Two couples getting dirty...

[Pumpy]

Got a text from Jane last night: "There is a pissed KTM rider in the house!"

Aha, this meant that Berin had replaced Possu's trusty DRZ (formerly Fanum's trusty DRZ), with something orange and was celebrating his new acquisition.

Well, any new toy has to be properly christened and so we met this morning near Streatley for some trail riding. Priceless, that happy smile...

We didn't have to wait long for the first tumble...

No damage to the new Katie fortunately...

... so Possu had to fiddle with somebody else's bike...

In the meantime we were watching the local wildlife: the giant tiger caterpillar

Another thing that I love about trail riding - you can just have a break in the middle of the road and nobody complains...

However, there are other entanglements that can't always be avoided

If you look closely you can you see that distinctive 'green laning grin' through Jane's visor

Gorgeous English countryside...

Most trails were dry today but overgrown and deeply rutted

Which brings us to one of the fundamental questions in life: how to change ruts?

A rather sophisticated one is the 'knight-in-shining-armour-technique', here demonstrated by Possu

'Paddling the bike into the position you want to go' is another option

But the best one is probably: watch what (and above all how) the others do and then pick your rut accordingly...

Rural still life with DRZ

That's what I call a green lane...

Berin and Possu battling for third place...

Who's enjoying herself?

Somebody seems very focussed... Anything wrong with the new bike, Berin?

And Possu on the slightly bigger pig...

I hadn't fallen off so far, which is quite unusual, but then I got cross-rutted and delivered a rather impressive nose-diving stunt...
No action pics here, as everybody was too busy rushing to my aid...

Apart from that, no noteworthy harm was done to bikes or riders throughout the day and we all had a blast.

Although, based on recent experiences, I am beginning to believe that girls enjoy getting dirty a bit more than men...

What do you think?

Ela

 

[Mav]

Great shots Pumpy Good to see the girls showing the guys how to enjoy themselves

 

[JasonT]

Nice one

Go girl go!

Nice bit of green laning

... but why is Possu looking so miserable .. is it because he's being left behind?

 

[Dickieboy]

...





In the meantime we were watching the local wildlife: the giant tiger caterpillar

Ela

Smashing pics Pumpy, the fella here is the caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth, when I was a kid I used to collect hundreds of them, you generally find them on Ragwort plants, and they look like this when they get their wings

 

[Possu]

Go girl go!

Nice bit of green laning

... but why is Possu looking so miserable .. is it because he's being left behind?

I don't think so, I "managed" to not only keep up but also managed to keep the bike thw right way up, something that cannot be said for the others.

 

[Flipfly]

Top report again

I'm so jealous, the Dak stayed in the garage this weekend waiting for her new tyres. I was giggin on Friday and Saturday too so I was too knackered

Looks like you have some nice lanes down there

 

[Berin]

Pumpy and Possu, it was a great day, no aches and pains no damage.

However, i didn't think there were enough Orange pictures, so I've fixed that:

A proper garage....
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccscuba/2816588967/" title="P8300018 by 1mgs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2816588967_bbd0f3ec88.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P8300018" /></a>
New garage neighbors
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccscuba/2816554203/" title="P8300014 by 1mgs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/2816554203_5fc04b4946.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P8300014" /></a>
Shiny Orange
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccscuba/2817403034/" title="P8300013 by 1mgs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2817403034_3d2e5af4cb.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P8300013" /></a>
A stop on the trail, somewhere near Chieveley
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccscuba/2816551299/" title="P8310019 by 1mgs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2816551299_b66a1fb7b0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P8310019" /></a>
Small bike, small battery - good job it has a kick start
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccscuba/2817394868/" title="P8310020 by 1mgs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3174/2817394868_813967dee8.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P8310020" /></a>
Less shiny now..
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccscuba/2816540919/" title="P8310021 by 1mgs, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3037/2816540919_ef8b507b63.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="P8310021" /></a>


A really good first day out, and the KTM proved an excellent trail bike, noticably the suspension soaking up bumps and rough bits much better than the DRZ, although this didn't seem to hinder Pumpy, whom I was trying to catch up! But I would have been further behind on my old DRZ!

 

[louisdut]

Great photos all

Nice bike Martin

 

[Berin]

Possu doesn't approve of all the bling it came with , but I reckon there's nothing wrong with it

 

[Pumpy]

Thank you all for your nice comments! It's really a pleasure to write ride reports here - your feedback makes it all worthwhile.

... the fella here is the caterpillar of the Cinnabar Moth...

Cheers for this information, Dickieboy - what a beautiful moth! Is the pic one of yours?

... I was giggin on Friday and Saturday too so I was too knackered...

Not getting younger, Phil, eh?

You can't have everything - but you can come down one weekend to have a go at our local lanes. Bring Liz as well, our guestbed should be big enough, I think...

... I didn't think there were enough Orange pictures...

Excuse me? Not enough orange pictures? 17 out of 22 photos had something orange in them, that's over 77%! And I didn't even count the caterpillar...

... no aches and pains no damage...

That's good to hear! Must take them on harder trails next time...

Looking forward to our next ride-out - we might even make it to Barbury Castle then...

 

[Dickieboy]

Thank you all for your nice comments! It's really a pleasure to write ride reports here - your feedback makes it all worthwhile.


Cheers for this information, Dickieboy - what a beautiful moth! Is the pic one of yours?
would love to be tak

Thank you Pumpy, unforunately not my photo, though one day I would love to be taking Pics' like it

 

[Possu]

Possu doesn't approve of all the bling it came with , but I reckon there's nothing wrong with it

It's the bling that you're bound to add on that worries me.

I would like to add that Jane did exceptionally on her new-to-her Beta Alp 200.

 

[Berin]

I would like to add that Jane did exceptionally on her new-to-her Beta Alp 200.

Currently broken, sadly - no power at all even after charging the battery. I'm wondering if there's a main fuse somewhere that's blown

 

[Berin]

It's the bling that you're bound to add on that worries me.

Popped into Premier yesterday.....

 

[Possu]

Currently broken, sadly - no power at all even after charging the battery. I'm wondering if there's a main fuse somewhere that's blown

Will it kick-start?

Is it sparking?

Have you tried jumpstarting it?

Anything to do with you jet washing it....

Might have time on Sunday to have a look at it?

 

[Berin]

Will it kick-start?

Is it sparking? yes

Have you tried jumpstarting it? yes

Anything to do with you jet washing it....

Might have time on Sunday to have a look at it?

I think it's the battery - 10.5v and it won't come off sulphate mode on the charger.

 

[Possu]

I think it's the battery - 10.5v and it won't come off sulphate mode on the charger.

I'd bung another battery on, should be cheap as it's small. Harpers Honda in Cowley should be able to help or Smith & Lowe on Hollow Way, Cowley - just give either the battery model number.

Failing that, there should be three yellow wires coming off the generator stator plate to a connection on the l/h side of the bike. Disconnect it & measure across them in pairs with a multimeter set to Ohms - all three readings should be the same (checking for a burnt out coil).

You could also tip a little neat fuel down the plug hole, re-fit the plug & try kickstarting the bike, don't use the e-start, save the battery power for the sparks.

Has it died because Jane threw it on the ground so often or because you were negligent with the power washer?

 

[Berin]

motor cycle parts centre in Reading - top chaps, given the battery has a rather odd code, he had one in stock and it's on charge now.

It jump starts and kick starts fine, and the battery only reads 10.5v so it's likely that, caused probably by it being hurled to the floor more times (with great style and enthusiasm) on Sunday than in it's entire previous existence

At least no-one one saw my double back flip over the handlebars. Good stuff, that Alpinestars armour.

 

[Ash]

motor cycle parts centre in Reading - top chaps, given the battery has a rather odd code, he had one in stock and it's on charge now.

It jump starts and kick starts fine, and the battery only reads 10.5v so it's likely that, caused probably by it being hurled to the floor more times (with great style and enthusiasm) on Sunday than in it's entire previous existence

At least no-one one saw my double back flip over the handlebars. Good stuff, that Alpinestars armour.

motor cycle parts centre in Reading, good guys i have used them for years [old skool]
and it looked so nice on saturday.and you bustedit on sunday tut tut

 

[Berin]

and it looked so nice on saturday.and you bustedit on sunday tut tut

no, no, the KTM's not busted, it was mrs berin's Beta wot broke.