Sunday, August 15, 2004
First real ride and first fall
It's taken a week between getting the bike legal and taking it for a ride. I'd been having problems with the regulator draining the battery but that is solved now with the RR2 from Electrex. It started on second kick or so without choke as it was pretty warm weather. It took me a few miles form home to get used to the ride and controls. Also as the bike warmed up the gear change eased; maybe as the oil warmed up?
No problems until a battery lead vibrated off (It doesn't appear to have damaged the regulator) but that was readily solved by fixing the wire to the battery with a zip tie.
There's a very easy piece of trail about 10 miles form home so I rode up there and around on the grass for a few minutes. I was very impressed with the well balanced feel of the bike. I took a lane back onto the tarmac and bibmled past some hikers at low revs - it didn't sound too loud.
After another 10 road miles I decided to take an unpaved road towards home. The ascent onto the moor was fine and the top and the level top was dead easy, although I took care through the wet sand. However on the final short descent I lost the front end in some gravel and let the wheel slide into a rut caused by rain run off. Really I should have been expecting it when riding with road tyres fitted and maybe that was why I was going slowly - maybe with a bit more momentum I'd have rolled through?
So what's the damage? A freshly painted side panel is scratched again, but that was inevitable, an original clutch lever cracked (why hadn't I fitted the guards?) and an indicator stalk stretched. Apparently this is common and repalcment stalks are rare. Most annoyingly the indicator became trapped between petrol tank and the ground and dented the tank. Surprisingly the plastic body of the indicator withstood it all!
You might ask why the indicators are fitted at all? The bike is being set up for the Edinburgh Trial and as this has a significant road mileage through towns at night I think they are needed to light me up. This incident has made me think some small cheap indicators will be far better. Maybe I can sell my 3 good stalks?
The centrestand wasn't too hard to use on the route I took but I can't see myself using it on some stony rough tracks. I must make a sidestand. Also the centrestand was catching on a bolt on the rear brake torque arm causing a terrible clunk as I went over each rock. That must be ground down.
Without the fall I'd say it was a great little trip and the Kanguro impressed me. The engine didn't seep oil and seemed eager and powerful. Both front and rear brakes are adequately powerful and not too grabby. Let's hope I stay positive...
It's taken a week between getting the bike legal and taking it for a ride. I'd been having problems with the regulator draining the battery but that is solved now with the RR2 from Electrex. It started on second kick or so without choke as it was pretty warm weather. It took me a few miles form home to get used to the ride and controls. Also as the bike warmed up the gear change eased; maybe as the oil warmed up?
No problems until a battery lead vibrated off (It doesn't appear to have damaged the regulator) but that was readily solved by fixing the wire to the battery with a zip tie.
There's a very easy piece of trail about 10 miles form home so I rode up there and around on the grass for a few minutes. I was very impressed with the well balanced feel of the bike. I took a lane back onto the tarmac and bibmled past some hikers at low revs - it didn't sound too loud.
After another 10 road miles I decided to take an unpaved road towards home. The ascent onto the moor was fine and the top and the level top was dead easy, although I took care through the wet sand. However on the final short descent I lost the front end in some gravel and let the wheel slide into a rut caused by rain run off. Really I should have been expecting it when riding with road tyres fitted and maybe that was why I was going slowly - maybe with a bit more momentum I'd have rolled through?
So what's the damage? A freshly painted side panel is scratched again, but that was inevitable, an original clutch lever cracked (why hadn't I fitted the guards?) and an indicator stalk stretched. Apparently this is common and repalcment stalks are rare. Most annoyingly the indicator became trapped between petrol tank and the ground and dented the tank. Surprisingly the plastic body of the indicator withstood it all!
You might ask why the indicators are fitted at all? The bike is being set up for the Edinburgh Trial and as this has a significant road mileage through towns at night I think they are needed to light me up. This incident has made me think some small cheap indicators will be far better. Maybe I can sell my 3 good stalks?
The centrestand wasn't too hard to use on the route I took but I can't see myself using it on some stony rough tracks. I must make a sidestand. Also the centrestand was catching on a bolt on the rear brake torque arm causing a terrible clunk as I went over each rock. That must be ground down.
Without the fall I'd say it was a great little trip and the Kanguro impressed me. The engine didn't seep oil and seemed eager and powerful. Both front and rear brakes are adequately powerful and not too grabby. Let's hope I stay positive...
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