Well after making a telephone complaint…boy did the RAC complaint officer not want to admit that the org was at fault in any way, despite my showing that the operators/advisors on the day of the breakdown tell me various contradictory information and had told blatent untruths (lies to you and i).

Eventually they caved and I got an apology and three months extra cover. Not a lot considering the hassle they caused me, but in this day and age even getting a corporation to admit it might be at fault is almost impossible.

So as a result I’d like to say thanks for the three months extra, but once it is over I will be looking elsewhere. I did look at various bulletin boards and found many comments from RAC members saying that bike riders don’t get mechanics, that it is nearly always the recovery truck that appears at the scene of a breakdown, despite the propaganda eh sorry the marketing spiel of the RAC. I wonder if the AA etc are any better?

Ok it’s been more than a month since my last post and I feel ashamed…ok not really. I recently become a man of leisure thanks to the people paying me deciding to close the department I worked for. 13 of us got the boot.

So it’s been a month of self-pity and a holiday in Ibiza (don’t ask). Now I’ve got the old bike going again I’ve been out and about in Glorious Devon. God there’s a some beautiful biking roads in this place.

Last week I lost a bolt from my rear brake caliper…obviously didn’t have a spare on me or any brake fluid so called the breakdown service and hey presto they managed to turn the event into a nightmare. What should have been a bit of a wait followed by a 15 minute fix turned into more than a four hour nighmare…they made no attempt to fix it. Bastards!!!!!

I’m in the complaint process and we’ll see how they perform with this. Once the story is over I’ll do a write up as a warning to others….unless they attempt to resolve their pathetic performance.

The annual Devon Air Ambulance Trust Ride-Out takes place on Sunday July 12th this year. The event, which usually attracts lots of bikers from throughout the South West.

This years event is slightly different as there are in fact three rideouts. All start at 10am and head for Paignton Green. The starting points are: Coypool Car Park in Plympton, Atlantic Village in Bideford, and Cullumpton Services.

There’s going to be live music and refreshments in Paignton.

The cost of entry is £5 per bike.  The Trust is also selling T-Shirts to raise money at £7.

For further info look at the Devon Air Ambulance site.

The Bikers Make A Difference (BMAD) group, based in Devon, UK, holds an annual Bikers festival in Paignton, Devon. The event, along with the regular biker’s nights held on the sea front, raises money for charities such as Devon Air Ambulance.

Always worth a visit (I’ve been to the last three festivals) the event has everything a biker could wish for. Check out their site www.bmad.co.uk The films was made by Mark at www.southcoastbiker.com. The film and southcoastbiker site is not affiliated to BMAD. Views are those of the film maker.

Sadly the response was pretty poor. Of the eight or so I emailed only one gave me quote, two asked for further clarification of the work, the remainder did not answer. Pathetic!!!!

As any biker will tell you, the cost of going to a mechanic to repair your bike is expensive. Doing it yourself is better for so many reasons. Me being a lazy bum, I always paid out to get someone else to fix everything, but not anymore. I came to the conculusion that I should not be intimidated by the bike.

So I’ve been buying bits and pieces online, and cut down the costs by at least half. Bought reconditioned when I could and fixed it myself (except for the forks).

Dealers I used who did everything they were asked to do, including replacing an incorrect part (Bentleys):

Bentleys Motorcycle Breakers

Bitz for Bikes

Click the link below for a great video:

4000 Against Parking Tax

Last night (Tuesday 18th Feb) more than 500 bikers descended on to the Borough’s streets to voice protest at the unfair charges.

Bikers in the South West take note, what local politicians do in London, tends to be adopted by local authorities elsewhere in the UK.

Take a look at the campaign’s websites to see what has been done so far.

www.notobikeparkingfees.com

“Brittown” documentary makers Scott and Zack have created a facebook for bikers.  Named after the boys famous documentary ‘Choppertown’, the Choppertown Nation  site aims to create a place “where folks could gather away from the mainstream and share stories and pictures”.
As with all sites like this it will probably set out to be one thing and develop a life of its own – which is a healthy thing says I. All those who identify with Scott and Zack’s love of motorcycles, art, film, skate, rods and whatever.

A great site with great future.

www.choppertownnation.com

Dan Walsh’s book ‘THESE ARE THE DAYS THAT MUST HAPPEN TO YOU’….bloody marvellous read.

I think Dan has hit the nail on the head in the first part of the book where he describes why people ride motorbikes.

His prose may not please everyone, but don’t forget this is a man who wrote for ‘BIKE’ mag for years. Even for the likes of me, a middle-aged, balding bike lover with limited mechanical skills and crap riding technique, his diary of adventure is something to be related to and revelled in.
Thanks to my better half I got the book at Xmas and it was a fantastic read. No, it may not be so much about staring into the middle-distance and getting all poetic, but it sure beats Charlie B and Ewan Mc’s (sorry C and E – your travels are still great fun), full supported adventures.
Good one Dan. Loved it! A must buy.