InvictaMoto's Döra the Explörer

Laguna have confirmed that Döra will be sorted by Triumph in the week commencing March 10th.  To save having to have a day off work I will take her in on the Saturday or Sunday and then Claire can give me a lift home or they will sort me out a loan bike. Triumph are supposed to be doing that anyway so we will have to see what turns up. Of course I do have Rosie for the station runs.....

Triumph have been running a programme to make changes to the engine on Explorers up to VIN numbers 602960, yours is 599051 and so would be covered under this programme. Triumph have been offering this modification via post and you should have received a letter.   Here is an extract from the letter sent to affected Explorer owners;   You may be aware that we have made an improvement to the Explorer / Trophy engine – notably to remove a top end ticking that can appear at certain engine revs.  This ticking generally becomes more prominent as your motorcycle approaches 10,000 miles.   The noise comes from excessive play from within the valve train.  We know that some of our customers have been irritated by the unwelcome noise and we have made modifications to these bikes.  We would therefore like to offer you a free of charge engine upgrade here at the Triumph factory to ensure you are never troubled by this symptom.   If you wou...

After a day on my own in Belgium yesterday, I thought I'd chivvy Claire into getting her gear out of the wardrobe and get ready and come with me today. It was quite chilly when I pulled Dora out of the garage. I left the panniers on as the toys I bought a few weeks ago needed to go somewhere. The plan was to go to the Blue and White and meet other Kent Centre members. After yesterday's no show from anyone, I wasn't expecting much!  In the end when we pulled into the parking Graeme came out and we parked alongside his SV650. So at least there were three of us.  Graeme led us the Faversham route and we dropped onto the M2 and then Thanet Way to get into Whitstable.  We were quite early and the parking gradually filled up.  Someone later counted 242 bikes on the run, There were about a dozen left after they had left. Me and Graeme I didn't take as many photos as usual as I had the Sanyo digicam rather than a proper still camera. I did get one or two...

It didn't take long to find the "usual" chocolate shop. The same lady works in there was in all the years we have been going to the St Nicks. Since 1985. I bought a few things, some to take to work, some for Christmas and some to eat during the day! Chocs etc Once back at the bike it was already 1425 local time so I set off around to the meeting place. Like a ghost town. There is some bike parking near the big church so I went there. A couple of non-local Belgians had arrived. Just as nonplussed as me as to what was going on. The web page definitely has this weekend on the poster. I waited a while and with My Ferry having a three hour gap from 1645 to 1945 I decided to take off along the coast. The sand covered the road in places between the Thermae Palace and Middelkerke. But rather than risk it I picked my way through the car tracks. On the E40 again I set the cruise to 120kph. One of the successes was to work out ho...

It looked very murky as we went parallel to the French coast.  The crossing in the end took just 90 minutes. There seem to be far fewer people on this ferry than on the rival P&O ferries on the same route. This is a good thing. Far less pushing and shoving on the stairs to get to the car decks! Fewer people filling the brasserie and bars. Once ashore I fell into a rhythm with the cruise set on 70mph. I should have changed to kilometres but forgot. I missed the Middelkerke turning and ended up going to Jabbeke and the A10 entry into Ostend. It seemed eerily quiet. Very few bikes. Shit! Wrong date. The rally site has moved to a new venue and I guess that means that fewer bikes are parked in the city. I did a ride-by where we have met St Nick every year I have been since 1985.  Lots of metal fencing and entry forbidden signs. I parked around the corner as it looked more hospitable. There were some other...

Up early and off to the Port of Dover. Arriving at 0730 it was a little disappointing  to see no bikes there already. Outside Dover East I hung about until 0745 and then made my way around to check in. A little after 0801 I was in Lane 149 waiting to board. No other bikes at all in the loading lanes. Jean Sans-Amis obviously. It was about 6.5C when I left home rising to a positively balmy 9C at the port. As usual My Ferry is late into its berth on the incoming trip. So not boarding at 0750 as the info boards say! I was first on and rode the length of the ship to the bike racks in the starboard bow. The crew guy had it tied and secured in a minute or so. This is so much better than the messing about on other routes.     I was in the restaurant quite early and decided to pass the day with a full English. So now only two hours to kill before landing in Calais. Had a realised I was solo on this trip I'd have...

Fitted the panniers. Gave the lights a buff over.. Tyres good.  Quite mild this time of night. Had to scroll a bit to find that display!! Flashed off a few pix of Döra.... And Bully shows up quite well.

It seems absolutely ages since me and Döra were last out. I had planned to get her out and give her a quick wash and brush up prior to this coming weekrnd's two trips. Sadly with the weather only being a few points above freezing and sunset about 4pm there's so little daylight left to get things done. So Döra sits in the garage waiting for Saturday's trip to Belgium and her first St Nicks Rally.  The plan is an early ferry across to Calais and then a ride along the coast to Ostend. It's only about 60 miles on the other side but it can be very cold.

Today's run out probably added less than 20 miles onto the odometer. A swift run up to the Blue & White Café to meet the other old Codgers that form the Kent Centre of the Suzuki Owners Club. We are a diverse bunch of older men. Many sporting grey hair but we still love getting on the bikes and riding. But probably not too much or too far when it is freezing weather. Last week on the Ring of Red it was cold. This week I swapped ordinary poly cotton t-shirt for a thermal long sleeve shirt and it wasn't as cold.  In fact it was miserable with the kind of invasive drizzle that seems to eek its way through your leathers and chill right to the bones. Nasty.  Give me crisp and dry cold any time. We have been told by the soothsayers of disaster that we will get snow early this year. With two runs over the weekend of Nov 30 and Dec 1 I hope not!!

It was a bit of a rush but well worth it to be part of another triumph for British Bikers. I was ready to leave as soon as the two minute silence was over. I watched the Queen lay her wreath on the Cenataph and then I was out to where Döra was waiting. Then it was all action to meet my brother, Neill, near Chatham and ride to the rendezvous point at Dartford just south of the QE Bridge tollbooths.  We made it in good time but with maybe not enough to spare had we attempted to go through the Tunnel to the local start point at Thurrock "Lakeside" Services. As the bikes streamed oved the Bridge we could see the red line of their riders and pillions. Most wearing red t-shirts and hoodies,  some with red hi-viz and others even in onesies!  I had started with a red hi-viz but took it off and put on the more comfortable XXXL t-shirt. The hi-viz flapped about at anything over 50mph. We joined the large group and headed to the next r...

Things have been very quiet lately. I haven't had much opportunity to get out for a ride and hopefully that will be resolved tomorrow if the weather holds off. Forecasts are for half a month's worth of rain in a weekend; so not looking too clever. On the horizon though are two regular runs I go on. Sadly, they are always the same weekend! So about of a double header!! Firstly,  the Sinterklaastreffen. I have been most years since 1984, missing a few due to being in Czech working or bike breakdowns and last year snow. We used to go for the weekend, but once our favourite (and quirky) hotel, the Polaris,  closed, we started only going over for the day and sometimes, not even joining in the run itself! So what does the St Nicks Rally (as we call it in English) entail? For the day tripper it is an early ferry across to France and then a ride along the coast to Ostend. It's about 60 miles from Calais to the parking up place in Ostend. It is usually either very cold or simpl...

A little more successful retail therapy, the tank pad.  Fitted on easily once the Triumph warning decals were removed. Looks good. eBay - Triumph-Explorer-1200-2012-Black-White-Tank-Pad

Unfortunately, the Touratech part didn't come up to the spec I need. The central bar for the RAM mount is way too thin to be any use so I need to send it back. They have agree to take it back but of course it will cost me the postage, both ways.  Touratech UK very efficient and same day as the return they refunded the money to my PayPal account. So back to square one of where and how to fix the RAM mount so that I can get full right lock when required. C'est la vie.

Although never a fan of the overuse of stickers on bikes and those "I've been everywhere" covered panniers, I have a love for the humble Toro. And this silver one is the daddy of small pannier friendly bulls! Döra is yet to explore Spain but I have and the Givi toolbox has over 250000 miles under it's belt, with many visits to the Iberian peninsular! 2014?

Today. It was going to be sunny. It was going to be warm. It's England. So I made sure I had leather jeans on and the heavier jacket. There was no sun,  but it was warm. Comfortable ride up to London.  Curiously home to work and back isn't as far as it used to be. Either the tectonic  plate has moved and Hythe is nearer London, or the odometer is different compared with the GS. The Emirates Stadium is about half a mile from where I work. I had a ride round the bike parking spaces around the stadium and they were all full so I ended up parking in a school up the road. It costs a fiver but at least the staff are on hand to keep an eye on the bikes and cars parked there. In future I might as well park at work and walk up! I might even be able to get in the building and change out of bike gear for the game. The ride up.  I gave myself plenty of time for a 1.30pm kick-off, leaving home at 10.45 and having a genteel cruise control  run up. The cruise set at a healthy ...

I have been toying with this item since the Scotland trip. The natural seeming place on the left of the cockpit for the TomTom was less than perfect. It was okay before the handguards were fitted and then on almost full lock to turn right, and you'd be surprised how often you do that, the handguard clashed with the Satnav. Dangerous a few times until I made allowances. The obvious place is the handlebars, but Döra has 1" bar in the centre and the Ram bracket won't fit. So enter the Touratech solution. Not cheap. But it looks like it might be effective.

After a relaxing ride and not buzzed by another biker, one of the Kent Centre, on the M25, the results are there to be seen! Not bad.

Not the traditional Triumph badge but this is the one they have out on the Tiger Explorer. The modern look for the modern bike.

Had a short ride out today across the marsh to the Blue and White to meet the other Kent Centre members.  Out of five bikes there were two Suzukis, two Triumphs and a Honda. Considering it was decent enough weather there were few bikes out and about.

Once run in and speed had been increasing the mpg has started to tail off. I suppose an overall mpg across the gamut of riding styles and conditions of just short of 55 isn't too bad. After all Döra is a big girl carrying a big lad on her back.

I had a scroll through the onboard computer to see what other stuff it records. I had zeroed Trip 2 at the start of the Ashes Tour and the following are pix of the screens. sadly, it was a little dark in the garage and the camera prone to shake!! MPG on Trip 2 for entire trip Average MPH on Trip 2 for entire trip MPG on Trip 1 for the last fill-up. Lots of other stats are calculated, like miles to refill and the current mpg.  The latter only works when the bike is running! The mpg for each fill-up on Trip 1 are always different to the calculation done on the iPhone app.

The trip to Scotland has been the subject of a couple of other blogs. The one I shared with my brother, " The Ashes Tour ", and of course my own " On the Road Again ".   Dora  covered 1370 miles over the five day. I know this as I set "Trip 2" to zero before I set off from home and had a flick through the onboard computer when I got home.     Fuel consumption was always over 50mpg and hit an amazing high of          

The day started earlier for me that when I go to work. So much for a day off!  The alarm went off at 0630 and I was out and on the road at about 0720. The weather we have been experiencing over the last few weeks had to come to an end with a bit of a bang, in fact with thunder and lightning.  Over the weekend there had been a slight improvement, and Monday wasn't too bad.  At least I was able to wear my Joe Rocket mesh jacket. Tuesday though. It was overcast and the forecast (for all that is actually worth) has the day as showers with some sunny intervals.  As a result I opted to wear the old but still fully waterproof Frank Thomas jacket.  And a good job I did. Unlike a lot of more recent waterproof where the waterproof lining is removable called a drop liner, the old FT has it glued to the outer fabric.  I prefer this but like all of this style of jacket, the outer fills with water and although dry inside, it starts to get heavier and heavi...

I had 32 miles today today and the dealers is about 10 miles away, so I embarked on ride the opposite direction (twice) and turned around eventually arriving with 506 on the odometer. The panniers and hand guards had arrived along with the spot lamps and these have now been fitted. As the is quite steep and the rider sits do close I invested in an expensive piece of Triumph rubber that should stop the front of my jacket from ruining the paintwork. So there we go. Next service is due at 10000 miles. Tomorrow up bright and early to join the Thankful Villages Run!!

With about 80 miles to go to meet my minimum mileage for the first service we needed to get out. Yesterday's thunder and lightning might have passed but the forecast didn't look too clever with the sky grey and overcast. We chose to go to Sissinghurst Castle Garden, about 25 miles away. The first stop was Waitrose in Ashford for the free latte before the A28 run to the Castle. The A28 used to be a fast road with a few 30mph villages, now the nanny state has reduced most of it a hotch potch of 40 and 50 limits that simply spoil it. The ride was pretty good and for s Sunday in July hardly any really awful drivers out about. Pix taken on Claire's iPhone 4S...... And now a little nearer the first service.