tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84840483887382230962024-03-13T14:29:16.854+01:0020,000 miles a yearIt's a streetfighter, not a tourer or enduro or supermoto or racing machine. But if you don't tell it, it won't know.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-81787114002234503812011-05-04T19:03:00.005+02:002011-05-04T19:39:38.745+02:00Island prep<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--apDBNm2WqY/TcGItukWRbI/AAAAAAAAANM/we4ubnVTywc/s1600/Digicam%2B022.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--apDBNm2WqY/TcGItukWRbI/AAAAAAAAANM/we4ubnVTywc/s320/Digicam%2B022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602909730601584050" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kPe0XL-piDk/TcGHvNk70cI/AAAAAAAAANE/E05Tr-IzORA/s1600/Digicam%2B018.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kPe0XL-piDk/TcGHvNk70cI/AAAAAAAAANE/E05Tr-IzORA/s320/Digicam%2B018.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602908656593785282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Monday evening, 8 o'clock. Weird weather, but beautiful. The mountain keeps surprising me with light spectacles one doesn't see anywhere else.<br />Unfortunately, the weather hadn't let up by next morning, but it did allow me to test my new rain suit and prove that the new tires hold up well in wet circumstances.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />On Saturday the Beast came out of service sporting new wheel bearings, two new Metzeler Z8 tires and new Remus exhaust. The clutch was adjusted, the 48,000 km service done and the little oil leak in the rocker box was checked and deemed not yet critical. (I'll probably have it fixed at the next service, before my warranty runs out in mid-August.)<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_G1fJcfxQW0/TcGBWwSqAbI/AAAAAAAAAM0/nqDSuXF_diI/s1600/Digicam%2B027.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_G1fJcfxQW0/TcGBWwSqAbI/AAAAAAAAAM0/nqDSuXF_diI/s320/Digicam%2B027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602901639345865138" border="0" /></a>I like the Metzelers. Whether the Z8 will replace my current favorite depends on how long it lasts. But after over 600 km I can give a first evaluation of the Metzelers. The Continental RoadAttack is very easy to drive and forgiving from the start. The Z8 isn't as generous; in the beginning it liked to smear. But once I broke it in it rewarded me with precise handling, clear reports and smooth braking. I'm quite satisfied.<br /><br />And the Remus?<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ypHDKxGOQhE/TcGDXyeJ6gI/AAAAAAAAAM8/kv6PDL1n0EY/s1600/Digicam%2B029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ypHDKxGOQhE/TcGDXyeJ6gI/AAAAAAAAAM8/kv6PDL1n0EY/s320/Digicam%2B029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602903856134089218" border="0" /></a>It growls wonderfully, especially wonderfully loud. What the Termi offered in acoustics the Remus makes up for in decibels. I'm just glad I don't need to worry about the goofy thing breaking loose anymore.<br />Next winter I'll have it blackened; silver won't do at all, of course. The '06 models only come in silver, and since I have an '06 12er manifold I couldn't get a black exhaust. Oh well. This'll only be the second exhaust I have powder-coated.<br />The bill for this exercise hasn't come yet, but it'll be around two and a half grand. It'd make you think the last service was two years back, not two months!<br />But hey, tomorrow we're headed for nine days of extreme riding in Sardinia. The Beast needs to be on its best behavior for that; good technical prep is a must.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-54106467471128420042011-04-25T17:09:00.003+02:002011-04-25T17:13:18.197+02:00Invisible treads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qce-VYbmdZg/TbWO7O1bRZI/AAAAAAAAAMc/urn4ADy439M/s1600/Digicam%2B016.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qce-VYbmdZg/TbWO7O1bRZI/AAAAAAAAAMc/urn4ADy439M/s320/Digicam%2B016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599538859950687634" border="0" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ae-V8p1yY2s/TbWNBqTo9CI/AAAAAAAAAMM/qs9GI6sYM68/s1600/Digicam%2B017.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ae-V8p1yY2s/TbWNBqTo9CI/AAAAAAAAAMM/qs9GI6sYM68/s320/Digicam%2B017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599536771381130274" border="0" /></a>How many kilometers did I cover this past Easter weekend? Not many; a quick run over the Ibergeregg. Why? Look at the pictures. And these tires need to last me another 500 km. On Friday they'll get replaced with nice new Metzteler Z8s.<br /><br />It's only the end of April and I'm already getting my third set of tires this year.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-85977589193960348382011-04-12T20:23:00.002+02:002011-04-12T20:27:53.583+02:00WhiteYesterday I had 16°C and pure sunshine up here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KkZeB5u-Eto/TaSZhDS-EKI/AAAAAAAAAL8/30vzOgDenxM/s1600/Digicam%2B005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KkZeB5u-Eto/TaSZhDS-EKI/AAAAAAAAAL8/30vzOgDenxM/s320/Digicam%2B005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594765430200602786" border="0" /></a>Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-43656949384919732632011-03-30T07:57:00.002+02:002011-03-30T08:01:01.995+02:00Italian qualityFriday afternoon, 3:40. We'd just left Frauenfeld West and had hit the autobahn. The bike wasn't even warm yet. The Termignoni growled obediantly along. Brmbrmbrmbrm...BAM-BAM-BAM.<br /><br />Heck no, not again.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fOKuFP0dRiI/TZLE-ESH5kI/AAAAAAAAAL0/0DHs7TUc1WA/s1600/Digicam%2B002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fOKuFP0dRiI/TZLE-ESH5kI/AAAAAAAAAL0/0DHs7TUc1WA/s320/Digicam%2B002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589746658100897346" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.bossis-bike-store.ch/">Bossi</a>, who soldered the attachments so I got to Zurich the evening after all, commented, "Great Italian quality. Properly speaking: Bullshit."<br /><br />Yeah, yeah, I give in. The next day I ordered a Remus, so I don't have to spend my ten days in Sardinia worrying that my exhaust is going to excuse itself.<br /><br />It's a pity about the sound.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-59036036188923503002011-03-22T19:55:00.002+01:002011-03-22T20:05:19.860+01:00RhombusMy lack of posts here hasn't been because I wasn't driving. The Beast's been out almost daily for the past three weeks. I haven't been posting, however, because I can't get myself to take a camera everywhere. I should have had it on Monday morning, for example.<br />That night, my Precious had to sleep in the parking lot next to the road, because my driveway was snowed over. (On Saturday, Winter put in a last effort before the beginning of Spring.) I wrapped the bike in blanket; it wasn't the first time it'd be staying the night out in the open.<br />Well, on Monday morning before 6 a.m. I found the blanket white with frost, the grips frozen and both tires iced over.<br />The Buell fired up under protest. Such a good little bike. As soon as the engine started emitting heat, both manifold pipes glowed red. I've never seen that before, and I'm sorry I don't have a photo of it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCTz3BCFjec/TYjvIjITSKI/AAAAAAAAALs/v6OCYZgds9o/s1600/Rhombus%2B2.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SCTz3BCFjec/TYjvIjITSKI/AAAAAAAAALs/v6OCYZgds9o/s320/Rhombus%2B2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586978267901151394" border="0" /></a>Today the Beast got new rear blinkers. The Rizomas I'd had since August 2009 were faded, full of moisture and the left one was broken. I never did like their shape, so I wanted a different sort.<br />Remo of <a href="http://www.rr-mototeam.ch/">R + R Mototeam GmbH</a> told me the Rhombus LED minis from Kellermann were waterproof. Kellermen cost a pretty penny; twice as much as the Rizomas. But these are good-looking indicators.<br />I'll add a compliment for the service at R + R Mototeam. Solid work, a complimentary bike wash - and believe me, the poor Beast <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>needed a bath - and when Remo noticed my number plate was once again rattling against its mount, he replaced two screws and tightened the whole thing.<br /><br />The company is new, but with service like that, it should flourish.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-50545523890926777972011-01-10T20:17:00.004+01:002011-01-10T20:35:32.337+01:00DesperationThat's the first and last time I trust to luck in an Alpine winter. Next year, or rather next winter, the Beast is getting stationed in the parental garage at the first sign of snow up here. Seven weeks with no biking - never again.<br />They predicted rain at 3°C for Friday and a 3° sun for Saturday. Friday evening I worked for Opa, but on Saturday morning I drove back up to my house, hoping to find my driveway at least partially visible. All I needed was a thin strip of dirt and gravel down to the pass road, enough to give the Beast's front tire a bit of grip.<br /><br />But nooo...<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStTQHc0w1I/AAAAAAAAALI/WbdIFcJjs7c/s1600/Winter%2B2010%2B002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStTQHc0w1I/AAAAAAAAALI/WbdIFcJjs7c/s320/Winter%2B2010%2B002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560629701261968210" border="0" /></a><br />So now what? The weather was mild, the sun was beautiful, and I had myself all hyped up thinking I'd finally get a Buell fix after so long. There was nothing for it but to start hacking away at the ice.<br />I had Beretta, my dog, along, and she made herself useful chewing on the ice slabs I threw up. Some of them were over three inches thick, but with enough doggy slobber they melted.<br />I spent the entire sunny afternoon breaking ice, tossing the chunks aside and salting the cleared areas.<br />Finally, shortly before dusk, the driveway looked a little more promising:<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStTvlf05TI/AAAAAAAAALQ/fFk4PvvrrFI/s1600/Winter%2B2010%2B003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStTvlf05TI/AAAAAAAAALQ/fFk4PvvrrFI/s320/Winter%2B2010%2B003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560630241903568178" border="0" /></a>But I still didn't have access to the pass road. I salted the strip and had to let it be; it was too dark to work anymore. Anyway, there would be a warm wind blowing that night, so I dared to hope.<br />Sunday morning dawned breezy and dry... But the ragged edges of the ice and the puddles on the asphalt had frozen smooth. The unbreakable three-foot-wide ice patch at the foot of my drive was as slippery as ever.<br />Giving up and resigning myself to more waiting wasn't an option. It was going to snow again Sunday night; the next chance to get the Beast on the road was far off in the future.<br />I could barely remember how the Termignoni sounded; I only had Bacchus' V8 in my head. A clear sign I'd gone bikeless for much too long.<br />So I grabbed the bag of salt again, salted, hacked, shoveled, and finally ground up blocks of compacted sawdust actually meant for burning, sprinkling the wood on the areas of ice that I couldn't remove.<br />After 45 kilos of salt, four sawdust blocks and about seven hours of work (in all), I finally had my tiny path down to the pass road.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStT5EN2KeI/AAAAAAAAALY/pV4zsrfkdLk/s1600/Winter%2B2010%2B004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStT5EN2KeI/AAAAAAAAALY/pV4zsrfkdLk/s320/Winter%2B2010%2B004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560630404768475618" border="0" /></a><br />I slipped into my gear, thick gloves and neckerchief, put Retta in the house and grabbed the keys and finally, finally brought the Beast back out into sunlight.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStUA_6SUbI/AAAAAAAAALg/oef9jq7uKsI/s1600/Winter%2B2010%2B005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TStUA_6SUbI/AAAAAAAAALg/oef9jq7uKsI/s320/Winter%2B2010%2B005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560630541051646386" border="0" /></a>My precious, how I missed you.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-271935031779092402010-12-17T19:39:00.002+01:002010-12-17T19:45:55.918+01:00AbstinenceI haven't posted in three months. That's terrible. It doesn't, however, mean I haven't driven in three months. Until mid-October I was able to take the Beast to work. Then the first snow arrived.<br />Early this year, said those who'd know.<br />Well, it melted, and for another two weeks I was, at least partially, able to commute on two wheels. Then for another two weeks I reduced my riding to the weekends, before the snow came to stay. Our last tour was short, one hour, crisscrossing the Appenzells. It was cold too.<br />The next morning my driveway was snowed over.<br />This morning it looked thusly:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TQuumffuxyI/AAAAAAAAAK8/RYvWZBTkZbs/s1600/December%2B2010%2B002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TQuumffuxyI/AAAAAAAAAK8/RYvWZBTkZbs/s320/December%2B2010%2B002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551722941977118498" border="0" /></a><br />Oh yeah, allow me to introduce my guardian angel of winter: Bacchus. A '97 Dodge Dakota, nearly 100,000 km, average gas mileage 20 liters per 100 km. A treasure.<br />The V8 is joy to listen to, but after four weeks of abstinence, the longest I've ever gone without taking the Beast out, has me skittish and getting impatient.<br />Please go away after Christmas, snow. All I want for Christmas is a 10°C weather forecast for the mountain.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-90555156336828534432010-09-23T19:05:00.001+02:002010-09-23T19:10:38.034+02:00Customer service, capitalized<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GB">Monday morning at 6 a.m. the Beast rolled out with torn drive belt. Ronny’s words from the previous Sunday were fresh in my mind: “Keep an eye on that; it’s not going to last much longer.”</span></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" lang="en-GB">I shouldn’t even complain, because 34’410 kilometers on a single belt is a record for me. So far they’ve ripped at 18 and 20 thousand klicks, respectively. But 12 kilometers from home and a good 70 from work, I couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated. Even more so when I discovered that the nearest Harley dealership, where Buell Assistance had my bike taken, was closed on Mondays.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" lang="en-GB">I called them Tuesday morning and discovered that they didn’t have drive belts in stock. An “urgent” order placement would only have the belt there on Friday.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" lang="en-GB">Five days without my motorcycle – factually without transport? I was half-panicked when I called my mechanic in Zurich to ask if they had a belt in stock. And as so often, they were my salvation. They had a belt, and they’d send someone out to the dealership in Weinfelden with it. I could pick up the Beast that evening.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" lang="en-GB">Proof again that I have the best Harley mechanic in the entire world.</p>Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-12068790529814057532010-09-05T16:09:00.002+02:002010-09-05T16:28:57.407+02:00Metal side downAugust 25-29 August: Alpengrollen, yearly Buell meet in the mountains.<br />I put the fairly detailed record of the meet on MySpace; this is here is a wreckage recording. Which isn't as bad as it sounds, because the Beast still lives. I'm bruised and it's scarred, but this isn't a case of having to procure my fourth Buell in my fourth year of motorcycle driving.<br /><br />Before:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOVcEQcY6I/AAAAAAAAAKs/WO76JrQGFOk/s1600/August+2010+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOVcEQcY6I/AAAAAAAAAKs/WO76JrQGFOk/s320/August+2010+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513414678243206050" border="0" /></a><br />And after.<br />On August 30, I discovered that the Pirelli Angel ST tire is useless after 6500 km on a wet road. It still had plenty of profile; I wasn't even down to the minimum marks. And the road wasn't flooded; just a little damp (and nearly dry ten minutes later).<br />The Angel flew off, and it took the Beast and me thirty meters of sliding before we hit gravel and stopped. Now I kinda know what GP pilots feel like.<br />And a Buell looks like this after 30 meters of sliding on its side:<br /><br />Squashed manifold.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUzJC0fpI/AAAAAAAAAKk/J9MXIRquZGo/s1600/August+2010+010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUzJC0fpI/AAAAAAAAAKk/J9MXIRquZGo/s320/August+2010+010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513413975153606290" border="0" /></a><br />Bent rear brake lever and scratched belt tensioner which can be rotated by hand now. I had that on Silver; it's not serious.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUk8R0FrI/AAAAAAAAAKc/IyABgxX05rQ/s1600/August+2010+012.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUk8R0FrI/AAAAAAAAAKc/IyABgxX05rQ/s320/August+2010+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513413731208664754" border="0" /></a><br />A badly bent handlebar which we replaced that same day with a carbon-look cross bar. I realize, though, that I'm oging to need a superbike handlebar sooner or later, because on long rides my shoulders really notice my lower, wider, farther forward sitting position.<br />Also, for the, oh, fifth or sixth time I'll need new Rizoma grips and bar ends. The Pazzo brake lever is ordered and will be replaced on Friday.<br />The frame puck is half sheared away but the frame is completely unscathed. I'm beginning to wonder if there's any way to put frame pucks on a colored frame without ruining the color concept, because I'm really worried about anything happening to Silver...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUXyt0A5I/AAAAAAAAAKU/-N2yo5PwBt8/s1600/August+2010+011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUXyt0A5I/AAAAAAAAAKU/-N2yo5PwBt8/s320/August+2010+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513413505303446418" border="0" /></a>A dreadfully scratched and sheared swingarm, which I've sprayed black to hide the marks from casual glances. The rear pulley is dented and scratched too and isn't perfectly aligned anymore, but the belt doesn't strafe and I won't replace it just yet.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUKaGnhyI/AAAAAAAAAKM/FEx1v-TiA2Y/s1600/August+2010+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOUKaGnhyI/AAAAAAAAAKM/FEx1v-TiA2Y/s320/August+2010+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513413275358299938" border="0" /></a><br />Beat up front spoiler.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOT2ace_GI/AAAAAAAAAKE/b94ZtrPTW6U/s1600/August+2010+008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TIOT2ace_GI/AAAAAAAAAKE/b94ZtrPTW6U/s320/August+2010+008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513412931852631138" border="0" /></a><br />But the Beast still lives, and we've added 1000 km since then.<br />On Friday it'll go in for its 32,000 km service - at over 33,000, but no matter. The Pazzo lever and the righthand frame puck will be replaces; the Angel gets replaced with a Continental Road Attack. (I do believe I'm settling on a favorite tire.) For financial reasons I'm going to leave the handlebar and Rizomas as is for now, unless they happen to have an LSL in stock just then. Come Saturday the Termignoni with its manifold will be mounted, thanks to Ronny, so that nasty dented piping will disappear too. Whenever I've got extra money I'll invest in new foot levers, probably from Pfeffi, the belt tensioner and rear pulley from Free Spirits and all the Rizoma shinies for up front.<br /><br />I made it through a year with no crashes or problems and now this Buell is showing scars too. It's a pity, but at 33,000 km it's not a disgrace.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-70759053699199332042010-07-26T14:48:00.004+02:002010-07-26T14:51:22.192+02:00First stepsNot two weeks had passed since I'd brought Silver up to Keppi and dumped the entire wreck into his competent hands. He didn't even wait for the first payment to come in before getting to work.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TE2EaA3M10I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/HtEv_JekecE/s1600/CIMG3800.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498196302532237122" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TE2EaA3M10I/AAAAAAAAAJ0/HtEv_JekecE/s320/CIMG3800.JPG" /></a>We still have no idea how the machine is supposed to look finished, but I think it's off to a good start.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-3031666031747773542010-07-18T20:53:00.004+02:002010-07-18T21:02:19.981+02:00Bike transport by station wagonLast weekend Silver, wreck sind September 20, 2008, finally came out into the daylight again. Keppi, a Buell customizer in Germany's Hallertau, 45 minutes northeast of Munich, will resurrect it. But in order to do that, I had to get it to him.<br />Since Silver was half disassembled and the front wheel was removed, Dad said it'd be smartest to load it into the back of his Skoda Octavia station wagon, instead of using Uncle Andy's trailer and having me drive to Germany with a trailer.<br />Aleks was kind enough to show up at 6 p.m. sharp, and with his help the loading went precisely as planned, to my immense surprise.<br />Guys are great to have around.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENJFeaHnAI/AAAAAAAAAI0/5kSKjShUcaw/s1600/July+2010+049.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENJFeaHnAI/AAAAAAAAAI0/5kSKjShUcaw/s320/July+2010+049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495316328732924930" border="0" /></a>But Silver wasn't the only thing that needed to get to Keppi. I had a 12er engine in the back of the Bonnie that needed to go to. The transfer plan for that took almost more discussion than the loading of Silver had.<br />I wasn't much of a help, even I do look like I'm saying something really important.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENK4HixoPI/AAAAAAAAAI8/oBv24B1RYzc/s1600/July+2010+054.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENK4HixoPI/AAAAAAAAAI8/oBv24B1RYzc/s320/July+2010+054.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495318298280173810" border="0" /></a><br />Consider all options...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENMSF2ZxxI/AAAAAAAAAJM/ifCEnHhEotw/s1600/July+2010+057.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENMSF2ZxxI/AAAAAAAAAJM/ifCEnHhEotw/s320/July+2010+057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495319844013852434" border="0" /></a>After all, a 1202 ccm Thunderstorm Motor <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>pretty big and heavy.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENM5FpCyZI/AAAAAAAAAJU/Q7E7iVnmuMs/s1600/July+2010+058.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENM5FpCyZI/AAAAAAAAAJU/Q7E7iVnmuMs/s320/July+2010+058.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495320513972717970" border="0" /></a><br />But guys are good at that sort of thing, and the engine joined the bike for a cozy and safe ride up to Germany.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENNcWifuyI/AAAAAAAAAJc/q8ZPDpNW2sk/s1600/July+2010+064.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENNcWifuyI/AAAAAAAAAJc/q8ZPDpNW2sk/s320/July+2010+064.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495321119804078882" border="0" /></a><br />Guys are awesome.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENLmO_kgII/AAAAAAAAAJE/MjPVwv23htg/s1600/July+2010+068.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/TENLmO_kgII/AAAAAAAAAJE/MjPVwv23htg/s320/July+2010+068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495319090553979010" border="0" /></a>Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-52804661467123192502010-06-15T09:39:00.002+02:002010-06-15T10:54:47.932+02:00WorkshopGray, rainy, not very warm - not really biking weather, but about 30 Buells found their way into a backwater town in the Allgäu, southern Germany. Peffi, maker of beautiful things like filigrane gear shifters and machined heel guards, had extended an invitation for a Buell meet and workshop at his manufactory.<br />One set of Buellers, myself included, met in Wattwil. We picked up the second contingent on the border. It drizzled the entire morning. I was pleasantly surprised by the water resistance of my Rokker jeans. Except the seat and knees, they stayed dry inside. They were definitely worth the 600.- price tag.<br />At Pfeffi's, the first patient was soon chosen. A Zuricher's XB12 had the bad habit of running on one cylinder when the rpms fell below 3000, so it was rolled into the shop to be worked on, cursed at and talked about until the problem went away.<br />I didn't witness the actual repair, because as soon as the rain stopped and a rather watery looking sun appeared, half of us geared up, mounted out bikes and ook off to discover the Allgäu.<br />Our tour guide was an elderly gentleman, probably around 60, who drove an old Honda C500CX which was promptly christened "manure pump." I seized the position behind the leader for myself and off we went.<br />Byroads, narrow paths, through a forest where the Honda crawled around every curve because the roads were still wet and covered with gunk. It was pretty slow for my taste, but I figured that since this was my first time in this area driving slower wasn't so bad.<br />Well, after we stopped to refuel things changed. The roads were drying, and that old Honda suddenly sped off like greased lightning. Right, left, up, down - those roads are better than the ones in the Black Forest! And to top it off, I'd never have guessed that one can get that kind of handling and speed out of such an old junker of bike.<br />Kalle led us over a very bumpy stretch of gravel to a restaurant where we had lunch, and then the tour went on. Somewhere in there I lost my mirror, which had been loose before. A Zuger had two and very generously offered me one to use until I can get a replacement.<br />At the second watering hole we met up with the Buellers who'd left once both the Zuricher's cylinders ran properly. We went to refuel together, and then the entire convoy headed back along the route we'd already driven with Kalle.<br />Werni and I let them go and followed the Honda, whereby we learned that in the Allgäu, one can ignore "no access" signs if one doesn't mind driving a couple kilometers over the sand and pebbles of a road construction site.<br />We arrived at the Biker Mill, our night quarters, around 8 p.m. The roast pig was long since done being roasted over an open fire and an X11-meet was in full swing; somehow we still managed to squash all our Buells onto the gravel lot.<br />After beer and supper we joined the sewing machine pilots. They were showing off with burnouts, but when you've got the engine at twenty thousand rpm and it's still only humming instead of roaring, it kind of detracts from the show.<br />After we'd watched three burnouts Kalle suddenly appeared on his old Honda, placed it on the burn board and let that tire smoke. What had gone up in wisps from the X11s rose in swaths from the 10-year-old tire of the 500er; we got so smoked up the fire alarm went off! We were laughing so hard we could barely stand up. After that show, the ice was broken between us as the Jap lovers.<br />The next morning, I and three Zurichers left fairly early. I got home to the Schwägalp dry; they got a bit rained upon but not nearly as much as those who left later. I was kinda sorry I wasn't able to personally say goodbye to many guys, but we'll meet up again at the Grollen in August and man, I am so looking forward to that.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-31151790581487490082010-05-22T14:59:00.002+02:002010-05-22T15:05:49.348+02:00Summer's spring<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S_fV-bXMKEI/AAAAAAAAAIk/OUmbMVQWH2A/s1600/Beastie+025.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S_fV-bXMKEI/AAAAAAAAAIk/OUmbMVQWH2A/s320/Beastie+025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474079140565755970" border="0" /></a><br />We're practically in June and we had to wait this long for a decent spring day.<br />The flowers are in bloom, the fields are luscious, the trees full, and the roads covered in motorcycles. It was about time.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-48142345252813214312010-05-18T21:34:00.001+02:002010-05-18T21:34:30.205+02:00Corsica Sardinia 2010I'm in love.<br /><br />I'm in love with the 20 extra Nm that accompany the 10 extra horsepower pumped from an engine 200 ccm larger. I'm in love with the eight-caliper brakes. And once again I'm bummed that the Company decided to go and kill Buell. The XB12SX is the crowning of all Buell's achievements, in my eyes. The Rotax engine needn't exist; the 12SX is the best.<br />When I picked up the replacement for the Beast on Tuesday evening, I was pretty mopey. I wanted to take my Beastie to Corsica, not some nondescript XB on loan. The levers didn't cooperate like my Pazzos and it had a regular ol' Remus exhaust underneath.<br />Well, Wednesday morning brought me through my interview with the police and left me convinced I was in no wise what they were looking for. But I didn't have time to think about it as I got home as fast as I could, peeled out of my slate blue suit while pulling on my leathers. Mom corralled me long enough to force some scrambled eggs and chicken down my throat while she braided my hair. Then I heaved the monstrous 80-pound rucksack onto my back, latched the straps and took off toward Erstfeld to meet the other United Bikers.<br />Susanne joined me on the autobahn after Altdorf, and we rolled in together to find the rest just arrived.<br />Damian on his BMW GS1200, his girlfriend Sue as baggage. Fabian with his girlfriend Silke on his Triumph Thunderbird. Bruno on his Ducati Hypermotard with his son Luca on Luca's KTM 640. Roger on his fat Triumph Rocket III. They were all there.<br />We refueled and got drinks before heading south. Luca, who's only had his license since the beginning of the year, managed to drop his KTM while refueling, but the bike being what it is, nothing broke.<br />Damian led, like GS drivers generally do. I appropriated the shotgun position. I drive best right behind the leader, and I kept that position for most of the vacation, except when I passed Damian to fly through particularly appealing curves.<br />We boarded the ferry in Savona that night. While we waited to be let on, I commenced the feeling of vacation with a Bailey's. Susanne took a Pietra, a Corsican beer made with chesnuts. Roger tried it, criticized it and ordered a bottle.<br /><br />Corsica was wonderful. We had a hotel in Propriano. Susanne and I shared a room; everybody bunked double except Roger who got a single room. The weather was great: warm, sunny, dry. In the evening after a motorcycle tour that took all day we'd go out for drinks, dinner, and then more drinks. After dinner the couples would go back the hotel, leaving Bruno, Luca, Susanne, Roger and me to talk shop and whatever else. The first evening we had a nasty grappa; after that we stuck to a cute bar on the waterfront that served a very good Mirto and an even better red wine.<br /><br />I believe it was Saturday when Susanne and I were up in our room after the tour, relaxing with books, when my cell phone went off. The caller ID announced Craig Jones - definitely the last person I expected to call.<br />We didn't chat long; he said he'd just finished practicing with the Z1000 and was heading home. He'd dumped Harley Davidson after they killed Buell; he wants to keep driving the Buells but for an interim he's signed on with Kawasaki.<br />He has a show in Normandy this weekend and said it'd be cool if I could come, but it's an eight-hour drive and I'm so swamped I really can't make it. We did agree to try to meet up in Milan this November instead.<br /><br />The day we had to leave Corsica was rainy, so we drove direct and got to the ferry in Bonifazio early. Susanne, Bruno and I went to visit the fortress above the port before leaving the island. In Sardinia then we drove fairly directly to our hotel in Cala Genone on the eastern coast, just down the hillside from the famous SS 125.<br />In Sardinia the weather constantly threatened rain, but we were still able to do a tour every day, 250-300 km.<br /><br />Roger went back to his diet of eating almost nothing but pizza prosciutto, and our little "core group," changed from last year since Fabian let himself be wrapped around a German waitress's finger, savored the evenings over Ramazotti and Averna. Really, there's nothing better. Get up late at 0630, eat a little breakfast, pull on helmet and gloves and fire up the engine - the Remus sounded better with every passing day - and chase curves for hours, stop somewhere to eat lunch, get back on the bike and just drive until five or six in the evening. Have a beer outside and discuss the driving, then split up to shower, change into fresh clothes and meet for dinner. I lived off seafood, just like last year. Dinners would be accompanied by red wine and finished with a grappa or averna, and then when the couples got out of the way we'd go the bar across from the hotel and have another shot or two. All within bounds; nobody got stone drunk or woke up with a hangover. Yeah, that's my paradise.<br /><br />Until Wednesday. That day we split into two groups, Susanne and I being averse to driving the straight sections of the SS 125 south. Damian was up to lead a separate tour and Roger would of course go with the girls, so we headed off on four bikes.<br />We hung around the Nuoro area because the sky threatened rain in all directions. We ate at the pizzeria in Nuoro we'd visited last year and then started out to drive the SS 389, my absolute favorite road in Sardinia.<br /><br />Damian and I took the lead. Roger had said over lunch that he was "on the rims," not really with it, so he stayed behind Susanne. Well, I chased Damian through the curves, checking back ever three to five twists to make sure I still saw the others. We passed <em>three</em> busses - I <em>hate</em> those things! - and sped on, until I noticed that Susanne was nowhere in sight. I slowed, slowed some more, and stopped. After waiting half a minute Damian drove past me. I turned too and followed. I found them stuck between the second and third busses, driving along.<br />It made no sense to me, but I turned again and took off, leading the way until I reached a crossroads where there was space to stop and park all the bikes.<br />There Damian informed me that Roger had driven out of a curve.<br />The Rocket's radiator was leaking; Roger couldn't set it on its stand. The tank has a dent in it, the passenger footpeg is twisted, the blinker bent and the cowling scraped. There was a mass of dirt and grass in the gearshift assembly.<br />Roger himself complained of pains in his ribs and shoulder; he'd landed on the same side that got mutilated in his snowboard accident last December. This time he didn't puncture a lung, but he did tear up his elbow, something we only noticed when we brought the Rocket to a back-alley fix-all shop to get the radiator sealed again.<br />Roger played the tough guy and didn't say much until we got back to the hotel. There, we sat down our bottles of beer and he started to show signs of pain. I'd bandaged his elbow provisionally at the shop, but I told him we should put honey on it so afterwards, when I'd showered and changed he came up and I put a proper bandage on the dent, as well as smearing some gel stuff on a big bruise. Walti had gotten the gel for me last year on the Dolomite tour where my brake hand turned so sore; I figured if it was good for that it'd be good for bruised muscles.<br />I was sure he'd take it easy the next day before having to drive to Golfo Arancia to head home on Friday, but he did nothing of the sort. He kept driving, and though he moved carefully off the bike he was just as fast as ever on it.<br /><br />On Friday, Fabian and Silke took the direct route to the port while the rest of us followed curves and discovered roads that would have been glorious if we'd been driving without luggage. Even so, I went ahead and raced through a couple sets, determined to get the most out of what was left of vacation.<br />In Arancia, Susanne, Bruno and I went shopping while we waited for the ferry to come in. Bruno bought cups and a bottle of Ramazotti for drinks on the ferry (instead of paying their ridiculous prices) and I bought a bottle of Mirto and another bottle of Ramazotti, intending them for my liquor cabinet on the Schwägalp. Well, the first bottle of Ramazotti disappeared pretty darn quickly so we emptied mine 7/8 of the way too. I've got a bit left in as a reminder of the good times, and Roger said he'd bring up a replacement when I have my chalet housewarming.<br /><br />Now the vacation's over and I'm pretty sad about it, but what can you do. My next trip will be to Baumholder to visit Tony, then a weekend in the Dolomites with Walti, and in August the Alpengrollen with dozens of other Buells. There are things to look forward to, but for the next week or two I'm mostly going to be looking back and wishing the good times didn't fly so fast.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-12089550982313797472010-04-04T08:42:00.003+02:002010-04-04T08:47:47.319+02:00Toothless<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S7g0gjETJDI/AAAAAAAAAIc/L-1GjYua6c4/s1600/2.+Gang.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S7g0gjETJDI/AAAAAAAAAIc/L-1GjYua6c4/s320/2.+Gang.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456168682333086770" border="0" /></a><br />Our good buddy Selim is either a talented driver or a nutcase. Either way, he and Aleks are the fastest in the whole Albis region. Aleks' Husaberg has a knack for shaking itself apart at regular intervals and Selim's Hyosung has been missing its second gear for quite a while.<br />Yesterday I got to work on Silver again with Florian's help, and I found this on the work table.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S7gzrpFEoTI/AAAAAAAAAIU/_lNgheDYVv0/s1600/Hyosung+Getriebe.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S7gzrpFEoTI/AAAAAAAAAIU/_lNgheDYVv0/s320/Hyosung+Getriebe.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456167773413876018" border="0" /></a><br />That explains the missing second gear. What we still don't know is how the teeth broke off.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-56023298696503337812010-03-12T06:18:00.001+01:002010-03-12T06:35:54.604+01:00For Pete's sake!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S5nP6SqThkI/AAAAAAAAAIM/9IwXcdQtw5I/s1600-h/Beastie+042.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S5nP6SqThkI/AAAAAAAAAIM/9IwXcdQtw5I/s320/Beastie+042.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447613824629966402" border="0" /></a>Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-34052616086528647822010-02-21T16:54:00.004+01:002010-02-21T17:11:53.060+01:00The season has started<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S4FagswnyGI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Bu6GqmQIwAY/s1600-h/Beastie+037.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S4FagswnyGI/AAAAAAAAAHc/Bu6GqmQIwAY/s200/Beastie+037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440729342657677410" border="0" /></a><br />Lord knows I don't subscribe to the idea of biking season. If the roads are anything but icy or snowy, the bike comes out, no matter how cold it is.<br />But this winter - I daren't say "past" yet - delivered a lot of icy and snowy, and in the past two months the Beast and I were lucky to drive a hundred kilometers.<br />There was no passing up the sun and 6° C today offered. We covered about 60 kilometers out to Einsiedeln and back, and afterward the Beast was relieved of a complete winter's dirt and salt.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S4FaxFV1DZI/AAAAAAAAAHk/DKIWGvx76a8/s1600-h/Beastie+040.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/S4FaxFV1DZI/AAAAAAAAAHk/DKIWGvx76a8/s200/Beastie+040.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5440729624134094226" border="0" /></a><br />The scaredy-cat stripes on the tire edges might as well be neon orange in these pictures, they show up so well. I can't wait for the snow to disappear and the roads to be dry again.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-47958821038284504072010-01-21T08:48:00.002+01:002010-01-21T09:47:43.831+01:00Snow and tractor tiresIn comparison to other motorcycle tires, the Pirelli Scorpion Syncs are semi-tractor tires. Yesterday, and generally in the winter, I wish the profile rills were twice as deep.<br />The drives to the office in the morning and to the Säumerstrasse midday were as usual, though on my way to Rüschlikon I did notice some lazy snowflakes floating around in the sky.<br />After work at Opa's I went to Regina's for two hours to help her out. When I left her apartment at twenty after eight, it was snowing thickly and the road was slowly but surely turning white.<br />Well, it couldn't be helped. I started the Beast, pulled on gloves and my helmet and we headed off home as fast as we could, which, considering the circumstances, wasn't very fast at all. Especially since I was driving with an open visor because I can't see through the tinted glass in the dark.<br />To get home from Regina's I have to go over the Gattikon hill and up to the Langenberg, and the altitude changes were obvious.<br />Going through Gattikon worked all right, though the road was already completely brushed with a thin layer of white. The Albisstrasse, on the other hand, was the limit for parading a fat back tire. Luckily I had no one behind me; I drove the whole stretch in first gear.<br />One car driver was so kind as to alert me by flashing his brights to the fact that motorcycles really don't belong on the roads in these conditions. As if I didn't notice.<br />Finally I could set the blinker and turn into the Vögelistrasse. Ever since that useless road renovation got done we have a sharp bump between the main road and our "driveway" so you have to exit the main road very slowly if you're on two wheels. Well, we got off the Albisstrasse but then the snow was really too thick, and the back wheel kept breaking out at the slightest touch of the gas.<br />So I turned off the Beast and called Löchen.<br />He and Joshua both came jogging and pushed the bike into the garage for me, where it still stands, hoping, like me, for a quick disappearance of the white blanket.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-71712212829447552972010-01-15T19:11:00.002+01:002010-01-15T19:16:50.955+01:00Best customerMy birthday's in ten days. I'm thinking about taking the day off since I'm going to pick Kris up from the airport in the morning anyway. I haven't a clue what I want to do to make the day special. Go somewhere, do something, but what?<br />I think I'd be a lot less lethargic if this darn snow would ever disappear. Poor Beastie's getting entirely ignored and I can tell my, what's it called, psychological balance is going off kilter, not being able to drive.<br />For further bother, I realized today that the Love Ride is on May 2, which means I'll be missing Craig Jones there after already missing his show in Milan. I'm ticked; I told him several times I'd see him in Dübendorf. I'm going to write to him and hope he's got an Italian show in April or May that I can go to despite our 11-day Corsica/Sardinia tour.<br />Now the reason for the post's title.<br />Wednesday morning Michi called me and said he'd stumbled over a couple boxes of original parts that evidently belonged to me.<br />I thought I'd fetched everything in August, but I guess not. So on my way to Opa's midday I swung by the Müllerstrasse and picked the stuff up. First Ralf, one of their German mechanics came out; then Beni dropped was he was doing and came out to shake my hand and thank me for the cakes I brought them before Christmas. He asked after my health and I said aside from the snow I was doing all right, and why didn't they stock spiked tires for winter? He said it was for my own protection, so that I didn't blame them for potential damage... Can't argue with the danger of potential damage. Then Michi and Fabio both came down from an upper story. Michi went to go find the boxes while Fabio told me I could bring the car in.<br />They still had a seat and some cowling parts from me. I never realized I was missing those. We talked for a couple minutes, and Fabio let the comment fall that I was their best customer, marking up kilometers and always coming in for another service. "Or a new bike, though I haven't wrecked the last one yet," I added.<br />He quickly said he hadn't meant it that way, and then added thoughtfully, "But if you're going to, you better hurry, because we're about out of Buells."Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-73335608094616614512009-12-14T20:21:00.002+01:002009-12-14T20:29:20.283+01:00Christmas lights<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SyaQl8Kms2I/AAAAAAAAAGc/RrWMwvr9h7w/s1600-h/Beastie+030.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SyaQl8Kms2I/AAAAAAAAAGc/RrWMwvr9h7w/s320/Beastie+030.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415174583439766370" border="0" /></a><br />Pretty, isn't it? Beni installed the engine lighting last Thursday. One light per side and one in the airbox cover. I'm missing the Angel Eyes, or another light in the Pegasus of the flyscreen. It needs another touch of light in front.<br />The Beast is looking purtier and specialler all the time.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-77100995849714988092009-12-01T07:53:00.002+01:002009-12-01T08:01:12.518+01:00Bug grave<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SxS9xGy8dzI/AAAAAAAAAGE/cJG0Q3TyEVA/s1600/Bild+002.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410157703714338610" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SxS9xGy8dzI/AAAAAAAAAGE/cJG0Q3TyEVA/s320/Bild+002.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The other day I asked Löchen to mount the tinted glass on my Shoei Hornet helmet. My eyes have been giving me a lot of trouble lately, and on the last drive with UB I was practically blind toward the end, with my right contact bothering me as if it were made of wood and the sun shining directly in my face.</div><div>To mount the glass Löchen had to take off the visor. He handed me the aeration duct and said, "Clean it."</div><div>I'll say.<br /></div><div></div>Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-12357574282564889802009-11-19T09:50:00.003+01:002009-11-19T16:17:04.413+01:00Future commuteLast Saturday was too beautiful not to spend it driving. I wanted to finally get some pictures of my chalet - that is to say, the chalet that will soon be mine. I advertised my plans in the UB forum, and Damian said he'd like to come along. It's nice that I'm not the only one who'll the autobahn for an hour in order to ride the curves.<br />The tour lasted a good four hours in a warm wind, dry roads, and a Scorpion front tire that after 6000 km is slowly but surely losing its profile. It was a pretty comfortable ride.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SwUHfEPEFyI/AAAAAAAAAF0/3AiXT2OMUx4/s1600/Chalet+002.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405735158022412066" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SwUHfEPEFyI/AAAAAAAAAF0/3AiXT2OMUx4/s320/Chalet+002.jpg" /></a> On the Schwägalp I could take my pictures. Contrary to my expectations, there was no snow up there. Well, almost none.<br />Afterwards we mounted our machines, which had been able to take a short rest on my parking lot<br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SwUHe4sGBMI/AAAAAAAAAFs/koF_cEEm2jg/s1600/Chalet+009.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405735154922947778" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/SwUHe4sGBMI/AAAAAAAAAFs/koF_cEEm2jg/s320/Chalet+009.jpg" /></a> and headed back down into the valley. We parted ways in Wil, and on the way home I discovered the Hülftegg and some new roads in the Töss valley. Unfortunately, both were wet, but it didn't rain.</div><div>Upon arrival back in Adliswil the Beastie got a well-earned and long overdue bath. <div></div></div>Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-35409179265807647522009-11-06T07:46:00.002+01:002009-11-06T08:09:01.229+01:00Like an animalFor three days, until yesterday morning, I ignored the Beast. I didn't forget it, of course; i just left it in the garage. It doesn't like that at all.<br />Rainy weather, wet roads, and study vacation are all to blame for the fact that I haven't driven even 100 km this week. Yesterday, however, the Bonnie was due at the mechanic's for a tire change and a couple small repairs (or so I thought, but more on that farther down) and so in order to get to the last hours of the repetition class for the basics course in real estate management, I got out the Beast.<br />It always starts just fine, but I was adjusting my helmet strap when the engine burbled lethargically and then died. I started it again, and the same thing would have happened if I hadn't grabbed the gas. I had to keep it between 2500 and 3000 rpm for several minutes to properly wake it up; the exhaust was smoking like the Hagenholz trash burning facility.<br />On the drive to Baar, the Beast was fussy, as if it had to learn to roll all over again. The ventilator only whirred on in Baar; not five minutes after starting like it usually does. Pete's sakes, it was in the garage for three days, not three months!<br />Machine indeed. It's an animal that needs daily exercise.<br /><br />About the Bonnie: I asked Herr Dutli put on the winter tires, replace the stabilizers up front and see if he could figure out what the occasional screeching noise came from up front.<br />Stabilizers - no problem. Tire change - he said the wheels are in bad shape because of their age and they had to scrub off the rust so the tires would hold properly. Screeching noise - the front brakes are through.<br />Gulp. I asked what this session would cost and he apologetically guessed between twelve and fourteen hundred franks.<br />And here I was hoping this stop at the mechanics would cost less than last time's episode with the drive belt.<br />Oh well, can't be helped. It'd be a pity to let the Bonnie go to wrack and ruin as it is a very faithful car, and I really don't want to buy a pickup now. I would like for my savings account to stay full past the end of the year, see.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-34501920016322119032009-11-02T12:37:00.002+01:002009-11-02T12:39:31.045+01:00Bunch of ones<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/Su7EswOJvqI/AAAAAAAAAEs/YaJitDHUBOg/s1600-h/Tacho+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h46mWnPhhiA/Su7EswOJvqI/AAAAAAAAAEs/YaJitDHUBOg/s320/Tacho+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399469276401352354" border="0" /></a>In 11 weeks.<br />I'm sure that's some sort of record, but now the winter is settling in. The Beast can look forward to more downtime in the next few months.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8484048388738223096.post-75308096157606105242009-10-23T10:21:00.002+02:002009-10-23T10:44:54.420+02:00Checkup of the Gilera XR2We were ordered to be at the DOT building at 7 a.m. sharp for the Gilera's state inspection. Yesterday I'd filled it up and taken it across the Buchenegg and Albis to make sure it ran all right. The clutch is spongy, and the power only comes around 7000 rpm, but as a daily workhorse it does a good job. It's not finicky with starting either, and if the battery is too weak it can be kickstarted.<br />The expert was a very friendly guy. Unfortunately we'd overlooked the faint wrinkles and tears in the front tire; weaknesses that develop when a bike stands too long. Also, it turns out the back tire was too wide for the rim. We should have oiled the chain, too. But otherwise, it was in good shape.<br />The expert gave us the data sheet; within 14 work days we need to bring the Gilera back with new tires and a serviced chain, and then all is well.<br />Florian's going to go to PSS this evening to schedule the tire change; I'll look around for a new chain but I don't think we'll find one. Then we'll take it in for the final inspection, advertise it and get rid of it. That'll free up room for the Daytona 955i, which is arriving at midday today.Beastie Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859565017821561840noreply@blogger.com0