First bike ride of 2012.

[Topdad]

Hi everyone , hope you don't mind me sharing this with youall !  2012 has already got off to a better start for me than 2011 did. I finally got a break in the weather combined with some spare time which enabled me to move my "A" to her new abode . Due to family problems and a shattered gearbox ( finally fixed with help from numerous people here on the forum ) I wasn't able to get out at all on the bike in 2011. Well on Jan 2nd finally all planets lined up,the Gods decided to give me a break and I got the bike from her shed after a half an hour checking and adjusting and sans chaincase ,like a twit I'd taken it in a load of other stuff already , copiously oiling chain clutch and clutch bearing and then filling with a gallon of the stuff that Shell call fuel these days I was ready. after 2 kicks some signs of life ,after another tickle rewarded with a short burst and  then 1 final swing and she awakened ,boy I love the noise from my goldie silencer  ,oil returning and ticking over nice and steady a final adjustment to front brake cable and clutch and "snick" into first ,could feel the difference right away ,just slipped into gear no crunch or clunk as before finally away. I headed to the new house by the back lanes only about a 15 min ride , abit windy but with sunshine ,lots of lovely bends ,got past the usual convoy of cars and really enjoyed the ride,what more does anyone want ( except more time )  infact totally amazed how well the bike performed, first real run in 14 mths and behaved like it had been out every week at least! The gearbox is a dream,didn't miss a change and so smooth i hadn't realised just how bad it had got!! We arrived safe and sound at the new place and into the garage ,me fit to burst,with big stupid grin ,that A10 magic again, shame we can't bottle that feeling. Anyway my thanks for you sharing this ramble and once again thanks to everyone who helped sort out my gearbox problem Best wishes BobH

[bsa-bill]

Who was it used to say " I like it when a plan works out " - oh of course it was the A Team, well I never

[a10 gf]

Thanks for a great report.

shame we can't bottle that feeling

nice phrase!

[LJ.]

I've heard similar stories over and over... but I'll listen to it again and again and still not get tired of it. Great stuff Bob, lovely bikes eh? 

[RichardL]

Bob,

Yes, a great story. Seems the weather up around Liverpool is being fairly mild. Here in the Chicago area (a couple of miles from Liverpool) it was great two days ago, and I was on a beautiful ride (as I posted earlier). Yesterday, 6" of snow. What a dramatic change!

I think an interesting part of your story is about the smoothness of the gearbox. I think mine is quite smooth also. The message being (to some here building for the first time) that if you are not finding shifting to be easy, it's not because, "Hey, it's a 60-year-old design and probabaly never worked well." If it is difficult to shift, there is probalby something wrong at the clutch or in the gearbox.

Richard L.

 

[Topdad]

Hi Richard, I read your post about your last ride and posible snow with interest ,glad you got a last one in before the whitestuff dropped!! Yes Liverpool always used to stay mild during the winter ,I moved here when I was a 12yr old from an area which always was always covered in snow during the winter mths so it took some getting used to ,I think it snowed only 6-7 times in the last 20 yrs ,however, like everywhere big changes started 3 yrs ago and been bloody cold and snow for the last 2 years .At present it was -2 this morning when I defrosted the car for work,to  cold for me now. I used to be a whole year rider in my youth and at 17remember going from liverpool to london ,in November ,on an A10 to see my brother who was at uni there .got there at 6 in the morning had a very boozy day and then rode home again Sunday night , no motorways then so about 7 hrs stright into work ,oh happy days!! 
Incidently you mentioned a glorious sunset ,did you get one? One thing I miss from the old house is the sunsets, at this time of the year .I was only 150 yds away from Crosby beach, where Antony Gormleys " another place "currently resides absolutely stunning with a clear sky and the Sun setting over liverpool Bay (also very funny sometimes when local kids  dress up some of the iron men with hats and scarves etc ). We must compare photos.  Thanks everyone for the nice comments best wishes Bobh

[RichardL]

Bob,

Six days earlier I took the bike out and got the picture in this post ( http://www.a7a10.net/forum/index.php/topic,5121.0.html ) showing a "modest" sunset . Don't know if you saw that. I thought that was surely to be the last ride before freezamageddon hit chicago. To my surprise, I was able to get out six days later, as I mentioned. Now, I hear it is going to get up to 50F again some time this week, threatening to bore friends here on the forum with more stories of "who said global warming is all bad?"

Richard L.

Oops! Just remembered Liverpool is at sea level so, maybe, global warming isn't so good for you.

[Topdad]

Very nice....and the sunsets not bad either bestwishes bobH.