My First Unsafe Manoeuver

So as I learn more about the bike, and get better at handling him, I have grown more confident in what it can do.  I am doing a bit more filtering in moving traffic, which allows me to get ahead of slow moving traffic or vehicles that make me nervous.  I am very much aware that I am taking a few more risks, and I'm being as careful as possible.  However part of being a safe rider is knowing what your bike can do and what it can not do.
So I was following a few large vehicles, and felt I had enough power and space to pass them.  I passed the bus, and then went to pass the lorry.  As I was beside it, the driver decided he wanted to move across the center line, and forced me to go into oncoming traffic.
I would not have attempted the manoeuvre if there were vehicles coming toward me, so the lane was empty.  However, there is a central reservation, so I had to swerve right to avoid it, as there was a car in the left lane (in front of the lorry).
Anyway, I kept on going, my heart racing a little bit faster.  I took a moment to think about it, and realised I should not have attempted this move; there would have been opportunities moments later that would have allowed me to pass safely.
Lesson learned.
Here is the video.

The Day My Bike Caught Fire

So a few weeks ago, I was looking online at all the different things people have written about the Honda CG 125.  One of the things was the poor factory headlight - many people were saying the original incandescent bulb was weak to the point of being dangerous.
So I looked for a replacement - I hadn't yet been riding in the dark, and I was a bit fearful of doing so with the original style bulb in place.  I found a bulb on a well-known online auction site (I won't say what it is, but it's name rhymes with 'mee-bay') as a suitable replacement.  It's rated as a 35W/35W bulb (meaning the dipped and main elements were the same rating of 35W), in an 'extreme white blue xenon' colour.  It was cheap, and thought what the hell.
So I undid the two screws at the bottom of the chrome headlight surround, and popped the cover off.  Inside I found a warren of wires.  I disconnected the 4-way mini connector for the headlight, and removed the incandescent bulb.  The new bulb slotted right in, which made me happy!
The main reflector has a small hole in it for a pilot light - a small, five watt bulb which is meant to light up the headlight just enough to make the bike visible - sort of a daytime running light.  The bulb in mine was burned out, so I removed the bulb and set it aside to find a replacement.
I then crammed the reflector back in place, moving the wires around until it all fit, put the two screws back in, and switched on the light.  It looks really good!  It is a much white light, and seems brighter - I don't know if this is true or not, but I thought I may aw well test it out.  It was getting close to dusk, so I thought I'd go for a short ride.
Here is a portion of the ride - check out what happens as a stop at a junction, right about 22 seconds in:

Yep, my bike was smoking!
Seeing as it's only ten years old, I figured I better pull over and have a word.  I went back to the garage, shut the thing off, and this is what I saw inside:

Yeah, the wire for the pilot bulb?  I never put it back in.  The bulb socket was rattling around loose, and  short circuited with the headlight casing, and melted all the shielding off.  It was warm enough that it melted a bit off a few mini connectors as well.
What an idiot.
So, my test drive cut woefully short, I parked the bike, and went off to sulk.  I looked online to purchase a new wiring harness for Hank, and ordered one.
By Saturday morning, the harness had not arrived, but I thought I would go and have a closer look at the damage.  After looking at it, I realised it's not as bad as it looks - one wire was melted, and there was a bit of damage to the shielding of maybe two other wires.  I had a look around the garage, and found an ISO wiring harness for a car stereo.  I wondered if this would work.....
I looked at the existing wiring, and compared it to the stereo wiring.  The stereo wiring was thicker, and more robust than the original, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  What's the worst that could happen -  it catches fire again?
I cut out the burned wiring, and replaced it with the new cable.  I soldered it properly, and wrapped it in shrink wrap, and crossed my fingers.....
I put it all back together, and switched on the ignition.  I then waited for the smoke to start pouring out.  None did.
Hooray!
It would appear that I have fixed it!  So I thought I'd go for another test ride!
It all looks good - however the indicator on my gauges that tells me my main beam is on tends to flicker on and off - even though the headlight itself does not change - it just gives a steady beam, and switches properly.  I guess there is a wire loose in there still, or a mini connector that is a bit wobbly.
I have since received the new wiring loom, so I will tackle the process of installing the new wiring soon - another Saturday wasted when I should be out riding, I imagine....

Fun with Petrol

After running out of fuel, I thought I'd have a look at what mileage I was actually achieving on the bike.  Websites have claimed anywhere from 70 to 120mpg on these, with 100mpg being the norm.  Fantastic!  My car is good for 50mpg if I'm careful on the motorway, and I do enjoy paying less for fuel as I am a miserly old man.
There are a few things that can really affect the mileage of a motorcycle, such as wind and tyre resistance, the weight it has to pull, and driving style.
It seemed to me the bike was a bit thirsty - When I bought it, the chap said it wasn't good for 100mpg, but he put that down to him being 'a fat bloke'.  I'm not the trimmest of athletes, and I thought I could do well with it.  He said it had a full tank when he sold it to me.  I hadn't written down the miles completed or anything, so I had no idea how much it was using.  I looked in the tank before setting off on my first commute, and it looked okay - however I had no idea what nearly empty looked like.
It ran out, and it would not light up after turning to reserve.
At this stage, I was worried it might be something else preventing the bike from running.  So I parked the bike, locked it up, and walked to the nearest train station (in full gear, carrying a helmet, on a very hot day!) to get to work.  I spent the day being humiliated by my coworkers, and worrying my bike was useless and a waste of money.  I also worked out a plan.  I went home (via public transport, with the great unwashed of London), hopped in the car, and drove to my local garage.  I bought a petrol container and some petrol, and drive over to where I had abandoned the poor thing.  It took the full 5 litres, and after a few tries it lit up!  I breathed a sigh of relief and knew I didn't have to worry it was something other major issue.  I now know the petrol gauge well and truly does not work.
So, I drove the car back, caught a bus back to the bike, and immediately topped up the tank with some Esso Supreme petrol, and noted the mileage.  As I'm now fully aware that the gauge does not work, I kept my eye on it, and after four days of commuting, I topped it up again.  I had done 85.2 miles, and used 4.14 litres of fuel - this equates to 77.9mpg.  Not bad.  I'd like to see better, but looking online, it would appear one the best things I can do for my mileage is lose weight.  Sigh....
There are some other things I can do as well.  I've ordered a new air filter- the original is still in place after eight years and thirty thousand odd miles.  I also checked the tyre pressures and discovered the front tyre was at about 17psi, and the rear was 22.  The recommended for this bike is 25psi for the front, and 29 for the rear, so out comes the hand pump....
I am still too inexperienced to notice a difference in the way the bike handles after putting the correct pressure in the tyres, but I'm sure it helps.
After a few more weeks of glorious, trouble-free rides to and from work, I have a fairly accurate idea of the mileage I can expect.  I get a bit nervous, and top up every 80 miles or so.  I've bought petrol five times, and the average mileage is 76.4mpg.  Not the 120mpg I was hoping for, but still pretty good!  In the time I've had the bike, I've spent about half of what I would have spent giving my money to TfL, so I am pleased about that!
Next up, a new air filter...