Month: May 2011

Midweek Blast

| Richard

Well what an evening that was!

On my way in to work this morning, I got a text from Purge asking if I was up for a rideout down to Hampshire. After much contemplation – I finish work late and I’m flying out to Athens later today – I decided that yes I was.

And so it came to pass that I headed off from the apartment down to meet up with Purge, Matt, Pal, Agent64, Pathfinder Rob, Mr Bosch and MP at Alton Station Café, which I found out was a bike meet! From there we blasted off down to bike night at Loomies where I happily scoffed down some chips with sliced mushrooms and chopped bacon, topped with melted cheese. Fantastic!  Just as I was leaving, Young Burchy showed up on his 7R so it was good to meet him too.

Not so good was Agent64 getting a puncture in the rear tyre of his ‘Blade thanks to stone chips all over the A31. Bugger!

Despite the evening getting much colder now, we then headed off at a spirited pace to the Pub With No Name at Prior’s Dean where we grabbed a pint and sat outside watching the darkness settle in. I left around 10pm to head home but decided shortly after setting off that I was getting quite cold and should stop off en route at GT’s place for a coffee to warm up, so I used the SatNav’s Bluetooth link to my iPhone and Scala headset to ring her up and invite myself over. Good call (literally)!

Then home at midnight and 135 miles later, only to be greeted by the bad news that YB had dropped the 7R after an incident with a deer on his way home. Bugger!

 

Jack’s Birthday Weekend

| Richard

Well that was a busy weekend!

It started on Friday with Amy coming over to stay. A lovely meal at the Rainbow Chinese Buffet Restaurant on Brunel Road before Lucy delivering my ironing – all 24 workshirts!

Saturday morning saw us heading up to Norfolk, collecting Jack on the way before heading into Norwich where we went to Wagamama before shopping: a pair of black Adidas Samba originals for me, two pairs of shoes, a Hollister shirt and Jack & Jones skinny jeans for Jack and a pair of Converse trainers for Amy.

Saturday night and we went back into Norwich to Nando’s followed by the Odeon to see “Attack the Block“, which we all enjoyed. Amy is now being followed and is following Alex Esmail on Twitter!

Sunday saw a lie-in at the hotel for me before heading over to see Jack on his birthday. His Mum had made a great strawberry gateau which we scoffed and later we had bangers and mash – again Jack’s request – before Amy and I headed back down to Royal Holloway.

I then popped over to see GT and eventually got in after midnight. A looooong weekend!

Welcome Home Blue Rex!

| Richard

Well today I went to collect the ZRX from PDQ post-fettling. And yes, I think it looks great!

Larry mentioned that Nick had test-ridden it just to be on the safe side after they’d achieved their best-ever dyno results for a ZRX1200R on standard carbs/bores. I’d asked for a 44T rear sprocket as before and Larry suggested it would be sensible to go back to a 42T at some point as Nick had come back wide-eyed and declared it a tad berserk… We’ll see tomorrow!

IMG_1492 IMG_1512 IMG_1515 IMG_1498 IMG_1507

HSBC Secure Key – Goodbye HSBC!

| Richard

Ah well.  It looks like the time for me to close my HSBC account will soon be here.

They’ve announced that within a few weeks I won’t be able to log in to my online banking unless I use my Secure Key. Now, at the moment if I want to log in to my online banking account, I simply fire up a web browser, enter my twelve alphanumeric character user ID, then my date of birth and then three of six numbers from my security number. Easy-peasy!

Soon, I will have to have my Secure Key with me when I want to log in. I’ll enter my user ID into the website, then put a four to eight digit PIN into my Secure Key, generate a code, enter the code into the website and then enter a keyphrase into the website. Phew!

Much more hassle and a potential inability to access anything if I don’t happen to have yet another credit card-sized device with me.

Grr!

PDQ Dyno Results

| Richard

Well the results of the engine work and fettling at PDQ are in: up to 158bhp at the rear wheel! Well done to Larry and the team.

Dyno Chart

Dyno Chart

Also interesting is that that was up from 130bhp before their engine work and after I’d fitted a full Akrapovic system and rejetted it myself a while before.

And to put all that into context, it was dyno’d standard but with an Akrapovic end can in July 2005 and put out 114bhp (up from c. 108bhp as standard at the rear wheel).

Fuerteventura Easter 2011

| Richard

I thought it was about time I took the kids – if you can call them that: 19 and nearly 15 – away with me on holiday, so over Easter I took the two of them to the luxury villa I’d stayed at before in Corralejo on Fuerteventura.

The villa had its own heated pool as well as a heated jacuzzi which meant we could relax around the pool, have a night-time  jacuzzi or swim to cool down.

We used it as a base before driving out to other parts of the island or to the long, long sandy beach and dunes.

Then our evening would consist of heading into Corralejo itself for a really nice meal in one of the nicer restaurants before heading to the Rock Island Bar to chill out, have a few drinks and listen to some live acoustic rock music. And my girlfriend and friends could keep tabs on us with the audience webcam!

Anyway, here are a few photos including one of the baby mouse that I rescued from our pool one morning!