Precipitation

On 15th November 2006 I posted about the bike having died of dampness on the M8 in torrential rain. It took until 27th November to dry out in a relatively warm and completely dry lockup.

Today I collected the bike from the mechanic in Larbert, Normally I probably wouldn't have been out riding in what have been fairly atrocious conditions today, but the bike was ready and I had to get it collected so that I can get it MOT'd tomorrow. Can you guess where this story is going?

Yes indeedy. About two miles further along the M8 than last time, again in slow moving traffic, again in the outside lane, and again in a downpour the bike just stopped. I again freewheeled to the left hand side of the road but, shit, there was no hard shoulder at that point. So I had to push it a couple of hundred yards to just before junction 16 (the George Square exit) where there is a small widening of the road and some chevrons where I could park more safely (well, less dangerously anyway). A call to the RAC and a wait in the pissing rain of about 45 minutes. No RAC patrolman this time, they just sent a low loader.

So it's now sitting looking sorry for itself outside the house. God knows how long it'll take to dry out this time, not being inside a lockup. Depends on the weather I suppose. Bastard. I'm off for a bath to warm up.

But before I go, to recap. I have just spent £120 on a rear tyre, £80 on a front tyre, £290 for miscellaneous parts for the service (largely brake stuff), and £120 on labour (a good job done and very reasonable), a total of £610 but I still can't ride the fucker! Not the mechanic's fault I hasten to add, lest this post be interpreted as laying the blame on him. This particular bike clearly isn't good in torrential rain. Perhaps the mechanic can sort something out to prevent it happening again. Perhaps I'll sell this one and buy another one instead. Maybe a Honda Pan European this time.