Changed the SatNav

I got fed up with not being able to sync the Tomtom Rider 1 with my Scala Rider bluetooth headset and also with the somewhat flaky track recording that depends on a third party app that I installed to the Tomtom. So after swearing to avoid doing business with Touratech if I could avoid it, I went back to them for a bracket and cradle for the Garmin 2820 that normally lives on the Goldwing. Initially. following the TT instructions I found that the 2820 competely obscured the speedo and the rev counter from view. However, after reversing the handlebar brackets I am now able to see the speed and the top half of the rev counter which is acceptable.

Now all I need to do is to get a pair of specs that will enable me to see the thing clearly. After some experimentation using reading glasses I am going to get a pair of bifocals with a smallish area devoted to the near focal length - large enough to cover the instruments and nothng else basically and have booked a sight test for tomorrow.

Metal Mules and a Movie Cam

I ordered some of these for the GS quite a while ago - in late April if memory serves - at which time they were awaiting delivery of the new Scorpion exhausts which are needed if one wants a balanced pannier set up with no exhaust cut-out, as I do. As I was going off to Italy, I reckoned I could happily wait for the exhaust and on my return I had fixed up to go down to Hassocks last week but then Paul at MM phoned to tell me he is still waiting for the exhaust. OK, I rearranged the date for tomorrow but then this afternoon another conversation with Paul took place - déjà vu all over again as they say..still no delivery date on the Scorpion.

I shall go for a ride in any case. I got myself a little Action Cam today and have fitted it to the bike, so I hope to have fun tomorrow recording some nice lanes

It came with a mount designed to fit something like a bike's handlebars plus a couple of straps to fix it around a helmet or one's arm. I couldn't use the handlebar mount as it was so made up a fixture to sit in my RAM mount (good job I had a bit of ally rod and plate as well as a lathe handy!)

Another neat thing I have come across is a plugin for my Tomtom Rider - I did not even know it could use plugins! This one is called Event Logger and amongst other things, it can record a track log on the Rider. The program is free and on a short test seems to work as advertised. I shall try a longer test on my ride tomorrow.

This is a Green Lane!

It just happens to be blocked by a rather large tree root..

Turning six bikes round in a lane narrower than the bike is long necessitates some rather hard work..

It was a brilliant day, organised by Mike Wilson at South London BMW. Six brave souls, including Mike - bravest of all for looking after us! - took to the Surrey hills and encountered most kinds of terrain from loose rocks to deep pools. Here is Mike showing the rest of us wimps how to do it..

I only fell off once which is a great improvement on my last outing! I had taken some precautions such as removing my mirrors - this made me realise just how much I use them as I felt completely blind for a while - and taking some spanners and the Torx keys on sockets. As luck would have it, the only thing that was right was the spanner for the mirrors. I could have done with a couple of other things after my "little off" but naturally, they were at home in the garage..

Getting Ready!

For some greenlaning tomorrow that is. Recalling my last outing, a few precautions have been taken, such as to have had a bashplate fitted and I have removed one mirror from the bike - the other will come off before we hit the dirty stuff. One problem is deciding where to put stuff like an essential toolkit and the mirror. The F800GS's toolkit is like a poor joke and there is no room under the seat for much extra although I have managed to secrete a tupperware box of torx keys there. The mirror and a ratchet spanner for the torx bits will have to live in a tool roll strapped on the back seat.

The problem with stuff on the back seat, as I found out last time, is that in my riding suit and motocross boots, I can't easily lift my leg high enough to clear the extra height - I am not Darcey Bussell! - still I think I can just about manage to clear the tool roll. This problem is of course much amplified when one can't stand on a piece of level ground or is up to the knees in mud. Both these situations also preclude use of the sidestand and then the problem is compounded by having to keep the bike upright and by the time this becomes necessary, the bike weighs a ton because one is absolutely knackered. At least, I am knackered. This is partially due to my advancing years but mainly because I am out of condition and haven't yet been back to the gym since my Italian trip - or if I am honest since Patagonia, apart from a few forays that didn't translate into peak condition... Only those who have ridden off-road know how much hard work motorcycling can be!

Ride Out

I had a great ride yesterday with guys on the UKGSer forum. We started and finished at Newlands, taking in three counties in a 120 mile loop through some very pretty country side and along a fine mix of roads including some gravelly muddy stuff that almost threatened to become off-road, shady country lanes and some faster stuff with nice sweepers. I was pleased with the road going performance of the TKC80s although rather cautious when it came to exploring their full potential in the bends - which often had gravel just waiting around the bend - I wasn't desirous of finding their maximum lean angle the hard way but I suspect it is quite a bit more than I was prepared to try.