abarbarian Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 17 hours ago, raymac46 said: Also want to take a ride on a famous railway. Me too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 (edited) Well with the weather closing in for the autumn it seems silly not to make the most if the sun shines. An shine it did this weekend, so it was all hands on deck for a Royal visit somewhere. I persuaded my neighbour that a tour of the Welsh National Botanical Gardens was in order as he had never visited before. A bit late in the season for glorious shows of colour but still plenty of interest. Here is a link to the album, Welsh garden tour Me mates bike is a Yamaha Vulcan 900 a bit big and shiny when viewed next the Royal, An arty shot, Water snake ! Steel + wool and welsh imagination produced this fine beast. That would be the bull not the biker. The lake must have a leak as we have had plenty of rain lately. Entrance to the largest largest single-span great glasshouse in the world. The two pictures were taken moments apart but the lighting is way different. The start of the water snake. The end of the water snake. Or maybe it is the beginning as the water is pumped back up the hill. Enjoy folks. All the pictures were taken walk,stop,click, with just a couple that had a little more thought behind them. If you download individual pictures from Imgur you get a load more detail as I uploaded as , 4928x3264 size. Edited September 28, 2020 by abarbarian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted December 7, 2020 Author Share Posted December 7, 2020 Had a ride out on me birthday a couple of months ago. View is from somewhere near Tafarn Sinc. Luverly dry roads and pretty warm considering the time of year. Did not stop for a pint, can't even remember if it was open due to covid. Took a ride out yesterday. White frost was still in evidence in many places even though it was three o'clock in the afternoon. Riding home in the gloaming was slightly tricky but very pretty. Photo location a couple of miles from Cenarth Falls. On a good day you can see the sun glint of the sea at Fishguard over to the right in the pictures.That is on a good day Darn I'll have to figure out how to get rid of the watermark, it is spoiling my professional quality arty shots 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 Man! That is some beautiful scenery. I'd like to ride those roads with you some day... on the bucket list! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 On 12/7/2020 at 1:49 PM, V.T. Eric Layton said: Man! That is some beautiful scenery. I'd like to ride those roads with you some day... on the bucket list! You had better be quick then as time is running out for us old gits. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 I keep trying to hit that Florida Lottery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 2, 2021 Author Share Posted January 2, 2021 Well it had been raining for almost a month non stop here in sunny Pembrokeshire until Dec 24th which turned out to be a nice sunny rain free day. Unfortunately I was doing the driving thing so could not get out on the Royal. Still it was nice and sunny on Christmas day so I took a ride out to Tenby. Had a most enjoyable ride along the Ridgeway and stopped half a dozen times to enjoy the views of the coast on my right and views across the valleys to the Beacons in the distance on my left. I thought that was going to be the last ride out for the year. However I had planned on a ride out on New Years day to start of the hopefully better new year. Then I remembered I might be riding with an empty tank. So I decided to take a short ride on New Years Eve to fill up. Great I thought when I woke up on the day, sun and blue sky's at eight o'clock. Too early to ride out I took my breakfast and spent a couple of hours catching up on events on the net. Surfaced and looked out of the window and, blimey there was a scattering of snow on the ground and grey cloudy sky's. Hmm what to do I thought as it started to drizzle. Having an early lunch seemed a good idea. Whilst preparing and eating said lunch I noticed that it was not steady rain but more like short sharp showers with clear spells in between and they seemed to be getting wider apart. I suited up during a shower and waited for the clear spell to arrive. As the rain stopped I made my move and fired up the Royal and made a dash for the petrol station, card payments at the pump only, so covid safe. Pulling my gloves back on it seemed to me that there were less clouds in the sky with patches of blue peeking through what were almost white fluffy clouds. Hmmm does not look like rain for at least half an hour, maybe I'll just go for a short sprint across the bridge and round By Johnston and Milford Haven. Luck was with me and after a short but rain free ride I made it back to a warm welcoming home. A decent way to end the year I thought. New Years day greeted me with blue sky sun and white frost covering everything. As I ate a leisurely breakfast the white turned to green apart from in the hedge bottoms. Tenby seemed a good choice again by the main roads as the back roads might have pockets of frost still lingering. Would the two floods blocking the way have receded I wondered, the road was impassable on New Years Eve. No matter if they were as it would give me a longer ride out in the sun and joy of joys almost dry tarmac. I fired up the Royal and roared of on my first ride out of the New Year. An hour later I arrived home to warm up with a welcoming mulled wine. A great start to the year. Whilst out I it occurred to me that you all might like to see a picture of me on the Royal, so here you are folks a crazy barbarian out riding in the deepest days of winter. I finally found the setting to get rid of the watermark on my phone pictures and found settings to set a picture size and one for a panoramic view. So changed from 4x3 to 16.9 and set to panorama as I thought that might get me better ppics when out riding the Royal. so here are some shots from my first 2021 ride out. All shots are from Tenby looking right and left along the coast. Not sure if that panorama setting gives a better picture that just the ordinary one. Despite the sun it was darn clod so I did not hang around, helmet and gloves of fired of the shots and gloved and helmeted up as quick as possible. Have no idea why that last shot is long and thin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 2, 2021 Share Posted January 2, 2021 Beautiful scenery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 On 1/2/2021 at 4:32 PM, V.T. Eric Layton said: Beautiful scenery! Here is some more then. It was sunny again today. Tenby yet again but from nob hill. Oh to be able to afford to live up here. The rest are from Saundersfoot just a short way down the coast. An I even persuaded my neighbour to ride out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted January 4, 2021 Share Posted January 4, 2021 Looks a bit cool out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 4, 2021 Author Share Posted January 4, 2021 15 hours ago, V.T. Eric Layton said: Looks a bit cool out there. Brass monkey weather but I am from ooooop norf so I'm tough as old nails. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 7, 2021 Author Share Posted January 7, 2021 Yet another ride out today (Tuesday5th). This was 100% legal as I was taking my end of month expense claim forms into Withybush ambulance office. I had filled them in and found that I did not have a stamp an decided that standing in a queue at the Post Office was not as safe as traveling to Withybush. Stopped at the view point at the Milford Haven Bridge to take a couple of shots. By gum it were cold the poor old Royal being air cooled and a single cylinder took quite some time to warm up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 (edited) Doing well this year. Had another ride out last week but seem to have lost the photos. Had a ride out on the 23rd as we had blue sky and no rain for a change. Took a circuitous route to Tenby and then back along the coast to end up at Angle then backtracked home. I am heading (right>left)toward Angle which is a dead end almost at the mouth of Milford Haven. This pic shows the ferry on its way to Ireland and in the background you can see the snow tipped mountains of Snowdonia. Well I could see them when I took the picture but they do not show up very well in the photograph. Down on the beach I was hoping to get a shot of the ferry as it passed bu tit was too cold to hang about. Apparently it was snowing with sub zero temperatures ooop norf in the UK. Edited January 24, 2021 by abarbarian 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 I heard that there was snow around so I jumped on the Royal and went hunting. No snow near home but only five miles away there was snow on the roads and in the fields. Looking over to the Preseli Hills some twenty miles away the snow looked pretty indeed. Too far and too cold for me to get closer though. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 Well I was going to post my wonderful modification to the standard rear carries. that I was going to use with these wonderful waterproof bags Quote The Large Motorcycle Adventure Pannier Dry Bags are a rugged, durable pannier system designed specifically with the adventure bike market in mind. These soft panniers are both rugged and waterproof and capable of keeping even the heaviest of rain out. here are the modifications As you can see I have added a couple of extra flat bars to the frames. These take advantage of the extra webbing on the back of the Lomo bags and provide a quick and easy way to put the bags on the bike. With no fartin around with straps and such like. I even added a padlock so that they could be left on the bike whilst stopping for coffee and such like. I would have shown some pictures of them on the bike. An I would have shown some pictures of the stainless steel front wheel rim rebuild and powdercoated wheel hub.Along with the shiny new disc brake and caliper and steel braided brake hose. All fitted to make my mega trip to the Lake District after lock down was relaxed here in the UK. So I decided to make a few trips, all eager like to build up some stamina in the old creaky body and forgot to take any shots of the rebuild in all its glory. First trip out of 50 miles went ok. The second trip of 120 miles is were it all went pear shaped. Date of accident 26-04-2021. It is no good asking me what happened as my mind is a blank. One minute I am ambling along a straight road and the next I am waking up at the side of the vehicle pretty badly busted up. Not too badly injured as it turns out. I am lucky to be alive really. These are pretty gruesome so do not view if of a sensitive disposition I'll carry the tale on later on. Needless to say the Lake District trip was a washout 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Well, I was going to ask a couple questions about your rack modification, but as I scrolled down further in the above post, I completely forgot about that. How IN THE H3LL did your bike end up under the rear end of that car? Did they back into you? Did you not see them in time and laid the bike down into a slide? My guess is the latter. After all the work and waiting to get your currently-now-bruised arse on the road again, it's just a cryin' shame. In all my years of riding, I've had a few bumps and scrapes, and I've also seen some seriously bad accidents (fatalities), so yes... feel fortunate. You're a bit black and blue at the moment; nothing a Viking should be whining about. Evidently, Odin doesn't have your chamber set up in Valhalla just yet. No rush. Keep us posted on the recovery... of you and the bike. I'm pretty sure you'll heal up much faster than the bike, though. Stay UPRIGHT, brother! EDITED: corrected wordage 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunrat Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 That's sad happenings there, bro. Heal up fast! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 He's old like me. He won't heal up fast, but he will heal up... eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted June 5, 2021 Author Share Posted June 5, 2021 (edited) 26 minutes ago, V.T. Eric Layton said: He's old like me. He won't heal up fast, but he will heal up... eventually. I'll be 68 this year. Me right wrist is cracked and in a plaster cast up to the elbow which comes of in ten days time. The left side of me chest had a good deal of muscle tearing and though there were no ribs broken several had small hairline fractures. That made shaving, going to the toilet and almost everything else really difficult. I could not lie down for five weeks and had to cat nap on several chairs dosed up with liquid morphine. I eventually went on to 5 mg morphine tablets twice a day to wean meself of the liquid stuff. Drifting in and out of reality was nice but I have things to do so am now of the tablets altogether. The right leg from top to bottom was twice the size of the left leg and although in the main a lot of the swelling has gone down there are several areas that are still badly swollen. I went for me first drive and shopping trip today. I know I probably shouldn't have but I had to get out of the house for a change. Managed to sleep in me bed the last three nights, not exactly pain free but bearable and that will get better over the next few weeks. The doc was dead impressed with me recovery rate and the way the bruising has almost fully gone. Just shows what a daily application of arnica can do. So I am on the mend slowly. Once the plaster cast is of I will start to do some serious getting fit stuff. I just hope that me right leg improves and gets back to normal. Meanwhile I have several Captain Harlock anime series to watch along with two movies. Edited June 5, 2021 by abarbarian 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 Be glad you didn't bust up any ribs. I've been there, done that. It's NOT any sort of fun. By the way, how is it we're not hearing about any of this till now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 16 hours ago, V.T. Eric Layton said: By the way, how is it we're not hearing about any of this till now? Well I was seriously drugged up on liquid morphine for four weeks. Then I was coming down with the 5 mg tablets. An now I am sort of back to normal. Besides it is really hard to type with me right arm in a plaster cast.I live on me own so just doing the daily stuff was wearing me out. Ten minute shave taking half an hour, ten minute shower taking half an hour etc etc. Just old age mate, hard knocks take the stuffing out of you and it is harder to bounce back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 Yeah, some of you may remember my fall in '02 when I slid through a wet intersection in north Tampa and laid that BIG HD Heritage Softail down. Fortunately, it was a rental & insured. Unfortunately, though... when my fat arse high-sided off that bike, I landed on my left upper shoulder and my clavicle slammed into the top to ribs fracturing them. I was in pretty bad shape for about 13 weeks, as you can probably imagine. So, I KNOW what you're talking about. :) By the way, I had NO pain killers except aspirin. It wasn't fun. Now, when I see these Chuck Norris and Schwarzenegger movies where they bust up their ribs and keep kickin' arse and takin' names, I KNOW that's just pure bull feces. Busted ribs are SEVERELY PAINFUL! You can't move. You can't breath right. And OH... don't dare cough or sneeze. I coughed once the second day after this happened and came about 1" away from passing out from the pain. Ah... the memories. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebrke Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 On 6/5/2021 at 8:58 AM, abarbarian said: One minute I am ambling along a straight road and the next I am waking up at the side of the vehicle pretty badly busted up. Sorry to hear this. Best wishes for a quick and complete recovery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Plaster cast has been of for a week now. Almost have full use of my hand again. A tad weak and still stiff so some work todo. Legs are coming along too but it will be a while before they are fully operational. Managing to drive which is good though am taking it slow and careful. Good news is the bike insurers will write of the Royal and give me £2500. Or give me back the bike and £950. Still thinking about it but will most likely get the bike back and rebuild. I love me Royal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted November 8, 2021 Author Share Posted November 8, 2021 Well a lot has changed since I last posted. I did not realise how the time has flown by so quickly. I'll post a catch up later on. Meanwhile I came across this article, Dug Dug: A film inspired by India's motorcycle god Quote The film is inspired by a roadside temple in Jodhpur, were the deity is an old Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle Quote A new film, which is based on a bizarre story of a temple dedicated to a motorcycle deity, is creating a buzz in the international festival circuit, writes Faizal Khan. Modestly titled, Dug Dug, echoing the thumping sound of a Royal Enfield motorcycle first made in the English town of Redditch, Worcestershire, more than a century ago, the film has a fairy tale plot. The BBC had an article about the Dug Dug God in 2014, India: Devotees pray for motorcycle 'blessings' Quote People are visiting a roadside shrine in north-western India to pray to a motorbike called Bullet Raja, which is believed to protect drivers, it seems. Devotees come to the Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle in the Rajasthan village of Bandayi to pray for a safe journey, News18 Rajasthan reports. "I have come to this place many times," one worshipper says. "Whenever I cross this temple I get down to take blessing from Om Banna to have a safe journey ahead." I knew there was a reason I bought a Bullet. All hail the glorious thumper Just for anyone not familiar with Royal Enfields here is a time line and some information. British-bred Royal Enfield speeding ahead in Asia At the moment I am re-building the bullet. I keep coming across small annoying gremlins that are slowing progress. Progress is being made and the end is in sight. Had hoped to take part in The Three Amigos Christmas Charity run on Dec 11th but doubt I will have a working and legal machine by then. If not I should be able to take a run out on Christmas day, weather permitting. Last time before Covid the Christmas run attracted over three hundred bikes,with thirteen father christmas's and fifteen elves. Raised over five thousand pounds and a room full of toys for local kids charities. Which ain't half bad for a small sparsely populated corner of Wales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted November 8, 2021 Share Posted November 8, 2021 3 hours ago, abarbarian said: I did not realise how the time has flown by so quickly. You're over 50. You should be well-acquainted with flying time. ;) 3 hours ago, abarbarian said: Christmas Charity run Ah... I remember those events well. Thousands of bikes and lots and lots of toys, teddy bears, happy kids, etc. I miss riding. Heck, I miss riding my bicycle; never mind the motorcycle. I really need to get off my fat arse and get back to it one of these days while I'm still able. Unfortunately, that "one of these days" thing and the "time flies" thing often create conflict. Wishing you luck and speed on getting your motorbike back up to tip-top shape. Let's try to keep it upright this time around, eh? ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted April 13, 2022 Author Share Posted April 13, 2022 The Royal may be burning rubber soon. Been rebuilding at a very steady pace and am nearly on the last leg. Will post reports soon. Hopefully not from a hospital bed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted May 7, 2022 Author Share Posted May 7, 2022 Well work on the Royal has come to a full stop. After spending hours and hours I can not get a strong spark to fire the darn thing up. A pox on modern electrics on motorbikes. If it were and old fashioned set up I would have found the fault and fixed it by now. All the components checked out ok , switches all seem to work and the coil tested fine. Replaced the HT lead and cap and plug still no joy. I spent hours on YouTube learning how to use a multi-meter. I inherited one over ten years ago but did not know how to use it. So I suppose some good has come out of this fiasco. Also after 40 years of repairing and bleeding brakes on all sorts of vehicles I can not get the front brake to work. I had to replace the front wheel cylinder and changed the black rubber hose with a shiny stainless steel one.I feel totally inadequate and useless over this failure. All the bike shops around are fully booked for weeks ahead. Seems that a load of old fuddy duddy born again bikers are having their pride and joys spruced up for the coming biking season. Bunch of no hopers if you ask me, why on earth do they not do their own maintenance the lazy sods. Good news is I tracked down a Royal and he is coming to see me this lunchtime. Not a real royal just a royal expert. He was working with his dad in a classic bike restoration business that has just closed due to his dad retiring and has set himself up on his own. Only lives down the road and comes out to your bike and if possible fixes it in situ, if not it is trailered to his workshop. Luckily for me he has extensive knowledge of Royals old and new. So I may have a working Royal soon. About time those lazy layabouts did some work instead of attending Jubilee celebrations and garden parties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V.T. Eric Layton Posted May 7, 2022 Share Posted May 7, 2022 Spark plugs do fail occasionally. Did you install a new plug? A microscopic crack in the ceramic on a plug can cause an arc to ground and decrease spark potential. About the brakes... meh, the way you ride, you don't need 'em anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abarbarian Posted May 17, 2022 Author Share Posted May 17, 2022 On 5/7/2022 at 3:21 PM, V.T. Eric Layton said: Spark plugs do fail occasionally. Did you install a new plug? A microscopic crack in the ceramic on a plug can cause an arc to ground and decrease spark potential. About the brakes... meh, the way you ride, you don't need 'em anyway. The Royal expert turned out to be a dud. He did fix the brakes, showed me a way to bleed them I was unfamiliar with. He did find my rookie mistake with the carb. As to the electric fault he had no clue. I found the solution myself. Turns out it was the rollover switch that I had hanging loose. Mounted it properly and bingo the bike runs. First time I have come across a rollover switch as all my previous bikes were pretty old and did not have one. Taken two runs out and am setting of for the Lake District on Thursday lunchtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.