MonkeyDispenser » Interests

Oh no, what have I done?

Jason — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:13:20 +0000

Last weekend I discovered a slow puncture in the rear tyre of my beloved SV650S, probably down to the piece of metal sticking in it. Financially it couldn’t really have picked a worse time to happen, but that’s the way these things often go. After finally working out where to get a new tyre (this is the first time I’ve had to do anything like this with a bike) and deciding that the front could do with replacing too I decided it would just be easier to remove the wheels and take them in to avoid the extra fitting cost and having to wait for longer while the tyres were fitted.

Somehow that simple job has turned in to a refurbishment of the front forks. I don’t know what happened last night, but I just couldn’t seem to stop undoing things and taking them off. I just hope my Haynes manual is as good at telling me how to put it back together. Maybe I should have read that bit first.

The Freedom of the Open Road

Jason — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:30:45 +0000

Hurrah! I managed to pass my bike test. Admittedly it took two attempts and I thought I’d blown it the second time too but luck, and a nice driving examiner, appeared to be on my side.

So all I need now is a bike. Assuming the weather holds out for a few more weeks I’ll be heading up to Edinburgh to pick it up soon. After that the world is my oyster. Well, perhaps not since it wouldn’t go down too well if I spent all my time out on the bike. It’s tough being a modern husband…

That was a joke, by the way. I wouldn’t swap any of them for the bike, tempting as it may be some days

Motorbiking – freedom or indulgence

Jason — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:41:14 +0000

On Tuesday this week I passed my driving theory test. Not that I don’t already have a driving licence, I just don’t have a motorbike licence and that’s what I’ll be aiming for next month by taking a direct access course. In theory, by the end of the course I’ll have my full bike licence. It’s a good job I passed the theory test though; failing that after nearly 20 years of driving would just be embarrassing. The official test DVD (the one that costs 10 quid, not the freebie they send you when you book your test) is pretty much a collection of the actual questions you get on the test. The test certainly isn’t hard if you’ve been driving for a long time, but if you can’t afford to fail (like me!) then I recommend the DVD.

Things are moving along quite quickly. I already have my protective gear ready and I’m in the process of getting hold of a bike similar to the one pictured. It’s a funny position to be in; on one side are a group (the bikers) telling you it’s by far the most enjoyable way to travel and on the other side is another group (the non-bikers) telling you you’re more-or-less going to kill yourself. Hmmm…nervous now.

Also it’s an entirely selfish thing to do if you have a young family like myself, which probably doesn’t make me quite as excited as I would otherwise be. None-the-less I’ve been wanting to do this for years and I’m determined to see it through successfully.

22nd KUGB KYU Grades

Jason — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 22:59:26 +0000

Somehow I was talked into entering a competition after less than a year of training. Oh well, I suppose the easiest way to know how you’ll do in a fight is to actually be in a fight. We were quite lucky since Sensei Liam is big on competition and was prepared to do some proper kumite training for those of who are still at the ippon kumite stage of our Karate journey!

So, how would I describe the insanity that is getting up on the mat and going at it with someone? Bloody scary is probably as close as I’d get. The 20 seconds it took to walk around the mat and wait for the other guy to put the red tag on were rather difficult. I’m no fighter, that’s for sure, but I managed to keep myself together long enough not to just turn-tail and run. And once it ‘kicked-off’ I thought I handled myself rather well, winning my first fight and only getting one excessive force warning! Ok, so I lost the second fight, but only just and only because I got another warning instead of the second half point. Never mind.

Some of the other guys did amazingly given that it was their first time and they even managed to get me a gold medal in the men’s team kumite (as the reserve for the team I didn’t even have to throw a punch in that one). Something to remember the day by I suppose.

So what about next year? Would I do it again? I’m not sure at the moment. Whilst it was an incredible buzz it was also very stressful in the weeks running up to it. Oh and I also ended up with a cracked rib, which was nice.