S-Westerly

I'd want evidence of insurance and a cash deposit so huge you'd almost need to buy the bike. In a phrase "no f**king way Jose".

Exactly, I'm in Gloucestershire so I can be in Wales in about 30 minutes. Could even get my haircut! Totally barmy.

Nice bike! But I still won't drink Irn Bru. Once tasted never (unfortunately) forgotten.

One of the more disgusting drinks to ever be invented. Closely followed by Red Bull.

GPS on the bike every time. I use a Tom-tom one and it's clear and easy provided you set it up right. Mine has coverage for the whole of Europe assuming I ever go back there. Not sure about roaming charges becoming more expensive as some non European destinations are equally cheap. Most phone providers have said they will stick with the status quo. Obviously this is subject to change

I've always fancied Georgia and that's just over the border. A bit wild west but wine is good and cheap too.

Actually my local forecast is looking good for the next week or so. Now if only we could get the mud off the roads. To my humiliation I got burned off by a 4 wheel drive Merc while I was slithering around on mud. The shame of it.

I thought that was standard? Certainly it was offered to me at no extra cost with red for right and blue for left which seems a bit ass backwards to me but at least I can tell them apart.

WTF was the coach driver thinking?! The biker handled it really well and managed to avoid being killed so a winner for him. Suspect his trousers may have needed attention afterwards.

There's a book called "Poorly Made in China" which explains an awful lot. Even things made in Europe often have components made elsewhere, not necessarily in China.

These are custom ear plugs made from a mould. They aren't too expensive by the standard of custom plugs (£85 for the filtered version) and provide 30 dB of sound protection. The cost of the mould is not included and will vary depending on where you get it done. Having tested them I can say they are the most comfortable plugs I've used and are effective at providing a decent amount of hearing protection. Recommended.

My gear all lives in the cupboard under the stairs except my helmet which lives on top of a coat-stand in the kitchen. There's a sofa in there too which is handy for sitting on when I put on my boots.

Rode from Stroud to Banbury and back mainly on B roads for no reason other than I felt like it. Weather was good but roads were as busy as normal depending on the actual road I was on. Lots of potholes, gravel and mud but generally good stuff.

Bad news that. As you say don't let life pass you by. Years ago a guy I knew had an almost terminal heart attack when we were both in our 40's and a few months after that a colleagues brother died of a brain haemorrhage in his late 30's. After that I made a conscious decision to live life now and not wait for a mythical "better time". This being the main reason for me f**king detesting lockdown. I've no patience at all.

I dunno, it looked like it might have been fun as a toy. £50,000 back in 19 whatever would be a bit eye-watering though.

I quite like trains and if I'm going to London which in normal times I quite often do I always take the train as driving and parking in London is insanely expensive.

Back in December I had to go into London- bear in mind this was about 10 days before Christmas when normally everything is heaving - the train in at peak commuting time was at most 25% occupied; the one home in midafternoon was even less. Hopefully this miserable f**king existence isn't going to be the new normal.

A lot of the shops round here are doing on line stuff with either free local delivery or click and collect. The high street as we knew it might have gone forever but many are still soldiering on. As for some things you can't beat trying stuff on particularly if you are a nonstandard size. Times are a-changing though.

Interesting guy with an interesting background.

Karaoke - Japan's revenge for WW2

They put the wind up just about everybody and got badly hammered when the crowns of England and Scotland united as playing both sides off didn't work anymore.

Not the Judean Liberation Army?

It may give you a slight reduction in insurance. Put in for quotes on a comparison site with it fitted and without and see what difference you get. If your bike is somewhere where theft is an issue it may help you recover it. I have basic datatag but no tracker as bike theft in my area isn't really a thing except very rarely.

From the OP I got the impression it was aimed at bringing all biker organisations under one roof as it were and to give us a coherent voice in the public sphere.

Nope. My family were apparently reivers from the English side in Cumberland and Northumberland. Mainly Forsters and Grahams. In their time they were considered seriously naughty people.