Front brake on the XT
I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but the brake reservoir on the front was off a Kawasaki something or other.
The main reason the XT600 front end was put on was to take advantage of the disc, and getting rid of the drum, as apparently this would provide much better braking.
To be honest, I thought the braking would probably have been better if the drum was on it.
So, via the wonders of ebay I sourced an XT600 brake reservoir and fitted it on the weekend.
I also had to get a brake light switch, but that came from a dealer – £15 
Today I was out in the mud in the greenlanes near me. The new tyres are a revelation; the bike is so much more stable and riding sideways does not lead to randomness.
I also had a chance to test the front brake whilst out and about on the road, and it is much better.
I’m not sure what to attack next, that is not going to require removing big bits of the bike for stripping and painting.
I’m having too much fun to take it off the road 
An update on the XT
I just realised that the XT is supposed to be a project, and I am supposed to be documenting the progress.
To be honest there has not really been any.
The fuel issue is sorted, which was sorted by the strip down, and ensuring that the second carb opened at pretty much the same time as the primary.
Less fuel economy, but more poke.
I have noticed that one of the tappets is a bit noisy now.
It also has some proper knobblies on it.
I went for Michelin AC10 tyres in the end, which seemed a good balance of rubber on the road and grip for the clay in the hills.
Other than that, not a lot has happened. I guess I have been too busy just having fun on it.
It is immensely practical, and came into its own in all the snow. Saying that, it would have been better with the new tyres.
It is getting lighter
Every year I dread it when the clocks go back ‘cos it means dark rides home, which when combined with the wet and cold can be a real downer.
It seems to go on and on and on and on and….
Today was a mostly sunny day and on leaving work at 17:30 I could still see a glow on the horizon.
My heart skipped and a great big smile broke across my face. That little glow makes all the difference.
The end on Winter is coming. Riding home in the light is coming back
Saying that, the clocks are not set to go forward until March 28th, which is still two blinking months away.
Riding in the sleet
Firstly, let me just say that it is not something that I would recommend.
I left for work this morning, on the TDM, and it was raining a little bit. I did contemplate taking the car ‘cos snow was forecast “a little later”.
Little did I know that in 10 minutes time I would be riding through a sleet blizzard.
The worst part is that every 100-200 yards I would have to wipe the layer of slush off the visor.
This meant that my left index finger got very cold, oh and of course the heated grips got cold.
It was a vicious circle, just as finger was getting a hint of a possibility of heat, I had to de-slush.
I got to work in good time and non the worse for wear.
Well, that is if you ignore the frozen finger, the snow cone in my crutch, and generally looking like a walking Slush Puppy.
Hey ho. At least it was relatively dry on the way home.
We used to have a carport
Up until 06:00 we had a carport just out side the front door.
It was about 8′x15′, and was great to protect from the rain, especially when get my kit on/off for the bike.
Alas, the extra snow we had last night provided the flake that was a flake too many, bringing the whole thing crashing down.
I tried to carry Samantha out the front door, when taking her to school.
The roof was made of corrugated perspex sheets, which I had replaced this Summer, so it was very slippery with the snow on.
I slipped and Samantha landed on top of me. Luckily the snow cushioned the fall
I spent all morning shovelling all the snow off, and then breaking the roof up and getting it out of the way.
Arghhh, need milk
So, we needed milk today. I rang around the various shops nearby and no one had any.
Some where expecting their delivery but were not sure when, and others did not even know if they were getting any.
I was going to dig the car out of the snow, but that just seemed like hard work. Plus, I am not sure I would have got the car back on the drive again.
What is as good as a Landrover, but only has two wheels? Oh yeah, the XT550 was coming out to play.
I got to Morrisons and picked up 12 pints. I would now be able to payback the neighbours and still have some in reserve in case anyone else needed some.
I did seem to get some very odd looks though :O
Here are some snaps of the journey:
First to plow out of the garage
Then down our road
Down the next road
Finally down a main road
Back and tucked up
The recent snow
I feel I really need to write something about the recent spate of snow.
Usually we get a light dusting that lasts about a day.
This time we had full on proper snow, well for us anyways. 8 inches dropped last night and what a sight it was.
The problem with my job is that I can do it from anywhere, so whilst many were out playing, I was in sorting out some code from the comfort of my own home.
I did get out for a walk up to the shops, and it was great fun.
Alas, my daughter has a chest infection, so whilst there were smiles her heart was not really in it. 
I did capture this photo though….
Facebook Groups
I have always found Facebook groups to be annoying, and that is putting it mildly.
The Christmas number one one was interesting, but lets face it, why did they not promote the Chris Moyles one, at least that was going to charity from the outset.
I guess it just did not have a catchy name like “Rage Against the Machine”, which was the aim of the exercise.
Now we are getting “We need 1,000,000 signatures to stop…..”
I have recently seen the “Stop the Dolphin Massacre” ones.
HELLO!! Reality check!! Do you really think it is going to make a difference!!
I guess Greenpeace will be able to take it easy now. All they have to do is create a Facebook Group, get a million members, and the world will become a better place.
End of rant
Re-covering the TDM seat
Just before Christmas I was leaving work.
It had been snowing and my seat was covered. I patted it all off, as it had gone hard.
The next day I noticed that there was crack in the vinyl.
I’ve never recovered a seat, so was just gonna buy a second hand one. A check ebay showed that they are £50.
Plan B : Wemoto sell them, so one was ordered. Next day it arrived and offered up to the seat.
There was no way it was gonna fit. I even had second and third opinions, including a seamstress.
I needed the seat done and dusted ready to go back to work on the 4th, so the the 2nd hand option was looking favourite.
Plan C : 7 phone calls later and I found somewhere that could supply more than enough fabric for £8.50.
Off I set armed with a staple gun, scissors and a lot of brute force.
Here is the result, and i am more than chuffed
Mary Rose School Toy Run – 2009
Toy runs are one of those activities that make biking something special.
They happen at all times of the year, as long as there is an excuse, but the most common are Easter and of course Christmas.
The toy run will bring together bikers who would not normally ride together, as well as many clubs.
The whole idea is to bring a present, dress up as something relevant to the festival, and decorate your bike.
Everyone meets up, and then has a ride out to the school of choice.
Most runs support the same school each year. These schools are always for disadvantaged children, be it orphanages or schools for the mentally handicapped.
The kids are usually there to meet and greet, and there is always tea/coffee and cake/Christmas pies.
There is usually a collection too, with buckets being rattled around.
Seeing the looks on the kids faces is a pure joy.
You get a good ride out, have a laugh, and make a difference to someone’s life.
Keep an eye out for a toy run near you. Easter will be next.
