Ring plans

It is our wedding anniversary on Friday (22 years, you get less for murder as they say!) and as a special treat for Mrs M I have planned a splendid weekend down at the Nurburgring. In order to make it palatable a couple of laps of the Ring are to be interspersed with wining and ding and shopping in Koblenz and general pampering all round. The forecast is for rain, which should test the RS4's superlative Quattro system. Sweepstake to be opened on how far I get round before Mrs M shouts at me to slow down - I predict the first bend!

New anti roll bars

At last I have completed the fitment of uprated Whiteline anti roll bars to the Mazda Turbo, together with new front discs. The roll bars are 24mm at the font and 16mm at the rear, replacing the really puny standard Mazda ones. Combined with the new tyres recently fitted, the ride and handling seems even better than before. And it wasn't bad in the first place!

Frosty reception

Motorbike purchase discovered - reception from Mrs M as frosty as a winter in Siberia, which is where she may be sending me, if not worse. Dreaded T word mentioned alot too.

Cruisin' for a bruisin'

Am going to be in the doghouse with 'er indoors after my latest acquisition of the powered variety - but this time it is a motorbike, a lovely Yamaha Virago cruiser. Whilst it is 110cc just like my previous bike sold some years ago, they are like chalk and cheese. For that was a Honda Blackbird, a two-wheeled Exocet missile capable of 186mph. Even I notched up 165mph (on a German Autobahn officer) whilst loaded with luggage and panniers.

It is currently parked in the garage awaiting discovery/a suitable time to break the news. It has been bought with a future in mind of relaxed jaunts around France and elsewhere with Mrs M on the comfortable pillion seat and the sun shining all day everyday! And not expensive to run or buy, little depreciation and the previous owner having looked after her for 13 years. You know it makes sense, especially with winter fast approaching!

New boots and panties

Well new tyres at least - finally succumbed to replacing the ancient bits of rubber that had been on my Mazda Turbo long before I bought it a couple of years ago. They had become rock solid, with a noticeable impact on ride. So new Pirelli P Zeros have gone on all round, courtesy of those excellent guys at Tyrepros in East Grinstead. The difference they make was immediately noticeable, even round town and all four cost significantly less than a pair for the ever expensive RS4.