Category: Car & Bike

Time to be Sensible Again

There is a very real likelihood that I will be made redundant in 2022. I’ll deal with the details of that in a different post, but it has got me looking at my finances in a different way. For example, my YouTube channel would live on phone I buy just because they look interesting and I want to play with them. That has stopped over the last few months.

I then looked at my current car. Much as I love the Mustang, an imported V8 is not a car I should be driving around when trying to be frugal!

Continue reading Time to be Sensible Again
Categories:Car & Bike

Joining the Orange!

Timehop recently pointed out to me that it was 3 years ago that I was waiting for my CB1000R in Metropolis Ducati Barnet and I fell in love with the 899 Panigale in pearlesant white!  At that point though, there was no real need to change my bike, I still loved my little Honda!

Through last year the bike seemed to develop a fault where it just couldn’t be relied upon to start.  There didn’t seem to be any pattern to it, cold, hot, left to stand, just been ridden.  It was hard for me to chose to use the bike if I wouldn’t be sure it would start again to come home!

This led me to decide I should move on and get a new bike.  With this in mind, I booked a test ride on my beloved Ducati 899…

Continue reading Joining the Orange!

Categories:Car & Bike

Taking The Mustang on Track

XSP_0270I’ve been on several track days (nine it would appear.  Wow, didn’t realise it was that many) on a motorbike, but never in a car.  I’d often thought, having come off the bike on my first track day at Brands Hatch, that I would have more confidence in a car and be able to push it further.

Me and some friends at work had been discussing a possible trip to the Nurburgring at some point in 2016, but had decided we should do a regular track day first, to see what driving on track is really like.  Around Christmas time track days for 2016 started populating on various websites.  We’d done a little research and had been recommended Javelin as a company to use.

Continue reading Taking The Mustang on Track

Categories:Car & Bike

Biker Down!

This summer has been rather a pleasant one, lots of warm dry days with bright sunshine, just the type of days you like to ride your bike in.

Recently I’ve not ridden as much, a 2 mile commute with the effort of getting all the gear on, riding for 5 minutes to then take it all off again didn’t appeal as much, but as I was working at Brent Cross an 8 mile commute was more worth while when the sun came out to play.

Continue reading Biker Down!

Categories:Car & Bike

Motocross Madness

A few years back, I’d put myself down for a day of green laning, organised through works motorcycle club. I really hadn’t enjoyed it, in fact I only started it and straight away gave them all their gear back and went home!

This year, me and two others from work had plumped for a day of Motocross in Winchester, again organised through work. I was a little nervous following my poor experience of motocross bikes years before, but knowing my experience was tainted by the organisation and equipment, more than the event itself, I thought I should give it a go again.

Continue reading Motocross Madness

Categories:Car & Bike

Donington Park Track Day

I hadn’t really thought a lot about this track day.  I wasn’t counting down the days, things where too busy I guess.  I had of course prepared.  The hotel 10 minutes from the track was booked, I’d moved my shift forward to finish work at 7pm, but that was about it.

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On Sunday, with the help of Robert, I loaded the bike onto the trailer.  Monday morning I packed the car.  As I arrived home, I should have been ready to set off up to Nottingham… Continue reading Donington Park Track Day

Categories:Car & Bike

Tuff-Luv E-volve Expedition Camera Backpack Review

IMG_6966.JPGAs I’ve mentioned, this year I’m looking to get more into photography, so I was over joyed when my good friends at Love-Cases offered me a camera backpack to try.

Ideally what I’d like is something I could use when on my motorbike that allows me to have storage space for cloths, gadgets, snacks and drinks as well as compartments for my camera equipment.  I didn’t realise such a thing existed, but this Tuff Luv E-Volve backpack is exactly what I was looking for! Lets take a closer look.

Continue reading Tuff-Luv E-volve Expedition Camera Backpack Review

Categories:Car & Bike, Technology

Back On The Track – Ron Haslam Race School

C44B2915.JPGSo on Thursday I’d been at Brands Hatch and it hadn’t quite gone to plan.  A month or so earlier I had also booked Ron Haslam Race School at Silverstone, which perhaps worked for the best as I had no choice but to get back in the sadle and back on the track!

It was to take place on Bank Holiday Tuesday, I was going with a couple of the Waitrose security guys and their friends, a group of six of us in all. Continue reading Back On The Track – Ron Haslam Race School

Categories:Car & Bike