ok, so we'll start with Day 10 (come on keep up everyone!!) day 10 was Good Friday. I had to be @ Top Run Motorcycles in Barnsley @ 09:00 to have an assessment to see how many lessons it would take to get me through me test.
Sooo the day starts off pretty misty & damp - get me Gortex on no probs. Start the bike up & she's sort of running ok- ticking over ok - no over revving. Gets her out onto the main road perfectly! (cue smug smile!)
Have never rode this route before -did it in the car a few days before just to check the route & no real nasties - a big motorway roundabout to go across, but hey - it's 8 in the am on a bank holiday...not much traffic!
Sooo sets off, going great guns, coming up to (a different roundabout) off a 60 mph stretch - have hit the dizzy heights of 56 mph here!! About 200 yards from the roundabout 2 cars that were behind me decide it's a good idea to overtake me & then have to stamp on the brakes for the roundabout - tossers - I was turning left & they were going straight on - so all they had to do was wait!!
Anyway, pootling along & realise I've forgot me ciggys - nevermind - there's a garage on the right further down on the road am on - so turns in, parks up & gets the necessary - realising as I'd parked up that I've never actually ridden into a garage before!! (always go the petrol station in the car with me jerry can!!! lol)
Anyway, just about to get on me bike & this chap comes out looking at me bike - nice bike says he - I used to have one of those afew years back - had great times on it - then goes, oh no -mine was a Yam (mines a Suzuki GN125) he then promptly gets in his car & bugers off! I didn't get chance to say owt back to him!
Soo ooff we set again & I duely arrive at the training centre half an hour early, so I have a practice of me feet up U turns & do em perfectly!!! (cue next smug smiley!!)
Then decides, I haven't done an emergency stop since me CBT,so thinks - ok - we'll have a go at this....remember my earlier comment - Misty & Damp??? ..ok so gets up to speed - only about 20 mph. back brake, front brake, clutch - where's me back brake -oh shite - am heading to a fence...more back brake front brake & then hello ground!!! WTF happened then?????????
Gets up from under the bike & yep - the right indicator cover's gone now!! however luckily nothing else was broke!!!...phew however I am now supporting 2 mega bruises on my left knee & thigh! Sooo heaves her up (am getting good practice at this!!) & wonders if anyone else is around who saw what happened...you know like a cat does when it''s done something daft - quick look around to see if anyone's looking & then that look on it's face- yeah I meant to do that!!! (regrets smug smiley's at this point!!)
Anyway, back up to wait for Glyn (the instructor ) to arrive - there's a car parked up waiting & another guy stood there. This young lad gets out the car & says - you ok? - saw ya come off....brilliant - just what I need a young lad come to do his CBT watching me bin it -
Anyway, Glyn arrives & we go & do the assessment - & I completely mess everything up...can't do a bloody thing right!! the cones seem to have it in for me!!
Tells Glynn about me emergency stop & he has me do another one - this one's ok - however he does check me back brake which he then adjusts as it's taking too much pressure on the lever to actually do anything - we do it again & it's a LOT better. he also adjusts me clutch as I've only got 'ickle hands!!
soo anyway - after a chat he tells me it's gonna take 4 lessons to get me through (£500)...sod that - aint got enough money for that, so figures I'll forget getting me test by the end of the month(when the new one comes in) & just bite the bullet & have to do this new 2 parter!!!...morre effin cone work to do!!! ....I think I have an allergy to cones!!!...think I may have to try cone whispering!!
Anyway, pootles me way back home - have to do a major right hand turn out of the centre - thank gawd it's quiet!! However make it home safe & sound!! (slightly limping a bit!!)
right, onto Day 11
Ok, work to do on me bike - replace left indicator, replace right indicator cover, replace Clutch lever, tighten chain up!! & figure out what the hells going on with me tickover!
Sooo Saturday EMZED comes round to do the necessary tinkering for me - big hugs to him & mucho thanks
We get everything done,but can't quite figure out what's going on with the tickover/racing. Decides that we probably need to strip the carb down & give it a good clean out. However no time left on the Saturday & am off to Matlock on the Sunday, but it should be ok if I just use me clutch & back brake to control everything.
Kaz had come round aswell & Em gave us a lesson in tinkering & we both agreed that if we ever get in trouble then we know what to do - ring Emzed
Right then - Sunday arrives - the BIG trip to Matlock Geoff & Rachel collect Kaz from Barnsley & then onto mine. Have already put the bike up on the road - as much as I can (think I can) now do this - I don't yet want an audience - cos you know what'll happen -we'll go have a close up chat with the ground again!!
anyway, after a brew, we set off Geoff has to turn Kaz & Rachels bikes around as we're goin up hill - where they've all just come from.So as he's doing that - my lazy head comes on & a cute 'Geooooffff'?????? gets wailed at Geoff,who promptly does the necessary & pushes mine out onto the road & facing the right direction (up hill)....thanks Geoff
We now set off - I'm leading till we get up onto Woodhead Pass (not going over Holme Moss as the junction from there onto Woodhead is a b*stard!!)
Nothing too much to tell here really - we had a great pootle over the moors & down into Buxton where Rachel (who was now leading with commentary/directions from Geoff who's bringing up the rear) flags me passed her!! (am wondering what's going on at this point but hey... ) so down to the roundabout & sign says left on the A6 to Matlock (the only way I know!!) so left I goes & then wonders where the hell everyone else is?????? so pull up - am wanting a bit of a stop & cig brake at this pont anyway & then they all turn up asking why I've come the wrong way??? WTF??? I haven't gone the wrong way - you lot have
so off we sets again, again nothing major, pootling along quite nicely, coming into Matlock Bath & then Geoff goes to the front & I'm at the rear, but somehow manage to make a mess of things riding slowly behind some cars that have managed to get inbetween me & the rest of em!!...don't ask what happened cos I still don't know..I know I wibbled a lot but then got things right & carried on!!
Anyway we gets up to the carpark at the top & rides in trying to find a space (any space) to park up in - I manage to wedge mine in between 2 other bikes (with a little help from Kaz's fella)- she likes to talk to the 'big' girls & then off we wander to the cafe where we spend most of the afternoon chatting,drinking coffee, eating bacon butties
Both me & kaz are now putting off having to leave the carpark & go home!!! Rachel has gone at this point,so Geoff was escorting us back home. However about half 3 Kaz gets a call froma mate of hers saying he's coming over from Squires - would we still be @ Matlock- yeah we both say in unison!!! by the time he gets here, has a brew etc then things'll be much quieter for us going home!!! (sneaky thinking here ... do keep up!! )
So after another while, it's time to go home, Dave says' he'll play rear guard -oh & Geoff's just told us - that whilst he was bringing up the rear on our way down to Matlock, he's only bl**dy well been filming both me & Kaz!!) Apparently there's going to be the edited one - showing us looking good & then the 'other' edited one showing all our mistakes!!........wonder how much he wants in bribery???
Soooo, we now have to come out the carpark & turn right - the traffic's still a bit busy!! however, luckliy someone's pressed the button for the pelcan crossing so there's nowt coming up from the right. Geoff pulls out to the middle of the road to stop anything sneaking thrugh on the right & hoping that those from the left will stop & let us out - 1 car didn't!!! but the rest did
Anyway we managed to wibble our way out the carpar & off we sets. Again,nothing drastic, pootling along quite nicely. Kaz gets it into her head that she's getting her gears wrong, but she isn't (you aren't!!) really, it's just a case of re-adjusting your head for a bike instead of a car & it dosn't matter if the bike appears to be revving it's blx off.
Anyway we stop in Glossop for a while where we find out that my chain is way too tight - I hadn't enjoyed the ride back as the back end felt really weird & squirrely!! It's managed to tighten itself up - as when Emzed had fettled with it the day before he'd set it fine & done all the check etc!!
So this was why it wasn't feeling right!!
Anyway we set off & make it back to mine. Dave says he'll come & resort the chain out for me...wonders if I should order a new chain now??
Sooo that's the tale for the past few rides out. Was absolutelely knackered but had a fantastic day out & am sooo proud that we managed to get there & back with no major hiccups (a few minor ones, but hey - I wouldn't have a tale to tell if there weren't )
Kaz - we can do it!!!! & Geoff & Rachel are there to make suer we damm well do!!
wibbly and now squirrely, brings whole new meaning to future bike reviews and makes good reading!!
looking forward to Day 12 write up and no doubt a new word!!
anyway, after a brew, we
set off Geoff has to turn Kaz & Rachels bikes around as we're goin
up hill - where they've all just come from.So as he's doing that - my
lazy head comes on & a cute 'Geooooffff'?????? gets wailed at
Geoff,who promptly does the necessary & pushes mine out onto the
road & facing the right direction (up hill)....thanks Geoff
Ladies, ladies, ladies! Come on! That's not the FFS attitude is it? It should be "FFS! I'm gonna do this myself if it ruddy well kills me!" *makes mental note to contact Geoff for future uphill turnabout requirements*
You'll be fine with the cones lassie... you just entered wobble-mode, having been witnessed binning it after momentary smugness - we've all been there! Mum was right y'know... pride does come before a fall... but hey, you're likely to fall sooner or later in any case, so you may as well enjoy the moments of pride as they come
I have the ideal solution to the problem of pootling up & down the driveway Caz - sell your house and move to a terraced one like mine, with no driveway. Problem solved!
Oh that's easily solved too... fake a mechanical fault, get off and push bike around... if you're *really* lucky, a passing motorist will take pity on you and push it round for you!
I probably shouldn't share these tips on a public forum... one day I'm going to have a *real* bike instead of a pretend one, with a *real* mechanical fault and everyone will just shoot past me, pointing and laughing, leaving me stranded at the roadside!
I've had workmates drive past beeping & waving at me while I'm
push-starting my old Morris Minor single-handedly in the middle of a
very busy roundabout on an exit from the M25, so why change the habit
of a lifetime?!
Apparently if you look like you're doing fine on your own, you don't deserve assistance?
I never did manage to get the hang of the *helpless-stranded-at-the-roadside-female* look, fluttering eyelashes and getting rescued by knights of the road Tried it a few times, but got bored of waiting & getting nowhere...
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