It's bright but bitingly cold here, and not the day for a pleasure ride, but I passed the Honda sitting on the back drive and felt a little pity. It has been motionless there, in rain and snow and ice, since before Christmas, while I have been fixing, riding and generally enjoying the XT. So I rolled it out of its niche between the wall and the garden table and propped it up in the sun. I gave it a wipe down and then inserted the key and pressed the starter.
Click - whirrrrrrrrrr.
With a Honda V4, the 'whirr' is not the sound of a knackered starter - it's the engine running. It whistles a bit like a turbine. The engine started in the blink of an eye, so I rode it to the front of the house and left it idling for five minutes, until it was properly warm. I gave it a quick healthcheck in the meantime - everything still works - and then shut it down. The brake discs have a little surface rust and the whole thing needs a good wash down, but otherwise it's good to go.
I wonder what the forecast is for tomorrow?
UPDATE: I couldn't resist. Anna wanted a daily paper and was busy. I wanted a few minutes me-time and wasn't busy. So I hopped on the Pan and went in search of a Times. The bike felt a little stiff after such a long time idle, but I warmed it up and then let rip on the A40 for a while, taking it to 8,000 rpm through the gears and trying out some hard braking. All good. As it says in the side-bar, I admire and respect this bike. It is awesomely good at what it does.
Ah, the BMW boxer engine of mine sounds like a Gnome rotary engine from a Sopwith Camel on start up...
ReplyDeleteNo bike but my Jag had been sitting in the drive for a month being snowed on, frosted over, rained on and generally not treated the way I promised it it would be. Quick prod of the key fob - doors unlocked! Key in, quick turn - V8 goes straight into 'let's go' mode. Doncha just love things that just... work?
ReplyDeletePS dear Father Christmas can I have a hexacopter?
@Nikos - I should point out that I am a big fan of twins and singles. Fours are soulless - V4s slightly less so.
ReplyDelete@Anon - A Jag? Working? What is British Leyland coming to? There's a worker on some distant production line that's going to be sacked for that. And you can have a hexacopter when I get one and not before.