Cool stuff on the Honda stand

Naughty girls at the NEC...

Mmmmm, tasty!

That's lovely! Now all we need are some decent side-on shots please. Really like that, and a bargain at that price! I bet you'll probably make the same back if you sell the Yoshi pipe?

Quick bike trip update - I spent a couple of hours fiddling around with routes and destinations on Google Earth last night. I'll try and get some links posted up later. A full seven days will happily see us into the Southern Alps and Dolomites, possibly into Italy proper, as well as looping back via the Eiffel region, for a stop at the 'ring and Spa....

Nik

Level One Racing exhaust

Errrr, yeah, well, errrr........ The old Yosh was getting right on my, and my neighbours knockers. So it came off :

and is now in a corner of the garage.... Replaced with this:


Side by side, you can see the difference in size:


I could not run the bike up when it was on as it was late-o-clock, but this morning....... Very, very, very pleased. I have installed the factory supplied dB killer, and the can is only marginally louder than the stock can. It sounds very different though, deep and vibey at tickover rising through gruff, to an offbeat wail at high RPM. Very please indeed. It fitted perfectly, and was easily orientated to tuck the link pipe (Ti) tight to the swinger, but leave the can at a jaunty angle. It is better made than the Yosh by some margin, I guess that is the advantage a small manufacturer has over the big guys like Yoshimura who are no more than a badge these days.

Lastly, I can now see much more of the fabulous swingarm, and practicality scores too, as cleaning the bike around the swinger will be much easier. What more could you ask, for a mere £100? Oh, it saves about a 1kg in weight. ;o)

New Zorst

The stubby Yosh is simply too loud for day to day. I love the way it loks, though even that is not enough reason to keep it. Fitting the std can would be an option, but it is big, ugly, heavy and spoils the mid and top end.

So I have been looking for some time at Racefit. A firm PB favourite the stuff they make is beautiful, but SO expensive. Just when I thought the std can would have to go back on this little beauty turned up on eBay:

http://www.leveloneracing.com/products-GSXR-1000-01-06-slip.aspx

It should be quieter, and lighter than the Yosh, if not, then the search will go on. I'm expecting the hardware to land on Monday and will update on the noise score....

Winter Riding? Erghhhhhhhhh.

Bike is disgusting. It is covered in mud, oil, WD-40, diesel, salt and shite.

Weather is dry today though, so I may have a chance to warm the edges of the frankly awful BT014's. I'm trying to find a set of Pirelli Diablo Stradas cheap, for the winter, they were good on the 11, so should be good on the 1k.

Nik is planning our summer route, and I'll not spoil it, except to say it takesin some of the worlds best race tracks, and roads. It will be a revisit of 2007 for me in places, and I simply cannot wait.

Andy, you'll have to get a bike sorted, soon........