Daves Blog

Got up at 6.30am yesterday… That’s right, 6.30am on a Saturday - madness! Had to in order to have the K1300S to NOG for its first service by 8.00am. Meike came with me on pillion and sure enough we arrived at 8.00am on the dot. Bike was straight into the service bay. Unfortunately it had rained a lot the night before and so while we didn’t get wet from rain, we got splashed with all the muck and spray from other vehicles. By the time we got there the bike looked like I’d ridden across country.

While we were there, waiting the one and half hours for the service to be completed, I noticed their K1300S demo bike was fitted with a Remus Hexacone and so of course I had to have a listen. Then of course I had to go and ask the price and then to top it all they just had to tell me they had one in stock lol. Consequently the bikes now fitted with one and I have to say it does look and sound much better for it. There’s no question the K1300 exhaust can is a great advancement on the water cannon fitted as standard to the K1200’s, but even so I still found it a little too quiet for my liking. As I’ve said before I don’t like seriously loud exhausts at all but I do like them to sound, well, sporty and this certainly does.

By the time we left to come home the sun was out and the roads had dried a lot and so I deliberately took the back roads home. I must admit the sun shining, the dry roads, the freshly serviced bike and the great sound from the exhaust all led me to ride in a somewhat spirited manner and I think I may end up paying for it. Coming down into a small village where the speed limit dropped from 60 to 30, I saw a police camera van, but way too late. I know I was reducing speed at the time but I’m really not convinced I’d shaved enough off at the point I imagine the camera was pointing at. If I’m really lucky, he’ll have got the car in front of me or he won’t have had any means to get my registration number (eg no forward facing cameras). So far in my motorcycling I’ve never been caught for speeding and it would be a real shame if I have now as I’m usually very observant and respectful of the limits, especially the lower ones, but with so many cameras and speed traps around it really must be only a matter of time I guess. Fingers crossed, he didn’t get me, and I’ll take it as a lesson to be more careful, but only time will tell. Guess I’ll be dreading the post for the next week or two.

I know why my C3 helmet is so noisy! It’s turbulence from the top of the K’s screen. I can’t explain why it doesn’t affect my C2 as much, but there’s no question in my mind now. From the stock screen I can feel the wind, and turbulent wind at that, hitting my shoulders and this is just the right height to be just under the helmet. This explains why if I move my head up or down a couple of inches, or put my hand on my chest just below the helmet it becomes significantly quieter. There’s a number of after market screens available for the K1300S and I think I’ll try a double bubble one as this worked well on my Bandit, directing the air around me rather than into me. More on this of course as I decide and progress.

Speaking of the Bandit I’ve spent some time today getting it ready for its new owner who’s coming to collect it tomorrow. I have very mixed feelings about this as I love riding it. Not quite as much as I love riding my K1300 though. I’m satisfied its going to a good home where it will continue to be well looked after and so that makes me feel better about it. I’m also looking forward to the increased space it will give me in my garage. As I’ve said before, I can always take Meike’s Divvy for a blast when I want to and so I won’t be without my second bike.

Unfortunately the weather yesterday afternoon and today has been pretty awful and so I haven’t got out on either bike. Tomorrow’s a bank holiday but as usual, as it isn’t in the USA I’m not likely to get much chance to enjoy it. Still, the weather is supposed to improve again this week and so I’m already looking forward to Wednesday evening with Roundway Riders and The Oliver Cromwell.