Norm, I too came down the M6 from Carlisle - all the way to Poole (or at least as far in that direction as the M6 goes) in a oner (bar fuel stops), as fast as I could get away with in some of the worst rain I've been in. 400ml is definitely better than 1l though. How was the Emerald Isle? I loved my trip there, but the roads (and animals that scurry across them) were a nightmare on a bike. Mind you, I was on a ZX6R.

Mike. Cheers. Don't like the sound of that, but today I found 2 nice 2004 bikes, silver one with 9000 and blue one with 10,000 on the clock, both looking very clean and having mushrooms, bellypans etc.
Dealer reckons 4150 for the silver one and offered me 1800 for mine (slightly tatty now) so I might just spend the couple of K and start afresh. I also saw (in a different dealer) an 05 one up for 4500 but it had obviously been owned by a real lad - polished rims, Maxton dogbones, forks dropped a whole inch, undertray, no centrestand, gold Renthal 789s and signs of a low speed tumble: considerably less appealing than the 9,000 mile 2004 bike!

Never ride faster than your guardian angel can fly.