InvictaMoto's Döra the Explörer

With the weather still good, like the summer's we used to have, I decided that with miles still to be put on the bike it was time to try a run to work.  I set off a little late and the traffic wasn't too bad on the way up until I was a few miles from work when it all clagged up and the Mongville drivers took over. Dora at work The ride home was worse.  Sunny and the first Friday of the schools holidays. The same mongs on the road. Why can't they drive one behind the other and leave the centre of the room free for us in two wheels. I stopped for petrol at the Tesco at Poplar and entered the details into the app. Now that's more like it. MPG The ride home was better once London was left behind.

It's not usual that I double post to several blogs at the same time, this run is very important to me and so I'm going for max coverage. Dougie and Medwyn set off on Saturday to ride around the country to visit all 51 of the Thankful Villages. The Thankful Villages are the ones that rightly gave thanks that after WW1 all the men that went to fight for King and Country from their village came back alive. It says a lot that only 51 villages were that lucky. The run is if course for charity; the aim being to collect money for the Royal British Legion. I won't go into Legion history as that is available on the 'net simply by using Google. Suffice to say that even now, 99 years since the "war to end all wars" began in Sarajevo, we still have troops deployed across the globe. And men and women are being wounded and killed wearing the uniform of their country. War is still ultimately senseless and in the most part futile, but until it stops for...

Today's ride out added a few miles to the odometer, not enough to make a great deal of difference so it looks like a day going to work is needed to knock off a load and perhaps go to the London Motorcycle Museum run with the Kent Centre next weekend.  Both of them will rack up about 300 or so. With the Thankful Villages Run a week away, I thought I'd ride over to Knowlton and see where the "Bravest Village in the UK" actually is.  In fact, it's not in the village but on the side of the "main" Sandwich Road.  I say main, but in the time I was there were obly three cars and a cyclist that passed by. Across the fiels is the Chillenden Windmill. Each time I go out the engine is becoming more "willing", spinning up quickly and seeming eager to get going. More information:  http://www.hellfirecorner.co.uk/TV/knowlton.htm The pictures are okay, but as the monument is south of the road and so was the sun... They are the best I could get....

I've had Döra two weeks and have only managed this pitiful mileage. I have one and half weekends left to get at least 384 miles on the click before the first service is due. I have never had a new bike for this long and not been out on it. Tomorrow, I need to get out early and get some miles on this clock. As I am over the 100 mile mark I can now get up to 5000rpm so it looks like a day riding to work at least this week.

Got home a little early and hauled Döra and Claire out to put a few miles under the rubber. In the end we had a run to Dover on the M20. Still stuck with 3500 revs I banged the cruise control on and we got most of the way from Hythe J11 to Dover at about 61mph! Cruise control is a great idea and useful when a constant low rev needs to be engaged, but until I get used to it, having a five inch long thumb is required. Slipping past the trucks on their way to the port. At least now I am over the 100 miles barrier and the revs can be increased to 5000! So to the conundrum? Where to put Baloo? Face of an angel?

I have to complete at least 500 miles before 1pm on the 27th July, when Döra goes for her first service. With work and other commitments it will be hard work. I might call Laguna tomorrow and see if I can postpone it to Monday 29th. I have two days off at the end of July, ostensibly one day to get over to Knowlton to meet the riders on the Thankful Villages Run. It seemed a little daft to have the Tuesday off and not Monday.  It's a plan and will give me another weekend to get out and add miles. So, back to today. It was the Kent Centre monthly meet and the plan was for breakfast and then ride over the Capel le Ferne on the White Cliffs to visit the Battle of Britain Memorial and their Memorial Day. My first job was to fit the Givi on the new rack. Cleaned and polished it doesn't look to out of place. I fitted the Thankful Villages Run sticker, must have that on for the run itself.   Thankful Villages sticker Then get ready. The weather has be...

I ordered the Givi plate for Döra on Sunday night and it arrived today. "Left with a neighbour" the email said. Then Claire emailed to say it had arrived next door. When the instructions say that things can be fitted with ordinary hand tools I usually don't believe them. They are right. There are no written instructions just an exploded diagram.  The tools needed are two Allen keys that I have no idea what size, but luckily I had them. Spanners are 12mm and 10mm. Firstly remove the Triumph plastic plate, then fit a couple of wings that will take the rack itself. Then with deft fingers fit the top plate.  It looks pretty good. The Givi E45 that I have was a bit dirty and so I have washed it and it wasn't ready for fitting!! Should be okay for the weekend or maybe open the wallet again.