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So half way through 2011 and I realise that I didn't once make an entry for 2010.
So a quick catch up. Last entry 2009. Bike Tiger 1050, aka The Caspian Blue rocket. Honestly folks the 1050 triple is an engine to behold. An almost flat torque curve, it pulls from low revs in any gear like a express train.
2010. Bike Tiger 1050. Pretty sihte year for most of us I think. I'll be the first to admit I am lucky to have a job etc and I wish all those in straighten circumstances good luck. And to the *ankers who got us into this mess, foreign & domestic, burn in hell boys and girls, burn in hell. Expect to see McCreevey, Cowen, Ahearn etc at the front of that queue .

So onto 2011. Started with the 1050 and went along to Dublin Triumph in early Feb, almost as a laugh really, for a test ride on the new 800. Being on a few Triumph oriented forums the buzz about the bike had been building for at least 6 months. Anyway I was suffering from withdrawal symptoms after not having ridden the Tiger for a month in the snow and ice. Yes I know - Big southern Jessie, as a friend from Doncaster would say.
Still it was a nice dry, bright day in early Feb when I pulled up at Triumph. Parked nose in just to pish off the Harley guys. Must have been the 1st person to test ride that particular 800, it only had 34km on the clock!
Well the engine was tight, but also very responsive. Kept it strictly to the 5k limit. Used the gears and had a ball. Lovely ride. Was thinking to myself coming back well that was nice but there's no way they'll give me a good trade-in. Well...........
Back at Triumph sat down and almost fell off the chair. Fecking hell they're giving me everything I thought they wouldn't give. So the deal was swiftly done & I became a member of the queue waiting for their new bike. Only my 2nd new bike ever!! The first being my
Puch Maxi when I was 16 - An extremely long time ago.
Well I was spurred to action and got the 1050 looking really well for when I took it in for the hand over. Everything ship shape.
The wait. Time always seems to drag real slow when you're in a state of anticipation. Fortunately for me the wait was shorter than expected. Triumph build as required, so within a week of the deposit I had a build date for the 800, and three weeks later, which was early, I got the call - "Your bike is in." Woohoo
Collecting a new bike, whether brand new, a novelty for me, or 2nd hand, has always giving me a shiver down my spine. A mixture of the anticipation and god I hope I don't drop it/ bin it / otherwise feck it up. No fears, thank god. The 800 is sooo easy to get on with. The handling is a revelation. Other bikes have ended up to be just as good, but required time / effort / money to achieve. Even the 1050 needed fettling to get to the 800 out of the box handling. In a word - Brilliant.
Day 1 - March 3rd didn't get too much time with the 800. Day 2 was different. Got pretty much the whole day. Where to go? Must remember to vary the gears / revs, not too much constant throttle. Light bulb moment. It's not quite the weekend so the "Gap" (Wicklow) won't have any (hopefully) weekend warriors blatting though. Naas to the Gap is a lovely run, plenty of alternatives and once off the N81 the fun, even limited to 5,000 rpm, begun.



Some of the accessories had still to arrive and some parts still to be ordered, a less bulbous exhaust for example.

4 months on and all the accessories are now fitted, the exhaust replaced (saving 3.6Kg) and sounding like a proper triple. It doesn't get washed very often, but looks great for it. I've gone mad fabricating bits and pieces for it. The wife thinks I'm having my mid life crisis. I keep telling her that'll be when I'm heading out the door for a 4 month ride out!

• Slideshow

2009 started cold, got colder and wetter and snowier (is that a word?)
January was a long month as I sold the Strom and had a few weeks to wait before collecting my new to me stead, bought sight unseen. Well I did see a photo on the interweb. Deal was done. Dealer (UK) was easy to deal with and was well aware of the exporting documents requirements, complete V5 please. The collection week dawned with a light dusting of snow with cold weather forecast. Feck. Now realised my layers might be insufficient so the wonderful interweb to the rescue. A rather nice Keis X4 heated vest with battery pack was in my hands with a day to spare.
I had decided to travel light so most of the gear was being worn over, helmet in my carry on. Wonder how the security would take to a vest with lots of wires and a battery attached. Right in the hold you go . The tension was building. You may remember the 5th of February, I do. Was sat in one of Aer Lingus's finest when the DAA shut the pigging runway. Fecking snow. If you weren't there at the airport that afternoon / evening you would not believe the chaos, although to give DAA their due they got lots of people into queues quickly!! 3 hours later and while still in a queue I managed to get through on the phone and rebook for the next morning - early. SWMBO was working the phone from Villa KM in Naas and I got a room in the nearest hotel to the airport I could find = Newlands Cross No point in trying to get home only to leave really early to get back. Traffic was cat.
Thankfully the 6th of February although snowy was not chucking more of it down. Dublin airport no problem. Saw the x-ray of the helmet, or rather saw the large space on the screen and the double D's of the strap, weird.
Heathrow. Makes Dublin look small. Never had it happen to me before but my bag was first onto the belt. So I was out of there smartish. Nice man from Oxford cabs was waiting for me. Here's a tip. Pre book a taxi if going to the UK to get a bike. Run up to Hughenden M40, just outside of Oxford was a breese. Handed over large bundles of £20 notes and was brought out to the workshop where the Tiger was residing. I had a few parts in the bag, didn't have time to install the lowering plates and sort the forks so I just installed the hand guards and tank ring for the tank bag. As you can see from the photos it was snowy. Fortunately the roads were ok, to start with.
It was cold, I had various layers, heated vest hand guards and Triumph's excellent heated grips. If it wasn't to the latter two I don't think I could have ridden the 170 miles to my father's house. M40 was grand, as was the M25, to start with. It was raining from the M25, which turned to sleet, which turned to snow. Passing turn off for Gatwick it was proper snow. Wet clingy snow that didn't clear off the visor, so left hand spent more time wiping it away than on the bars. Off the M25 to A21 and things had slowed right down. I was in wheel tracks, it was dark and was still shagging snowing. Bike though was brilliant. With the ear plugs in the Triumph accessory silencer that the previous owner had fitted was a lovely muted growl at low rpm, coming up to a full throated howl higher up the rev range.
Coming down Poll Hill past Sevenoaks at 10mph (indicated 100mph on my old 400/4 many moons ago) and some dick in a small fiat right up my chuff. Dickhead finally got the message and backed off just as I pulled off onto the local roads. What a difference!! No snow, not even that wet. Still bloody cold though. Only a few miles to go now. Into to Tonbridge and get to my Dad's house. Up the drive, foot down (first time since leaving Hughenden), engine off and off the Tiger. Pissed dad off though when I walked in and a sheet of slushy ice fell off my helmet, closely followed by the ice covering my torso!! The whole of the front of the Tiger was sheeted over in ice, screen, headlights, hand guards, all iced over. First day of Tiger ownership and we had formed a bond. And I hadn't dropped it either!!!!!!!!!

Jesus, can't believe I've left it so long since the last entry.
2007 wasn't a great year in the end, decided that the house move was a bad idea and that Naas is were we should be. So one well maintained 5 bed bungalow with garage now for sale. Who's a twit!!
On the plus side 196 has been running faultlessly (?). I've even mamaged to find the right position for the handlebars which seems to have eliminated any weave with the top box fitted in strong winds - can I patent the position?
Have started the 2008 photo-rally, although I've already fallen behind in my plans, best laid plans of mice and men, or daughter off school with cold in this case. I have several loops planned, hoping to achieve each one in a day, so the longer ones will be done in June / July.
On a serious note my mother died this year which is a bummer, but thankfully it was quick and with little pain. So now making regular trips to the UK to keep an eye on my father. Might take 196 over for another run through the Welsh mountains.

1. The House. Well it's still standing & in Kildare, which is amazing after the amount of rain in the last couple of days, especially last night. We had a lake in the back that was a couple of inches deep. All gone now thank god. Not so good for those in parts of Dublin though.
Next job is to paint the house :confused: Not looking forward to that.

2. Strom or as I call it - 196. What can I say. Brilliant bike. Some of my early modifications/changes have been removed/reverted. Principally the handle-bar raisers are now gone and rotating the handle-bars. Now back to their original position. Oh and I got fed up with the shape & size of the aftermarket screen I bought. I decided I wanted something in-between it & the original Suzuki screen. I have use of a belt saw, amoungst other things, at work. So after some consideration the California Scientific screen got a bit of a trim Looks pretty good to my mind. Overall can't think of anything else to do to it at the minute. Last thing I did was replace the speedo face with a calibrated Km/h version. Having now checked it with the gps I can confirm it is spot on.
Speaking of the gps. I bought it in February, a bundle from gps warehouse in the uk - Streetpilot 2610 including all mounts & cables for both cage & bike. It went bananas on my trip to the uk, switch on & it couldn't find the maps on the compact flash card. When I got back, without getting lost I sent it back for repair. 3 months later garmin were not letting on when they might send it back so gps warehouse sent me something from stock, which turned out to be a 2720, woohoo, result. Better unit, with full Irish coverage as standard.

Well been in the new house now for nearly 3 months.
Since moving in, apart from the big skip I had to hire, thanks previous owners for your thoughtfulness in leaving ALL your old SIHTe for me to take the pick of. I DIDN'T WANT ANY OF IT!

We decided the house was a little cold early on. Rang a plumber who diagnosed a small old style boiler trying to heat a not so small house. Couple of the rads were also too small. Well then replace them we said. No bother said PJ, I'll put in a condensing oil boiler & change a couple of rads. Be here Friday at 8:30. And lo he was. And the house was warm.

Next up was a scan of the SEI.ie website. Sustaining Energy Ireland administer a grant scheme for reusable energies, such as wood chip, solar & wind. We had in mind a solar system for the hot water, made funnily enough in the North. Grant approval came through fairly rapidly & the whole system, including a 300 litre tank in the hot press was installed in a day. What is Ireland coming to. People arriving when they say they will & jobs being done inside of a day!!

Would love to get a wood chip burner but the hopper required, 5 ton capacity, would take up half the garage. So I need to extend it back a bit. I'll wait a couple of years I think.

And the bike. Well the strom is happy in his new home, out of the nasty rain & wind. He gets plugged in at the weekends. He's just had new HH rated pads all round, New Iridium sparks & the K&N filter cleaned & recharged.

Now for a drink.

Been a while so I'll combine.

PART 1
Had a rush of blood to the head on seeing a really good looking bash plate style belly pan for the Strom. Made in Greece of all places. Well ordered one. 3 days later it arrived. Sweet divine it takes longer to get stuff from across the Irish sea! So now I've a Pyramid Plastics belly pan sitting idle. Must sell it. Just braided lines to fit at the front and I'm done....for the time being.
Also got a gps unit, a waterproof one, Garmin 2610, not the newest model but it does the job. I'm off to the UK to see my folks next week, which means crossing though Wales / England to Kent. Been trying it out on the commute to get used to it. Verdict. Spot on, although I do seem to live in a bog or something.
I don't, ok.

PART 2
THE BIKE SHOW.


Well I was one of the sodden multitude to queue pre 4pm to be let in today. Weather, what would we do without it?
Inside, well first thing to meet your eyes is the new 1098 on the Ducati Dublin / Motopoint stand. And lovely it is to.
I wondered down to the right. I always go down & up, a little anal I know, but then I don't miss anything. Found my way to the RSA stand & had a converstion with a guy in a suit.
Me - So when are bikes to be allowed to use the bus lanes?
Suit - It's on going.
Me - So do you not see any merit in it then?
Suit - Oh no it's a great idea, it's on going.
Me - So I'll continue to filter then.
Suit - Oh we don't recommend filtering, very dangerous. Not even sure it's legal.
Me - Funny it's mentioned in "Motorcycle roadcraft" & I've never been stopped for filtering.
Suit - oh ahh.
Anyway also talked about CBT, so I asked the obvious question, when are car drivers going to face the same scheme? Answer, "it's all part of the jigsaw, firstly the driving instructors have to be approved etc etc. It will happen though he said.

Personally I think training should be obligatory, for ALL road users, that includes cyclists by the way. I did cycle training at school in the UK, even got my cycling badge, little triangluar one.

I was a little disappointed that he wasn't aware of the trial schemes in the UK of Bikes using bus lanes. All in all though I think I got my points across to him. Must have done something because he came running after me & gave me a rather nice high viz jacket. That saved a few euros as I had one on the shopping list.
The rest of the show was as expected. I sponsed a straw bale for the Kells road races in July, bought a ticket for the 695 Ducati for the Bubblegum run - September this year. It's mine do you hear
The new Guzzis really look something, the KTM 990 isn't as tall as I thought it would be & by christ Charlie's F650 Dakar has way too many buttons & displays on the handle bars. About 15 buttons, none labled, just to add that certain "what does this one do again?" factor. Probably why he crashed. Met him, nice guy. Oh by the way he's speaking at Joe Duffy's Monday night
Bought:
Charlie's DVD
Can of black paint
A really, really bright LED touch
3 bunches of zip ties
Was given the afore mentioned high viz jacket.
Got in for free, always a bonus.

The flat track guys are something else to watch, and hear, from about a mile away. Anything just play it loud

Well now I'm pretty much finished with additions / modifications on the Strom. The latest are a new screen from America, received 2 weeks after ordering, not bad for this time of year. It's made by California Scientific, Cal Sci for short. It's about 100mm taller, but more importantly about 200mm wider, thus giving much more protection. I think the overall look is much better than the standard screen. Once I get to wash the Strom I'll post some photo's.
Then there is the metal chain guard - looks better than the plastic jobby.
Loud horn (the standard horn being the usual but having the added disadvantage of being placed behind the radiator and facing it, therefore really weak), so I'm extending the loom & placing the new horn inside the fairing.
So the total list is now;
Horn
Screen
Chain guard
Radiator cover
Oil cooler cover
Crash bars
Belly pan
Lowering links
Fender extender
Security measures - these will remain anonimous

Fitted by the previous owner were;
Hand guards
Heated grips
Scotoiler

Personally I think that the manufacturers need to offer some of the above as standard, the fender extender for a start.

Well I hope you all have a good new year. Personally I'm moving house the following week so I can't imagine I'll be allowed too much time on the computer or the bike for the next couple of weeks.
Well

Well I've had the Strom now for a couple of weeks & so far all is well. Having lowered the rear end & dropping the front through the forks so I could actually touch down both sides has made a huge difference. Have also added a belly pan; from Pyramid Plastics - superb fit, bolted straight on. No giggling/pushing or pulling. Also have some really nice radiator & oil cooler covers from a guy in the states, along with a switch plate. Just waiting on a stainless chain guard & I think I can have a rest from spending - for the time being.

Below is my 1000th post, just 'cause I can.

My 1000th – My Bikes.

Coming up to my 16th birthday I must have pestered my parents quite a bit, so was given the choice, money or bike. I chose the latter. The bike turned out to be a Puch Maxi so minor disappointment, but it was shiny new & had my name on the Registration document. Part of the deal was I do training, so off I went on Saturday mornings to the local college where the BMF did a course. Finished that then passed my test, so I was one better than any other moped rider around, no ”L” plates for me.

After many adventures – anything / anywhere is an adventure when you’re limited to 30mph I “upgraded” to a Suzuki B120. It was a little tatty, so I hand painted it a fetching blue, and lacquered it for a “real” class finish. Wasn’t long before I learned some of the dark arts of 2 stroke maintenance - namely the use of Caustic soda & decoking the exhaust. Then it got slower & slower. Poor compression was diagnosed and a rebore carried out. “Now Son” said the man, “you have to run it in”. Hmm it’s August, I’ve got a job & due holidays. Where will I go? Lands End was the decision. I lived in Kent (below London). It’s a long way running in an engine, a very long way. My first road trip. Fun though.

The “B” had an ignominious death thanks to a drunken driver turning across me. I T-boned him & took my first flying lesson. Bike was buried in the side of his car, which I later learnt whilst giving a breath sample on a hospital trolley, was a right off (the car). Bike was totally gone. Front forks were moulded to the engine. Boo Hoo.

Compensation, in more ways than one, came in the form of a cheque, largish cheque – 1982, £2,500 sterling. I was on cloud 9. My dad being an accountant advised me. Me being 18 with rampant hormones desperate to impress ANY female went and bought my 1st BIG bike, a CB400/4. Actually they are tiny but you get the idea. This beauty for she was such was the bike I saw the magic ton on, coming down the A21 from London past Sevenoaks, slight downhill section, about an indicated 102. How’s the man. A friend with me on his CB500/4 bottled it and backed off. Ahh the memories. Sold the CB when I joined the Air Force – Join the forces and see the world. Won’t have time for a bike says I, I’ll always be away. Wrong, apart from detachments to sunny climes & being a participant in the 1st middle eastern air show – 90/91 I spent all my time at one base, in Cambridgeshire. Right 2 wheels please. A nice GPz750, red of course, became my transport of choice. The digital fuel gauge on the tank was the selling point. Mirrors were crap though. Wasn’t long before I sullied my license with speeding points. A truly beautiful motor, 2 valves per cylinder & totally bullet proof. Unfortunately the forks weren’t & it wasn’t long before I started changing fork seals at an alarming rate. Feck this, bigger bike please.

Z1000J2. The monster, weighed over 200Kg’s and was a real stretch to the ground. Slightly cured by fitting the most radical Eddie Lawson seat I could find, but still tippy toe stuff. Jesus though she was fast. Did the length of the M11 from just north of Cambridge to Walthamstow in London in an average speed that would have only seem me released a good few years later. I was able to tuck in behind the huge headlight and just hold it fully open. 3am helped though so no traffic to speak of. Thank god. Although exhilarating this also effected me & made me think. That and the fact that I was made an offer on the Z that I could not really refuse. Kerr-ching.

Something a little more sane sir? How about this nice little number, a Honda VF400FD, very chic, V4, water cooled & inboard disc brakes. I was sold. Soon realised said discs were a pain in the arse. Pad change, about an hour an a half. Grrrr. Engine was a peach though, lovely sound. And fast. Some 350LC boys were made look a little foolish, handled well to, 16 in front. Commuted on it 150miles a day fro 18 months, and NOTHING broke. Maintenance as per the book. Checked & adjusted valves on a monthly basis, along with an oil change and that was it. My first bike to taste Irish air in it’s airbox. Rode from Cambridge to Kilkenny, two up (prospective wife) to meet the future inlaws. My route planning abilities were called into question afterwards, but I pointed out that the quickest route was a straight line & never mind the Welsh mountains. Oh and the intercom failed half way so silence.

A little weep of oil was the VF’s death kneel though. A friend more mechanical than I sucked in his breath & mentioned engine strip. I said For Sale. Cruel I know, I’ve improved since. I must have some masochistic tendencies as I bought a CBX550, more inboard discs. A much forgotten bike the 550 but a good little ride. Blew the clutch doing a donut at Chelsea Bridge one Friday night, which cured me of that sort of Tomfoolery. Wasn’t with me long before I saw an ad for an immaculate CBX750. Didn’t need it but had to have it. I’m sure most know the feeling. She was the dogs b*****ks & the spiders ankles. Everything was sorted with an oil change. Hydraulic tappets. Have since heard that they were prone to chain problems as everything in the engine seemed to have it’s own chain, but I never suffered any mechanical problems. Did have the fuel tank spring a leak right by my left knee though. Design was poor, allowing crud to collect in a little pocket on either side. Thank god for breakers. Last bike before moving over to Ireland & my biggest mistake in selling it.

So now nearly upto date. Since being over the traffic has ballooned. I decided to leave private industry & the fancy company cars & have a more stable work life in a hospital. It’s no fun being in Galway on a job & knowing you have to be back in Naas by 6.30 to collect #1 child from the crèche or else. 3 strikes & you’re out. It’s not worth it oh no it’s not. Even coming upto Dublin was proving a pain in the car to I started operation 2 wheels, priming the wife. My god that was easy so a couple of years ago I’m outside a well-known bike shop being shown the CB500. Handed over the monies and back two wheels. Wary but soon found the old skills coming out of their hidey holes. It’s true you know you just don’t forget. Hand on heart I would say the CB has been the most fun, most reliable bike I’ve owned, with the possible exception of the CBX750. Always started, easy to work on, with Honda’s quality & reliability evident. Only broke down once & I blame the previous owner for fitting a split link in the chain, & me for not spotting it before the chain parted company with the bike on the Naas Road. Hurray for Carole Nash breakdown recovery.
Now I’m moving further out, further to travel, time for a little more in the way of weather protection. When I decide on something I’m like a dog with a bone. The replacement list was well populated but was ruthlessly whittled down. The Multistrada would have been nice but the price was just a little too high & no real bargains to be had in the UK either. Another time maybe. The surprising winner, or so some of you might think is the Suzuki (only my 2nd, & no hand painting this time) DL650 V-Strom. Thanks to “The Greek” & “Wookie” for their assessments & views.

So I’ve had Strom for 7 days now and all the initial mods are there. Lowering links for the rear. Dropped the forks, Nice radiator & oil guards fitted, light screen about to go on, crash bars on, belly pan to go on. A great machine. The head lamps are especially good, twin dipped beams, so 110W in a beam 300mm across. Cagers do see you. The engine is a peach to, with a lovely V twin burble. Speedo is as accurate as a drunken spider though, so am calibrating it. Otherwise great.

My bikes.

Well 2 days into my V-Strom era things are going well. Only one minor hiccup, caused by my cack handedness when adjusting the screen. Dropped one of the screws into what can only be described as the little well at the front of the fairing. At least I know how to disassemble the fairing now <_< . Won't make that mistake again.

Some photos in the Gallary. Have added the Fender Extender already. Am waiting on the lowering links for the rear shock (they are longer than stock) to arrive. That should drop the rear by approximately 25mm. I'll drop the front to a similar degree to keep things on an even keel.
A belly pan is also on back order from Suzuki, next week hopefully.
And I found a guy in the States who is a Strom rider & also manufacturers some parts. So waiting on radiator & oil cooler covers & a switch plate. Hopefully in the next week also.
And because I can only imagine the cost of those headlights I'm getting a Ventura headlight cover. Used to have a set on my old CBX750 & they were the biz.

More photos to follow once these are installed.

It's been a while what with work, home & buying a new house, plus of course appathy. <_<
Anyway joy of joys buying a new house, with a garage, so no more working in the rain on the bike for me
Now I'm buying a new bike as well. Well not brand new. I've only ever had one brand new bike & that was my 1st, a Puch Maxi - Oh the memories. . I digress. The "new" bike is a 04 V-Strom, the 650, with hand guards & heated grips , the hussy I can hear the begrudgers at the back yell - selling out to comfort blaa blaa blaa. I've a few bits & pieces winging (I hope) their way over.
1. Fenda extenda - Pyramid Plastics
2. Traxxion shock sock. Way cheaper than a rear hugger.
3. Lowering links for the rear shock. I'm only little. :cry:
4. Protective film for those expensive headlights.

I will of course be making the obligatory detour to BMT for some Ultraseal * lowering the front to match the rear - keep the geometry the same.

Oh the suspense. Now I have to wait.