9 Days to go and Video on the bike

Today tried using the camera to take video on the bike, like last year.  Complete failure really.  Vibrations and lack of suspension really mucked it up.  On the harley, the quality was worth watching, but the Vespa seems all wrong.  Shame cos I was looking forward to using it.  Tried two mounting positions but both as bad as each other.  Perhaps I'll try strapping it to the helmet !

10 Days to go

Well, the scoot has had it's final fettling in Ellesmere Port.  Had two new tires fitted and was convinced that I should take the best of the of the old tires fitted to a new split rim.  Wasn't totally convinced until I saw the guy demonstrate how easy it was to get the wheels off both front and back of the bike.  Undo five nuts and the whole wheel comes off like on a car.  Was shown how to turn off the fuel, then run the engine till no fuel left, then lie the bike over on the grass verge to change the wheel.  Those at Miniaddicts will at this point be rolling about laughing at the prospect of Mr M managing anything as complicated as this.  I have bought a complete set of spares, throttle cable, choke cable and clutch cable, all with funny little screw on ends that are apparently essential along with spare inner tube, four replacement bulbs and plugs.  I have raided my extensive tool kits at home so that I have exactly what I need to carry to allow a mechanic to fix whatever goes wrong on the trip.  Points and whatever I am advised are a real workshop job.

I have sourced an insurance company that can provide a full year's breakdown cover including continental recovery for a more or less manageable amount, through the RAC, for a 35 year old vehicle and am prepared to set off on the basis of managed liabilities.

My Renault has been fitted with a tow bar, and a rack to carry the bike is being constructed as we speak.  The justification for all of this work is twofold.   One:- I'd like to be able to carry the bike on the odd occasion to somewhere, ride it and then bring it back.   and Two.  Grace needs to be brought home from her six months in Italy, towards the end of July.  She could fly home, but as on each trip to Italy she has taken more luggage than she has brought back, and she's been buying everything she can see whilst she's there, and my cousin Ingrid, who Grace is staying with needs mountains of "stuff" taking out there, I am intending to drive back to Italy, to pick up, Grace, the Bike and her luggage to bring her home.

Therefore if the scoot breaks down irreparably between say here and Paris, Christine can come and pick the bike up and return with it.  Any further on , The RAC will either repair it or recover to UK with me traveling down to Italy on the train.

Blogging

Ok so I tried blogging on an ordinary mobile phone, what a disaster.  I'm not relying on this sort of technology. Far too hard.  The one bag that I can carry on the scoot will have to contain my Apple MacBook Laptop, built in wireless connection, mobile modem, cables and chargers etc.  Half my luggage capacity taken up by computer, phone, chargers, ipod Touch, camera etc.  This leaves room for a pair of jeans, two pairs of sock, three pairs of pants, two hankerchiefs, a spare shirt, one cardigan and one (only one) book.  These will have to last me for about ten days. Once I get to Portovenere I can buy new stocks from the market.....    Talikng of technology, I can't sing enough praises for Apple Kit.  Everything just works, no fuss, no silly pages displaying what Windows has found and will install.  It just works.    I was in Leeds with Christine last weekend, to look where Grace was going to go to Uni.   Two examples of Apple, Got to hotel, no wireless, so plugged Macbook into ethernet port in bedroom.  It's just the lack of fuss, not one mention of anything "new" detected.  Internet browser just opened up and connected.  The next morning, we were having a coffee in a little cafe in the city when Christine told me there was a sign saying Wireless Internet.  Took my ipod Touch from pocket.  The Touch had aready connected with the wireless network when I opened it up and the Browser just worked, again no fuss, no mention of what it had connected to, it just did it.  At the same moment Grace texted me from Italy to tell me listen to a Duffy single "Mercy" when we got home.  Clicked on itunes downloaded the song from the Store, no questions asked, and played the song for Christine to listen to.  When we got home and connected the ipod up to my Apple Pro, it automatically added the purchased track to my iTunes collection. Again no questions asked, it just does it.  I wouldn't go back to Windows for a big clock.  Shame I have to use it to earn a living.