On a slightly different note, spending time with a vehicle can be extremely rewarding: something about having painstakingly disassembled and rebuilt chunks of it makes it very personal. And I do have a surprising respect for the TDM. Yamaha went out of their way, it sometimes seems, to make it awkward to work on (with frame braces and so on in the way of everything important) and it is undeniably a big old ugly camel of a thing. But, rather like a camel, it's tough as old boots and just gets on with slogging away. No wonder they sold zillions of them in the less sportsbike-fixated European market. I'm almost tempted to go in search of one of the later 900s!

>> ex silens nox noctis <<

Sorry I have not been in much but I have become a saddo and every time I open my mouth it just wants to spurt out stuff to do with govornment and jobs and my lack of general enthusiasm for life! Thank god for the bike. I just need the confidence to service it and that takes some gathering when your just down. Glad things went OK with your Dads funeral and stuff Endem. I still miss my Mum and Dad. 3 and a half years since Dad and last July since Mum. Strange feeling for a 52 year old. Hmmm

Don't slide unless you mean too.

Be sure, ride safe and enjoy

Bad luck with the lack of job.  It's no consolation, I'm sure, but I got put down to three days a week a while ago.  The extra free time is brilliant, but the 40% pay cut sucks.  Just keep plugging away, and something will turn up.

I see I'm not the only one whose bike is keeping him sane!

--

2003 ST1300 Pan Euro
1995 Yam XT600E
http://goingfastgettingnowhere.blogspot.com/

Conspiracy theorist alert: I read a piece suggesting that Mandelson is actually willing to see Labour broken permanently just as long as the next election can be put off until after the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified. Hence his (temporary) return from Europe and willingness to cut deals to keep that useless berk Brown in office. Presumably, he'd be expecting to go back to the new Euro Superstate as the right-hand man of prospective President Blair (and that very concept fills me with more wrath than I can possibly convey in words). Like all good conspiracy theories, it's utterly unprovable but fits at least some of the observed facts. The only other options would appear to be that 1) New Improved Labour really do believe that slightly less of a recession would make the entire country forget what an utterly pathetic, ineffective and deceitful government they have been for the last decade and vote them back in or 2) Gordo knows where the bodies are buried and will not give up office a minute earlier than he has to, because he is surely never going to be allowed near a position of power again.

Anyhow, digression over...sorry to hear things aren't so good with you. It isn't always easy to put a brave face on and just get on with it (although sometimes it's the only thing to do...). I don't see anything wrong with continuing to miss people, either, especially when they've been a part of your life for such a long time. It can get less painful, but you don't stop remembering. I'm sure you have better and closer friends elsewhere, but you're always welcome to get a different perspective talking to people like us as well, if you want.

And without any doubt bikes=sanity!

>> ex silens nox noctis <<

(Present for my nephew, as it happens, but let's encourage him on to two wheels early).

More importantly, though, I put The Mighty Jeremy back together - and everything still works, apart from a busted indicator (very cheap, brittle plastic, sadly). So that's all of the plastics sprayed up, just the tank to go. I'm considering a secondhand one from eBay so I don't have to put the bike out of commission again, but we'll see how the bidding goes. So far it's all quite pleasing, if a bit plain. However, I do have a vast collection of gothic/metal/skull vinyls which may come in useful. It may not end up looking tasteful or grown-up, but it would be unique...

Work so far:

>> ex silens nox noctis <<

made oi larf lots!

>> ex silens nox noctis <<

So there I was, toddling home, thinking about how nice last night's thunderstorm was, when, all of a sudden, I became aware that the bike was losing power. That phase lasted all of about three seconds, then there was a kind of bang-pop noise, the engine died and the back wheel did what back wheels do on such occasions.

So I coasted to a safe stop with the clutch in. A tentative prod at the starter made a lot of noise, sounding like a blown exhaust header, engine caught but wouldn't idle. I stopped then, troubleshooting in the pitch dark by hearing alone seemed a little too adventurous. Fortunately, it was only about a mile and a half home (damn, I hate pushing bikes any distance. I'm too old and smoke too much to be any good at it!) - unfortunately, I was knackered by the end of it. So I just threw the TDM in the garage and left it for the morning.

Not sure at this stage if anything has actually detonated, as the exhaust does a fair bit of clattering and popping itself. Didn't see any leaking fluids or clouds of smoke, either, so it may not be a catastrophic failure. Fingers crossed. Otherwise I might have to change the name of this thread.

>> ex silens nox noctis <<