Well, look at that, it's January 1st. So, as tradition dictates, I'd like to wish all my readers a very happy New Year.
I'm not a believer in New Year's resolutions as I feel that if you want to make a positive change in your life, you just have to do it. Why wait for an arbitrary calendar date to give you permission, or act as the catalyst? Saying that, I'm really aware that I haven't been blogging much these last few months and there a few reasons for this. Mainly, there has been quite a bit going on in the 'real world' so I haven't been able to dedicate a huge amount of time to the site, which pains me to admit. As we move into 2018, I fully intend to get my mojo back and really push the site to new heights.
With that in mind, I'd like to give a quick summary of the 2017 Motorcycle Live show that took place back in November at the NEC in Birmingham.
Motorcycle Live remains the premier bike show in the country and is well worth the journey. It took us about three hours to get there, so we stayed overnight nearby, therefore limiting stress and fatigue by not trying to do everything in one day.
It would be very easy to go into a very long winded detailed review of the show, but instead, I'm just going to say that it was really enjoyable. Going midweek allowed us greater access to all the major manufactures who were displaying their latest models, but whats really great is Motorcycle Live gives smaller companies an equal opportunity to raise the profile of their bikes, accessories and reputation within the industry.
I'm not a believer in New Year's resolutions as I feel that if you want to make a positive change in your life, you just have to do it. Why wait for an arbitrary calendar date to give you permission, or act as the catalyst? Saying that, I'm really aware that I haven't been blogging much these last few months and there a few reasons for this. Mainly, there has been quite a bit going on in the 'real world' so I haven't been able to dedicate a huge amount of time to the site, which pains me to admit. As we move into 2018, I fully intend to get my mojo back and really push the site to new heights.
With that in mind, I'd like to give a quick summary of the 2017 Motorcycle Live show that took place back in November at the NEC in Birmingham.
Motorcycle Live remains the premier bike show in the country and is well worth the journey. It took us about three hours to get there, so we stayed overnight nearby, therefore limiting stress and fatigue by not trying to do everything in one day.
It would be very easy to go into a very long winded detailed review of the show, but instead, I'm just going to say that it was really enjoyable. Going midweek allowed us greater access to all the major manufactures who were displaying their latest models, but whats really great is Motorcycle Live gives smaller companies an equal opportunity to raise the profile of their bikes, accessories and reputation within the industry.
The show isn't just about eye candy though; it gives visitors a great opportunity to pick up a bargain, or find some clothing your local dealers don't stock. Looking to change my Rukka R-Star gloves, which I've been using for a few seasons now, having tried on gloves from Alpinestars and Dianese, I wanted to try on some Held Twin gloves . I'd read very favourable reviews and the Twins have received a RiDE magazine recommended rating, which in the UK biking scene, carries some weight.
As you can probably tell, I picked up a pair. They are a double lined Gore Tex winter glove, with good armour and leather/textile construction. I've only worn them the once (Christmas present) and they fit nicely under my Rukka Matti jacket and their combination of wrist strap and cuff restraint secure them nicely to my hands. This is especially important as, although I did like the R-Stars, I could easily pull them off without undoing the wrist strap. Apart from that, they were excellent, being warm with a good level of feel for the controls. As there is still a little life left in them, they will become my spare set and in the meantime, I'll keep you updated with my progress with the Helds.
With the Christmas and New Year break, I was able to dedicate some time to cleaning the FireBlade after using it in a variety of conditions these last few weeks. With a mixture of very cold clear days and warm rainy ones, the roads were filthy, which as you may expect resulted in one very dirty motorcycle and some very dirty kit.
As you can probably tell, I picked up a pair. They are a double lined Gore Tex winter glove, with good armour and leather/textile construction. I've only worn them the once (Christmas present) and they fit nicely under my Rukka Matti jacket and their combination of wrist strap and cuff restraint secure them nicely to my hands. This is especially important as, although I did like the R-Stars, I could easily pull them off without undoing the wrist strap. Apart from that, they were excellent, being warm with a good level of feel for the controls. As there is still a little life left in them, they will become my spare set and in the meantime, I'll keep you updated with my progress with the Helds.
With the Christmas and New Year break, I was able to dedicate some time to cleaning the FireBlade after using it in a variety of conditions these last few weeks. With a mixture of very cold clear days and warm rainy ones, the roads were filthy, which as you may expect resulted in one very dirty motorcycle and some very dirty kit.
I set to work using a mixture of the usual cleaning products and was really interested to see how the XCP range would cope with the grease and grime that had built up on the bike during these harsh conditions.
After cleaning off the 'loose' mud and dirt with a sponge, I used the XCP universal cleaner to tackle the grease and grime that had built up on and around the chain. Cleaning the chain has never been a nice job, but its necessary to help maintain it's longevity. I sprayed the XCP Universal Cleaner all over the chain, waited a few minutes and then tackled it with a cloth with some more cleaner sprayed on. I was never expecting a 'light swipe and its gone' approach, but was still really pleased with just how quickly and easily the grease came off both the wheel and chain. I was so pleased, that I even broke the 1098 out from under its cover to give its wheels the once over and they've come up like new. Very impressive.
After cleaning off the 'loose' mud and dirt with a sponge, I used the XCP universal cleaner to tackle the grease and grime that had built up on and around the chain. Cleaning the chain has never been a nice job, but its necessary to help maintain it's longevity. I sprayed the XCP Universal Cleaner all over the chain, waited a few minutes and then tackled it with a cloth with some more cleaner sprayed on. I was never expecting a 'light swipe and its gone' approach, but was still really pleased with just how quickly and easily the grease came off both the wheel and chain. I was so pleased, that I even broke the 1098 out from under its cover to give its wheels the once over and they've come up like new. Very impressive.
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