Four wheels good, two wheels better

Three times last week I ran into heavy traffic, the sort of thing that makes your heart sink when you’re in a car. Luckily I was on my motorcycle; it is great when you can find a third lane to slice through traffic that’s going nowhere. Even though I’m still travelling more slowly than I would on a clear road it is much better to be moving on a bike than not moving in a car.

Biking update: Big Bike Lesson

It has been too long since my last motorbike lesson, a couple of months or so. But I am determined to get my bike licence this year so I need to get a move on.

It was to be my first lesson on a big bike, a 500cc Suzuki twin. Compared with my little Honda it felt huge and heavy; in particular the clutch called for a strong grip although it was beautifully progressive. Even so, it is going to take some getting used to the bike for low-speed manoeuvres.

On the road, however, the Suzuki was fine. The most noticeable thing was how effortless the performance felt compared to my little 125. My little CBR likes to be kept above 7,000rpm but the Suzuki was content to run at half that. The clutch could be ignored almost completely – except for stopping and starting – and the gearbox was so sweet; just a little twitch of the toe to go up or down.

The good news from the lesson was that a couple of thousand miles on the road don’t seem to have led to too many bad habits. In fact my observation and positioning on the road seem to be pretty good. The next step is to get some practice for the Module 1 part of the test. My next lesson is already arranged.

And, as an aside, I was a little concerned about how I’d feel climbing back on to my bike after riding something more potent. It did feel as though I was riding a child’s bike but other than size and lack of power it still feels as beautiful to ride as ever. Of all the vehicles I’ve owned to date my Honda CBR 125R is one of the very best.

Web sites we like: The Getaway Driver

Searching the internet for classic car hire companies (as you do) I came across the site for The Getaway Driver, a company that does classic car hire and overnight breaks.

To me it looks like a well-designed site, the front page is classy and it is easy to navigate. Combined with sections named Getaway Cars, Escape Routes and Hideouts (for vehicles, rout plans and accommodation) it looks slick and stylish.

I like the concept of being able to spend anything from a day upwards on a driving holiday especially if you can organise the car and hotel in one go. A few years ago I did my own, budget version with a hired MGB and based from home – it was great fun and it is an experience I’d love to repeat but with a more upmarket car and maybe an overnight break somewhere.

You can also do a day with an ex-police driver or join one of the driving tours.

Of course I have to make it clear that I’ve not used this company and I have no connection with them, I just like the web site. Check it out here.

Picture of the day: A pair of E-types

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

The Jaguar E-type is not short of photogenic details, the tail lamps on the Series 1 were particularly lovely. I also love the way the rain drops have gathered on the curves of this car, which belongs to the Jaguar Heritage Trust. If I were trying again I'd attempt to get the tail lamp more horizontal in the frame.

Busy Times

Quite a lot has been happening over the last couple of weeks.

Last weekend I was looking at cars with a view to buying one. Runner up in the process was a magnificent 1996 Lexus LS400. Painted very dark green with the slightly tacky option of gold badges the LS was in many ways superb. Smooth, quiet, comfortable you can see how Lexus came from nowhere to become a genuine contender alongside Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes. For me, however, there was a sense that something with more driver involvement would be better. That said, I may go after another LS400 next time I buy a car. As for what I’ve chosen this time, you’ll have to wait and see.

This week I was able to catch up on my quota of new cars for the year. It also allowed me to drive not one but three cars I’ve admired since my childhood. Simply remembering what was what could take a while so bear with me.

Yesterday I finally got round to changing the oil in my bike. Having done oil changes on cars there didn’t seem to be anything to fear by doing the same on the bike. Clearance to remove the drain bolt with my drip tray in place was lacking until I removed the lower side body panel. There is nothing quite like taking your bike apart to appreciate how well it was put together. In particular I was impressed by the design of the captive nuts that should never work loose. Even more impressively, everything went back together as easily as it had come apart and there is now fresh oil inside the engine, good for another couple of thousand miles of riding.

Finally, today I’m off to see some drag racing at Santa Pod. It has been a while since my last taste of quarter mile action and I’m looking forward to it. Pictures will follow, no doubt.

Spotted: Modified Alfa Romeo 145

From Fourwheelsteer: Motoring Writer

What do you do if you’ve got an Alfa 145, some alloy wheels, a tin of gold paint and some Abarth badges? Apparently you apply the alloys, paint and badges to the car and the result can be seen above.

Strangely it doesn’t look as shocking in the photo as it did in the metal. You don’t see many Alfa 145s and the shape has worn petty well. In fact it probably fits into the modern landscape of tall hatchbacks better than it did when the model was introduced.

What puzzled me was replacing the Alfa Romeo badges with Abarth badges. I’ve never understood putting badges on a car to pretend it is something it isn’t.

New bike on the block

Having decided that the Honda CBR 125R was the bike for me I summoned all my courage (and cash) and did the deal. With over 1,000 miles riding behind me I am confident it was the correct decision.

Getting to know the bike has been great fun. For one thing it seems to have greater reserves of cornering power than I have skill or bravery to go looking for its limits. That’s in the dry, anyway, and I’ve so far avoided any seriously wet weather. It also depends on the tyres being correctly inflated – I had a nasty shock at the end of a long journey where the pressure dropped by about 10psi. Nothing bad happened but it was enough to seriously impair my confidence.

That incident happened on the return leg of an epic trip to Manchester. Travelling by a very scenic route the outward journey took five hours and the (slightly) more direct return trip lasted four. It wasn’t the fastest or most comfortable way to do the journey but it did have a sense of adventure. It also proved that the saddle and riding position were perfectly comfortable for hours at a time.

Just one thing stops the CBR from being perfect; the gearbox contains some rather odd ratios. First and second seem very low, with an uncomfortable jump to third. Third, fourth and fifth are about perfect but sixth is way too high. The slightest gradient or headwind will see speed slipping away, and on a small-engined bike that’s something you can ill afford.

It seems like an odd choice, a sporty 125cc bike is unlikely to be pressed into regular long-distance service. Even on my epic adventure I think I only used sixth once or twice, although as the engine has loosened up the high gear has become slightly more useful. Even so, the bike would be even better with slightly lower overall gearing with even closer ratios.

The engine thrives on revs. Having got to know it you wouldn’t describe it as peaky but there is a clear increase in power above 7,000rpm and then it pulls all the way round to the 11,000rpm redline. The delivery doesn’t even seem to tail off when you hit the red paint although my mechanical sympathy kicks in before the rev limiter. As I’ve already mentioned, the engine definitely pulls more strongly at 1,500 miles than it did at 500 and I wonder how much more power could be liberated from this motor if the law didn’t stipulate a maximum power limit for learner riders.

Of course the quest for more power is easily satisfied once I get my full licence by moving to a bigger bike. I’m looking forward to the day when I can make that move but I know I will always remember this little Honda with great affection.