The bike

Well things are moving along just a little bit faster now that the new floor is being laid Keith my brother in law and Del are doing a blinding job of doing with such ease and yet the floor is nearly finished after a day and a half, mind you it would have taken 3 days if it was not for me and fox working our butts of clearing the room, Keith made a comment considering this oooh its not often we find a room nearly cleared for work.

I took out my bike for a spin around Harlow, so far I have done just around 36 miles on it, and yet I feel I have rode longer and much more far than the mile tracker gives me credit! Not that I am complaining it just feels the journey thingy is ripping me off.



Now that I do feel a lot more comfortable on the bike, Del quirked so I take it your going to join the Orphans motorbike group? I smiled and thought umm nope I don’t think so, seems they are big in Essex, as well as the Hell’s Angels and blue Angels to boot, and yet it would be nice to link up with fellow bikers for a few forays and trips along the Essex coast, safety in numbers and such things and being with others who know the roads much better than me, but I did get a sat-nav a few weeks ago, so that I can just plug things and places in and hit the road.

I put up my hands in defeat, I just cant read a flipping map and I hate the idea of having to ask people where the hell am I, the usual answer is ooh your on earth sonny! Bloody humans like a reluctant messier coming from the mountain I QUIT!!!!



Now ok I’m a bit new to being a biker, but one thing I have noticed since I have been on the bike is I feel like I am road surfing like a surfer in some far of destination riding the waves, I feel that I am doing the same thing but only on a Gilera cougar, she’s an easy rider and already a few people think or thought that she is a Harley, they can be forgiven she does look like one but she’s not, one day when I do my full licence I will get a Harley for sure, unlike some of the blogs I follow those people have such bikes all I think of is wow when I look at them.

Not that my bike is a poor imitation or anything like that she’s is so well loved and I know we going places together, over the next few years, I will do lots of miles along open road with her.

Now as you have guessed my bike doe’s not yet have a name, I cant think of a single name to call her, thought I am definite that she is a she, but for the life of me, I know I need to name her like a boat it needs a name, I thought of Shadow or something from Greek or Roman myth’s but I will keep an open mind, and not call her something from the Titans. I did think of Odin’s Messenger but that’s a name for a great big dirty Harley Davison, I did think of Rama from A.C.Clark’s brilliant books. And yet still I am totally confused as to what the final name will be, I even thought of Endora from Bewitched fame but she’s a mischief minx at best.

I have as yet to take her on an A road which feels a bit daunting because it’s a national speed limit, and I’m not to sure if she can go at 70mph or not I know I have had her at 55mph, and god the wind that hits you is quite scary, on one hand its exhilarating and feels carefree and open, and on the other hand bugs hits you at 40-55mph which stings a little if you get one in the eye, yes I do have a full face helmet and also an open face helmet I could wear glasses that should deal with the kamikaze flies and the usual assortment of death bent bugs.

I am getting a bag for my petrol tank, which has an open type window, which I can put, my sat-nav and carry my chain and wheel lock, crime is so bad in the UK, I suppose no different that any other place in the world I am very protective of my bike its something I have wanted for a long time but I always promised and promised my self this luxury, and just never got around to it, but things have happened that opened my eyes, and appreciate my life a little more, coming close to death a few times in the past 3 years the last being a massive heart attack and subsequent heart ops has helped me to realize that my biological clock is winding down and that its about time I did some of the things that would make me say I done that at last, and in some ways having my bike opens up lots of opportunities for me to explore, and enjoy a little of what feels more important now that its ever been.

The real question I should ask now; Am I a biker or not?

It’s a question that I really don’t ponder over too much there is so much more important things, and getting petrol for my bike is a more important journey for me, now one think I like and yet dislike is roundabouts in Harlow there are so many of them ok,,, ok you give always to the right but not every one obeys that you know the type of person that is, a white van man or SUV type of idiot just loves to race you cause you happen to have a powerful looking bike and yesterday I had to put up with one of each, the SUV was the worse he drove so close to me that I though I’d need a crowbar just to get him of my back tire, but I held back and just went slower, till he was forced to over take on my outside, I could see him smirk away as if he just won the lotto, I just made a mental note and thought he must be a drug dealer or something like that, arrogant and obnoxious, I have a good mind to put a web cam on the front of my bike and shame these total nut jobs on the web and on my blogger page.

And white van man just cut me up, I don’t find this man arrogant or even obnoxious, mostly he/she is a trades person trying to get from A to B as fast as possible but in his defence he did wave to say oops! And speeded of towards Old Harlow, I did catch him up thought since It was the afternoon traffic from the industrial area of Harlow, which gets so busy, I smiled inwards thinking that go you far mate!