PAINTING – DAY 2

The side frame and swing arm are to be painted today, the colour of these items is a shade or two different from the body colour so I asked him how we would find out the paint number for these parts.

”No problem, I paint the Kawasaki’s and Honda’s for this area, I know all their colours.”

I persuaded him that by using copious quantities of masking tape and newspaper, he would be able to spray the parts in situ and I would not have to have the bike in pieces for days. So, after rubbing down with wet and dry, the fiddly and time consuming process of masking up, began.

You cant tell from the photo, but the swinging arm, plus all hoses etc. are masked up all the way to the pivot point in the bikes bowels.

Many layers later, and after a couple of hours drying time , the masking is all removed to reveal luscious new paintwork.

You cant tell Linda and her, chainsaw like boots, have ever been on my bike lol. Polishing will wait untill I return from UK in a couple of weeks or so.

PAINTING – DAY 1

Finally, our one and only local spray painter has managed to fit me in to touch up the bodywork on the Transalp, I’ve seen his work on a couple of bikes and he’s worth waiting for. Mostly there are dozens of stone chips here and there from the appalling roads here, plus many scratches from the tank bag and Linda’s boots. Also some wanker scraped the side of my fairing in a car park last month, leaving an almost 6 inch long gouge.

On further examination some of the stone chips on the front mud guard had left minuet indentations, so my painter decided they needed filler as with the fairing.

While he was busy sanding and filling, I got some of his special grit laden polish and started removing some of the tank scratches and Linda’s boot marks on the side panels, 85% of all the scuffs and scratches are now gone!

After sanding and filling a few times over, it was then primer and sanding after masking up.

5 or 6 layers of primer were applied, and rubbed down with wet and dry paper in between.

Several layers of metallic silver, followed by three layers of clear lacquer.

The paint blends in perfectly already, a first class job, but tomorrow when the paint has hardened properly he will then polish the fairing and mud guard. He will them spray parts of the frame and swing arm, again, bloody stone chips, if only they would build roads properly here!!

BIKE 2 BIKE COMMUNICATIONS

After one week of intensive research by four members of our bike group, Theo, Boris, Korhan, and myself, none of us gifted with the technology gene bye the way. We have, after trawling the internet and even phoning the factory where the radios are made, twice, we have a cheap solution to bike to bike comms, plus rider to pillion and anyone to anyone in the group!!

Two way radios, or Walkie Talkies as they are sometimes known. Two way radios operating on the PMR446 frequency are licence free throughout the greater European region, they transmit at only 0.5 watts and do not interfere with the Police or Military radio frequencies of most countries.

There are many radios to choose from in the UK, from as little as 10 Pounds (16 USD) each for a 3KM range, or much higher prices for fully waterproof (IPX7 standard = under 1m of water for 30 minutes remaining operational)

We chose the radios pictured above:- Cobra MT 975, they have a 12KM range, are water proof to IPX4 (IPX4 = light rain) and are cheap at 22 Pounds each radio (35 USD) they also have an earphone jack where you can plug in your headset.

There are a few choices of in-helmet headsets with super slim speakers, the one pictured above is the MHS500 for open face helmets with the microphone on a boom that I have ordered for myself at 21 Pounds (33 USD) full faced helmets have a flat mic attached to the inside of the helmet near your mouth. There are both cheaper, and slightly more expensive headsets than my one, but they operate the same way.

VOX = Voice on Command, in other words, when you speak the radio transmits automatically, but from people who have tried VOX operation on motorbikes its fine up to 50KPH (30 MPH) after that the wind roar and engine noise will keep setting the VOX off.

PTT = Press To Talk, is the solution for motorbikes, you have a waterproof button and cable connected to the radio on your handlebar, you simply press to talk.

Via an adapter, two headsets can be connected to one radio for the rider and pillion, allowing the rider and pillion to talk to one another and anyone else in the group, I read an additional PTT switch is required for the pillion but at present this is not completely understood untill we get the radios and start to play.

In conclusion, we have bike to bike communication for one bike and rider for 43 Pounds (68 USD) much cheaper than Bluetooth offerings at hundreds of Dollars.

A DUNGEON TO CALL MY OWN

I’ve been very busy since we came back from our big trip, and have not gotten around to getting the bike back up to A1 standard so far. I made a start today, the bike  picked up a few stone chips, plus the pannier mounting rack was heavily scratched from the metal hooks on the bungee cords, the pannier rack is not really visible once the panniers are on, but I know the scratches are there !!

The tent rack on top of the top box was also heavily scratched from the  same steel bungee hooks and looked very unsightly. The stone chips on the fairing  and front mud guard I will have re-sprayed professionally, but the racks I am happy to attack with a spray can myself.

A light even spray every 20-30 minutes to build up the layers gradually, and then left over night to harden.

It took me about an hour or so to put the rear end back together on my own, it’s quite fidley to get all the bolt holes to line up and hold  all the parts up at the same time lol.

In the next few months its going to start to rain here in Turkey, but the rain we get here is orange and coats everything in an orange layer of muck. I want the bike under cover during rainy season, so went exploring options.

Under our apartment block is a maze of corridors and dungeons, with power sockets and lights, however, a Transalp is almost 1 meter wide at the handlebars and simply will not fit past some of the concrete pillars and in to a dungeon.

She will spend rainy season in one of the corridors under a sheet un-oranged, please excuse the crappy photos, the camera was having one of its off days!

THANKS VERY MUCH

I would just like to take a moment to  thank everyone for their interest in my ramblings, my humble little blog has just passed 50,000 hits.

I began this blog about a year ago to record my travels with my motorbike, I have had evil thoughts recently about selling the old girl, I put this temporary insanity down to quitting the fags and having my mind infected with oxygen.

You know where you are with good old Nicotine and the mental equilibrium it instills, now the no smoking  madness is over I shall return to riding once again.

Thanks once again to all those who read, comment, stop by or just accidently stumbled across my blog and immediately left again lol.

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AU REVOIR AU TIGRE

(Goodbye to the Tiger) After resting their sore bottoms for  a  week, Ian and Bev left this morning on their return trip to England.

From here they are heading to Athens, about a three or four day ride, then the boat over to Italy. The Triumph Tiger has had an oil and brake pad change, plus a wash and polish while it’s been here.

Good luck.

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A TIGER FROM ENGLAND

Ian and Bev arrived here in Turkey three weeks after setting off from UK on their Triumph Tiger 955 I.

Naturally the first thing Ian wanted to do on his arrival here was to try out Montie.

The girls though wanted to go shopping, so off we all went to the special market where Linda wandered around looking at clothes for almost two weeks.

There have been no problems with the Tiger on their trip here, Ian has brought brake pads and an oil filter with him and will be doing some routine maintenance whilst staying with us.

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ON THE TRAIL OF SANTA CLAUS (Part 1)

Everyone thinks there is no such thing as Santa Claus, but he did exist and lived in Turkey. The name behind the Father Christmas legend is Saint Nicholas, born in Patara Turkey (where I went last week) and died December 6th 345 AD, this was the Byzantine period of History or The Eastern Roman Empire.

A very messy period of History, Turkey, as its called today, belonged to either the Greeks, Roman, Persians or Arabs for much of its past and has had various names, but has only recently become Turkey, founded in 1299 by the Ottomans and became a Republic in 1923.

Since St. Nicholas was born in the Byzantine period, he would be either Roman (Italian) or Greek by birth. He regularly gave money and Gold away to the poor and unfortunate, which is where the legend was born. There are three burial sites for St. Nicholas (Santa) two in Turkey and the last in Italy, we decided to find the two burial sites in Turkey.

Following on from a survey by a Japanese team of archaeologists in 1990 and an American team in 2003 it is thought the first burial site is Gemiler Island or St. Nicholas Island, as it was once known. The Island is close to shore and less than an hours ride from Fethiye.

Once in Fethiye we had a quick look around the marina, but it was quiet there today.

We rode through Fethiye town and on to the narrow country roads.

Its nice the old tomb was left in place and the road built around it.

On the road high above Fethiye we saw an old circular stone structure, you can never tell if these are burial chambers or water cisterns because they look alike, only when you stick your head through the doorway will you know, body or water, this one was a water cistern.

The narrow road winds its way through pine forests and over hills with many challenging hairpins and switch backs, we stopped at a water fountain to re-fill our water bottles, perhaps this is the time to mention its HOT !!

Along the way to St.Nicholas Island we passed through ‘The Ghost Town’ during tensions between Greece and Turkey in the 1920’s it was decided to have a population exchange instead of a war. Both governments quickly built towns, Turkish people living in Greece could return to Turkey, and Greek people living in Turkey could return to Greece. The Greeks left Turkey but the Turkish people living in Greece decided to stay there and become Greek citizens, the population for the new town never came, and the town has been left abandoned since 1922.

We rode on after looking in some of the abandoned houses and came across another circular stone structure, but it was a water cistern again.

About another 20 minutes further along we caught sight of St.Nicholas Island in the distance.

We rode on down the hill to Gemiler beach, where we found a chap with a boat to take us across to the Island.

We stood on the wobbly make shift jetty while our boat was pulled in.

The ride in the boat was only about 10 minutes long, the sea was absolutely crystal clear and warm to the touch.

There was just the caretaker on the Island, I always prefer wandering around ruins when there is no one else about, the boat owner said he would be back in an hour to pick us up.

The Japanese survey revealed a Monastery, 5 churches and countless shrines and religious buildings here, all packed in on a small Island, Centuries ago the Island was also known as ‘Sailors Island’ and was on the Pilgrim trail.

After his death St. Nicholas replaced Poseidon as the patron Saint of sailors.

Which of the structures on the Island housed the Tomb of St. Nicholas is still not exactly known.

There were many stone structures around.

In the centre of the Island is a long vaulted (Roofed) corridor running from sea level all the way up to the top of the Island, this was for Pilgrims and Priests etc.

On the far side of the Island is another large structure.

Our boat returned exactly on time, it is now thought that this Island was the place of the first Tomb of St. Nicholas, but when the Arab Muslims began attacking and raiding the Turkish coast a few Centuries after his death, his body was moved on to the mainland, to Myra, about an hour and a half’s ride further East.

We were absolutely exhausted after climbing up the hills of the Island, so decided to go to Myra next week to see the very well preserved church where he was entombed for a second time.

We had a pleasant ride back, stopping for water and ciggies.

Because Fethiye was so unusually quiet when we passed through this morning, we though we would see how close we could get the bikes to the 2500 years old Lycian Kings Tombs. One of these Tombs though was carved out of the rock for one of Alexandre The Great’s Generals who died  here when he conquered turkey.

After yet more water, we drank 4.5 litres between us while we were out today, we headed back home.

Stay tuned for next weeks instalment of:  ON THE TRAIL OF SANTA CLAUS (part 2)

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”ONLY MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN”

I rang Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ McClane (As he’s known by the locals in the village)  this morning, to ask him if he wanted to visit Patara, its unbearably hot here in summer so most people tend to stay indoors, but then after a few weeks  ”Cabin fever”  takes over, and you need to go out.

We arranged to meet up at the Patara amphitheatre,  both John and I have been to Patara many times, but like to look at the new discoveries the archaeologists un-Earth ever year.

I stopped at my usual place for a ciggie break, it takes about two hours to reach Patara from where I live.

After an hour on the road I badly needed to drink some water, so I stopped at a water fountain that serves up chilled water.

With a bloated belly full of water, plus a spare bottle, I carried on to meet John in Patara. Under normal circumstances, and temperatures, a two hour ride is nothing, but when its as hot here as the Devils BBQ, two hours  in the saddle feels like ten, its  so draining !!

We both arrived at Patara at the same time, precision planning !

The entrance arch to the ruined city of Patara, about 2,000 years old, then we rode a little way up a dirt track to the remains of an early Christian Church.

After exploring the Church, we stood in the shade for a while where both of us finished the last of our water, bad planning.

We rode to the amphitheatre and was greeted with a dreadful sight, they have started to dismantle and re-assemble Patara. Now in Egypt and Italy they take care over their antiquities and renovation is done sympathetically, not here, cheap and slap dash is how most restoration work is carried out, only the few UNESCO sites in Turkey are  re-constructed  properly, such a shame.

The height of the amphitheatre and forum walls have been reduced, you could not slip a piece of paper between the stone blocks laid over 2,000 years ago. Below is an example of the joint quality of a newly re-constructed wall.

Just dreadful !!

Anyway, moan over, we first walked over to what used to be the main street thousands of years ago.

On the photo below, of a discarded piece of stone, I noticed the Crusaders emblem, John said it was the mark of  The Knights Templar, looks like they passed this way on their way to/from the Holy Lands.

Next we walked over to the amphitheatre, which is now in poor condition after renovation.

The view from the top.

In the photo below you can just make out John, climbing over fallen stone blocks.

And yours truly.

We decided to ride along the dirt track to last years discovery of the Worlds oldest light house, built by Emperor Nero.

Most of the photos I took of John and I riding the few Kilometers along the sandy dirt track did not turn out because I could not keep the camera steady enough, its bloody hard riding on dirt tracks, one handed trying to take photos lol.

The sea used to be right here Milleniea ago, but is now about two Kilometers further away over the sand dunes, neither of us fancied either walking or riding over sand dunes, too hot.

Riding back, we stopped at the columns for some last photos.

Heading back to town now, to find bottles of water, my throat is so dry I can hardly talk in a normal voice.

We stood in the shade, smoked two fags each and I consumed all of the 1.5 litre bottle of water, have I mentioned it’s hot!!

We said our good byes at the road junction, me turning left and John right.

Whilst heading home I caught sight of the road sign for Xanthos, so I had a little detour to have a look.

Xanthos is a very ancient city, mentioned in Homer’s Iliad, I’ve been here a few times before, but though I would have a quick look.

The sight is still in poor condition, I rode on to the bridge and river that I had seen from up on the hill.

Heading back I came across this entrance arch, neglected on a hill side.

Heading home.

A nice day out, that will keep the Cabin Fever at bay for another week or two.

MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN was written by Noel Coward, a small section below for those who are not familiar with the song.

Mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.

The toughest Burmese bandit
Can never understand it.

In Rangoon the heat of noon
Is just what the natives shun.

They put their Scotch or Rye down
And lie down.

In a jungle town
Where the sun beats down
To the rage of man and beast
The English garb
Of the English sahib
Merely gets a bit more creased.

In Bangkok
At twelve o’clock
They foam at the mouth and run,
But mad dogs and Englishmen
Go out in the midday sun.

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GOD IT’S HOT !

The candle thermometer indicates that this week was even hotter than the last, its been another busy week on the markets for me, my only free time is the weekend, but the energy sapping heat means I don’t feel like riding today.

The temperature reached 38c (101F) inside the house Friday, so probably mid forties outside (115F) I worry about the pool of sweat that gathers on the floor (Really) under my chair reaching all the electric cables for my computer. I also know that computers should not become too hot, we have another six weeks yet before the weather turns and  starts  to cool down, something needed to be done.

I bought a fan for my computer, being a tight arse, it was  the cheapest in the shop, when the chap delivered it half an hour later, I discovered it was remote controlled, how cool, if you pardon the pun !!

I have not only saved my computer from over heating, and myself from an electric shock, but I have saved at least 30 seconds from my day. I don’t have to un-stick myself from my chair, walk six feet over to the fan, adjust the speed or direction, what a marvelous labour saving device a remote control is .

With an electric fan each, life is good again, if only it was solor powered, then I could mount it to the bike and go for a ride !!

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