Mawsley

There's not many on the roads like it, that's for sure

Morning. Had my customary lie-in till half ten before starting work. Walked down to get a coffee to find the wife had conveniently left the front door wide open. I realise closing a door is a high level skill, maybe I'm just expecting too much from her.

I didn’t lose anything on the way up. Moreover, I gained - having discovered that cruising at 65 added an extra 100 onto my range. Site has alpacas just sitting about a bit and amazing views of the Peaks. It’s got eco toilets, struggled with them tbh. And it’s got a fvcking peacock that kicks off with its bollocks from the break of day. It’s £10 a night for bikers. Can recommend. https://www.avonaescapes.co.uk Can also recommend checking your bedding before you go. “No, I’ve had a shit night, the wife, as the mattress wouldn’t hold air and the sleeping bag was broken.” “Yes,” she replies, “the boy said the same.” So, no sleep for me. Thanks, wife.

Replacement rum purchased, various unchecked bits of camping equipment strapped inelegantly onto the Street Bob at jaunty angles. Old school sat nav taped to the tank. If you are in the locale of the M1, A50, Peaks - keep an eye out for everything of mine that will have fallen off. There’s no reward, I’d just like to have a laugh at the photos. I’m kinda hoping I have an excuse to check into a B&B.

Currently debating this very tricky problem.

Now if I was clever, I'd check to see if the mice have destroyed my tent and bedding before I get to the Peaks. I'm not very clever.

First camping of the year. Don’t think it’ll go well - firstly, I don’t have a sat nav to get there, and I’m currently sitting drinking the bottle of rum I bought to keep me warm at the campsite. Don’t have any way to strap stuff to the bike either. And they all want to leave at 10:30…which is the time I normally get up. Challenges.

The bars are wonderful though

For everyone in cattle class, I think it's the desire to get overhead locker space and avoid having a bag checked into the hold - or at least get it into a bin near to their seat if they need things during the flight. What I never understand are the hoards who try to get onto the plane when their boarding group hasn't been called.

Love the Interceptor - but I doubt anyone has ever claimed the original seat is "comfortable".

Morning. I didn’t sleep much last night so I worked instead. I was going to try grabbing some kip this morning. Bloke has been letting his bike idle for the last 9 minutes. I’m going to go ride it off in a second if he doesn’t turn it off or f**k off to work. Nine…ten…f**king minutes. Twat.

Wife's birthday on Monday, she's away for the weekend. Someone DPD'd her a box of chocolates. I got back to the house to find the driver had done his best to ram the package into our letter box...thereby destroying the box. No words.

You've just added Italy into the China mix. The issues I had getting parts for my Guzzis and Jeep doesn't fill me with confidence that Benelli would be any better. I had a loan car for six weeks while waiting for a replacement ignition barrel for the Jeep. My Guzzi Cali Vintage was off the road for over two months when I gave up waiting for the parts and sacked it off. My Cali EV also saw me on a loaner for an entire summer as the footboard never came. As I said, until China warehouses parts in the UK I'm not remotely interested.

Mods!

None. None Chinese. They need to open dealerships and have brands that last longer than a summer and keep supplies of spares stretching over a decade in the UK before I'd ever consider it. That, and I've not known a single one that has managed to withstand an English winter.

Bought an R90S in Caracas for $1000. Rode it like a demon for 2 and a half years then gave it away to a local when we decided to return home - figured I'd got my money's worth - genuinely had no idea what it was worth here. What bites is that we had half a container free.

The ideal number of bikes = n, where n=n+1

Only had a Thunderbird for an afternoon, really enjoyed it although it felt a looooong bike. I was still going to buy it but the finance company had other ideas. My Tiger 1200 bloody crushed me when I tried a U, only bike I've ever dropped. Never forgave it for that. As I say, the Ultraglide was a breeze two ups and U-turns. I know some complain about it when they try one for the first time, but I found it flickable despite its weight. I'm tempted by a King, the ergo of the bars and floorboards are similar to the Ultra - but with the benefit of a lot of weight being lost. That said, I am probably stuck with the Bob for the next couple of years...by which time I'll remember I rarely travel long distance and go for a CRF300 instead

Bees are lovely

Had adventure bikes, had cruisers. Cruisers every day for me now. The two Guzzis I owned had decent riding positions but bugger me they had awful seats. Harley Sportster was too cramped. But the Ultraglide and the Street Bob are fine for extended riding. Turning circle is a bit sus on the Bob...but how often does anyone do a feet up U-turn? Low seat means for super confidence in slow traffic - unlike the Tiger 1200 and Africa Twin. The Bob is an older Evo engine - so it comes with associated vibes (which I happen to like) - the M8s have that ironed out. Insurance halved when I chopped in the AT. You will scrape the pegs/boards if you are busy trying to make progress...but that's not what the machine is for. Just relax and ride the creamy torque. No idea what Styles was doing to hit a rev limiter?! Plus, you no longer have to suffer other bikes waving at you.

I approached a bloke on a stall I was on a school trip and asked him if he had the time. He said "Yes" and then ignored me. London could go F itself from that moment on.

And I didn't think my reflection was there

It’s sunny and warm

Wow. Wife took my car as she now has to commute between two hospitals during the day, so I walked the woofs to the pocket park in the village. It's bloody gorgeous out there. If I can find my sunglasses, I'm out on the bike in 5...4...3...