Check out the Ride report HERE

Been through a LOT of socks and found plenty that fit well, were comfy and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Some did cost a bunch and some just didn’t fit right. One thing they all had in common was that they didn’t accomplish the task of wicking away sweat when things got active. Why’s that so important? Well, no one likes soggy socks and prune toes, right? But more importantly for us bikers who usually wear sealed up boots and submit them to typhoon force winds, wet socks can mean freezing or boiling feet depending on the season. The goal here is to have a layer against the skin that pulls the moisture away and keeps a dry insulating barrier over the skin to assist the skin’s natural heat regulation. Actually, merino wool did pretty well at the wicking and insulating but special washing needs, fit and longevity of that fit was lacking, unfortunately.
Prowling around a big Mont Bell store several weeks ago, I stumbled upon their Wikron socks and thought I’d give them ago. With an acrylic 69%, nylon 19%,  polyester 11%, wool 8% and polyurethane 1% construction I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’d had limited success with synthetics previously.  However, after several rides from several to 32hours and a lot of sofa time  :biggrin: , I’m sold! No prune toes or frozen to numb digits and they fit well and have continued to do so after 10 in-with-the-rest machine washes.

I chose the 5 toe socks as I’ve worn nothing else since a rabid case of SE Asian athletes-foot several years ago and they are comfy and breathable. Also, I always wear a Goretex lined boot on long or wet rides to keep the wet out. Goretex is a breathable membrane and typically has a [i]very thin[/i]  wicking protective inner layer. For comfort we need something between our skin and that thin protective layer. Keeping a wicking layer between the skin and the Goretex liner is necessary to continue the transition of water vapour(sweat) from skin through to the pores of the Goretex do let it do it’s thing.

Well, there you have it. Give them a go if you suffer from cold feet or prune toes.

btw – I have nothing to do with Mont Bell other than lurking around there ooo ing and aah ing from time to time  :later:

Climbing a pass the other night and the throttle died. Got it going again but the throttle wouldn’t roll smooth or past 20% without a LOT of muscle.
A quick inspection after crawling home didn’t show much. But the Rizoma cable retainer is looking…worn. Was late so left it there.

Tried the OEM throttle tube which made no difference. So, chased the cable. Off with bodywork, tank and airbox. A lot of lubing, cleaning and “Where the f##* are you?”s
Then, broke out the little telescopic antenna-like thing with a mirror on the end and a spot LED to get a look up the problems skirt :embarased and there it was

No idea how but the cable had jumped the retainer on the cam which was causing the super-stiff throttle. Was a PITA in getting it back on the cam. That little hook tool for changing bicycle tyres did the trick!

Next, moved onto adjusting the clutch cable as it had finally run out of adjuster at the lever end. Not bad considering it’s done more than 100,000km! Went looking for the adjuster while the tank was off. Immediate thought was the opposite end of the cable. That was looking like another PITA until… following the cable to the shifter side alongside the frame, there was an adjuster hidden under the cabling. Got to wind back about 2/3 of the adjuster range. Wonder how much is left in the clutch itself.

I was on a roll and Ms.Fuzz was loving the attention so swapped wheels too. The rear was looking like Kojak’s melon

Not any more!

Last up was the BMC air cleaner. Cleaning time and it was filthy!

Drying now and reinstall tomorrow.

Mmmm, what else can I do tomorrow?

The -06 Over Racing FZ1 that won its class at the 06 Suzuka Hr is being retired and the parts have come up in local auction.

Ridden by Makoto Suzuki and Hiroshi Toyoda, and running in the XF1 Formula Extreme class against R1s, Fireblades, etc.

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Had planned a 800km day of smooth twisties but things kinda went sideways and we called it quits at @500km, well 2 of us did

Ready for the road trip? .. . . let’s roll.

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Stumbled on this great observation of why to change your oil and filter asap on run in. Check out the pics

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3rd time lucky! Finally made it to the Iwate coast but it was a mixed experience.

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Met up with JamesK early and went touge hunting. James was on fire and when I headed home, happy with 8 touges for the morning, he went out and had Okutama for an afternoon snack! (more…)

Another great early Sunday Squirt! JamesK joined the run this week. @400km with just a few spits of rain. The roads were nowhere as quiet as last week but they were still relatively quiet. (more…)

Well, it all finally came together with a visit to JamesK’s garage of wrenching pleasures. (more…)

The skies are clear, not much traffic and the roads are relatively clean and dry. On the other hand, it’s bitterly cold, you can’t ride the highest mountains and the daylight hours are frustratingly short.
That simple? Not quite. (more…)

Well, they say the best coach is the one that keeps pushing you, stretching your limits and bringing back the skills you’d lost through inaction. (more…)

Spent a good few hours with the bog(body-filler), stripper, sandpaper and tape this weekend. Now to wait for the yellow sand to blow away and they’ll get a lick of paint.
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Well… . . It’s been a while and um… . .

Set the alarm for a 6:30 wake up but woke up at 5 and couldn’t drift off again. 30 minutes later I gave up the fake slumber and got to it. By 6:30 we were on the road, under a gorgeous dawn sky, headed for Izu. FZ1 & I that is. (more…)

So, what’s the consensus on Navi?

Shunning the

tech, thinking it was all a bit too complicated and distracting (which it is), it’s made itself useful in ways I’d never taken seriously. I mean I knew it had these functions and they were useful when in the car but, being the intellectual Honda cub that I am, never realized how well it would complement my wanderings. (more…)

PC3/BMCfilter/Subthottle plates supplied by Ivan’s performance

What is the best mod you’ve done to your bike?

Some would say tires, others suspension and the odd lunatic would praise the 50horse shot of NOS he just strapped on the rear seat of his tire melting, soon to detonate road monster! (more…)