What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[deecat]

Just taken the bike for a shake down after adjusting the suspension for the extra weight and to see if the wife was happy with the top box for our week away next week.

[Upt North]

Thanks DeeCat, I knew there was something I'd overlooked.
Note to self....wake up you big waster and check the damn suspension settings. OK!
Pffffffftttttt, you just can't get the staff.
Plus, do you think that handles the extra baggage ( that's no way to talk about his wife ) better than a 650?
I think you had a 650?

[deecat]

The suspension is better on the 800 than the 650,but when loaded two up the 650 was not that bad.
When I did the four pot brake upgrade on the 650 I did need to do a YSS kit on the front due to the excessive dive.
When we get back after our week away I am going to check the sag on the suspension, which I have just done on my CB500x with a new YSS rear shock and this has improved that.
I do need to give my assistant (the wife) some lessons on accurate measuring as she is used to inches and could only give me a reading of around 600mm !

[Upt North]

That's a lot of sag!
We did a few days in Scotland last year two up and loaded. The 650 was surprisingly good. It'll be a bigger test this Autumn when we have a European jaunt.
Ta me duck.
Upt.

[nigel s]

For sag I use one of these,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/DRC-ZETA-Checker-Measure-228678/dp/B07D98HZ96/ref=asc_df_B07D98HZ96/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696285193871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=287043810487624153&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006957&hvtargid=pla-2281435177378&psc=1&mcid=c20e4a90ef8837fc8cc230e063715ca5&th=1&psc=1&hvocijid=287043810487624153-B07D98HZ96-&hvexpln=74&gad_source=1

Easy enough to do solo/two up without a second/ third person, fit it on , get on the bike  bounce, get off, THEN measure.Reasonably priced compared to the many £s for a digital type too.

[porter]

A cheap way to improve two up performance of the rear shock is to fit a Hyperpro rear spring. This worked wonders on my Veek. They have a maximum of 25 preload clicks but 11 clicks is the standard setting and I needed a few more leaving not enough for a pillion. The Hyerpro spring ran no preload solo meaning I had full preload to use for any additional load. Cost was 90 quid, dealer fitted for free but you can do it yourself but it's a bit of a sweat, curse job.

[timangus]

First day of my final tour before the bike goes for sale. On the ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe with their very secure system for transporting motorcycles.

[deecat]

Nigel s, I like the look of that tool but who is going to tell the wife that she redundant
We have over the years reduced our pannier size so the wife can no longer take any ball gowns.
Doing a fortnight around Europe is a challenge when two up.

[Phild]

Timangus,
I do like the way they park bikes on that ferry. It looks like you get plenty of room to get on and off your bike…….unlike Brittany Ferries where you can’t even get to your bike on the Santander ferry, if you’re unlucky enough to be parked in the corners.
Watching some less than careful people squeezing past others pride and joy, smacking them with panniers, helmets and jackets. 🤦‍♂️

[NeilM]

A sunny Thursday.... that must mean a breakfast run, so, where to?

I did fancy a trip over to the Owls Nest, then a run over the Black Mountains, but the Nest is closed this week, unsurprising when you see the pictures of the queues on Monday, so, let's try Exmoor.

After a bit of research I settled on the Exford Bridge Tea Rooms... yup sounds like a right biker cafe doesn't it! Well, pictures on line showed a breakfast that seemed worth travelling for and that was good enough for me.

A two junction blast down the now much quieter M5 to Bridgwater, then over the edge of the Quantocks through Enmore to Bishops Lydeard, then headed for Raleigh Cross and from there towards  Wheddon Cross (B3224 for anyone interested), straight across the A396 and on to Exford.

The sun was out, the roads were all but deserted, the 650 was purring along... life don't get much better.

The Tea Rooms are on the right with an empty car park opposite and the entrance in the garden / outdoor seating area to the left. As I walked in, I was the only customer. I ordered a tea, looked at the menu and chose the Full Monty... two of everything. It turned up promptly and with a flourish of style and service from the owner... who has an accent somewhere between Devon and the USA that I can't quite get my ear around.... don't matter, the bloke can cook.

(I tried to post a resized photo here, but.... I failed... again)

By the time I was well into my outstanding breakfast the place was filling up, including four gents of a similar age to me obviously out for a ride, a cuppa and a nice piece of cake.

I left Exford intending to turn left towards Bampton, but missed my turn and ended up riding up and over Exmoor to South Molton, which was a spanking good ride. Before I got to the town I hit the humdrum A361 link road, but as the traffic was very light it didn't feel like to motorway it sometimes turns into. And then after a few miles I spotted a sign for Bampton and swung off the 361 and onto a road which was a LOT more fun (B3227 as it turns out).

From Bampton it was over to Wivvy, then a departure from my usual home run and instead I turned left towards Williton, then a right down some tiny lanes through Tolland to retrace my morning steps back to Bishops Lydeard, Enmore, Bridgwater and home.

145 miles of dry, mostly empty roads, sunshine and an amazing breakfast.... nuff sed.

[Barbel Mick]

'Tea rooms' will always turn out a better breakfast, & other food, compared to the, so called, biker cafes & always worth a visit IMHO. 
Just a shame about those boiled potatoes? on the plate. 

The Owls Nest was closed for 3 days, from Tues 'till yesterday, as an act of respect to the father of one of the staff, whose funeral it was on Wednesday. 

[euler]

replaced the dip beam bulb,broken filament,second one in 32k miles.
riding home with the realisation there was no light on I felt vulnerable,strange feeling.

[nigel s]

I have been naughty,
Just got back from what was meant to be a short run into Bury ( 30,000 mile service week after next and didn't want to run the miles up tooooo much) and it turned into a 200 mile rip around Suffolks most inviting b roads.

Oh well.

Ho Hum

[crump]

Put it in the garage.....after getting back from a 2 week trip around Holland and Northern Germany. Started from Hook of Holland, then up to Assen for a few days, crossed into Germany staying in Dannenberg, then on to the Harz mountains, back to the German/Dutch border, then back to the ferry. A pleasant time was had by all, never been to this part of the world before so thought we'd have a look. It was good, enjoyed it, doubt we'll go back though, prefer areas with big hills.
Highlight for me was the Airborne museum at Hartenstein (via the John Frost bridge).
The museum is really excellent if you have an interest in WW2 history.

If you're using the Harwich-HoH Ferry, I'd recommend the 'Eetcafe Westgaag' restaurant about 15 minutes from the ferry. Great menu, sensible prices, good English spoken, good service. We had breakfast there first day and evening meal just before we got back on the ferry home, it was very busy there 5.30pm but they got us in, we were eating in about 15 minutes.

[porter]

I've had the old Veek on the local for sale website now for a week, hit 100 views today but no interest, guess it's price reduction number two but that's as low as I'll go.

[graingerblaze]

It is a slow market I’m afraid, but it’s no reflection of your bike. It took me three weeks to sell my 650, had a few daft offers without viewing so almost kept it… but eventually had a bloke on Facebook turn up and he was a gent, paid my asking and I believe he will look after it which is a bonus. Fingers crossed for you 

[porter]

Maybe I waited to long, wanted a full years mot on it before I sold it. I'm not on facebook, maybe I'll try gumtree again, that's where the crazy offers came from last time!

[mrp192]

Just back from a four day trip to stay near Harrogate for some trips out on different roads for our small group of five.
Used the Chequers Hotel at Bishops Thornton and can highly recommend it.
A damp ride up to Alston was still fantastic and a very long day to the Lake District was great, but maybe not in August next time!
The route up and back via the Lincs and Yorks Wolds were good too.
Only issue was my Scottoiler failing on the way up so having to find a dealer to get some chain lube.

[NeilM]

I was invited to join a group ride from W-s-M to the bike and trike show in Dawlish (Devon). I don't really do group rides, although I have been involved / led a couple of late, but it sounded like a bit of a laff, so I went.

The bloke leading had plotted a route into his Sat Nav, but when we headed in the opposite direction to the one I would have taken, I was a bit...wut? but it was not my ride, so... It soon became clear we were picking up another bike outside Weston and then heading up onto the Mendips.

What followed was an exercise in politeness over local knowledge, as on reaching Shepton Mallet, we headed in the opposite direction to the one we really should have taken to get to the A303 / A30, only to find ourselves on the A303 several miles further back up the road to where we could have been.... and then off again and into Yeovil, through part of the town and back out again... onto the A303.

After two hours we were on the A303, at the Taunton end of the Ilminster bypass, with 67 miles on the clock, in rain, in heavy traffic and the group was spread all up and down the road. I waved two riders behind me past and went to find a 'quiet spot'. While taking care of business and realising there was at least another hour of this hell, I text the bloke who'd invited me telling him I was bailing.

The ride home was delightful. It was dry, some roadworks just outside Taunton meant I routed myself toward Glastonbury which took me along the A361 past King Alfreds monument and Burrow Mump, I then wound my way along very quiet country roads back home in plenty of time to start getting the bike ready for a mid week overnighter to North Wales later this week. 

It's easy to criticise, so I won't, but having travelled all over the South West for over 40 years when working, there is a case to be made here for local knowledge over blindly following a Sat Nav.

[nigel s]

NeilM,
You are not wrong about local knowledge, I have been using my Zumo for a few weeks now on routes I know, just to get a feel for it.And sometimes the routing it gives is strange, it will get you there but...
Also linked to my phone it gives alerts for congestion and suggests another way. It doesn't seem to take into account that bikes can filter.
Had it the other day "20 min delay" said the Sat Nav, got through the stationary cars in 2/3 mins 
A good dose of common is needed sometimes.