Gerontious

The A2 license is specifically aimed at young riders aged between 19 and 24. It’s a stepping stone for them.

hardly matters.. 50s 70s - still ancient.

Young lad I know has recently bought one, when we had a chat about it I told him that he should consider two things. Number one that his dealership is a good one and Number two that he would need to change his mind set, as he was coming from a fairly new restricted Yamaha Diversion. He lives in Lancashire so has easy access to some lovely back roads. doesn't commute. never has any need to use motorways. And (unusually) isn't really into the whole fast as possible all the time style of riding that's the the thing for younger riders. He just wants a fun bike that he can ride locally on and is a bit different. None of his mates/peers ride bikes. Anyway.. a couple of months on and he really enjoys it. and that is all that matters. How he might feel this time next year, well thats another question. Apparently the insurance was significantly less than his Yam. Im pretty sure that last year one of the publications did a build quality test and incredibly given its rather poor historical reputation the Indian Enfield.. these new ones came top. The owner has poured a shed load of cash into upgrading the factory and (I think) the design studio is based in the UK. Certainly there is a reason why these newer RE's are very popular... and its not all about the price. And new buyers don't carry the baggage that us oldies have thinking back to the original Indian Enfileds that were effectively built with 1950s technology.

People do it all the time. With the only time spent on a 125cc being a day at the very start of the process. To gain the CBT which is the very first step. Then straight onto a much bigger bike to do the DAS. Obviously the bike that’s follows varies widely but it could be absolutely anything. With the normal concern being the first insurance with zero NCB. You will at least pay somewhat less with a full year NCB.

you can go right off some people! im sure the guys who have never been before will be interested to know what you think of the place and the region when you get back.

Long weekend at work. Is it Tuesday morning yet?

5 weeks today, so its coming up quite quickly. never ceases to amaze me how quickly the time goes by. I started this up 21 weeks in advance and it seemed quite remote back then at the start of April. Though to be honest the chat about it started in the bleak mid winter. its always good to have something to look forward to when the weather is cold and miserable. we are effectively all ready to go. I just have two tasks yet to complete. get some euros for spending, when using the card isn't appropriate. Germany is now a transformed country and credit cards are welcome everywhere, one of the more unlikely side effects of the pandemic. When we first went our hotel was cash or debit card only. Credit cards were strictly a no-no. but that's changed now. The other task is travel insurance - which is mostly for the medical side of things and quite simple and fairly minimal. Oh.. and book a table for our traditional sit down dinner the night before at the Beefeater. Just a case now of sorting out the possible daily rides. mostly staying within the Eifel itself. one of the guys wants to have a go round the Nurburgring so a visit there will be factored in. Its open to the public every evening from the Tuesday so its going to be an 'end of the day' thing where we arrive towards the end of a day out, the guys do their lap and then its a fairly straightforward 50 mile dash back to the hotel for dinner. As mentioned previously we always have a full day in Luxembourg as we really do like riding in that lovely little country. it may be small but its very varied and during a normal weekday remarkably quiet. Obviously we avoid the capital completely. as well as the more built up and industrial south. All being well we will add another country to the quite short list and pop up to the Dutch border, which isn't a great distance from the Eifel National Park. Theres a great place to eat near there called Biker Ranch. which we haven't visited for years. Lets just hope the weather is as glorious as it was when the streeview photo was taken. Im going to try my hardest not to get a speeding ticket like I did the last time we were there. (sigh) So thats basically it. 8 rooms booked at our hotel and all filled. nobody has been forced to drop out and the guys are busily finishing off their preparations. Four regulars and Four new riders.. new to riding in Europe I mean. Not long now and we'll be waiting in the bike lane for the barriers to lift so we can board the train at eurotunnel. and then 45 minutes later riding out of the complex at Coquelles and following the signs for Lille and then into Belgium. We use the motorway to get the dull part over as quickly as possible before getting onto more normal roads for the final part crossing into and across Luxembourg and looking forward to seeing the first sign for Neuerburg at the border. Hopefully the weather will be kind and we won't have the excessive heat of last year. 35 days. Tick Tock.

Well. Yes. Saying Apple device owners “deserve all you get.” Is a sentiment I’m not sure you needed to qualify. even if it was ‘laugh out loud’ funny.

yes. It’s horribly complicated. Go to settings. Toggle airplane mode ON and then OFF. ON OFF if this is too complicated. Restarting your iPhone will do it too.

At the end of the 90s. BMW brought out a cruiser which was aimed mostly at the American market. This was long before the invention of Adventure bikes when BMW was still a fairly minor player producing bikes mostly for older riders and people who were already fans. Plus more sporty tourers based on the sideways K engine. The cruiser flopped in the states because a 1200cc engine was deemed too small. Also, I believe BMW used more traditional footpegs and levers rather than Harley style footboards. Despite all that these bikes were really highly thought of. No chrome. All polished stainless steel. Apparently really well put together too. Bought by the kind of owner who would really take care. it was also unique at the time with a 1200cc engine 5 or 6 years before the familiar 1200 engine appeared in the R1200GS might be worth considering if you’re looking for a boxer cruiser at a more realistic price. The R1200C

when the suspension gets tired on my bike it will be replaced. Personally I set little store on OEM suspension and would rather go for a specialist that's built for my weight and other specs and is fully rebuildable going forward. This isn't a big deal for me as I intend keeping the bike. if you're not then maybe its time to trade it in. if its easily rebuildable then all well and good. but often with OEM this isn't possible. for example some need actual surgery to force rebuild - ability. Like having a valve brazed on. They are sometimes sealed units as standard from the factory - I mean. built to meet a specification set out by the manufacturer.. but also within a strict budget with little thought given to longevity and future serviceability. Which is why there is such a wide market for direct OEM replacements.

A bike is also written off automatically the moment the original owner receives the insurance payout. It could have been missing for a few months. Nothing abnormal about this.

Just had the weirdest walk to work - ever. It was like the scene from 28 days later when Cillian Murphy is waking around a deserted London. I saw nobody. And I mean nobody. Between leaving home and arriving at work. something must be going on and I can’t imagine what it is.

Set it as a search on eBay and you will get an email when one is listed. And be patient.

What is the opposite of a rant? Don’t you just hate complicated questions? something to rant about right there! Complicated questions. last Thursday I sent off my passport renewal at the post office and 8 days later, yesterday I get a text from the passport office. It will be delivered today. So 9 days between sending and receiving. I’m borderline impressed. The application told me up to 3 weeks! I might rant about government misinformation!! or I might not. And rant instead about indecision. Maybe.

Its a tough question.. less so if your normal riding position is upright. but not so easy if you are leaning forward as summer jackets are always short.. or shorter. and will obviously ride up at the back. This assumes by summer jacket you mean fully vented.. mesh type. An alternative might be to lower your expectations and look for a jacket that had multiple vents and most crucially has a removable thermal AND waterproof layer. then improve heat dispersal with technical underclothes. fast wicking T-shirts and so on. I would head for the largest retailer you can find and see what they have. speak to the staff. take your time.

Do bear in mind that these will be entirely computer generated and so there are two factors to consider. Firstly that all the details you enter are absolutely correct. There is no room for error. Once you pay, you will very likely be asked to pay more if you discover a mistake that cannot be ignored. So check them carefully. The other factor is that these computer generated results will be designed to maximise the profit to the company you choose. It’s often a good idea to phone them direct as they are more likely to knock a bit off in a bid to grab your business as a new customer. Especially as they will not be paying the comparison site - who get a cut on every policy that is sold via them. its really in your interest to use comparison sites as a guide then call the broker direct and don’t use the number provided by the comparison site. Use google to find the actual phone number.

36 litre tank!! 270kg wet weight!! and it’s being marketed for off road. I’m trying to imagine lifting it if it went over on even a very slight camber, where the wheels are even slightly higher than the tank on a slope. im guessing the tank capacity means close to a 300 mile range. Which is what my bike can do with just 24 litres. Though there’s quite a difference between 1300cc and my 998cc. looks and design? There hasn’t been a GS since the 80s that wasn’t mocked for its looks even when this type of bike was largely unknown. And the word “Adventure” didn’t really exist in the bike world. Even if I could afford one (which I can - at a push) I wouldn’t. I’ve lost all interest in BMW. Except a couple of models which I admire in much the same way I might admire a car. And a new model? Absolutely not. I have no wish to act as a beta tester and have to pay for the pleasure - all the while staring into an approaching black hole when the day arrives where the warranty can no longer be extended. i expect to see 100s of them next year on tour. if i were to look for a close relative from the looks department - it would be that very odd looking Harley that seemed to have been designed by someone at the BBC for a Dr Who episode circa 1968. pretty sure it will be just like every other big GS - people will mock it on every level and then make the fatal mistake of actually trying one on a test ride. pro tip. Don’t. Having said all that, I’m possibly a perfect candidate for one of these….

If you’re unsure then get one. If only for peace of mind. I’ve been riding since 1980. Always had a torque wrench and have never experienced the nightmare of a stripped thread. I’ve been told countless times that it’s an unnecessary item, but of course these people won’t be there to help when a stripped tread needs to be repaired.

Galicia is on the northern border of Portugal. so, south rather than left.

I have my moments of temptation, but to be honest - I just don't want anymore debt. its paid for now and trading it in for something else would very likely mean another loan and I can't be bothered with it. Rather than spend on that.. im looking forward to upgrading the suspension front and rear at some point.

Nothing exciting, just an evening bimble round the parish as rain is forecast for tomorrow... and for the rest of my life. (probably) anyone would think I lived in Glasgow!! anyway called in at an Aldi and thought the bike looked sparkly in the artificial light. and so snap.