well I have had a busy old time of it just lately the Old Pan has been off the road for just over a year and I was thinking she was getting a bit heavy for me so I thought time to get it mot'd have a ride round and make a decision whether the time had come to move on thinking that all it would need was a back tyre a oil and filter change and a general check over and away we would go , ooops wrong took the back wheel out to get the tyre fitted and thought that swing arm looks a bit rough I will clean it up and give it a coat of paint got the wire brush out tapped a couple of the flakey bits oooops oh dear whats this ??
oh dear now what do you do tou try and find another , how much new £500+ ?? give up I am Yorkshire tha knows so found one on fleebay off a low milage bike shot blasted etch primed and gloss painted for less than half that , ah that looks better
so new swing arm bearings new wheel bearings every thing done much time lost and the IOM trip looming ever closer ,and this year I am going on the TT taster out next Thursday and back the following Thursday Bike and rider £109 for practice week so what to go on with the Pan feeling too heavy it was looking like the little Stinker was going to have to go on a big adventure , any way put the Pan on the road and went out on her well I was like a three year old on his first two wheeled bike wobbling about but went out a couple of more times and it was coming back to me then I had to do a run up to Tees Side and it was a blustery strong side wind and the clutch started playing up that was not a good ride any way I got it home and striped it out and it turned out to be just a sticking slave cylinder cleaned it up greased it up new fluid bled through and all was well so back out with a couple of lads that are coming to the Island with me did about 150 miles and started to settle down feet up u turns the lot and am feeling ready for it now on the old girl so looks as if she is staying for a bit longer , I had a go on a BMW F650 that is owned by the same guy I got the Stinker from but although it was nice enough for the type of runs I would be wanting it for the footpeg seat handle bar configuration is not me , I have a hip joint that is starting to play up so will be hard to please in that department , the pan may be heavy but once on and away she is comfortable and am comfortable on the stinker so sticking with what I have for now , better the devil you know and all that ,
ye never really fell out of love to be fair just the man feeling his age , but this next week will sort the job out one way or the other , but am thinking it is time to get on with the other project that is hiding in the garage a C90 that is earmarked to get full makeover proper front forks with disc braked wheel beefier swing arm with longer heavier duty back shocks and then if it handles well enough and I like it at a later date upgrade the engine , or alternatively do up the engine leaving it looking standard and a bit of a dog , but a wolf in sheep's clothing cant make my mind up , but seeing as I have a hip joint playing up a step through could be a way of staying on two wheels a bit longer , mmmm decisions decisions
Ye the 140's do go well but suffer a bit in the longevity department I am led to believe , the week in the IOM went well had a great time and felt at home on the old girl but she is on the heavy side , having said that I didn't need to stop as often as some younger riders , so life in the old dog yet
