Back

Back in the saddle once more

Well, I couldn't really stay quiet indefinitely... or indeed ever, if Mai was asked to comment on the matter. But neither did I fancy being a serial blogger on my road to recovery. Anyway, I have hijacked a page of my museum website to give you the update on my current situation.

Pretty much fixed, sums it up nicely... there, that's cut out the serial component admirably.

The hospital were bored with seeing me, so closed the case last Tuesday, 6 weeks to the day after my "off". The collar bone is some 18mm shorter than it started out, and has a whopping great lump, which will diminish over a couple of years. I have pretty much full mobility if I want to push it, so it looks like I got off lightly.

Having been cleared to ride my bicycle... I decided to leap frog it and say hello to the "girls" in the garage.... meet "Jay Jay" and "Velo" skulking dejectedly. Yes...this is what an Englishman's garage looks like.

So this is "Jay Jay". The true eccentric is rather obliged to give his mechanical objects names, it's de-rigeur. A 1991 Yamaha XJ600, bought new from the shop window in February 1992. Rumour has it she was the last one brought into the UK. Mai and I have been to every corner of the UK on this old girl. She's only on her second chain and sprockets, and the only component to fail has been the rectifier. The Yamaha you understand, not Mai. Currently a bit overdue for a "tart up"... hopefully that colloquialism crosses the cultural divide! All being well I will do that in time for her official 20th birthday. Any ambiguities as to the correct recipient of the last statements I will leave to your consciences.

With the dust of Saffranbolu still adhering to my boots, trousers ( I make no apologies for clinging to "my side of the Atlantic" terminology!) and jacket, I took my first tentative ride out on an un-seasonally warm 19th November. Yes, that was a long sentence, you can breathe again now.

Only twenty miles covered, as I wasn't sure how I would get on and.. I wanted to play with "Velo" too.

"Velo", as all Velocette's are called, hails from 1951 and just celebrated her 60th birthday back in May. Those of you rude enough to suggest I bought this one new from the shop window, may keep your thoughts to yourselves. But don't think I don't know where you live.

The engine design dates from 1931, and predates such niceties as the Valve Stem Oil Seal, which is not a marine mammal but a device to prevent this cloud of blue smoke when left un-run for several weeks.

Owing to the large glob of straight 50 oil that flops onto the piston crown via the intake valve, the fuel air mixture is significantly out of sorts. When the engine (eventually) fires it has to burn off the oil with this embarrassingly un-green result.

The Velocette 350MAC in all her primitive glory, was developed from the 1931 MSS, a 250cc machine that differed little otherwise from this 20 year younger model. Ever wondered why the British motorcycle industry was overtaken....

As you can see, there is no rear suspension, its a big bicycle frame with an engine hung in it. Although to be fair, in 1951 they had stopped using the girder front fork of the earlier models. This bike has correct engine and frame numbers, and was the almost the last iron headed MAC built, the remainder went over to oh-so-modern aluminium thereafter.

Power available is more than adequate for the brakes, thank you very much as the seven inch drums need three weeks written notice if you want to stop. She's most comfortable as 37mph, although, if you want to rattle out any tooth repairs.... I have found that 65mph comes up quite scarily.

Ah, my subtle fluorescent straps. My enormous stature dwarfs the Velocette as you can see. Yep.... that'll be the same stature that prevents me from reaching the ground from a GS650 then.

For all my jokes.... it's a perfect device for "thump thumping" around English countryside of an evening.

Does it leak oil, you ask? It's British......

20th November, again uncharacteristically warm, and it was time for a 70 mile ride around the Hampshire lanes. This is the Village of East Tisted, google earth it if your curiosity demands. The row of cottages were originally "Tied Cottages" for the farmhands.

Well that about sums it all up. Apart from a lingering ache, all is well. I hope to start cycling again soon too, and work off a bit of the extra padding I've collected these last weeks. I should be able to drag the aeroplane out of it's hanger soon too, as that is by far the most strenuous part of flying.

Once again, thank you all for tolerating me on the Turkey tour, I hope that we can all meet again for another trip, wherever it may take us. If anyone is in the UK, drop me a line, I'll make sure I'm away.

Seriously... I'd be delighted to see you all.