As some people are already know via other social media, I've parted company with my SV after 8 years together. It was a hard decision but it was clear for some time that things weren't right between us.  I'd been thinking about other bikes and looking longingly at other machines and it seemed like the right time to call it a day.

Seriously.

It became clear on the Belgium trip that I'm not a spring chicken anymore and the SV was becoming increasingly uncomfortable on long trips. I had one episode where I waved my right foot to thank a French driver for letting me pass and as I put my foot back on the peg a someone stuck a knife in my buttock, or so it felt. I spent the next 5 minutes riding down the road with my foot stretched out in front of me like an idiot. It's not the first time I've had sciatica but it's usually as I get on the bike.  Another issue is that the bike had just clocked up 36k miles, and whilst I expect the engine to easily double or treble that, the rest of the bike was more doubtful. Cosmetic wear and tear was becoming apparent, mainly on paintwork, such as the wheels and engine. Rust and corrosion were making their presence felt and I could see the 'ker-ching' of the till. The rear shock was pretty knackered too and was doing a good impression of a bouncy castle, in fact it was lethal two up. Speaking of two up, my 16yo 6ft son likes to ride pillion on occasion, and the performance suffered badly, and I've already mentioned the handling.  So it seemed sensible to move on something comfier and with a bit more zip.

So I part ex'd Suzi for a Honda VFR800 VTEC. Still a V-twin but with two extra cylinders :)  It's a different beast altogether but it's certainly a lot more comfortable and is not slow in the slightest.  Some of you might be thinking why didn't I go for an SV1000s, well the thought did cross my mind, but the riding position was still an issue. I didn't fancy an inline 4 either, had plenty of them. I'm not that fussed on adventure bikes either, they seem too top heavy and clumsy looking, though I hear the DL650 is brilliant, if you can live with the looks. I briefly thought of a BMW f800ST, but the local dealer had a nice clean looking VFR for sale and I was lured by it's slightly bonkers styling and it already had the Givi hardware to take hard luggage. A test confirmed it was nothing like an SV and certainly felt like it had less low down grunt but the turbine feel of the V4 was sublime and the kick of the VTEC at 7k reminded me of my old RD350YPVS from 20 years ago. I was grinning widely.

So what does this mean for my stewardship of this site. I'm not sure really, I'm still considering that. Having said that there are a lot of people on here that have moved on to other bikes including a lot of the mods. I still have a little SV sitting in office, although its 1/34 scale.

One day I may have another SV, never say never, it's just a pity that Suzuki missed the boat with Gladius, I could never love that thing.

The answer is not a lot, news wise. The late arrival of spring and summer has limited my biking activity but it all come good a week or so ago with a trip to Belgium.

Before heading off to Belgium, I had to sort out one niggling issue on the SV, the front tyre. It was losing air pressure last year and the 12 months since haven't improved things, it had got far worse. I took it back to my usual tyre dealer and the prognosis was not good. Cracks had been appearing in the bottom of the tread grooves and some of them went quite deep. The fitter told me the tyre was made in 2009, but my records show that I had it fitted new in 2011. Anyhow, there's no point in taking chances with tyres and a new front Conti was ordered. That solved the front, now the rear is leaking slightly, argh.

The black plastics on the SV are looking very grey these days and the usual trick of cleaning with 'Armourall' or 'Back to Black' only last so long. I read a tip in MCN that warming up the plastic with a heat gun can restore or at least improve the colour. I had a go at my Pyramid Plastics fender extender and I'm please to report that it does work. I wouldn't say it looks brand new, but it's a big improvement on what it was. I also had a go on the the read mudguard (or whatever you call it) and that looks better too. A word of warning though, use the heat sparingly. I waved the gun back and forth across the plastic as though I was spraying paint, so practice on something that's cheap to replace, like the fender extender.

The trip to Belgium was fun. I always love riding on the continent. We stayed in Ypres and explored the WW1 and WW2 museums and attractions. The weather was kind too. Photos are here if you're interested.

I was hoping to make the AR this year, but lack of funds has curtailed that idea. Belgium cost me a packet, but it was worth it. For those attending the AR this year, I hope you have a good time and the weather gods are kind.

John