Gerontious

Well... At least he's not an American.

Obviously never been to Yorkshire, then...... I've been to Yorkshire more times than I care to remember, it's the next county - north. I don't need to go so far to avoid a beef dripping chippy, there's one just over mile away. One that only opened a couple of years ago. They have a great gimmick, the women look like they belong in the 1940s and the men wear knotted hankies as headwear. And that place has won awards too.. Incredibly.

atherosclerosis in portion controlled servings... With added hypertension and vinegar being optional. There's a reason the vast majority of beef dripping chip shops disappeared decades ago... With just a few remaining as relics. What amazes me is that they are coming back and actually win awards!! The best thing about them is their rarity and the fact that they are so easy to avoid by the stink they produce which acts as a warning while at the same time decimating local property values.

Yes.. There is one not far from where I live. It was installed after someone got killed by a driver doing an illegal turn on a blind corner and ploughing into a couple who had just started to cross because their sign was "green".

I liked that on the home page, they have a picture of a BMW GS, with what looks suspiciously like a standard rectagonal sat nav in its usual place (on that model bike)

He made an illegal turn over a do not cross line, from one lane to the other, into a petrol station where a couple of coppers were sitting in their car, watching him. Seems like a capital offence - he was lucky he wasn't executed. He would have been doing the same in Los Angeles. Well... We have similar conditions here. No turning. And there is normally a sign telling you how to get to the other side of the road.. For instance carrying on to the next island and reversing course there. What he did was serious enough to earn him (from memory) a fine that was well over €100 as it was doubled cause his partner did the same thing. Serious or not.. My point was he was dumb enough to do this right under a coppers nose.

He made an illegal turn over a do not cross line, from one lane to the other, into a petrol station where a couple of coppers were sitting in their car, watching him.

Just google: Chorlton and the wheelies. Look for images of green faced Fenella and convince yourself that hoggs looks something like that... Ish. When really she doesn't. But.. The colour green is involved and that's always half the battle.

I thought this when I saw it mentioned on the other thread... So I will ask it here. I wonder how that would work at a complicated junction. Like when you have exits very close to each other. The examples on the webpage are very simple. Left, right, straight on. To be honest it looks on the face of it to be better suited to bicycle navigation than the often very complex junctions we have to navigate here at speed, with other traffic to worry about. Standard gps not only directs you at junctions.. It also prepares you in advance so you are in the right lane, which is often - vital. This doesn't seem to have anything like that.

well.. we seem to be far more strung out about the various rules than other countries police are... or how we think they should be. There is only one thing that I insist upon for the guys I go away with. And thats that they bring spare bulbs. not having a front headlamp shining in the day is practically a begging letter to the police for a fine. Aside from that.. as tourists and more particularly as British tourists, we are instantly recognisable to the police and they have better things to do than bother with us. Unless, of course you insist on doing something completely daft right in front of them. Like Mr "upskill" did a few years back.. and then had a rant because he got a very nice instant fine as a reward for his crass stupidity.

what did you do about them once you got back... thats the biggest issue I had with the stickers. once they're on. thats it, you're stuck with them for the life of the helmet. so.. we didn't bother last year.. and to be honest, despite looking for them, i didn't see anyone wearing them where we went. different in the cities mind and if I was riding after dark, when not having them is most obvious. The thing most to be aware of now.. is that fines can follow you back to the UK. get caught by a roadside speed cam and expect a demand through your letter box a few weeks later.

One thing you can tell from that photo without any need to look it up on the internet. he is not a catholic.. she is both far too old and the wrong gender. Photos like that make my stomach churn.. I was raised as a catholic (indoctrinated more like) and looking back on my childhood all I can say is... i was very lucky. very VERY lucky to emerge from it on the other side - unscathed.

to the bike? depends on where you are going.. any of the following cities and you will need a "Crit'Air" vignette.. google for further info. Cost is around £4 if you order one before you go. which may not seem like a big deal. until you get a fine.. an instant fine for not having one. which will be somewhere between €68 and €135 so.. not to be taken lightly. Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Lille, Strasbourg, Chambery and Marseilles... with Bordeaux and Rouen on the cusp of being added to that list. Aside from that.. no. aside from the old favourites. headlamp aim or if its an older bike adding a shield so you don't dazzle oncoming vehicles. And being sure you know what your speed is in KPH. so you dont get a tug for speeding and a lovely instant fine. There.. thats all there is to it as far as your bike is concerned and none of it is secret knowledge.

Put an AC Schnitzer exhaust on it and i will have to add you to my (pretend) hate list. A couple of years ago one turned up at a fuel stop and it sounded absolutely fantastic. nothing whatsoever like any normal parallel twin.. or an 800... or even a BMW. wildly exciting. My mate Rob M was slobbering at the sound it made. really stupendous. This Brexit nonsense has pushed the price up by almost 20% but even so.. at under £600 its a steal. And would absolutely be top of my list... for as and when i could prioritise it. My only complaint.. and its very minor. is that BMW didn't offer the bike with a belt drive as an option. but for the sound it can make.. and the way it goes.. which i can compare with the F800S that I had... no belt definitely isn't a deal breaker. I would just add a scotoiler. ride it and giggle.. just like the 800 used to make me do.

1. Its not.. nor ever has been an 'organised trip' in any traditional sense. Its my holiday and I invite people to tag along... but also people have decided to separate. Its only a pain when they do this "suddenly" - because then I feel the need to try and find them.. its easy to take a wrong turn. or as one guy did.. go shooting off into the distance. he turned up later in the afternoon. with a huge grin on his face. Another year I had a guy turn up without any warning.. we had zero idea that he was coming. he had said absolutely nothing. I did my best to welcome him... but it was clear from the start that he was only joining up to be part of the group at the hotel.. the rest of the time he was largely on his own, riding at his own pace. it turned out that he was terminally ill and that trip was his swan song... he passed away a few months later. At the time.. i tried to involve him as much as i could.. but, that wasn't why he came. aside from a bit of company in the evenings. But then.. I never knew that he was dying. His name was Jankers and his sudden appearance had one other new guy blow his top.. as though Jankers coming was the rudest thing ever and practically an insult to him. It was mainly due to his attitude towards Jankers that I never invited him again. I was shocked that jankers turned up like he did.. but we mostly just accepted it and carried on. 2. Its been a running joke since day 1. that I have no idea where we are going. and thats 95% true. I do the routes in the dark days of winter, 7 or 8 months in advance. with no notes at all. just a 'name' on the sat nav. this is so.. on the day, the routes are as much a mystery to me as they are to anyone. Ive always made that perfectly clear. And its been a source of much amusement. Where are we going? I have no idea... but the name of the route is RING.. so we will be passing the Nurburgring at some point. this year the routes have names like. "Go East" "To the Castle" "Dream Roads" "Luxembourg" "Belgian Loop" "Piesport Ring" what do these titles mean? they mean what they say.. and nothing more. they are all I have to go on. aside from a very dim memory of a night in front of the computer 8 months ago. 3. people have taken a different route... gone off on their own. and thats alright. though its natural for me to try and talk them out of it. Ive had people decide to have a day off from riding with the rest of us and go do their own thing. or.. have a day off completely. potter around the village.. or go off using public transport to the nearest city. Ive never had anyone decide to ride home separately. So.. yes, i tried to talk you out of it. But.. you were determined and off you went. Our ride was only marred by a rainstorm.. which we avoided by having a lunch break. got a little bit damp and then dried off. no problem. Ive spoken to Anthony a few times on the phone since we got back... but not for a fairly long time now. Brexit (apparently) destroyed his business and also all his plans for a new bike which he ordered and then cancelled. And then a new partner came along and a new baby and so everything changed. And we drifted apart.. because all we have in common is motorbikes and these trips. rare phone calls and forum discussions. He's a friend.. just a few steps up from an acquaintance. But.. by no means a close friend. None of us are actually close friends... we're just a group of like minded individuals that met through an internet forum. But despite that... these are people I can rely on. which I consider rather more important. Than pretending these are close friends of mine.. when the honest truth is that they are not. (though when we are together nobody would know this) So.. it seems that these trips are not for you. I have never said that they are for everyone. But, I must be doing something right.. because year after year. people have said: YES. and as soon as we get back they are talking about next time. We haven't even gone yet and already... next year is set in stone. because those who cant make it this time round need to know that next year will be happening. We are all Adults. when Paul broke down the first time. I gave my opinion. was ignored and so went back to the Hotel. with Paul(2) and his wife. and Antony. I saw no reason for all of us to be standing around for however long it was going to take. Paul is a seasoned tourer.. he has been abroad many times. So.. I had no worries about him. My attitude would be totally different if it was someone who had never been abroad before. or this was his first bike trip overseas had no sat nav and no German. Then.. I would be telling the rest to leave us.. and we would sort things out. I would insist on it. if it was cold, then I would leg it to the hotel and grab some extra layers for me and the guy who had broken down. probably some food and drink too. It was entirely your decision to stand around in the cold and become ill because of it. There was nothing preventing you from riding the 2 or 3 miles to the hotel and grabbing some clothes. nothing at all.. the hotel was basically on the same road.. not even a turn to get there.. straight there and straight back.. in under 10 minutes. Everything I have said above.. about how these trips pan out has been explained to Bungle in depth with the other guys chipping in their own take on it. either in group messages or in private. if they have moaned about me in private.. then thats fine. Im far from perfect. But that doesn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm. or affect their disappointment when they have to bow out. and with that.. Im going to walk away from this thread.. as it belongs to Bungleaio. and he will have things to say and i trust.. he will be completely honest and leave his rose tinted glasses off. If you have anything more to say to me.. then do it in a private message. because Im not going to hijack Bungles thread any further over a complaint that is 3 years old and could have been dealt with back then. thank you.

There was no need at all for him to wait with the bike.. he broke down a little over 2 miles from the hotel. he should have come back to it with us.. and called rescue from there.. eaten his meal and when rescue arrived.. gone and fetched the bike. Or one of us.. would have taken him back to it. water under the bridge.. that year he broke down twice and ended up spending an extra night in Belgium. And in the process learnt a valuable lesson. don't go abroad on a bike that has not been prepared for a trip. That was a risk he took and it ended up costing him. Not something I think he would ever risk happening again. And it certainly hasn't dampened his enthusiasm when I invited him along for this years trip.

6 years ago. Italy has a north south divide that is so stark... It could almost be two different countries. The north is incredibly wealthy and a hive of industry. The south has nothing aside from farming and a little tourism. Even the two populations are different... The south is getting older with the young escaping 50% unemployment and heading north or abroad. When I was there, there had been no refuse collection in Naples for 2 years. The landfills were full and nobody wanted to sell land for new landfills. There was an all pervading stench of decay.... Everywhere. Run down. Nothing happening. Nothing doing. Signs of very obvious poverty you would never expect to see in a European nation. Made worse by an unwillingness of northern right wing politicians to do much if anything for the south. In fact the general attitude is almost racist. A wish they would just go away. If you go there as a tourist... You will see nothing of this. Unless you go as an independent and go off the trail as it were. Then you can't miss it. Also... I think for people who live in or near Naples.. That region. Nobody really cares. There's a couldn't give a damn attitude which I reckon comes from living under a volcano that could wipe them out in half a day with little or no warning.

I like the German approach. They only seem to have cameras where they are absolutely necessary. I've seen them at road works (with actual live workmen). Just inside the edge of villages and on the approach to unguarded level crossings. Painted an invisible dark green and sometimes placed at less than knee height. (And they don't seem to get vandalised) Aside from that.. If you are doing 21kmh in a 20... So in a village and are radard by a copper.... That's an instant €70 fine. And just try saying anything about your speedo being inaccurate and the vehicle is likely to be seized as unroadworthy or the copper to look at you as if you are far too dumb to have a license. Speed elsewhere and come a cropper... Then you're an idiot. Hurt someone else... And you're likely to be charged with attempted murder. If they choose to allow the police to prosecute. So... There are reasons why the Germans are careful. Have their speedos properly calibrated and pay especial care when driving anywhere near people. Get it a little wrong and it's instantly expensive... Get it very wrong and you might end up in jail or heavily in debt/bankrupt. But.. There's also an upside. Out in the countryside... You will probably never see a copper. Or if you do... Then they are on their way to something far more important and will completely ignore you unless you do something really obviously daft. Motorways... Mainly without any limit. (unless essential) and... Local speed freaks are looked after with "drag" type races organised on public roads with police assistance so.. The local impetuous youths and young at heart can have a bit of fun with their souped up puntos etc. These local events gain huge audiences.. A day out with the kids kind of thing. But the sort of thing that would cause the authorities here to have palpitations erect barriers or call out the water cannon. The Germans love their cars and bikes. There are rules that they are careful to obey. But there is also a lot of leeway and a sense of personal responsibility that is entirely different to here.

I'm sure it will be fine.. and very entertaining, especially if I can persuade Bungle that it would be a great idea and a genuine achievement... to chase the lads round the Nurburgring on his Street Triple. I mean.. what could go wrong?

Glad it's not just me.. I went to the far south because my original plan was to cross to Sicily... There is a 4000 year old chestnut tree there that's on my bucket list.. As well as Ancient Greek temples and so on. I made it as far as Naples and paid a visit to Pompeii and then further south to the (amazing) temple complex at Paestum. Both were interesting enough.. But absolutely everything else was awful. Dirty, smelly, dreary. Fly tipping was widespread and apparently completely normal. The most incongruous sight was a lay-by absolutely crammed with black bin liners 6 or more high... A small area that had been cleared occupied by a seated whore on a white plastic chair holding a parasol. And it seemed as though no matter where I stopped within minutes a whore would appear. I headed across to the Adriatic coast and stopped off at a town called Foggia where I was menaced by a group of very suspect looking men who seemed far too interested in my bike and especially my luggage. They were chased off by some very nice shopkeepers. That was the last straw. The next day I was back in the Alps and in a different world. I was later told that my experiences were completely normal. The authorities only care about fixed routes that the vast majority of tourists and tour operators use which are generally kept clean and clear. Elsewhere.. Not so much. (Not at all) I will never go back. And that's not something I would say about anywhere else I have been... Nowhere comes even close except maybe Albania (based on hearsay)

Or the chemist for a pregnancy test.

best advice is to either make a dash for it using the Autostrada, preferably tha A14 on the Adriatic side as it avoids any contact with Rome. (Rome should be avoided at all costs) Or... If you have time, keep to the central mountains that run down the spine of the country. Depending on which way you enter the country. from France... You can stay in the mountains virtually all the way. From the north means crossing the Po valley.. Which is extremely tedious. Italy is of course the home of the Roman road.. Too many ordinary roads away from the mountains are arrow straight and extremely boring. Best avoided wherever possible. And the coastal roads tend to be very busy particularly if it's even slightly touristy. And be aware that driving standards are at best... Patchy. And get worse the further south you go, particularly away from larger towns where drink driving and death race wannabes are common. Avoid lay-bys outside of towns as you will almost certainly be propositioned by a gap-toothed whore. Petrol tends to be very expensive. Try to avoid if you can smaller stations as they are not usually self service and the attendants seem to enjoy spilling fuel everywhere and if they have a rag... It just makes matters worse. Fill up on Saturday evenings as open fuel stops on Sunday's are few and far between. Have cash to hand... As some machines refuse cards that are accepted everywhere else. You never can tell. Never ask for the local delicacy... Or you might get a shock, like I did once being offered Donkey Pizza with the stinkiest cheese I have ever encountered in my entire life. More like a medical sample from a village beset by plague, than a cheese. (I'm sure it moved on its own) I would actually suggest that you consider a change of plan... Stay in the north. north of lake Garda.. Head for the Dolomites.... The nearest thing to biking heaven there is... And if you want an adventure, head into Slovenia and the Julian Alps. Southern Italy is alright.. I've been once on my bike and have absolutely zero intention of ever going again - too many downsides that, as far as I'm concerned, completely overwhelmed the good. the north is much nicer in almost every regard.

you weren't led astray at all.. that countdown is to the Chunnel train departure on the Sunday. 35 minutes later the fun really starts. the ride down is alright.. tedious as only the M1/M25 can be.. for me, the excitement begins when we ride over the Dartford crossing into a foreign country... south of the Thames and on to the M20.. with signs for Dover and the Tunnel to whet the appetite. to be temporarily sated with beer and a meal at the Ashford Beefeater.

you're a little behind the times. The Americans launched a full complement of satellites as an interim block which are designed to keep GPS operational into the next decade and a whole new class of satellites began launching this year with a further block in the works for the mid 2020s.

sometimes a picture is just a picture. and in this case its nothing more suspicious than a screenshot. the obvious follow-up question has been asked about the the logo.. not sure what point there was dwelling this thread until an answer is provided.