InvictaMoto's Döra the Explörer

Up early and off to Nell's Cafe to meet Neill, my brother, and Frank from the Kent Centre. I was first to arrive and got myself a mug of tea and a bacon sandwich. Service at Nell's is very quick! Neill arrived and ordered then Frank. By the time we had eaten it was getting on for ten and we set off. Booking in ends at 1130 and we we were well in time. Neill added his friend Bill to the list of riders that have died this year and when it came to Roar of Remembrance, most riders fired u the bikes. The air got a little foggy with all the exhaust. Pano of assemble bikes Me and Dora Rain was forecast for the day and we had avoided it during the day and as we turned into the cemetery it started and by the time we were at the ceremony, it started to rain hard.  We made it though under the thunder to the new visitor centre.  Out of the rain we could check out the displays. Very poignant.  It needs a longer visit to fully appreciate and maybe later in the year...

It's tomorrow and this year as always it will go from Cambridge Services on the A14 into Cambridge and out again to Madingley Cemetery.   Madingley is the main cemetery for US Forces in the UK. The walls are covered with the names of 5127 airmen killed in WW2 and that have no known grave. Mostly from the Battle of the North Atlantic and bombing raids over occupied Europe. We owe these men our freedom. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambridge_American_Cemetery_and_Memorial

"Road Tax" as we still call it is one of the bug bears of life. It's not actually a tax for using the roads but just another tax levied by a government wanting to raise more cash. There is no requirement for motorcycle manufacturers to produce carbon emissions for bikes.  The fact that Triumph have and that mine is very low, lower than cars that are paying £0 a year, it bugs me that I have to pay £80!! It is also printed on the "log book" that every vehicle has. I take up less room on the road, no congestion, no damage to the infrastructure and pay loads more than small cars that take up space and are much heavier!! Anyway, it's done. Another year. Now the government has decided to drop the displaying of tax discs this will be the last one that Döra will wear. Another tradition lost to the online world. 

Booked Dora in for a visit to Laguna and after a few weeks of sunny dry weather, you guessed it. It rained. It didn't look like rain at all as I came home from a school. So I decided to wear my mesh jacket. I'd gone a few miles and it started. By the time I got to Laguna I was a little damp! They wheeled her into the workshop and about fifteen minutes later they rode her out and I could go home.  I spent that time looking at jackets and the new Thunderbird LT.  I need a new jacket as my old Frank Thomas, although waterproof still, is shabby looking. This one is called the "Tempest". Of course it rained again.

With the panniers fitted I was able to get two three kilo bags in the larger one and one in the smaller one. We also had quite a lot of sachets of cat food that our cat, Hilly, won't eat. The ride up to the meeting place flashed past with the cruise set on the M20. The Kent Riders were there already.  Döra seemed to be running perfectly. Two up I should have faffed with the rear suspension but didn't. Döra didn't seem that badly affected although I noticed the headlights were a bit higher than maybe was right. The only hassle was a nasty pothole that was hideen on the edge of a zebra crossing and hidden. Bang! Felt like a kerb! The ride back from the centre was really good. Warm and dry and the route back was almost the same as the way I came back last week with TomTom "winding roads". I hadn't topped the tank and the four bars quickly became one and the low fuel light came on. I switched the display to "miles to empty" and saw 4! By miracle, a petro...

Once Mr Dale had sorted Döra's earth lead, I togged up and set off about three hours later than planned. The TomTom fastest route was M20 and M25 then A-roads to Edenbridge. On google maps the Last Chance is shown but the waypoint isn't quite right. In the end it is about fifty yards away. I turned in and took a couple of pix. I arrived after they had closed unfortunately. I had no idea how to mark the car-park as the waypoint on the TomTom. On the old Garmin Quest there is a simple "where am I" button and you can give the waypoint a reference. I set it to record route, and then set a route for home. So at least the exact waypoint will be marked. No cockups next week I hope. Until recently I didn't realise I had more options for planning routes. I now seem to have wonders like "winding road" as well as bicycle and walking!  Before I had only fastest and shortest! The run home was the shorter "winding road" an...

Came out to go on a ride to make sure my Pet Food Run route was okay. Dead. Döra just clicking. Check the isolator in the side stand, click kill switch.  Nothing. Called the Triumph Rider Assist outfit and 45 minutes later Mr Dale the RAC Man arrived. Meters everything. Relays all working. Power to the starter motor. Dead. Put a the fiddly panels and covers back on. Earth the battery to his power lead and the engine. Vroom. Search with keyhole surgery precision to find the other end of the earth lead. Just visible and bolt almost out.  What luck I wasn't riding along! Tightened the bolt up. All okay. This looks like when the engine was out for the new head that the Hinckley tech missed it. I repeat. Effing good job that it didn't happen on the road!