Hot hot hot

Never thought i'd be saying that on the last day of September , proof that the climate has become very unpredictable. Met Sandy for lunch then headed back. On the roadster, glorious day for it.

Summer weather

An unbelievable two days of warm weather, just when we thought winter had started. Yesterday was probably one of the warmest days of the year. Today I couldn't not take advantage so took the mk3 Norton out to scrub off the last of the tyre, apart from the mud on the road it was brilliant, over 110 miles on the small roads, sun, heat and the bike going like a train. Now i'll need to change the back tyre and re torque the head then i'll be ready for next year.

Back together and running

Thats the mk3 back together and running well with no smoke so i'm relieved about that. A final torque down tomorrow and i'll hopefully get out for a run on it to make sure its all right.

SCMCC September meeting 2011

A bit out of synch but some photos from last Sundays meeting;

Woe is me

So yesterday the third stripdown of the mk3 commando in a short space of time. The photo shows the problem. The top has come off the inlet oil seal. After years and countless engine builds this has never been an issue until the last year. Oh well, today i start
the rebuild.

Busy week

Thursday already and not a minute wasted, recovering the Applecross bikes back into A1 condition and servicing them all. The fastback was first, as well as a service I had to call on Alex to weld the chainguard which was splitting, then replace the fork gaiter (and then I discovered someone in the dark and distant past had a fork seal in the wrong way round! Never seen that before and it wasn’t leaking that badly actually. Anyway its all back ready to go again. A visit to Mr Bloy to offer assistance with his latest Commando rebuild and then he helped me strip the chrome bits from my 88ss (pictured) and send them away for re chroming. The Roadster got my attention next, a service, fix the carb which caused problems at Applecross, a new Camshaft oil seal to stop the annoying oil leak and then because i’d disturbed the pick ups for the ignition one coil in the pick up wen’t open circuit, I replaced it with a spare but not before I renewed the wires as they were hard and brittle from years of living in a hot engine.
Having a small bike collection is nice but if you use them, they wear out, this creates work and profits for the Norton suppliers, sometimes I think I’m keeping them all in business single handed.

The Roadster ready to enjoy once again

Well thats the first week in.

Thats a week now i've been back in wet cold and windy scotland. We have the best roads in the world but crap weather. Just finished a contract so i'm back full time fettling bikes. The fastback is on the bench today , i'm sorting out some problems and servicing it as I intend using it through the winter. I took MVD out on Saturday for a run, the roads are full off shit at the moment as the farmers spread most of their fields over the roads, that combined with the heavy rain meant I had to wash it twice in one day. I think any warmth is behind us now untill next year, best to dig in for a long winter.

Back to the ferry.

Well thats us back in ijmuiden to wait for the ferry. The wind is picking up so maybe a rough crossing? Its been brilliant again. Mostly great weather and dry right on cue the temperature has dropped to remind us we're going home. I wish I could have stayed for the Guzzi meeting in Mandello but you can't do it all, so sorry Italo we'll need to meet for a beer some other time.

Frankfurt to hilversum

Well last night went true to form with a big party at Tomas's house. So a bit of a dull head this morning for the run up to Hilversum. The hotel we're staying in is almost twice as expensive as normal seemingly because of a big golf tournament here so guess who else is on my hate list. Good run today. Plenty sun and warm and dry all the way.

So today we left Italy on the small roads and passed through Switzerland doing a couple of alpine
Passes in the process. The Swiss took 35 euro each for the privilege of doing 100 miles on their crap motorway. The alternative on the small roads would have taken too long, as it was we were in the saddle 6 hours to do just over 200 miles. So now i'm glad to be in germany, on lake constance and we've opted for a hotel.

The Guzzi factory

So this is the very gates this bike rolled out of when it was new. Quite nice to bring one back here to see its birthplace.

Lago di Como

Lake como this morning, quiet and perfect.

Genoa and Milan

We left Rocchetta this morning in blazing sun and headed along the autostrada del fiori towards Genoa the med shimmering blue on our right hand side before turning north inland toward Milan. The climb as you head up through the mountains meant we were in the clouds and dropping 10 degrees, but soon enough we were back in the heat. Milan was as always a nightmare with crazy driving and roadworks through to monza but now were in mandello del lario so a day tomorrow chilling with a ferry across lake Como to get a coffee in Bellagio and then a visit to the Guzzi factory. Not a bad life.

Rocchetta Nervina

This is where I spent some of my childhood and where my sister was born. Its always good to come back for a visit. I'm beginning to see changes now, not sure if its for the best. Just got a telling off from the police for leaving my bike in the wrong place. At least I didn't get a ticket.

Perfect

To waken up to this scenery on the balcony. Every time I come back here it amazes me how nice it is. It's getting a bit touristy now. When I lived here it wax just an old forgotten italian village but these places attract tourists now. Good for the local business but for the locals i'm not so sure.

Weather of all kinds

We had it all today 28 degrees sun and torrential rain. In order to save time we took the toll roads, past Marseille, St Tropez (where the rain was heaviest ) Cannes, Nice, Monaco and then into Italy at Ventimiglia from there instead of going the way I know to my village I took the gps route. This took us over a very small mountain road which I remembered half way over. Parts of it make the road to applecross look like a main road and the height at the highest point according to the gps was just over 3000 ft. And very little barriers if you run wide on the hairpins. Interesting end to todays riding and in the wet.

Catering for bikes

We've just stopped en route to Italy just outside Marseille
The services here have these garages where you can store your bike whilst shopping. Great idea or maybe its a bad area? Warm today with some light rain.

Hot again

Its been sunny and got since 7.30 this morning so just been lazing around. Not much else happening today. Its not a bad life sitting in the sun doing very little. We did give the bikes a wash today so its not all sitting about.