First ride of the new year

The weather has been quite dreadfull the last couple of weeks, with heavy rain an floodings all over the place. Since a few days it has stopped raining. Instead we 'enjoy' grey weather, with fairly high temps for the time of year.

Today I decided to neglect the dullness and got on board my SW for the first time this year. I rode to Eperlecques and wanted to visit the Blockhaus .

This is the only place in France where during WW2 both V1 and V2 rockets were launched for London. On arrival the museum was closed...

The weather was dry, temp around 6°C (43°F) and I even had a 'full' half a minute of sunshine in Eperlecques. What more can one desire for?

Went back to work last Wednesday and rode every day, total about 130 miles. Washed and polished yesterday and and a short (30m) round trip to Havant today. It was pretty foggy this morning, but temp around 9C.

I'm just glad the rain has stopped for a while.

I've been using mine since 2nd Jan now that the rain has stopped for a while. I even tempted my wife on the back for a ride out and she was really impressed with the comfort for a pillion - so it all systems go when the weather really improves.

With all this free standing water about, is there any possibility of water getting syphoned into the wing, either engine or petrol tank?

There are a couple of breather tubes protruding under the underside panels.

If you're riding round Portland, shouldn't you be on the cliff top rather than the beach - or has there been an unusually high spring tide we didn't hear about here on the mainland?

Atrick wrote:

If you're riding round Portland, shouldn't you be on the cliff top rather than the beach - or has there been an unusually high spring tide we didn't hear about here on the mainland?

Strangely there IS a road off the island!!!! If the water gets up to my front door, the rest of Dorset needs to worry. I am 278 feet above sea level!!!!!

It's more the Warmwell/Winfrith area's that as prone to flooding. One of my work mates has just had an £1k estimate for water being induced into the engine and causing damage.

Had a nice fast (IAM observed) ride from Avon Country Park to the café at Sarum airfield yesterday morning then back on the narrow cross-country lanes via Wilton. A comfortable 10°C & no rain - wonderful!

Since getting the Swing, this 50-mile ride was the longest I've done on wet roads (some still a bit flooded) & I was very impressed. It felt totally planted & never slipped off the line once - unlike my previous SH300i which had a tendency to step out at times if ridden fast.

Let's hope more good days are on their way!

I rode to work this morning. Temps were 41f here in Lancaster Pa.. May be able to ride all week.

@Atrick:
the stabilty of the SW is remarkable for a 'scooter'. I've hit the 'ton' on several occasions and the bike is steady as a rock at that speed.
The only negative characteristic I've come to know is the sensitivity to (heavy) side winds. I guess the large surface of tupperware is responsible for it.

Microtouch: Lancaster UK today: 48.2ºF (9ºC) - positively balmy compared to where you are...!!!

Rodenbach: your tonne (62mph) or our ton (161kph)?

the only 'ton' I know is 100 MPH...

(100 kph is everyday stuff on the SWing: even on B-roads one has to be careful not to go faster...)

@Atrick
My last observed ride was with clutch and gears just before I got the Wing. How does your observer feel about doing the advanced on a scoot? I'm meeting my man again soon, now I've settled down with the Wing.

No problem (now) with my local group as a few members have maxi-scooters, indeed my first observer has a Burgman 650!

However this acceptance wasn't always the case. Twelve years ago my local group wouldn't let me join as they only allowed motorbikes (I had a Yamaha Majesty) and IAM HQ wouldn't allow me to do my test for the same reason. IAM HQ did finally agree to make an "exception" after a heated exchange of letters between us but I declined since I (not them) had to find a group prepared to accept me. A few months later I was contacted by Exeter Group who were happy to take anyone on two wheels but by then I'd resigned my membership in disgust after 20years as a car member.

Fortunately things have moved on and we're now in a more enlightened age but I still note a few turned up noses - 'bout time these dyed-in-the-wool bike riders got over it!

Although nothing was said at a recent ride out, and the leader was very chatty I did detect a little aloofness from the others. I'm going out on an observed ride on Saturday, let you know how it goes.

I belong to the local IAM group and had no problem allowing me to join them. Passed the Advanced test and join them on occassions on their ride outs. Their comments usually run in the following lines "I didn't realise these scoots could go so fast" I have no problem keeping up with their BMW's. One guy on a Bike Safe Course stuck somt gaffer tape over his Honda decal on his tank and wrote BMW on the tape. I get a lot of ribbing about not riding a proper bike but they have to realise that a Maxi Scooter has a lot going for it, especially when touring.

I'll soon find out - Saturday 1000.

Well, that went well. My observer had never had a close-up look at a big scoot and was fascinated as to how it would perform - so we went a-riding in torrential rain.

The acceleration away from the traffic lights impressed him, as did the manoeuvrability 'threading the needle' on roundabouts - left him behind a couple of times.

We stopped for coffee (at a deserted bikers cafe on the A32) and after, made our way home (still raining), pausing to do a few figure 8s in the car park. His only adverse comment - watch the speed!

As to the question above about water. I've never had any problems riding my previous SW in rain. I forded a couple of creeks with it riding in the woods two years ago with the water just up to the underside without a problem. That crossing was a bit deeper than I thought and I was a bit concerned that the belt might wet but there wasn't any problem then or later.