Full Power, full speed ahead!

Two years ago this week I passed my Motorcycle test, on Henry my plucky little CG125, resulting in my first real ride of Sylvie, my lovely Suzuki SV650 in her restricted form. Two years on and I have been riding around on a restricted bike, been touring with full panniers and have taken many friends for a blast up the road.

So how is it to ride a full power SV650S with a handle bar conversion?

Can I start the engine now please?

There is only one word that fits Sylvie in her unrestricted form, beautiful! I am however once again back on the learning curve and this time it is a little easier. Well it was, then Carol said those word that involve great power... "Have a go on Noreen!" she said...

Right a bit, left a bit... Eek, too much power!

Riding a full power muscle bike is a revelation, but what really shines out is that there is a sense of menace with a bike this powerful, the sort of menace that lurks deep inside, the sort that wants to twist that throttle hard and sprint down the road at super speed... Me naughty? Never!

A perfect track stand, utterly still, the rider in perfect balance with machine!

So with the full power ECU back in place and the 33BHP unit sat in an envelope ready to post off to a person on the SV forum, it was time for a ride. Shame it was so damn cold.

OK, but I am not riding your bike back home!

Yes, good old Sand Bay here in Weston, a place we came when we brought Sylvie to her new home for the very first time, back in the days when a 125cc Bike scared the life out of me.

Through the mists of time, we can see Jayne in 2008!

I can nearly ride a bike me!

Now with us both on full power bikes at last, Carol no longer has to hang around at the back waiting for me to catch up. Although, in all fairness to the fabulous Sylvie, even restricted she was able to make good time on her trips out. So now I have to start learning again how to ride my bike and as a full power bike she is just awesome. So for a training ride with the wife, we headed out to Blagdon to buy some food for Alby the Barnowl. With two frozen chicks strapped to the back of Noreen, we got ready to ride home and then the heavens opened.

Got there safe, time to buy some Alby dinner.

Here comes the rain

Jayne enjoying British spring time

The ride home was awesome and watching Carol disappear into the distance reminds of just how far I have come and how far I still want to achieve. Learning to ride a bike well is not something that can be rushed with a five day training course, it is about learning skills, building experience and getting through the mistakes. Riding well takes practice and it takes training, so if I had to do my time again, I would still do it the same way. If you are about to start riding a bike, do it my way and really enjoy the learning. Every bike I have ridden so far has been an awesome place to be sat, be it Henry the Honda CG125, Agnes the Yamaha XJ400 or My dear Sylvie the Suzuki SV650S. Maybe one day when my skills are a little more refined I can enjoy the experience of taking Noreen the Kawasaki ZRX1100 for a ride, but that wont happen until I am ready and for that there is no rush.

Thank you Carol for all of your patience, training and advice, all of it was greatly appreciated. 

Time to remember

Sad news this month, June 2011 sees the passing of Nanny Noreen, Carol's Nan and a woman who has shown me considerable kindness. I know that Carol was deeply upset, Nan might have been approaching her nineties, but she was never an old woman and she kept her dignity right to the end. She also kept her faith in humanity right to the end and passed away still a confirmed atheist. Her funeral was a gentle affair and we listened to some of her music as we walked in and I was asked to make a reading of a poem that I had found for her.

If I should die before the rest of you 
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone 
Nor, when I'm gone, speak in a Sunday voice, 
But be the usual selves that I have known. 
Weep if you must 
Parting is hell. 
But life goes on. 
So sing as well.

Joyce Grenfell

Her funeral was not meant to be a sad time, she was always a strong and graceful woman, who stayed strong willed and dignified right to the end. So it seems fitting that we should live on as she would want, being brave, being strong and most of all being ourselves.

When I passed my bike test I was very pleased with myself and I am sure that I blogged here that the first place we went on my first road ride on Sylvie, the massively huge and powerful bike that she felt back then was to see Nanny Noreen. I actually fell off Sylvie in the car park right outside her flat, but she never teased me or made me feel small for my mistake.

So in her honour we present a new friend to the fold. In this way, Our Nan will always be with us, not just in our hearts and our memories, but in tribute too. I present Noreen, the Kawasaki ZRX1100.

Named in honour of a dear old lady, much loved and much admired. We will be collecting her on Saturday and introducing her to the girls in the garage. 

Take care out there folks and if you too have an elderly Nan you have not seen for a while, but love dearly, pop round for a cuppa. You never know when you will see her next.