5
« on: April 21, 2018, 09:40:24 PM »
Had been trying to arrange a trip down to Southampton for a few weeks to have a look at an RD400. It was finally agreed I would go down today and as the weather had picked up I chose to take the St 1300 rather than the car. Took the cover off , fitted the top box for my girlfriend as she prefers it on because she knows she can't fall off the back. At this point I remembered that it was on a sorn, dug out the V11 reminder form and tried to tax It. Couldn't do it because the reminder was now out of date and needed to find the V5 in order to do it. Searched through boxes of paperwork but couldn't find it. Ended up ringing the DVLA and paying for a new one so it could now be taxed. That done we got kitted up and got on the bike. Key in the ignition, turned it on and pressed the starter button and nothing, bloody battery was flat despite it being charged at regular intervals during the winter. Reconnected the charger and gave it an hour, still wouldn't turn over. Thought I know I'll bump start it instead so girlfriend pushed me down the road with me paddling with my legs to help. Into 2nd clutch out and it started. Turned on the sat nav to put in my destination and the touch screen didn't work, oh well I thought, I know how to get to Southampton from Rugby and i can ring the guy with the RD when i get there for directions to his house and by then the battery will be charged. The ride down wasn't the greatest, traffic was heavy and I was a bit rusty after 5 months off the bike. An hour and a half into the journey my ears began to get quite painful, I'd bought an alpinestars skull cap to wear under my helmet so the lining would stay a bit fresher but the mesh bits were making my ears feel like they were ablaze! Tolerated it for as long as I could then pulled over to make the phone call and get the helmet off to relieve my ear's for 5 minutes. Phone call made and back on the bike, wouldn't start so what I thought was a flat battery was a knackered one. Bump started again, got to the house which luckily was on slight hill, parked up and went to look at the 400. That done we push started ok and set off back home. Needed to stop for fuel and that meant yet another push start only this time it wouldn't. After pushing and paddling with no success I wanted to get off and put a match to the bloody thing. Luckily someone offered to help push and it started. We needed a drink by then and went and got drinks in the service area but had to sit outside next to the bike with the engine running as I couldn't risk switching it off again. 2 hours later we got back home, tired with no feeling left in my arse. Had a quick tap on the sat nav and hey presto, it decided to work again! So now am faced with shelling out for another battery and I didn't buy the RD anyway. Fair to say I've had better day's.
Postscript. Predictably I found the V5 for the ST but now can't find the one for the 550!
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