InvictaMoto's Red Pepé Blog

It's been a mild winter so far this year. But since I got back from Ostend, Pepe has sat in the garage unused. With work and then Christmas, allied with miserable drizzle, I've not been out. This needs to change. During a routine in-garage check I found one of the grub screws had gone AWOL from one of the screen brackets. Dashing off a quick email to Skidmarx resulted in a couple of spares arriving g in the post. Now maybe I can get out for a ride before the end of the year? Happy New Year everyone.

Friday . I like to prepare for a trip and usually lay my riding gear out the day before to look for any defects. So this was a job for Friday. We were both home as the night before we had been to see Deep Purple at the O2 in London, getting home in the wee small hours. Claire then had provided the extra hands it takes to adjust the Skidmarx windscreen. Loosening off most of the fittings needs a pair of hands to hold it in the right place, and another to tighten the bolts and Allen bolts. In fact I did the holding as the new position meant my hands were too big to get into place to tighten up the lower mounting points. Once completed,  I was almost ready for the run to Belgium the next day. Saturday . I had everything laid out for a 7.30am start but as usual I had forgotten some things. The alarm went and Reggie was up wanting to go out. After a night on the bed he needs his "garden break" before his breakfast. I double checked the...

There's a screen.  Or at least there is now. The screen worked pretty well. It took the wind off my neck, chest and shoulders but has increased the noise a little around my helmet. When it started to get covered in wet in the misty conditions I could see over it okay. It needs a bit of adjustment to shift it forward an inch or so and a little lower to be closer to the headlamps. Weekend I think for that.

Decided to go to Thurrock and join there. Arrived about 1230 after a petrol stop on the way. Pepe does about 180 to the tank before I start to get nervous. So as it clipped up 115 on the odometer I decided to fill up to ensure I had enough to get to the start and join the ride. It is easily 60 miles home from here. Doing the maths convinced me to tank up. Even in misty drizzly weather sitting in a large column of bikes is hot business, once the fan kicks in. We were on the road and the M25 just before the allotted hour. Well done to the marshals in the absence of the local police service.  The photographer, former SOC member and Kent Centre Sec, Roger Wood, for the run from Thurrock stood atop the van belonging to  one of the charities we were supporting. I had cable tied one of the Ride of Remembrance car-flags to the sissy bar but sadly I didn't get enough wind to fly whilst  stopped.

Today I was working from home after the trains were cancelled and I came home from the station!  I did a bit of work, you can only do what is in front of you on the helpdesk software, and so  I had a late lunch and decided to have a look at the screen fittings. In the end, it was a 90 minute lunch and it is fitted. The four brackets have to be done one at a time, offering up the screen each time before tightening them in place. In the end it looks pretty central.  No time to test it today. That will have to wait until the weekend. Fitted! The instructions are pretty rubbish, and look like an eighth generation photocopy of the original drawing. Still, the photo on Skidmarx website was marginally better. My positioning looks a little different but it seems rigid. Only a test ride will tell if it is okay.

The next and who knows, last Devall Boys trip? https://devallboys.blogspot.com/

The final requirement to take a bit of the wind off my head and shoulders is a screen. I looked at the Triumph flyscreen, and although it looks good, it might not be what I need. Instead, I ordered one of these and it arrived recently.  I need to spend a few hours in the garage and get it fitted. Skidmarx advert The instructions are pretty poor and I have a better idea from the picture of where the fittings go. So far have only had the time to offer it up and have a look at where it will go. Trying it for size