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So, day one: Day one started late, because yesterday I had a great dinner, me and little bro had too much wine and things got silly Today, got up at about 9, by 10 Costa was walked and I was out of the house. Got on the motorway for the only 10 or 20km I expect to do on a motorway in the next few days. Made my way to the Douro river, and started to retrace the ride I last posted in Douro wine region. The 108 is a great little road, there was a big car meeting , maybe 30 cars or more, tuned and driving like idiots. Made it hard to pass them because a lot of the cars were quite fast, but very slow in other areas, started to piss me off until an old dude in a tractor caused a traffic jam and I passed them all in one go. Douro, along the 108 between Porto and Pinhão: Stopped a little for lunch, at a scenic place with a lot of shade: Lots of bikes there, a couple of groups making picnics, I had my leftover roast and spinach sandwich: Got back on the road heading to Pinhão After Pinhão, crossed the river and rode a little bit on the south side of it, a little away from the water. Temperature immediately increased as I went over the tall hills inland. Also, views started to get bigger, I needed big vistas: Road was quite nice: Got quite high Stopped to call firefighters, someone must have thrown a cigarette from a car and started a fire right on the side of the road, it was consuming a tree when I got there and about to get big. By the time my call made it through to the local department it was substantially big, but they told me they had been called and a car was arriving to deal with it. With everything that Portugal has been through in the last 4 years, I can't understand how some people can be so careless. Got lost crossing Vila Nova de Foz Coa, a few old, maybe restored houses, using the typical schist building. Stopped, to figure out what to do regarding sleeping arrangements by 4PM, didn't think there would be so many tourists and by that time most of the places were already fully booked. Finally got on the phone with a little place that only had a 5 people room/cottage, I cried the price down since I am by myself, and they were gracious enough to accept. A course was plotted to Freixo de Espada à Cinta, about an hour away. This would be less scenic but one hell of a road to ride, not wide, plenty of great mid speed corners and great rhythm. A sign warned "mountain road, use care", to which I think I ignored Arrived quicker than expected, feeling quite in need of drinking fluids. I neglected stopping to buy water in the afternoon and was feeling hot and a little thirsty. So I ignored the castles and touristy stuff since that's not really my scene, here's a picture in the distance for you Instead, found a place to park the bike with a view, under a little shade next to my accommodations for the night Enjoyed the great view, and went straight for a dip in the pool, drank half a liter of water and am now finishing this orange juice as I type this Temperature got to about 34º today (93ºF for the yanks, you are welcome) which surprised me since over the past days it's been cool. Next, will go back in the pool for a while, and relax. Then a little later will have dinner here as well, I'll keep you posted , but I feel like cold white wine to drink along with dinner

In the upcoming ride report, about to be posted from a swimming pool.

A blast from the past with old film grain and all. The bike that I started with, a 1983 Honda CB650 Custom. I didn't know I still had this pic from the early 90's, so happy to find it. I loved that bike, her name was Betty and she taught me many lessons. ?. The background is Mount Kitchener, a mountain located within the Columbia Icefield of Jasper National Park, which is part of the Canadian Rockies.

Out by 10 and back by 1........to visit the old Railway Station in Seron, Almeria! The line originally opened in 1894, and finally closed in 1984. And unlike many of these places, they've left a lot of the original elements in place including some of the tracks. You can also see where the locomotive turntable was, and some of the buildings have been restored.

So today I wanted to get the little CRF out and go for a trail ride, there are some lanes to the north of Salisbury Plain that I haven't done for a long time so I decided to head that way. I certainly wasn't going to go anywhere to the south of the plain near Stonehenge as it would be heaving with hippies all trying to get there for the summer solstice . I got away by 08.00hrs and after filling the tank it was a 20 mile ride on tarmac to the first lane . Just a short byaway which was cut in half in the 90's when they built the A350 bypass around Chippenham..... and then onto the village of Laycock which is largely owned by the National Trust.... The local shop really needs to check the sell-by dates on some of their stock ? and then passed by Laycock Abbey which is well worth a visit if you're roundabouts.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lacock_Abbey

Great Bob i can only dream of doing that at the moment, I think its starting to get to me? When i had my old Africa Twin apart a couple of months ago i noticed under the fairings and tank is still covered in the dust from when we crossed Salisbury plain on the way to Italy in 2011 ?

A ride down to the sunny cove on Snowy. Still on a borrowed bike, but my part is only days away now......<insert happy dance> ?

Back onto the Plain for some blasing along gravel trails.......... The MOD have done a great job of marking the trails........... and there's always the chance that you'll come across something they've left behind.........

Then I gained some elevation again with great views all around............ and found some more poppy fields........................

Now I was into some fairly easy stuff, so a chance to bomb on a bit....... and some tree covered roads as well............ and back to the overgrown stuff............

I carried on and dropped down off the Plain via this track which took me down to Rushall........... Then I made my way back up onto the Plain via this byway. There are lots of these sort of tracks in this area and they look fine and dandy but at this time of the year they hold a surprise. The grass is long in summer but what you can't see are the hidden ruts underneath, you can be riding along fine and then the centre rut grabs your front wheel , you take a dab with your foot to steady yourself and dab into thin air as your foot has dissapeared down the left or right rut. Lots of dudes end up on their arse riding these trails for the first time and then some water just to keep it interesting ..............

This is how it was 20 years ago..... And how it was 100 years ago......

Taken today......

Sweet Pic from todays Beach Patrol...Thats our local Nuke plant

Thanks for this forum! I ride because it makes me feel so fucking good! That’s it, all I got!

Who remembers him from Maximum bikes ? Bloody brilliant ride reports. I just seem him in a thread on ADV rider...........

This weekend would have been at the Farmyard Party in North Yorkshire, as i couldn't go thought i would post some pics of the last one me and @Specs went to in 2017 The site is at Duncombe Park in Helmsley run by MAG (motorcycle action group) a fantastic location. For some reason i can I only find photos of my ride on Saturday. The day started with sore heads all round after overdoing it Friday night Alan and an old friend of mine (sadly not with us anymore) decided they would sleep it off so i ended up exploring on my own i was looking for all the single lane back roads and Yorkshire doesn't disappoint This is what i was after this is riding heaven for me Had to stop for a wee this seemed as good a place as any the place was crisscrossed with dirt roads sadly i had to restrain myself as i was 300 miles from home with no tools It was getting hot so headed for somewhere to get something to drink and eat, I came up to this railway crossing as the barriers dropped to let a train through, i was there a while getting hot and sweaty thinking of turning around but then this beasty showed up and i was happy again Got a sandwich and a drink and found somewhere cool to stop thought this would do Spent the rest of my ride looking in the distance for roads like this and heading there to ride them not really paying attention to where i was. When i got to the horizon here i stopped to talk to a couple of guys on bikes had a good old chat for about an hour when i got back on the bike i realised i'd left my phone in the case on the handlebar and it had over heated not normally a problem but i was using it to navigate and not paying attention to where i was i didn't have a clue which way was back to the campsite I just carried on riding and stopped for a pint here in the shade, luckily the phone cooled down and started working again So it was back to the campsite for round two i couldn't drag Alan into the rave tent at the end of the night it was after midnight mind i thoroughly enjoyed it LOL

I would hate to think what brits call spaghetti bolognese, it's either spaghetti bolognese or it's not, the brits have no right in messing with pasta recipes

Yes, that's the only way to work on vines and have any method regarding harvesting. There are millions of these steps built, from way back when. I mean proper old, like 1700 years ago Makes for a very unique landscape. On other news, I liked this place so much, and appreciated the food so much, that I got to talking with the owner and I offered to bring my organ tree and plant it here. On my last trip to Morocco my girlfriend collected a couple of argan seeds from the ground and I planted them. One of them has been growing for over two years now, in a largish pot. It's a slow growing tree that might eventually get pretty great and majestic, so I would rather it would get to grow on proper soil, since the only ground I own is right next to my house the tree's roots might damage my basement's walls. The lady is quite enthusiastic about weird trees and plants, and biologic stuff, so is happy to give this tree a home, which we will in a close future. Quite happy with it , plus it's a fucking great place to come and visit my tree.

This one Bob

This was the first KTM I ever owned (Fred will remeber it), I loved that bike, so many memories. I mate of mine has it now and has done a great job of restoring it. Here's a photo of the dash after two weeks riding around the Pyrenees, who remembers the sticker on the screen ?

Nice one Fred, although I've never been to the Farmyard I've ridden those roads when XRV had their national in that area in 2010, You were lucky with that ford , when I did it it was really flowing and I was lucky to get my KTM through without dropping it ?

So time to head for home mainly on tarmac but with a couple of old lanes on the way...... and finally Pete's favourite bit, where I show him whatthe days riding has done to my bike ...........

Now were climbing up onto the Plain............. Salisbury Plain is huge (by UK standards) and has tracks going everwhere but you need to understand that it's overseen by the MOD and they control where you can and can't ride , for your own safety. It is an impact area where live munitions and tank training are carried out, and it's a great area to ride as long as you obey the warning signs, your life could be in danger if you stray off the byways and permissive routes....... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Plain This is the perimeter path, it is a gravel track which skirts the perimeter of the Plain. But you can also ride the muddy track to the right or the grassy track to the left............

Freixo de Espada à Cinta, check on google maps. Spain is on the other side of that river right there.

So onto the next set of lanes which were very dissapointing as the local authority has decided to tarmac them........... and now I'm heading for a couple of lanes that will lead to the Plain........... But before I get there I ride down this lovely old holloway near Potterne.......

I like it too. Don’t know about all that wet dirt on those tracks, though

That’s what everyone needs!

Part of it is now used for kids' activities Fred!

Sorry - looked like a lake to my uneducated eyes. Still, I need a villa on the banks, some nubile, lithe woman pouring wine down my gullet while I lounge on the verandah. Yup, that's what I need. Great pics!

He fucked it up by putting tomatoes in it LOL the burger? was perfect for me with no salad obviously ?

Nice ride, and interesting to read about some of the local history. Mining in Wales predates the Romans. There are still Bronze Age ruins with recognisable stone walling about.

The ride today, if you want to check it in google maps, it's lacking a little detour but pretty accurate

Very nice @Pedro

Good stuff, Pete, I love those old functional buildings, lots of character.

Looked pretty rough 20 years ago - nice rehab job by someone. I like the old pics of places and then a new pic of the same place. There;s a guy on youtube that does this with WWII sites. Fascinating to watch. edit: here's a link to what he does. Wish I had the patience to do videos like this. see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n63u-iHggSA

Love those tile roofs - very cool.

Welcome to Adventure Motorcycles. Please feel free to browse around and get to know the others. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

It is a pristine oldschool ZRX750, cool thing! There was also a GPZ900 that I didn't catch on the photo, just like on Top Gun ?

They eat anything in England, @Tym, can´t have anything on a table when those guys are around.

3ºC is not a little bit chilly, it's fucking cold!

Great dinner tonight. Some spicy Croatian chorizo brought over by my brother in his luggage, followed by a great oven cooked seabass with taters and carrots. All washed down by a nice pair of bottles of chilled white wine. got a nice buzz going now. Luggage is half packed, tomorrow I'll just put the laptop and a couple of things in after walking Costa in the morning, and hit the slow road inland.

I will do a few castle rides when I get some time.

I blame the twat in charge with the blond combover

Found a better pic of the Welsh Wall in it's heyday. The two big buildings are still there today. One is still a church and the other is the Police Station (big blue building in pics above)

And this is the Welsh Wall. Portions of it are modern but you can see the old portion still in there. Couple of old pics showing the Wall in the 1880's...

Old bikes that I still have, but just don't ride that much anymore....

Needed a bike to do Prudhoe Bay on: Succumbed to the call of the GS, finally The power and smoothness of a 6-cyl is fun! Wasnt going to go the liquid cooled GS route, until I rented one in Europe. getting older, so an upright sport bike is perfect! Mind wasnt maturing, so a normal sport bike had to be had. followed by a slight upgrade and, then stupidity reigned and i had to have the newest somewhere in the middle of the lunacy, got the Rallye version. Great offroad bike with all the electronic nannies Should stay away from the dealerships, as the updated XR called my name out.

First bike Second Switched to Kawasakis (first crash, too. got an extra thick collar bone cause of that bike) What do you do when you turn 40? Of course, you buy a .... Vibrated so bad the air cleaner bolt would back out, the headlight would break. Compression so high, it would bend the starter ? then, you go amurican, fully! Was the brother's, but he got fed up with the dealer not being able to fix things, so told them to sell it and he moved on to BMW Which led me to this: and, then this: