Likely Final Proper Ride of the Year

[Millietant]

With the predicted storms for the coming week, the current heavy rain, a 5 day motorhome trip to visit relatives (and deliver christmas presents), plus a 3 day period where I'm being Santa again at various times, it looks like yesterday was my final chance for a ride out with a couple of pals for 2020...........unless there's a break in the weather between Christmas and New Years Eve.

Yesterday's ride took us to a well known local petrol-head hangout for a late breakfast bun (roll/bap/batch/sandwich) and an expensive coffee - "Caffeine and Machine". As it was the weekend, parking/entry was only available on a pre-booked basis, at £2.50/$3.50/$5Aus per bike (for 1 hour), which is why the coffee became even more expensive.

When we arrived, it was pretty quiet, with just half a dozen Porsches, a Noble M12, a 6.9 litre Mercedes C class, a few hopped up VW Golf's/Audi TT's, a slammed BMW 740i and a BMW i3 hiding amongst the other more mainstream cars.......but no other bikes  !!!!! What a bunch of wusses where I live.

OK, so it was cold at 1 degree C when we set off, but that's no excuse, it was dry and it was up to 3 degrees C by the time we'd finished our late breakfast  

I was actually pleasantly surprised that by keeping the speed down (Nige was riding his new, still-under-100 mile Enfield Himalayan, with 400 cc's of brute Enfield horsepower) my fingers didn't get particularly cold even though I was wearing my summer gloves - I guess that might be because summer isn't that much warmer than winter and my summer gloves are probably thicker than a Californian's winter gloves. At the speeds I was riding, there was really nothing to report back about on the FJ, other than she ran nicely and smoothly, despite sadly, rarely getting above 3,500 rpm.

As both pals were on "Adventure" bikes, I took a tight and twisty route to get to the cafe which involved a few single track pieces of road with passing places, which made it fun when a determined car driver decided she didn't want to move over to the grass between the passing places. The Enfield and my FJ got through without any hassle, but Dave, on the 1250 GS BMW, felt he had to take to the grass and in my mirrors I saw him fish-tailing away as he tried to get back onto the asphalt  .

For the way home, we took the more direct route except for a small detour to avoid a road closure, which involved more single track routes (ones that I normally use when cycling) and slow speed travelling again, but had the benefit of beautiful scenery.

So the FJ is back in the garage, ready to be cleaned again, have the tank filled, a little fuel stabiliser added and run through and a good check over before the covers are put on her for a few weeks. Sleep well Cinderella, 2022 is not far away.

[red]

Millietant,
I realize that the USA and UK are two places separated by a common language.   

When you describe a BMW as "slammed," what does that term mean?

[fj1289]

Red,

Slammed = lowered
Like slammed to the ground.  I'm assuming it is the car in the fifth picture down

[Millietant]

Red,

Slammed = lowered
Like slammed to the ground.  I'm assuming it is the car in the fifth picture down

Correctamundo 

It seems like the USA might be many places separated by a common language Red. I'm sure it's down to the multitude of cultures across car modding there.

I've only ever heard the term "slammed" used in American movies or seen it written on American car forums and web sites, which is why I used it here, I figured it was the term you guys would understand - it's not a term I've seen used in the UK- we just say "lowered".

[RPM - Robert]

If you want to see an extra layer of slammed. Do yourself a favor and image search "hella flush" you will be saddened, or possibly amazed, by the amount of mechanical & safety compromises done to some of these vehicles.

Much like Pat's Bosozoku style. To each their own I suppose.

I even found a "hella flush" Bosozuku style van  

[Ted Schefelbein]

Riding has been over, here, for a while. Temp is 3 degrees above zero F, and the wind is gusting to about 30, driving the windchill factor to well below zero.

Fuel is drained from the tank, run out of the carbs, two cups of 10W30 splashed around inside the tank, battery out, up on the stand, closed cell foam between the front tire and the garage floor. Nice quilt tossed over the bike. Garage is heated to 40 degrees or so. It will be like that for 5-6 months or so.

Ted

[Millietant]

Riding has been over, here, for a while. Temp is 3 degrees above zero F, and the wind is gusting to about 30, driving the windchill factor to well below zero.

Fuel is drained from the tank, run out of the carbs, two cups of 10W30 splashed around inside the tank, battery out, up on the stand, closed cell foam between the front tire and the garage floor. Nice quilt tossed over the bike. Garage is heated to 40 degrees or so. It will be like that for 5-6 months or so.

Ted

I couldn't live there Ted, unless there's so much snow that a snowmobile can be used when the bike is put away. Not riding for such a long time would drive me crazy - I'm out every opportunity I can all through winter, even if its only for 30 mins at a time.

I like to keep the engine turning and give it a run as often as I can. With all the salt on our roads and, being a small island surrounded by the sea, the high humidity, it does mean I have to keep on top of the cleaning after each ride and like you, I keep the bikes covered as much as possible.

Liz has made "fitted cloth bike covers" by cutting and sewing old bed-sheets and curtains, which I put on underneath the waterproof bike covers we use. My garage is detached from the house and is brick built with no insulation, so heating it full time isn't an option and only heating it part time gives huge condensation issues.

Oh to live somewhere where its warm all year round.....like California.....Texas....Aus....or NZ........but then, I wouldn't have the Nurburgring to visit