Sally!

[Steve Lake]

hey Bill, good to hear that things are progressing, it sounds like you were 'lucky' regarding the extent of your injuries.... lucky, as in.... could have been a hell of a lot worse. I agree , all meds have a side effect... some worse than others, and different people in different ways, I can tolerate any amount of antibiotics with no side effects, but ibroprufen and the like render me a gibbering idiot. (hang on, SWMBO says that's my normal state!)....
#1 is laid up, on SORN, and will be attended to in due course. struggling to finish building workshop before the bad winter weather sets in. so hopefully will get #1 sorted for the spring.
pip pip

[themoudie]

Aye Steve,

All the best with the finishing of the workshop afore the onset of winter. Past couple of days up here we have felt the Arctic chill and this morning we had a wee flurry of "soft hail"! With more forecast for later in the day.   We shall await and see what arrives.

Good health and my regards, Bill

[Ian]

Hello Bill, seasons greetings to you. I was just wondering about the progress of both yourself and dear old "Sally". I am presuming you are on the mend now but the prevailing climate (and your health!)may have restricted any progress on your bike.
All the very best to you and yours..
Ian 🙂

[themoudie]

Aye Ian and Steve, thank you for your greetings, enquiries and concerns.

Sally has had the petrol tank removed and drained along with the contents of the carbs and a spray over to try and prevent surface corrosion. Silencer, looks to be the worse for wear, as does the rear brake lever and mounting plate. The offside rear shock rod maybe slightly bowed and the swingarm definitely requires the straight edge treatment. Freezing conditions, black ice and the gammy leg have prevented further operations in the workshop, I am sorry to report.

On the bright side the surgeon signed me off last Thursday and I now have to "crack on" under my own steam and do my own therapy to boot. Muscle wasteage and nerve damage are my enemies, so I am "walking" around the house with no crutches. A single crutch when out in my place and the workshop. Two crutches when fighting with the hordes in any public place, just for speed and safety. Some shop floors are as slick as a well oiled ****** ***!    I think the local pool and flumes are going to get used. Also the last of the big wound scabs, fell off as my Xmas present to myself!  Little things mean a lot at times.

I am still pondering a Piaggio MP4 or a Gilera Fuoco 500!    Both 4/singles.

My regards, Bill

[Steve Lake]

hi Bill, glad things are progressing, albeit slowly....
so, sounds like not only have you got to fettle sally, you're going to have to fettle yourself now.... 3 cheers for the nhs, I'd have thought they'd have got you onto some sort of physiotherapy plan?.
Also good to know that you're no longer a scabby old git 

all the best for continued recovery in the new year
Pip pip

[themoudie]

Aye Steve,
Thank you for the verbal prodding, it does me good. Now moving about the house, garden and garage all day without the crutches. The NHS did a good job of getting me sorted, but as with yourselves the resources are stretched and there aren't the physio's about to do the job. Walking and resistance exercises seem to be working.

The local authorities up here cut back on salting and gritting (savings?), consequently Aberdeen and Dundee hospitals cancelled all planned orthopedic operations for the foreseeable future and were sending people home with unset breakages for up to 4 days before calling them back in to have the breakages sorted! My surgeon said that it was ongoing pandamonium and had increased the costs to his department over budget by at least £3,000,000!

Good health in 2018.

My regards, Bill

[timbo]

No surprise there. I think very soon we will all have to take direct action to save the NHS. On a side note, I've had a really painful shoulder for nearly a year, and went to see a physio who is a friend. She gave me a few resistance exercises to do every day, and I can't believe the difference 😀

[themoudie]

Good news, other party plead guilty to Traffic Act offences. Fined and points added to license. Maybe have progress with injury claim in 2018! 

My regards, Bill

[timbo]

Now, that really is good news. Hopefully takes away some of the mental stress 😉

[themoudie]

Now, that really is good news. Hopefully takes away some of the mental stress 😉

Aye timbo,

"Mental stress", I haven't gone there, it is just working away at the leg using resistance that is keeping me occupied. Unless the leg gets sorted the rest isn't going to happen. Stottering about with a gammy leg doesn't let me cover the ground; riding the bike isn't ALL that lifes about and if I cannot kick start or support the bikes when it comes to stopping, then I'm going to be changing my focus. 

Have a peaceful and healthy 2018.

My regards, Bill

[Ian]

Piaggio MP3 maybe Bill? 😉

Ian

[themoudie]

Aye Ian,

I have a local acquaintance, who stopped riding ZXR600's at 78 and then decided to take an MP3 on. He is now 86 years young and still giving it handfulls! Comments upon the way it allows him to "drift" through corners on the gravel bits in the middle of the lane!    Or that the odd patch of ice in early spring doesn't cause the problems it used to on 2 wheels.

Sally keeps up with him, but it is plenty fast enough on the A, B and C roads; just not the oomph on the dual-carriageways or motorways, if required. Hence the Gliera being included in the list.

Now driving again. It's the brake control that was the problem, but the control is returning despite the "cheese grater" effect of the nerve endings.

Good health and have a peaceful 2018.

My regards, Bill

[themoudie]

Update for those whom may be interested.

It seemed like a good day to celebrate, having watched the American Episcopalian verbally berate "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly"!  And "NO!", I am note going to bring religion onto this forum.

So, with 4 litres of "fuel", into the tank, oil levels, tyre pressures etc. checked, I gave Sally some welly late this afternoon. As is usual, these old ****** require priming of the cylinder with fuel and after 8 months layup, the compression is next to nothing, because the oil has slid down the bore. After 40 eases over TDC, I stuck the fuel 'ON', half choke and ignition, followed by a lusty bit of welly. The result was an almighty explosion, which Kat thought was a 12bore going off!    Back through the routine again and with gentle chuffing and easing open the throttle, Sally came to life and my leg was still in one piece. 

So after some warming through and then some slow riding figure of eights in the drive, on gravel,    I think we are ready for a canter into deepest Fife to see the 'Flying Scotsman' come over the Forth Bridge and complete a loop of the Fife Circle line, afore returning to Edinburgh, Waverley via the Forth Bridge, tomorrow.

Thank you all for your support these past 8 months, not much about Sally in here and in the end 'T-cut', some deft 10 tonne press work to straighten out the footrest mounts; dollying the exhaust pipe flange and the end of the silencer can, whilst dismantling the handlebars and levers and reassembling after a clean and lube appearred to be all that was required. Tomorrow will be the proof of the pudding.

Good health and my regards, Bill

[iansoady]

Have a good ride out!

[Moto63]

Having just come back from a decent run out with big bro and a pal of ours it was good to read that you were also hoping to get out again Bill after your recovery period. Feels good doesn't it when you get back in the saddle... long may it continue. Hope you had as good a run this morning as we did... 👍👍👍
Cheers, Michael