It was yesterday actually. I'd heard that my favourite 'bikers' cafe, Castlewood cafe, near Uttoxeter, was shutting down so I set off in the pouring rain to find out what was happening. It also gave me a chance to find out if my new Daytona boots would actually keep my feet dry. 60 miles of rain later I was there, with dry feet. On arrival I was the only biker there, but three more arrived before I left.
Unfortunately, the cafe is shutting for good on the 21st January. An office block is being built on the site.
I set off home in the drizzle and everything was going well until I got to Loggerheads, heading towards Market Drayton. I felt a bump and heard a crunching sound under the back tyre. Two miles later the bike became difficult to steer so I pulled into a field entrance., by which time the tyre was flat. It wasn't repairable as there was a big gash in the tread.Shame, as it's a month old Pilot 4. I rang the AA at 12-45 pm and at 2-30 pm a very helpful AA operative turned up.Bike was put on a trailer and We set off for my house.
This morning I rang every motorbike tyre fitter locally but nobody had a Pilot 4 or T30 in stock and I want the bike for tomorrow morning. One fitter could get me a BT023 for this afternoon so I ordered that. I don't have a car so I loaded the back wheel onto my other 'transport' and pushed it across town to the tyre fitters.
Left it with them. Awaiting a phone call to collect this afternoon.