White Dalton Solicitors Blog

It’s a sad day in the White Dalton Offices today as we wave goodbye to my Ducati 600SS (I finally had to agree with others that I really wasn’t likely to ever ride it again as it was no match for the Triumph 675). (continue reading…)

Winter linings zipped back into all the gear and lobster gloves on again … happy biker
Now contemplating some highly attractive thermal base layers for the REALLY cold months

This week I have had to hang up my summer air-flo jacket for the last time, and switch back to the familiar old leather jacket ready for the winter.

I can’t believe how sudden the drop in temperature seems to have occurred; the last few days have been quite bitter at morning commuter time … although bright and sunny and still needing my dark visor , I have also needed my winter gloves! And after getting off the bike at work this morning, I did start to wonder where I might have stored the additional lining for my jacket .

Oh well, good thing I’ve got decent winter gloves, neck tubes, and plenty of jumpers to layer up in when going out on the bike. Now all I need is a good deal on a waterproof over-suit.

Watch this space for more winter kit reviews as the weather gets worse!

Since yesterday, I have learned two new things about my ear-plugs.

Firstly, when a house or car alarm a few streets away goes off in the middle of the night, and the sound feels like it is piercing your brain and you’ll never sleep again, these moulded ear plugs block out the sound completely. They are too uncomfortable to sleep in, but you can at least stop having to listen to the alarm.

Secondly, if you get your order of getting ready to leave in the morning wrong, and you put in your ear-plugs prior to using an electric tooth-brush, the noise is immense and feels as if you are drilling into your brain.

Happy plugging

I have long been aware that wind noise contributes massively to the fatiguing effects of riding a motorcycle; pretty understandable given that at motorway speeds the volume inside a helmet is apparently the equivalent to having a pneumatic drill pounding away at you.

So I had been toying with the idea of getting some personal ear plugs rather than continually nicking from the office stash of disposable freebies we give out at shows . At the Aberdare Road Races I decided to utilise the time spent waiting for it to stop raining by finally acting on this idea, and I had casts taken of my ears to have plugs made which fit me and me only.

The sensation was simply the strangest thing I have experienced in a long time; it is neither natural nor pleasant to have goo injected that far down your lug-holes.

The jury is still out on whether it was worth it. I did get a pretty good deal cash-wise, and I did get to choose bright blue to match my bike and satisfy the girliness in me. However, I’m just not sure .

They are quite solid, which surprised me – I think I expected softer, more malleable rubber. This means my ears now get bashed by my helmet each time I pull it on or off. It also means after a long journey my ears can feel quite tired – really not something I would call ‘normal’.

I have also found them quite a hassle to insert, although I am hoping this is just a matter of technique improving over time. It is definately a two-handed affair, and it is all too easy to get the angle off just slightly, and you will be fumbling for ages, cursing (a lot) and getting less and less likely to fit them with each mini-tantrum. On the other hand, sometimes I manage it within seconds, and wonder what the fuss on the previous ride had been about. Which just confuses me further.

I think the conclusion I am almost at is that when i’m out for a decent spin on my bike then yep, genius, cuts out almost every last bit of wind noise (I chose the filter level for race & motorway use rather than normal road use), and I can hear my bike’s engine crisper than ever, which is great. Definately worth the hassle.

However, when out as a pillion? Or on just a short run-around? No thanks, I think i’d rather just have a little noise and get to where I am going without the extra palarva.