Wednesday 27 April 2011

he who overpromises

ends up underdelivering. that's just another lesson from master morris. it's taught me much more than i thought possible.

details next time. if i feel like it.

***
the bike

the Triumph ate up more money and mileage this month. it's jointly due to fossil intake and lack of a car. yes i've been riding it more often. every chance i get in fact, and loving every second of it.

every time i traverse the higher rev range, the exhaust will generate a more throaty rumble at the end of the ride. it's intoxicating but indescribable; it's got to be heard. bloody mental stuff. comparatively speaking, of the cars at home the mini sounds the best but it doesn't come close, the audi sounds disgracefully frail, and the merc doesn't have an exhaust. the Triumph's soundtrack told me aftermarket slip-ons are just there for looks. i'd like a free-flow header and mid-pipe though, because they'd make the little beast sound even sweeter.

just so there're no misunderstandings, talking about the things i want doesn't mean i'm getting them tomorrow, or within the year for that matter. as always, the safety gear comes before performance and looks.

***
the car

no not the morris. i've already sold it. quick, some say? it took two fucking sleepless months. anyway i'm talking about my next car. i'll make it another project and it'll be an ultimate sleeper because no one's ever going to suspect this car would pack more than it looks. i've already planned a host of mods i want to do to it, and i must say, if everything goes smoothly* it'll be bloody special. bearing this post's title in mind i'll not divulge the make and model just yet. at least till it comes. which'll happen in about two years. or five. yep, any time now.

*and then there'll be the woman and children to think about as well. hence the phrase 'if everything goes smoothly'.

Saturday 16 April 2011

i have one rule

for this blog. it's not actually carved in stone or anything, more of a guideline, that every month should appear in this blog's archive. yes there was once in 2009 when i didn't do it, but that was way before this guideline got conceived. which was today.

a couple of months ago i fitted a rear hugger on the Triumph because i couldn't stand all the road crap getting flicked onto the shock by the rear wheel. it's reduced said crap by a fair margin and i'm not a nitpicking bastard so that'll do. i've also taken a screwdriver and tweaked the suspension settings to track mode. it's a lot more composed and the steering's needle sharp now, though it becomes quite cross at the occasional pothole. then again, no bike at any setting is fond of a hole in the road. besides the hugger and tweaks nothing on the bike has changed except the mileage, and this goes against my rule of modding the bike every month, also conceived today. but there's a reason.

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reason

last week i went for a car shoot in the rain and the shutter mechanism failed after that. i only found that out on the eve of another shoot and had to get it fixed quick. i spent four hours and four hundred dollars at the service centre and now i'm broke. in any case, the camera's fixed and i'm desperately counting down to my next paycheck.
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there are a couple of things i want to do to the bike, if only to get it working better than it does now. first off i'd like to change the coolant to a fucking freezing one to lower the engine's operating temperature. not that it overheats, i just like things to operate way within their tolerances. next are some fast road hoops. i'm thinking dunlops or metzelers, which will probably happen once the stock ones are bald, or i see a financial surplus. it's not for speed, more for wet and dry traction, which equates to safety if you're retarded. the stock ones are shit.

as can be seen, i've got two choices with my dwindling resources; focus on the necessities or develop a drinking problem. and due to my resource-generating limits right now sloths look like speeding missiles compared to a time-lapse video of my bike modification.

but thanks very much to the morris, my patience and tolerance have reached unprecedented levels.

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speaking of which

after a long discussion with my dad with regards to financial resources and the management of it, i've decided to let go of the morris. long story short, he wants me to sell the car and return him the money. and i've recently been going through financial hardship myself thanks to the ownership of two vehicles, to the point of having to decide which vehicle to top up petrol for. so i talked to yim who said he'd reassume the responsibility and return me the money. awaiting said cheque now. once this deal is done i'll free up some time and money and focus on other aspects of my life. like getting the fucking degree first.
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once the morris leaves i'll only have the Triumph for transport, and if i need four wheels i'll have to charter them in advance from either mom or the siblings.

wahahaa!

and unless you're god you will get caught out in the rain at some point. so right now on the top of my shopping list would be some waterproof riding protection for both me and chinky. the rainy season's supposed to be over already but it still pisses every afternoon. i've already got my jacket so i'll get her one next, and then bottoms for both of us, and then boots and gloves. i'll also get a helmet for her, though she'll have to make do with my old one for now, at least till all the other items are settled.

you're right, i didn't think this through before getting the bike, but i'll administer proper management and we'll get past this. (: