Shadowfax-ST Blog

Announcement I feel a right bastard now. I have to announce, I'm retiring Dilbert tomorrow. I bought the Pan ST1300 this morning and pick him up in the morning - in white (NOT an ex-Police bike). Dilbert will need to be sold. What this does for the Blog's title, I don't know, but I know for sure I feel very disloyal to my buddy Dilbert and I'm not entirely sure I've made the best decision to ditch him. What I do know is that, on balance, Dilbert just can't give me what I want over 110-miles a day but he will make someone else an excellent partner for mid-range commuting and occasional long-range touring. I hope they look after him as well as I feel I have and as he deserves. I'm feeling this quite emotionally. I feel like Frodo misleading Golem into the clutches of Farramir. It's like loosing a great dog. I'll miss the little tyke. So might the neighbours' cats.

Difficult Dilbert has surpassed my expectations as a motorcycle in every sense of the word but I cannot do 110-miles a day on him 5-days a week and pretend its all fun, or even only a little adventure. If I was to commute, say, 30-miles each way I could do it; 20 would be great fun. I see the difference when passed by local commuters on sports bikes: weaving like lunatics through the traffic as they only need to work hard for 20 to 30 minutes. I have to work hard (up the A32 and A31) for over an hour each way to make the same rate of progress through the escalating amount of traffic passing up and down the route at annoyingly sedate rates of speed. Dilbert is quite sprightly when called upon to perform a series of overtaking: knock down a couple of gears from 5th to 3rd at 60mph and the effect can be quite exhilarating and effective in passing short lines of traffic, but confidence wains where longer lines need negotiating over short stretches open to overtaking. I'm not going to c...

Wind Disturbance I read on the Net that turbulence around the helmet can be caused not by the air being directed around the screen, but being sucked up the gap in the fairing where the forks sit. It makes sense that forcing air up and over the riding space will cause negative air pressure immediately behind the screen, and that this will draw air into it. I've watched rain drops fall from the top of the Vario screen and then, just above the tank, suddenly defy gravity and fly upward toward my face at the speed of travel. It gives some explanation? Perhaps then the helmet is not at fault, nor directly the screens, but my sitting position may be too close to the tank inviting disturbance from this internal (and underhand) air flow. It may also explain why wind direction and strength can have such affect where a cross wind may help to dampen the affect from the side of the screen, but from head on? It's just going to exacerbate it. Hey, this is only theory based on some writin...

Temptation: Pat's Pan

Hmmmnn... Snatty stowage 1300cc V4 Fuel gauge Good Stuff Good reviews Big and electric screen 45mpg (or 11Ltr / 100-miles) so slightly more than Dilbert Adjustable seat A few extra ponies Bad Stuff Expensive High mileage (again) Um...did I mention high mileage? Hmmmnnn....I need advice (on where to blag the cash)...Ka?

Helmet Vibration Thursday saw Dilbert and I filtering for the best part of 12-miles down the M3 in blistering heat. He'd managed to cruise at 80mph and peaked to a fright (mine) at 95mph - once; for a look-see. Then we had to filter for that long while in the heat. I got a little heat-stressed. Filtering is listed on the Web as an art form. I came quite naturally to it but then I've been filtering most of my life with the early days of racing bikes about town and then small motorbikes, and then the endless array of cars (and minibuses, some of you may remember) thrashed along past queues in reckless attempts to "make the lights". Anyway, once home I felt ill. The buffeting I'd experienced had been pretty severe and although I'd chosen to ignore it at the time its after effects were server enough to make Friday's ride even more uncomfortable. On the home leg of the A32 I just wanted to give up. The vibration became nausea inducing and mixed with some more h...

Phut Phut - SOLD! The ebay purchaser is quite local and has not done the CBT yet so I agreed we'd deliver. I started Phut-Phut up on the driveway and added some choke to get him warmed up: family boarding the Rover ready to follow me to Havant. We dribbled to the road and I couldn't believe just how tiny the poor mite is. Up to our junction and I indicated right; "BEEP...BEEP...BEEP...", and turned them off again as Ka was following and knew where I was going and people started to stare. Onto Portsdown Hill with memories of our last trip over there on the way to the dealer's to get the new carb. The Sun was setting some 9-million miles behind Fareham and the air was balmy. Phut-Phut fizzed along the 40-mph road without a murmur and quickly we got used to one another again. I couldn't believe how little power he has. On down the Hill toward Havant and down again to our North turn; through the gears with his little farty burbles bubbling joyously away beneath me...