Eunos Chump

Put a new battery on the VFR this weekend (it was getting a bit weak), which I bought from my local dealer as it was only a couple of quid more than buying it online.  I think that's the first time I've bought anything there, after 3 years of browsing. They had a new Yamaha XV950 outside, really didn't like it.  This is the bike lashed-up to cash in on the cafe-racer scene, but I can't see there being much of a market for it in the UK.  It takes some commitment to get a full license here, probably more than most scene-moron posers could muster.  And then there's the lack of authenticity - you don't build a cafe racer by ticking boxes on an order form.  Verdict: rubbish. Reminder to self: serviced Berlingo (oil/air filter), now at 92K.

Cracking weather for the last one of the year; theme was Italian stuff.  It was a sea of red Ferraris, but they don't really push my buttons these days.  Fiat Dino, do like. Really coming around to these, they look better in the metal than photos.  Would be costly to run though, and there's loads of expensive bodywork for me to smash...

One of my garages in GTA V features a tatty roadster and a beaten-up sportsbike; I just need a caravan out front to complete the set.

I've recently installed a chain oiler on the VFR, seeing as it clocks up so many miles.  I've fitted a PDOiler , which is electronic and fully automatic.  You fill it with oil, and at a set interval the pump shunts down some oil to the wick.  The wick is stranded, so it acts like a brush when the chain comes into contact with it. Finding a spot for the pump was a bit awkward - I didn't want to put it under the seat as that would make it awkward to refill.  I settled for this spot, where it remains clear of the swing-arm. The wick position is a compromise too, ideally it should be further forward from the sprocket.  The shape of the single-sided swing arm is the cause. Controller is velcro'd under the seat, with the power feed tapped off the heated-grips relay.  I've set it to 9, which is the fastest - it fires every 90 seconds or so. Initially I had the green supply pipe running behind the swing-arm, but after a few hundred miles it got loo...

Say hello... Wave goodbye... I didn't record the exact mileage covered, but it's certainly in the region of 10-12,000 miles.  I love these tyres, absolutely rock solid, and until they bring out a Pilot Road 4 I'll keep buying them.