A test ride with the reborn Red Rascal |
|
|
On Sunday 24 February, a day after I took the "Red Rascal" again as
'first bike', I found that it was time for a larger test ride. The
helmet was looked up, the keys found (that had been the complete night
into the contact on the CX), and the motorsuit put on. All light bulbs
and nuts and bolds were cheked first. Was everything still fixed? Did
everything still work? But obviously I did it well, because I could find
mistakes.
I started and drove away. It was a delicious day to take the CX for a ride. And I was not really the only one that thought so. I steared towards Apeldoorn, a beautiful ride to test everything well, and I encountered several motorrijders. In Apeldoorn I stopped, simply to check everything once. The brake disks did not feel extreem warmly to, all lights did it still, and the front legs sat still on the altitude on which I put them. I drove trhough Apeldoorn, and planned the return by means of Klarenbeek, Loenen and Hoenderloo. That was the plan. Shortly for Klarenbeek I puased, to take a photograph of the sun which put exactly behind the clouds to cover the landscape in a warm glow, a promise of the spring. | |
 ... landscape ... |
|
|
It was about 10 degree, not too cold for ritje on the motor, as a matter
of fact it was beautiful. On the side of the way, on the crossroad of
the Klarenbeekseweg and the Oosterbroekweg I all of a sudden saw two
motor riders, one standing obviously talking on a cell-phone. I stopped,
turned around and returned. It were two young l;adies, both with a motorcycle, and one of them had a problem.
"Need some help?" I asked. Yes, that was well, but they asked
"do you understand motocycles?" I thought I had enough understanding of
motorcycles, having taken apart my own CX. Maybe I could take a look?
A Suzuki Intruder is really complete different than my own old, trusted CX. But nevertheless. Oil, yes. Battery, good, lights go on. Petrol ? A light shake with the bike produced a gentle hissing at the tank. Hey! Perhaps..... I asked the contact key, and opened the tank. Another shake showed some petrol, not much. Is this as simple as I suspect? Tankcap closed, key in the contact, starter.... and nothing. What's that? Oh yes, a natural, 'new' gismo, that does not exist on a CX. Therefore the clutch in, jiffy in, and once again the start button. The engine went around as it should, no strange sounds, and by the sound there was nothing wrong. The petrol tap stood on 'ON' and I twisted ite to 'reserve'. For the third time the start button, and I was now rewarded after few seconds with a clear and loud ' RoarRoar', when the engine neatly started. | |
 ... two ladies ... |
|
|
I explained that it could be caused bij the fuel tank, perhaps
a dirty fuelcap, causing an under-pressure, or just simple not
switching to 'reserve' on time. Said that, I went back onto my CX, waved,
and away I was. Across the channel on route to Beekbergen.
The forest between Beekbergen and Hoenderloo was stil in hibernation-mode,
and now, with the sun gone, looked dry and withered. I passed Hoenderloo,
and reached without any adventures Ede again.
The only thing that bothered me, is the squeking of the right front brake. When I touch the brake handle, the sound stops. But it would be better to have no sound at all.... After the test ride I checked the oil level, and looked underneauth the engine. The oil level was a bit low, and at the underside of the engine it is clear that there is a minor oil leak. It look that is leakage is at the rear carterlid, just as I've seen at the "Blue Angel" | |
|
|