Corsica Tour 2009

Ready for the off...


At long last, my Corsica Tour 2009 is under way! The bike's ready: full tank of petrol, tyre pressures are OK, the Scottoiler is full, the old girl is nice and clean (important to hit the road with a clean bike!). I'm ready: the bags are packed and I only have a few odds and sods to chuck into my rucksack. Wa-heey!! I can't wait! I feel like Bilbo Baggins, off on one of his travels!


My first stop will be in Nîmes, where I'll spend the night at a friend's place. Then it'll be on to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where I'll meet up with my travelling companions, before heading to Marseilles, from where we'll be sailing at 7pm. I hope the sea won't be too rough!


So this is my last post until I get back on the 25th. 


One more sleep!!!

Corsica Tour 2009

In the starting blocks...

Things could not be better! The insurance company have finally made good their blunder and I now have all the necessary documents proving that I'm properly insured - that is a weight off my mind. And the seamen's trades unions have calmed down and called off their strike, so we should all be sailing to Corsica in a ferry, rather than having to commandeer a couple of fishing boats! Result! (...)

Airbox Elimination

This video was posted by a mate on a Spanish forum. It just so happens that another friend of mine offered me a pair pair of K&N pod airfilters, so I might treat my bike to this (minus sweaty "Sexy Boris"!) during the winter, when the urge to ride isn't as strong. 

BA-MOTO AND BRITISH CUSTOMS AIR BOX ELIMINATOR KIT HOW TO VIDEO from Ricki Bedenbaugh on Vimeo.

Group order to British Customs, anybody?

Corsica Tour 2009

"Be prepared..."


Right, so the battery is charging. And bloody lucky I checked it: minimum charge level! As  the bike will be minus its battery tomorrow, I might make the most of it and fit the Nology spark plug cables that are waiting in the lock-up. As that means removing the petrol tank, I might even go as far as fitting the AIS blanking kit that has been sitting on my desk for two-and-a-half years!! I'll only have to take it off in 18 months' time for the MOT!! While I'm at it I might try to blag a couple of NGK iridium spark plugs (unless that means having to go all the way to Barcelona and back).


Right then, three more sleeps... Mahalo... 

Corsica Tour 2009

Four more Sleeps...


Once again it's October, which means that I'm off to Corsica for a one-week motorcycling holiday. this year however, things aren't off to the best of starts. Firstly, I have just discovered that my insurance company have cocked up pretty badly: I am insured - they confirmed that to me by 'phone the other day - but I have no documents to prove that I'm insured. That means no green card, no insurance certificate, no bank certificate proving that I've paid my insurance (which is necessary here in Spain). And it's been like this since the beginning of July; since then I've been blasting around northern Spain and southern & central France. Thank f**k that the only time I got pulled by Plod they didn't see anything out of the ordinary. More to the point, I'm bloody lucky that I wasn't involved in an accident... Anyway, on Tuesday I'll go to the bank to sort out the bank certificate, the insurance will be couriering the green card to me... and damn, if the G.C. doesn't turn up by Thursday, I'll ride off with just the bank certificate and the old green card.

A brief word from our sponsor...

I've been thinking about starting a blog for some time, which is strange, because I've never been the type to keep a diary. But my upcoming trip to Corsica, which is not as glitch-free as I would have hoped - more anon - has made me decide to give it a go. So bear with me and I hope it'll be entertaining and interesting.


Mahalo