Blasting the GS inthe cold

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mel
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Mel

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I did my usual commute this morning - from my village on the old West Berks Downs to Bracknell - I guess it was -5c when I left the house and maybe -3c on the M4 - possibly colder.

I made the 45 miles in 1 piece and warm with the exception of my right thumb( :thumb ). I cranked it up to 120 at one stage - not much traffic - and in absolutely standard configuration - the bike held this speed without a wobble and I was able to sit 'behind' the screen and out of any windchill - I could just feel it on my thighs.

I was wearing jeans and polo neck sweater with an Aerostich electric heated fleece and an Aerostich Roadcrafter 1 piece on top - Sys 5 Helmet and BMW gloves - cant rememeber the model but not expensive - heated grips do their bit.

Felt like I could have carried on to Dover and beyond but work calls...

Can't wait for the trip home...

If you are venturing out today - there will definitely be ice in the shade...
 
Yeah, its a bit nippy oot. I took my Yamaha T'cat for a good test ride today having just replaced the camchain at 46000 miles and reshimmed the valves. Goes like a missile again and no more camchain slap when cold. Good job I wrapped up warm as even here on the 'mild' south coast it was only about +1C, thank heavens for heated grips and fleece underlayers. An expensive trip out as I ended up popping into Hein Gericke and buying a new pair summer gloves and a pair of Tuareg Goretex boots for riding the GS at £130 (Almost identical to BWM Savanna boot, probably made by Oxtar in the same Italian factory yet £60 cheaper :) )

Go easy out there, I spun up the rear on joining the motorway near Fareham either on ice or fresh salt when changing lanes and accelerating, not exactly sure which but the gritters had been out so probably salt between lanes / on lane marking paint. Some country lanes with trees will be lethal, take it easy folks.
 
I spun up the rear
That has happened to me several times in the last couple of months :(
Just too much right hand on greasy roads. So, yes, take it easy on the throttle folks :thumb
 
Pukmeister said:
An expensive trip out as I ended up popping into Hein Gericke and buying a new pair summer gloves and a pair of Tuareg Goretex boots for riding the GS at £130 (Almost identical to BWM Savanna boot, probably made by Oxtar in the same Italian factory yet £60 cheaper :) )

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Just bought a pair of those too - they are great. I had a pair of BMW Savannas which I ended up selling once I sold my GS and found they were too stiff to work on the ST, but regretted it!
As you say, they are near identical - apart from the price!
 
Just been out and about on the GS today. Good fun but very few other bikers out. Far better than on the 29th when I brought my newly acquired Fazer 1000 down from Yorkshire. No more than 0 degrees all the way down!!

Just goes to show that the fun's there if you look for it.
 
Not another GS / Yamaha owner in the Fareham area, must be catching. You been spending again Lee, or did Santa squeeze a Fazer into his sack ??

I haven't been out on either bike now for 2 days, I am getting withdrawal symptoms, I might pop up to SPC for a coffee tomorrow and spend some more money before the snow arrives on Friday. :)
 
No I've been spending again. The Fazer did belong to my brother but he needed the money (Or the monthly payment at any rate) so I did the decent thing and helped him out. Cracking bike being nice and simple (Just a small fairing, wheels and a stonking engine) and good to ride.

I was genuinely surprised to see fewer bikers out today as the weather was pretty much ideal.

I'm off to Vines on the 13th to get the battery software update carried out as well as a fuel pump seal replacement/campaign. Will let you all know how they fare. I'm interested to see how they compare to SPC as they aren't much further away.
 
Go easy out there, I spun up the rear on joining the motorway near Fareham either on ice or fresh salt when changing lanes and accelerating, not exactly sure which but the gritters had been out so probably salt between lanes / on lane marking paint. Some country lanes with trees will be lethal, take it easy folks.

hows your plans going - so you don't have to put up with that crap much longer ?
 
Not too well Phil, I got put back onto a ship until March, then I am visiting Australia whilst on leave through April and if we like it (and why wouldn't we) then I will start applying for TRA, VISAs and a job down under. I leave the ship at the end of April and have 5 months to sort out my quals and get a job. I leave the Navy on 2nd September after 24 years service, I've had enough ! Having spent the last 7 years mainly as a marine/industrial fridge tech, I think thats the line of work I enjoy most and will continue in.

I will try to get work in the UK as a refrigeration/aircon technician until our visas are approved, then the house goes up for rent, the cars get sold and the GS goes into a sea container. If we settle in Aus for more than 2 years, then we will sell up in the UK though we don't want to burn our bridges just yet.

Brisbane looks nice, but our visit this Easter should tell us more.....

2 day stopover in Singapore
3 days in Sydney
4 days on the Sunshine Coast
3 days near Narang
3 days near Hunter valley
Non-stop flight home

Wish us luck :thumb
 


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