After cleaning bike today I set about doing a service. New oil and filter, new air filters, spark plug check and throttle body balance check (3% difference in manifold pressure so will adjust, but on another day as it’s a couple of hours faff to get access).
I was working my way down the 10,000 mile checklist and almost didn’t bother with wheel spoke check as did that a few weeks ago when had wheels off to get new tyres fitted, but did it anyway. Good job I did as one on the rear was bust. Maybe broken when tyre was fitted, or just a coincidence.
Fortunately, spokes are available as an OEM part and on the rear they are easily accessible (maybe just need to remove sprocket carrier.). Whilst I was at it also ordered a new nipple in case that needs replacing due to corrosion.
My plan is to fit new spoke with similar tension to those around it and sanity check rim runout, hopefully things will look true and not require more complicated adjustment or expert attention.
Both @HelmutVisor and I have the day off work today; we spent a few hours just pottering locally - dropping in to a few places to socialise / grab a coffee and then to a cafe for lunch. Very few miles covered, but a very pleasant way to spend some time nonetheless .
I put a few more running in miles on the Tiger this morning. I’m loving the comfort and ride quality of this bike, as well as the heated grips and seat
This afternoon I washed both bikes. The Speed Triple will probably get more or less permanently put away now until the Spring, but I’ll continue to use the Tiger unless any of the following conditions prevail…
Snow
Ice
Rain
Cold
Fortunately we don’t get much of those in Winter….Oh, hang on….
I decided jeans and wax cotton would be enough clobber today, 25 miles of freezing fog and I’ve realised it wasn’t, stopped in garage to pick up a paper for my mate and the girl serving said “bloody hell you’ve got ice on the front of your jacket”! My eyelashes were frozen too so I couldn’t even give her a wink
Hope you placed the newspaper down the inside front of your jacket? Newspaper is - or at least used to be - an extremely good insulator and keeping your upper body warm is essential for good circulation.
“Back in the day” a couple of sheets of newspaper on the chest and around the knees underneath a crispy old Belstaff suit was the ONLY way to ride.
I popped out and did one of my local “summer blast” routes today which is about 50 miles, only it was more “arctic blast” today . Still the sun was out, there wasn’t much traffic on the roads compared to usual and I had a great ride .
Took 2 hours effort today to turn a screw about 1/16 turn clockwise. That’s 1 minute to adjust the throttle body balance screw to correct position, 119 minutes getting access and putting it back together again, grrr.
Yeah but not much time lately, busy decorating, plastering ,tiling etc, some of the kids are coming home Christmas so Mrs W wants the house straight before then…she’s working her little socks off.
Been over a week since my last ride and the sun finally came out this morning so couldn’t miss the opportunity for a few hours riding. Even found a nice new (or mostly new) to me road. I may have done it before, but it couldn’t have been as memorably lovely as today.
Replacement wheel spoke arrived this morning, unfortunately I couldn’t get enough grip on old spoke to unscrew it so decided tyre needed to come off to remove it from inside; I had a new nipple too as I anticipated things would be rusted.
I rang the mechanic who I get to fit tyres and dropped wheel off with him to do the job; he couldn’t promise to sort it today but a couple of hours later I got a phone call to say it was done. When I collected he didn’t want to charge me anything either
Wheel is now back on and looking round and straight, so looking like a Friday rideout for lunch with Mrs mouse is on
Maybe broken when tyre was fitted, or just a coincidence.
.
. Still the sun was out, there wasn’t much traffic on the roads compared to usual and I had a great ride 
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