Gerontious

£300 isn’t bad for an aftermarket seat. My own, which is a Sargent would cost me £420 today. Got mine second hand just before brexit kicked in for £250 second hand from a guy in Finland. The high price is mostly related to the seat pan, each bike has a unique base so it costs. A wunderlich will have been made in Germany. I think they use Kahedo to manufacture them and I think it’s pretty certain they don’t pay their staff minimum wage, it’s all relative. Kahedo make seats for German made BMWs as well as those sold by Touratech. And a few others. Good stuff. With some actual care going into the design of their non oem seats.

my bike will be six years old in November and has spent its entire time from new living outside under a cover, which a recently augmented with a tarpaulin as the cover has begun to leak. It’s survived this remarkably well, with some discolouration only on a few of the fasteners. No rust that I can see. I’ve not used any preventative treatment on it. Tend to wash it and just allow it to dry naturally. The only rust I’ve seen thus far is on added parts. Most notably the exhaust hanger which came with them scorpion can. I don’t tend to ride it when the roads are being salted and usually wait for the inevitable rain to wash it away. The worst Honda I’ve ever seen for rust was a Brazilian bike. It was called a CB450DX this was back in the 90s and I was given that piece of crao as a courtesy bike. I felt insulted to have to ride such a wreck. Can’t say I’ve seen many more modern Hondas with corrosion problems. It’s usually the fasteners that people complain about. Or the chain which has suffered from neglect.

I had an IXS jacket quite a few years ago. It was ok. Very much at the budget end of the scale and on sale so seemed a bargain. But it was nothing special. As for their helmets. No idea. Though I would assume these are a generic, made by who knows? with the IXS sticker put on them. Will they be good? I can’t say. They will at least be adequate and meet the safety standards. I would rather go for a known brand. A specialist helmet brand I mean and there are so many of them to choose from.

That offends my OCD.

That’s the cooker clock adjusted, now for the bike.

Insurance is, at the moment artificially high. I guess the multi-millionaires who underwrite the policies are feeling the cost of living pinch. Have you seen the price of a 1947 Petrus? Shocking. jokes aside. Many people have seen their policies double over the past year or two. Obviously because every policy is unique to an individual some will not have seen these increases. But many have. £400 is not an extortionate amount for someone with zero ncb. Because as far as the insurers are concerned you are an unknown risk and will remain so until you prove yourself. seems a false economy to me to pay however much for a bike and focus totally on the cost of insurance. As if that’s the most important factor of all. It isn’t. A bike (above 250cc and less than 5 years old) is now a luxury item. There are scales of luxury and a tourer is fairly high on that scale. Insurance reflects that. If my insurance were to double again, would I pay it. Yes I would. With much cursing and a bit of dramatic foaming at the mouth. But what choice is there? my thoughts. Forget about insurance for the first year. Get the bike you want and worry about insurance after you have made your choice. Use comparison sites to find the cheapest possible premium then phone them up and try to get it further reduced. And then. Don’t ride like a twit. And don’t ever leave the bike on display as it’s just a matter of time until the wrong person sees it. And if it’s nicked. Well you might think insurance is bad now…. It’s nothing compared to what comes after a theft.

I would definitely be cross about that. In fact I would be so cross that I might be tempted to change my name by deed poll to Mr Cross. And then post the pictures on Facebook and marvel at the REALLY BAD advice to take out the offending screw and forget about it which (as it happens) is contrary to everything every tyre manufacturer has to say about how to deal with side wall damage. That made me really quite cross too.

So, its that time again where I risk life and limb and reputation by taking a group to this region. And once again we have spaces available for anyone who wants to join up and join in. as little or as much as you want. So, what's involved. firstly the dates - which are now set in stone. Crossing to France on Sunday 1st September and returning the following Saturday 7th We do it this way and at this time because the kids are back in school, the holiday season is effectively over and the region we are going to is much quieter. very quiet. We have 5 days "There" during what is a normal working week. But despite that places are still open. it doesnt close down completely until much later in the year during the build up to the winter season. You can compare this region to Mid Wales perhaps - only on a much vaster scale. Low mountains, winding river valleys. Bordered to the south by the Mighty Mosel. and to the East by the Rhine. we are apt to cross both. (probably) We stay in a very nice and affordable hotel. Half board. and you get your own room with en suite. Breakfast is huge and typically German. Evening meals are 'home style' and very filling. you will not go hungry. Half board - own room. all-in is €59 per night. As with everything prices have gone up.. but, it still represents great value for money. just over £50 per night. Bed. Breakfast. Evening meal. Single occupancy. Our days out are usually about 200 miles. more or less. Lunch stop is completely random about 'lunch time'. other stops and pauses as it goes. Fuel as an when its needed. there's never a problem with that. And we are usually back at the hotel by 6pm. sitting down to eat at 7. Then availing ourselves of the bar afterwards. as you do. We'll be crossing using the Tunnel arriving in France at about 10:30 local time. Because most of us need to cover a fair distance to get to Folkestone. (for me that's 200 miles) we ride down the night before and stay at either a Premier Inn or Travelodge that is about 12 miles from the tunnel and usually have an evening meal at the adjacent Beefeater. The ride from the tunnel to the hotel is also very relaxed, in both directions. no-one is under any pressure to ride outside their comfort zone. And I couldn't care less if you have a small fuel tank, you won't ever be stressed about fuel. Times for the crossing and return are yet to be confirmed. I get these first then tell the guys the timings.. though they are usually the same every year. We ride from the Premier inn between 8-9 in the morning and then are back in the UK about 5pm. There is no deposit to pay for the Hotel in Germany. so the only up front costs are the Tunnel return and overnight.. if you need that. Probably getting those in July. As per usual this is 'not for profit' - we all pay exactly the same. I don't do this for money, its just something I like to do. this will be the 12th time. And I must be doing something right as there are guys who come every time, year after year. The maximum I want is 8 and there are already 4 and possibly 5 so.. another 2 would be great. Male or Female. Women will get no grief on my trips. All you need is a bike that is capable of motorway speeds. that has been serviced up. And a passport. There will be other things but these are easily sorted in the coming months. Theres no rush. If you have never been abroad before. Then this is I think the ideal opportunity to dip your toe into European touring. Thats how it started all those years ago and since then many who have come away with me have gone on to tour on their own or with friends. This isn't really a tour though. think of it more as a riding holiday. a week doing what most of us cannot. ride every day for a week, for pleasure and through a really nice landscape thats very different to the UK. Roads that are sublime. And all very easy going. We're not there to race. Though if you want to try that then we can very easily call in at the Nurburgring one of the days and you can have a lap. Anyway, best to send me a private message if you have any questions or are at all nervous about anything. 150 days to go.. 21 weeks. tick tock.

Some random Canadian with an opinion. Who cares. The moment he opens his gob my reaction - “go away”. I can’t remember the last time he had anything useful to say to me. He lives in Canada. What use is that to me here in the UK? It’s why I pay no attention to American sites and videos. Except occasionally to look on in a kind of ghastly fascination like you do when passing a car crash.

Due to our wonderful climate, for me any gear I buy (unless it’s specifically for summer heat) must be waterproof and to guarantee that over the long term that means Goretex. For summer gear I would also pack a waterproof over layer (suit?) and this can be anything really, making such items waterproof is fairly simple without the extra technical expense. Those removable Goretex layers you sometimes see in multi-season gear are cheaper but are more prone to fail however that’s not usually the case with laminates. Unless there’s some underlying problem with the stitching and this is where the warranty comes into play either via the retailer or if that’s expired - Goretex themselves. The sales are your friend. Now is approaching the best time to buy cold weather gear for the future. With styles and so on being cleared or replaced with updated versions.

Wind dams are a fairly popular modification - perhaps check if this is a known issue with a fix. Often the fix starts with an owner making them and then later one of the parts manufacturers copies it. Turbulence is a common problem on the Africa Twin and there are all sorts of ingenious fixes. But as with anything what might work for one person won’t for another. It can be a rabbit hole. What I did was sidestep all of that and put on the shortest screen I could find. Thus I get a clean air flow rather than one that’s disrupted by the screen - which is the primary cause.

You need to tell one of my friends this. He regularly tours with wifey on the back with luggage. I guess when you are so used to litre plus touring bikes it’s easy to forget that much smaller capacity bikes are entirely appropriate. Not everyone can afford one of the larger bikes. And not everyone wants to spend huge amounts of time at motorway speeds. I would not write off a modern injected 650 out of hand.

I have a scorpion end can on my bike. They also sold a full system but I just couldn’t be doing with the added faff. And with modern bikes there’s nearly always added faff when you go down that road. And I get all the faff I ever need every September so why add more? The vast majority of the more quality leaning makers will have tested the can in your bike… or one if it’s family. It shouldn’t be a concern unless you’re going as cheap as possible.

exactly right. It’s a real boon when I go off gallivanting to foreign parts where it ain’t half hot. (Mum) that and the flip all helps when the sun is so hot I could fry an egg on the tank. The tanks also white so that picturesque little analogy doesn’t really help. But hey ho. i don’t really worry too much about being visible or not… though I mostly am. Mostly. Except to German pensioneers. (Rarely) anyroad. Comfort is everything. So that’s my excuse. They do tend to be cheaper sometimes too which just adds to the sense of outrageous smuggery. And couldn’t give a figness.

I had an 1100 oil head for 21 years. I also had an F800. I would wholeheartedly recommend the F. The 1100 - not so much. It was a money pit. Servicing was cheap but when it went wrong it wasn’t even remotely cheap. I hate to think just how much money it cost me over those years. I now have a Honda. im sure there’s a moral to this story.

they still make this exact same goggle. It’s a Mark 8. Now available I polished chrome no less. https://classicpartsltd.com/halcyon-mark-8-deluxe-goggles-black.html

Cant remember exactly when, but it was probably mid 1980s at the Bike Show. I was hovering round the Davida helmets stall. Thinking how cool it would be to have one on my Meriden Trumpet. And I bought a raffle ticket. And actually won!! Not a helmet though (sigh) but this. And almost 40 years later it turns up while I’m rooting around for some black paint. Box and instructions are very old looking. But the Goggles are as new. Just looked and they’re still being made here in England!! And look exactly the same. If a tad pricey. I’ve never worn them, I’m not even sure why I’ve held onto them for so long. Because I won them I suppose. Or, just forgot about them. (More likely)

No paint and I can’t be bothered with it today. So instant cure. painted it with gear oil. In the nick of time too. It’s just starting to rain. Rain spots on my shiny bike. It’s just one thing after another. Anyway the rust is cunningly disguised until I can be motivated.

Wash and brush up and some time with the cover off. Once the breeze has dried it off I’ll give the chain a light coating of oil as it’s not going to move for another 3 weeks. But. Woe. Trauma. Rust on the exhaust hanger!! I’m not sure if I need to go and lie down in a darkened room. Fall to the floor and foam at the mouth. Or break out the brandy. maybe all three. the horror. It’s a Scorpion part. So there’s that. But… even so. It’s ruined my day. Sigh.

I looked at that before I bought my Africa Twin. It didn’t give me any hint of the possibility that one day I might fall off the bike by just trying to get on it. That’s a huge fail in my book. I’m still suffering from the trauma.

Ive yet to meet an owner who doesnt like the bike, it used to get some bad 'press' usually from people who wouldn't buy it anyway. I came within a whisker of getting one back in 2018, I sat on one but due to my unlikely height and inside leg, it wasn't really the right choice for me. Also.. though my bike is a bit different, I didn't bother going down the 'perfect screen' rabbit hole. I settled the matter by going short. and added a sports screen, which is much shorter than the standard. no turbulence whatsoever. Did you get the Standard or the DCT?

well, now here's the thing. Its got a very different vibe going on. it doesn't sound like a CD player. the only giveaway is the total silence at the start of and between the tracks. It sounds more like a very good record player. none of that 'digital/dry' sound. its warm and still has all the clarity that CD is known for. Im very pleased. It's actually more than I hoped for. Ive never owned anything that uses valves before.. normally well out of my league. But second hand.. its 11 months old. affordable - just. it had 19 watchers on eBay. He was happy to answer questions and while I was absorbing his replies he followed up with a reduced price offer - and at that point it became irresistible. Its why the bike is off the road for another 4 weeks. 20th April.. tick tock.

I didn’t go for it. The seller wouldn’t allow collection and I didn’t like the idea of their chosen delivery co. So I passed it up. Knocked it off the watch list and forgot about it. Then this appeared on eBay and, as if by magic… it’s on my sideboard.