Grizedale reservoir

Lunchtime ride...

Tricky Brake

I went for a lunchtime ride yesterday and didn't get far...

At the bottom of my street I pulled the front brake, stopped, set off, turning right... hang on, no I didn't.  The bike wouldn't move as the front brake was stuck on.  The brake on the handlebar, when pulled back, stuck there.  I could pull it back out and the brake released, but it was stiff as hell.

I pulled it back off then rode back to my house using back brake only to take a further look.

I applied some WD40 to the lever and worked it in, released the nut that controls the tension a little, and it was smooth and fine again.  Wary, I did some laps and lots of test braking, checking it again before going for a ride.

This makes me think a couple of things - one is that my CBT instructor's check list before setting off is perhaps a good idea after all - amongst them was 'check your brakes work'.  Imagine if the problem hasn't been them working too well, but not working at all?  I could have flown straight into traffic!

The second thing I wonder is, did I repair it correctly/enough?

Later, the same day, Littledale.

New Lexmoto Motorcycles Flickr Group

Lexmoto Motorcycles, a group on Flickr.

Just to let you know we now have a Lexmoto Motorcycle Flickr Group, why not join and post some pics?

Killcrash Lane

I saw this sign on a country lane on a lunchtime ride, made me pause for thought :)

Some pictures of the Vixen

Little bike with some bigger friends.


Bike trip to Galgate


Collect present from sis, then back home to drink it :)


Silverdale


Littledale

Blaze Moss

Quick ride out to the Forest of Bowland on the Lexmoto Vixen.  Quite sunny, but windy.



One of those days when high speeds felt oddly dangery and I was happier to pootle along for some reason.  Still faster than most cars I came across though, just passed by a couple of fast bikes once.


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Cows

A trip out, first for a week or two due to bad weather and busy life, round the Forest of Bowland.  Stopped here at the foot of Clougha Pike to take a picture of some angry bullocks.  They made a lot of noise and looked very agitated when I stopped...!

Bike handling well, no problems as yet!  Knock on wood!

Bolton, and back...

It takes almost two hours for me to drive to the service centre for my 300km checkup.  Journey there was along A6, through Preston. Not busy, easy route.

Had some trouble locating the garage, as it is located in a rough industrial estate just south of the town. No sign: RAM raiders, the guy tells me, by way of explanation...

Few hours to kill so wander to town through bleak underpasses and past burnt sofas, dilapidated mills, boarded up churches... The new town centre is nice enough.  I visited the museum and aquarium, killed some hours.

Taxi back and £20 later, I reclaim the bike.  New oil, all checked and adjusted.  Garage owner is cheerful, says he likes the bike - nice ride, handles well, he tells me.

Route back is through the trough of bowland.

As I leave it starts to rain, which makes the 45 minutes lost in blackburn, shortly afterwards, all the harder to bear. Rain, wind, cold, blown about, can't see, cowshit smeared lanes... for two hours...  had enough when finally home....

Next service: 1000km.

Quayside

A quick ride around town to end off at the Quayside.  It's a long road full of old, deserted industrial buildings from Lancaster's maritime past.  There's little traffic apart from a few vans and trucks going back and forth between an industrial estate at the far end.  Good for practising manoeuvres in deserted car parks.

 View of Vixen and old warehouses.

View along the footpath.

Halton to visit a friend

Quick lunchtime trip out to Halton to visit a friend today.  Quietish roads, took a circular route, out towards Caton there, then loop back back the barracks back.

Amazing sunny day, felt a lot happier on the bike today than my last trip.  Found myself weaving through traffic with a grin and powering into turns on lanes...

The friend