White Dalton Blog

Our new prize bike, a CCM SR-40, joins the FT-35s for our prize bike giveaway. The SR-40 is a retro style bike inspired by scramblers from the early 70’s. Below is the full specification and some more images of the bike. (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

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.

I took a chance with buying a pair of allegedly cool, waterproof, protective, perforated leather motorcycle jeans from Hein Gerickes Luton branch. Neither Charlie nor Tim had used them but their basic position was HG would not compromise their brand by selling something which was not up to the job. They are also Goretex and the Gore Company try to avoid putting their name on stuff which does not work. I have to admit I am a bit of an HG fan, so I took a punt. Luckily Charlie ordered up several sets and I fitted into a size on the label I have not fitted into since I left Gibraltar Barracks, so they do come up big. When on they are more of a trouser cut rather than a race jean cut and they look okay, but my Alpine Star Track jeans are a much closer cut. I wore them for the first time in an absolute deluge – for about 15 minutes the skies over Birmingham just exploded with water. Cars were braking to 30mph on the M6 Toll, foglights were going on, and my Schuberth Helmet filled up it pinlock fogshield with water. Basically it was bloody horrible. However my leather jeans did not leak at all. Nor did my Hanwag lace up combat boots (try www.sappershop.com) for the boots that British Squaddies are buying themselves because the Government won’t, and as I was almost expecting a leak I was really alert to wet crotch or my boots filling up. In short, the HG waterproof leather jeans work. Given the choice between waterproof leather and Cordura in an off I will go for leather, so these jeans will be getting a lot of use. The only downside may arise in the winter because the trousers come with a zip in thermal liner which may be a little snug, but then long johns can go on.

These jeans are pricey, but if you ride all year, I reckon they will be one of the most used pieces of kit in your wardrobe. I recommend them.