DVD : The Long Way Round

I bought the 2 DVD set of the series first shown on Sky One and have watched it a couple of times already! It's a great series and i'd recommend it to everyone, not just biking enthusiasts.

For those of you who don't know, it's a documentary following Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman as they embark on a journey from London to New york, the long way round! They do this on BMW bikes and come across some very tough conditions and terrain.

It has it's funny moments, scary moments and also gives you an insight into the lives of people living in some of the most remote places in the world.

Definitely worth watching!

ZRX1100 Tyre Pressures

I've been riding my bike on the tyre pressures recommended by the manufacturer since i got it but it has always felt slightly heavy at the front end. At anything over 20mph the weight was hardly noticeable but at low speeds it was too heavy! I decided to do a bit of research and found that the recommended tyre pressures don't go down too well with any ZRX owners! The best pressures to run are 36psi in the front and 42psi in the rear. It now feels like a different bike!

Reliant's to Russia...

It's the Extremetrifle gang at it again... this time taking a collection of Reliant Robins on a 4000 mile journey to Russia!

http://www.extremetrifle.com/3/r2r_intro.php

Cheeseyrider...

These guys are nuts but it looks like great fun...

http://www.extremetrifle.com/3/cheesyrider_index.php

They basically took a load of Honda 90's, customised them ever so slightly and then headed of to the Moto Faro Rally in Portugal... only 1500 miles!

Suspension settings

Since buying my bike back in June, it's always felt more suited to riding with a pillion. This was all very well but i'd prefer it to be more suited to riding solo as that's how i spend 75% of my time. My confidence in the bike has never been as good as it could be when riding solo so i decided to have a go at playing with the suspension settings.

I was pleasantly surprised at how simple the settings are to adjust. My bike sits on 2 springs rather than the 1 that most modern bikes use nowadays. This makes adjusting the settings very easy as the springs are situated outside the swing-arm instead of being tucked away at the base of the bike. Following advice i found on the ZRX forum, http://www.zrxoc.com/board/showpost.php?p=131&postcount=1, i've managed to get the bike feeling much better.

The ZRX differs from most bikes in the way that it has an eccentric chain adjuster which normally has the rear wheel spindle toward the top. By adjusting this so that the spindle is toward the bottom, the rear of the bike rides slightly higher, giving the bike a quicker turn in. I also like the look of the bike with it's rear slightly higher.

Fuel - Panic buying! (continued)

well, things haven't improved really! 2 of the petrol stations i passed earlier this afternoon were closed and the other 2 had streams of 10-15 cars waiting to get in! My bike is full up but my car will need some more petrol by the end of the week so i hope the police stick to their word and keep the roads clear of barricades. I wonder if i'll get paid if i can't get into work due to lack of fuel... hmmmm

Fuel - Panic buying!

Well, I spent 20 minutes queuing for petrol to fill the bike up yesterday due to everyone panic buying! Forecourts all over the country were in chaos as people queued for petrol fearing it could run out due to the blockades in France. I wouldn't have bothered waiting to fill the bike up if it hadn't been almost empty. A number of the filling stations near here ran out of Petrol by early afternoon and ended up closing early. Have you been affected by the panic buying??

The Ponderosa Cafe, Llangollen

The Ponderosa is situated on the Horseshoe Pass, Langollen. Normally the views up there are great on a clear day but, when it's not, all you will get to see is mist and sheep! Weekends are the best time to head up there if it's bikes you want to see. It becomes quite busy when the weather is good. The food and drink up there is very reasonably priced and there are quite a lot of car parking spaces along with designated bike parking areas. The roads are great, but watch out for the cattle grids and sheep!

More info can be found here http://www.ponderosacafe.co.uk

Some photos from my trip to Llangollen today..

Here are some photos of my trip to Llangollen this afternoon. We stopped off at the Ponderosa Cafe on the Horseshoe Pass for a cuppa along with a load of other bikers!

Southport

A good place to visit at the weekend is Southport. It attracts tons of bikers with machines of all different shapes and sizes! There's a large section of off-road parking available for bikes close to the boating lake. Here are a few photos i took a couple of weekends ago..

My Lid

I have an Airoh Warrior helmet which i've found to be very comfortable. It's good at motorway speeds and doesn't feel like it's about to be ripped off my head everytime I look over my shoulder like some helmets i've tried in the past.

2 wheels 2 many ?!

Here's my car... Some might say it's got 2 wheels too many but it's good in the rain!










It's a 1995 BMW 318iS Coupe. Not bad for an old girl!

A Useful and informative forum can be found here http://forum.bmwcarmagazine.com/

Northwich Thundersprint

The Thundersprint takes place each year in Northwich, Cheshire. It's a great day out and gives you a chance to see some of the racers and bikes of times gone by.

I even got to see James May (Topgear presenter) riding his Moto Guzzi around the course.











More info can be found here http://www.thundersprint.com/

Some photos from the G-mex and NEC bike shows in 2004

The ZRX Owners Club Forum

This is a forum i looked at when i was considering buying the ZRX and i have found it very useful when looking for info on the bike. The members are friendly and have been very helpful when i've been asking questions

It can be found here http://www.zrxoc.com/board/

The Gin House

A forum created when Granada Men & Motors announced the closure of their online forum. The Gin House members are mainly bikers but anyone is welcome and threads normally end up way off subject within a few posts! Great fun and a welcoming crowd of people.

The Gin House can be found at http://www.thegin-house.com/forum/

If you do pay us a visit, my username is El Bandito. I picked this name when i still had the Bandit and it's stuck!

Bike Specification

2001 Y reg Kawasaki ZRX1100 with a few modifications...

Renthal bars, purple alloy oil filler cap, rear footpegs, bar ends and clutch & brake master cylinder tops. Twin headlight conversion with small fly screen, mini indicators at front, Cobra end can with removable baffle.

My wheels...

I passed my unrestriced bike licence back in November 2003. After passing my test i had a Suzuki GSF600N Bandit, which i kept for 18 months. The Bandit was a great introduction to the world of big bikes and I'm still a big fan of the Bandit's looks now. There are tons of bits & pieces available for modifying the looks and performance of the Bandit and it's still a favourite among stunt riders and wheelie schools in it's 1200cc form!

I now ride a Kawasaki ZRX1100 after spending weeks hunting around for my next bike! I prefer the looks of naked bikes, which is good because they tend to have lower insurance costs! I took a few bikes out for test rides before deciding on the ZRX and i'm very pleased with my choice so far

Here are a couple of pics...