Gerontious

Is this good news? Im not really sure that it is. Seems likely to me that something will be done at some point to fix it. vehicles with outstanding fines stopped at the border, perhaps. time will tell. but anyway....

well.. I wasn't talking about old vehicles. but as for older vehicles (if you insist) There was never a change in law. back and silver plates became illegal on vehicles from 1-1-73. what did happen in 2015 was a change in tax rules and that provided a loophole or what DVLA prefer to call an "unintended consequence". but this has been noticed now and they are going to rectify this loophole through a legal correction which will shortly be implemented. The change seeks to prevent any vehicle constructed after 1 January 1980 from the ability to display the black and silver number plate despite being recorded in the DVLA’s historic tax class. Those vehicles with a construction date prior to 1 January 1980 will continue to be able to legally display black and silver number plates to avoid any undue costs of replacement.

closest to ours in colour are Dutch and Luxembourg. however ours are absolutely unique in many ways and immediately recognisable by europeans who take notice of such things.

Funniest I’ve ever seen was a plate on a Harley. It was an outrigger so to the side of the rear wheel rather than above it. Fair enough you might say. However the owner had turned it 90 degrees. So the digits were on their side. I also see a lot of old style black and silver plates on bikes like the Thruxton. Old style bikes with an even older style plate that became illegal in 1973!!

No.

the indicators on my bike are automatic, but, I'm quicker. its something I do automatically and without thinking. I thought, with this change to silly Japanese style switches it might be problematic. but, it hasn't been. concentrate on what you're doing and it shouldn't be too long before you do it without realising.

there are companies that can extract data from a hard disk. perhaps might be worthwhile investigating that. just because a disk drive has stopped working doesn't t mean that the data thereon is not still intact.

I do love complicated questions and endless answers.

me neither, when it comes time for a new chain I will be getting a tsubaki.

Putoline chain wax is essentially the same thing. note what it says on the tin. Not something I would use on my bike chain... which does have O rings.

a huge source of disappointment to me is the lack of Snake and Pygmie pies.. a delight despite the occasional risk of nose bones/choke hazards. I blame breskit.

as Christmas presents go.. that's a corker. you must be so proud.

Yesterday was an almost balmy 8c so, I uncovered the bike for, I think, the first time since the start of November. Turned it around and started it up. No problem at all... no “laziness” from the lithium battery despite standing, outside, for 2 months. Really pleased about that as there have been a lot of complaints... admittedly from owners with extras that are a constant drain. Or have done something stupid like used a charger without bothering to read the owners manual... or ignored the warnings therein. (What does Honda know?) anyway an hours ride, 10 minutes to get the battery topped up and everything moving. Dry and sunny, but cold today so I’ll be washing it later and give the chain a light oiling. It’s now overdue the 24month service... so, I’ll have that done next month.

I actually like them, but they’re not a ‘thing’ here in the East Midlands. Though they were definitely part of the menu in my childhood in the Black Country. I actually bought a jar of them from Aldi or perhaps it was Lidl a few years ago and really enjoyed them.

I have fish and chips on average once per year. I find “traditional” chips to be utterly revolting. Cooked in beef dripping, which was fine decades ago in the age of coal fires, no inside toilet and a tin bath in front of the fire. When part of keeping warm relied heavily on what you ate. But not in this day and age. Yuck. I tend to seek out Cypriot owned chippies of which there are two in easy reach as they seem to do better than other nationalities. There isn’t an English owned chippie closer to me than Matlock. As far as I can tell.

Using that word to describe these priests is far too simplistic. I bet it's not in the past... because nothing has changed. nothing, in the culture that produced these men. It can only change when these men are allowed to sexually mature past the mental age of an 11 year old. Anyway.. time too bow out of this one as its far too close to home for my taste.

Next time its on TV make a point of watching the movie "Philomena" that could so easily have been my mother... and me. As my mother became pregnant with me outside of wedlock in early 1960s catholic Ireland... but, had the sense to do a runner and so I was born north of the border. Had she stayed in the republic, I would likely have died as I was both premature and born with tonsillitis and so had breathing difficulties. The convents made a point of offering zero post natal care. Had I survived that, it's very likely that I could have been sold to wealthy childless people who could afford to make a substantial (at the time) donation to the convent. And I would have been born in a convent as that was the only option. The child sold and the mother forced to work as slave labour in lieu of payment.

sorry., but that's not correct. below is the information on this from the US embassy in London. Entry of foreign nationals who were physically present within the following list of countries within 14 days prior to their entry or attempted entry into the United States is suspended, per Presidential Proclamations 9984, 9992, 9993, 9996 and the subsequent proclamation issued May 24, 2020: Brazil. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding overseas territories outside of Europe. The Republic of Ireland. The 26 countries that comprise the Schengen Area (Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland). The Islamic Republic of Iran. The People’s Republic of China, not including the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

10 days into 2021.. and a familiar face is missing. not seen since NYE. Is anyone in contact with @XTreme is he OK?

slightly off context. These videos always amuse me.. look at the intro. now either he had someone with him who rode ahead to do all those shots or he was forever getting off his bike, setting up the camera, turning round just to ride a short stretch again., then going back again to retrieve the camera.. check the shot and then probably have to do it all over again. it's just so artificial. A short while back a guy posted a video to FB of him riding through a ford in cinematic slo-mo. I asked him if he was on his own. he said yes. so, I then asked him how many times he had to ride through that ford to get the perfect shot..... silence. Also, I have never understood why it is that so many ADV riders have to record for posterity when they come off.. bike falls over and this is a great opportunity for a photo.. eg.

Catholics. I was 5 when the next two were born and my mother was seemingly permanently pregnant for 5 years. I mistyped. I am the eldest of 6.

new phone arrived today, took 17 days. so, that's it for this year... my guilt ridden family have given me a rather fruity Christmas!! MacBook and an iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple overdose! (eldest of 5 has some benefits.. when they decide to have a whip round)

its pot luck where seats are concerned. comfortable or an instrument of torture, you might as well toss a coin. the vast majority of seats have just two purposes. to look good on the bike in the showroom/brochure. and to be comfortable enough for the usual duration of a test ride.

I thought my 2018 Africa Twin Adventure Sport was great aside from the seat, which is an instrument of torture. Replaced it with a Sargent and it’s comfy for the distance rides I do. Bike needed a further tweak with bar risers to get the sweet spot.

Scandinavians. This thread needs nothing aside from that one word. Scandinavians. Compare and contrast them with uptight Anglo-Saxons that are still dealing with the aftermath of a 1000 years of religious based sexual repression.