Two-up on a Sunday Morning Ride

It has been a while since I went on a Sunday Morning ride. My shuttle between London and Cork doesn't help my biking either. On the weekends I'm in London, there is so much to catch up that I find myself strapped for time to go out on a leisure ride. During my last visit, the weather wasn't great. So just went for a spin locally. I decided that if the weather holds good then I'm doing a leisure ride of about 100 miles.

The weather on Sunday was good and I was just rearing to go. My wife said she too was interested and would like to join me. To ride two-up with her is always something special for me. Took my bike out and went to my usual Barking Tesco to fill-up and check air. To my bitter surprise, I found that they have installed a pay-and-use air. I decided I was not going to pay 20p to fill air and then headed to the Beckton Sainsburys.

The bike feels very different when the recommended tyre pressures are not maintained. I've been told that even 1 or 2 psi would make a drastic change to the feel of the bike. This is not the first time I have ridden at lower tyre pressures and so am gaining the feel of the bike. The front tyre was 4psi below the ideal and no wonder the bike felt abnormal while turning. After filling up it was time for our leisure ride.

This ride had only one purpose, at least, as far I was concerned - ring the neck of my Yam in the lower gears. I decided to take to the A406-M11-A414-A12-A406. The trouble with "ringing the neck" is that in reality it will never happen without seriously breaking the speed limit. On the 50mph sections I was always on 1st and 2nd just to listen the engine at around 6k. On the 70mph sections again stayed on 1st and 2nd - as ever love the engine note at around 9k. I have to find out a way to record this wonderful sound, perhaps strapping a small point-and-shoot camera to the petrol tank would do.

Getting off M11 at Junction 7 to A414, I practised some braking. On long trips, I downshift to slow down and then am gentle on the brake, but not today. Staying within bottom 3 gears there is no drastic speed reduction during downshift, so had to trust the brake. I didn't feel sponginess while braking, methinks it is more to do with my constant reminder that my bike is getting to a year after service and that needs some check-up.

Anyway with Junction 7 done and dusted, A414 to Maldon greeted with the usual busy Sunday Morning traffic. This section has got some nice flowing right and left handers but you won't be leaning too much if you are within the limits. As I hate to sit behind a slow car on these nice curves, I would drop myself from the car ahead and then carry the corner speed before catching up with the traffic. It is a nice feeling to take the corners in the lower gears when the bike is in its power band wanting to break free.

On this section, I spotted a police car at the end of a left-hander. Before taking the corner, I dropped myself from the car ahead to carry the 50mph corner speed in first gear. I felt so good going through the corner, and after seeing the police car (and the police man), I can see why they are there. Anyone who is lured to speed through the corner will be caught after they have taken it and they can't see the police car while they go through the corner. As I don't take chances, okay most of the times, I may not have got their attention except for the 1st gear scream of the engine.

There are a couple of roundabouts on this section of A414 heading to Maldon where they meet 30mph sections. These roundabouts let you practice downshifts and braking and if they are clear can practice cornering as well. With about 3 miles to Chelmsford there are two roundabouts within a space of a mile or so that lets you whack the throttle and bring it down. With a clear road ahead, behind and in the rounadbout, it was time to improve my corner speed carry through. As I rode through the roundabout with more than my usual speed, I had a chance to practise left-right-left flip through counter-steer.

The feeling you get while leaning the bike had to be experienced first hand as words cannot describe it. And I'm not talking about knee-scrapping stuff, just more than gentle lean that would make you wonder how on earth these tyres grip the road to let you do what you always felt physics-defying. Exiting the roundabout, opened the throttle as quickly as I'd and within about 3-4 seconds I was over 70 in the 1st and 10k revvs, and the bike is still accelerating has it has another 30% power left in it. The acceleration was truly exhilirating. The purpose of my day's ride had been fulfilled.

I decided to return on the same route as I've never done A414 Chelmsford-Harlow. Unforuntately few miles down A414 from Chelmsford there was a traffic stoppage due to some plant movement and I turned around back to Chelmsford to take the A12 to return home. Throughout the trip, I stayed within the bottom gears and only very briefly i ventured to the fourth when I was stuck behind a gaggle of cars on the A414.

I had done about 85miles non-stop and by the time I was back home, the fuel meter was about to hit reserve. It's drunk about a litre for every 8 miles and that is not bad, because on long-haul trips it drinks a litre for every 8.5. Do I really care about the fuel economy when the machine gives me a lot of joy and fun?

Oh, forgot to mention my wife anywhere (Sorry dear, hope you wouldn't mind me enjoying the lust for this machine once in a while). Our next two-up ride is going to be a very special one and I can't wait. Do come back to read that entry.