Back on a bike....

**stmdvr** · 2nd September 2006, 22:24

Hi All,

Will that was interesting……..LOL

Today I picked up my bike and rode it home, sounds very easy does it not it? NO! it wasn’t!

First thing first:

1) I haven’t ridden a bike in over 10 years
2) I buy a 2 stoke 250 with only a kick start (something I’ve never been good at!)
3) It has a new front tire that’s only done about 20km’s so hasn’t scubed in yet
4) It’s going to be dark about the time I get home
5) The ride is about 25km’s of open road
6) It’s raining off and on
7) The seller says it’s a bit low on petrol, but it will be OK
8) He tells me were reserve is on the fuel tap

Ok, so I make it about 10 km when the bike starts to die….. I reach down and turn the fuel tap to where I’d told reserve was……. Bike then dies completely!!!!!!! Ok, no problem I can see and hear it still has fuel, lots of kicks later, still no life…..

About now I figure that there is something wrong with the fuel tap, so I push the bike about 200 meters to a street light ( did I say it was dark by now & still raining off and on?) No good, I still can’t make out the making on the tap…..

Ok, out with the cell phone and it worked! (I’m in the middle of nowhere) I phoned the seller, it went to the answer phone! BUGGER! Ok, bit more kicking, another 2 or 3 phone calls, still no joy

Ok, so what am I to do? About than I remember one important thing! The new cell phone has a light on it !! what a dumb ass I was! Ok so on with the light and find out the the seller had off and reserve back to front on the fuel tap, turn tap, a bit of throttle and a few kicks and I’ve got it going again and it had stopped raining!

Ok so the rest of the trip was GREAT! I got the bike running on the first kick after getting fuel at Dobson. I had also started to relax on the bike and was feeling more confident too! The round trip should have taken about one hour. Car out to Nelson creek and bike back in……. 2 hours it took me in the end. The new riding gear worked great! A new FFM M-7 helmet and Cordura jacket, pants and gloves from Rick at lifestyle imports. I was warm and dry all the way.

Over all, it was one hell of a way to get back into riding! BUT I had a grin from ear to ear when I pulled into home!

Jeffrey

**Maha** · 2nd September 2006, 22:44

I agree, sounds you had alot of fun, oh the joys of it all, still, you got home ok and 2moro you can have more fun on it, during daylight....

When i first got the Triumph, we had a huge ride way up north on the first weekend i had it, on the way home, it got dark (never ridden in the dark) and it began to rain, i had tinted visor and was riding 2 up for the first time also, that was alot of fun, had to swap lids though, so i could see....

**McJim** · 2nd September 2006, 22:46

Great to hear of other people my age on a 250. Post piccies on the "show us your 2 fiddy" thread so we can see your pride and joy.

Should be quite a fast wee machine there,

**sugilite:Me** · 2nd September 2006, 23:28

RGV's Rock, congrats may all your future rides run to plan!

**gijoe1313** · 2nd September 2006, 23:34

Good on ya mate! A bit of kiwi-can-do attitude shown there - you've just got back on the saddle and already have a biking experience to relate! Most excellent - hope you enjoy your renewal with two wheels of freedom and post up your riding along the way.

Ride safe and keep it rubber side down!

**Macktheknife** · 3rd September 2006, 20:28

Welcome back to the faith mate! lol
Keep the rubber side down and all will be well.

**stmdvr** · 8th September 2006, 17:41

Hi All,

I went for my 2nd ride today, just had too... It was a beautiful West Coast day

, Also it was the first chance I've had since I got the bike last Saturday!

So, the ride was south out of Greymouth, then up past Shantytown, Marsden then back into Greymouth via Boddytown, then Across the river, to Taylorville, back across the river to Stillwater, then into Greymouth via Dobson, All up about 60km.

I had a GREAT ride and relearnt some old lessons, like don't come out from behind a left turning van because the car waiting to turn right out of the side road can't see you...... and look out for the damp patches in the middle of corners in the shade, also had a car just about up my exhaust pipes heading out of Greymouth on the first part of the run, but i just pulled over and let them go, it was the safe thing to do.

Anyway, After the ride today, I'm now feeling a lot better on the bike and a lot more comfortable with riding again and also I'm a lot better at low speed stuff Also I've booked in with the local driving school to do some rider training, figured that's a good idea after so long off a bike!

Jeffrey

**stmdvr** · 9th September 2006, 19:07

Hi All,

3rd ride today

Traveled about 90km, total from traveled so far 186.4km

I went for a ride up the coast road (SH6) from Greymouth, I was going to turn around at Barrytown but ended up traveling to Punakaiki, I had a BLAST! I'm getting better on the bike all the time and the old skills are starting to come back. Still not that good on the lower speed corners, but getting better! got a lesson in watching the road for hazards, in this case gravel on the road. This was on the one lane bridge at Ten Mile.

Over all, I'm loving being back on the bike! best thing I have done in a long time!

I was amazed that I only saw 2 other bikes in the whole trap, both not that far out of Greymouth, but both waved back.

Jeffrey

**gijoe1313** · 10th September 2006, 23:14

Yeeehaaaa! Good on ya' clocking up those k's again in a fun and safe way must be bringing it all back! Won't be too long until you're back to your "old" riding self and getting involved with the biking scene again (I guess you're doing it already!)

Keep posting and keep it rubber side down!

**SuperDave** · 10th September 2006, 23:29

Good shit. Your first ride sounds very much like my full license test - eveything that could possibly go wrong went wrong, pissing down with rain, woman pulled out infront of me, bike randomly cut out twice and required a dumping of the clutch to get it going again. Oh also, not to mention it wouldn't fire up at the beginning of the test and had to push start it. Stupid ZXR.

Keep it up

**Korea** · 11th September 2006, 02:29

Hahahhah~
I had the same experience when I bought an RGV250. Everyone told me it was going to blow up because it's a 2-stroke. "Don't get one mate, you'll regret it".
So first time out riding it after purchase, the engine dies on me. "Bugger, bugger, bugger... the guys were right - it's poked!"
Finally turned it over to reserve, a few kicks and away it went!

...and it never did 'bite' me either for that matter.

Epilogue: I believe it finally did seize in the end. Shortly after I sold it...