Gerontious

There's no reason whatsoever why that information shouldn't be posted in this thread.

 

Is this something Im supposed to have advocated? No.

I dont make a habit of thanking someone I want to censor.

I gave an opinion and its ATTACK !!!

I merely pointed out that this was currently restricted to 3 cities.. a fact not mentioned up to that point. and if you dont want the worry about having one of these sticklers on your bike.. then dont bother going to these 3 cities.

and as it turns out.. this is a hugely controversial idea.

differing opinions.. not wanted. ok.

excellent.

tourists and touring by bike. different things?

obviously some people do travel to france with the intention of riding from city to city or to a city. and they will have to pay. but.. for everyone else.. those visiting to ride in their quite marvellous countryside. is this an issue? probably not.

but.. one day it might be if this regulation is rolled out nationwide to all cities, towns and villages.

British motorists travelling to Paris, Lyon and Grenoble need to make sure they don’t get caught out by the new Crit'Air scheme that has come into force.

 

ooh.. what to do, what to do?

erm.. how about, not going to these places.. or is that too complicated?

and if in the future.. more cities are added.. then avoid them too. if this is applied nationwide at some point.. then, reconsider the options.

 

Ooh.. what to do, what to do?

I suppose if I don't have anything constructive to say I could just not post a reply to the thread.. or is that too complicated?

Not at all.. but then this is a thread on touring tips.. and so far, this concern about a €5 charge to legally visit 3 cities is a little premature given the vastness of the country of France. if you don't want to pay.. then don't go to these cities. why is that not a constructive comment? This new regulation seems entirely focussed on urban pollution.. so.. stay out of the cities.

For my part I will be interested to see what Lille does.. will they force everyone that uses the A25 (in particular) to buy one of these vignettes.. assuming they enact this regulation at some point. If they force visitors to the city to have one.. will they include those passing through on the Autoroute?

British motorists travelling to Paris, Lyon and Grenoble need to make sure they don’t get caught out by the new Crit'Air scheme that has come into force.

ooh.. what to do, what to do?

erm.. how about, not going to these places.. or is that too complicated?

and if in the future.. more cities are added.. then avoid them too. if this is applied nationwide at some point.. then, reconsider the options.

nom nom

http://tinyurl.com/qfyb9bo

what happens when Trump takes viagra?

I play a drinking game when he's speaking. every time he completes a sentence I have a drink.. its a great drinking game as I never seem to get drunk (or even have a drink)

Im not sure there was ever a SIDI boot that didn't squeak... (there probably is.. but people don't tend to complain then...)

its just one of those things you have to live with, with that particular brand. they tend to squeak

six years ago riders were complaining about the original ADV.. have a look at what this lot has to say. http://tinyurl.com/zvfd5do

Oh bugger

indeed.

However bad that video paints him.. its actually worse. dangerous times ahead.

Im not sure about the world laughing.. for anyone who has given it any serious thought.. the laughter stopped when he was given the Nuclear codes. Which has happened by now.

I think the big question now is how long until he is impeached.. and what damage he can do before then.

From the FJR1300 owners manual

do not use is a bit strong maybe... but then I would imagine they're being over cautious as a lot of people have little or no interest in the actual workings of their bikes and so probably have no idea where the swing arm bearings are... or even what they are and why they're important.

I don't someone said I could break stuff,

Someone... like Honda?

this from an owners manual. they consider it important enough they repeat it.

you'll be lucky to find a bad example of one of those. ie one thats on sale for low money that needs work. even all these years later they attract top money. one of those bikes that seem to be very well looked after by owners. summer cruising only kinda thing. they seem to have achieved a cult status.. aided by the relatively small sales. at the time they were a flop... the Yanks werent interested as a 1200cc engine is too small and it was the american market they were aimed at.

the numbers produced were tiny

as well as the usual places.. you could try http://www.Chromeheads.org see if any are being listed for sale... of the type you want, in the UK.

snow in January... theres a thing.

I bought this house with a 97% mortgage. the deposit and legal fees.. plus a few bits of furniture were paid for by selling the bike I had at that time. (2000)

my own strategy has been to make overpayments every month... every month since the last deal I had ended and overpayments were allowed without penalty. Overpayments and the occasional little lump sum... when other priorities allowed. I was raised with a phobia for debt... and although Ive had various loans and so on over the years every one of them has been paid off early. I pay my credit card off every month. and pile every spare penny into my mortgage. I have 9 years left to run.. its been quite a slog. 16 years now, but...

worth it. its quite amazing how these overpayments and so on have mounted up.

OOOOOOOOOOOOH GOOD NEWS EVERYONE WE HAVE ANOTHER LIVE ONE!

 

Happy Birthday Paul. 226 days (not that Im counting!)

In london, it'll end up being like Japan, where mortgages with 40yr terms are normal. or perhaps Sweden, where last year mortgage terms were cut from an average 140yrs to 105.

a mortgage lasting 105yrs... hard to believe. gives whole new meaning to the 'never never'.

my lovely gortex ones let water in somewhere... then they don't let it back out again so wet gloves for three days

Goretex comes with a lifetime guarantee. which is only made void by damage to the glove itself.. so thats stitching coming apart.. or maybe abrasion damage after a crash. or perhaps something more mundane like water running down the inside of the cuff.

if the fault is none of these and it seems likely to be the goretex membrane itself.. then you're covered and goretex will either refund or replace.

What does useful life of the product mean?

The membrane will not deteriorate over time, but it can be damaged during your product’s intended activity, or if used for an activity outside of its intended use. Some of our products can accommodate a wide variety of end uses, while others are designed for specific activities. It really depends on you, what you do, and the choices you make: Lack of care can often be the cause of a product no longer having useful life, so it’s important to routinely clean your item and always follow the care instructions . Use your best judgment, if the garment, footwear or glove have worn soles, rips, tears, punctures, abrasions, it may be time to buy a new one. If it looks worn out then it likely is. If you are unsure give us a call or send us an email and we can help make an assessment.

http://www.gore-tex.co.uk/en-gb/experience/our-promise

stories like this remind me of a short horror story by W.W. Jacobs. the monkeys paw. where a man wished for money and he got it.. but it was compensation for the awful death of his only son.

coming into a large sum of unearned money can prove to be hugely destructive for the people involved.. those viewing it from 'outside' so to speak would do well to consider if they would do any better... or whether they would succumb to the insanity this kind of event can produce.

a famous example...

By her own admission, she found it hard to cope with the psychological effects of the money Keith had won. Having no concept at how to manage and save money, Viv Nicholson admitted to becoming so consumed by spending money that she related to it at one point like an addiction to narcotics. Due to her out of control spending, she came to feel distanced from the people she had lived among, who in turn could no longer relate to her, and developed an ever greater longing for a much more affluent lifestyle.

In modern terms they won more than £3,000,000 and inside of 7 years it was all gone. Her husband died and she was forced to fight for the bit of money he had left. and then promptly spent/lost that.

If all that wasn't bad enough.. her photo ended up on the cover of a single by The Smiths. "heaven knows Im miserable now." appropriate.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was some kind of psychological description/name for this form of madness.

I am interested in the bash guard idea - anyone else use them?

yes.. they're more usually called handguards and are pretty much standard on adventure style and off road bikes, meant to prevent stones and branches from hitting your hands.. they're also good wind deflectors. you can buy them for virtually any bike that has bar end weights.

http://i.imgur.com/f4O6z7Tl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/j4U8tfTl.jpg

These are called 'Barkbusters' and are available here in the UK. this assuming you want to spend.

Heated grips for me, tried numerous types of gloves over the years, the grips win every time.

Would it be fair to say that no gloves keep your digits warm after a half hour ride in 0 degrees?

No... Because there are electrically heated gloves.

And aside from that the warmth of your hands is directly governed by good circulation and maintained core body heat. Since I stopped smoking my hands (and feet) have got a lot warmer. Also... Who has tested all the winter gloves that are available? Like top of the range £200 Held twins or £230 Rukka R star. (as an example)

My top tip, January isn't the ideal time to buy winter gear... Buy between April and June.

Best you can do is keep an eye on the Regina line website.. they did hope to start a new ferry service last year.. but something went wrong, I think the company they were set to charter a boat from pulled out... or the boat became unavailable. That might change this year.. or next.

http://www.reginaline.dk

as an alternative.. seems likely to me that you could have the bike shipped.. then fly and collect. Not a cheap way... but it may be the only way if time is a genuine issue. I know that in 2012 the cost of shipping a bike in both directions to Iceland was £708. from Immingham. I would imagine Norway would be similar... this 5yrs later. especially with the dire value of the £.

I bet DFDS are a bit peeved.. the top-up of taken berths during the summer months must have helped their profit margins.

what size... at the time, these were highly rated for the money. http://tinyurl.com/zr4sf8j

this is what is drawing me there. the Ötztal Glacier Road

 

any particular reason ?

As I mentioned... I think it's good to have a goal. This one is the highest road in the Alps. The second highest paved road in Europe. Not far from it is the highest pass in Switzerland: the Umbrail. And the highest pass in Italy: the Stelvio.

All within easy reach of our base. The Stelvio is just 50 miles away.

Immingham to Gothenburg Sweden

This is a freight ferry that supposedly will carry bikers... It makes no-frills look like 5 star luxury. Operated by DFDS. Some risk to booking as they prioritise freight... So you might book... Turn up and be refused because a Lorry has arrived and the driver has snaffled your cabin