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Yeh....that's a great old clip! Wasn't life so much simpler then?

Light isn't good.....this one shows it better.....

@Tym what do you reckon ? ? do you know someone who should show themselves out on their bike.

Woke up after a night of hard noisy rain expecting to be in for the day, but the sun was shinning so thought it was a good day to take Maria's bike for it periodic warm up run, got my cool leather jacket and went for a ride. For legal reasons decided it was best to keep out of tarmac even though I didn't feel like getting the bike dirty, I haven't got the heart to get this bike dirty but the dirt was moist and ideal for traction and not getting either dust nor mud up. Short 10 or 20km run and got back home to park it back up in it's spot, after a quick cuddle. Taking this bike out for it's run in a thing of love. Wasn´t intending to, but the quick ride up the dirt road made me feel like going for a blast in the XR, so after the 230 was parked I changed clothes, the cool leather jacket for the summer jacket and motocross boots. Took some farm access roads: And then some medium to high speed dirt roads over some of my favorite local landscapes: I have the XR running on well setup suspension, but I have almost new Michelin AC10 on, and it's a tire that I don't rate at all. I chose them for being street legal but regret it whenever I use them at over 80kmh on dirt, they give poor feedback on the front wheel, you never know when it's about to wash out from under you, next time it's going back on motocross rubber. Anyway had a great ride and the only worry was when coming out of a fast corner almost running into a pile of manure someone left parked on the middle of a dirt road. On the way back too a picture of the coolest bridge I know, while waiting for the traffic to switch back my way, the bridge Rainha D.ª Amélia crosses the Tejo river: Made it back but before coming home decided to give the bike and my boots a hose down to get rid of the farm track mud on this service station right at the end of the dirt road. It's really convenient to have a service station at the end of the dirt road: Getting back home just before some heavy showers, in time to aply some silicone spray on the plastics and make it ready for parking for a few more weeks next to it's little sister, the 230.

And me. Got more for reading.

Did I mention that my youngest grandson (10 weeks old) in Poland seems to be a ginger! Very, very rare there apparently........until my DNA started spreading!

These people who think Bikers are all "kindred spirits" really get me! So I point out that Charles Manson was actually a biker!

After 65 days in the hole! Only out for about half an hour because I had to be available for work.......but it was something!

Good job

I don't get why would you get along with another brit just because they're from the same place as you. I'm sure that when you lived in the uk you weren't walking down the road saying hello and being best mates with everyone, so why would you do it there? Same thing with bikers, I don't get why some people think all bikers are friends and like each other. There are twats using all sorts of vehicles.

Nice gesture.

Sounds pretty much the same as here in Murcia. The people are very friendly and if you fit in and make an attempt at a bit of Spanish they appreciate it. Never had a problem with a Spaniard in the six years we've been down here however we do have a problem with one of our British neighbours. What a pair of fucking idiots they've turned out to be! So much so that we haven't spoken for months and walk right past them in the street without any contact...........although I am sorely tempted to punch the fuck out of him; he's just got that kind of face you'd be happy to slap. ?

I've used glasses for about 20 years, started off using the cheapy ones from Tesco etc, and then over the years realised that I needed proper ones from the opticians.

@Renegade.......as you can see, for the last year or so I've been having to wear glasses to ride and drive! I think I spent a few years not really seeing that well on bikes and cars.......but it never dawned on me I needed glasses. I thought I only needed them for reading. Thing is, it creeps up on you very slowly and you don't notice!

I feel your pain Ren , I went to one last year. I talked to my mate about him and yes he knew him as well. RIP Alan jones.

I'll admit to throwing an old rag over it once or twice!

Does look sepctacular Pete,fine job!

Yes both outside Bob. Seems the sun does a bit of damage then the wind finishes them off.

We had a NSU moped as kids, can't remember where we got it but it died the same death over the cornfields as most of the crap we had.

Finally got out on the bike today, but not what I wanted.

When the economy starts putting small businesses out of work people start starving a losing homes. I have a few clients very much afraid and not sleeping because of this, because a few of their clients are a few weeks away from being broke, and by broke I mean not having money to eat and pay for anything.

It takes a lot of concentration Bob!

I've not been in lockdown per se, since you cannot transmit something you haven't got. So I've been out on the bike whenever I've wanted to and only social distance because otherwise I'd get into a hundred arguments everyday. Does that make me a reckless law breaker? Law breaker maybe (or statute), but not reckless. I'm 63 and can and will think for myself. I've never been one for going to work or meeting others when ripe with a virus, so know myself to be considerate and responsible. And I've worked in the NHS so know the lay of the land and, no, I don't clap for them like a fucking penguin every Thursday on cue. If the local hospitals were overrun I'd not have gone out and exacerbated the crisis, but they weren't. A&E Drs and nurses were literally left twiddling their thumbs for the most part and with so few patients one has to ask how many have died as a result of postponing or avoiding to seek help through fear. I doubt we're ever going to know. Most can't be bothered to question authority and just accept their servitude blindly. I've got the one 2007 paper that the 2 metre social distancing directive came from and it's sketchy bollocks at best, based on a belief and then tested indoors ("A large number of infectious diseases are believed to be transmitted between people via large droplets and by airborne routes"). Even allowing that various governments used that one study to practice the precautionary principle, the fog is lifting, the numbers are now coming in and it's clear the mortality rates are grossly inflated with coincidental deaths. It's time for a revaluation of Professor Ferguson's lockdown model that so many governments adopted. The destructive c#nt has got a history, his models have been disastrously wrong in the past costing us millions, this is going to cost us much more than a recession. Having directives based on such flimsy evidence, then shutting down the country down, anyone would think they want to crash the world economy on purpose, or at least all the little guys. No, it can't be. Rant over?

Excellent roads in the Pyrenees (except on the French side. they need to learn how to repair roads and not just throw gravel everywhere!)

Oooops ! it was your helmet was it ? SORRY

Well coronavirus has definitely crashed the party for 2020 - most of us are facing various restrictions that are getting in the way of our epic ride plans ride now. But what about the people caught out in the middle of it - halfway through an epic ride you can't get home from? My friends over at Mad or Nomad have compiled the stories of a whole bunch of rtw travelers who've been caught out - where they are now, how they're managing. If you're stuck at home with a cup of tea, it's an interesting little read. https://www.madornomad.com/motorcycle-travellers-trapped-by-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR0EyKgX5nWSxlEiiMUj60VCm9HM8jFR0yYLh5pwpKL1nWBAdpLGrb6jHfw I found the different perspectives really interesting - we're all "adventurers" of some kind, but some people are more chill about this sort of thing others!

Sounds strangely like my plans for how to economically survive on what Social Security is going to start paying me at the end of this year, old and poor rocks!....lol

Looks as if it's an old friend of mine (Dago) Alan Jones, havn't seen him for years, and with what is happening at this time we won't be able to say good bye to him properly. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-52433831

Bit early for me but I'm being told of social pressure on our youngsters now. I don't get it but there must be something going on as locally we've had to young girls kill themselves, both walked into the sea.