Eunos Chump

I removed the home-made chain oiler from the VFR today, it was quite nicely made but I wasn't comfortable with something unknown squirting oil near the rear wheel.  I took the eBay-style rubbish crash bungs off too, they only bolted onto the flimsy fairing mounts anyway.  The bolt for the nearside one would have penetrated the coolant reservoir if it had gone over!

I've signed up to do the IAM Skills for Life package, which is on-road training with a local IAM group, followed by the IAM advanced riding test.  I can then be smug and even more insufferable. 2 days.  2 days since I bought the bike, and already I'm looking at grubby GS500s on eBay (just as a bit on the side, you understand).  I'm like Ashley Cole!

The VFR has been neglected by previous owners... it covered less than 1000 miles in the past 2 years.  Putting this right has become my number 1 priority, so as it was quite warm and sunny I had a ride down to Hayling island today and stuck 100-odd miles on it.  I can't explain why, but this bike doesn't encourage yobbo behaviour like the SV did, so I took it pretty steady.  There were a few blasts of full throttle (when it feels like it's about to lift it's front wheel well into 3 figures), but it's most at home zooming along on A roads, dispatching slower traffic with contemptuous ease. It certainly does like it's dinner though :(

It's my new bike!  Picked it up from Bournemouth this morning, trading in the SV.  It's a 2002 Honda VFR800 VTEC, identical to the one I was ogling at a bike meet in Poole last year.  It feels vastly more smooth and sophisticated than the Suzuki, and has fancy futuristic features such as linked brakes, ABS, and... a fuel gauge! How decadent! Despite weighing a good bit more than the old bike, you can't feel it on the road, no doubt helped by the low-slung V4 engine.  It retains all the deft manoeuvrability and chunky torque of the SV, yet is much more comfortable.  It's taller, yet you sit more 'in' the bike.  Up to 7000 RPM only 2 valves per cylinder operate, but beyond that all 4 come into play, the engine note changes and it hurls you at the horizon. Downsides: current insurer wouldn't cover it, so I had to take out a new policy (£170).  It's thirstier, and filling the tank costs an extra £5.  Despite this, it is AWESOME .

I had a ride to Swindon today, to check out some bikes.  It looks like it's going to be a VFR800 after all, I only sat on it in the showroom but it certainly felt more roomy than the SV.  It looks better in the metal too, though it's still a bit frumpy.  I tried a Honda CBR600F, but the riding position was identical to the SV; no good.  A Fireblade at the same money looked well-used.  Fazer looked too boring. This is the actual bike.  They had a red and silver special edition too, slightly newer but it had obviously seen a few more winters.  I turned down a test ride, as there was a 90% chance of an impulse buy - I'm trying to be sensible this time.  I've even considered selling the SV privately (it's super-clean now), but can't stomach the thought of dealing with eBay muppets so I'll trade it in and take the hit.

Monkeyboy was introduced to Xbox Live today... he's physically still here but actually lives in a virtual 1944, where he's trying to re-take Pacific islands from the Japanese, with assistance from other children with bad parents.  In my day it was all sitting in your room being bored, or trying to imagine a Lego block without wheels was a car.  Yeah, it was rubbish.

This has been brought to my attention, it's a Yamaha Thunderace.  I like the looks; perhaps a bit dated, but that's not a massive concern for a man who buys his clothes from Tesco.

The central heating had sprung a leak when I woke up this morning, so I've had to have an emergency day off to fix it.  It's a long story but the highlight was me crouched at the rear of the boiler, gallons of steaming hot brown water being blasted over me, whilst yelling at the top of my voice for Mrs B to help.  Unfortunately she could sleep through a war and didn't wake up until I went and shook her (by this time I was as wet as if I'd been in the bath).  Not a good day but several hours and £20 later it seems to be fixed. In other news, the MX5 has been ejected from the garage so the Suzuki can have some love.  I'm considering painting the corroded forks, but can't really be bothered to take the wheel off.

Today I want a Honda Super Blackbird again: I'd have to settle for an earlier one as they make stronger money than the Triumph, but they have a reputation for durability so it's not a concern.  I've found a dealer that's got 1 in stock, along with several VFRs, but it's about 60 miles away.  I've booked a  day off towards the end of the month to go bike shopping (when it will snow, no doubt).  The insurance is worse!

It's new bike time! The BMW F800ST has been discounted for being too bland; I've seen a lot of them in London recently and I've gone right off them.  I've come to the conclusion that bikes are all about desirability and the Beemer doesn't have it.  The Honda VFR800 remains an option, but it's not much of a looker either.  I'm seriously considering one of these now: 2002 Triumph Daytona 955i.  The reason?  It looks fantastic.  I don't like the earlier or later ones with different headlamp designs, it has to be this type.  However, insurance is expensive, critics reckon it's a bit of a blunt instrument, and I probably can't be trusted with something that'll do nearly 170mph.