Well, how do I start writing this one....don't worry, both bikes and more importantly, I'm fine, so it's not an oh shit its all gone wrong post, nor is it, I'm shutting the blog down post (I mean, there's a handful of you people out there who pop back - assuming you're not a spy bots). This is one of those confession, need to have a strong look at my reflection type posts.
Okay, here goes. I think I'm dangerous on a bike.
I can ride, I know I can ride, I've proved it to many different instructors over the years, from a variety of different institutions, but I know how I ride when I'm not being watched. I'm trying to work out in my head if, the way I ride, is a mix between thrill seeking, actual talent - I'm no Johnny Rea, but I can hustle when needed - an overconfidence in myself or luck.
Case in point is the way in which I ride to and from work. I'm using the 'Blade at the moment as the Ducati is now becoming the weekend bike, which is fine. The Honda is a fantastic motorcycle. Its plenty quick enough, reliable, and comfy. I've said before that it's the best bike I've ever ridden and I still stand by that. It really is brilliant...and maybe that's the problem....it's just too easy.
I can, in fact anybody with a half decent bike can, go from 70mph to 100mph in about the same time it takes you to read this sentence. 
Now the second problem is because of the concentration levels I put in when riding, I want and almost need that all the time, otherwise I just get a bit....well...bored. This is fine when riding down some great little roads, but its hardly practical on the A31 or the M3 is it? I'm not saying I don't concentrate, its more that it becomes a hunt for the next little advantage.
God only knows what the drivers think of me and I make my way through them. I certainly don't hang about. I see a gap, I'm gone. If they're in the outside lane and there's space on the inside.....
If I keep riding like this, I'm going to die....horribly. Fuck I really don't want that.
I was sat having a coffee with Lucinda in Salisbury yesterday and I expressed these feelings...in a round about kinda way. She's a biker to, a good one, so it was a good discussion and she made some good points..
My friends, those I love, those I cherish - imagine the pain that my death could leave them with. I still can't forgive myself for that early morning call a few years back. 
What I'm saying is that I have to calm down. Time and a place and all that. 
Sorry, went on a bit of a ramble there...anyway, to cheer everybody up a bit, here are some new pictures of the FireBlade after I altered the chain, topped up the oil and gave it a damn good clean this morning.

Whilst I still can (i.e. as the temperature is still reasonable before 06:00) I'm doing my level best to take the bike to work at least once a week. This is a bigger decision than you would expect, as it takes me nearly two hours to get to work in the morning. Long story. This weeks ride was weird because its the first time since December in which I've actually ridden in the dark. Like proper blackness. So hi-viz it was. Personally, I don't care if its 'uncool' but with the only real light on the back of my bike being around 6 inches wide, I'll happily take any additional reflective material I can. 
For the ride home, it was out onto the fun roads and even after work, being able to ride along some of the best biking roads in the South of England, just to get home, really works for me. 
This weekend I had a bit of time, so I headed up to see the team at Conquest Motorcycles in Three Cross. They've always treated me and my bikes well (very much like the team at Metropolis in Barnet in fact) and I went there to have a Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2 added to the rear.

I really love bike workshops. There is just something about them. The smell, the look and the feel of the places just make me feel, I guess, happy. On the way home I managed to incur the wrath of a white van driver who I overtook. Was the overtake safe? Yes. Was it necessary? I thought so - better air quality and better vision - for me anyway. Did I briefly exceed the speed limit? Maybe, but his reaction would have been funny if it wasn't so scary. I mean who goes ape shit at somebody because you pass them? Dude's going to give himself a heart attack.
And so on to today. At some point during the ride home from work last week, this happened.

Two of the screws holding the screen down, lost their tops and as a result, weren't supporting the screen. Bit of a pain, but without needing any real reason to add some unnecessary bling to my bikes, I ordered up a stainless steel fairing bolt kit from Pro-bolt.
The delivery was quick and I'm really pleased with the quality. Pro-bolt say that their bolts are a direct replacement, but in reality, they're not identical. The bolts come with loads (and I do mean loads) of plastic washers to make up the correct dimensions of the original bolts and all in all, it's not the end of the world, but it does leave a minor level of confusion as to which bolts are supposed to go where. 

Despite this, I'm really happy with the silver finish as this replaces the standard silver ones originally on the fairing. As you can see, the previous screen bolts were black, but the silver works fine and it's not like you can hide these sort of things. I certainly wasn't going to go pink, blue or some ghastly shade of orange.
Despite the slight confusion regarding the exact bolts you have and the ones you're supposed to change (I changed both sides of the mudguard, but left the bolts holding the front of the seat unit in place for example) I'm pleased with the quality of service and parts from Pro-bolt. In my opinion, even if money were no object, it would have been a waste of money going for titanium, and experience has taught me that aluminium bolts don't like being removed on a regular basis.
I'll check over the finances at the end of the month and see about replacing the fairing bolts on the 1098s. Going to stick with black for those though.

Wow, what a great couple of days. We started off on Wednesday morning heading up to Loomies in Hampshire for a late breakfast and then onto Midhurst and Petworth on the A272, before a coffee break in the early afternoon in Chichester. Great sunshine, great company, great roads and some great riding.
Thursday was filled with more of the same. As it was my birthday (39 already - crikey) I took the Ducati down to the beach for an early morning coffee, some people watching and some wasp swatting (don't get jam and scones is my lesson there). After an hour or so, I rode up to Compton Abbas airfield where I drank coffee and watched the little planes take of and land and then headed home via Salisbury on the A30 and the A354. Awesome roads and a great way to spend the day.

The day ended with a watch of the new Mark Neale film Hitting the Apex, the review of which you can find here (if you scroll down a bit) www.headbehindthebubble.com/motorcycle-media.html 
In keeping with the biking theme, I took the bike to work yesterday as well. Dull, but effective ride on the M3 in the morning and then a 'fun' ride back through Surrey and Sussex on the way home. Sadly, this was the worst ride of the week and traffic was busy and a few vehicles ruined the best parts of the journey as I couldn't get past. 
Annoying at the time, but not the end of the world really.

As was to be expected, the bikes have seen very little activity over the last few weeks. I did ride the 'Blade to work one day last week and took the easy way out and just sat on the motorway. No real reason apart from wanting to save time. The journey was uneventful, however I was welcomed by the amazing sight of the sun rising through the low clouds, which bathed the M3 in a soft orange glow. The M3 almost looked pretty....almost.
I've got a few days off this week and plan on doing some proper riding and what better way to start then spending the evening down at Poole Quay for one of the last bike nights of the year.

I'm looking at getting to Loomies in Hampshire on the bike today for lunch and then tomorrow an early morning coffee by the seaside. If the weather is favourable, I'll take the bike to work on Friday as well. If last week was anything to go by, it could save me nearly 90mins