The worst collection thread ever….and other musings

[Bmwdumptruck]

One bit of better news, while out and about last Tuesday, visiting a job in Mytchet for my friends that run a b+b in Normandy, I popped to see two different guys selling genuine OE VW 15” transporter Alloy wheels.  First guy had 3 bare rims and only wanted £20 to get rid of them.  The next guy had rims with bald knackered tyres badly painted dark grey but wouldn’t take less than £120.  So I now have 7 wheels.  The plan is to pop them over to my Nephews works in a week or twos time so he’ll remove the tyres, but I’ll have to find somewhere to get rid of them as my local council want £12 each and even then limit us to two a year ffs!!   The Nephew will then powder coat the five best rims and i’ll list the last two for sale individually.  He’ll then also swap my good Conti’s from my steels to the alloys. They’ve a good few years left in them yet although they’ll be a bit stretched going onto slightly wider rims.  In a few years when I need to replace them i’ll go up a tyre size. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

 So my moho is just about back together.  
bad bits…..complete fail on the AC fit. Not sure if I’ll try again.  The original seller had another breaker in with a later kit but sold it out from under me.  For now I think I’ll just advertise it and see if I can just sell it on. 
better bits…well I finally managed to fix my oil light and rev counter. I found a connector block that had fallen down behind the fuse box, wriggled, unplugged and replugged the connectors, did that to another earthing block too and tidied up some taped up wires from a previous alarm fit. And the faults gone.  
So now I can her an mot booking, will pop in the garage I use for this on Monday morning.  
 

Update on the Bandit, it’s the only bike I have taxed atm, so is doing all my rides and last Wednesday nights ride saw me total the first 1000miles.  All good so far, still well happy with it. I did get my Pan European mot’d a few weeks back but haven’t taxed it yet.  It does need a service as does my Tenere.  So really need a good day or two in the workshop sorting them. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Small job on moho out in the heat this morning.  I’d already swapped the original marker lights a few years back, but typical cheap chinese crap haven’t lasted very long and one is now dead.  Managed to find some nicer ones that actaully match some rears that came with the van when we bought it and have lasted well so far.  

 

Also trying to fix the catch that holds the door open.  I’ve had to replace it twice as they’re rather thin and go brittle pretty quick and I end up swiping them off with the wash brush.  So I’m trying to make an aluminium version but I’m really no fabricator.  The wifes currently try8ng to glue the old one back together with added nail gel resin and build up powder to strengthen it…….we’ll see….🙄.  I’m also going to look at an option of using a tent peg bent into a hook the drops into the catch to hold the door more firmly open on breezy days. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Took the Moho for Mot this morning.  Got it all unlocked, took it for a spin out towardsJ13 to clean the discs off from sitting for a couple of months.  The more I drove it the harder the gears got……..had this before……loss of brake fluid which stops the clutch working before you lose the brakes.  Managed to get to the mot bay, popped the bonnet and topped the fluid up.  Only advisory was the drip of fluids from the undertray!!  
Bloody annoying, we only did the clutch a few years back because the slave was obviously leaking.  That time we just kept topping it up and did quite a few trips like it.  But there was never any drips, it all stayed in the bellhousing and dribbled out as we split the box from the engine.  So I’m kind of hoping we’ve disturbed a pipe joint on the outside somewhere. Looks like I need to get her back up on the ramps and drop the undertray again to see where it’s coming from.  We’re away in just over two weeks, seriously don’t need to pull the box out again!  
I’m also suffering atm, think it’s just heat exhaustion/sun stroke sort of thing, so need things to cool a bit before I can do anything.  

Also need to service my Tenere for the holiday, new tyres and sort a leaking fork leg.  And work and earn a few sheckles…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

So since monday I’ve done nothing. Whatever this is it’s knocked me for six.  Over 30 degrees outside the last three days, the wifes had the AC on most of the time downstairs but I’m in bed wrapped up.  I’ve got the squits, stomach/belly pains, the dizzies and nothing tastes right.  Slightly better today, bar the pains which are actually a bit worse, more constant than before.
So the chances of fixing the moho for our holiday are slimmer than slim, unless it’s just a leak on the clutch fluid pipe rather than the CSC.  I do wonder if we’ve disturbed it trying to fit the AC.  
We were supposed to be heading to Berwick two weeks today, then on the Thursday I was leaving the wife there to chill while I take my motorbike across to FtBill for 4nights to meet up with a bunch of mates I’ve been riding with for ten years or so.  Although I missed last year with Covid, which I’d arranged a special trip to Normandy as a 10yr celebration….  Once back with the wife we move on to Granton and Kinlochchewe for the rest of our hols. 
Starting to think I’ll be heading to FtBill with the bike behind my van, and once I’m back we’ll hitch the caravan up and I’ll take the wife somehwere for 10days or so. 
What a fecked up year this is turning into…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

So a quick look this morning has confirmed my worst fears. The CSC is literally dribbling as it’s operated!!  So box back out at the weekend.  I’ve ordered a new LUK slave, will shift the van on the hard side of my drive Sat morning and start taking sundry bits off, driveshafts, battery etc and as long as the new one arrived my Nephew will help drop the box Sunday.  Luckily I’m starting to feel a bit better. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Few errands to run this morning including popping my Tenere wheels to my mot man to fit new tyres ready for our holiday.  So about midday I got out, positioned the moho on the hard side of our drive area, in front of my workshop, and got her up on stands.  My nephew arrived as I was removing the wheels, so we proceeded to get the box out.  Except as per last time it wouldn’t come out, the final drive wouldn’t go past the end of the engine and the subframe.  But we realised there was enough room to swap the CSC….great, should make it easy to put back.  Fiddled the new CSC into place, turned round and the fecking box fell out….feck feck feck.  Why couldn’t it stay put another minute so we could swing it back in place.   And of course, two hours later we just can’t get it back up.  It’s weight is all in the wrong places.  Where you need to lift it it’s light and all the weight hangs off behind and to the side, so you just can’t lift it there cos it just won’t stay on the jack that way.  
Try again in the morning.  
Anyone know if you can remove the offside gearbox output splines fitting that joins to the intermediate shaft. I know you can on Sharans.  Thinking it would add clearance. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Well it’s back in. I contacted mr AC man as I know he does lots on these old T4s and he said he pulls the engine forward from below the diesel pump to the front crossmember with a strap.  So we fashioned up a strap and did just that and he presto it popped back up and in.  Worked our way round getting all the bolts back in the bellhousing and then all the mounts on.  Got the os driveshaft back in and set to to get the ns in, which we did, but we just can’t get the big centre bolt back in the hub.  And after many attempts we’ve obviously got it crossed and it’s just not going in.  So I’ve just ordered a cv joint kit and will be pulling the shaft back out Tuesday or Wednesday!!  Just about finished otherwise, just got that corner to finish and I can connect the battery up. Need to bleed to new CSC too. 
But at least the pressures off a bit and the holiday should go ahead.  Need to get my bike ready now…..

[Bmwdumptruck]

So I fixed the moho, sorted the gearbox slave cylinder.  Got the starter overhauled and fitted a new battery.  Fixed the revcounter issue after testing oil pressures after a bum steer from a so called expert.  I managed to fix the leakimg fork leg on my bike and did oil and filter and a brake service.  Ran out of time to do plugs and check the throttle body balance.  But we managed to get loaded and away as planned. 
Managed to get to North Berwick where I ditched the wife and headed for FtBill on the bike to meet up with my usual guys for the weekend.  Saturdays ride was over Glenshee and the Lecht.  Lunch stop in a very wet Breamer, where on leaving the heavens really opened up and I ended up riding through some proper rain.  Sunday morning my bike was coughing and spluttering like mad. Things improved a bit as it warmed up, but there’s still water in the works somewhere.  Back in North Berwick we got a can of wd40 which has improved things but still running rough.   We moved to Kinlochewe, midge city….. but some of the nicest pizzas in the local cafe I’ve ever had.  Had a ride over to Ullapool only to see the final drive leaking oil all over the back tyre. bugger……. 
Bikes back on the trailer and we’ve moved to Forfar as this sites in town so we can manage without the bike.   Nice site, ok town, hard to say much more about it.  Tomorrow we head home.  I guess the holiday was never really meant to be…..

Next year our usual site near FtBill will be back in action so we’ll be there for sure.  It actually reopens friday, but the wife has to be home by then.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

Had the alloy wheels that I bought earlier in the summer powdercoated last week.  My nephew does it for a day job and has done both the VW wheels and the wifes Mazda6 wheels, as they’d started to suffer from laquer peel.  All done in a metallic graphite and look superb.  So good in fact, I took my Fabia alloys over this morning for the same treatment. 

 

[Bmwdumptruck]

The wifes wheels looking very smart now.  

[Tickman]

Just done a catch up here, plenty going on.

Those wheels look very tidy.

[Bmwdumptruck]

Fabia wheels looking great now too.  Got a set of new centre caps on there way.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

New centre caps for the Fabia arrived but wouldn’t go in.  So this afternoon I got home with a bit of time to spare so I dug my dremel out and chamfered the leading edge of the caps.  Popped the first one in, wasn’t convinced, so I found a small screwdriver and eased it back out carefully. One of the tangs was broken off inside the wheel and a second was cracked and fell off when I touched it🤦‍♂️.  I’d already bought a cheap set from temu, like £3 for the set, but they were too big, but the face design parts weren’t actually stuck to the rear mount, so I’ve now glued them to the orignal backs with some ct1, hopefully they’ll fit back in ok once set. 
Finished by giving my van a quick once over, levels etc.  Checked the tyres, fronts ok….. rears scrubbed on outside edges from when they were on the front originally….oh bugger…inside edges allmost non existent. Bugger.  Looks like i need to sort a new pair and I guess I need to check out my rear arms.  Doblo/Combo vans do seem to suffer with the rear ends wearing causing the wheels to lean in wearing the inner edges of the tyres.  68k seems a bit early though, but then I’m fairly well loaded with tools and kit all the time!!  
So what tyres do I try next?  I know some on here like Radar, and the price is favourable, but I wouldn’t normally go so cheap, but if the vans going to scrub rears out like this maybe cheap is the way to go and accept they won’t last much over a year.  I’m tempted by a pair of Uniroyals and for much the same price Vredenstiens.  Had some on my Vx Sportshatch years ago and they refused to wear out, but obviuosly far to long ago to be relevent now. 
 

Edit…CT1 seems to have set already.

And….There’s a listing on ebay for a pair of Goodyear Efficientgrips, but they’re old stock, 14 and 15 dates on them.  But the guy has just offered them for £99 posted, which is really tempting.  

[IronStar]

3 hours ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

pair of Goodyear Efficientgrips, but they’re old stock, 14 and 15 dates on them 

In all likelihood, that’s plastic by now. They’re not rare no longer produced size going on a show car. Avoid, it’s not worth it.

[Bmwdumptruck]

And fitted this morning

So I found these alloys on facebook, gave £40 for them but they were pretty rough. I found a 5th from a breaker which was in better condition and was eventually reduced to £40 too.  The original 4 came with a set of Michelins, two worn out and two with good tread.  But…. They’re pretty old, 2013!.   The two good ones have been refitted and are on the front axle, the rear two having a pair of half worn Falkens left over from lads Fabia that we scrapped a while back.  (I’ve also another pair of almost new Falkens waiting for when needed) I know I’m taking a bit of a risk, but firstly they’re Michelins, not cheapo chinky ditchfinders.  There’s no signs of any cracking or perishing.  And it’s not just my eyes looking, my Nephew wouldn’t have refitted them after coating the rims if he thought they were too far gone.  The car has been transformed with these wheels and tyres, the steels being on literally the cheapest crap you could buy in the size.  So the Michelins will stay till either they show signs of their age or wear out.  
Working on this theory I’ve also made a speculative bid on the Goodyears for my van.  They’re Goodyears not chepo chinky ditchfinders again, and on the van they only have to last maybe 2years as thats about what I’m getting from tyres on it and they’re at ditchfinder money.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

So the ancient Michelins on the Fabia have transformed how that drives, even in the wet they grip really well.  I took the new old stock Goodyears over to my nephew last week to fit to the two rear wheels from my van, went to swap the wheels around to fit the new ones to the front and the old fronts are also well scrubbed out. Looks like I’ve been running the Continentals at too low a pressure for them…..  I’ve found one more bargain Goodyear, but atm it looks like the fourth will cost me full price, just under £100🙄  Going to run the Goodyears at the top pressures listed in the handbook, hopefully they won’t go the same way as the Contis. 

While at my Nephews I picked up a freshly coated spare wheel for the wifes mazda. A few years back we got a puncture in a really remote part of Scotland, on the far side of the Ardnamerchan peninsula at a mates place.  The local garage amazingly had a replacement tyre in stock, but just a cheapy ditchfinder.  We’re now onto our second set of Michelins since then, so have now had that odd spare tyre fitted to this spare rim.  My nephew found a guy that would sell us a single wheel, but in reality he actually bought and refurbished two rims for us.  Didn’t really need another, but it can go in the loft just in case.  The oddball spare is going on the rear of the Mazda, I plan to do a regular swap about of the Michelins, partly to make them last longer and get more use out of the ditchfinder on the rear axle, before it perishes.  
We’re just back from 4 nights in Wales.  Wife wanted a few days away for half term. A chance for her to chill out.  Monday I had another day out at MickExtance offroad school near Snowdon.  This being my fourth visit and I managed to get a couple of mates to join me this time.  And after the morning on the usual Beta300’s I managed to blag us the afternoon on Micks new fleet of Aprilia 660 adventure bikes.  These aren’t quite as big as my Tenere or the common as muck GS’s most ride these days, but still bigger and heavier than the wee 300’s.  Yet we managed to haul them round the same offroad sections, although I did manage to test my ability to face plant myself into the undergrowth on one very steep downhill trail.  I ended up like an upturned turtle scrabbling around head down on a slope stuck amongst a load of brambles which grabbed me stopping me from righting myself.  My mates just laughed at the site of me trying to rotate myself upright…… 🤦‍♂️.  Anyway it was a cracking day out again, one I will do again next year, maybe with a few more guys from my local bike club.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

So the third Goodyear tyre never arrived for my van.  The seller messed me around saying he didn’t have time to post till next week..next week…next week… and in the end did me a refund saying Evri had lost it.  My guess is he’d sold it elsewhere and wasn’t man enough to admit it when the sale arrived.  Negy feedback heading his way…. 
Anyway, searching around I found a pair of Vredenstien Sportracks for £65 each.  They seem a bit of a bargain as they are A and A rated and are listed as Premium range along with the usual top brands.  My only experience of the brand was my old Cavalier Sportshatch had a set on it in the 80s, which never seemed to wear out.  Not sure how well these new ones will last, but I’ll be booking an mot for early december and will arrange for my mot man to fit them while waiting for the hour slot to tick away.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

Our Mazda has suffered a wee wobble when braking, mostly noticed coming off a motorway or dual carriageway braking up the slip road.  Seemed to disappear when we swapped wheels front to rear.  So when we had the wheels powdercoated my Nephew checked them for true and declared them all straight.  But we assumed we still had one slightly out and it was back on the front again.  We also now have a 5th wheel coated to match with an odd ditch finder tyre which I’ve now fitted to the offside rear where it will stay till it’s either worn out or perished.  The set of 4 Michelins will now get rotated around the car to even their wear rate with the eventual aim that next time we need new tyres they’ll all be similarly worn out. 
Anyway, I popped out this afternoon and fitted the odd ditchfinder to the rear axle, moved the Michelin from there to the front, the idea being if the wobble disappeared we’d have found the culprit.  While the front wheel was off I decided to check round the suspension joints for any play…. All good. Then thought I ought to check the near side front too, so up on the jack, wheel off…..bugger….

A new pair of Monroe replacements has been ordered.  It also explains an oily patch that’s appeared on our drive over the last week or so. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

New legs fitted this morning. My nephew borrowed a Blue Point spring compressor kit which made the job so easy, and safe I guess.  Cracking piece of kit, we've decided we’re going to invest in a similar one between us.  Wife took the Mazda for a spin while we turned our attention to the leaky rear door on the Fabia.  When she got back the report is it handles nicer, is quieter over bumps……but we still have a wobble.  So back to swapping wheels round to see if we can pin down a dodgy wheel.  
The Fabia door fought us.  The trim panel refuses to let go at the top at the glass edge. We think someone has glued it on in the past, god knows why.  Anyway we managed to hold the trim off the door at the bottom, drill out all the lower rivets and lever out the inner panel enough to remove the manky foam seal and then get some ct1 in around the lower 2/3rds of the panel.  My biggest rivets were too small so the panels held back in with self drilling framing screws instead.  Just need to order some new trim clips as they all broke as we popped the trim off.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

Being half term we’re away for a few nights in the Moho at our local ish site near Baldock.  New battery and refurbed starter are working brilliant.  Battery has gone all winter without draining which is amazing. Probably the coldest we’ve ever used the moho.  And although the starter battery has survived the winter the habitation battery hasn’t even though the van was on the mains hook up out front.  So today was a run into Letchworth to GSF for a new one.  So that’s every battery on all 4 wheeled motors replaced over the last year!!   
While in town we did a bit of shopping. I forgot to pack tea and we’d pinched the toilet spray for the house, and in such confines it’s pretty essential 😱.  While in B+M the wife spied a heated blanket which is rather toasty😍.  
But where to go tomorrow??  
I did have an option of popping home and going out on a club ride, but the new club chief has cancelled it because the pessimistic forecast says snow and ice.  The met forecast however says 2-3degrees minimum overnight with light rain and up to 8 degrees tomorrow!!  We’ll see come morning but no point heading home now.  
Done some search’s to see what’s around and ignoring Duxford as we’ve been there enough over the years, everything else is in Cambridge!!  
Anyone know if there’s any car meets anywhere near???  We’ve got the wife’s Mazda 6 with us, but could park it away from the rest I suppose😂

[Bmwdumptruck]

Going back to the attempted AC fit to the moho.  The kit I bought was from an earlier model and the loom was very different.  Searches for the correct loom have failed as every breaker sells them as a full kit.  There is a loom on eBay but it’s expensive and the seller has ignored my request to check the immobiliser connection as we know it’s one of the differences, so I’m not risking £120 without knowing.  So for half that I’ve bought a second non AC loom which is correct age and plan to lay it alongside the AC loom I have and hopefully me and my Nephew can splice the two together to make a correct loom so we can try again come spring.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

So a few weeks back I noticed a Ducati dealer in Dundee was advertising a 2024 Yamaha Tenere, which is only odd by the fact that Yamaha stopped importing them when the emissions limits changed end of 2020.  So my existing one I bought new pre reg in July 21 was one of the last new ones available.  Turns out this one’s an import from New Zealand.  Some bloke has moved back to the uk bringing 20+ bikes with him.  It’s basically new, just 2k miles on it.  
So we’ve been talking about it for a couple of weeks. The wife had said we could get another one, because mines the std one with ordinary suspension and she’d like us to get an electric suspension one which this one is.  So while I was out on a ride on my Pan the wife’s only gone and rung the dealer up and put a deposit on it.  They’re still waiting on the V5 and to resolve an issue with its age as it’s a 23 model but was bought and registered in NZ in April24, dvla seem to want to register it on it’s build date.  Not in any great rush as we literally have no where to put it and my Insurance is due in about 3 weeks so wouldn’t be sorting that till the renewal.  And atm they’re planning on getting it transported to us at a cost of £500.  So I’m still tempted to drive up with my motolug trailer in the boot and collect it, which would probably get me furthest travelled collection of the year….. MK to Dundee and back in a day??? 

[Somerset Suffolk]

Thats rather tasty ! @Bmwdumptruck £500 seems a bit steep for delivery - even allowing for fuel (and maybe an over night stop if you can keep your trailer safe ?) I'd pick it up - enjoy ! 

[Bmwdumptruck]

42 minutes ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

Thats rather tasty ! @Bmwdumptruck £500 seems a bit steep for delivery - even allowing for fuel (and maybe an over night stop if you can keep your trailer safe ?) I'd pick it up - enjoy ! 

I probably will. Just worked it out by my preferred route which would be A1 all the way to Edinburgh. 430 miles each way, roughly £130 fuel in the wife’s Mazda, motolug fits in the boot and it’s very very comfortable, has cruise too.  My vans ok, but not so comfy long distance and no cruise.  But I’d do 5am start aiming to get there 12.30-1.  Hour to buy and load it up.  Bit slower back as 60mph limit with trailer, but should be back by 9-10ish. 
But would be a little worried about it not being insured and I don’t know if they”d be ok waiting till the 23rd or 24th for me to complete the sale. 

[Somerset Suffolk]

15 hours ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

I probably will. Just worked it out by my preferred route which would be A1 all the way to Edinburgh. 430 miles each way, roughly £130 fuel in the wife’s Mazda, motolug fits in the boot and it’s very very comfortable, has cruise too.  My vans ok, but not so comfy long distance and no cruise.  But I’d do 5am start aiming to get there 12.30-1.  Hour to buy and load it up.  Bit slower back as 60mph limit with trailer, but should be back by 9-10ish. 
But would be a little worried about it not being insured and I don’t know if they”d be ok waiting till the 23rd or 24th for me to complete the sale. 

Think I'd find some way of insuring the bike for collection - Its a little exposed on a trailer ?  Bike looks stunning in black 👍

[Bmwdumptruck]

11 hours ago, Somerset Suffolk said:

Think I'd find some way of insuring the bike for collection - Its a little exposed on a trailer ?  Bike looks stunning in black 👍

Absolutely, my exact thoughts too.  So….. options. 
Cheapest…..Wife’s lovely comfy, cruise optioned and very economical Mazda 6, motolug in boot to tow back, but exposed and nick-able if I have to have a loo stop . Risky while uninsured, and wife’s not happy I’d be adding 900 mile to her car when we bought the Fabia to partly help lower the annual mileage in a bid to make it last us longer.  Would be a very early start, up n back in one day. 
So my van towing it back is her preferred option, but not as comfy long distance, no cruise and limited to 60 on A1 going up so adding half hour or so to journey times. Bike risks still the same, made worse because there’s no view of the trailer with no windows in the back of the van, so possibly now early warning of any issues.

Third option. Take the Moho.  Go up first day. Stop on a CL near Dundee, collect bike next morning, tow bike home.  This would differ because I’d use my sisters big camp trailer.  There’s an underlying advantage to this as we’re looking to buy this trailer to use with the Moho so future trips have the bike safely hidden away and the added advantage that all our bike kit could travel in there too.  So a trial run would be good, but risky unless I can do a dummy run with my existing Tenere beforehand to prove it’s doable.  There’s also a slight issue that it needs a new braking damper in the hitch.  So could I obtain and fit that as well as a dummy run before going up after next weekend.  I quite like this option if I could make it happen in time.  Quite a bit more fuel cost compared to the Mazda or my van. . 
 

Fourth option. And probably the most common sense one.  For £99 I could hire a Vivaro for 48hours.  Collect one afternoon, up n back the next and unload then return the 3rd by midday.  

 

A fifth option would be use the camp trailer behind my van.  Still need to fix and do a trial run though. 

 

oh and apparently the V5 has arrived so the deal is definitely on. I’ll be looking at my insurance renewal tomorrow , might consider cancelling the end of the existing years policy and just set up a new one a few weeks early. I’m on max ncb so it wouldn’t lose me an extra year and the loss of a few weeks cover wouldn’t be huge unless there’s some sort of crazy cancellation cost that would need an additional fee…. 

 

[Bmwdumptruck]

Looks like it’s going to be option 5.  Had a play with the big camp trailer, fitting a front wheel chock thingy and tried my current Tenere in it.  Had to take screen and mirrors off but that’s easy enough. Only loosely strapped it but it fits ok.  Will need to add the straps before loading it though as there’s not much room to get in beside it.  Will cable tie the ratchet strap hooks to the floor eyelets before too, learn’t ages ago to add a cable tie to the hooks after having one bounce out!!  Just need to choose the wife’s Mazda or my Van.  Find out tomorrow if they’re ready for me to collect Wednesday.  

[Bmwdumptruck]

Had a mass mot day yesterday.  Well it actually started Saturday as I’d spent some time Friday getting my Tenere back up n running.  After getting a good soaking in the highlands last summer it wasn’t running well at all, but I started her friday and it seems she’s dried herself out, so I put her back together gave her a wash and rang my mot man to see of he had any cancellations that afternoon or Saturday, which he did, an 11am Saturday had cancelled.  So I got there really early, nearer 10, to find that one had also cancelled so by 20 past I was taxing her and went out for a play catching up with a rideout from my club that had ridden past as I was in the bay.  Really nice to get out on her again as I’ve not ridden her since riding back from Ullapool with the leaking final drive in late July. The new oil seal on that appears to have solved that too. 
So getting back to Monday, Madams Mazda was in for 8am, but again getting there early as I’d asked him to have a really good look at the front end as we’ve still got the wobble under braking.  He couldn’t find anything and reckons discs even though I’ve already done them.  I’ve ordered up another set and will try again, along with rear pads which he’d advised last year but weren’t as bad as he thought but I will do them this time. 
I then had to head to Bletchley to the wifes college to swap cars, with about 2 hours to spare I headed home, did a few wee jobs then headed back with the Fabia for midday.  Clean pass, and back home.  
By 4 I was heading back again with my Bandit for a 5 oclock test, clean pass again.  That and the Pan will be up for sale in due course, just need some time to prep them. 

[Somerset Suffolk]

22 hours ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Looks like it’s going to be option 5.  Had a play with the big camp trailer, fitting a front wheel chock thingy and tried my current Tenere in it.  Had to take screen and mirrors off but that’s easy enough. Only loosely strapped it but it fits ok.  Will need to add the straps before loading it though as there’s not much room to get in beside it.  Will cable tie the ratchet strap hooks to the floor eyelets before too, learn’t ages ago to add a cable tie to the hooks after having one bounce out!!  Just need to choose the wife’s Mazda or my Van.  Find out tomorrow if they’re ready for me to collect Wednesday.  

looks pretty safe and secure - safe journey !