A few weeks ago, the editor of Performance Bikes, a magazine I've contributed to for well over a decade, rang up and said, 'We are putting on a free track day with Dunlop and Rockingham racetrack. Why don't you come on the Black Arrow.' Great idea.

Since then, though, I've damaged my left rotator cuff (painful muscle and tendon shoulder injury), highsiding on a wet track at the last DTRA race. I've crashed another two times since then... And I'm busy. So busy. I always go to bed knowing I've only done half as much as I should have that day.

Aching, busy, the black Arrow buried behind two other bikes, excuses, excuses...
But what would Jeff do? I'm talking about Jeff Wright (of FTWCo and Church of Choppers). He has two bars, his T-shirt business, four three kids... Jeff would go to the track day.

So I did. And it was great. The Black Arrow behaved. The sidestand bracket grounds out, but I knew the bike was low. I need to go up a tooth on the front sprocket and take the gauze out of the bellmouths too, but other than that, it felt good. I'm now looking forward to riding it on Montlhery's banking at the Cafe Racer Festival, outside Paris in two weeks.

And, because he's a columnist for PB, John McGuinness turned up, cool as you like, chatted and did a few laps in his World Endurance and TT leathers.

Thanks Jeff. G