Gerontious

My mate has the MT10 well happy with it apart from the fuel range is poor he gets to 120 and the fuel light Comes on. you can be just like Admiles [mention]bonio[/mention] constantly paranoid about fuel... just think of the added excitement and thrills.

Depends on the plugs. there are different systems. I have repaired a puncture and then a few months later toured europe on the same repaired tyre. The tyre didnt need to come off the wheel and I did the repair in under 10 minutes. I have done this several times over the years. If the repair fails (and that has never happened) you just get a flat and need to call rescue as you would with any flat. I tend to do the repair and then monitor the pressure for a week or two. no change in pressure and I essentially forget about it.

If the scooter died tomorrow, what would I replace it with? I don’t know... but I do know what bike I would want to test first. Brand new? The R1250RS second hand the R1200RS and in both cases I would budget for extending the warranty. But, from a reliability standpoint. It’s no GS which is a very good thing indeed. Aside from that, I really don’t know. There is nothing in any of the big 4 ranges that appeals. KTM and Ducati are both not on my radar. Mmm. Died tomorrow. Another scooter. The 1100 version, new for 2020 has been made more user friendly for shorter riders. And got tubeless wheels as standard. DCT is a hoot, once you understand that it has to be in sport mode. And... it’s a Honda so you can kiss goodbye to reliability nightmares of the German variety. Go and test ride one. Scoote or non scooter. One clutch or two. Push button gear changes are totally fantastic. Riding an automated gear box in manual mode is great fun. 300 mile tank range in bimble mode is rather nice too. Sounds great. Cruise Control. Seat isn’t great but that’s a minor, easily fixed problem... which you might find is definitely not a problem. from 825mm if honda follow their usual pattern, there will be big discounts and offers in the Autumn. (on all their bigger bikes)

Underwriters are gamblers and they hate losing. every time they have to pay out they lose the gamble so then its about paying out the least amount they can. a 1000 payouts, if they can save a £500+ on each one thats a lot of bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque Edition Brut Millesime, Champagne. (old bean)

[mention]XTreme[/mention] Every time we have been to the Eifel, on our escape from France (clue) we pass a place that is not a large distance from Dunkirk (another clue). I'm guessing its been largely forgotten by almost everyone, aside from Historians. I've often thought about taking a few minutes off from the fast ride to visit. But, its not a place for a cheerful gaggle of Bikers excited and happy to finally be on their way after months of planning and talking about it. it just isn't. This year though is different.. and oddly appropriate. I expect there to be nobody there at all. Though there will be signs that its visited, Its very important. all the walls lined with poppy wreaths. At least 80 of them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhoudt_massacre

Oddly enough I had a twin pack of walnut whips today.

If you buy new instruments then you get the miles those new instruments came with. its as simple as that. an odo from a bike that had only done 100 miles will show that and then add to it as soon as you begin moving. same as one with 100,000. these things break.. thats not unusual. and are replaced. thats not unusual either.

so your choice is spend £429 +/- or not. I would just get one on 0% finance.

If it were me... if my 660 died tomorrow. I would get something like this... ready to go. fit it in 20 minutes and all done.

Im not entirely sure that there is a huge correlation between what happens in the continental USA and what happens here. As for not worrying so much about clothing, I doubt this chap would defend that idea.

My bike weighs slightly over a quarter ton. I’m very careful with it.

Depends where they have been. This is on the front page of the (London) Austrian Embassy website.

Swings and roundabouts and more swings. Fun and Games, this year has so far been epic and now yet another big change. Even if i wanted to go to France, that is now impossible due to it being taken off the exemption list. go there, stay there, and unless you are prepared to tell outright lies. 14 days at home. do not pass go. do not go to aldi. do not do anything.. or its a potential fine. You cannot 'go' to France. (or Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands) but you can pass through them. And you can stop en route for a rest. refuel. But, you must not mix with other people. So says the Government. They're not interested in where you have been, they are interested in where you have stayed. (or mingled) This creates a little problem.. direct across France to the Rhine is 400+ miles, and I just cant be bothered with that on my first day. I cant have an overnight in France, unless I were to wild-camp, and I cant be bothered with that either. Im too fond of my morning shower. plus its too much of a slog.. it would have to be all motorways and no, thats out of the question. So.. my Plan now is to start by riding the 255 miles to our usual hotel in Neuerburg, in the Eifel. I can do that with just one fuel stop, there is an unmanned pay at the pump station we use frequently at the 190 mile mark. And there are plenty of rest areas on the way that don't have buildings or lots of people milling about. I'll take a packed lunch, which I can pick up from the local supermarket in Ashford and some water so I can make a coffee. A little more expensive to stay at the hotel.. but not much more, and i can have a cooked evening meal there. I will probably stay there for 2 or 3 nights and then its a 160 miles to the start of the B500 south through the Black Forest and so that will get me back on track. I'll lose a few days in Austria, but thats no big deal. After the Black Forest I'll head east and connect with the German Alpine road as far as the turn south to Zell am See. There has been an uptick in infections in Germany, just like everywhere.. but its nothing like what has happened in France. I'm not particularly concerned. But.. its another 13 days of waiting and seeing. So thats it.. the latest edition of this saga.

That's abit high But very illuminating.

Your worry should not be about the casual opportunist, it should be about professionals. in all cases, keep it locked, never leave it unlocked for even a moment. stop, disc lock on while you get your chain. so it cant be wheeled away. key to peace of mind in your situation is doing you utmost to prevent 'spotters' from following you home, so they know where the bike is kept. Seeing the security you are using and then coming equipped to deal with it. On your final approach, always have your eye on the mirrors. are you being followed? if you are then go round the block to be sure. its that simple. keeping the bike covered at all times is important too. dont flaunt it. Being friendly with the neighbours is always useful. the more eyes and ears you can count on the better. this in addition to points already made.

if you dont have a centre stand, mount in the same way but from the RHS. its quite easy.. as you step up onto the foot-peg, grab both bars and the front brake, and move your body weight over the centre of the bike, If you feel it lifting off the side stand then you are not far enough over. it doesn't have to be much. It sounds risky.. and the first attempt feels dodgy. But its actually very simple to do and very quickly becomes automatic. you get your weight in the right position without thinking. My bike has a centre stand. it also has a not very strong side stand, and this is my normal way of mounting especially when i have the luggage fitted. so easy. To be honest that was the demonstration i was expecting to see on the video. so... here.

Is it not possible to have random lessons, not as part of a fixed course but just joining up with a group, perhaps once a week or so?

no.

Drained the engine oil over night and replaced it this morning with 4 litres of Castrol Power 1. 10w-30 left both filters untouched as per schedule. (2 oil filters) it also has 2 drain bolts... did the front one first and the oil gushed. when i came to do the rear one i wasn't expecting much, but that one gushed too. Is having 2 drains usual these days? I know having 2 filters is peculiar enough. First filter is normal, the second refilters the oil before it flows into the Clutches. finished off the rest of the checks.. crankcase breathers were all spotless. Anyway.. thats the 8,000 mile service done. a bit early at 6,000. But the engine is going to be worked hard in a couple of weeks time.

my second service is an oil change, just the oil. plus a list of checks to be ticked off. most of which would already be done just by the simple act of riding the bike. Third service is an oil and filter change. plus air filters. Valves should also be checked but valves out of spec by this service are rarer than hens teeth. so, Ill pass on that. coming up to 24 months old in November so brake fluid to be changed then. modern hondas.. who needs em.

If you want to go for HID then they will either have to be a full swap.. change the halogen assembly. or.. have them as auxillary lights that are not part of the MOT.

my bike is almost exclusively LED aside from, oddly. the license plate light has a bulb. Mine has a flat beam so no need to fiddle about when riding abroad. below are the current MOT rules. 4.1.1. Presence, condition and operation A motorcycle or motorcycle combination must be fitted with one headlamp, although additional headlamps may be fitted. Apart from headlamp security, the check only applies to mandatory lamps. Headlamps are not needed on motorcycles that: are not fitted with front and rear position lamps have had their front and rear position lamps permanently disconnected, painted over or masked were first used before 1 January 1931 A motorcycle does not need a main beam headlamp if it: was first used before 1 January 1972 and has an engine capacity of less than 50cc has a maximum speed up to 30mph or 50km/h On twin headlamp systems, one or both headlamps may operate on either beam. Headlamps’ colour must be one of the following: white yellow mainly white light with a blue tinge If the light intensity of the lamp is significantly reduced, it should be failed. If the motorcycle does not have a battery or the battery does not have enough charge, you must run the engine to be able to inspect the headlamp(s). A ‘light source’ means any bulb, LED or other means of emitting light. You must assess damaged or repaired lamps for security, colour, light output and durability. where HID could fall foul is the demand that everything is "immediate" lights on. instant, flicking between high and low. instant. and tucked away is this VERY relevent clause. Some motorcycles may be fitted with high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps. Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp. So, i would guess that the only way round that is a complete conversion.. the old headlamp assembly will have to go.

It is indeed, the hump you'd normally expect the fuel tank is the battery and airbox. The quirk is that the fuel gauge only gives you a reading when the tank is below half full. If it's above half full it just basically says "your fuel level is something between half and fully filled". Something to do with the shape of the tank makes giving you an actual reading impossible ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ BMW! They can send a riderless bike round the track but can't get a fuel gauge to work! it does work.. if you have just filled the tank do you really need a super accurate device to tell you that you have just filled the tank? really. this quirk is entirely due to its odd shape, with three distinct 'sub-tanks'. and the position they were forced to put the sensor. its accurate where it matters.

It is indeed, the hump you'd normally expect the fuel tank is the battery and airbox. The quirk is that the fuel gauge only gives you a reading when the tank is below half full. If it's above half full it just basically says "your fuel level is something between half and fully filled". Something to do with the shape of the tank makes giving you an actual reading impossible ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ it becomes more accurate as the level drops. so from full to half.. its really quite rudimentary. but once below half it sorts itself out and is both accurate and reliable. when it says you have 10 miles left. believe it.

I'll be recipes next....