InvictaMoto's Red Pepé Blog

I had to go to Watling Tyres at Swanley to have the punctured tyre repaired properly.  The RAC guy came yesterday and we pulled out the screw and he did a temporary plug. The temp plug is restricted to 50mph so it was a long old ride up the M20 to not exceed that! In the end it cost £40 to have the rear wheel removed and the tyre plugged.   So much cheaper than a new tyre!  Plus properly fitted plugs by the likes of Watling (other tyre specialists exist too) is perfectly fine and legal. I would thoroughly recommend this branch to anyone that wants to ride-in/ride-out.  If you take your own new tyre they charge £20 to fit and balance.  

When I rode home from Neill's after the visit tot he BMW dealers I had no idea that somewhere along the way I had picked up a screw in the rear tyre. Luckily it was right in the centre of the tread and easily fixable.  As I have cover with the RAC I called them and it was about three hours before the patrol turned up.  It's summer holidays so I wasn't working anyway. It took a few goes before he could get a plug to fit and then re-inflate the tyre from his compressor. The plug held. I called around the tyre places and only Watling Tyres at Swanley would have the staff in to remove the wheel and do the proper plug. So tomorrow I will take a slow, restricted to 50mph, ride up to Swanley.

I was out early today to rise across to Tunbridge Wells to meet my brother Neill, and give him a ride home after he had taken his BMW K1600 in for a warranty recall on the gearbox. The ride out was pretty much as expected across to Tenterden then Sissinghurst and to the A21. Apart from a weird TomTom bypass of Tenterden that had ne join the A28 behind a car I had overtaken miles before. It was pretty much as expected though. We had a look around the showroom. They seem to have loads of bikes plated with 20 reg and ready to be collected. Then off to Neill's place. I didn't have the TomTom set but left it on. The Yamaha My Ride app was though. After a coffee and a chat I was back on the road. When I started up the bike the yellow light came to say I needed fuel. The miles to empty said 52. As I set off it dropped dramatically and I was working out whether to fuel up or go home and fuel up another day. The nearer I got to home I...

Sunday. The heatwave of 34°C plus days is finally over and so getting togged up in bike gear isn't too onerous. So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to ride to H's and back after a coffee and bacon sandwich with fellow Meldrews member Cal. The ride up through Elham Valley and back through Alkham Valley.  Where in the past I"d give it some welly now I am more of a cruiser. You can still enjoy a ride at 45 to 50 rather than 60 to 70mph.  "My Ride" worked today with no need to login. Even though the temperature is lower, it is very muggy. Even riding along in a mesh jacket it was still sweatsville.

Two short rides today to Folkestone get get bread and seafood cocktails for lunch from Dockers.