I will update tomorrow, after I’ve done the DVLA questionnaire with the doctor, but it’s still all up in the air. My cardiology appointment said to ring if I’d not heard by the 9th, so I rang yesterday. He said the doctor’s had referred me as ‘urgent’, they’d reviewed it and also classified me as ‘urgent’ so it’s a 23 week wait. Minus the time I’ve already waited, so about 18 weeks to go. Which is from the 16th of November, not the 5th, as I originally thought. He said it was a bit of a wait but it was a good job I was ‘urgent’, the normal waiting time is 77 weeks! That’s a week short of 18 months.
In other news, I’ve been working on Beryl. I’ve changed the final drive sprocket seal, the clutch pushrod seal, the chain and sprocket set, the exhaust system, and I’m waiting on the water pump seal to arrive tomorrow. I’ll throw that back on, new gaskets and sealant, fill the oil and radiator, put the fairings and seat back on, and I *should* have an oil tight, fully sorted, bike. We’ll see.
It’s been a beastly heatwave for ages now. It’s supposed to be cooling a bit in two days. Yay!
Also somebody shared a video of some mad talented artist making abstract paintings yesterday. Wendy and I were both so impressed we bought one. We had to get a limited edition print as he doesn’t just mass produce them. As it turns out the one we liked most was the first one he did on the video. It’s so powerful and energetic.
Here is the artist’s picture of the very print he’s sent us. Number 33 of 35. That is going to look awesome on our wall.
Really we should be hoarding every penny in case I’m banned for 4 months or so, but we were only 3 pictures short of missing out altogether.
I’ll speculate more when I’ve done the questionnaire tomorrow, I’m hoping I’ll have a feel how it’s going to go. I’ll ask the doctor how he thinks they’ll rule.
I am still looking at the Kawasaki VN1500 Meanstreak. Harley sound, Harley/ cruiser style, but with 73hp, racing bike brakes, and ground clearance. Plus a shaft drive and Japanese reliability and functionality. For instance it’s supposed to be sublimely smooth for a V twin, the clutch is a normal Japanese clutch (not the painful to pull Harley joke of a clutch lever) and it has gears that just work, rather than having to stamp through the clunky box.
If I’m not banned that will be next on my list.
Tbc…
That went far better than I was expecting. The doctor was keen as mustard. He wanted to know all the history that had lead to that point, then went through the form, ticking “no, no, no” to virtually everything. Then he prescribed beta blockers for me, which, he said, will stop the Supra Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT) from happening! He included that on the questionnaire. I am really hopeful now. It is a judgment call, (or they would have already banned me) and he’s said there is nothing wrong with me except the SVT, which he has now given me pills to manage. Surely that will suffice?
The other thing, while I’m here, is Beryl. I finished off fitting the standard exhaust today, then the water pump seal came so I rebuilt the right hand side. I fired her up and first off there was a leak from the water pump cover. When I was tightening the bolts down one had felt like it had over-tightened and was spinning. I bit the bullet and gingerly tightened it some more and it gripped and bedded down properly, that seems to have fixed that side. I started it up again and oil started pouring out of the left hand side. I took the cover off and it’s the clutch pushrod seal. I watched some more videos and (obvious in hindsight) the seal has to go in only until it’s flush with the engine casing, that way the retaining cover can hold it in position. I’d pushed it fully in. D’oh! So, loosen my chain, remove the front sprocket, and do it again. I accidentally bought another (genuine Suzuki) seal so I’ll fit that. With some gasket sealant to double my odds. Just to be on the safe side I’ve ordered a new pushrod as well. That way everything should be ship-shape and Bristol fashion. I’m at work for the next 4 days (the heatwave drops off after tomorrow, yay!) so on my next days off I’ll refit the new parts and hopefully that will be that.
Also I’ve got to get back to running. I’m getting way fat. The trouble is I don’t *have* to run anymore. The loony pills have robbed me of my unbearable obsessing. I miss it.