Free Alan

Not a bike update this time. Please sign the Alan Johnston petition calling for his safe return.

Awol

No updates recently as I’ve been changing PC’s, with all the associated trouble that goes with moving between window versions.

Since the last post I’ve been keeping busy. I’ve been on my first Pan Clan outing – a short tour round the battlefields of East Lothian. All those exciting places where we fought off the old enemy. Occasionally we won.

I’ve even commuted through Edinburgh, and despite the size, it’s not too bad at fitting through the gaps in the traffic. It’s not as nippy as my old CB500, and it gives of a tremendous heat, but I got to and from work a lot faster than taking the car.

And I’ve even had my first damage. During the high wind the other week, the cover acted as a sail and toppled the Pan over, scratching the left pannier when it landed. To say I was spitting bullets was an understatement. The cover was only on to prevent damage from the elements. And to make matters worse, I had to spend ten minutes getting the cover off before I could attempt to pick the Pan up. The only plus was that I was needing fuel, so the upper tank (lower one too) was empty, so I wasn’t having to lift 30ish kg of fuel at the same time. Bend the knees, brace yourself and make sure when it is eventually up, you don’t go and push it over on the other side.

More rambling nonsense follows shortly.

Pan miles so far 001577

Update

This is a short post just to keep the blog ticking over. Recently I've been off round in the Stirling direction, and on other occasions went for a short blast round Fife, interspersed with the odd local short runs. Rear heated grips and the lighter socket have been fitted, and instructions will follow soon.

Right now I'm in the process of moving over to a newer computer, so the photos that I'd like to upload are currently elsewhere. Watch this space.

For the newbies

I’ve had a couple of occasions since buying the Pan when people have came over and asked for an opinion on this bike. Now any excuse to talk bike is OK by me. We went to Glasgow this weekend, with the convenience of bike parking for free right in the middle of the city (north side of the City Chambers) and were chatting with a couple who were contemplating a new bike. If you are that couple, in answer to your question, now I’ve tried driving it in town, it isn’t too bad, though the heat from the engine can build up and leave you with roasting knees if the traffic snarls up. (Even on a bike there’s no escaping the Forth Bridge roadworks.) The low centre of gravity is a bonus which makes urban driving all the easier, though a further progress report will follow when I’ve driven it to work during the Edinburgh rush hour.

I’m curious to know if people will still be interested in talking when it is covered in dead flies, road grime and the fairing is held together with gaffer tape from falling off the stand. Right now it is still shiny

Two things a new Pan owner should know.

1. You release the driving seat by unlocking the left hand luggage catch and pressing the lever that’s inside the grab rail. Honda includes this instruction in the users manual, and then locks this handy booklet under the seat…
2. Don’t leave chocolate bars in the fairing pockets, unless you like drinking chocolate.

Had a small bit of maintenance today. The Pan was mostly Datatagged, on the weekend I brought it home, however the blue marking compound had burst and solidified in the tube. Datatag sent a replacement stencil set and marking compounds, so now the bike is that little bit more secure. I’m not sure if the bike was Smartwatered at purchase, as there’s no label on the bike, and I couldn’t find out from Smartwater themselves.

Forthcoming events on the maintenance front includes the fitting of heated grips for the rear grab rails, and a 12v socket. Photos of the process will be included. No photos of the Datatagging are included here as I don’t want everyone knowing where I stashed the chips and microdots.

Pan miles so far 000682

Loch Lomond

So the run that was supposed to take place last week went ahead today. From Fife, over the Kincardine Bridge and onwards to Drymen. It was one of those odd east coast days where the haar refused to lift until well inland, though once out of the fog, the weather was glorious. One of those days where you get moving quickly, just for the cooling breeze. A minor detour in the Blair Drummond direction saw us down a farm track giving the suspension a workout, but we soon rejoined the main road, pulling into Drymen around noon. Lunch was at the Drymen Pottery Café, which was very nice, if a wee bit on the steep side. Good selection of cakes gives a spanner rating of 3.5 out of five, let down by the fact that you only score above 4 if you sell fair trade teas. (It’s my spanners and I make the rules!)

From here it was off along the west of Loch Lomond, with a few layby stops. Should have packed a water bottle, as it was roasting. A short stop in Crianlarich sorted out the liquid situation before returning via Killin, Aberfeldy and the A9.

Only real problem was that my lid, which was the largest that Shoei made at the time is a bit tight, and my head was thumping by half way round. I have discovered that Shoei have gone one size larger, so Forth Gear may be getting some extra custom in the near future.

I really like this bike.
Pan miles so far 000469

Forth Gear

I’ve had a lot of problems getting kit to fit. Huge head, large feet and a beer belly means that I need the upper end of the scale when it comes to buying clothing. And I have tried on nearly every helmet on the market before finally squeezing my head into an XXL Shoei Raid lid. Part of the reason that I had a problem finding a helmet is that where a manufacturer actually made a helmet in something approaching my size, the retailers refused to order them in for fear that they might be stuck with a large helmet on their shelves. One major dealership who will remain nameless, (I don’t like their cars either…) told me that they would order me the biggest lid they make, but I was expected to pay for it whether it fitted or not!!!

So I’m glad that a place like http://www.forthgear.co.uk/ exists. It’s a compact but very well stocked shop in South Queensferry and they keep a very broad range of sizes of kit, from kids up to someone considerably larger than myself. And here’s a tip for the shops that refuse to stock big kit – they can’t keep the largest of the helmets on their shelves. I only dropped in for a pair of gloves and a cover for the Pan, but they very nearly sold me a new helmet. If it hadn’t been for the purchase of the bike this month, I would have been tempted. To use the rating system from the Haynes manuals, they give a five spanner level of service – where one spanner is amateur and anyone can do it, and five spanners is for experts and the highly skilled only. Forth Gear rocks!

Not many extra Pan miles this week, but the Loch Lomond trip from last week looks like going ahead on Saturday. Weather, and battery permitting.

Pan miles so far 000264

Short run

Just a short run to Kirkcaldy and back today. Parked up outside the church, and had a couple of the more senior members of the congregation commenting that they would love a shot. It does make a bit of a statement, as it's not the sort of transport normally found in a Church of Scotland car park.

Saw the local Easter egg run today at the Victoria Hospital. Well done to all involved, and I hope to be involved in future runs.

Then it was back home. Would have went further but the wind was picking up, and I'm not sure of this bike as yet to run it in a cross wind with a pillion.

Miles so far 000224

Not happy

In hindsight I should have realised that the clock reseting itself twice was a bad sign...

After parking up on Friday night I gave the bike a good look over, including setting the clock. Saturday morning, while preparing for a run to a very nice cafe near Loch Lomond I was trying to work out how the various dashboard displays worked when I thought I reset the clock - in hindsight I think it was a cry for help from a dying battery, as, after filling up with petrol, the display went a little odd, the trip counters reset and, worst of all, the starter motor wouldn't turn.

OK, so now I'm annoyed. This is the bike that has been in my ownership for less than eighteen hours. I managed to get the bke going after coasting it down a short slope, dropped Mrs Gerbil off at the house and then carried on up to Perth for a new battery. But bang goes the trip round the bonnie bonnnie banks. We stil managed a trip to Callendar which was quite pleasant, and the bike was flawless all the way. I had to filter a bit through the bank holiday traffic and I was surprised how nimble it was. For a big bike it is still quite narrow. Stil think the electric screen is a bit of a gimmick.

Miles so far 000202