Thoughts on riding gear

Patagonia certainly tested my choices of riding gear thoroughly thanks to some very cold winds, rain, dust and wind as well as taking a pretty heavy tumble that road-tested my stuff. I am glad to say that it all worked pretty well in keeping me warm, dry and safe but with varying degrees of comfort and additional utility. Here are my main findings.

Keeping warm and dry

Several folk used electrically heated clothing - mainly Gerbings to keep warm and swore by it but I relied on passive protection and did not regret it - especially when seeing one of my companions keep draining his battery with the electrical wardrobe he wore. I found that a layered system comprising a merino wool undershirt with long sleeves, a cashmere cardigan and a Gore Windblock shell, all under my BMW Rallye 2 Pro riiding suit, kept me warm in even icy conditions with a 50 mph wind.

Importantly on a long trip, I found that I could wear the same stuff day after day without any odour making it unpleasant for me or the others. Partly this was because it was cold and mostly with a very low humidity so we didn't sweat a lot but it is also I believe a property of the Merino wool. I alternated the undershirt with a Peter Storm thermal underlayer and this worked well although not quite as warm as the wool. It has the advantage of being a lot cheaper too.

We didn't encounter a lot of rain but we had one very wet day on the Chilean side of the Andes when I wore my Jofama (or Halvarssons as it is sometimes called) rainsuit over the BMW gear. I was disappointed that this seemed to let in water through the zip but I need to try it again to be sure that I hadn't made a mistake and left the flap of the zip open or some such. The material itself seemed to keep out water and was breathable as advertised.

Essential gear turned out to be a thin balaclava worn under the helmet. I had taken only a Buff but fortunately was lent a proper helmet liner by Shira - one of my riding companions and this made all the difference between having a comfortable head and a very cold one.

The Sealskinz socks worked wonderfully well. Even when my boots were half full with water, the socks kept my feet warm and dry. The link only shows mid length socks but mine were long ones.

The Rallye 2 Pro suit kept me dry when I wasn't in the rainsuit thanks to effective goretex liners in the jacket and pants - however some drawbacks to this outfit merit some extra words - see further down the page.

Keeping safe

My helmet, gloves boots and suit all kept me safe including one quite heavy get-off in roadside rubble at speed.

Boots
These were Alpinestars Tech 7s and they proved to be very comfortable, not bad even for walking about in and most of all I believe they saved me from a broken leg or ankle when I came off. Riding the ruts on Ruta 40 threw up a lot of stones and riders without the kind of protection I had suffered when stones hit their toes. My boots completely protected me from this hazard and inspired a lot of confidence when standing on the pegs and riding hard in the dirt.

They were easy to put on and take off - unlike previous motocross boots I have owned and the clip fasteners proved very secure. They were not waterproof but my Sealskinz made sure I didn''t get wet feet. When I dried the boots out, I used two or three changes of crumpled newspaper over the space of a few hours to absorb water and this worked well leaving the boots dry and pleasant to wear the next day.

Helmet
My Arai Tour Cross helmet was mostly a winner. My head is still in one piece and it kept me warm and dry. The visor needs replacing now as the dust on Ruta 40 has scratched the one I was using quite badly. The peak was useful at times as the sun could be low in the sky and quite blinding at times. However, I did miss my BMW System V flip-up, especially when we stopped for a bite to eat at the roadside, or to take a photograph. Despite strong winds, I did not find the noise or head buffeting as bad as I feared it might be.

Gloves
I used first a pair of no-name gloves with kevlar palms and made from quite thick leather that I wear in the UK when it's not raining and these did fine until it got colder as we rode further south. They were the ones I was wearing when I fell off and my hands are fine. Later, I donned a pair of Frank Thomas goretex winter gloves and these worked very well even in heavy rain and freezing winds. I was surprised because Frank Thomas doesn't have a great reputation for waterproof wear but I was very pleased with my gloves - which also provided good feel for the controls.

BMW Rallye 2 Pro suit
I thought long and hard about getting this suit and in retrospect it was probably a good choice but not without a couple of downsides. It saved my hide in the fall I had and for that I thank its body armour, especially the hefty back protector and knee guards. The fleecy goretex liners in jacket and pants kept me dry and I didn''t get damp from perspiration. It was also quite comfortable, including around the neck which is often a source of weakness in motorcycle jackets. So what was wrong with it?

First the zips - they did the job but only just. They are undersized for the loads on them and they are not waterproof. The pulls are tiny and can't be operated in gloved hands. It's all too easy to find yourself trying to zip the goretex liner to the outer shell's zip because they are not very different in size. I broke the pull on the outer shell's main zip - fortunately on the last day of riding so I didn't have too long worrying about a lash-up solution. If you don't get the male portion of the zip fully home in the bottom receptacle, the zip pulls apart very easily. I find this a real and annoying weakness. I hope to get the zips replaced on the outer shell, with something better suited to the job.

Second, the pockets. There are just too few and they are small and not waterproof. I need a good sized waterproof pocket to hold maps and other documents whereas the suit has but one small waterproof pocket on the outer shell- just large enough for a passport. The inner goretex liner has a further water proof pocket but getting at this in a hurry is difficult and a real bore. The lower pockets on the outer shell are not very useful at all. Anything in them gets wet in a light shower and they are very small. Aerostich does pockets very well except that they are not waterproof either, although they offer more resistance than the BMW pockets. I did find the pocket on the left sleeve useful for holding my little Canon Powershot SD1000 camera and I have to admit it seemed to keep the camera dry in light showers.

I did like the pants of the suit, even though they only had two moderately sized pockets. They were comfortable, warm and dry although I did find it necessary to wear thermal long johns in the south but with those they were fine. They fitted pretty well albeit tightly, over my motocross boots and the height of these pushed the knee protector on the left leg, higher than ideal. However, that was a minor problem and my knee remained well covered by armour. With the kind of riding we did it was no hardship to wear these all day and I will definitely consider wearing them in the UK on my Wing. They have nice l

eather on the insides of the thighs which will avoid the paint scratching problem my Aerostich Roadcrafter presents.

Camelbak
It may seem odd to include this under the heading of keeping safe but it ensured I didn''t get dehydrated and there was a real danger of that in the cold dry desert. Dehydration is insidious and it can creep up on you until the first time you realise there is a problem is when your attention has wandered and you are upside down in a ditch. I have the 3 litre bag in an Osprey 33 litre backpack and the combination worked very well. I drank the full 3 litres most days whilst riding - I could just get the bite valve up inside my helmet - one advantage to the design of the jaw protector. I did not find the weight on my back a problem at all which really surprised me. Apart from the Camelbak, I had only light clothing and a few snacks in the backpack. This was no problem as its design allowed for it to be strapped down into a small compact package when not full.

Gadgets

I took my Garmin GPS Map60C and that was useful for geotagging photos when I remembered to set the date and time properly on the camera.. Fortunately I did photograph the display a few times so was able to use this as a way of deciding where pictures were taken. I didn't use it for navigation and felt no real need for GPS nav on the bike. A few follk did have Garmin Zumos and the like and these seemed to work well for them.

I took both a full size iPod and an iPod Nano but didn't use either much except on the plane journeys. I did have all my important documentation loaded on them just in case I lost the paper stuff but fortunately, didn''t need any of this backup.

My choice of camera - a Canon Powershot A620 worked well until some point at which it stopped focussing correctly. I think it had been switched on in the tankbag and something prevented the lens from extending which gave it problems. These seem to have sorted themselevs out now but not wishing to be without a camera, I bought a new point and shoot in Chile. It is a Powershot SD1000 (I think that is the IXUS 70 in Europe). It takes photos identically to the A620 but is a much smaller package and the menu must be used for settings available on the larger camera by turning a dial. Since I took most pictures on full auto this was not really a problem. It was a good decision to take the smaller camera rather than my Nikon SLR - having the thing easily to hand encouraged me to stop and take pictures whereas the palaver of getting the big camera out of the tankbag or elsewhere does the reverse. The quality of pictures is quite high and thanks to the plethora of good photostitching software, the limited lens capabilities is not really a big issue.

I have Tissot Touch wristwatch and I used the compass and altimeter a lot during the trip - hardly an essential item but nice to have. If only the darn thing would show the day of the week!

My Swiss Army knife proved invaluable as always. I sometimes think about getting a Leatherman for the hefty pliers but so far it hasn't been needed.

Patagonia

It's hard to compress into a few words just how big an impact my trip has had on me. It is unquestionably the finest motorcycling trip I have ever made and two reasons stand out. Firstly the place is simply magnificent in its variety but most of all in its feeling of being vast, unspoilt and so far from anywhere. The Ruta 40 which we travelled for a goodly distance over three days is a long lonely and at times difficult road and it leaves an indelible impression on the psyche. The Andes with their exciting and refreshing abrupt changes in climate and scenery as one crosses them from east to west or vice versa - which we did several times - provide a nearly constant backdrop to the landscape wherever you are. The mountains and glaciers are beautiful but so too is the desert. The wind is a factor which has to be acknowledged and accepted but there is no doubt it heightens the drama of the place.

The second thing that made this trip so memorable and enjoyable is simply the group of people I travelled with. By the end of the trip we were all good friends and I am sure I'll ride with at least some of them again. The shared appreciation of the potential dangers of the trip and the enjoyment of the riding probably pushed us closer together than many "ordinary" motorcycle tours. It was 4500km of a life enhancing, even life-changing experience.

Here are a few photos that capture the spirit of Patagonia for me:-

Back from the Fin del Mundo

Patagonia was simply amazing - totally fantastic in every respect. My trip was all I hoped it would/could be.

This is as far as the road will take you in South America and what a road! Mountains, deserts, rainforests, glaciers, lakes and let's not forget the wind. It blows constantly in the south - relentless and bitingly cold at times with speeds that sometimes required us to ride the bike at what felt like 45 degees just to stay on the road.

I'll be updating this blog with more pics and words in due course as I get organised. At the moment, I am nursing a bad cold and a sore leg - yes, I did fall off.. - so plenty of excuses to sit at the PC and get some stuff sorted. A selection of photos can be seen in the right hand side bar and clicking any of them will take you to my Smugmug site with more photos - also here

Fabulous Weather!

I had a marvellous day riding out in the Kent countryside today. It was a crisp autumn day (frost in the morning) with a crystalline blue sky and leaves turning gold and red (early this year). The sun was so low that it made riding difficult at times, especially exploring the small lanes I travelled where I was plunged into darkness under the trees periodically, leaving me completely blinded or a moment or two.

I was giving my new GPS a workout by telling it to go the shortest route from one place to another. Well it certainly knows some tiny roads - the kind with grass growing up the middle and gravel on every bend! Navigating these unsighted was quite exciting.. Still, to make up for the terrors of sliding off the gravel onto the grass and back again, I came across some wonderful sights - beautiful houses and farms some very large and imposing, others just quaint or with quaint names like one, "Stubbleweed Farm" that took my fancy.

More Stuff!

Well here are the results of my Yorkshire trip. I have pannier lights, lower front fog lights, Garmin 2820 GPS and a CB installed! Ian did a fantastic job and it's obvious he is a careful workman who knows what he is doing. Everything seems to work OK although there is a bit of alternator whine on the intercom circuit. Ian thinks it is probably the CB that is doing it but we haven't yet bottomed it out. The noise is not very loud and with any music playing, it is drowned out.

The Garmin 2820 is quite capable unit although I miss some of the features I am used to on the TomToms like quick alternative route selection. The Garmin does allow one's own routes to be loaded onto it and it will also record a track log which are the reasons why I wanted this unit.

In Yorkshire

After an initially wet ride north, I am now installed in a Premier Travel Inn in Rotherham whilst my bike receives a couple of implants - namely a CB (the Goldwing Gadgets model bought at the Treffen), lower fog lights and rear pannier lights. Ian Cardwell is doing the work for me and I shall drop by Ian's later this morning to see how it is going.

I am quite impressed with the Premier Travel Inn. It's bang next to a Beefeater that has quite a good restaurant and a decent bar. The bed is really comfortable. Only complaints are that the towels are a bit small and the shower is rather aenemic.

Off-Road Again

Well, I survived another bout of off-roading. This was certainly an experience and totally unlike the BMW course last weekend. I have to say that the BMW course was in my view much better value and far more professionally run. To be fair, the BMW course advertised itself as skills building whereas the Honda offering is labelled an "experience". There was no instruction to speak of and the environment - a motocross track - didn't lend itself to the more structured tuition I should have liked. Instead we were just left to get on with it and to ask questions if we wanted although this wasn't always easy as the instructors were hurtling round the track themselves half the time, ostensibly to check on the guests but it meant that they couldn't easily be questioned.

Motocross is supremely tiring and I found it difficult to maintain the necessary concentration for very long before my jumps and cornering got sloppy. Still I am glad that I went although I sincerely hope that riding in Patagonia will be easier going and more like the enduro/trail type riding in Wales.

I managed to test my new Alpinestars Tech 7 boot which worked very well albeit they were a bit stiff to start with but are definitely more broken in now!

Next..

I went back to the gym this morning - no problems I'm glad to say. The old bod still seems to be functioning pretty well after last weekend's fun and games. This coming weekend I am off on another off-road course - A Honda one this time, riding a 250 - more of a motocross machine I think than the BMW.

I think I am well and truly hooked by this off-roading, I am looking for more off-road courses, tours and the like and - with sweat breaking out all over - said to SWMBO, "I think I shall get an off-road bike next year". If I am in one piece, I fully intend to! Now I need to find a trailer I can pull with the Goldwing to carry an off-road bike on it - lol.

The good thing is that the bikes are fairly inexpensive (appropriate for a dirt bike - dirt cheap) at least compared to a Goldwing.

Done It!

I had a fabulous couple of riding days in Wales doing this course in preparation for my Patagonia trip. The photos on this certificate don't really do the course or the environment justice. I bounced up and down dale (with rocks) through ruts and rivers and mud up to my ears (especially when I fell off). None of this would have been possible without the expert instruction I received from the super friendly and capable instructors employed at the BMW off-road school in the Brecons under the guidance of Simon Pavey who runs the school for BMW. I mostly rode a BMW 650 GS which is the bike I selected for the Patagonia trip - although having been on the course think I might have been better off choosing the 1200 GS which I tried for a while and found has much more torque and is very comfortable if you need to sit down. Although I think I sat on the bike only a couple of times doing the course, the rest of the time I was standing on the footpegs - which has sharpened my boot decisions no end!. I rode both bikes through terrain that I doubt we'll encounter in Patagonia unless we get very lost indeed, including in sun and driving rain which has been a superb testing ground for the gear I am deciding to take.

On gear, most importantly is the decision on boots. I have decided to buy the best pair of motocross boots I can find that fit. Having now been in the rough stuff for a couple of days, the combination of motocross boots (never waterproof) and Sealskinz socks is brilliant. You get all the strong ankle protection of the boot and the waterproofness of a Goretex liner. Since nobody makes motocross boots with a waterproof liner, this solves that problem. I found my feet kept dry and didn't sweat either thanks to the characteristics of the socks (two layers of wool sandwiching a Goretex type permeable membrane layer).

I had rented enduro type clothing but on the second day, tried my Aerostich Roadcrafter suit which worked very well and had the benefits of pockets, warmth and comfort - makes me wonder if I actually need to have invested in the BMW Rallye 2 Pro suit... Although, I do wonder how long the zips on the Aerostich trousers would stand up to the beating of metal footpegs, rocks and the like. If these got broken on a long trip, I hate to think of how cold and wet it could get!

I'll add more to this when I have slept a while - two days of intense physical effort are great but I do need a bt of rest. I am sure that without my efforts in the gym I would have been really knackered!

MOT Time Again

Not for the Goldwing but for my ancient ZZR 1100. I took it along today and it passed - not sure how much longer it will continue to do so without a service but I use the bike so little at the moment, it hardly seems worthwhile. I keep thinking about selling it but I still like the old girl and I'd get very little for her.

Treffen

No longer a Treffen virgin, I spent 4 days in glorious sunshine at Carmarthen where the 2007 British Treffen was held. Considering the dire weather we have had for most of the summer, the sunshine would have been enough to make me enjoy it but as a bonus, the event itself was great fun. Seeing all the different bikes in a multitude of configurations (trikes, add-ons, paint jobs and so forth) was quite a feast for someone newly enamoured of the Goldwing and needless to say, it has inspired me to think of the sorts of things I might yet do for my bike. I did get a couple of things whilst there, notably a CB radio, yet to be installed, and a J&M headset which is now in my Arai Quantum - I couldn't see how to fit it to my currently preferred helmet - a BMW system 5, although I may be encouraged into radical surgery of the helmet if I like it enough. A quick test this morning suggests it will work very well.

I used my new tent which provided ample accommodationand although it looks a little lonely here, it was soon surrounded by others as more people including my new buddies in Kent Wings, arrived. There were close on 800 inscriptions for the event and although I have no idea hw many of these were foreign, there were certainly enough to make one realise the international nature of a Treffen. Some of the vistors provided considerable entertainment in the form of spectacular bikes - not always the prettiest for sure!

On getting back home on Monday afternoon, I found myself in considerable trouble. A hip that had been slightly sore for a couple of days had become so painful, I could hardly get off my bike and walking was a nightmare. I slept not a wink that night and on Tuesday morning took myself off the doctor's who promptly sent me to A&E on the basis that I might have septic arthritis - a potentially fatal condition. After not too long waiting around, I was seen by a doctor who diagnosed severe bursitis of the hip, possibly brought on by my unsatisfactory sleeping arrangements at the Treffen - basically an inferior lilo that left my hip in hard contact with the ground, I think a camp bed is next on my list of must haves! Anyway, now a couple of days later and having popped a few pills, I am feeling somewhat more human and thankful to both the gods for sparing me septic arthritis and the NHS for sorting me out.

Treffen

No longer a Treffen virgin, I spent 4 days in glorious sunshine at Carmarthen where the 2007 British Treffen was held. Considering the dire weather we have had for most of the summer, the sunshine would have been enough to make me enjoy it but as a bonus, the event itself was great fun. Seeing all the different bikes in a multitude of configurations (trikes, add-ons, paint jobs and so forth) was quite a feast for someone newly enamoured of the Goldwing and needless to say, it has inspired me to think of the sorts of things I might yet do for my bike. I did get a couple of things whilst there, notably a CB radio, yet to be installed, and a J&M headset which is now in my Arai Quantum - I couldn't see how to fit it to my currently preferred helmet - a BMW system 5, although I may be encouraged into radical surgery of the helmet if I like it enough. A quick test this morning suggests it will work very well.

I used my new tent which provided ample accommodationand although it looks a little lonely here, it was soon surrounded by others as more people including my new buddies in Kent Wings, arrived. There were close on 800 inscriptions for the event and although I have no idea hw many of these were foreign, there were certainly enough to make one realise the international nature of a Treffen. Some of the vistors provided considerable entertainment in the form of spectacular bikes - not always the prettiest for sure!

On getting back home on Monday afternoon, I found myself in considerable trouble. A hip that had been slightly sore for a couple of days had become so painful, I could hardly get off my bike and walking was a nightmare. I slept not a wink that night and on Tuesday morning took myself off the doctor's who promptly sent me to A&E on the basis that I might have septic arthritis - a potentially fatal condition. After not too long waiting around, I was seen by a doctor who diagnosed severe bursitis of the hip, possibly brought on by my unsatisfactory sleeping arrangements at the Treffen - basically an inferior lilo that left my hip in hard contact with the ground, I think a camp bed is next on my list of must haves! Anyway, now a couple of days later and having popped a few pills, I am feeling somewhat more human and thankful to both the gods for sparing me septic arthritis and the NHS for sorting me out.

4000 Mile Service

I was early this morning at 21st Moto in Swanley to get this service done - a couple of hundred miles over the 4000 mark but not too bad - it's basically an oil and filter change plus inspection of brake pads etc. but I wanted to ensure the warranty was not compromised. If it weren't for this, I would have done it myself. In any event I am now in good shape to head off to the British Treffen in Carmarthen on Thursday and after that for Yorkshire where I have an appointment to get fog lights, rear lights and a GPS wired in to the bike's electrics - this is a job I definitely would not attempt myself! The problem being that as a UK spec bike with airbag, none of the USA stuff fits and it all has to be spliced into the bike''s harness using made up sub-harnesses. I continue to feel aggrieved that Honda have short-changed the UK market so badly compared with the USA.

Re the GPS, I have decided to get a Garmin 2820 unit fitted as I really do want the ability to pre-program routes etc. on the PC. It is not impossible that some future update of the bike's system may allow that but neither Garmin nor Honda have promised or said anything at all on that score, meanwhile the bike system is great for simple point to point navigation.

4000 Mile Service

I was early this morning at 21st Moto in Swanley to get this service done - a couple of hundred miles over the 4000 mark but not too bad - it's basically an oil and filter change plus inspection of brake pads etc. but I wanted to ensure the warranty was not compromised. If it weren't for this, I would have done it myself. In any event I am now in good shape to head off to the British Treffen in Carmarthen on Thursday and after that for Yorkshire where I have an appointment to get fog lights, rear lights and a GPS wired in to the bike's electrics - this is a job I definitely would not attempt myself! The problem being that as a UK spec bike with airbag, none of the USA stuff fits and it all has to be spliced into the bike''s harness using made up sub-harnesses. I continue to feel aggrieved that Honda have short-changed the UK market so badly compared with the USA.

Re the GPS, I have decided to get a Garmin 2820 unit fitted as I really do want the ability to pre-program routes etc. on the PC. It is not impossible that some future update of the bike's system may allow that but neither Garmin nor Honda have promised or said anything at all on that score, meanwhile the bike system is great for simple point to point navigation.

Yet another Google map test

This time I have included the track as well as some photos. Pretty easy in fact. I used RoboGeo (running under Parallels as I use a Mac) to produce the code and simply put it on my server. It sits here in the blog in an iframe.

Yet another Google map test

This time I have included the track as well as some photos. Pretty easy in fact. I used RoboGeo (running under Parallels as I use a Mac) to produce the code and simply put it on my server. It sits here in the blog in an iframe.

Servicing

I have a 4000 mile service due. Basically it's just an oil and filter change and I had intended to do it myself but other Goldwing owners have warned me that I risk my warranty unless a dealer does it and stamps the service book. I really wouldn't want to compromise the warranty so I am going to get it done by 21st Moto in Swanley - it's ten days away and I will have rather more than 4k on the clock by then! 21st Moto are a dealer new to me and I shall be interested to see what sort of job they do.

Before I learnt of the potential warranty issue, I had a look at what it involved by removing the lower front cowl. There I discovered that on the 2007 models there is an unhandily placed Bowden cable running right in front of the oil filter (the cable operates the foot warmer vents) and it would need to be (re)moved to have enough room to remove the oil filter. I stopped at this point but it seems a bit daft to route the cable like this.

Mapping Tool

I am trying this neat tool to put maps into the blog (click on the box in the map entitled "Build Your Own Map" to go to the site that does it. Basically it lets you incorporate a live map from the "My maps" bit of Google maps, so it can include markers and data like photos, tracks etc etc.

Decent Weather

We seem to have been having a fair bit of good weather in the last few days and I have been out on the bike a lot. I discovered one handy feature of the back rest I installed recently and that is that my handheld GPS picks up a good signal when left in the pouch behind the backrest. This means that a tracklog can be recorded for later syncing with photos I take along the way.

I made a booking today for an off-road Course. I am wait-listed for a BMW course but was able to sneak on to a Honda course for mid August. I am sure it will be a good investment in preparation for Patagonia.

Saw this beauty in Steyning today.

Patagonia Preparations

This is supposedly a blog about my Goldwing experiences but the weather is keeping the lid on those at present! The great performance of the Wing in bad weather has shown me that I needn't fear a bit of rain but the skies and forecasts do nothing to encourage me on to it at the moment.

I did manage to locate a suitable pair of boots for my South American jaunt - a pair of Alpinstars Tech 7s seems to fit the bill and SWMBO has even agreed to give them to me for my birthday! I have also acquired a bunch of maps and even gone so far as to get a phrasebook and a set of CDs on Latin American Spanish. I need to learn some useful expressions like "Please help me pick this bike up - my arse is sore, can we rest a while? - I'm knackered, can we rest a while? - how much further is it?" and so forth.

I am hoping to get to the White Horse Wingding at Chipping Norton. I erected the new tent yesterday and I am glad to say it goes up like a dream single-handedly (although packing it up really needs two pairs of hands).

Patagonia Preparations

This is supposedly a blog about my Goldwing experiences but the weather is keeping the lid on those at present! The great performance of the Wing in bad weather has shown me that I needn't fear a bit of rain but the skies and forecasts do nothing to encourage me on to it at the moment.

I did manage to locate a suitable pair of boots for my South American jaunt - a pair of Alpinstars Tech 7s seems to fit the bill and SWMBO has even agreed to give them to me for my birthday! I have also acquired a bunch of maps and even gone so far as to get a phrasebook and a set of CDs on Latin American Spanish. I need to learn some useful expressions like "Please help me pick this bike up - my arse is sore, can we rest a while? - I'm knackered, can we rest a while? - how much further is it?" and so forth.

I am hoping to get to the White Horse Wingding at Chipping Norton. I erected the new tent yesterday and I am glad to say it goes up like a dream single-handedly (although packing it up really needs two pairs of hands).

More Bling!

Yes, I admit it there is more here than I have previously owned up to. The turndown exhaust tips are there as are the chromed intakes but the back rest has been snuck in. I was put on to it by a new mate, Terry, at the Thames Valley Winding where another bloke wanted to sell it. I bought it sight unseen but I am glad to say the the reality is advertised - in "as new" condition and it matches the seat very well. Terry kindly fixed it for me today and on test it seems to do a great job of offering enough support where needed - just the job for really long rides. Also, it doesn''t seem to get in the way of normal manoeuvres which I was slightly concerned about.

Mileage and Spurious Maths

Today I racked up 3000 miles on the Goldwing - I have had it now for 59 days and allowing for the 8 days when I couldn''t ride it (waiting for the 600 mile service) that equates to 3000*365/51 = 21,471 miles in a year if I ride at the present rate. Putting aside all that''s wrong about this sum, it is still more than I have ever put on a bike in a similar period (that is when not on a continuous tour etc.). I think it says something about how much I enjoy riding this machine. In many ways, it is a wolf in sheep's clothing - it handles like a sports bike in some circumstances (like flicking it through small roundabouts and in pure acceleration) but it also lets me relax and take in the countryside or listen to some music just as easily. As I get more familiar with it, I am learning to handle the weight better in tight slow speed turns although I also confess to dropping both feet at times when I have to make a sharp turn on a bad surface - worries about scratching all that Tupperware put me off countersteering and sliding the back wheel around...

Bike clothing

I am somewhat at a loss to know what to wear for the Patagonia trip. Temperatures can range from the 90s down to the 30s (Fahrenheit) apparently, it can also get very wet and windy. My money is really on the colder weather but we'll be on rough dirt roads for most of the trip so if past experience is anything to go by, I'll get hot wrestling the bike around. OK, it's not likely to be real motocross but even so the chances of coming off the bike, putting my feet down and so forth are probably quite high so I want appropriately tough gear. The last time I got really wet in my Aerostich Roadcrafter suit it let in some water (it is 14 years old) so I have been thinking about what I might replace it with. So far it seems likely to be either Rukka or BMW stuff. The Rukka SRO looks good but is hardly to be found anywhere for a trial fit, let alone to buy. So yesterday I took myself off to a new BMW dealer on the Wing.

It was a hoot to pull up on the Goldwing amongst all the BMW machinery and then to ask to try on the Rallye 2 Pro gear. It is a very close fit and very heavy with little in the way of chest ventilation although you can open up or even remove the sleeves although I see little point in doing that. The supplied Goretex liner is supposed to keep you dry (assuming it is zipped in) and any additional warmth will have to come from another layer. I tried adding the Airvantage waistcoat underneath (which is similar to the one Rukka uses for their SRO) - unsurprisingly, it adds to the feeling of constriction in the suit. I might add that I was already in a suit a size up from my usual fit! So - I am not sure about this thing.

This morning I was in Park Lane and went to the BMW Motorrad shop there - it's very small - but was able to try the Enduro helmet and the Motocross boots. The helmet looks the business and feels very light - it can be used with or without the visor but unfortunately, it folded my ears over and despite several attempts I couldn't unfold them and get comfortable. The boots, similarly were a touch too tight in my size and a real bastard to get off. They felt very secure for the feet and ankles when on but I wonder if I really need that level of protection for the riding I shall be doing?

First Wingding

This weekend I attended my very first Wingding - one of the principal activities of the GWOCGB. This one was organised by the Thames Valley Region and I enjoyed it a lot - learnt a lot too. Especially welcome was the change in the weather - at last we had some sunshine!

Some things - the folk are uniformly friendly, welcoming and helpful. I need a bigger tent and other stuff - did someone say "trailer"? Well yes they did but here is the important stuff:-

1. After a gentle initiation, including the DIY Happy Hour, the helpful Wing community will help you spend money faster than you dreamed possible, it''s therefore advisable to put a cable tie on your wallet.
2. The tent that looked big in the shop is actually smaller than a trike cover.
3. Even if food is available to buy on site, be prepared to cook your own, otherwise you will be continually embarrassed by the generosity shown to you by people who think you must be starving.
4. The smell of food being cooked if you aren't cooking yourself is guaranteed to make you desperately hungry.
5. It's nice to have a barbecue - think trailer..
6. Self inflating sleeping pads are no substitute for a good thick lilo - think trailer..
7. Don't agree to meeting at the next weekend without checking with the missus.. Contrary to my earlier thinking, I shan't be at the Whitehorse Winding, we have guests that day apparently..

Man with a trailer

My bike but not my tent and no trailer..

Various vendors are there - you know you need it!

I have more wheels than you..

Bikes in Marlborough

My tent was smaller than the trike cover next door!

Motorcycling is an expensive business!

I booked my flight to Chile today for the End of the World Tour. I also splashed out for another larger tent for camping - I'll give the other one to one of the grandkids. Used just once, it will be fine for the sort of camping they are likely to do in the next few years. The one I bought for motorcycling is the Khyam Freelander which, having checked out the tents in use at the Thames Valley Wingding, seems to be a good size (I can stand up in it) and easily erected whilst packing into a small enough size to take on the bike.

At the Wingding, I bought a couple of shiny bits - a set of Turndown exhaust tips and a couple of chromed air intake accents.I need to give the bike a good wash before I try to stick these on, I am told too that I need to be very accurate in lining the things up as the glue is very strong and you only get one shot at it. Sounds as if I need to do it before I drink too much coffee!

Mirrors Working!

A soldering iron, some solder, heatshrink tubing and a half hour were all it took - oh I forgot the multimeter I used to confirm which wire was the ground wire in the bike''s system - it was indeed the green wire.

The turn flashers are brighter than they appear here when viewed from the side but I used flash for this photo and it makes the flasher seem less bright than it is. Viewed from the riders position, they are bright enough to remind me that the turn signal is working but not at all distracting.

Muth Mirrors

The special amber Muth mirrors I ordered arrived yesterday and as the fitting instructions looked pretty easy I rushed to fit them. Unfortunately, as I discovered, the supplied harness is designed for a USA spec bike with three wires to the mirror housing - one of which I found out after emailing Muth, is for a running light - which my UK spec bike does not have. This is yet another bone I have to pick with Honda or the British government or more likely the egregious EC inasmuch they supply what I regard as a distinctly inferior specced bike to the UK compared to the USA - not to speak of the cost.

The connectors on the left are the Muth connectors and on the right, the connector on my bike. My bike connector plainly won''t fit the white female socket on the left of the first photo and as can be seen in the other two photos, my bike is only equipped with two wires.

After advice gleaned from various parties (thanks to Dave, Riders Rally - actually Dave again(!) Chris Wedge at Muth and PricedRight) it seems the simplest thing is to splice the Muth supplied jumper lead that fits the mirror, into my bike's harness. I will do this in the mirror housing as there is plenty of room and it will save me from digging around under the mirror boot. Apparently it is important to get the correct leads connected to one another so I shall use a multimeter to check which of the wires in the bike supplies the turn signal and which is ground.

I had planned to do this today but intermittent downpours have prevented me doing the work outside and my garage is too dark to see what I am doing so the job will have to wait. This has allowed me to get up to some very significant mischief!

Completely Bonkers??

My paper Aerostich catalogue landed on the mat yesterday and for those of you who haven't yet acquired one of these I suggest you do so without delay - it is a veritable Aladdin''s cave of biking gear porn and guaranteed to be injurious to your financial health.

On the back cover was an ad for something I hadn't heard of before - Aerostich tours. Intrigued I read the text then went to the tours website to learn more. Oh what have I done? Before I knew it, I had called the States and booked myself provisionally on the "End of the Earth Tour" through Patagonia to Tierra del Fuego. Here are a few pics from the Aerostich site.

Today, after earnest conversations with my dear wife - about me going at all, as getting her to go would require at least a major miracle - my provisional booking has turned into a firm booking with deposit paid and my head filled with thoughts about freshening up my off-road riding techniques, the clothes I need to cater for temperatures ranging from freezing to boiling and whether my old motocross boots will do. Now I love my Goldwing but it sure ain't the machine for this adventure. After thinking about booking one of the optional BMW R1150GS/R1200GS bikes I have decided they are too big and top heavy for my ancient bones and have opted instead to go for the basic BMW F650 GS about which lots of reviewers are very complimentary. It is certainly capable of the job by all accounts.

I may be completely daft but I love adventures and this promises to be a biggie. Logic says it's for younger folk but also that if I don't do it soon, I shall definitely be too old to contemplate it.

I have made a start again at the gym and am determined to (a) lose weight and (b) build up muscle so that when I inevitably fall off, I shall be able to pick myself and the bike up and continue riding. Not least because the amount of off-road riding suggests a potentially exhausting trip. I reckon off-road motorcycling is probably closer to the Tour de France in this regard than most people would guess!

Now I have to do all the stuff like book flights etc etc. I may also take myself off for one of the BMW off-road courses to see what I remember and repair any deficiencies in technique (there will be plenty of those to guarantee I get my moneysworth!)

More Autocom research results

I spoke directly to Autocom this morning who confirmed that their Pro AVI unit can indeed be installed in the manner I wish viz:- integrating all bike audio functions and providing a bike to bike facility although this requires a separate transceiver (walkie-talkie pair). They also do installation work at their place in Warwick including putting the headsets into helmets which might be valuable if the installation in the BMW System 5 is difficult.

Finding it still difficult to believe that the installation in the BMW helmet would be all that difficult, I took myself off this morning to Caterham where a BMW dealer (South London Motorcycles) lives, only to find that their helmet expert is taking his summer holiday.. However, one of the service guys showed me how to remove the visor and the flip up jawpiece, and the cheek pads so I am more confident than before. Plus a bonus, I discovered an Autocom document that deals with the installation in a system 5 helmet. I think people who have been telling me that the BMW helemt is difficult is because they have assumed it was the same as the Scuberth helmets (and Schuberth make the BMW helmet), however, the fit is very different. I wanted to get a Schuberth helmet but none suited me, whereas the BMW one is very comfortable.

OK - It's going to be the Autocom

Questions posted here and there about the Autocom Pro Avi have been answered in a positive vein (notably at Rider's Rally) where a couple of members have helpfully provided the valuable info that I can wire the unit into the passenger headset lead and get the full bike inputs. One kind person has sent me pictures which will help with the install when I do it. I am now sufficiently encouraged to get this unit and I think, to install it myself - it will be my first exploration under the Goldwing's plastic so I am feeling as nervous as a kitten (or more aptly, as nervous as the first time I found out what girls wear! ;) ).

Helmets, Headsets - my head is spinning!

Thanks to Dave's advice on the problem with high impedance speakers in my old Autocom headset I was reminded of the custom fit earbuds (that I had made for me at a motorcycle show) which have speakers built in. I previously used these with the TomTom on my Pan via a bluetooth thingy that reposed in a pocket of my riding suit. Sooo.. off to Maplins for an adapter to connect my little earbuds plug to the Din plug on the bike. Easy-peasy thought I, except that the plug on the earbuds is 2.5mm and when buying the adapter I had thought it was 3.5mm - so back I go for another adapter - actually the third because initially I was forced to buy a 5 pin Din to quarter inch, a quarter inch to 3.5mm and now with a 3.5mm to 2.5mm I have something half as long as a fishing rod and just as bendy, to connect the 5 pin Din to my earbuds.

The acid test - switch on the radio, switch from bike speaker to headset - nothing! Ah well, perhaps these are high impedance too? But then I thought that the miniscule bluetooth adapter had so little power, surely these earbuds must be low impedance? So it proved when I fiddled about with my national exhibition of adapters and was suddenly deafened by the Kaiser Chiefs (I must get around to programming Radio Three :) ).

Trouble is that apart from the bendy connection, the wire to the earbuds is as thin as dental floss and probably not a lot stronger, so I really still need to find a more robust solution. Well, the OEM Honda headset is one possibility at £200! So too is a variety of cheaper headsets that all promise zero noise, quadrophonic sound and "I'll still love you in the morning". However, the helmet man at Dobles, tells me that my favoured helmet (a BMW flip-up is - despite having big cut outs for the ears - the worst imaginable for installing a headset as there is nowhere for the wires to go. He demonstrated by taking a new Arai off the shelf and showing me how in about five minutes one could install a set in that versus the 3 hours estimated for my BMW helmet. I really don't want to buy another helmet. I still own more than most mortals and not just the ones I have crashed in either, however, it's starting to look inevitable.

I am now looking at the Autocom Pro AVI stuff in the belief that I should be able to integrate it into my Goldwing audio and potentially use it for Bike to Bike communication when I get around to attending Treffens etc.

The man at Dobles is looking into this for me - I hope to hear next week what he finds out. Stay tuned!

Noises Off ( or more accurately, noise’s off)

I have a helmet equipped with an Autcom headset - sadly the Autocom unit is no longer to be found but I figured that all I needed was a 5 pin DIN cable extension and I would be able to connect my helmet to the bike's 5 pin fly lead. Well, I can but unfortunately it doesn't really wow me. The volume in the headset is pathetic and the speakers (my lonely pair of front speakers - boohoo) are quite a bit louder. I guess that the missing Autocom unit probably has an amplifier in it but being an electrical nincompoop, I really don't know if I can do anything short of replacing the headset of buying a new Autocom unit. I really am not keen on the latter option, it seems daft when there is equipment built into the bike for the purpose. All advice gratefully received!

Camping - or where do I pack it?

Having bought the bike and having joined the GWOCGB, the next logical step is to equip myself to attend WingDings and Treffens. First step in this process is to get suitable camping gear and considering the number of years since I last undertook this masochistic(?) way of spending time away from home comforts it is understandable that I can''t remember all the stuff one needs. Fortunately, I have discovered a really nifty website that automates the production of a checklist for motorcycle camping - brilliant! Unsurprisingly, a tent is called for so I took myself along to Cotswold, firstly the Orpington branch where I was told of a tent exhibition at their Maidstone branch where they had a load of tents erected in a field and having decided on one (a Jack Wolfskin Tundra 2) I was told the last available one was at the Orpington branch.. ah well I got it in the end.

Then of course I practiced putting it up in the garden. I discovered that doing it by oneself in a wind is harder than I anticipated and that what one really needs is a bunch of lead weights to hold the various bags the tent comes in, plus the tent itself down, until the proper pegs have been inserted somewhere suitable. At moments, the designers anatomy seemed to offer several interesting options for the sharp pegs but as this was my first attempt I shall defer any GBH until I have had a couple more goes and if I find out it doesn't get any easier.

I also got a Therma Rest sleeping pad and I dug out an old sleeping bag that has seen better days but a couple of hours in the sun and it didn't smell too bad!

What I then discover is that Goldwing is really far too small and perhaps there are more wrinkles to this motorcycle camping lark than I appreciated. Travelling solo, I can pile stuff on the back seat but then if it is strapped down, it makes opening the trunk problematic. If I put the tent in the trunk, there is no room for anything else to speak of.. and what am I going to do with the pots and pans, gas stove etc. etc.?

Plainly more packing practice is called for but I take comfort that once I could get all I needed on a humble bicycle - think I still have the panniers somewhere..

Kent Wings

I made my first trip to a regional wings meeting yesterday. I live just about equidistant in time (there must be a word for that?) from Capital Wings, Kent Wings and Surrey Wings but as I live in Kent (by about 100 yards) and as Aylesford where the Kent Wings meet was the easiest to get to, I went there. It's a pretty little village despite being very close to the M20. I was lucky enough to meet a fair crowd of Wingers, given that with various WingDings happening, there might well have been none there at all.

I was given an especially warm welcome by Vernon and Ursula who were the first there and took care to introduce me to the rest as they arrived. Chatting with a few folk I learnt more about my bike than I had learnt in a month of owning it - like the fact that it has no rear speakers fitted as standard! I guess I should have known this but didn't. Anyway it seems a pretty mean way for Honda to save money on such an expensive bike. I also got a good chance to look at the various "bling options" people had opted for. I decided that I should get a front fender extender to keep muck off the lower cowl and I am rather attracted by the chrome bits for the air intake and radiator cowlings that Vernon had on his bike. I also want to get the lower rear lights on the panniers fitted and hooked up - it really improves visibility.

After our session at the Aylesford village club, a few of us went on a ride to Wadhurst along some very pretty country lanes.

Essex Ride

I had a few hours riding the roads in the Essex/Suffolk border area today. Lots of evidence of heavy rains in the previous day or so with mud and grit on the roads - usually the corners - and a car or two that had found it too slippery and ended up in the ditch. Plenty of council workers out and about sweeping up though. Top marks!

I slipped in a visit to Hideout Leather to have a gander at their stuff and be amazed at the price of Rukka SRO jackets (£999 if you please! Doubtless very good but can they really justify such a price I wonder?)

Well done Priced Right!

The half cover I ordered the day before yesterday from PricedRight arrived this morning and I am happy to say, fits fine, although it is rather more bulky when packed than I would have liked - it's a good job I didn't get the full cover. It covers the important bits - at least those one wants to stay dry when touring, so it should be a boon on the wet days. I have to say I still disappointed that a bike with as many buttons as this Goldwing doesn't actually have a "Fine Weather" button :)

Cover Ordered

Well, the first item arising from my lessons learned is underway. I have just ordered a half cover from Priced Right Ltd. I chose them because they had it in stock and online ordering for it unlike Fatboyzdiner (where did they get that name?) who wanted a phone call and 10 days to source it. Being impatient, that seemed too long. I guess that getting older (with less time to waste :wink: ) and the nearly instant gratification one has come to expect from the internet are partly to blame.

As the last line of this post indicates, I am trying yet another blog editor. Qumana doesn't seem to offer anything significantly useful to me over Scribefire and above all, it's not instantly available like Scribefire

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Little Old Lady

Well that is a kind term for an elderly member of the female sex who nearly killed me on the M25 on the way home from Wales. I was in the outside lane, overtaking and abreast with her when she decided she needed to use the space I occupied to overtake the car in front of her. I slammed on the anchors and hit the horn - thank God it is better than the usual anaemic motorcycle jobbie and that she was not totally deaf, for she pulled back into her own lane with a look of surprised indignation as I waved my fist at her.

Apart from a slight swerve when I braked, the bike behaved very well. It was all so instinctive and over very quickly, so I had no real chance to evaluate the braking performance, it's possible the ABS and linked brakes did their stuff but I was concentrating on the car and I don't really know. Makes me realise I really do need a test in the safe environment of a large empty car park.

I have also thought about the horn - I am glad my thumb hit the right button amongst the mess of controls on the bars - I guess the designers have thought that one through! The horn itself sounds more like a car horn than any bike horn I have had and is therefore not bad at all but I did a quick bit of research on aftermarket horns and am now thinking of a Stebel Nautilus Compact air horn - I must try and find someone who has fitted one to a Wing. Many moons ago I had a Mercedes logging truck air horn fitted to a bike - these things are designed to be heard over forested mountains and the roar of 800hp diesels - it was a fantastic accessory - as long as you were wearing ear plugs!

So what did my first tour teach me?

1. Get a half cover for the bike, it must surely beat all that mopping up in the morning when it rains the night before.
2. The stock seat suits me just fine and the heated seat and grips are very nice to have when it's cold.
3. The large information panel on my bike is great for reading without spectacles - I guess Honda know their age demographic pretty well!
4. I waste a lot of space taking camera gear on the bike that I don't use. Basically a whole pannier for an SLR and lenses is daft when all I take is a couple of snaps. In future I shall use a simple point and shoot camera.
5. Storage on the bike is OK but no better and a little worse in fact, than my Pan with its OEM panniers and a Givi top box.
6. The Wing corners very well and I didn't ground the pegs once although I fully expected to. Part of the reason is that I wasn't prepared to corner at high speeds on the roads with stone walls and blind turns - not to speak of oncoming traffic.
7. The gearbox is plainly designed in the expectation that one will use the engine torque to overcome its limitations - rather like the Pan's in that regard. I do wish both bikes had a decent 6 speed box. The gearbox on my ancient ZZR is simply miles better than either the Pan''s or the Wing's - it's like silk and and I am never in the wrong gear. The gearbox on the Wing is the same kind of agricultural job that the Pan has and first and second sound like straight cut gears.
8. Throttle control is very nice and responsive and there is no backlash right through the drivetrain.
9. I really need to test out the brakes in a big car park, they don't seem too powerful but I haven't really slammed them on (except once - see next post!) and I am probably not using the rear brake as much as I need to on this big heavy bike. The rear disk is obviously built with heavy use in mind - being both vented and of larger diameter than the front disks.
10. Rough surfaces cause unpleasantly harsh feedback in the front wheel/suspension. I need to see if there is some way of adjusting the compliance at the front end - maybe I need that Traxxion gear?
11. The satnav works very well for point to point navigation (and perhaps for more complicated routes too although I haven't tried that). I would like to be able to enter destinations as a postcode and also to load overlays of things like speed cameras. Perhaps the next iteration of software will permit this? The speakers are fine for listening to the route instructions. They are not bad for music either although a headset would doubtless be better.
12. As usual, I took too much clothing. I need to make a proper list that I can use to pack for trips in future. It will include the new Hood jeans I bought recently but which I did not take on this trip - this was especially dumb considering what I had written here. I regretted that oversight because I could have left the Roadcrafter trousers in the B&B at Llanberis where I stayed for two nights and would then have been more comfortable with the jeans during the many stops I made to wander about and take photos.

1277 Miles

That is how far I managed on my first proper tour with the Goldwing. Having got the first service out of the way, I watched the weather forecasts and as soon as they looked halfway decent I headed up the A1 to the North York Moors.

OK so no prizes for guessing this photo wasn''t taken in Yorkshire. I stayed one night there at an excellent B&B in Ingleby Cross on the Coast to Coast walking route but the weather was basically cloud at ground zero, so the next day, I rode west where the weather man said there was some sun to be found. Before that, I did find time to traverse an excellent road from Stokesly to Helmsley, meeting another Winger there.

The Dales were brighter but still too gloomy for my taste as I couldn''t see the tops of the hills and whilst the roads were pleasingly twisty and uncrowded on this weekday, the view left a lot to be desired. I continued my westward journey to the Lakes and ended up in Ambleside where there were plenty of bikers but as far as I could see, no other Goldwings. Again, the next day looked rather threatening and the weather man said Wales look good, so after a couple of hours of motorway travel I was pointing the bike to the welsh hills. I used to climb there in my youth and I was glad to see that once in Snowdonia, things were much as I remembered them. I can't say the same for the nightmarish road from the Chester area, that is the A55 through Colwyn Bay to Bangor. It was extremely crowded and ugly - a route to be avoided at all costs in future I feel. I found a very nice B&B in Llanberis, thanks to the Tourist Information Office in the high street. I was rather glad of their help as many places I had tried earlier were full. I stayed two nights in Llanberis and that afforded me the opportunity to ride all over Snowdonia, giving the bike a thorough workout on the hills and through the valleys. It was very enjoyable and a great learning experience in terms of getting to know the bike but all too soon it was time to turn southwards and down the M1 towards home.

YeeHaa!

Well, I got the service done and without getting wet - which considering the forecast was a minor triumph. Now I am all set to do some serious riding except that the next few days are taken up with various obligations that will prevent me from getting on the bike at all. I got the dealer to fit an Optimate charging lead during the service, this should ensure that even when I am not able to ride the bike for a few days, I will be able to keep the battery in good condition.

Another maintenance thing I want to do is to apply the tankslapper vinyl I ordered and have now received, to the areas of the paintwork likely to get scratched. One such area is the engine cover just above the brake pedal where the leg zip of my Roadcrafter suit seems to rub.

Six Hundred Mile Service tomorrow!

I did a few miles in some rare sunshine yesterday but limited by the need not to go much over the recommended 600 miles before the first service - I don't wish to vitiate the warranty by ignoring the service recommendations!

So - it's off to Doble's bright and early tomorrow morning where I shall then spend an hour and half waiting for the bike to get done. As I live some distance from the dealer's it is better to wait and collect the bike there and then rather than making my way back home, only to jump in a cab back to Doble's. They do have courtesy bikes but there isn't one available tomorrow.

After that, I look forward to a few days of decent weather so that I can head off for the Yorkshire moors and dales to really stretch the Wing''s legs..

Starship Enterprise has landed!

At 9:00 am I decided I could make it comfortably to the dealers before the insurance on the ST1100 ran out at 10:00 am when the insurance on the Wing was due to kick-in. I reckoned without two things - it started to pour with rain when I was half a mile down the road and the traffic was exceptionally thick. Neither of these things would normally bother me much but today especially, I did not want to wreck the Pan which might have spoilt my entire day and more aggravating still, I had cleaned my visor with some special gunk just before leaving the house and it now seemed to have a greater affinity for water than a fish. I literally could see nothing unless I opened the visor completely - thus getting soaked and half blinded by the rain. As a result I got to Doble's in time but with little to spare. The process of buying a bike takes a lot longer these days than I recall on any of my previous splurges. The dealer is required by law and/or their insurers etc. to read over a long list of checkpoints with you, some bordering on the absurd but all designed to save you from yourself and I suppose more importantly from the dealer's viewpoint - to save him from an expensive court case if you press the wrong buttons on your new bike. Finally, after an hour or so with the rain still coming down but rather less like the onset of the monsoon, I was able to jump on the Wing and head for the hills.

At least that was my plan - to go to the South Downs for a tool around to get used to the bike. However, inevitably I suppose, the heavens opened and I bottled out and came home. Here she is - thankfully you can't see all the rain splatters! I shall instead have to content myself with the 5lb collection of manuals that come with the bike - I want to find that "Good Weather" option button on the control panel.

This is the Big Day!

Up with the lark - or at least whatever the little perishers are outside the window that have woken me at 4am. Far too early to nip over to Coulsdon to pick up my Wing and plenty enough early to leave me no excuse not to get down to the gym where I am endeavouring to shed a few pounds. The bike may be able to carry them but I am not so sure about my legs. One other good thing this morning - Scribefire now works for me - I just failed to notice its discrete little icon in the status bar at the bottom of the screen!

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Wordpress Glitches

I chose Wordpress for this blog having seen how flexible it appeared and also the wealth of themes and plugins around the net. Setting it up has mostly been a trouble-free experience, including making a few posts and adding a variety of plugins to do stuff like displaying photos. However, a couple of glitches have occurred, like the sudden disappearance of the Visual Editor (at least in FF. It was OK in IE on Parallels - I use a Mac). Google had a boatload of hits referring to the same problem which no-one seems to have cracked conclusively yet although some folk have had success with a variety of different approaches, none of which worked for me.

I have worked around it by installing yet another plugin - another rich text editor that replaces the tiny_mce editor used in Wordpress 2.1.3. I found it here

Suspension

Not content with worrying about GPS before I have even taken delivery of the bike, I am now thinking about the suspension, especially after watching this video by Traxxion that basically condemns the stock suspension out of hand. I wonder if there is anyone in the UK qualified to install the Traxxion system should I decide the bike needs it?

GPS and Helmets

I really value GPS in my cars and on my bikes. On the ST1100 I am trading in for the Wing, I have a Tomtom Rider (Version1) and I listen to the voice prompts via custom ear plugs with built in speakers. These are pretty comfortable and fit far better inside a helmet than any speaker system I have tried, although my BMW flip-up actually has a ton of room for speakers compared with any other helmet I have tried, including the Schuberth - which was supposed to be pretty much the same as the BMW helmet, which Schuberth make.

What is bugging me are the very unflattering reports on the built-in SatNav on the 2007 Wing and it looks as if a Garmin Zumo 550 might be a good thing to get. I shall hold off until I have tried the built-in unit but I am not hopeful after getting used to the facilities offered by the Tomtom. I should be able to use my existing headset for the Tomtom with a Zumo, though I am not certain.

Rocky Mountain Holidays

An email offering me a 25% discount on last minute bookings reminded me of two great holidays I have enjoyed in North America (Canada and USA) with Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Holidays. They use Triumphs principally, although they are getting a BMW R1200RT and the Moto Guzzi Breva 1100 for this season. Nothing is too much trouble for this outfit - like cleaning bikes every day and helmets at every stop! My bikes were the Tigers in these pix. Now I am acquiring the Wing, I am starting to think about long tours in Europe, I just hope I can find a company that does it as well as these boys.

Bike Clothing

I have been musing about possible changes to my biking apparel. I normally use an Aerostich Roadcrafter two piece suit which I have found very practical both for touring and commuting. However, rather more in keeping with the style of the bike and the summer days I hope to see again before too long, I am now thinking about a separate jacket and pants - either Draggin Jeans or Hood jeans as they seem to offer a fair degree of protection and would not require me to stow the pants of my Roadcrafter suit when I am off the bike. I have roadtested the Aerostich suits a couple of times in 15 years of using them and both times the suits survived the impact and slide and more importantly, so did I - with minimal damage and I am pretty sure the Roadcrafter is a lot stronger than a pair of jeans even though it''s based on Cordura rather than Kevlar as the basic construction and stitching is far heavier but I ride more sedately these days. :lol:
I am a bit reluctant to get these mail order if there is any chance of trying a pair on, so I will go looking for supplier, not necessarily local as it will make a good outing on the bike when I get it.

Add-Ons

Even before I have taken delivery of the bike, I have ordered a couple of things I am pretty sure I will know I want for it. The first of these is some protection for the new paintwork in the form of clear plastic patches to be applied to areas that get scuffed, such as the sides of the tank and corners of the trunk. I am getting these from The Tankslapper - although why they chose such a name I don''t know, I only ever had one and it was a really horrible experience.

I have also ordered a set of DVDs on maintaining the bike from Fred Harmon. I am not much f a home maintainer these days if the truth be told and I don''t want to sepnd a lot of time on it but eading various forum posts it seems likely that I shall want to understand a but of what goes on under the skin, even if only to add a bit of farkle here and there.

What I ordered and Why

I have had many motorcycles over the years, just two were the same - Kawsaki ZZR 1100s and I still have one of these. The motorcycle I have ridden most in the last few years though has been a Honda Pan European ST1100. I was getting a bit fed up with some aspects of it, mainly the wind buffeting on long motorway sections and a lack of power for overtaking. I looked at a number of alternatives for a powerful touring bike including BMWs, Yamahas and others and one I thought I had settled on was the new Pan - the ST1300. A longish test ride convinced me that it had excellent weather protection, much better power delivery than the Pan and it went round corners better too. What eventually put me off was a lot of negative publicity around the deaths of a couple of police riders and the comments made by some professional testers following the accidents, that the bike was inherently prone to high speed uncontrollable wobble. Even though this seems to have been the case for the police spec bikes only, I was concerned and certainly wasn''t going to get it past SWMBO.

I am not quite clear how the Wing invaded my consciousness, suffice to say it did and before long I was dreaming about touring Scotland on one. Nothing for it but to go to my dealer to try one. Contrary to my initial expectations, a long test ride showed that it went round corners pretty well and was extremely comfortable. The luggage looks as though it will hold the mass of photographic gear I like to take along on expeditions pretty well - although the Pan is pretty good for this too.

So I ordered this gorgeous red model - 2007 with airbag and satnav from Dobles in Coulsdon and I am due to pick it up next Thursday 17th May. I can't wait!

Just Installed Wordpress

Another Goldwing owner uses Wordpress for his Goldwing Blog and it looks very smart so I thought I would give it a try. Installation could hardly be simpler, I wonder how usage will be and what it takes to develop a nice theme of my own? Basically, I like simple elegant themes - I hate flashing stuff and cluttered pages which are seen an awful lot on motorcycle pages for some reason.

Am I mad?

I have gone bonkers and just ordered the biggest and most expensive motorcycle in regular production. Whether this will turn out to be a happy decision or a stupid mistake, I shall just have to wait and find out - I shall try to tell it like it is in this blog. I should also say that blogging is totally new to me and if my miserable attempts to keep a diary at various points in my life are anything to go by, this blog may not be around for long.