'm amped to the gills on a non-fat peppermint latte the size of my head. Only 2 in the afternoon over here. If you'll excuse me now, I have to claw my face off.

Just got back home after a nice ride out to visit a friend in the country.
These Pilots feel very safe and they feel like I could depend on them.
They don't seem to have any quirks at all which would have given me something to write about but no they just feel right and quite progressive in the corners.
The Savas felt a bit vague on the front and lacked feel when leaning but I think that's the same thing.
Benelli Thanks for the offer but tents and camping ? Give me a nice warm bed, a bath or shower and a full english breakfast in the morning and I'm a happy camper so to speak.
I'm not even sure I want to see David Bryne again because Brighton spoilt me so much I don't want to taint it.

Regards

Bill Xx

Wave your hands in the air like you just don't care!



Please don't expect anything sensible from me.

Just back from pub, now on a good single malt (what else). Me, pissed? Takes a bit more to do that.

Interesting leetle chat with boss-man at Walton Road Garage. He's biting the bullet and getting in the new diagnostic unit (at a cost of over GBP600, no wonder dealers baulk at it. ) so his mechs can 'properly' service a GP800 (and other machines). I also got him to look up and order the nuts'n'bolts that went AWOL from my windscreen (though his mechs swear blind they never touched it). It wasn't easy to see on his computer what the right ones were - when I got home I looked at the pdf (thanks Cheeky!) and yes, the wrong ones had been ordered. Phoned him back and got the correct bits on the books. Probably on back order, but hey, this is Piaggio.

All very friendly, and in acceptance mode of 'shit happens'. No point getting shirty, nothing gained on either side in that mode.

genie I see you've been inducted well in your capoeira circle - who gave you that cachaca, woman!!!!

now, I can't join you this weekend wherever you're going, I haven't been keeping up, I'm working on a deadline here (and obviously procrastinating)

question: is it sad that I'm quoting the DSSC on my CV under "hobbies and interests"?

this made me laugh..........

Not to mention the yearly subscription needed to get the updates.. its worth it though as a proper nice bit of kit, especially if run on a little laptop so you can stick it in ya jacket and do on the move diagnostics and investigation.

Perhaps a few local dealers might invest together. I'll approach them. Although there is competition in many areas, there is considerable sympathy in reducing costs.

That's one of our local news stations! Suckahs! More here.

telephone call for mike hunt! oh they were the days skiving off school and watching porkys!

Bill i think a meet up to feel the love again is very well in order.....i could even bring my tractor books or do a slide show

oh and the club sticker has taken pride of place on my GTS tool box door and has raised many questions..........i say nothing as it adds to the mystery 8)

Gav/Maver how about somewhere like Sawston, Cambridge or Bury St Edmunds ? They are roughly half way.
Maybe Duxford Air Museum or just a really nice pub that serves good food or both ?
I'll just chuck those ideas out and see what happens.
Whose up for a fast ride out but not too fast.
Regards

Bill X

Anymore Donkei Skokers up for tomorrows meet up at Oxford Circus at 1pm ?

Kam ? Charles ? Alice you changed your mind yet ? Jim will turn up cos hes reliable. Anymore for anymore ?

Duxford! Yes! The A10 on the approach is rather nice too *awaits Jim's scorn of all roads with 'A' in the title*

I think tomorrow is earmarked for a longish ride. If I don't get one per weekend I get all jittery and snappish.

Duxford has got something going for it hasn't it Alice.

How do the Norwich Crue feel about that ?

Mmm I have a feeling that this could grow a little bit, don't you ?

If you decide to come tomorrow I'll tell you about my ferry story.

It's almost as good as my shaving story but more graphic.

Regards

Tom Selleck

I used to like Tractors. I don't anymore. Do the punch line someone please.

Bill X

i'm afraid i don't know the tractor joke.

upstairs neighbour and i spent four hours this afternoon creating a roof garden on the flat roof of the studio out back we're aiming for self-sufficiency in salad.

now i'm grading papers again

now you're an extractor fan

Boom boom!

d'oh

You're a more dedicated, productive procrastinator than I-- but then again, no papers to grade this term (sabbatical)-- domestic tidying-up [and the seduction of forum chat....] between bouts of my own writing.

Back to it! [Strengthens resolve, and visualizes Greatness]

Thanks Kam I knew I could count on you to deliver.

Saw Star Trek and it was pretty amazing on very many levels.

I want to see it again please.

Bill X

duxford may be good 8)

i'm getting a good feeling about duxford 8)

Yes me too. Lets look at the26th/27th of June or the 4th/5th of July ?

How do people feel about that ?

Plenty of time to move dates around but those weekends are free for me.

Feedback needed people.

Love

Bill X

If someone more organised than me can name the place, date and time, then I'll be there.

See above Jim. X

July please - end of June looks booked from here.

4th and 5th of July - Let me know what you all think people.

Lets make it a big one huh ?

Bill XX

this sounds like a blokey thing so i'll stay at home and do my hair/nails/wash my underpants etc.

It's not a blokey thing. I think they have a branch of Miss Selfridge there and they also have fluffy bunnies and yes the odd plane.

Did you hear about the man who walked into a pub and asked for a bag of helicopter flavour crisps ? The barman said sorry we've only got plain.

Bill X