Peace is the path to peace.

 

For old times’ sake.

I just agreed to sell my K1200S to North Oxford Garage. It has been nearly three magnificent years, but it’s time to make a hard choice: the KTM is cheaper to run, more versatile and, frankly, slower.

It’s also been quite a week for driving.

Masterclass on Saturday 7th: highly tuned VW Bora TDi plus the BMW 528i auto that I drove sub-optimally last year. The Bora kept grounding, lowered as it was by about 50 mm: too much. It rewarded a high gear, which made it unusual. I conquered the 528i, with the President on board. Apparently I have great potential, and will one day make a great driver. By HPC standards, praise indeed.

I did a little dance.

Tuesday evening was an informal drive in a Porsche 911 ClubSport. It’s a great car. No servo on the brakes; no power steering; all the weight aft, thanks to the air-cooled, noisy engine. It’s a brilliant, challenging, interesting road car and I love it.

Despite the pouring rain, a friend and I had a great day’s bike coaching with an expert motorcyclist to provide a boost to our safety, skill and enjoyment in motorcycling.

Some key points were:

• Proceeding between hazards in thirds is very helpful. The first third prompts you to apply power at the right moment; the middle third avoids entering hyperspace; and the final third makes it easy to get the bike set up, stable and driving, for the next bend. This transformed my smoothness.
• Relaxation must be monitored, especially in a sports riding position. After a winter riding bolt upright on my supermoto, it was too easy to let my weight fall on the handlebars of my sports bike. The improvement to be had by holding some weight in the torso for a light touch on the steering soon became clear.
• Positioning: a great reminder to seek safety and grip with an option on maintaining a view, by using all the available road.

A brilliant start to the season proper.

Friday: KTM went for a water pump and they loaned me a 690. Saturday: K1200S in for a service, so Mark Goodhand and I borrowed an F800S and R1200S respectively.

Superb ride for two hours in the Cotswolds, stopping in Burford. Autmn has its merits, even if those don’t include clean, dry roads.

The R1200S is a superb motorcyle with easy, relaxing handling and plenty of pace. Sure, it’s quirky, tugging to the right from tickover, and it’s not as fast as a four, but it is a real pleasure to ride.

The F800S is quick and adequate, but not exciting or a real pleasure. Mark expressed an interest in a K1200R on our return to North Oxford Garage…

A test ride was forthcoming and back we went into the Cotswolds, me on my S (and how I love that bike). Mark’s pleasure riding it was clearly visible: I laughed out loud. The outcome was inevitable.

Yes, Mark has bought an R and this pairing may yet be seen again.