Motorcycle Man

Given that it’s now a few days into June, I figured it was about time I got the motorbike back on the road. Fortunately, today was dry and sunny so I wheeled it out of the garage, put some air in the tyres and pressed the starter button. It fired up first time and I set off for a quick ride to check everything was working as it should. Last year, at this time, I’d had terrible problems with the bike backfiring and not running properly, due most likely to a tankful of stale fuel. So when I put it away last winter, I made sure the tank was almost empty. Brimmed with fresh fuel, I set off up the A6 to Shap, crossed to Tebay and then back down the A685 to Kendal. A very pleasant ride and no popping, banging or misfiring. Sadly, the forecast is very mixed for next week so I don’t know when I’ll be able to get out again.
The IOM TT is back after a two year absence and I am looking forward to watching the races on the telly. The last time I went in person was 2003 and the picture on the left is me stood next to my Honda Fireblade, parked up next to the pits. I think I had just ridden the course and absolutely scared myself silly on some of the bends, hence the nerve calming cigarette. I did actually sell the Fireblade later that year because I just found it too fast. I can’t believe how obviously out of condition I am in that photo - overweight, smoking and it was definitely in my drinking days. Type 2 Diabetes was - unsurprisingly - only a couple of years away at that point!
Contrast that with today’s image. My drug of choice is now a cup of tea and I reckon I look a lot healthier. I definitely feel healthier, and my Triumph Street Cup has just enough power to make the ride interesting, but not scary. As a point of interest, the t-shirt I am wearing today is the one I bought back in 2003. Difference is that it’s quite big on me now rather than being the snug fit it was when I bought it!
As the friend I went to that TT with has now retired to the Isle of Man, I am hopeful of paying another visit to the island in the not too distant future. I need to hear the noise and see the speed at least one more time, before it all goes electric - or disappears altogether.