Since I started learning Spanish many years ago, I've always thought it a wonderful language, full of romantic quirkiness. My bachelor Spanish teacher (in Spain) would emphasise to us foreigners, with some glee, that the Spanish for 'wives' was the same as the Spanish for 'handcuffs'.

esposa [es-po'-sah]
noun
1. Spouse, wife, consort. (f)
noun, plural
2. Manacles, handcuffs.
- "Poner las esposas a uno" - to handcuff somebody

Then, after he asked me, "what is your job?" he explained again with great glee that the Spanish for 'retirement' is 'jubilación', as in 'jubilation'! That did it for me, Spanish was going to be my language!
Especially when later, in Guatemala, still at Spanish school, there were a couple of minor earthquakes. The Spanish for that? 'Terremoto'. Literally, 'the motorbike in the ground'!

So I was interested to hear on the sad news this morning, Italians talking about the recent earthquake there, using the same word, 'terremoto'.
Be careful of nearby buildings when riding that motorbike!

Yesterday I fitted the electrics necessary to power one of those small 12v tyre inflators.

But the one I've bought may not be suitable. It's small and in a plastic housing, but looking inside, the pump itself (piston and cylinder type) is completely open and next to vent grilles in the box. So will quickly seize up with sand and dirt, I think. So I've ordered another one that looks like a small model airplane motor, dozens of them are sold on ebay. Maybe that will have some sort of filtering around the pump.
When running off of the TTR battery with the engine running, it draws 7 amps, 84 watts.
I managed to find a spec for the alternator, 13.5amp output, and the rectifier is rated at 10amp capacity. So it should be OK.

But the standard UK-import TTR has the lights on all the time, and I think it will be necessary to have the lights switched off when running one of these tyre pumps. So I’ve fitted a light switch, which wasn’t easy as the feeds to the headlamp bulb, the tail light, and the instrument lights are all separate and in different places in the loom. There’s an excellent set of instructions for wiring up a switch on the www.TTR250.com website.

Lastly, have just looked at the calendar. The 14th September this year, I’ve just found, is a Monday. Just as it was in 1964 when McCrankpin started work. Gives me greater hope…..