whatever you do .. book up .. every dickhead and his dog will be out there .. campervans dimwhits  .. lycra louts .. touring car w**kers .. dozy doris and her cousin in their 15 year old  nissan micra .. 

it will be rammed ,.. and expensive .. enjoy lol..  

name the bike ..

and can you see clean through the OEM. exhaust when removed ?

3 hours ago, Simon Davey said:

ANY opinions appreciated. 

Cheers 

 

i have a pair of these https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/491762?glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkO6brPbagwMVio5QBh224wzLEAQYAiABEgKFB_D_BwE

fitted to my honda.. along wit a 52l top box ( re-used from another bike.)  bit small for serious touring .. but fine for under a week B&B .. semi water proof .. i pack everything in plastic bags .. sensitive items in the top box .. i don`t bother locking them as they are not secure .. nothing of any real value is left inside  .. 

21 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

In actual fact unless you are riding on track a lot of more high end textiles give as much protection to road riders as leather. 

thats why track riders wear leather.. because it is better  .. and why would riding on the road diminish their (leathers) protective ability ?

2 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

 What's not to like?

the inferior protection offered from textiles compared to leathers .. 

who the fcuk wants to go out on 3°C ....  It will feel like -6°C 

every thing gets chucked into the back of a mk7 3.5t transit .. so luggage  is whatever .. 

eurotunnel is booked along with hotels .. both stopover and final destination .. 

And what about the latest plague, ULEZ areas ? ....  i got an app. on one of me big phones .. and a sticker that identifies the class of vehicle ..

other than that lots of route options and destinations on Garmin Basecamp .. in a windows laptop..

 if it rains take the van .. if it rains off the the train .. so what.. 

gettin of the dfds .. Ijmuiden .. it rained so hard the wipers couldn't cope whilst we were standin in line for passport control .. poor sods in front got soaked .. 20 minutes later it was glorious sunshine .. lol..  

14 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Can't buy motorbikes there though; not unless it's changed a hell of a lot since I moved south.

the remaining bikeshop of note is on scotswood road .. outside the ulz..  

51 minutes ago, Bender said:

They need to read the signs and watch the news it was more than well enough publicised

already been explained .. eyes glazed over .. they will go elsewhere .. metrocenter .. dalton park .. galleries ... 

7 hours ago, Geordie Oldie said:

I wonder If Hunters still owned by the people who had it in the 80s?

yes it is .. the younger brother runs the shop by himself no .. no other staff employed .. one ex-staff is a bus driver workin at the riverside gateshead.. 

the majority of sales is online .. though he does open reduced hours to serve over the counter .. always quite chatty whenever i`ve been in .. as said the place is empty ..

4 hours ago, Bender said:

I've not spoke to a single person that believes they may have to pay,

i have.

13 hours ago, Bender said:

It doesn't effect private cars, ours isn't ulez compliant, the area as destination for bikes has been declining steadily for the last 20yrs

i didn`t say it did .. however the effect has been to discourage cars .. as well as vans from going .. simply because drivers believe it does effect them..  ... try takin to hunters on the hill .. he`ll tell you all about it .. and the conversations he has had from once regular customers that don`t believe that certain categories of vehicles are exempt.. so have gone elsewhere .. 

and yes its been coming for some time .. now it has arrived  its finished .. dead ...   

On 08/12/2023 at 21:01, Bender said:

I've just driven down it, it's worse than I thought, cafes outnumber anything bike related by a huge amount.

 

And thanks to the idiotic one way system and bus lane that the busses can't get to because of the congestion caused by the one way and the bus lane it took me 45min to cover 1/4 mile tossers.

there is a ULZ in operation .. it has discouraged the vast mast majority of foot fall .. anyone using a transit upto euro 5 .. faces a £12.50 charge .. most people just avoid the place now.. 

On 08/12/2023 at 15:58, Geordie Oldie said:

I have just been googling, M and S are still there, it was Harry Woods, where I got my first bike.

its a dead shop walking .. you must make an appointment and use the rear entrance .... the building has been sold .. all franchises are gone .. clothing included .. shortly they will re-locate .. to god knows where .. or cares ...   

30 minutes ago, iMZee said:

Lucky to see 10 bikes parked on the road now during normal days

really ? .. put that in an affidavit written in your blood .. then i may believe you .. 

are you mixing LED.. and incandescent bulbs ?  

well i did try one of these .. honda newcastle had several  at hartside cafe .. something organised by honda uk .. came in a big truck with all the roadshow trappings you would expect .. they took us on   good mix of road ....and off road around  Cowshill Bishop Auckland ... frankly too big for off road and not powerfull enough for road use ... trying to be both and it didn`t work .. bought an enduro instead and kept my honda road bike.

19 hours ago, drB313 said:

 

Anyone have any idea about what I can do?

yep .. go to a school .. nobody will rent you a bike without a licence ... no insurance wll extend cover without a licence ..

cannot be done. 

1 hour ago, Pie man said:

If I can get to Dijon in a day and then spend a couple of days around the Swiss Alps ..................  . If all else fails, Scotland.

sublime to the ridiculous .. 

8 minutes ago, Pie man said:

I wish I had your dilemma. I'm trying to sort out a trip, but I only have a week. 

Normandy has plenty to offer ... 

many things  will be cheaper after the 5th september  .. days / nites still warm but the sun will be loosing its ferocity .. kids will mostly be back to school .. so less family cars to be seen..   

13 hours ago, Bender said:

Don't get midges in Aviemore  

yes you do ..  Midges thrive in shady quarters, whereas open air without cover they tend to avoid. Aviemore is far enough north and east to escape the worst midge-infestation .. 

lookin at those jpg.s cheered me up no end ... cos i never went .. didn`t get wet .. or bitten by  Midges... 

On 15/08/2023 at 21:56, Steve_M said:

 That’s off the agenda this year. The budget for this year (I have a spreadsheet) is way off the scale. 

this maybe; or not; of interest  .. https://hotel-hof-post.ch/index.html 

prices have risen.. ;as you would expect; 10% - 15% since last time .... 

10 hours ago, Steve_M said:

Excellent.

 

That’s whetted my appetite for our forthcoming tour which takes in Switzerland. 

take plenty of coin.