BX Musings

[KevR]

Funnily enough, Bike Magazine was my principal reading material back in the 70s and 80s and their journos were notorious for bragging about personal excesses but equally capable of scribbling informative and entertaining roadtests. I see the fortunes of their founder, Mark Williams has waxed and wained and included a stint of time at Her Majesty's Pleasure for Class A drug-smuggling. Not totally surprising given his frank and frequent revelations over the years about his lifestyle choices in his various columns.

Mark's back writing in the new issue of BIke....!

I believe his stint AHMP started after he was stopped at the airport and a search found he had large amounts of used notes taped all over his body....

[Des Smith]

a search found he had large amounts of used notes taped all over his body....

That was probably the ill-advised investment proceeds of the vast quantities of money he was paid for 'Bike' when he flogged it to EMAP. Never a good idea to go back to a job - it's never as good as you remember it and in his case, the old and bold will assume it's a cynical exercise. Still, he's got to earn a crust to feed his habit, so he's welcome, but I certainly won't be contributing.

[KevR]

Don't worry - I don't think he's back full time, it was just a one-off.

[Des Smith]

He's scribbling a column in Trail Bike Monthly, so my green laning spies tell me...

[Tinkley]

Trail biking through the 'hash' fields of Surrey and Hants then?

[mds141]

Where's 'Dan Walsh'?

[Des Smith]

Where's 'Dan Walsh'?

They seek him here, they seek him there, they seek the f@#ker everywhere....

[Tinkley]

Another one chasing 'The white lines of the freeway'......

(Joni Mitchell - Coyote)

[KevR]

Dan still surfaces occasionally. Good writer, always entertaining, if a bit too keen on Hunter S Thompson for my liking. I remember trying to teach him some advanced riding techniques when he'd not long been at Bike - it was like trying to teach a cat to jump through hoops...

Just read the Mark Williams piece in Bike - 'test' of new Triumph Bonnie and Honda CB1100. Utter, utter turgid shite....

[Tinkley]

The good news is the Athena should get her MOT tomorrow. Failed on front strut return (fixed in 15 mins as I had a spare at home), weep from somewhere by the front ride height corrector, and guess what not enough handbrake spare travel!!!. As we all know the latter is a non issue.
However thanks to the boys at PTS for quickly checking the leak around the height corrector. I was warned it was 'a jubilee clip thing, probably' so I had tightened the Octopus to ride height clip gently. By the time I got over to PTS no more fluid had exited, as they had it on the ramp in a jiffy. Checked it out properly, cleaned it up a bit, checked corrector, soft big T connector nearby etc. Thanks Mark. I prefer to let these guys or other knowledgeable folk check it, rather than the local MOT station. No disrespect to the local station its just Citroens are Citroens, the handbrake travel issue says it all...

What a relief to be back in the BX, it doesn't take too many miles before it feels 'right' again. The unit from my old car was about 200rpm less at 70mph indicated. Not sure if BE3 gearboxes had different ratios but this thing felt like flying and it has been pretty warm today. Loads more torque too.

I also made contact with Chevronics to get a new steering coupling. Last year it was an advisory but strangely not this? Maybe the new drop links helped. New steering rack gaiters for next year along with new discs and pads on the front, I think but hardly critical right now. It will be good to be back on the road and I have to commute to Hayling Island next week so she will get quite a few miles on her.

[Tinkley]

The good news, Athena now MOT'd and ready to roll. I will need new sills and o/s inner wing welding for next year I think. Anyone used Danny Masters based in Milford Surrey for welding/repair? Its a fair old way over to Chevronics probably 75-80 miles from me, though I know they can do a good job.

Thanks to all on the forum esp Malcolm and Mat for all their help. I wouldn't have this car but for this forum, as it was after the old one got crunched I was prepared to say goodbye to BXs' with much regret.
Have to say, I really feel sorry for the guy with the red diesel that got T boned. You know the insurers will Cat D it as soon as look at it and now 4 years on from when I bought the last one, they are getting really hard to find in half decent nick..

Hope that GTI in Sunningdale gets taken care of. I could always drop a 1.6 in it, to keep it cheaper to run but maybe my SORN'd one will get that attention. Mmmm maybe a red Athena! Like rutter I'm not far from that particular car. Probably got enough to 'play' with though.