What have you done with your V-Strom today?

[nigel s]

 UK_Vstrom650,

Never mind the falling leaves/geese....... heated grips/jacket first use is the true start to Autumn

Ho Hum

[UK_Vstrom650]

It gets worse Nigel, the wife has put the house heating on this morning 

[Upt North]

Don't worry chaps and chapesses, it's only 8 months until April!
Pffffffftttttt.
Upt.
Probably too far Upt.

[Phild]

I wasn’t going to say anything in case I was accused of being a lightweight.

I left Somerset last Saturday, up the Fosse Way and across to Lincolnshire. A couple of nights at my son’s, then Monday morning Lincolnshire Wolds and up onto the Yorkshire Moors. One night there, then over the Moors and onto Ripon to stay with an old mate.

From Ripon, across the Dales, into Cumbria and the Lake District to meet up with my son who was on a course in Ambleside.

From Ambleside I was planning to go and spend a few days touring northern Scotland.

Tonight, I’m sitting back at home in Somerset, having done 320 miles today to  get home.

When I left on Saturday, rain may be on the cards for me but temperatures were supposed to be mid teens.

Checking yesterday, areas of Scotland I’d planned to go to were due to have overnight temperatures of 3 degrees, with a chance of snow on higher ground. I didn’t have my linings in or cold weather gloves.🤷‍♂️

Having had about 3 hours dry riding to get to the Lake District I thought ‘Sod that’, and planned a route home taking in the Welsh Borders. Checked the weather, dry most of the day with chance of some light showers on my route.

I left Ambleside at a very chilly 6 degrees, got south of Blackpool and it chucked it down…… and it continued to do so across to Chester, into North Wales.

I got down to Shrewsbury and thought ‘sod this’ again….. hit the ‘ride home’ on my Sat Nav and took the motorways to get home. It didn’t get above 10 degrees the whole ride.🥶

Over 900 miles in 4 days, about 3 hours dry riding and temperatures not getting above low teens…….. I’m going back to Spain in future.🙁

[nigel s]

Phild, I must be a "lightweight " too then .......brr indeed

I don,t know if you have them , I was resistant to  heated kit, but getting grips/ jacket was a gamechanger for me.
It is an odd feeling , not getting cold, at first, and during winter stops wanting to GET BACK ON the bike to WARM UP is very strange.

Ho Hum

[Phild]

I used to have heated grips on previous bikes, but with the handguards on the V-Strom I found I was usually fine. Even on colder days, lightweight gloves with my walking thermal glove liners were fine.

Having checked the weather before leaving, I didn’t take my jacket and trousers thermal linings with me. My 10 year old Alpinestars two piece oversuit was the life saver.

Time for a kit rethink…..must be an age thing.🤭

For early to mid September….. it was bloody cold and miserable.

I’m now he sunny Somerset with a bike and kit to clean…… it’s going to be a long day.😉

[MilozFolly]

I'm heading over to Fowlers Bristol in the morning for some "frame protector" stickers amd 2 replacement rubber heal guard things. Thermal/waterproof linings have been reinstalled into jacket and trousers.  Heated grips are on notice.

[graingerblaze]

Thought I would wire up the new heated grips properly by removing the tank and running new wires with the main loom. Then thought, while I have the tank off let’s upgrade the air filter (K&N) and that should negate another tank removal for a while.

Well what an arse that was. The 1050 is so similar to previous V Stroms in how they disassemble, but I’ve never come across industrial Velcro to hold sections of fairings which to part feels like your going to break something.

To top it off, took the air filter out and I think it’s original. Dealer told me when I bought it, that it had a full service including new air filter… I think not unless they look this dirty after just 200 miles. You can’t trust dealers, hence I do all my own servicing.

Anyway, moan over. Got heated grips and Hepco & Becker crash bars to fit before the nice weather returns next week!

[graingerblaze]

Finally, got the grips fitted and all working. Clutch side was easy but the throttle side, so much plastic on the sleeve to cut away to get a nice clean finish… I can see why the dealer wanted £200 to fit plus the cost of the grips.

Hopefully they will make the early morning commute a little more comfortable, as I hate winter gloves 

[nigel s]

 Early morning sun ,cool but dry roads.
Brap..Brap..braaaap.
Tesco for fuel and a 4 pack. Housemartins make good use of light fittings.
Brap..brap..Braaaaaaaaaap.

Home in time for the beers to cool in the freezer before the early kickoff.

I am an unreconstituted man...so it works for me

Ho Hum

[MilozFolly]

And took the thermals back out when I got to Bristol    Bloody wesather     I had a look as some Triumph Tiger 900's while I was over there - temptation is a horrible thing..............

[nigel s]

So is the Triumphs  long term reliability record...........
 Sorry 2112
Ho Hum

[Phild]

Talk about rubbing salt into a wound…… sunny since I got home.

I’ve spent two days getting my bike and kit sorted….. looking good for next week.😁

[graingerblaze]

That’s s lovely looking exhaust there Phild, looks in keeping with the bike unlike some of the after market options and so much better than stock. I’ve spent to much lately so will save up now but I may have to go for one of those next year 

[Phild]

It’s Italian but I got it from Spain…… Motardinn. Better photo below.

Don’t believe SBS when they say you have to pay tax and customs duty. The price on the Motardinn website is the price you pay for UK customers (plus delivery). It cost me £9.95 for delivery. £485 delivered.

My Oxford summer jacket cost me £60 less than SBS. Only downside…. It takes 7 to 10 days to be delivered.👍

The heat guard came from Germany…. Expensive for what it is, but it makes the joining area look tidier.

[graingerblaze]

Thanks for the recommendation, good to know. That’s not a bad price at all… don’t think Santa will be that generous but I’m ever optimistic 

[graingerblaze]

Finally all finished, bike ready to go!

Unlike my DL650, this 1050 won’t be going down green lanes and is strictly for pavement. However, knowing how expensive it is to drop a bike I do like crash bars… for those silly oops moments. So, fitted Hepco & Becker crash bars and engine guard. Perfect fit and great quality, and quite discreet compared to some.

The exhaust and pannier rails can wait till next year, feeling broke now 

[nigel s]

Been doing some woodwork graingerblaze?
Dust on tyres and bench saw? in the background?

[graingerblaze]

Kind of, moved in to new house two weeks ago and my list of DIY jobs is never ending. I have been making shelves for the airing cupboard so annoyingly dust goes everywhere. It’s not helped that the garage is a mess, storing half the house and before I can organise I need to finish the flooring. Still, life would be boring if not busy 

[nigel s]

Out wandering today and noticed the satnav gives upcoming road names and some of them are a little odd.
One in particular caught my eye near Grimston, Vong Lane.
Not heard of that and it got me wondering.
Oriental maybe?
A little research on Grimston finds it has been inhabited for 6500 years at least , going by the archeology.
Though this pales compared to footprints found at Happisburgh , just down the road from me dated at 800.000 years ago.https://happisburgh.org.uk/history/archaeology/#:~:text=Archaeological%20excavations%20on%20Happisburgh%20Beach,the%20cold%20northern%20pine%20forests.

Mind boggled.


The vikings were settlers in the area and the word Vong is english for the  old scandi word Vang, a field or meadow. Grimston is from Grim/Grimr ( another name for the viking god Odin) and ton ( town)
Huh.
Also on the way home I went past Drunken Drove

Ho Hum