Trip Down The B5013 Plus The Vanishing Number Plate

So its a sunny day in the North of England, and after the trip to Hartington and only half way through my annual leave i was still searching for great biking roads. The B5013 from Uttoxeter to Rugeley has come up on the radar a few times, whether its been on bestbikingroads or on Visor Down websites, this road has been on the "to do list" since finding it.

The day starts with an air filter change, so yes the tanks comes off again, it was pretty straight forward, undid 7 threads and off it came, new filter in, copper-slip the threads and back they went, "simples" as they say.

Up and away!

Not Christina Aguilera dirty but still..

As you can see the old filter was not that dirty but its been in since i had the bike, so its 6 years old. I thought a new one will give me piece of mind.

To quote the old saying "Make hay while the sunshine's" i pretty much did, after everything was bolted up, i was off out hunting down the B5013. A steady ride through Cheadle and the surrounding area was calm and some what relaxing as the SV thumped along. As i was plodding past JCB World Parts i heard something that sounded like gravel being thrown under the rear of the bike, i thought nothing of it a continued (i think that was the number plate "doing one"). After clearing Uttoxeter i got onto the B5013 and the fun starts by sitting behind a car. I had to clear a VW Golf before i could stretch the legs (within the national speed limit) of the SV, once that had been achieved, and humming The Race by Yello in my head, it was sweeping bends and pure biking fun. The road was living up to the hype, i was quite lucky as there was little traffic on the road south bound, it felt like everybody wanted to get out of Rugeley on the other side. This was another road where you have to turn off it to stay on it (sounds weird, i know) but soon after the turn you get a spectacular view of Blithfield Reservoir from top of the hill you come over (Google Maps/Earth it). 

The clouds remind me of Now That's What I Call Music 33 or The Simpson's I cant decide

Most of the bends on the B5013 are gentle lefts and rights with minimal tight bends, so i can see the appeal of this road. I was changing between 3rd & 4th gear for most of the bends as the road was unfamiliar to me, err on the side of caution and all that! A tight left bend coming into Colton was entertaining, as what i thought to be a 3rd corner ended up being a 2nd gear corner at the last moment because the already tight bend tightens and narrows with a lovely brick wall greeting you on the offside of the road as you go round. The bend to the right soon after is a long 3rd gear corner, its brilliant, just watch for vehicles merging from the junction midway through the bend. With being on a V-Twin, getting the right gear is very important, as upsetting the bike mid-corner can be a day ruiner. Soon after i was at the end of the run, i stopped at The Yorkshireman pub to turn round and head back up the road again.

Crossing the reservoir again i pulled into a parking area (love that word). Took some photos then came to look at the back of the bike and noticed the plate had f***** off. "Not again" i said. Yes it happens every couple of years. No wonder everyone at the parking area gave me odd looks, not just because i was faffing with my phone.

Desktop wallpaper anyone?

There's a big yellow legal requirement missing in this picture, can you guess what it is?

Now came the embarrassing part of riding back without a number plate, getting worried that the police are going to pull me over. Which they didn't. I went back to base the same route i came through so i could find the number plate in question, which i didn't but on arrival back my parents house my dad informs me that he lost the last number plate on my SV around the same area i thought i lost this latest one? What had failed on the number plate holder was the holder itself and not the bracket, which was good in a way, so we're now tasked with creating a holder that is thicker and can put up with the stress. Thin aluminium has failed twice on us now so its looking like steel for the job. The number plates flaps a bit causing aluminium to crack then break. This is also a reason for not having a tail tidy as they can cause issues such as this. Which is starting to get old now.

After the talk of number plates, Blithfield Reservoir and cup of coffee, i took the opportunity to do some general maintainers on the SV. The left mirror has never sat flush with the hole. So after taking the mirror out and cleaning some gunk that was on the thread, i noticed there was the some s*** in the hole, now came the task of removing it. As i said in my last blog. I've been watching Delboy's Garage on YouTube and something he said on a video stuck with me, "be methodical" which translates to "take your time" round here an that's what i did. It was a case of wind in the thread, wind it out again and blow the crap out of the hole, each time got the thread a little further into the hole. It was a total of 45 minutes till i got all the way to the bottom of the hole but the birds and the local cat got entertainment out of me cussing and pulling faces. I got a lot of delight out of completing that task, I feel I've gained confidence from it and now i know what to do if a situation like that comes up again "take your time".

I'd also noticed that the chain on the bike was a bit slack, so again i tasked myself with tightening it, guided faithfully by dad. I've never done much maintenance on my own bike (i always got dad to do it) but since I've left home and hit 30 I've become a bit more involved in cleaning cars & bikes but also looking after them mechanically as well. I suppose you could say that's what comes with having a mortgage, outgoings and a boring desk job. If everything is looked after and working, it wont tend to break which means it wont cost to fix. I'm all about saving money, means more money for cake!

Yes the back wheel needs cleaning, i know

The chain and sprocket will probably be changed next time it goes slack as i am running out of adjustment but i think that is the original chain and sprocket for the bike and they have done really well for how old the bike is (15 years old btw). I again felt a boost in mechanical confidence as i know how to tighten a chain, it was not as stressful as i thought it was going to be.

With all the jobs done it was time for lunch and then for me to disappear back to my own dwelling and crack open a Belgium beer.

So i might go quiet for a while as the bike is off the road till the number plate holder gets made. Might see if i can get out on my dads Bandit 1200, see what the hype about Bandits are (lol).

As always ride safe and eat cake

Lardy

Here is the route I took.

Trip to Hartington

So with the SV fired up, happily ticking over now and a week off from work, it was time to get out. Where the hell should I go? One place I've always wanted to go that was not to far from me was Hartington in the Peak District. Everyone i know has been there, so you could call it "afraid of missing out" but when i was looking for a road to ride the road to Hartington looked like it could be fun.

The roads to get there involved the A52, B5053 & B5054. The A52 isn't anything to write home about it starts in Newcaslte-Under-Lyme and ends in Skegness and I've only done the Newcastle-Under-Lyme to the M1 part (which is a big chunk) and cant get enthusiastic about it, well the bit dropping into Ashbourne has a nice view on a Sunny day.

After getting off the A52 at Froghall I went along the B5053. Which leads from Froghall to all the way to Buxton but I was getting off this road just after Warslow. The first part of the road you have uphill hairpins which was a bit tricky on the SV, was it a 1st gear hairpin or 2nd gear hairpin, 1st was working so i stuck with that but the snatchy throttle didn't make it easy. After which the road opened to national speed limit but was then cut short once i hit Ipstones. You go in and out of speed limits a lot in the Peak District. The stretch between Onecote and Warslow was particularly fun when a series of down hill bends turned up (see below). 

Weeeeee!

Once out of Warslow it was onto the B5054 to Hartington. It was a nice steady plod into Hartington but i noticed an odd vintage car coming passed, i thought nothing of it until a couple of seconds later another went passed, then another after that, spider senses were tingling, "am i turning up in a vintage car meet?" i asked myself but alas no, Hartington was quiet, a part from me braaaping into town and waking everyone up at just after 10am. "Yes, the tourist from the city is here".

I parked up near what looked like the local duck pond and noticed the Old Cheese Shop. The shop had to be done, the wife loves cheese so it was a no brainer. Hartington is known for its Hartington Stilton cheese or Hartington Blue as I've always known it. The creamery closed in 2009 so i don't known if the stuff i bought was the real deal or not but i was doing the tourist thing! I got a sense that Hartington is a tea room and hiking crowd kind of venue and i was right. No more than 5 mins of faffing with photos, gloves and helmet, i went to walk the 30m to the cheese shop but just as i did four cars turned up in convoy which halted me, i couldn't believe with how quiet Hartington was (after i switched the SV off!) that rush hour traffic turned up to halt me getting to the cheese shop and low and behold they were all hikers. I began chuckling to myself, just my luck, i only have to walk 30m and get stopped by a line of traffic in the middle of nowhere.

From the bike to the shop, that was the distance to cover and had to wait for traffic.

I purchased cheese whilst some other hikers came in, sampled cheese, then left without buying anything. I know there is hiking trails around the area so i bet the ladies in the cheese shop are used to people coming in eating some samples and f*****g off but they got £6 out of me so they were winning today. I bought Hartington Bomber cheese and Hartington Stilton. After i stuffed cheese into whatever pocket i could, i went over to the water pump and noticed yet another vintage car with the owners standing next to the pump and writing something down on a clip board. "Are you doing a Rally?" i asked to which the answer was "yes, we are", i then proceeded to ask what car they were driving. It was a 1915 Ford Model T, it sounded good and was very tidy, i was surprised with how big it was compared to the modern cars around it.

Duck Pond

Then again, to make me chuckle, after the Model T disappeared a rattly old Vauxhall Astra Mk3 diesel chugged passed followed by a (seen better years) camper van. "Yep, we're in the sticks" i said to myself, as i noticed one bloke checking out the SV. There were a few motorbikes around (there's one next to the cheese shop sign in the photo above, well camouflaged though) so one must of been his as he then watched me fire the SV up and leave, he must of been bored. I shall return to Hartington as some point, maybe sooner if the cheese is up to scratch. 

And so i carry on down the B5054. The section from Hartington to the A515 was brilliant but just after you get into the groove it ends and your then on the 50mph road of the A515. I hate this road, its 50mph from Ashbourne to Buxton but that's like a lot of roads in the Derbyshire Dales. So after the shortest of blats on the A515 it was onto the B5012 which was national speed limit. The B5012 is a good road, i remembered if you carry on through Grangemill it becomes the Via Gallia Road which is a cracking bit of tarmac, when the weathers been good.

From Grangemill back to the A515 is the B5056. Wow, how have i never been on this road, its one of the best roads I've ridden for a while. It has a really nice flow to it but it does follow the valley bottom. The road starts with riding past the quarry which covers the bike with damp lime dust, the road is OK but you just have to watch it in the corners as there can be some water left from the trucks turning out of the quarry but after that its pure dry lefting and righting, with a small straight towards the end but by the time your back at the A515 you'll have a smile on your face about a mile wide. I thought the B5053 & B5054 were going to be the roads i most enjoyed but the B5056 was the surprise winner it just kept on giving! I will have to do that road the other way next time.

Another angle of Hartington

On to Ashbourne down the dreaded A515 but not for long. I realised in Ashbourne that my backside gets very warm sitting in traffic but it might have something to do with a cylinder being in close proximity. I only notice it when the engine temp goes off towards 100C. Out of Ashbourne i take the B5032 to Cheadle but miss the turning for Cheadle and carry on the B5030 to Uttoxeter. Yes you have to turn off the B5032 to carry on the B5032. I missed the turning because the bushes lining the road had not been cut back so the sign was hidden amongst the foliage, i usually spot the big white local route signs but this time mother nature was playing mean girl. 

After a decent and nice view of JCB HQ (lovely lake) i committed to going Uttoxeter way, thought i might pick up the B5013, which is one of the best biking roads in England but i missed the tuning for the A518 in Uttoxeter town centre and ended up on the B5027 towards Stone. At first i though it was going to be a 30mph jobby for most of the route but then it went to national speed limit and became a nice road, it had a few uphill right handers which i cocked up on with the gears. I've been trying some advanced riding techniques plus Ive just got back on a bike after a year off, so i might concentrate on riding before going overboard with the advanced stuff but what advanced stuff i did apply i was pleased with the outcome.

I made a turn for Hilderstone on the B5066 as i was getting hungry and needed the toilet, so home was the only option as most of the pubs on the B5027 & B5066 weren't open or closed years ago. Once under the A50 and having a little braaap and a "I know where that road is moment", i was back on familiar roads and headed back home but not before the fuel anxiety light came on at the bottom of a hill descending into Cheadle. It couldn't make its mind up until i was out of Cheadle whether it was going to stay on. A stop off at the petrol station confirmed it was time for home as my backside was putting in a grievance.

So that was my trip to Hartington via a unplanned way back, overall it was good fun. Im going to do the B5013 while im off so hope to give feedback on that route soon.

Heres the best effort of the route i took.

Idly Ticking Over Or Not In This Case.

So after the first ride of the year there was a problem with the idle speed of the SV. We thought it was sorted, nope, it was still apparent when we decided to go out for a little blat over to Hartington in the Staffordshire Moorlands. I arrived promptly at my parents house were my dad was cleaning the bird sh** off the front of his Bandit 1200. So after the faff (this is the most used word in British motorcycling) of bird sh** and my dad getting ready, we fired the bikes up and were ready to go.

I hit the starter and knew from that instant that something was up as, low and behold, it wasn't idling properly. It was very warm and i thought the bike sitting for a while may be the issue but when i went to give it some beans at the end of the road, on the way to get petrol, and the sudden kick in the back i got was the indicator that one of the cylinders (there's only 2) was misfiring. So after fueling up and faffing with the idle screw some more it was back home to mum & dads to assess the situation.  So much for going to Hartington.

So after some head scratching and deep thinking we decided we would throw it at a local mechanic and see what the problem was......but after a nights sleep, i woke up Sunday morning and pondered over some birthday cake whether i should do the job myself. I've been watching Delboy's Garage on YouTube lately and enjoyed how he creates things from nothing and over comes issues with whats available to him. I felt inspired by Delboys videos and thought i should at least try, its only 2 spark plugs ffs!

Let the faff commence

Once 2 NGK CR8EK plugs had been purchased i had the joy of fitting them. All i can say is its a bloody faff as usual (that word again). Getting to the back cylinder required the tank lifting up which was easy but because i bought the bike with a tail tidy already on it, of course there was no prop stand for the tank under the rear seat because, you know, when you put a tail tidy on you angle grid the old tail piece off! I can't blame the last owner because he bought it with the tail tidy on as well. So a good old block of wood to the rescue.

That looks cosy!

 Looking under the tank, dad came out with his typical dad comment "that's a tiny tank", my reply was "tell me about it, 140 miles then the petrol anxiety light comes on". We noticed that someone had left a message for us on the air tank (see above). "New Air filter 21595" thanks for that, you could of put it in the service book or manual instead of leaving it for us to find. It's a good job that a new air filter has been ordered, so with me now knowing what is needed to lift the tank i can do that next week. With the faff of the rear plug done and noticing that some of the sensors on the bike are Mitsubishi, which made me chuckle, it was onto the front cylinder. Ha! the rear was easy because of all the space, the front required you try to avoid tw**ing the radiator with all manner of tools, the biggest one being the one doing the job but with all cap faffing and feeling were the spark plug was the trusty Suzuki tool kick spark plug socket won the title of best puller of the day! It was the only spark plug socket that properly gripped the plug.

With the new plugs dropped in and tightened 1/2 turn passed finger tight, which seems like a lot in my book but..OK, Then came the moment of truth, Have i installed the plugs properly? Did that Mitsubishi sensor go back on? Time to hit the Starter button and find out......the SV rumbled into life. Success! The idle was happy and didn't cut out and sounded very smooth but you would expect that with new plugs. After came the job of putting copper slip (anti-seize compound) on all the threads and reinstalling them back into the bike, a tedious task but worth the effort, it makes getting threads out so much easier in the future, all motorbikes should come out of the factory's with copper slip on the threads but never mind, that's a debate for another day.


So after the thought of sending the SV to be fixed, £22 for spark plugs and a couple of hours of my own labour the idling issue was solved, simples. Time to throw my leg over and get out on the bike. Its the best feeling ever! Fixing your bike then getting out on it, also being rewarded with a Vanilla Slice comes close as well.


My advice for you on all the above would be: 

• If the bike comes with a tail tidy have a look to see how much of a mess has been made underneath because the tank prop stand is the first to be throw away.
• Copper-slip every thread that going back into the bike (but not the spark plugs!) so you can get the threads off again.
• Go to YouTube to see if anyone has done a video of removing spark plugs on your bike, helps loads, builds confidence and gives an idea of whats ahead.
• Its OK to faff then faff some more. Its part of motorcycling maintenance anyway.
• Make sure there is something at hand to catch the custard that flies out the side of your vanilla slice. Pro tip: Cutting the vanilla slice in half can control CME (custard mass ejection) of the slice.

Ride Safe & Shiny Side Up

Lardy

Bugger..That Aint Coming Off

So the MOT for the SV1000 is due at the end of May 19. So as part of my objective to get back on my SV and start riding a lot more, i decided to change the oil because i felt like i needed to get hands on with the bike again.

I'm at my parents house, where the SV currently lives and get straight to sorting the oil change out. The evening started off well, the folks were in good spirits, the weather was drizzly but warm which brought the waft of an original Belstaff Trialmaster hanging in the garage to the front of the senses, bloody hell wax cotton is a smell you don't forget but its a smell that gives me (and probably others) a great sense of nostalgia. That jacket was the first motorcycle jacket I had when I was sixteen. It was my dads, so i inherited it when i got my first set of wheels but thinking back to that time, what a sight i was on a Yamaha AeroX with a Trailmaster, very baggy jeans and Wrangler boots, the word badass doesn't spring to mind but the words "you can smell him before you see him" do. Once I'd had a enough of the Belstaff it went into my parents garage loft where it grew mold for many years but then got brought out to see if it could be brought back to life as a day to day coat, which is why its hanging in the garage or maybe to kill off insects and deter local wildlife, I'm unsure. I wonder if David Beckham or Ewan Mcgregor's £550* Belstaffs have starting growing mold?

Anyway, oil change. After warming the engine up and getting excited about 10W40 flowing, the sump plug came off ok, oil filler cap came off ok but the oil filter "f*** no, that aint coming off!" were the words both me and my old man described on several occasions for the issue we were having. It just wouldn't come off! This filter might have been on for six years because none of us can remember ever changing it but you would still think it would come off easily but we tried and tried, to the point of hammering a screwdriver through and trying to wind the filter off that way but still no luck, this thing would not budge.

The aftermath

We have a suspicion that whoever put the filter on (yes, it could be us) didn't lube the bottom of the filter, then decided to swing on the damn thing (not like us tbh) to tighten it. So we admitted defeat and managed to organise the local bike garage we use to come and pick it up, with the MOT due they might as well have a go at getting that bloody filter off and do the MOT whilst there, it also saves me from standing round at the bike garage at the weekend waiting for the MOT to be done with all the other folks who are there for MOTs, plus the weather doesn't look good but that's the UK for you!   

Can't to see what the damage to my pocket will be.

Safe riding and cake eating. Hope your oil change goes ahead better than mine!

*my dad paid nowhere near that for his plus the factory shop was only a couple of miles down the road.

First one of the year!

It always feels good to get back on the bike after the winter break, if you don't have the winter off and ride on through the winter, RESPECT! Been there, done that.

I read on the Biker & Bike website a piece about getting back on a bike after the winter break and the tagline stuck with me "Don't let the first ride be the last" or something along those lines. With me not riding my Suzuki SV1000 for just over a year this line hit me hard. Having dislocated my shoulder twice in the past and having doubt in my mind about riding, understandable i suppose, that tagline grounded me when i was getting excited about getting back on the bike, reminding me not to over do it.

So this first ride of the year went ok. Shoulder was fine, bike was not. Its the usual though when a bike hasn't moved for 6 months (maybe more in my case). It was obvious that it was running on old fuel as it was a bit lumpy to say the least (yes its a V-twin so it can be a bit lumpy, i know) add to that the idle speed was not high enough so when i came to a stop...it cut out. So it was eventful you could say but also very enjoyable. Me and my old man (he rides a Suzuki Bandit 1200) had a laugh and we realised we hadn't rode together since I left home.

Well if you got this far, thank you for reading, as you can tell I'm glad to be back on two wheels and I hope to use this blog to show my enthusiasm. Watch out for more content, it may include cake and maybe test rides of bikes (its something I've told myself to start doing) and the odd happening from the world of motorsport.

Ride safe folks

Twitter: @BikerLardy