Shadowfax-ST Blog

An opportunity to pop out for a quick spin while Ka slept off nights and the kids seemed occupied well enough to make an escape possible. First up; donning. I think it's great you can get togged up with the chin guard up out the way and there was none of this balancing a helmet on the seat stuff; just donned, secured, and ready. I didn't use my ear plugs in order to guage how quiet the lid actually is and I did have some trouble sliding my glasses over my ears without entanglement, or other somewhere withing the lining. More practice required, I guess, but later the lenses rode up off my nose and gave me double vision looking to the instruments. It sorted out later, but was a little distracting for a while. On starting up it was obvious the helm is not a magical noise cancelling device, but sounds were certainly muffled in the high range. Normally, with the HJC all of Shadowfax's sounds are crystal; with the BMW it was just, well, diminished. I started off with all...

New LId The quest for a Shuberth just evaporated. We planned to get to Helmet City in West Bay, Bridport but I guessed I should at least cover all my bases and check out the Bahnstormer BMW outlet up by Alton, first. The kids behaved long enough for a patient bloke to talk me through the various features of the BMW Motorrad System 6 helmet. It pinched my temples a touch but has all the features of the Shuberth C3 without the pain in the cheeks...and a few quid less, t'boot. I looked longingly at the fluorescent yellow one on display and idly said, “I like that”. “I have one in your size”, the chappy retorted. So we had a look. Nice. Next we skipped out back into the car and headed to Alton to turn around – mainly for some time to think. The BMW sure looked neat, and 'should' wear in on the temples (already improved on second fitting) and it has the internal sun visor. But, I see no real need for a flip-front and could get a cheaper and as quiet helmet full-face – ligh...

Duff LED One of the LED positioning lights has failed - although its 3 side-facing LEDs are operable, the forward facing one seems to have fried. I don't really need to replace it as I always ride with the HIDs on, but its going to be one of THOSE niggles, I'll bet. Here's the good one for comparison: Oh, and yes, I know he's filthy with bug juice again but its really difficult to keep on top of it.

Meeting the Clan What's this prejudice I've held for the Pan-Clan? Well, I guess they present themselves in an exclusive way – its not being free membership, and what have you. That and I'm not used to clubs. I also have trouble with the magazine and web designs, but thats the same for almost everything except National Graphic, which I love and enjoy a subscription kindly given for my Birthday last year. So, what's better than to face your prejudices to make them opinions than to go meet the crowd. I left work late to time my arrival at the middle-of-nowhere pub location on time and briefed my Wife I'd like as not be home early if I needed to excuse myself. On arrival I parked up and lurked while a couple of couples and a mad man on a Norton 850 'electric start' invited me to sit on his prize. (It felt like my old Sanya, Phut-Phut, but I didn't let on). After introducing myself I recognised the bloke from HG who'd given me a Pan-Clan leaflet a f...

Recognition at Service Shadowfax and I took a reluctant hop over to Portsmouth Motorcycles to pick up some oil , a filter, and rear pads it being calculated by my poorly tired old head Shadowfax was due a 8,000 mile service that very day. The mirror cowls held but I was paranoid they'd part company – so I had taken extra precaution to check their retainers would retain. I was given the speedo for Shadowfax's last 16,000 mile service by the parts guys; 76,366. Today was showing 82,738 – only 6,405 miles since service. Oh, well. The Sun was out and Shadowfax hasn't had much attention lately. Taking a quick look at helmets on the way out with my carrier and a bloke says, “is that your white Pan out there?” Now, last time I had a Pan-Clan leaflet thrust in my mits – so I'm cautious; “Yes?” “I'm PompeyAndy off the forum – you're Shadowfax!” Wow. I've not been recognised before. Oh, the joy: my id! (Funny, I thought all that forum nonsense was an experimen...

Eager to fit The pair of replacement mirror cowls arrived today – Karen was woken from night duty slumber to the thumping of the postie, Bless. They're not as good a nick as I'd have liked ideally, but both are much better than Shadowfax's original ones in that I don't need to worry about spraying. I couldn't wait to fit them and instantly dug the existing cowls off and slung the 'new' ones on having swapped over the amber lenses, and fitted retainer straps to them. Hmm. Neither of them seemed to house properly. Still, they're on – but now the contrast between Shadowfax's new beard of flies caught from multiples of 'bug storms' against the cleaned (by me 5-minutes ago) cowls just fitted. Still, they need to come off for the service tomorrow, I rationalised, so can sort their fitting out properly then.

Popham Bacon Butty Run Peter W organised another meet at Popham on the Sunday. To be honest, as much as I was up for it leading up to the weekend, by the time Sunday morning had come round I was dead beat. The alarm didn't need to go but the grey light of a dank day did little to rouse me from my slumbers. In the end I was showered and out of the door in just under 30-min and running late from the moment my feet were dried. I'd planned to ride up the back ways behind Winchester avoiding (at all costs) the motorway. With time pressed I had no choice but to bomb it up the damp and drizzly M3 and A34. One bonus, it being so cold, and all that, is that I was able to give my ST-Owners Coldest Ride T-shirt a run. Very smart. I enjoyed showing it off. Shadowfax shows 7th at -9C. Cool. Of course, since lumping Shadowfax with his top box again 'bomb it' should cap out at 80mph. My recall of the box's destabilising effects in the wind kept us steady as far as Hedge ...

Dog's bullocks “Pat, I spotted these on fleaBay - might be worth grabbing one of each? “ This was my PM from ST-Owner, Hound (who helped me source the replacement mirror cowl after Shadowfax had one blow off on the M27). I followed the link and there were 3-pairs of cowls for £52 inclusive postage and packaging. Thanks, Hound. Ka, can I order...thanks, Darling. Ordered.

HID replacement arrived I ordered a replacement HID bulb from the same supplier (Iain) and had queried why they appeared to come with the shield and retractor assembly. It turns out that's just the way they do. I bought a pair at £20 each – it's the same as bulbs on their own so I can't grumble. More info as posted at ST-Owners.com .

The HID's died! I thought I'd need to replace the original HID bulb around this time of year judging by its colour change reported in this thread before but I didn't expect it to just bloomin' die. It didn't 'cycle'; continue to dim exponentially to nought but a spark, or give any other warning. Last night it was part of the binary star system that reflects reassuringly off the vehicles (temporarily) in front and this morning it wasn't. Well, it lasted somewhere over 18-months of service that I reckon to have been 35-40,000 miles (need to check). That's 750hrs to 850hrs at a conservative guessed 45mph average*. I don't think that's bad given the preference I have for the HID over halogen. Good news is that the LEDs I put in as positioning lamps are still going strong and HID No.2 is compensating well. Of course I need a new one. Back to the original supplier at £30, I think. It'll need the side cowl taking off (due for clean and home ser...

Maturity Creeps ...So, using lower gears through corners makes them easier and quicker to negotiate, Scott had informed me the night before. Shadowfax and I set a new resolution to keep below 70mph (except on dual carriageways – 80mph) and to stay within or close to posted limits to practice for our IAMs observations, and to give this cornering technique a try. When we corner the bike leans over and rides on a part of the tyre that has a smaller diameter than at the middle, which looses speed and destabilises the bike. Applying brakes to a bike when cornering makes it try to stand up and go off on a tangent to the corner. Therefore, you need to accelerate around a bend and not brake. Fine, but to accelerate the bike needs to be in a low gear – not using all the torque from the 1300's engine in 5th gear. Okay. A mature part of our ride. Hey, it's not easy to ride with maturity! Honestly, trying to keep to just 75mph attracted tailgaters and riding sequences I'm pretty a...

Solent Advanced Motorcyclists AGM It was the SAM's AGM and I was sure Peter said it started at 1900hr. I rode down from Reading via the A33 and M3 / M27 like a banshee to make it on time and at precisely 1855hr I was 30min early. Consoled with hot water for my Red Bush (And vanilla) tea, I chatted a while about the HG gear another gent owned and thought warm given his 2hrs in a French mountain snowstorm and I couldn't help feel he had no idea what it was like day-in-and-out, or how -9C felt! Peter W and Scott tipped up about the same time and before we could get large on our lives the AGM was called to order. Everyone voted except me. A point of decorum; I'm not a member and not eligible to. It made me a voyeur but I'm sure there are other more exciting activities to watch. After the meeting we broke out for a buffet tea. Peter W and Scott (newly voted to be the Treasurer) finally hooked up and THEY chatted about riding styles in the club. In particular, about gear...

T'shirt Arrives My ST-Owners Coldest Ride 2010 T-shirt arrived. Smart. Now, with the weather warming up, where to wear it? Shadowfax shows 7th at -9C. Cool.

Bother Between all of today's duties and administration it was necessary to take a couple of hours out to recover K2's Nintendo DS lost at camp over the weekend from a delightful bloke, John near Salisbury. I took in Heine Gerike on route to see the C3 in action up close and personal, like. John, the fella with a heart of gold in returning K2's Nitendo DS turned out to be a right old biker. He showed me a beast of a Honda GL1800 Goldwing trike in his garage and a 1961 NSU in his workshop (typical ex-engineering type :)). I'd have loved to stop longer for a look-see but needed to get back to some family business. Of note was the A272 and A30 West off the A34 toward Salisbury. What a route - all straights as far as you can see with hidden dips to keep you awake when passing. The wind was a little strong but with the sun shining it made for a great ride. I needed the emotional break. Cool. The helmets were disappointing; a. because HG won't stock the S1-Pro any...

Attrition ----Delayed release due to security --- Over the winter Shadowfax and I noted how quiet the squirrels were. Many seemed to have retired but others reconnoitred surreptitiously from the boughs over head; we knew because high trucks sometimes rocked their craniums out the branches and into the path of the impatiently queuing traffic. Their flat remains picked upon by the crows and magpies as example to all bushy-tailed vermin. The squirrels were made furryous in February after the claimed massacre of a whole section of the elite Invisible Ghosts Forces based in Privett. There were no witnesses to the slaughter but tensions rose on the uncovering of photographs at a recent Easter Bunny Parade of their forces laid out as trophies. Diplomatic efforts have kept a cap on the situation claiming a rogue sniper was to blame and squirrel activities have remained unseasonally quiet. Now, comes the Spring Offensive. But unlike those of previous years - although high in intensity low i...

My old helmet isn't working so well these days... The old HJC-IS16 is okay but the inners are wearing out quickly and I still yearn for a more luxurious helmet. The HJC - it gets some daily abuse, to be fair I've kept a bead on older style helmets coming in around the £200 mark but pretty much had my heart set on a Schuberth S1-Pro. They come in at £300 for a rightly unpopular colour to £450 for one I'd like. I haven't found a size Small to try on and haven't had a chance to get to Helmet City to check out their supplies (and the colours / sizes / models on offer). S1-Pro odd pattern: £300 S1-Pro matt black: £449 However, as much as I can't be bothered by the modular opening face helmets a C3 has recently taken my eye. Not least, it's hi-viz Saturn yellow. The C3 in 'see me!' yellow. Nice. Um...£474!!! Watch this space! (While my Wife's not looking...

Popham Airfield Classic Car event My Son attended his first camp with the Air Scouts this weekend at Popham airfield. He received some navigational and topographical type training while learning to marshall the many visiting aircraft flying in. While we went to have a look and lend him our support I noted a classic motorcycle pen filled with really old looking 1970-1980s machines. Oddly, among all this old scrap there in the near middle was a champagne coloured Honda Pan European ST1100. It's so iconic my Wife was the one that actually spotted it. A classic? Wonders never cease. There will be a few 1100-owners upset at that, I'm sure. It kinda puts it in the realms of a Ford Capri, Cortina, or Dodge Charger given they were its neighbours in the museum. It just didn't belong there, bless it. It's not a grandpa yet, surely? Some of the classics were good to see. Here's a pair that are priceless to my mind..

6 months on What the Heine Gericke site says: WINNER OF MCN PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2008 Master the elements with the ultimate high performace suit. Function: 3 hand warmer pockets, 1 back pocket, 2 inner pockets. Detachable thermal lining and storm collar. Wide waist belt around kidney area for extra support. Width-adjustment on sleeves. 3M Scotchlite reflective strips. Crotch strap to prevent the jacket from riding up. Long connection zipper. 5-year GORE-TEX® quality guarantee. Protection: SaS-Tec® CE-Protectors at shoulder and elbow. SaS-Tec® CE-Back protector. SAFE® safety seam-construction for ultimate durability. Construction: GORE-TEX® Pro Shell® (formally XCR®) -Membrane obtains 25% higher breathability compared to other GORE-TEX® Laminates GORE-TEX® 3-Layer-Oran™ stretchable fabric. GORE-TEX® 3-Layer-Armacor™ specifically designed for motorcycling, fuses the membrane with Dupont Cordura® fabric and Kevlar® fibres, creating an extremely abrasion resistant yet breathable outer. ...

The smiles and miles 21 February and Shadowfax turned 75,000 miles old. 26 March and Shadowfax turned 77,777.7 miles old. 19 April and Shadowfax turned 80,000 miles old. As of 30 April and I’m not looking any more! However, Shadowfax is no No.7 in the ST-Owners 2010-2011 mileage statistics, (see http://www.st-owners.com/forums/mileage.php), which for some of these riders is obviously some kind of competition! (Can't see it myself). The next Brit is Peter (of Exeter) with 5,754 miles this year. Shadowfax is on 10,333 miles since January. Put that in perspective: top dogs are over the 20,000 mile barrier! Gulp. We were awarded a 50,000 mile award on our avatar but I had to give it back. That’s for 50,000 ridden by the owner on one bike. Given Shadowfax arrived with just shy 44,000 miles that means we’re not actually that far off any way. Certainly, we should be seeing that award again around 94,000 miles – perhaps another 6-months? I shouldn’t be whiling away his miles but the...

All up to date - I think Okay, it’s a late Spring catch-up phase while I have some time to scribble. Saddest thing was my step mom dying early April. I rode up to Stoke twice with Shadowfax and as is characteristic, made an adventure out of it. I also got to ride up to Macclesfield briefly along my old haunts from Mier to Leek and on. Both trips were in beautiful weather and traversing along the foothills of the Peak District National Park was a real joy with borders of daffodils and other such like. I camped down the road from Alton Towers and the picturesque village of Alton toward Cheadle. The site was expensive and actually a dump but I got to practice packaging a complete weekend kit list across the two panniers without needing the top box or to strap any regalia across the seats, etc. This included tent, mattress, fart bag, stove, pan, water, cup, kfs (well, wooden spoon), cold kit, and this months copy of National Geographic. Fitting a quick shop in there was tight but do-...

A bikers meet - I'm not used to this On 18th April I had been invited to attend the Ride it Right day at Haselemere fire station, Surrey. PeterW3035 was riding up from Wickham with the Solent Advanced Motorcyclist mob (our local IAMs group) and we agreed to meet off ST-owners.com. I had stopped the night in Aldershot having bolted down from my first Stoke trip via the wonderful A50 (no, really – wonderful: quick and wide with very little traffic) so tripped down via some sleepy back roads via an error in navigation and for some reason Godalming, which was a slow nightmare. There was a giggle at a bunch of Norton riders in Godalming who obviously had no idea who was leading the ride and made a series of false starts off the lights as each began to accelerate and then near ran into the back of another braking to find where ever the leader might have been. There were squeely brakes and tippy-toes all over the junction and it certainly made for a laughable sight. (Mental note: don’...

Windy and windy Many of the conversations PeterW3035 and I have had at recent Ride to Eat bacon butties has been dominated by his mock IAMs assessment ride and my hopes to join Solent Advanced Motorcyclists (SAM) and also attend IAMs training and assessment. One of my repeat themes is how rarely I ride off commute on roads I don’t know so well – something Peter and his planned meets has certainly helped address once in a while. Still, it got me thinking so during a moment at work where it was both quiet and I wasn’t being watched I opened up Google Map and checked for options on the route between Fareham and Reading. The A3349 north out of Alton cropped up with the A3006 south toward Petersfield and the A3. So, without feeling I’d abandoned our stretch of the A32, Shadowfax and I turned right off the A339 instead of left for Basingstoke and had an exploratory tour through fresh Hampshire countryside for a look-see. What a route! The A339 has its moments but suffers long sections of ...

F'ing Freezin' Shadowfax and I came 7th in the ST-Owners Coldest Ride 2009-2010 ( http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73826 ) with -9C (link: http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showpost.php?p=905303&postcount=304 .) Everything was fine until the last stretch of the A33 dual carriageway which was 'swervy' icy (only -3C) with a terrifying pile-up on the oncomming lanes on a local 'frozen blizzard'. That's the closest I've come to horizontal, I think. I had to loose speed quickly via the engine which limited traction from the rear and was difficult for a time. With 2 trucks and a gaggle of cars sleuing in the mirrors I decided it was a bad idea to slide so just rode through it holding my breath. Its a shame; the roads were in excellent condition as you can just see in the photo except that last stretch and there were no warning signs and we were all topping 80mph. In Dorset and Devon this weekend any if not all real ice / residual snow-slush w...

Shadowfax back from the squirrels As mentioned before, Shadowfax was unruly after his service and we all suspected his warn tyres. On inspection post-service I noted a bolt missing from his fairing but forgot to press for its return during the skirmish over the tyre fitting bill. Everything else was fine. He obviously just needed the new tyres urgently. Still, with the new tyres and confidence he really turned mad: he was so twitchy I was at times genuinely concerned for our safety. I’ve driven all manner of dodgy vehicles – some of them my own – and never had quite that amount of, “get off and walk, Pat”. I took to the motorway as the twisties were freaking me out with Shadowfax prancing around them like no one was at the helm. The instability worsened. I pulled in to Winchester services and desperately looked for a cause – wheel alignment, spindles, suspension operation, etc. Then I looked again at the missing bolt hole on his side fairing. I gave the shoulder area above it a...

New tyres all round – does that work for a bike? “That’ll be £349.00, please.” “I’m sorry?” I recoiled visibly. “£349.00”. “What for – what did you do?” I begged. I’d waited for 3-hours for what had been billed a 1 hour operation to dismount the old tyres and replace them with a set of Michelin Road Pilot 2s. It turned out the Puncture Safe I had loaded into them had made a mess over the equipment and workshop floor. I had been punished then to wait until they’d finally cleaned it all up and part of the cost was going to be inclusive of the extended labour. Bastards; trying that on. I’ve heard a couple of bad press stories aboyut the place but they’ve gotten away with their behaviour through a closed shop and supportive (and generally nice bloke) manager denying anything so awful could occur to a customer of theirs. And here I am. Being victimised. Facts: The parts department lads had recommended the Puncture Safe and gladly taken £25 for it despite my enquiring if it’d be popul...

Shadowfax goes native and squirrelly! The Michelin Pilot Road 2 front had completed over 16,000 miles by my reckoning and still had a little tread left. I was just aware it was getting close to the legal limit being almost on the wear bars about the centre and beginning it characteristic ‘cupping’ between the tread bites. The rear Bridgestone BT020 was just being darned disappointing; nearly down to the canvas about its middle after barely 8,000 miles. Handling was fine. Shadowfax then went in for service at Honda Portsmouth Motorcycles. Immediately after being told the tyre should be changed soon I began to really notice some handling problems however. The front was unruly in the twisties and Shadowfax’s whole demeanour changed to being unsure-footed and difficult to ride at speeds above 30mph. Following traffic always presents some turbulence, but here Shadowfax was twitching all over the road – once nearly sending us both involuntarily across the median line. Something was se...

VFR-Ride Report submitted to ST-Owners.com (Extracted from my write up at ST-Owners.com: http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80761 .) I spent a day with Apple (the VFR1200F named after the Global company of the same name for its having all the technological gloss with limitations you're likely to choose to live with) while Shadowfax was in the Stealers for a 16,000-mile service. The following is the guts and garters account of the day written purely from the perspective of an ST1300 rider so comparison is the rule of the day in addition to recounting the experience. This isn’t a measure of what’s best – even for me – but more of what the new VFR1200F is about in a language ST owners will likely relate to. Caveat my being a bit of a novice with only just 23-months real riding experience under my belt. Executive Summary This is a sports bike; not the replacement for the ST. Its riding position and behaviour are acceptable – in fact, fabulous and exciting - but against th...