2010 Resolutions

Ah, 2009 an excellent vintage .Great racing, fun times,some riding improvement and two ace holidays both involving bikes. Stagnation is the roadblock on the road to happy times, therefore we must always keep moving and learning. At the start of '09 I wanted to be able to totally rebuild engines, rewind stator coils and install my lathe to start turning small items. All 3 achieved although it must be said not without major setbacks, mistakes are nothing to be ashamed of, I learnt a helluva lot.
This year's plan(and here it is in print....!) is to move into some Twinshock MX racing (been coming awhile) on the RM, modify the van to carry 2 bikes, make a start on the TM125 (1974) and get the XL125 ready for some adventures on the road/green lanes. Hopefully will sell the Fantic 200 as I don't need 2 trials bikes I didn't ride ONE trial last year,now that must change. The usual workshop stuff too, waterproof the roof and get some more lighting in.
Oh the XL125 well yes,er,another Newark autojumble purchase (see previous impulses..) OK I know it doesn't have an engine,or tank,or panels - merely details. It has a no. plate and on the white paper on seat the magic numbers 2 , 5 and a £ sign. It now has a tank,panels and a running CG engine in it. The mountings had to be fabricated dans la shed but it's a viable project. Just say it:I want to BELIEVE... The amazing device on the right with revolutionary new steering system (and only one tyre to buy) is the RM100. I'm aiming to race it this year; Yes really.

Ibiza: Never Mind The Balearics

Why Ibiza? To be honest £50 flight, £20 p.n accommodation. I hear it's £8-12 a beer in clubbing hotspot San Antonio so base myself on the opposite side of the island..A quick walk round the old fort in Eivissa, a trip to Spar for food/beer and yes 73p a litre: much more like it. Bus to little bay named Cala Llonga where my Self catering apartment is brilliant, make sandwich and straight out for a beer and exploration. There's around 10-15 bars on the streets behind the idyllic bay, and £3ish a pint but £8 and up for a meal (Spar food diet beckons) . I pick a bar with pictures of the owner and his CRF450, "Bike es bueno,Senor" and this sets me up. Magazines are produced ( luckily I read a little Spanish) the TV goes onto World Superbikes and he tells me a good bike is coming,soon. 3 pints later as he TV surfs to all available bike racing channels, a beast of a KTM690 roars up, a magnificent thing indeed.Get invited to ride the upcoming Ibiza Rally course with him, haven't got the heart to tell him I can only get a scooter....
Get myself a Honda 100cc 4stroke scoot for £20 and for a first ride (on the "wrong side of the road") a wise man starts gently. I am not known for my wisdom. Coast-to-coast Ibiza it is. It's hairy riding that little scoot on the highways with lorries tonking past,and trying to get the correct lane for San Antonio. I pull up at the marina,heart-rate a little higher, enter a cafe and spy the clock. 15 bloody minutes! That's all it took.I zoom off into the lush hinterland and soak up the warm rays and verdant hills riding almost alone on the roads. I hit the coast and go to every beach on the North of the island to East,parking up on the sand in some places.By the time I return the bike (getting dark) I've done 160km but at a cost: fuel has set me back FIVE POUNDS.
More good memories, choosing the swankiest seafront hotel bar in Santa Eulalia (reputedly Spain's richest town..) smoking Camels while white-shirted staff bring me endless cerveza. Those 2 hrs in scorching heat to find the Secret Cove, accessible only through the forest and via a tunnel; then spending an afternoon there in splendid isolation.There's more to Ibiza than nightlife and burning money (why d'ya think the Hippies came here originally?). I never was much into dance/house music anyway,because as we all know, Ace of Spades beats King Of Clubs every time.