Thursday 7 October 2010

Goodbye Zuki, ‘allo Crim!


It has been a long time since I did a blog… mainly because I haven’t been riding very much at all. 
The 7 seemed to have recovered from his ‘electrical’ issue and a couple of weeks ago Dave sent me a text (signing off Dave ZX10R in case I didn’t know who it was… how many Daves have ZX10R’s? LOL) asking if I was going out on the ‘grean meanie’ that day… I hadn’t had any plans to do so, but in short order a plan was hatched… I was to go to Dave’s place in Gungahlin to meet him and another mate (whose name is now escaping me - black fireblade) then down the coast for lunch. 
The boys were taking it easy (which meant they left me for dust anyway!) and eventually we had fish and chips at the Bay before heading down to Malua Bay becuase we could.  Shortly after we left the Bay the 7 did a huge backfire… not in the pipe but it felt like it was right under the tank.  Then it did it three times in a row so I pulled over, expecting it to stall (I half though it was the electrical gremlin coming back to play somehow) and it didn’t… OK.  Took off again and it ran fine, I caught up with the boys and we enjoyed the scenery at Malua Bay for a bit before fuelling up and then hitting the Clyde.  I was following Dave’s fireblade riding mate for a bit and then BANG the 7 started backfiring again… well I figured there wasn’t much I could do so I kept going… with the 7 banging all the way up the Clyde… I’d just think it had sorted itself then BANGBANGBANG off he’d go again :’(  At the top I think he stopped firing on a couple of cylinders and then stalled altogether.  I got off and had a look around but couldn’t see anything obviously wrong, he wasn’t leaking any vital fluids from anywhere so I tried to start him… wouldn’t start… then he did so I dawdled along very gently towards Braidwood in case I had to pull over quickly again…
The boys were waiting for me - a lady had pulled over and told them I was broken down - and then I just took it easy back into Canberra and the 7 behaved.
So then I had the shits with the 7! and for his punishment he would now have to share his garage.
I intended on Monday to go and pick up Zuki which had been out at CMC on consignment for quite a while… I had had some discussions some time ago with Seb about trading Zuki on something else and I thought while he was there might as well get him through the workshop… then I found a black Crim…
When I got out to CMC at lunchtime to testride the Crim, I found a green 06 636 <3 but Seb wouldn’t let me have it, he said I had to have the Crim LOL
So I rode it and a deal was done and I came home with a Crim (05 ZX10R, 16,ishkm Akrapovic pipe, and otherwise pretty much standard).
Zuki at Superbike School in February 2010
Zuki at Superbike School in February 2010
The Crim!
The Crim!

So since I have had the Crim I have done nothing but commute on him.
On 25 September (Saturday) I awoke to a glorious spring morning - I looked out the window and the sun was shining, the trees were still… what a glorious day for a ride, I thought, I should go for a ride!  But… I didn’t feel like going for a ride so I didn’t.
That feeling still hasn’t left me - I am happy enough commuting and would much prefer commuting on the bike than getting a car, but going out on the bike on the weekend just isn’t appealing to me at the moment :/ (I also haven’t really felt like having too much bourbon lately either… I think I might be broken).
So after having the Crim for two weeks, I took pity on the poor unloved 7 and decided to take him to work on Tuesday this week… I was a bit nervous about him having problems so I stuck in the left lane the whole way and only did one burst of overtaking :D.  All was good… until that afternoon when I went to go home - warmed him up like I usually do, helmet and gloves on, swing my leg over and stand him up and… dead.  Great, the fuse has blown again I thought.  Checked that, nope it looks fine.  Put a new one in just in case, still nothing.  Hmmm.  So I call Dr Bruce and the NRMA and my AWESOME sister and arranged for the NRMA to take the 7 to Dr Bruce in the morning and my sister to come and fetch me :D
The 7 is all fixex now apparently, I just have to get out to Mitchell to fetch him :o)
Last weekend MickC, Stevo and I all travelled down to Broadford for the PCRA round which Mick was racing in and Stevo took his trackie down for the practice day on the Friday.  There was some great racing and as usual I felt pretty useless around the pits but I had fun anyway - caught up with Billy and Stace and Nobby and Gig and Photomike which was awesome :D and the bug is biting again hard now… ran into Gos at the shops the other night and here’s hoping the bucket might undergo surgery this weekend (fingers crossed).  There is a chance I might be set for the one hour in November :D  We’ll see…
The KH100
The KH100
What else… still no boys, I think I’ve been through the Last Chance Saloon, Katrina and I have gone our separate ways and I am back in Melba, on my own now - and my place has a bright purple wall in the loungeroom and i LOVE IT.
Signing out… :o)