I'm sorry, but it's all getting a bit silly now.



Last time I checked, it's July - over six months since my bike was on the road. It spends its days wrapped in cotton wool at the back of the garage and I have been wondering whether I should part with the thing. What is the point on having a bike if it's just going to serve that purpose. I mean, it's not even an ornament anymore as it sits covered, week in, week out - no one gets to see it and I even forget I own the thing sometimes.

I was wondering whether I should sell it and stick a nice shiney red Ducati in its place - one of those glorious last generation 996 models. Or maybe an RSV-R, as I was unsure whether or not I could live with the rumblings, grumblings, foybles and rattles of a Ducati. What the hell was I thinking?

I was clearing up my desktop the other day, having finished a project at work. Several were covering the NC30 I have facing my RR in the picture, one in particular was covering the saddle.

The saddle. A basket woven gunmetal item I had made by a local friend I knew to match the rest of the bike's features. I met Grant a couple of years previously as he also remoulded the saddle on my Blade. I'd met him a couple of times out and about, as he too, was a keen biker.

Was...

...I'm sorry to say that Grant lost his life less than a mile from where I live, whilst out enjoying a ride on his Fireblade with his mates on a typical evening. The last thing I said to him was something along the lines of the saddle being one of the final parts needed to finish my NC30; the cherry on top of the cake, and I'll pop over on the bike once it's back on the road.

I'll never get that chance now that he's gone. It made me think. Grant was one of the many talented individuals I met along the way of NC30 project. It's rude and a pointless waste of those individuals' skills not to at least finish what I got started and get my bike back on the road. It's the most perfect bike I can afford, with almost every detail exactly how I want it, and all I do is let it waste away in the back of my garage.

Pathetic.

I'm owed a lot of holiday from work this year. I intend to spend a lot of it getting my bike back up and running. MOT, tax and then Fish & Chips on the coast, before the sun goes cold again.

For me it'll be at least a tribute to Grant and all those others who've helped out over the years.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.1 ... cid=694169

So glad you are keeping it Craig, I had similar thoughts about selling mine earlier in the year but then sanity struck and decided on a big push to finish it (are they ever really finished?) and enjoy it out on the road where it should be. Fish and chips on the coast before the summer is out sounds like a fine plan, where's the nearest coastal town to you amigo?

Littlehampton or Brighton. Not a bad ride out to either really, although Littlehampton has got a Honda Dealer to muse around.

125 miles for me, but would be a nice way to end the summer. The fish and chips better be good mate. :D

Drop me a PM if you fancy a trip Carlos - it's been a while since I've been out on a rideout, but I seem to recall a fair few fellow 400 owners down this neck of the woods...

Unwrapping the NC revealled a bike cleaner than my RR; I must have been some kind of freak in a past life. Was quite dusty though, so I set about tidying the thing a little.

I got the bike running after a surprisingly short amount of attempts. It's been about 7 weeks since I last started the bike up, so I may have to pull the carbs apart. The bike seemed to calm into a regular idle though - the tank's brimmed with petrol, will this be okay given the amount of time it's been since the bike last had a proper run?

I went about sorting a few niggly tasks that I'd needed to sort since I last left off - namely a couple of bits for the MOT: New p-clip fitted to the front mudguard so the brake and speedo line now run freely, and fixing the flash rate of the indicators - they seem a little fast. The indicators currently have 10w bulbs fitted, but the indicator light on the dash obviously uses less power being an LED rather than the OE bulbs. Do I need to increase the wattage of the bulbs to compensate?

A quick run around the block made me wonder whether the front tyre's past its best. The suspension is about 50 miles old, but the front felt a little weird. I'm not sure whether the RR has given me a different perception on handling, or whether it might be an idea to get a new pair of tyres for the NC?

A couple of pics, post dusting...







It's good to be fiddling around in the garage again. The RR will still continue to require its weekly clean, but that should leave plenty of time to continue tinkering with the NC30. Next step would be to upgrade its insurance cover to fully comp/agreed value/etc - today's awakening made me realise just how many expensive-to-replace items sit on the bike.

I only hope my bike comes out that nice. You really do need to ride it more often!

good to see you are getting back into it Craig.

You would be mad to sack that NC after the hours you put in on that bike and your others to get to the point where you can stand back and be satisfied.

the V4 brethren applaud loudly :D

hell yeah!

i have said it before and i will say it again. that bike is gorgeous , with a lovely attention to detail

craig, would be good to meet up for a blast before the summers out, might have to park my bike round the corner from yours but fish and chips on Brighton coast would be good! i'm sure there'd be a good few 400's out, if only to catch a glimpse of yours in the flesh

sorry to hear about your friend, never easy man.

i'll keep an eye on the rideout section, just name a date.

Cheers Joe. I hope to be out and about on the NC (not the RR), in about a month or so.

Got back after a day's riding and dragged the NC30 out again. Wondering where to place my rear reflector (thinking of making an OE-esc mounting plate up for it) for the MOT. Also looking into having a baffle supplied so the bike's a little more road legal (again, for that all important MOT).

Going to start phoning around some insurance companies when I get a chance. Already have a few online quotes amassed, but will need to discuss the further details considering the bike's spec. Just not happy keeping it tpft, so will be upgrading to fully comp.