It’s been a while since I posted. The de-kit job was a bust. Throwing trays into a washer, which was fine, then sorting the cleaned trays and rapidly stacking them. I last a day and a half until the sorting and stacking knackered my wrist. I felt the tendonitis coming back, so I had to quit.
I’ve applied for stack of other jobs, but I’m having issues. I’ve got an ongoing application with Ocado, but they referred me to occupational health over my tachycardia and they (OH) are dragging their feet. The latest is they (OH) want a face to face interview and further medical evidence. I’m not sure I want that job. While I’m out of the lorry driving business I would like a break from the stress of driving.
I’ve applied for the local Asda warehouse, and a bunch of order picking jobs. So far I had nothing back.
While that is all not happening, I have had one important event. I saw a bike I’ve long had my eye on, the Honda CB500S Sport.
They are legendary for plodding on and never breaking. They aren’t too dull (58hp, 6 gears) and they are low to the ground and quite light. It’s exactly what you want for a winter hack. Whenever we have snow, if it doesn’t immediately melt, the 30 yards from our front door to the big (-ish) road is like an ice rink. It never gets gritted and the shadows of the houses stop any sun hitting it. It’s horrible trying to get to work.With the VFR I’m on tiptoes, and it’s a chunky beast. If it was to start to go over I wouldn’t be able to stop it on ice.
Anyway, I was bored so I was perusing bikes (of course I was) and I saw one for £750. I asked the guy if there was anything wrong with it that would stop me from riding it home. He assured me it was his commuter until he got a new bike and it was good to go. OK, will you take £700? Yes. It’s on!
He gave me the address. Arse-end of nowhere, Devon. A tiny village, right at the bottom, near the sea. The train was two changes and 6 hours. Ho hum. I was going away to Spain on the Monday so I couldn’t wait. The only train that was available that would get me there at dinner time was on the Saturday. When we were forecast storms and rain. “I’m no fair-weather biker, it will be an adventure!”
I set off and all was well until the first change. The next train was 45 minutes late because of the storms so I missed my next connection. It took me an extra 2 hours 20 minutes to get there. The guy picked me up in the pouring down rain and showed me the bike. It was no show pony. It looked like it had been worked to death and then worked some more. It’s only done 44K miles (the engines are good for 100k plus). He fired it up and it sounded fine. The electrics all worked. Job’s a good ‘un. Then he couldn’t get the petrol cap to unlock. I was seriously thinking I was going to have to get another train home. In the end he poured some engine oil over the key and worked the lock until it opened. OK, it’s back on. Then there was just the ride home, on an untested bike, through a storm. I had to ride right across the county to get to a motorway, so that was a learning curve. I fueled up at the first petrol station.
Then the bike died on me about 10 miles later.
I rolled to a stop. The electrics were all working but the engine wasn’t firing. I guessed it must be fuel starvation, possibly from the oil in the petrol cap lock causing a vacuum. I opened the cap, twisted the throttle a few times then started up again. I got 10 miles and it happened again. Then twice on the motorway. I was getting seriously concerned by this point. I hadn’t even got as high up as Bristol. I pulled into the services and pulled the plug caps and screwed them tighter in and wedged them on to the spark plugs, blew through the petrol cap, refrained from blubbing, and tried again. By keeping it to 60 I made it all the way to the M6. Then, on the 4 live lanes (unlighted, no hard shoulder) bit, it did it again. I had to sit about a foot over the white line (all the hard shoulder there was) and remove my key from the ignition, so no lights on the bike, to open the petrol cap. Sat there in the pitch black, no lights, inches from a live lane one, in a storm, with lorries and cars flying past me. I thought I might die, to be honest. (I didn’t, btw.) I got it going again and limped home at 50mph. It took me 16 hours, round trip. I forgot to mention the waterproof onsie that I bought new, specifically for the storm, wasn’t. My legs were soaked through three layers to my skin. I had to take my bar muffs off in case it was them flicking the kill switch that was cutting the bike out, so my gloves got soaked through. A freezing, soaking, nerve-racking ordeal.
So, standard.
The good bits are, it’s a good little workhorse, the CB is low enough that I can get both feet flat down on the ground, it’s docile if you don’t thrash it, and it seems to carry its weight really low, it doesn’t feel like it wants to tip over. That is ideal for the snow and ice days. It’s amazingly frugal, (twice as economical as the VFR) 60mpg, plus. I filled the tank at the bottom of Devon and I still had half a tank when I got home.
It was in such a pitiful state I’ve given it a full going over. Drained the tank, replaced the petrol filter, stripped the petcock (the vacuum diaphragm wasn’t properly fitted, I’ve replaced it. I think that was the problem) stripped and ultrasonic cleaned the carbs then rebuilt them with all new rubbers, changed the oil and filter, the air filter (still had the original, 24 year old, one fitted) flushed the radiator, and the brakes, and fitted new spark plugs.
Just for cosmetic appeal I’ve resprayed the handlebars, headstock, and end-can. I’ve ordered a taller screen and tomorrow I’m getting new tyres (the ones on it a from 2019 and the back one is cracking). I ordered cheap, Chinese heated grips and the bars to which hand wind deflectors fit. If I can fit the bars, and sew my muffs to them, I should be fully sorted for winter commuting. Oh, and I saw a £30 set of stainless downpipes on eBay so I’ve fitted them. The others were so pitted and corroded I didn’t think they’d last. Might as well get stainless while they are cheap, then never worry about them again.
Wendy has been shaking her head ruefully at the expense of my “£700” bike. But this one is a keeper. If I get an all-singing, all-dancing new bike, it will be to replace the VFR for summer. I certainly won’t want to ride a pretty bike through the snow and salt.
After I’d put the carbs back on and fitted the new petcock diaphragm (and new vacuum hose) I took it for a spin to Liverpool, 10 miles at 70mph, then 10 miles a bit faster, and it didn’t miss a beat. A lot of the jobs for which I’ve applied are 12 to 17 miles away. The 25 mile commute on the VFR meant I had to fill up every 4 days. With 5% ethanol petrol at £1.63 (it says. Supposedly down 21p!) a litre, it’s a bloody dear do. And it’s been fun doing all the jobs. Well, horrifying, but fun. The state of that poor bike. The accumulated filth and the utter lack of maintenance is shocking. It’s a credit to Mr Honda that it got me home at all. Thinking about it, I’d probably best do the valve clearances. I seriously doubt anything has been serviced in a decade. It’s keeping me out of mischief.
Now I just need a job and my heart fixing.