Wed 15th Oct 03

Its a funny old world ! The first time I decide to start a Diary page, and I pick winter !! So... needless to say, we have'nt been out on the bikes much. The upside to this is, I've had time to clean the gixer and notice a leak at the fuel pump, (which I thought I'd cured months ago) b*****d, it keeps coming back like a bad case if syphilis. Saying that.... I've had a new fuel pump seal (no relative of the common grey) sitting in the shed for about 4 months now, I must get around to fitting it someday, which reminds me...I must vaccuum the car out someday and wash it.

Thurs 16th Oct 03

Another thing I've noticed come winter, is the amount of time you have to look at your bike and "justify" other ways to spend money on it for next summer. So heres what I've decided so far.....I "need" a (TRE) Timing Retard Eliminator (wonder does it work on a few people I know ?) I hear they give quite a bit more grunt in the first 3 gears, a sprocket and chain set, and not forgetting a new pair of boots, new iridium visor, rearsets etc.....

Fri 17th Oct 03

Talked to Big Roy today, wants me to sort his brakes out on the Blade tomorrow. Hope to god it stays dry, as I'd like a run out again if we get the brakes done, its been nearly a fortnight since I had a decent run. Oh yea.... I "need" a new paint job aswell, but I want to keep the original bodywork so, the hunt is on for new "secondhand" fibreglass and tank.

Sat 18th Oct 03

Yippeeee !! It was dry today !! Replaced the fluid and bled up the brakes on Roys Blade (sorted) Robert called and we headed for a run to the Carpark. Big Sid decided to go for a blast with us around Browns Bay. Did'nt last long (fuggin' ell it was freezing !!) Roads were like grease, so we decided to back it off and get some wheelie practice in. That did'nt work much either as it kept spinning up, 1st and second. I spent more time looking like a prat trying to yank it up and getting nowhere !! I defintely think its time to lock it up for the winter and give it a "Trisha" makeover, (Kiss me teeth)

Mon 20th Oct 03

Went to bed f*****g shattered last night after sitting up watching "The Doctor" make the rest of the pack look like amateurs again at Phillip Island with a 10 sec penalty ! Also had a look around Ebay for a retard eliminator (TRE) and found a kit with a tricked up PAIR valve system for the airbox. The bloke says it gives an extra 3 BHP and a 1.5 kilo weight saving for £40 ? Sounds good, I'll have to investigate further.

Tue 21 Oct 03

Emailed a couple of buyers of the TRE from this guy on ebay, and I'm satisfied they work. Every person I emailed that replied said they were a good investment and a bit "perkier" in the lower gears. So I guess it does "exactly what it says on the tin". looks like I'll have to have one. After all, I "need" it !

WED 22nd OCT 03

What a good days shopping ! Got meself a TRE and PAIR airbox valve kit for £37 and unbelievably, a perfect condition fuel tank, to the front door for £80. Bought a rare Rage Against The Machine cd for a fiver aswell, cause I "need" it. All from ebay, I cant wait till they arrive !! Just need fibreglass now, for me "Trisha" makeover. (Its all about dee children) I f*****g love this "Retail Therapy" shit, I wish I could afford to do it more often. Any donations please forward to the usual address !!!

Thur 23rd Oct 03

Spent a lot of time today wondering why I spent £120 on parts I'm not going to see any advantage from till next year ? Its not like I'm gonna be out on the bike much till then anyway. Still.... I'm sure the remorse will pass when they arrive. Volunteered to stick a set of rings in Ruths Priller over the winter too. (I'll never learn) It'll have to wait till I've vacuumed and washed the car though !! Must get around to doing that someday. Its a clear case of "DIY" (Dont Involve Yourself).

Sat 25th Oct 03

Could'nt fill out the diary yesterday as myself, Rab and Mike, went to big Roys "for an hour". Needless to say we came home in the early hours absolutely hammered ? (Get thee behind me Santa, err.....Satan !). Good night though, (proper bo !!) Anyways.... Me TRE and PAIR kit came today (Yippeee). Decided theres no point fitting the PAIR yet, cause its gonna need dyno'd again, so.... filled the shed with music and fags and went out to fit the TRE. Followed the instructions to the letter, removed the steering damper, lifted the tank, looked for the connector on left frame rail and "Hey Presto" !!... it was'nt there ? Turned up behind the left side casing on the subframe (sometimes I even impress myself). Its in now though, and I can honestly tell you, I havent a baldy what difference its made cause its been pissing down all day, and looks like its gonna continue till May. What was it I was saying about starting a diary in winter ?

Sun 26th Oct 03

Got up bright and early this morning (12.30pm), and to my amazement, it was'nt raining and the roads were dry (ish) !!! So getting my priorites straight (wash & vaccuum car etc), it was on the phone to Rab and try and get some wheelie practice in while the weather holds up. I mainly wanted to check out the (TRE) and am happy to report its made a difference (relief). Standard gearing was a struggle to get it up in 2nd sometimes, but it glides up lovely now with a dab of clutch or shut the throttle, crack it open and give it a little tug. (Checkdamoney!!) Bit "brass monkeys" today though, saw Tucker and a few boys in the carpark freezing their nads off, so after abusing the back tyre and clutch for an hour, we decided to get some hot liquid and nicotine inside us and head home. The ending thought for the day is, "should I stick it up one or two teeth on the back ?" Hmmmmmm... I'll sleep on it.

Tue 28th Oct 03

Good and bad day today, me new tank arrived (good news) turned out to be an older tank off a 96' model (bad news). I know it'll still fit ok, but its a slightly different shape than the original, so..... Looks like its going back into ebay again, cause i saw another one elsewhere (relief). On a more positive note, I remembered a guy I know, who used to race a Gsxr, he's got some "stuff" about still. The "stuff" being a complete race set of fibreglass, brake pads, gearing and an Ohlins rear shock and swingarm. Dunno bout the shock and swingarm though, cause its taken me ages getting the suspension to where its at now, (which works for me) so I cant be arsed with all the bollocks of fitting it and having to start from scratch with the settings again. The rest of the "stuff" will do nicely thankyou !! One step closer to the "Trisha" makeover (say "rice 'n' pea"!!) Next thing gotta be to check the "interweb" for some gawdy graphics kit and the bank account, to see if I can afford all this crap !! Dont ya just luv bikes !!

Thur 30th Oct 03

Went out to the bikes bedroom (shed) this evening, just to make sure it was still there, as I havent looked near it since last sunday. Whilst giving it the old "once over" I noticed the back tyre looking a little more "black" than usual. Further investigation showed my perceptions to be spot on, (elementary my dear wassisname ?), as the rear sticky was covered in a heavy film of diesel/oil/shit, rendering it non - sticky !! Can't believe I did'nt notice it on the way home last sunday ? Shows how cold/crap/slow (delete as appropriate) I must have been !! The longshot of it is I hadda spend 20mins in the bleakness, scrubbing them with soapy water and ........just to cap it all and for good measure, the bungee holding the shed door open thought it would be a laugh to wack me frozen digits full force on the knuckles !! Times like this I wish I had a dog to kick !!!! PS...Checked the bank account, and gotta "wind my neck in" for a while, as I was "informed" its near christmas. Project "Trisha makeover" has been temporarily put on hold. It don't stop me "window shopping" though. hehehehe

Sun 2nd Nov 03

Remember I mentioned it was coming near christmas, hence, I had to look after my finances ? Well I really am gonna start tightening the belt a little. Next week ! I could'nt help noticing on ebay whilst just "window shopping", u understand, a new Yoshimura exhaust hanger going really cheap ! Since I "need" one, I could'nt help myself, and so had a bid on it ? Anyways..... I won the bid. Thirty three quid !! Least I'll get the rear pegs off now, and shave some more weight. Oh yeah and I bought a new rainbow iridium visor aswell..... (I'm really gonna get it in the neck !!!) But I "need" one ? Thats me finished though. No I mean honestly !! I think its turning into an addiction. I cant turn ebay on now without having a go at something ? At this rate I'm gonna need a sponsor (or a solicitor). But no, really, I mean it, truthfully thats it ! But I "need" a new sprocket and chain ? I guess that'll have to wait till the bike show. Think I'll try the lottery this week, must be my turn to win it soon !! If you never hear from me again I'll be in the Seychelles.

Sat 8th NOV 03

As you've probably guessed from reading this entry, I have'nt won the lottery !! (yet). But theres always tonights draw. Its been ages since I've had the bike out for a run, this winter weather and long nights is beggining to affect me. I can feel the depression starting to sink in. It was'nt that long ago we were basking in a heatwave, though it seems like years ago now. Lets hope my finances can recover enough to get the gixer sorted before next summer (if we have one next year) cos lets face it, theres not much else to do this time of year except spend money on your pride and joy and clean it ! Which reminds me..... the car still needs cleaned !! (must get round to doing that someday). I've stuck some "stuff" into ebay again to try and boost the cashflow a little. Still have'nt got in touch with the guy who has the SRAD parts, but I'll see him soon as I really need tyres (the rear Rennsports virtualy a slick now). Cant complain though as its got me through to the end of the summer and taken some serious abuse throughout, I wish I'd kept the set BT012's I had sitting in the spare room for months. Big Roy called on the Blade yesterday, its the first time he's been out in weeks too, and it looks like the last, he said it was spinning 3rd gear with all the crap on the roads ! Anyway he's decided to put it to bed for the winter too, and wack the power commander and K&N in for next year. Meantime its time to count the pennies, empty the piggy bank and rob a few pensioners before the bike show in the Kings Hall. Now wheres my cosh ??

Sat 15th Nov 03

Its been a hectic old week since I last updated. When I say "hectic" I mean just in general. Spent most of the week selling stuff I don't use or don't need anymore. The weather still sucks, so no biking, but I've managed to console myself with buying a new torque wrench ! hehe. Met a decent bloke from London on ebay, with a tricked up TLR Dragster, he sent a cpl of pics which I stuck in the gallery. Me Yoshi exhaust hanger has'nt arrived yet either, apparently the blokes had the flu, so I hope to get it early next week. And last but not least... I got a pair of wipers for the car, it needed them, its nice to see where your going on rainy nights !! Still needs washed though.... but theres no point in this weather ?? (Thats my excuse, and I'm sticking to it !)

Mon. 24th Nov 03

Me Yoshi hangers arrived !!! It arrived on the doorstep last thursday and looks the absolute "doggies danglers" !! Still havent fitted it yet cause I've had an absolute lazy ass week, but it looks good all the same. I'm gonna have a go at fitting it and sorting out the fuel tank leak this week sometime, and maybe take the handlebar ends off, strip'em and polish'em too !! ( Its a good idea while it lasts). Also managed to get my hands on a Haynes manual for the bike, so I've no excuse for making a bollocks of things anymore. (time to think of another excuse ?) The bike shows happening in the Kings Hall at the end of the week, but I'm so damn skint at the moment it looks like the sprocket & chain will have to wait till the next show in the Odyssey (is that how u spell it ?) Besides...... meself, Big Roy, Rab and Mike are goin' on a fishin' weekend next week so the cashflow is under a little stress at present. Nearly forgot !!! The car got fully pampered at the weekend ! Well when I say "pampered", I mean, it got washed, new wipers, and the washer bottle filled. It looks much happier now and even seems to be running better ? I must have unwittingly washed it with one of those "magic sponges" they use in football. I'll try and get some batteries for the camera this week, and get a few pics from the Bike Show, to sling up in the gallery. Maybe see some of you there ? (if I can afford it).

Sun. 30th NOV 03

So how did yawl find the bike show ?? I'll give you an idea how mine went...... Got ready, went, could'nt get parked, got wet, could'nt afford anything, got wet coming out again, and............Next time I go REMIND ME TO BRING MY PIGGIN' CAMERA !!!!! Before I start ranting on and depressing the hell outta everyone, this jolly festive season, with my inane drivel and complaints, I'll just go !! Good to see Ryan Farquar getting his "rider of the year" award from Frankie Chilli though. Reckon he earned it this year. PS. If anyone out there is thinking of buying me a Christmas Prezzie I'll have a new ZX10 please, in blue :-)

Thurs 18th Dec 03

Its that festive time of year again !! Problem being, I dont feel all that festive at the moment ? I have to confess that since the last update, I've neglected me "trusty steed" bigtime, with all the "Christmasy" goings on in my humble abode. I've promised me bike a new sprocket and chain for Christmas though, (just to keep her feeling wanted). Its even getting damn near impossible to find the time just to go out and start it this weather. I try to run the engine at least once a week when its "layed up" at this time, just to keep the oil around the bits that need it. Rab has found his dining room makes a great garage for the R1 this weather, givin the earbashing he took at the start !! haha He also found the clutch had "seized up", but a little rocking with it in gear freed it up again. A good tip if your bikes gonna be garaged for a few months this time of year is..... Fill the tank to the neck with fresh fuel (keeps moisture out), run the engine once a week to running temperature (to keep oil round bits, expell moisture and boost battery etc) and a good tip is to cable tie the clutch lever in (to prevent it seizing if its not started often) right Rab ? haha So.......On that informative note, I'll piss off and have a thoroughly intoxicating Christmas, I dont know if I'll get a chance to update again before the New Year, but in the meantime have yerselves a Merry Christmas !! and a safe fast New Year !! Thankyou Please !!!

Thurs 8th Jan 04

So its a new year and time to start thinking about getting things sorted with the gixer for summer or the North West 200 (whichever comes sooner), "thinking about" being the operative words here !! :-) It seems like ages since I updated the diary, (it has been ages !! it was 2003 the last time I looked) hehe. I have to confess also, at this stage, I haven't done a damn thing to the bike since my last update, but I've thought about it alot :-) To be honest its been "hectic" over the holiday period in my little hovel I lovingly refer to as home, but things are now beggining to settle down again into the usual routine (how depressing is that ?) Anyway hope you all had a great christmas and have a solubrious (is that a new word ?) new year !! BTW I did'nt get my blue ZX10 R from Santa :-( So f**k him and his reindeers !! Thats the last time I go to see him, sit on his knee, leave him mince pies and a carrot for that moose with the rednose !! What ?????? Me ungrateful ????? Never !!! hehehehe

Sun. 1st Feb 04

I know I've been accused of having all those good intentions, but I'm pleased to be able to say that I've now got my finger out and actually done something with gixer !!! Took the bull by the horns last week and eventually sorted out the fuel leak !! "happy days" hehe. Its been a scar on my brain since last summer, and as I said before took 3 goes at getting it sorted. Done a real job onnit this time tho. Rab called and gave me a hand with scraping off all the gasket seal shit I had plastered round the fuel pump gasket. A good sand down, and the new gasket fitted worked a treat !! How lazy was I last year ?? lol The only downside to this (theres always one) was, I put two marks on the tank when removing it (f**k)!! But many thanks to Alan Finlay at "Nicebike" in Ballywalter (Links Page) for providing me with the paintcode to get it touched up (Cheers Alan) !! Anyways its got me interested in spending some "quality" bike time again. I even bought a bench vice but have to get round to building a bench for it ? I know, I know, I can hear you all saying "here we go again" lol, but it'll be sorted for the weekend. Next thing is to check out me polishing kit on the bar ends, then attack the pegs, hangers and footplates !! (I'm a dangerous man with a power drill) !! Its been a little slow lately, trying to get something to write about over the cold months (mainly cause sod alls been happening bikewise) but I can smell summer in the distance and things are starting to move, so normal service should be resumed soon !! :-) Been spending a bit of time on "Bikechat" (its in the links page), good squad on there (reet good larf), and I been trying to talk them into coming over for the NW200 in May. So if any of you want to sign up with them (its free), and I could do with a little bit of moral support (being the only N. Ireland member) LOL Need to talk these dudes and dudeses into a weekend at Portrush/Portstewart for the NW and we'll maybe get a camping squad for a party ? (post a message on their forums) !!! Well its coffee time here right now, so I'll talk to yawl soon and bore ya with my latest thoughts and meanderings !! :-) PS. Johnny to win I'm a celebrity !! hahaha

Thurs. 12th Feb 04

Hello to you ! Its been quite an eventful period since my last update. Things have been moving along quite nicely. I've eventually got a decent little work bench and vice in the bike boudoir (shed). Spent 3 days over it, 1 to think about it, 1 to do it, and 1 to finish it off with varnish etc, damn fine, sturdy little number it is too, even if I do say so myself. lol So with the remainder of the materials I set about sticking a couple of shelves up, to get rid of all the bottles, tins and the rest of the junk I have strategicly placed around the floor of the "workshop". Its a workshop now not a shed !! hehe Even put a heater in it :-) So, with everything in place it was time to start using things. First up came the bar ends, a little nitromorse to strip the paint, wedge them in the vice and attack them with me so far unused polishing kit. Bling !! Excuse my language but f**k me !! I could'nt believe the way it brought them up, absolutely mirror in minutes !! Next came the rear axle nut and chain adjusters, Bling !! This is addictive. Top yoke, steering damper brackets, footpegs and heel plates this week, then I think I'll stop. I gotta mention a lovely woman, Irene Hall at this point, who supplied me with all my polishing stuff at very reasonable prices, email... irene@merlinabrasives.com the ladys a star !! Her son is also in the final stages of developement for a new ultra lightweight full face helmet made from carbon fibre and should be going into production soon, the company also make shin pads for football including "Mr Golden Balls Beckham" himself !! So with shiny bits, a non leaky fuel tank and...wait for it...... 3.. yes 3 "dry" days in a row, Rab talked me into going out for a spin and a few wheelies. Cold but great to get out again. We only went for a short run to Big Roys place, bout 15 mins. First time out in months and it was fun, till the run home. Yep theres always a but. The front felt like it kept wanting to tuck on me ? I was putting this down to the cold tyres, cold slightly damp roads and all the salt and crap they throw on it this time of year. Till I got home and wondered what the "fusty" smell was and noticed steam. Climbing off to inspect the situation I found coolant spread all up the side of the bike, round the clocks, top yoke, belly pan, front tyre and brake calipers ? B***ocks !!! Could'nt see where it was coming from so, hosed it down warmed the engine and let it dry out. Still could'nt find it ? So off with the fairing, right side only cause theres a tight allen screw on the left (I'll come back to that later) and hey presto a hole in the radiator top right corner. First time out in months and this f***ing happens !!! Grrrrrrrrrr !!!! Ballyclare radiator services say they'll sort it, so off with the radiator. Oh yeah that tight screw on the left fairing panel ? Hadda take that side off to get the rad off. So a ringer over the end of the allen key and yep you guessed it... stripped the piggin screw !!! Wheres next doors cat till I kick it !! Have you ever tried drilling stainless steel screws ? Then you'll know what I'm talking about. Burnt out and blunted 3 drill bits trying to drill it out and have resigned myself to a run to Belfast for a titanium 10mm bit. So its still in there, but all being well the screw and radiator should be off at the weekend ready for fixing monday. Also after an hour on the phone to various engineering companies I think I've got someone to make me a one off radiator cover from sheet alloy ? So I'll let you know how things go next week. Oh happy days ?

Sunday 29th Feb. 04

Hello To You !! Its been a week longer than expected for this update, although its nice to report that the Suzooks back on the road again ! Not without its fair share of taking the complete piss out of me though !! But I'm the master and it needs to remember that !! (stern words eh ?) lol The main problem was caused by that b****ks of a screw on the fairing panel. As mentioned before about burning out drills, I bought a 10mm drill bit for stainless steel and proceeded to chew the shit out of the said screw with it. These screws are not meant to be drilled ? After 5 minutes of getting nowhere and watching the screw smoke, I had the bright idea of using a 2mm bit and try perforating around the centre of the screw before using the big one on it again. (good thinking I thought) Then watched in horror as I snapped the drill and scored the f**k out of the fairing panel !! I took it calmly though, well when I say calmly I mean, I did'nt kill anyone or anything, unless shed doors, walls and jerrycan count ? After an hour of deep thought and meditation had passed I went out for another go at it. I told you earlier "I am the master" after all its only a piece of metal and its not about to beat me ? lol I finally got it out by cutting two little notch's either side of the screw with a Dremmel and twisting it out like a screw with a wood chisel, simple ? (yes I know I'm simple) lol Fairing off, radiator removed with no ill effects to me or it, and the lads at Ballyclare sorted it for 15 squid. Sorted !! It took an extra few days to get the rad back on again cause I hadda leave it to the guy who was building the cover for it. Another 15 squid later and I had the new cover and rad back in my possesion ready for bolting back together again. Easier said than done !! Radiator and cover went on fine, system bled up with no problems, cooling fan still worked, the problems arose when the fairing did'nt want to fit anymore because of the rad cover ? So to cut a long story short, after 2 1/2 hours of dicking around with it, bending etc. it was time for the "hacksaw" to make its presence felt !! I think this finally scared it into submission, as a little trim on the fairing V piece with it worked wonders, and it all went back together again without any further problems, albeit a little tightly lol, it looks quite trick too !! Final touches were fitting me polished pegs, hangers, brake and gear levers. I could'nt get the heel plates polished cause they're annodised, but I got a nice fancy set of Gsxr ones on they're way as we speak :-) With all the bits back in they're place I went out for a quick blast today, just to check everything was working and nothing was gonna fall off, or overheat, and with a huge sigh of relief its all working as it should. I love working with bikes !! Its my favourite hobby !!! Who was it said sarcasm was the lowest form of humour ? LOL The best thing about it all is the the weathers been freezing, snowing and all sorts of arctic conditions, but being the rough, tough, kinda bloke I is, I still carried on with the repairs !! I've now got the all singing, all dancing, mother of all mothers of a cold :-( I need a Lemsip and a nurse !!! Wheres me hot water bottle ? lol

Sat 6th March 04

Jeeze !! Why does it always happen to me ? As you know the Gixer is back on the road and things were starting to move in the right direction. It was all coming together so well, (up until last tuesday). I think I remember saying something about me being simple in my last diary entry. This proved to be exactly the case when Ruth decided she wanted to take her Aprilia 125 into work. Being the decent kinda bloke I is, I said I'd get it out of the shed...oops !! sorry "workshop" for her and warm it up. All was going according to plan until I got bored sitting reving it, and thought a run round the block would warm it up quicker. First gear, moved off, bike starts to splutter and die, clutch in, loads of revs, "complacency", feed the clutch back, turn right, gravel, highside, gravel rash and sore knees !! So now I have an RS125 to fix, when me paws heal up! LOL On a more positive note, I got me new heel plates. They arrived on me doorstep on wednesday had them polished and fitted for wednesday night, and they look the doggies danglers :-) Laser cut from 2mm stainless steel. Rabs been on the ball this last few weeks too. Got himself a pair of those Alpinestar SMX boots for £150 in Motorcycle World, Ballymena, nice boots, loads of protection but I still think they look like Buck Rodgers, blue plastic cowboy boots ? lol He also got 'imself a Dynojet kit for the Yam, and is currently fitting it, swearing profoundly, and throwing hammers as we speak, haha. Let you know how things are progressing in my little world, and obscure life, next update. NURSE !! my dressing needs changed ! :-)

Sat. 3rd April 04

Well.... My wounds have been licked clean, and healed up nicely. Maybe 125's are too quick for me ? lol Meanwhile I've been getting the Priller sorted out and been working flat out on it since the last update. Apart from getting the cosmetics sorted (they've been rubbed down and ready for painting) new decals bought and the bar ends stripped, filed, sanded and polished !! Also made a trick little exhaust hanger from the original rear footpeg hanger. Sawed off the peg welds (I love hacksaws) filed it down, sanded the s**t out of it and polished it to a mirror finish !! (I think Ruths impressed):-) Bloody well should be anyway, the time I spent on'em !! lol. Its also been getting returned to a full power version. Its been stripped down, with piston and rings, powervalve and a gasket set, sitting in the "workshop" patiently waiting to be fitted. The problem is, I've ground to a halt with things at the moment, cause the service manual has'nt arrived yet, and I need it for the torque settings :-( Should be here monday or tuesday though, all being well. The gixer has had little done to it recently mainly cause theres not enough hours in the day, but I had to make a raisor for the left heel plate. The new ones I bought looked well trick, but the left was a little bit low, and I did'nt fancy slicing me boot open on the chain. Looks cool though (Hillbill thought I bought it !! lol) I was well pleased :-)). I've also got a new set of tyres for the suzook, as the rear is completely slick now. It deserves them !! So that should do it for the NW apart from a good scrub and polish. Speaking of which.. the bestest polish in the world is "Mer" I've used it for years now and never found anything come close !! After a couple of coats I can dry clean the bike with a duster and flies guts come off with a wet sponge :-) BTW Rab's been flashing the cash again, lol He's now got a luverly pair of Alpinestar trousers to match his Buck Rodgers SMX boots !! lol They do look the business all the same :-) The dyno kit he fitted seems to work well too, he reckons they'res a fair difference ! Might need a set of race ram airtubes meself now if the gixer cant stay with it ? lol But its the rider that counts !! hahahaha. I might even take it out for a run some of these days ? I'm going to have to learn how to ride a bike again, its been that long since I've been out for a blast. The QUAY VIPERS ARE HOLDING THEY'RE HOSPICE RUN THIS SUNDAY, LEAVING CARRICKFERGUS CARPARK AT 11AM, going to Portstewart, fiver a bike and all proceeds to NI Hospice. Colin called up with Rab the other day, and he's rebuilt his Bandit 6 again, after countless times slung up the road LOL He's walked away from every one of them so far too !! lol Its been streetfightered up this time, with a new subframe, chopped can (earbleedingly loud) and an R1 seat unit. Looks the ticket too, and its not finished yet. Anyway, enough of this typing malarky, I can feel the caffeine levels draining from my body, that must mean its Ruths turn to make the coffee lol. Tune in next time folks, for the next exciting episode of, Ricky fixes a Priller !!! :-)

Mon 12th April

The Aprilia is fixed !!!!!! Well nearly ! When I say nearly, I mean..... The piston and rings went in a treat (did'nt half need them). When I finally got the gudgeon pin out, and had a good look, I found the rings completley stuck on one side. No wonder it was running rich. Its all been bolted back together again, and is up and running, the proverbial problem this time is... I cant get the b*****d to run right at low revs, i.e. from about 1000rpm it wants to bog down and stall but runs fine from about 3 grand on ? I've spent ages trying to get it fuelled right (mixture screw, jet, needle etc) but I dont know whether its over fuelled, getting too much air or the powervalve isnt adjusted correctly ? To be honest its starting to piss me right off, and I'm considering throwing in the towel and paying someone to do it "proper like" lol. Went out for a blast with Rab yesterday !!! Yippeee !!! Only round a few local roads, cause I have'nt got around to getting me new rubber on yet (no-one to fit them over the holidays) and as a result I missed the Aghadowey and Kirkistown meetings (bummer). But it was nice to know I can still ride one and it was going ok after its hibernation period. Oh yeah...... remember I said Rab fitted the dynojet kit ? well...... it turns out I'm anniahlating him in the mid range !! lol It needs dyno'd bigtime to remove the flat spot from around 7-10 grand. It has, got loads up at the top end though and should be a bit of a millisle oops !! missile lol when it gets dyno'd properly. We stopped for a yarn with some of the boys at the carpark, and heard Michael has got himself a new ZX10 (b****rd) oops.... sorry do I sound jealous ? lol Looking forward to seeing it as I've not seen one in the flesh yet. Hope he's got a cloth with him so he can mop up the drool ? lol Got a hard time in the carpark from Titch, about not updating the website . But he's just pissed off cause the picture I took of him and his new bike last year never came out, LOL I'll get one over the summer and stick it in the gallery to keep him happy. He's an ugly wee runt anyway lol Only joking mate !! lol While I'm on the subject of updates, it looks like we'll finally get some vids up this summer (fingers crossed) as a helmet cam should be coming soon. We'll also get a lot more pics in the gallery as everyone seems to be crawling out of the woodwork on bikes again, so summer must be on the way. We'll see you people on the roads soon !! :-)

Sun 18th April

Woohoooo !!! New tyres and brake pads fitted !!!! Such a difference, I can turn corners and stop now, without scaring the s**t outta meself !! I've now got a rear Rennsport (RS2) and a Supercorsa (soft) front, but they work awesome together. Rabs got himself a Rennsport (RS1) rear (wish I saw that one first), and a Supercorsa front. BTW...remember I said Rab had lost all his midrange ?....... well after a chat on the phone with the lads at McCallens, they told him that the Dynojet kit, is not going to improve things without having a full exhaust system, ram air etc. So its going to cost about £1400 to make it work right ? It does get him an extra 18 ponies, but it aint gonna be much use on a public road. The longshot to all this is..... the R1 was flying last year, so, the standard jets and needles have been re-fitted. I reckon he's better sticking the cash saved towards, race fibreglass, wheels, rearsets etc. I know thats what I'm gonna do, the gixer's well quick enough !! Anyway, last friday got me tyres fitted, and Ruth very kindly donated the cash for my brake pads (EBC HH again) as an early birthday present (next week if you want to buy me something ? LOL) I've only had a quick squirt for an hour on friday since I done the tyres and brakes, but its improved things dramatically. The funny thing about the tyres is...... the rears a 190 and I thought it would slow the steering a lot more than it has, as I usually use a 180 ? Oh yes !!! before I forget. I have finally conceded defeat with the Priller, and decided to get it done properly. I've realised the timing is slightly off on it aswell, (well Rab did) so I went to see Harold down at HRW. I'm gonna get him to lift it in the van this week and let Jamie sort it out. Its becoming a real pain at the moment cause theres sooooo many other things need done. I'll let you know how its going next week and Rabs R1 aswell (he's out testing as we speak) lol. See yawl soon, when it stops raining !! :-)

Tue 4th May

Now let me see..where will I begin....Rab, myself and Big Roy decided we would go for a wee run last weekend. Headed out towards Ballyclare, up to The Battery, then have a blast over the mountain. We decided to stop for a p**s break halfway over, and to cut a long story short we would ride each others bikes down the hill again. I took the R1, Big Roy the gixer and Rab took the Blade. I have to say the R1 felt phenomenal, making power everywhere compared to the gixer. Things were great until the first tight corner I came to. When I hung my knee out and peeled in left, I damn near slid off the seat, narrowly avoiding parking it head first into the grass bank !! I damn near found out what colour adrenaline is !! lol Stopping at the end of the road I waited for Rab to arrive on the Blade, where he proceeded to inform me that he'd "inadvertantly" when cleaning, applied back to black on the seat !! lol We decided at this point to retake control of our own bikes again ! Heading off towards home, along a few twisties, I tried to change up from 4th to 5th.....which did'nt happen ???.. Looking down at the gear lever I was horrified to find it had slipped off the splines, and was hanging perilously close to the ground, on the end of the selecter rod !!! I carried on down to the end of the road and we managed to slip it back on to the splines and select 2nd gear. Continuing for home I managed to click it up two into 4th and decided to leave it there until we arrived home again. Big Roy had said it felt notchy going into 1st when he was on it ? We took it off back at my place to find some of the middle threads were worn, but it should'nt be preventing it from clasping tight ? So re-fitting it, went ahead and was just getting tight when Rab snapped the head of the retaining bolt !! (was'nt his fauilt but we'll blame him anyway) lol. So giving him a real guilt trip he said he'd stay and sort it. That was only the start of things to come...... We managed to break a titanium drill bit in one side and then break an easyout in the other side !!! 2 1/2 hours later after a re-tap etc and a new bolt, it went back together again without incident. You know bikes..they just like to try your patience every now and then. lol Anyway, I havent been out on it since, as I've been flat out getting the Aprilia sorted for Ruth. The swingarm has been polished, the frame is nearly finished and I've eventually sorted the carb myself, after getting it back from Harolds with pretty much the same problem low down the rev range. They did sort the powervalve though ! I ended up lifting the needle to its full height, and unscrewing the mixture screw a few turns. I might need to re-jet a size up and drop the needle a couple of notches to get it right though ? All being well, it should be rebuilt for next weekend. So its getting close to the North West 200 again (yippeeee) just invested on a funky new sleeping bag on ebay (nuther wee bargain) hehe, but I'm pretty much ready to go. If any of you out there want to get a squad together for camping Saturday nite at the NW, then drop me an email. The more the merrier, and we usually camp somewhere facing the pits. Have a great North West folks. Hope to see some of you there !! At least I'll have some pics to add to the gallery after it :-) PS. Rossi's Yam looks like a handful in the wet !!

Wed 19th May 04

So how was your North West folks ? We had a squad camping at the rear of the pits/paddock area, and sunburn to suffer for days as the weekend was basking in sunshine. It reminded me of the North Wests of the past, when the weather was good and the racing spectacular. This year was fantastic with Michael Rutter topping the speed trap at 201.1 mph !! Fuggin' amazing !! It was such a turnaround from the last 3 years when the weather has been,... well....shit really ? lol What a night we had at the campsite too. Rab and me headed up in the car on friday to pitch a little tent beside the rest of the crew, filled it full of logs and turf and locked it up with a tiny padlock b4 leaving, to return saturday morning on the bikes. What a decision that was, as our fire was still burning at 5am, well after the others had ran out of hay bales and fence posts ! lol This set the scene for the rest of the night, as around 2am they all started to gather round our fire like moths !! lol I think I called it a night at around 5am ? 11am saw me awake with a tent like a greenhouse (sunny again !!) and some knob jockey screaming the tits off his TLS at the top of the hill !! This lasted for approx 30 seconds when he promptly blew the motor !! hahahahaha. They were goin' back to Dublin aswell !! Well maybe he is, but the bike ?????? lol We eventually got everything packed up ourselves and headed home around 2.30pm in more uncharactaristicaly good weather, wondering if next year we might do it in style and hotel it ?? Just as a follow up on the Aprilia situation, Ruths bike is now back on the road, lookin' good, runnin' well, and ready for the brake lines and pads to be fitted at the weekend ! I know, I know... I'm a genius !!! LOL

Sat 29th May

Now that the North West 200 has come and gone, and the "bike season" is officially underway, you'd think I'd be out and about at any given opportunity, right ? Wrong !! I've barely had the time to sleep at the moment, although I have got the stainless brake hoses and HH pads fitted to Ruths wee Priller. I did however get out for a wee run last weekend with Rab. We headed up to the north coast for something to do, as it was BSB day at Mondello Park and both of us were,... well.. lets just say financialy embarrassed, lol. The NW was an expensive enough weekend, and to cap it all, when I got home I was greeted by the information that the back box on the car was f****d :-( Ahhh its good to be home !! ;-) The crux of it was, I had to shell out 78 Squidlydidly to get a new one, and hence the BSB round became a distant dream. But hey !! shit happens ?? I would'nt really mind all that much except it keeps happening to me ?? lol The run around the north coast was going well, right up until we caught 5 or 6 other bikes just outside Cushendall. We decided to tag on to the back of them for a while, when a couple at the front decided to go for a bit of a hoon. So .... like a red rag to a bull we gave chase, passed them and tried to stick a bit of distance between us and them, just to prove a point, make us look macho, and boost our ego's to boot. LOL We were doing just that when the gixer thought it would be a good time to give up and take a rest. Just as I exited the viaduct it stopped !!! The rest of them caught and passed us and I was left at the side of the road like spare prick at a tarts wedding !! After approx 10 mins of flicking the ingnition on and off, bumping etc it decided to go, but only after bouncing on the seat a few times. (its an old trick I learned a while ago. If it wont go, jump on it) It seemed to work wonders as it got me there and back again without any further disruption ? Was really on the verge of calling Bike Assist though ! I had a look below the seat when I got home, but did'nt see anything untoward ? I did put a cloth below the ECU though to stop it jiggling about so much, so I'll just need to keep an eye on things for a while and see how it goes. The next thing we have planned is to try and get a few together for a run down to the Skerries this year. So any interested parties who want to go down for the run, send us an email and we'll sort something out ? Before I go I'll leave you with this thought..... If we are'nt meant to eat animals...why are they made out of meat ? :-)

Wed 16th June

I feel like I've been on holiday this last few weeks !! Its the weather you see. I'm not used to having all these weeks strung together without it p***ing down. LOL. We were out for a run last saturday with a few lads I hav'nt seen in a long time (years infact) around Ballyclare, Larne, Carnlough, Glenarriff, Broughshane, Doagh etc, only for the fuel injection cutting out problem to rear its ugly head on the Gixer again. It was missing intermittently, and after every wheelie it would just calve completely and stop at the side of the road. I'm sure it was starting to piss the other guys off ? lol The funny thing about it was, it would always go again and thankfully got me back home. On getting home, it had p***ed me off sooo much that Rab offered his mechanical skills and expertise to me again, so we wheeled it round the back, and ripped the fairing and seat off it. The gremlin, exposed itself in one of the block connectors behind the left fairing panel. It was corroded to death and had burnt out two of the pins within the block itself. Rab released the two pins from each side (male and female) of the block, fitted a fused spade link between both wires, stuck a 20 amp fuse between both of them and... Hey Presto !!...I'll be an unkeys muncle....IT WORKED !!!! Our Rabs a genius !!! Thats the difference between a proper mechanic and a**eholes like me, lol. I'd have been cutting wires and fitting new block connectors ? :-0 The best thing is the bikes flying again, its really running far sweeter. I only hope the rain stays off till about Christmas now :-) I can hear the farmers complaining already ! LOL

Sun 8th Aug.

Jeeze !! What can I say ? Its been ages since I got around to updating the diary. The main reason being a s****ed out computer. The monitor and keyboard decided to pack up within days of each other, so, as the pounds are being stretched to the breaking point here, its taken me weeks to get it up and running again. But here it is restored to its former glory (which was'nt that good in the first place) lol. Well.......since the Suzook has had its little electrical headache sorted out, the weather has turned to shit once again :-( I should'nt have mentioned it in the last update :-( (me and my big gob). In between showers recently, we've managed to get the odd run out here and there, the best day so far being Nutts Corner in July !! Awesome days racing in awesome weather, with Ryan (Rainey), getting a few local wins at home. Hopefully it'll be a good omen for the rest of the season, at British Superstock level for him. Although he has had some good results in England this year !! Maybe its time our local media started paying attention ?? We ran into Willie smooth, from Kilkeel there also. I've been talking to him alot on Bikechat, and he finally got himself a new Hornet 6. First time I ever met the dude, though I been talking to him for ages on the other site (Bikechat) in the Links page. Strange finally meeting the face behind the text. lol. I've got a few more piccies to stick up in the gallery pages aswell, but I'm gonna wait till after the UGP and gather up a few more before posting them on the site. So if any of you want your mug or bike in here somewhere, get them sent in !! :-) The other thing I'd like to mention is.... Ruths Aprilia RS125 is for sale !! details are in the For Sale section. One other thing before I go is..I hope to see some of you at the UGP 16th-21st Aug, we're tempted to take a run up every night as its only up the road, and maybe camp over on the saturday if anyones interested ? The more the merrier and the bigger the party !! :-) Get in touch through Contact Us if your interested !! I'd better piss off now, cause after no puter for so long, this typing caper is giving me a headache, lol. next update and pics will be after the UGP so stay tuned :-) Thats all for now folks !! Keep it between the hedges !! Behave Yerselves !! :-)

Mon 30th Aug

So did you all go to the annual Quay Vipers MCC, Antrim Animal Sanctuary run, for the doggies ? Rab, Meself, Meeky and Ruth attended again as usual and had another enjoyable "DRY" day. Credit again to the Vipers for another decent well organised run. We kinda took it easy this year as this was Ruths first proper rideout, and so stayed near the back of the pack and kept ourselves entertained with the odd wheelie etc (but only when there was a crowd watching) hahahaha. At the Antrim dog pound where it finished, Rab won a GSXR fleece in the raffle, and as he's riding one of those R1 thingy's he kindly donated it to me !! Which was nice !! lol I owe you one for that mate!! Its still in the wardrobe though, cause I don't wanna get it wet !! LOL Anyway, moving on.......saturday morning of the Ulster Grand Prix, and I phoned Rab at 8.15am to see if he was ready. He was'nt ! But then again neither was I ? lol We'd both slept in after a heavy night, and to cut a long story short, he said he'd call at my place at 9am. 9am and I hear the R1 piling down the top road. On arrival he informed me that, at the petrol station he was approached by a group of Scottish lads from Ayrshire, asking directions to the UGP. As we were going there ourselves he offered to show them the way, and so we left my gaff and met the guys at a filling station up the road. Decent blokes too !! An SP1, 3 gixers and a Blackbird from what I remember ? So we eventually got them close to Deers Leap as the roads were closed at 9.30am. We left them there and headed off to pick our way round to the start/finish as we had'nt a baldy how to get there without crossing the course ? lol Arriving at Rushy Hill we were informed that the programme/entry fee was £15 each !!!! Where the f**k did they get that figure from ??? A family of four will pay £60 before food and carparking !!!! They want to have a word with themselves at the next AGM !! Thats extortionate !!! Well anyway.... decent days racing and no rain made it a pretty good day, and on the way back home we ran into the Scots lads again. We took them back to Carrick and unfortunately I could'nt get out for a bevvy that night with'em :-( But hey !! Theres always the NW200 next year dudes !!! Thats enough ranting from me for now. So its goodnight from me and its goodnight from him !! More verbal noncities coming soon !! :-) P.S. If you have a look in here again Bri and Mark would ya sign the guestbook ?? LOL Ta !! :-)

Sat 11th Dec

Hi !! Remember me ??? I've been neglecting my post for too long now. I can't believe its been so long since the last installment, of nonsense in here. Theres so much has happened, that I'm struggling to remember everything since August. I think I'll begin with an official complaint as regards the "summer" we had this year !! Was'nt it grim ! There was barely enough time to go and get petrol between showers. The only good thing to come out of it all is, its kept the milage down on me pride n joy. Speaking of which...the gixer is rather poorly at the moment :-( but i'll come back to that later. The first good thing i can remember with this ageing brain of mine is the Quay Vipers Snakebite Rally in Sept. Did many of you go ? What a night we had on the saturday. We eventually crawled back home in the early hours of sunday morning. lol Top do !! Apart from a few blasts about localy, the bike had hardly turned a wheel, so the Sunflower Trophy races at Bishopscourt was the perfect excuse to get out for a proper hoon. That's when things started to go pear shaped with the Suzook. Nothing major at the start. On arriving at the circuit, we parked up, and I opened the seat hump to retrieve me fleece from the boot, (it was damn cold there) and like the d***head that I am, I left the seat cowl on the tank, only for the wind to catch it and sling it onto the tarmac ! b***ocks !! It put a few marks and scratches on it. The rest of the day seemed to be going fine, good racing, shitty food, and a few photos (gallery page 7), until the way home. Got an earbashing from a cop but no ticket (phew). Two days later, me and Rab go for a run.... its the first time the bike has been out since Bishopscourt. After a round trip of about 50 miles I leave Rabs and head for home. To keep me amused I pop a cpl of wheelies, exept the final bit of "amusement" was when I shifted through the box only to find 6th not engaging. b***ocks again !! It seems I've sheared sixth or bent the gear selector :-( Either way, its a donkey out job to get it sorted again, so I've been bikeless for months now. (I'm starting to fill up. sniff) I know the weathers cack now but its the thought of it sitting there not usable is pissing me off. Its gonna have to stay sick till after crimbo now though. So I'm setting April as the target date to get it sorted out again. That will give me time to get the valve clearances, cam chain, and gearbox done all at the same time and still give me a bit of practice again before the NW200 comes around in May. Meanwhile Rab has gorn and got ee'self a nifty set of Gilles titanium rearsets, and is currently stripping his wheels and getting a new funky paintjob on'em. I was looking forward to getting a new "go faster" paintjob on the fairing, before the NW, but its funny how things tend to sling a spanner in the works :-( I'd be happy with it changing gear again at the moment. Oh yes the bike show at the Kings Hall....the less said about that the better !! lol What a disappointment !! We can only hope the Odyssey show in February will be an improvement ? It was nice to see Capirossi there and have a chat though, good to see Eddie Kidd there too ! Anyway !! ..... I hope Satan err.. I mean Santa, brings you all the presents your after. Just ask him when you go to see him and get your picture taken ! He's the fat bloke in the big red suit. Just be carefull when you sit on his knee. Make sure you know where his hands are !! :-) lol C ya all next year !! :-) Stay safe over the hols people !!

Sun 13th Feb 05

Greetings for the first time this year !! I know. I'm a lazy sod, and should have updated this sooner, but none the less........ the prodigal son has returned, with another installment of pure unadulterated drivel. Lets start by bringing things up to date with the gixer situation. After a very expensive Christmas break (you know what kids are like) it was time to get things (and cash) rolling again as regards the Suzuki. I managed to dig a few things out from around the house and fling them into Ebay, to generate some much needed income towrds getting the gearbox sorted. The main hurdle I was up against was....I did'nt know what damage was done ? So therefore I had'nt a clue how much it was going to cost to get sorted. Rab and myself had toyed with the idea of fixing it ourselves but, the time the space and the problems which may have been encountered, disuaded us from this notion. You know the kind of thing, like header studs snapping etc. So with a few quid together, Ruth offered to cover the rest on her credit card for me. She's a wee saint !! :-) Not needing another excuse I got on the phone to Harold and Jamie, down at PROBIKE Carrickfergus. Its been there a cpl of weeks now while they get some other stuff cleared up, but Jamie has dropped the engine out and I've had a look for meself. The problem has been revealed as, a bent input selector fork and a few chipped teeth on 3rd and 4th gear. I've no idea why it was manifesting itself in 6th ? The good news is the bits have been ordered and should arrive on monday, so I should have me baby back before next weekend !! Yippeeeee !! I've got a nice wee set of racing rearsets to get polished and fitted, which sre sitting patiently in the shed, oops workshop. lol I've also got a fairing and seat unit which will need prepared and painted, so I just need a tank for a full paintjob before the end of the summer. Rab meanwhile has fitted his new Gilles rearsets and got an outstanding paintjob on his wheels. They look really well with silvery, sparkly, R1 blue fading to bluey, sparkly, silver. The Yamaha is looking really sharp this year. Truth be told.. I'm a little jealous...but dont tell him !! LOL. I'll soon be able to start updating this diary a little more regularly when me wee Suzook comes home. So look out for more bulls**t coming to a monitor near you very soon !! :-) Let me finish by wishing all of you a very safe and sunny 2005 !!! Whatever bike you ride, its not important, its worth remembering we're all in it for the same reasons. So next time your out on for a blast, remember a nod or a flash of the light for other bikers, and try and stop to give some assistance to any other fellow bikers you see stopped at the side of the road. Me ma always use to say "A little courtesy costs nothing !!" PS.... Remember the Odyssey bike show this month !!! Hopefull see some of you there..if I've got any money to go ? LOL !!

Sunday 13th March

I've finally got the Suzook back !! Yippeeee !!!! It only took 5 weeks to get fixed ! It seems to be going pretty good again although I haven't been too far on it yet. I wasn't a happy bunny when I got it back either......... For starters, it was away for 5 weeks to get a job done that takes a day (I know they were busy but 5 weeks is ripping the arse out of it), the parts that were ordered were the wrong ones, resulting in me having to buy them myself (to save another 10 days waiting), the original price for labour I was quoted was £160, which turned into £240 on the day. The whole job cost me £410 !!!! I could have damn near bought another engine for that kind of money !! AND to top it all off, my pride and joy was left out in the f***king rain !! Resulting in me spending 2 days stripping rusty nuts and bolts off and cleaning them, virtually a tube of autosol to clean up the alloy, and having to sand the bar ends and hit them with the polisher to get them cleaned up again. It'll be the last time I leave it to Probike to get fixed !! Ona brighter note I've got a new chain and sprockets fitted, Renthal front and back (1 tooth up) and a nifty gold X Ring chain. I just need a new pair of boots now and a new visor for the summer (which will hopefully come this year). I was also supposed to take a run out with Scotty, Mike and the boys today, but it took me over 3 hours to fit the sprockets and chain ? Still theres always next week :-). Can't wait to get back on me bike again, lets just hope the weather starts to improve soon !! lol

Thurs 24th March

What a week its been !! Good for a change !! Now that everything (well nearly everything) has been sorted with the Suzuki, it was back out on the road again to remember what its like to ride a bike. Myself and Rab decided to attend and support the Easter Egg Run last sunday (Ballymena Motorcycle Training). It was awesome to get a proper run again, and make sure everything was as it should be on the suzook, after all the works gone into it over the last couple of months. On arriving at the venue at Motorcycle World, we met up with Mike L, Mike C, Bruce, Old Sam, Tommy K, and Trevor from the Legendary 49'ers (Big Scotty had headed back home feeling a bit dicky with dodgy guts). So after donating our easter eggs, we decided to make a day of it and head off towards Ballycastle/Portrush after the rideout had left, with the 49'ers. It turned out to be a great day with a lot more bikes crawling out of the woodwork on the first decent sunday in months. The run back home again soon got me back into the swing of things again, as it turned into a "brisk" pace home, as soon as we hit the back roads ! lol Its funny how it takes a decent run out like that to get your brain dialled in again, after sooo long off the saddle. I still need to brush up on peel in and braking points, as on a couple of occasions it got a little "hairy". lol I put it down to the road conditions at the moment as they're still somewhat dirty with the crap weather :-) Lots of stones about too, me fingers, arms, and lid got well ping'd so i guess the name of the game is to stay in front next time ? haha Anyway..... summer is on its way (I hope) so attentions are now being focused on more bike time and the North West 200 in May. After all, its time everyone was dragging their bikes out of the garage now isn't it ? See Ya' all out n about soon !! Stay Safe !!

Sunday 15th May

Sorry folks !! For the delay in the latest diary edition. Its just the time thing again :-/ I've been spending so much time out on the bike this last 6 weeks, I've neglected to catch up with the proceedings on here. So lets me see whats been happening since the last episode......... First things first..... me luverly missus Ruth has passed her test !! Wooohoooo !! Not only that, but the little Aprilia has been sold, and she is now in posession of a tidy wee VFR400 NC30 in repsol colours ! The Aprilia was sold on thursday and the Honda bought on saturday. Now thats how things should work !! lol The Aprilia sale was a story in itself. The first day in Autotrader, and this bloke from Omagh rings to ask about it. So cutting a long story short, he decides he "wants" it. Not wanting even to see it first he says "I'm going to have to get the bus to you as I've no transport. Will you hold on to it till I get there?" lol This guys getting a 3 hour bus journey to buy a bike he's never seen ? Anyway he gets a taxi from Belfast to here, and I meet him at the arranged place to take him up to see the bike. The first thing he says is..."is there a helmet with it?" lol I told him no, "did you not even bring a lid with you?" So I proceed to take him to the nearest bike shop to buy a new cheapo lid. Anyway he buys the bike and is happy as larry, and rides home to Omagh on a shitty day with no gloves and no jacket except for a tracksuit top. lol He'll have been glad to see home that day !! The VFR was picked up near Ballymoney, and bought really cheap ! :-) Its a good clean wee bike that goes like the proverbial sh*t off a shovel !! I was really surprised at how much grunt the little motor has, altough the reason for getting it so cheap was...it needs 6th gear sorted out (remember me gixer ?).. only this time I've learned my lesson, so myself and Rab are going to stick a new selector fork in ourselves :-) Should be ready by the end of June, so I'll keep you posted on how things are coming along. It hasn't been looked at yet, as I want to get the North West 200 out of the way first. Which brings me to the question... If any of you are camping this year again, we'll be in one of the campsites behind the paddock, off the little road to the left in the start/finish chicane. Be good to see some of you there again this year. I've also decided to do it better this year, and bought grandstand tickets. hehe The fencing they have started erecting around the course this last few years is really pissing me off, as its not easy to get a good vantage point without looking through a fence and getting a strobe effect :-( Do they really need all this fencing ? I'll get some more pics up from the NW200, Ruths new bike etc, at the end of the month. So stay tuned !! :-) Have a fantastic North West folks, and as always..."keep it between the hedges" !!