MOT time today! Trust me to have booked on a day it was then forecast to snow! Fortunately the snow didn’t reach us and it wasn’t have as cold as expected.....as long as you keep the speed Legal.

I always plan to get a few miles in before the test to bed in the brakes, especially after 5 months of standing idle! ........except that I am always running late so did less than 3 miles with frequent stamping on the brakes.

It passed anyway. The tester and bike workshop owner told me they had recently restored a similar Buell that had stood for 10 years, and that getting parts to overhaul the injectors and fuel pump was a bitch. Ah the joys of XB ownership today.

After the test I was determined to at least warm the motor through and burn off the moisture. It got a bit fresh as I ventured above 55 so I made the most of the spurts away from the lights enjoying the effortless part throttle 0-40 acceleration my Venturi modded header gives, but out of town the little XB rushed up to 85 (that’s kph Officer without much more effort.

I did a shortish loop between Cheltenham, Gloucester to Coombe Hill and back to Cheltenham as the cold was creeping in. Only 20.5 miles all in, but so good to be out on my Buell even being slightly chilled to the bones. Roll on summer!