Well January is almost finished and since the work ride I haven't had a chance to go for a ride. Sure I've done my normal commutes, but no recreational rides.

Christmas Holidays wasn't really a good time, my Mrs worked most of it, so I was looking after the kids... they are several years from being old enough to be left on their own. Secondly, the police runs a double demerit point system in most holiday periods so whilst the chance of a ticket is small the way I ride the repercussions are severe in the holidays.

So I stayed home.

Now well into January we've been having a most peculiar summer. It's been wet and not just the odd rainy day, we've had weeks of rain, showers, drizzle, overcast, high twenty temps. Normally we're having sun, bush fires and mid thirties and forties. The long range outlook is the same.

So no rides. So no posts for you all.

On then to a goal I have set myself. I'm considering getting a second bike. Mrs says it will replace the VFR, but I'd like to keep it. And in reality selling the bike would get me very very little money and trading it in would get me even less. With 120,000kms, two crashes (albeit minor ones) a heavily scratched top box, ridden and left out in all weathers (though normally garaged at home, at work or away it misses out) it doesn't sound like a great buy for anyone shopping.

So my second bike - I have a very short list (currently a leading contender with a couple of reserve choices). It won't be a VFR12 - bigger than I want, way too expensive here, and really much the same style of bike as my VFR8. No I want something different. And about the same size (capacity) as my VFR. There aren't a lot in the 750-850 range to choose from.

Hopefully by about late in this year I'll be able to purchase it. Just in time for next summer which I hope, is a lot nicer than this one.

.... which probably means we'll have no end of bush fires next summer :(

Oh, here's a little tease of the leading contender....