Monthly Archives: May 2012

These Hepco & Becker Gobi panniers used to look pretty big even on my Honda Varadero…perhaps they’re just a bit too large for the slender frame of the DRZ! What do you think?

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The weekends Shakedown Run was a roaring success (if I do say so myself), however I’m left with a bit of repair work after coming into close contact with a huge tree stump! Whilst negotiating a narrow and rocky section of Hogden Lane en-route home on Sunday I was forced, due to the terrain, close to the left hand bank where, poking out of the undergrowth, lurked an enormous gnarly tree stump. I knew it was close, but as I went carefully past I was right at the point of breathing a small “phew that was close” sigh of relief when I collected it with the front of my left hand pannier. Despite only going slightly above walking pace, the contact was enough to dislodge the box from it’s mounting, the rollbag across the seat the only thing saving it from coming off entirely. Stopping a little further down the track it was quickly reattached and we were on our way again, but before I could give warning to the following bikes Steve repeated my mistake and clouted his pannier off on the same stump! Jetwashing the weekends several pounds of hard-earned mud off the GS later in the day revealed a tennis ball sized dent in the pannier and, when I opened the lid, some light deformation of the shape of the box itself which meant that the lid no longer closed properly. Then disaster struck. Whilst attempting to bend it back into shape (using my knee, the perfect tool for the job) the box slipped on the garage floor and SNAP, off came the lid. Arse! > A quick search on Google revealed that BMW fit their “rugged” and phenomenally expensive 1150 GS Adventure aluminium pannier sets with catches and hinges made of a brittle flimsy plastic which is extremely prone to breakages. Mr, or should I say “Herr” BMW also wants GBP33 per hinge for identical replacement parts! Another search revealed Zygology the UK importer for said hinges (from whom BMW buy theirs) who would sell me identical hinges for under GBP12 each. Better. But still not great. A touch more electronic rummaging on the Zygology site highlighted another set of hinges, same size, same spec and same hole position as “the flimsies” but made of zinc alloy, and even cheaper at under GBP9 per hinge. Better. MUCH better! So I’ve ordered 4 hinges just in case another gnarly tree stump leaps out unexpectedly in front of me at any point in the future. Now remains the problem of bending the pannier back into shape so the lid fits properly again. In the meantime, I await the postman with my new hinges :o)   GBP = WordPress will not for some reason display Pound signs! Grrrrr!

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Picked up the Ten from J&S Yamaha yesterday. I’d not had a chance to give the ole’ girl a spruce after the muddy shakedown in case you’re wondering about the note. All sorted and good to go! Yeah!!!

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I’m sure that Uncle Dave still considers himself the main winner but the truth is that we all won on the day. The Shakedown was a screaming success. Rob’s amazing planning and leadership saw the team challenged by some fabulous local lanes and the Camp on Saturday night turned out to be the perfect venue. It was great to see Si bonding with his BMW F650 GS, I see a love affair blossoming there, illustrated perfectly by Sunday morning’s power slides and mogul jumps. It was also a real pleasure that Paul could join us for this outing. He’ll be sorely missed in the Pyrenees. I think we all appreciated the opportunity to experience the rough stuff on fully laden bikes – it definitely offers a third dimension to off road riding and some of the trails would have been a real challenge even without the extra luggage! The conclusion: Five bikes departed… five bikes returned. Muddy but all intact I’m happy to report. Evidence that our expedition in 46 days is going to be ten days of sheer awesomeness!

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Top of Leith Hill

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And so it begins…

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It’s official… …we’re now under 50 days from the biggest adventure of the year, well, by the time I post this screen grab from the blog we will be! Come on!!!

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An eventful weekend with regards to getting the bikes prepped and ready to go. J&S accessories had restored my faith in them and Yamaha by agreeing to look at the bike Saturday morning before my planned meet with Rob, the upshot being that there is an issue with the front end. Leaving the Ten with the kindly mechanic I popped over the road for a coffee only to return to find the bike in many more pieces than I’d left it! With only half an hour remaining before my intended rendez vous with Rob the whole front end now needed re-assembling and it looked like my lower head stock bearing had prematurely corroded. Sean at J&S did a sterling job of cleaning up the tattered bearing and putting the Ten back to some form of rideable state. Getting to the RV with minutes to spare Rob rolled up just after me. With our knobbly tires strapped to our bikes we headed into town to get them fitted. Rob had an appointment with a knee surgeon in Harley Street (sign off on an old injury) and heading up there managed to nearly spit himself from the back of his GS as it lurched violently from a pot hole. Looks like I wasn’t alone with my front end handling problems. To add to the problem it looks like he’d really clouted his other knee trying to save the fall. At FWR, after our knobbly tires were fitted, a closer inspection revealed that a dust seal of some description had worked itself loose and was now catching the myriad of wires running around the GS’ dash. Further to my own problems, Yamaha have kindly offered to complete the work under warranty. Along with a genuine and heart felt apology on Saturday this has gone a massive way toward re-invigorating my love of the brand. I may, just may, even stop daydreaming about a Triumph now.

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Not normally one to complain I’ve had to firmly mount my soap box today (especially as the cubic container is handling better than my Ten at the moment). I genuinely hate confrontation of any kind so I called the garage in good faith with the intention of them just ‘talking me through’ what they’d done that might be causing the handling problems. They were less than helpful!

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Last month was the wettest April on record according to data from the UK’s longest running rainfall data collection station. Although April 2012 was widely reported to be the wettest drought this century, it is also likely to be the wettest April for almost 250 years. That is according to Oxford University’s Radcliffe Meteorological Station, which has been collecting temperature and rainfall data almost continuously since 1767. Situated in the garden of Green Templeton College on Woodstock Road, its data collection goes further back than any other rainfall record in the UK. Its observations are strictly in accordance with the standards laid down by the Meteorological Office. Its data shows the rainfall measurement in Oxford for April 2012 reached 142mm, compared to a long-term mean of 43.7mm – producing three times more rainfall than usual over the month. April 2012 beat the previous record of April 2000 by about 5mm. Nearly a third of the rain fell in the 48 hours between 0900GMT on April 27 and 0900GMT on April 29 2012. Let’s just hope it dries up a wee bit before next weekend eh?!

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