Himalayan

I had a really close call today.

I decided to take the Himmy to work and must have left a cloth sitting on the front mudguard when I changed the battery and didn't spot it before I set off. About 5-6 Km from home a BMW estate car behind me started sounding his horn. At first I though he was signaling somebody else, but as soon as the other carriageway cleared he booted it up next to me and started shouting for me to pull over. The Police use those over here so I though I was being pinched. Anyway it screeched to a halt ahead of me and a youngish guy jumped out and legged it towards me pointing down at the bike. I leaned over and looked down and the bloody thing was ablaze right under the tank and fuel line !! I jumped off and could see the cloth and pulled it off but it must have had man made fibres as it was molten and sticking to things and the clutch cable outer was alight. Luckily I had leather gloves on and manages to quickly pat it out, but I reckon another 30 seconds or so and it would have been too late as there was much more cloth to burn. It must have blown down from the mudguard and landed on the downpipe, but thank god he spotted it.:eek:

Don't call me lucky, call me F*ckin lucky.
 
Strewth Cliffa!

Don’t go making a habit of stunts like that now will yer ?!
 
Strewth Cliffa!

Don’t go making a habit of stunts like that now will yer ?!
Definitely something I don't want to repeat. The tank was pretty empty too, which I've been told it more dangerous than a full tank.
 
Definitely something I don't want to repeat. The tank was pretty empty too, which I've been told it more dangerous than a full tank.
I think that’s true cos fuel needs air to burn / explode to it’s full potential, and an empty-ish tank has plenty of air!

Did the tank paintwork get damaged? Fancy a nice flame paint job ?!
 
I had a really close call today.

I decided to take the Himmy to work and must have left a cloth sitting on the front mudguard when I changed the battery and didn't spot it before I set off. About 5-6 Km from home a BMW estate car behind me started sounding his horn. At first I though he was signaling somebody else, but as soon as the other carriageway cleared he booted it up next to me and started shouting for me to pull over. The Police use those over here so I though I was being pinched. Anyway it screeched to a halt ahead of me and a youngish guy jumped out and legged it towards me pointing down at the bike. I leaned over and looked down and the bloody thing was ablaze right under the tank and fuel line !! I jumped off and could see the cloth and pulled it off but it must have had man made fibres as it was molten and sticking to things and the clutch cable outer was alight. Luckily I had leather gloves on and manages to quickly pat it out, but I reckon another 30 seconds or so and it would have been too late as there was much more cloth to burn. It must have blown down from the mudguard and landed on the downpipe, but thank god he spotted it.:eek:

Don't call me lucky, call me F*ckin lucky.
Yves would have done that naked...... riding backwards..... blindfolded!!!

(Mind you, fair play to the BMW driver, some good ones it seems)
 
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I think that’s true cos fuel needs air to burn / explode to it’s full potential, and an empty-ish tank has plenty of air!

Did the tank paintwork get damaged? Fancy a nice flame paint job ?!
Very little damage thankfully. A flame paint job? No thanks my hotpants are 70's enough for me. :eek:
 
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