How was your Biking year ?

[Steve_M]

10 hours ago, Gerontious said:

Americans. Pensioners and the inevitable Dutch. And lots of British plates. No kids. On the touring sites it’s well documented that the scenic routes become a nightmare with coach after coachload of tourists being taken round the various sites. So perhaps this was abnormal for September but that wasn’t my main point. Avoid the usual holiday season. And be prepared for highly unpredictable weather at any time of the year. It’s not unusual for people going in august for a week not to have a single dry day. I would suggest that you go there if you must and expect days off due to bad weather.

Thanks for the info’. We’ve changed our backup plan to Scotland (again) out of season. 

[Gerontious]

18 minutes ago, Steve_M said:

Thanks for the info’. We’ve changed our backup plan to Scotland (again) out of season. 

We’re going to the Dolomites this year in June, but not booking anything (aside from time off) until the last possible moment, so that will be sometime in May. If we are at the very least allowed into France and Germany, I’ll be happy. Austria and Italy will be a bonus.

[Throttled]

2021 was a quiet year. I managed a couple of thousand miles, came 5th equal in the Challenge, but no camping trips and did not even leave Scotland, which is very unusual.  The most notable event was the epic MOT failure of my otherwise wholly reliable 2012 Versys, resulting in it being replaced by a 2018 Versys.

[Steve_M]

4 hours ago, Gerontious said:

We’re going to the Dolomites this year in June, but not booking anything (aside from time off) until the last possible moment, so that will be sometime in May. If we are at the very least allowed into France and Germany, I’ll be happy. Austria and Italy will be a bonus.

We would, ideally, like to revisit Switzerland, I (notice the singular) would like to combine that with a look at the Italian lakes and the Dolomites. Hopefully we’ll be allowed to pass through Holland and France or Germany to get there. We would need at least one night in either France or Germany on route either way. Fingers crossed it all works. The only thing we’ll book will be the ferry, then it’ll be all “make it up as we go along”.

[husoi]

In one word: Shait.

 

Managed to do 1500 miles back in May to get soaking wet down in Cornwall.

A few short trips with a total not greater than 2k miles.

[Gerontious]

On 03/01/2022 at 14:02, Steve_M said:

We would, ideally, like to revisit Switzerland, I (notice the singular) would like to combine that with a look at the Italian lakes and the Dolomites. Hopefully we’ll be allowed to pass through Holland and France or Germany to get there. We would need at least one night in either France or Germany on route either way. Fingers crossed it all works. The only thing we’ll book will be the ferry, then it’ll be all “make it up as we go along”.

 

A belated Christmas gift.

Lake Garda.pdf Southern Tyrol.PDF

[Steve_M]

6 hours ago, Gerontious said:

 

A belated Christmas gift.

Lake Garda.pdf 602.93 kB · 8 downloads Southern Tyrol.PDF 562.01 kB · 5 downloads

Thank you. I’ll look more closely at those later but initial thought is they look interesting.

[daveinlim]

Had the first attempt to steal my bike. 

Lucky for me they saw the massive chains and gave up quick. (Thank you brindley chains)

 

Failed mod 1.....passed mod 1. Uturn

Failed mod 2....passed mod 2. Yellow box turn. 

Currently raging over the price of insurance on any mid size bike when you're in London. 

Looking forward to covering more miles and getting out of London more. 

[bonio]

2 hours ago, daveinlim said:

Had the first attempt to steal my bike. 

Lucky for me they saw the massive chains and gave up quick. (Thank you brindley chains)

 

Failed mod 1.....passed mod 1. Uturn

Failed mod 2....passed mod 2. Yellow box turn. 

Currently raging over the price of insurance on any mid size bike when you're in London. 

Looking forward to covering more miles and getting out of London more. 

I got out of London 30 years ago. One of the best things I did.

[Steve398]

On 01/01/2022 at 13:03, Stu said:

Bought the BMW thinking it was a mistake as it was the most I have every spent on a bike! in fact it cost more than all the other bikes put together  Do I regret it? certainly not! probably the best decision I made as I found the love for riding again! 

+1

 

I part-ex’d my ST1300 for the 2018 RT and then spent months cleaning and polishing the thing in lockdown. The Pan was getting just too heavy for me as I have rotator cuff injury to both shoulders, and like you I was dreading the idea that I’d got it wrong… but no, it’s actually great fun, light, responsive and a very nice bike.

Downsides are of course it’s a BMW with associated costs, and man, does it cost! 

 

Looking forward to returning to Italy and Greece on the BM this year

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by Steve398

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Steve398 said:

+1

 

I part-ex’d my ST1300 for the 2018 RT and then spent months cleaning and polishing the thing in lockdown. The Pan was getting just too heavy for me as I have rotator cuff injury to both shoulders, and like you I was dreading the idea that I’d got it wrong… but no, it’s actually great fun, light, responsive and a very nice bike.

Downsides are of course it’s a BMW with associated costs, and man, does it cost! 

 

Looking forward to returning to Italy and Greece on the BM this year

 

 

I feel you with the costs! 

 

picked it up in June and did enough miles to warrant a service by the end of September   Once the 2 year warranty is out the way I will more than likely do it myself 

 

I see you have good taste in colour! 

 

Heres mine 

 

[S-Westerly]

25 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

I feel you with the costs! 

 

picked it up in June and did enough miles to warrant a service by the end of September   Once the 2 year warranty is out the way I will more than likely do it myself 

 

I see you have good taste in colour! 

 

Heres mine 

 

Note that Steve 398 has a more tasteful version with a subtle understated badge.

[Yorky]

Sorry but both totally the opposite of the right colour

[Steve_M]

1 minute ago, Yorky said:

Sorry but both totally the opposite of the right colour

You’ve picked the right colour… but the wrong model.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Steve_M

[Fozzie]

Only did a few thousand miles. 

 

I bought an ER6F in green near the beginning of the year, as a potential tool to whizz around Europe on. After 6 months it was clear it probably wouldn't happen so I let it go for about £200 less than I paid for it. The black CBR600F I had came up to its first big service and it annoyed me so much that afterwards, I sold that too. It revealed itself to be an awkward Hornet in fairings, with access to various things being a nightmare. You have to drain the coolant and remove the fill point to get to the spark plugs for example. In my view it had no excuse being that difficult, it's cousin the RR is far more compact, but simpler. 

 

Then I picked up another Honda Blackbird for £1000. It needed a bit to get through MOT, but was very clean. I'm now doing a slog of other bits on it ahead of selling that too. 

 

So for bikes, it was a mixed year, I'm going to focus on older bikes that I get to tinker with more this year. 

 

[MikeHorton]

39 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

Only did a few thousand miles. 

 

I bought an ER6F in green near the beginning of the year, as a potential tool to whizz around Europe on. After 6 months it was clear it probably wouldn't happen so I let it go for about £200 less than I paid for it. The black CBR600F I had came up to its first big service and it annoyed me so much that afterwards, I sold that too. It revealed itself to be an awkward Hornet in fairings, with access to various things being a nightmare. You have to drain the coolant and remove the fill point to get to the spark plugs for example. In my view it had no excuse being that difficult, it's cousin the RR is far more compact, but simpler. 

 

Then I picked up another Honda Blackbird for £1000. It needed a bit to get through MOT, but was very clean. I'm now doing a slog of other bits on it ahead of selling that too. 

 

So for bikes, it was a mixed year, I'm going to focus on older bikes that I get to tinker with more this year. 

 

Sounds like you will be busy tinkering which isn't a bad thing enjoy

[Fozzie]

59 minutes ago, MikeHorton said:

Sounds like you will be busy tinkering which isn't a bad thing enjoy

 

I think tinkering has actually taken the priority over riding. I've got projects planned that will take weeks/months, with a long endurance ride at the end to shake it down, put it through its paces. Like a jaunt to see the Northern lights this October at the top of Scotland 

Currently bidding on an ER5 that is high mileage and needs some work, as I'm tempted to do a scrambler build. 

 

But this year I want an original gen SV. Possibly an old Hornet, if not a CBR600F as well. And the blackbird is likely to be swapped for a TDM850, as I've always fancied one and love the sound they make. 

 

I could actually afford a decent bike if I wasn't always buying cheap broken things

Probably applies to affording holidays when I come to think of it 

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

46 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

 

 

I could actually afford a decent bike if I wasn't always buying cheap broken things

Probably applies to affording holidays when I come to think of it 

In my experience broken things are never cheap. They are usually money pits. 

[Fozzie]

21 minutes ago, Mississippi Bullfrog said:

In my experience broken things are never cheap. They are usually money pits. 

 

Indeed, although I'm not in it for profit. I just find it fun fixing broken things. 

 

I'm happy if I make more than 50-60% of my expenditure back. I did have a profitable run in London once, when I was supplementing my income while doing my apprenticeship, but it was mostly MOT failure bikes. Now it's more fixated on things I'm interested in. A lot of which being bikes I grew up around.

[fastbob]

6 hours ago, Fozzie said:

 

I think tinkering has actually taken the priority over riding. I've got projects planned that will take weeks/months, with a long endurance ride at the end to shake it down, put it through its paces. Like a jaunt to see the Northern lights this October at the top of Scotland 

Currently bidding on an ER5 that is high mileage and needs some work, as I'm tempted to do a scrambler build. 

 

But this year I want an original gen SV. Possibly an old Hornet, if not a CBR600F as well. And the blackbird is likely to be swapped for a TDM850, as I've always fancied one and love the sound they make. 

 

I could actually afford a decent bike if I wasn't always buying cheap broken things

Probably applies to affording holidays when I come to think of it 

Let me know if you need any suggestions regarding locations , free camping spots etc when you go to Scotland . I've pretty much made it my life's work to explore as much as I can of the far North . 

[Fozzie]

14 hours ago, fastbob said:

Let me know if you need any suggestions regarding locations , free camping spots etc when you go to Scotland . I've pretty much made it my life's work to explore as much as I can of the far North . 

 

Cheers! I have always seen Scotland as the place to go and get lost in, but I've visited it far less than I'd like.

 

I may also come knocking for other information, because as of yesterday, I became the owner of an ER5 I managed to get cheaply on eBay!