Gerontious

exactly.

I have these close to my house and ride through them most days.. I have been flashed at more than once and just shook my head - no. and then waved at the driver as he came through as a thanks (but no thanks) my reason for refusal isnt because of a camera.. there aren't any. just that if something went wrong. I would be in the wrong.

Are you sure this is a good idea.. just a few weeks before the off? ("off" being the word du jour)

I would start with the V5 which will tell you when it was first sold.. its highly likely to be either that same year.. or the year before. Then look at the part numbers for those two years and see if it changed.. or if it changed the year before. so.. lets say the V5 is a late 97.. the bike was very likely made in 96 or 97.. possibly (but unlikely) 95 is the part number the same for all 3 years? An alternative to that might be to ask an official dealership. they should be able to tell you based on the VIN

Not really.. there are more important items that should be stockpiled and thats the impending Pea shortage due to the weather... OMG... no more PEAS!!!!

Geordies.. all the same. I bet you bathe once a week in a tin bath in front of the coal (effect) fire.. whether you need to or not.

Same here... I'm 6'5 and have never had a problem with an ordinary 'low' tent... I always try to pitch it as close to the shower block as possible and a smaller tent generally means this is less of a problem, If Im riding off, then I use the shower block to get changed in.. theres nearly always seating of some sort which makes putting my boots on much easier. If i cant get close to the shower block then I look for an alternative, like a picnic table and bench. or other seating and use that.

If you are happy keeping the bike in your house.. then tell the insurers. obviously you will have to keep it inside every night. get lazy.. leave it outside and its stolen, then they wont pay out. Theres a chap not far from where I live that does the same... keeps his bike in his hallway, he lives in a terrace and has nowhere aside from on the road to keep it.

I take a cheap phone with buttons. it has a 12 day standby... but is generally switched off for the duration. I change my answerphone message to something like - "Hi.. I am on holiday and will be back in the UK on Sunday the (whatever) any messages will be listened to then." In the past.. i have seen that there is a message waiting for me... I ignore it. Until Im home. When I'm on holiday.. I ride away from the "Grid".. and think "Good riddance" I also have people relying on me.. when we go away in September and they are my number 1 priority.. to the exclusion of everything else. everything.

never seen the need for one.. so never looked into them. however, they are mostly for camper-vans and caravans and you might find that they're not in an appropriate place for a tent. or in a part of the campsite where tents are usually placed. vehicles are usually on gravel or hard standing.. even if there is grass its growing through gravel.. and getting tent hooks into that kind of surface can be next to impossible.

They're not essential... most people who camp don't use one or even have any idea that they exist. I think they are a great idea. None of my tents came with one.. so I made one. I simply bought a cheap tarp from ebay. (you can buy them in different sizes) and when I set the tent up in my back garden as a practice run, I laid out the tarp and cut it roughly to size (it doesn't need to be perfect).. so it was hidden under the floor (groundsheet) of the tent. and voila - I had a footprint. It came in really useful one year when I was camping in southern Italy.. the ground was covered in small stones and twigs.. so laying the footprint over that meant the groundsheet was protected from any of these stones or twigs puncturing the groundsheet (a disaster). And another year when it was really quite wet... the footprint kept the groundsheet dry and clean.. when i lifted the footprint the next day there was a pool of water underneath it and literally hundreds of tiny slugs. The footprint kept all of that away from the groundsheet. Also.. it gives you a dry area to fold and pack the tent away on.. without you having to kneel on wet ground. when i say a cheap tarp.. i mean exactly that. when you decide on what tent you are buying and know its size. then go to ebay and a sellers page like this: http://tinyurl.com/ycrgtd3f the smallest they sell is 2mX3m at £4.99 (you can probably get them cheaper than that.. they're not expensive.) When i carry it on the bike.. i generally just fold it up and put the camping bag on top of it.. as shown in my first post. My footprint was in that photo.. but you couldn't see it.

The fly sheet is the outer layer of a tent that is waterproof.. its the important part. a lot of ultralight tents dont have one because the entire tent is waterproof. These are fine. However.. most ordinary tents have a double layer.. an 'inner' which is where you sleep.. and above that is a fly sheet.. which keeps you dry. having a double layer like this is much better as it cuts down on condensation. having this inner and outer double layer creates a much nicer sleeping environment. so this is an example photo of the inner tent.. without the flysheet. As you can see the inner tent hangs from the frame... the fly sheet then goes over the top.. so there is a gap between the two. Air can then circulate between the two layers in summer.. or, it can help create a layer of some insulation in winter. The groundsheet.. is the floor of the tent. Its aways waterpoof and is what you sleep on. A footprint... is something more expensive tents have as an optional extra.. All it is, is an extra layer that goes underneath the groundsheet. What it does is protect the ground sheet from anything sharp that could pierce it. (so easy to miss) It also acts as a layer that prevents condensation. even dry ground will become damp with a tent on top of it. (as a side effect it helps keep the tents groundsheet clean.) Its called a footprint because it is the same shape as the floor of the tent... so what you do is lay it on the ground. peg it down and then put the tent on top. here is a picture that might help explain. one final comment from me on flysheets and so on. a single layer tent is usually the lightest of all.. and most popular with backpackers. Tents with a flysheet are better... more 'comfortable'. and come in two types. "Inner first" - where the tent comes in two parts... you erect the inner first and then lay the fly sheet over the top and peg it down. "all in one" - where the inner and fly sheet are connected.. and erected in one go. and as this is done the "gap" appears automatically. This is the sort to buy as its a lot simpler, as an example in windy weather a separate fly sheet will be blown all over the place while you peg it in place. which can be frustrating. The description of the tent will tell you what type it is.. "inner first". or 'all in one"

Hilleberg tents are hand made in the EU.. and signed by the person who made them, they are a favourite for round the world travellers and built for the most extreme conditions. if exped make the rolls royce of camp beds.. Hilleberg are on the same level for tents. You cant buy better. I would love one.. but I simply cannot justify that amount for something that might only be used once a year.

That was my thinking exactly.. I tend to ride fairly long distances.. or have a final destination that can take days to reach, and so each night must be comfortable. I cant tolerate the idea of waking up sore. The bed I went for was a pretty outrageous price compared to some.. but it really is a case of you get what you pay for. Around a £100 depending on where you buy from (and what time of year) The one I use is long enough for me.. Im 6'5 standing.. and wide enough so I don't feel constrained. It has an integrated pump.. so no blowing. it takes about 3 minutes to inflate to my comfort level. The mat is filled with synthetic down.. which means its a great insulator. And it packs up really small. Its a cheaper version of one that is used for camping in the Arctic or the Himalayas and is actually made in Switzerland.. that last alone goes someway to explain the price. But.. its the rolls royce of airbeds and should last for years. You will have no complaints at all about comfort. Im sure many would think its daft to pay more for a bed than you might pay for a tent. But.. I set a very high bar on comfort. I need to. found this one discounted... http://tinyurl.com/ydy4db54 You might think its too expensive for an experiment in camping.. i would suggest that if you want your experiment to work out.. you cant buy better. and if you decide against. This is the sort of item that will not lose much if any value after just one use. stick it on ebay and it will sell quickly.

Its fairly safe to say that things have improved somewhat over the 50 years since your last camping experience. When people say they are spending a night under canvas.. its no longer a literal description. Im not sure that your style of touring, which seems to consist of riding from one town or city to the next, really lends itself to camping anyway. people who use a tent.. are the types that want to get as far away from population centres as possible. (usually)

Start with first principles. So.. look at your bike. and its width... Im assuming you have panniers. and will be riding solo. Put the panniers on the bike and measure the width.. so thats from the outer edge of one pannier to the outer edge of the other. This is the space you have to work with. What I did was measure that width and then I bought a waterproof bag.. a holdall, that fiited within this width. I then chose a tent that would fit within the bag. Plus a sleeping bag and mat, I actually chose an inflatable air bed.. my one major luxury to aid in a restful nights sleep. The reason for the bag is to keep everything "Camping" in one place.. easier to pack than multiple bundles.. and I have the bag bungeed to the rear seat.. with its 'ends' resting on top of the panniers. Buy a bag with enough capacity and you can fit more into it than the 'bare bones' of camping... for instance you can use it for dirty clothes.. to keep them seperate from the clean. it also gives you a bit of extra space for the essentials.. like a towel and soap/shampoo, etc. For a tent.. if you are camping alone, then a 2 man is perfect. it will give you some extra space for stuff off the bike to be brought inside so its 'handy'. if camping with your partner.. then go for a 3 man tent. The ideal is one that can be put up and taken down in minutes.. as fast as possible. If you can watch a YT video of this being done then thats great. Nearly all tent manufacturers give the dimensions of the tent when put up... and the dimensions of the tent in its bag - packed. If the tent is sold with an optional footprint.. get it. This will stop condensation and protect the groundsheet from sharps that you might have missed. if no footprint is available.. then you can bodge one for just a few quid. get a tent peg mallet... these are soooo useful. especially in summer when the ground might be baked dry. so is a peg 'puller'. Consider what time of the year you are going to be camping... you dont need a winter sleeping bag if you are camping only in the summer.. most give a rating a 'comfort level' temperature range. In summer a bag with a full length zip up the side is best so if its a very warm night you can unzip it for extra ventilation... some have two zips so you can make it less close fitting.. again for extra comfort in warmer weather. I chose one of these. http://tinyurl.com/y9tvdb3j or, rather.. the same one from a few years ago. its great. Tents are down to personal choice.. based on space available to carry it.. and what features are desirable for you. price ranges are vast.. cheaper ones may only last a few trips. more expensive should last for years.. if you can afford one with aluminium poles.. these are better than fibreglass. (my opinion) Sleeping mat.. or airbed, is again a personal choice. Mine was really quite expensive.. but will last me years and is extremely comfy. Im fairly demanding about getting a good nights sleep. And a decent bed.. is something I refuse to scrimp over. same goes for a pillow.. I would rather use a proper pillow than an inflatable, I use a memory foam.. it crushes down quite nicely in the bottom of the bag with the rest of the camping stuff piled on top. But... obviously all this depends on the space you have available. Goes without saying that you should practice, before setting off.. so you know how everything works how the tent is put up and taken down and how everything packs away.. before camping for the first time. Here is a picture of my bike.. with all my camping stuff in the bag.. so the panniers are carrying other essentials, clothes shoes and so on. Bear in mind.. my bike is quite big.. and so I have the luxury of a lot of space to play with.. the bag is 89 Litres.. and at the start of a trip, only 2/3rds full. One last thing.. i don't bother cooking. but. i do insist on a proper cup of coffee in the morning, so.. I take a small stove, kettle, cafetiere, travel mug, spoon and ground coffee.. so I can make my own. A luxury I wouldn't do without. these go in the camping bag.

Shorty got tired of the constant sniping from one person in particular and so requested a screen name change. So never went away. Gautrek flounced. Mawsley is sulking over something inconsequential. Psycheybikey comes on... Tells us she still hasn't passed her test and then runs off again to look at the lovely bike she was bought for after she passes her test. It's probably parked up in her lounge as some kind of objet trouve.

65mpg was at the low end of the fuel consumption range on my F800S... most bikes that are sold as commuters will easily do very similar mpgs. And thats before you start looking at super scooters.. the burgman 400 can do anything up to 80mpg. with the mid 70s being normal.

Furthest Ive ridden so far is to Slovenia.. the closest Slav nation. I would like to ride the length of the Carpathian's. from Slovakia.. via Ukraine and into Romania... ending at the Black sea. fairly epic for me.. also I would love to ride across the Bosphorus and so be able to say that Ive ridden to Asia. (even if its only Asia minor) If the world ever changes..and things become easier and safer.. I would absolutely love to ride to Iran. via Georgia and the Caucasus Mountains.

get a microfibre cloth.. they usually come in packs of 3 (cheap from Wilko). use that to polish your visor. The biggest enemy for visors are scratches. Keep the microfibres nice and clean. if you were to ever accidentally drop it on the floor - don't use it again until its been washed.

They're fairly standard now.. been around since the early 1970s. In the early days they were expensive and restricted to certain machinery.. now they're practically standard on motorcycles of all kinds. even the cheapest. Oh how can I tell what I have? send them an email and ask. [email protected]

its effectively a seal.. that keeps grease inside the chain where a lot of wear would normally take place. They also keep grit and other contaminants out.. both attributes extend the life of the chain. Oh ok thanks, sounds like an expensive chain and not the sort you’d find on a Chinese 125! They're fairly standard now.. been around since the early 1970s. In the early days they were expensive and restricted to certain machinery.. now they're practically standard on motorcycles of all kinds. even the cheapest.

its effectively a seal.. that keeps grease inside the chain where a lot of wear would normally take place. They also keep grit and other contaminants out.. both attributes extend the life of the chain.

They remain anonymous. And it would take a genius to put 2 and 2 together. More likely a clairvoyant. For example... When I first applied they used my first name.. This isn't the same as my given name, and I didn't bother to correct that. So, I'm as anonymous as my... err... "Patients".

sod the expense.. need a new bag? then you need a new helmet so you get a bag 'free'.