Eunos Chump

This is my birthday present to myself, a Triumph Street Triple.  It is the most fun thing ever, it makes me giggle all the time with it's crazy enthusiasm for going fast everywhere.  With it's fantastic rasping engine note and short gearing it feels like you're going impossibly quickly and a spell in prison is assured, but when you check the speedo you're not going that fast... well, probably within commuting distance of the speed limit, at least :)  Being a naked helps I suppose, but it does make it unsuitable for covering large distances, even maintaining 85-ish MPH takes some effort to hold on.  It cost £1000 more than the Tuono I looked at, but it's almost incomparably better.

Had a test ride of the Tuono yesterday... didn't like it enough to buy it.  Great engine, and it's surprisingly civilised, but there's a general feeling of 'shiteness' about it; the feel of the controls, the dash, it all feels a generation behind the VFR.  This particular example had a duff battery, broken speedo and barely legal rear tyre, which didn't help my perception. BMW was sold last night.  The advert on Pistonheads only got me 1 caller (who bid too low), but Autotrader had it shifted within 24 hours.  The guy bought it in the dark, and is driving it home to Romania.  I didn't sleep very well last night, a little worried that I'd sold a trusting young guy a car that would let him down, but I drove it all over the country without incident and I don't expect it'll have any bother with that trip.  Should be well suited to it, in fact - certainly better than the misery of a Ryanair 737.

I received an invitation for a NHS health check the other day, apparently they offer these to people of 'my age'.  Am I already reaching the burden-on-society stage?  I know I need more exercise and less cake, thank you.  This letter, combined with putting my back out for 24 hours earlier in the week, has made me feel very old.  For this reason I'm going shopping for another bike tomorrow, probably this: Aprilia Tuono.  I'm not keen on the gold detailing, the dash looks like something from a Chinese moped, and I probably shouldn't get it wet, but it sounds like a good companion to the competent but dull VFR.  The dealer has also got a couple of Ducatis that may be of interest. The BMW is up for sale, you should buy it!  Look how nice it is!  It's been made obsolete by the Picasso.