In between the wet stuff I had a nice ride yesterday in sunshine, if rather cold sunshine and because the sun is so low in the sky at the moment, potentially dangerous sunshine. Because it was very cold I put on a balaclava, then my Arai helmet with the headset installed because I wanted to listen to my iPod. Only trouble was, that this is a tight helmet at the best of times – so tight in fact that I couldn’t then get my sunglasses on. To hell with it I decided – I put my BMW System 5 on with enough room for balaclava and sunglasses but not equipped with a headset. Still, in the circumstances I figured warmth and vision were more important than music.

I was very glad of the heated grips and heated seat as I headed south at 08:30, also the big screen. Really, the Goldwing is a very civilised machine! I stopped by the BMW dealer at Pembury and bought myself a new visor which I need, my old one being rather scratched. I got one I didn’t know existed for the helmet – a double visor that cuts fogging, it’s also supposed to be scratch resistant. They didn’t have any tinted visors which the low sun prompted me to ask for and they advised me that I would have to order one from Southern Ireland as they weren’t allowed to sell them in this country. God how I hate this fucking government we have.

I enquired about the new BMW F800 GS – they are due in March apparently. I really lust after one of these but to be honest I am not sure where I”d ride it. There is no off-road opportunity for miles around. Perhaps I’ll get a trailer made for the Goldwing and haul it off to Spain!

One thing struck me about the bike yesterday and that was something I had noticed but forgotten to mention before. The gearbox is much smoother than it was when the bike was new. I had criticised the box for being agricultural previously and it is still not the best I have used ( I think that honour goes to the ZZR) but it is now changing very sweetly – I guess I must have knocked a few corners off here and there!