Eunos Chump

I'm only plastered to the elbow now, and it should be coming off altogether at the end of August.  It's had a big effect on my life though, there are so many things I struggle to do now.  Obviously no driving or riding bikes - I've only been out of the house a couple of times for hospital appointments. I've been able to work from home but it's been frustrating typing and using a mouse with a single left hand.  It's not been all bad though, I've spent much more time with the Mrs and the pace of life seems to have slowed considerably. Bored of watching TV, this morning I started working on Roger.  The bent bar-end eventually came off with some persuasion from a hammer, and apart from the brake lever all it needs is some cosmetic work.  It even started first time. Camera mount is toast. Odiham had banned cameras, which is just as well else that would have been wrecked too.  Side panel took most of the damage but will repair.

Track day at RAF Odiham! Roger running well, I'm pushing him hard with my usual ham-fisted technique and ignoring the squirming rear tyre. Accelerating hard out of a corner, I give it too many beans and lowside it.   After 6 hours in A&E it turns out I've broken my radius bone (right forearm) at both the wrist and elbow, so I'm plastered to the shoulder.  Roger has come off much better - it only needs a brake lever to be made operational.  Lots of fairing damage but I'll just fill that and slap some more paint on. Leathers are wrecked (almost holed on the shoulder and arse), gloves ripped.  I've got an imprint of the brake pedal in my calf, a cut finger, and a bruised face but DO NOT PANIC - I'm still beautiful.

Chris and I collected the Aprilia this morning, from deepest Essex.  It's clearly suffered much abuse and neglect but it should be recoverable, and with up to 10BHP (once tweaked), should annihilate any Chinese twist-n-goes at the mopedathon.  It's in Chris's workshop at the moment, battery has already been declared DOA and we're expecting the engine to be toast too - but a new piston and barrel is only £40 from tatBay.

Fixed the Saab - had to replace the oil pressure regulator assembly as the thread was stripped where the drain from the turbo attached (somebody had bodged it in the past).  It wasn't particularly difficult but I'm paranoid about it dumping a load of oil now.  Seems OK, but can't be sure it's not leaking elsewhere.  I don't like that car Fixed the CBR too!  Used some gasket sealant on the cam cover this time, and so far so good.  I'm keeping it road-legal for another year as it only cost £68 to insure, saves wasting time at track days trying to solve problems. KTM has had a new battery and is providing rapid commuting fun.  Piss-poor tank range is annoying me though, twice this week I've been riding on fumes.

I am the proud part-owner of this Aprilia RS50... well, what remains of it.  It appears to have been crashed, then left for dead for 3 years or more so some reassembly will be required.  It's for the OMCC charity mopedathon in October, a 6-hour endurance event which Team Lard is entering. I've been pretty fed up with other vehicles in the fleet.  Roger the CBR won't stop leaking from the cam cover gasket - I've tried 3 times to seal it now, and each time I end up with a load of hot oil on my boot.  I also tried to fix an oil leak on the Saab, with hilarious* results.  It's leaking at the turbo oil drain, so I replaced the copper washers, started it up, checked for leaks... and it had already dumped about a litre of oil on the pavement and road.  That took almost 3 hours to clean up, and it's still broken. Finally, the battery failed on the KTM on the same day.  Despite getting a push from 3 people, it couldn't be bump started and I had to push th...