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So, we crossed the border with no incidents, in spite of CNN. First stop? Tacos!!! We commandeered the sidewalk and parking spaces in front of our favorite street taco vendor, then started ordering gross tacos! let's see - 14 riders x 4 tacos each, plus un coca each (or two). Grand total - $30 US. Gotta love mehico! We then headed up to Hacienda Santana, a hotel we discovered two years ago after being rescued by another dangerous Mexican when one of our peeps blew out every spoke in his rear wheel, 20 miles from Tecate. (save that story for when this is done. suffice it to say that people living in Baja really look after each other). Speaking of street food, you can always venture out in the a.m. and find a vendor on a nearby street selling breakfast burritos. Not sure our budget could handle the cost of 30 pesos, but we managed. This place is a little pricey for Baja, but well worth it. Modern, amurican-quality, and one great underground bar. It was there that we started "prepping" for the trip by trying to wipe out their Tequila supply.

Pete, you seem t have the knack for creating haven's for oddities, the "not so normal". you should really get a large subvention from the EU for looking after the handicapped. Handicapped? Yup, Buck is a multiple expat who drives a harly and rides a bus, Bruce is Saffer and rides a boat, You're a taffy dago, I'm half frog, Tym is unstable, Bob... well Bob has a Bristol accent, Grasshopper is a girl ( and fixes her bikes in a tent) Cattee lives in Norfolk FFS!, various other members come from the dark side (of the atlantic) Yen puts up ride reports from abandoned toilets... lets face it, Pedro's probably the most normal person in here and he's portugese. all of these conditions should be considered a handicap. Is it really surprising that our collective "Humour" is not readily comprehensible to all and sundry? I like it, Thank you for keeping it going despite what "normal " people might say or do.

I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve nature ..............

Looks like Bucksters got a lot of love to give in Bruce’s direction, I’ll leave it with him ?

I want to make a joke about you fancying a tug but I’m frightened of the consequences ?

Its been so bad for some people I don’t want to say I’ve enjoyed most of the lockdown but I have. It’s majorly fecked with my plans and whipped the place I had lined up in Spain away from under me but heyho, that’s the way it goes. Could just be me but after Christmas there seemed to be a shift in folks mood. We’ve noticed it with our customers. A lot of short tempers and intolerance. People waiting to take offence. I’ve dropped out of some/most social stuff because I’ve noticed Im the happy person chirping away and it’s way out of step with the general mood- and that’s over the age groups not just older. Ive wondered for a long time if the increase of miserableness with age is to do with people finally recognising their frailty/mortality and then becoming angry they didn’t do what they wanted to do with their lives. Nursing I’d see about 2000 new people a year so a lot of life stories and a lot of advice n warnings would flow my way from them. A large proportion of the 60+ age group carry a surprising amount of regret and anger, focused on things they should let go of, I’ve always assumed it’s an active mind left unoccupied finding something to dwell on.

Still does ?

Wetsuits are the original spandex. Found the old fat pic to inspire Bruce to show off some more and not feel bad about the rash thing.

Not the most inspired ride in the world but hey its likely doable soon which is currently the most important criteria for me. My husband passed his test a wee bit over year ago and I’ve been manoeuvring him towards the idea of bike touring (slowlycatchymonkey n all that) with the intention of going far flung with it after he’s found his feet so to speak. My plans are now over a year behind due to the evil C and this was always intended to be the first step so I’m genuinely thrilled its starting to happen. LEJOG seems the easiest most gentle way to break someone into this idea and to make it as painless as possible I’ve signed 3 of us up for Nathan Millward’s Garbage Run. It kicks off on the 22nd May Lands End. I’m really looking forward to it. We should get a good flavour of what gear works for us and what daily mileage we’re comfortable with, seems a good way to do a test run. I’ve been on an organised tour in the past and swore I’d never do one again. Stuck with a load of randoms, shuffled from one point to another on someone else agenda- no thanks. But I’m keen for this to go smoothly and after discussing it with others it seems a lot of places are already very booked up plus this is only semi guided- you are given the route and start n stop in the same places as everyone else but youre free to ride on your tod at your own pace. So fingers crossed all goes well. I cant wait to get out on my bike proper styley again and booking something like this after the year we’ve all had feels like winning the lottery! https://www.thegarbagerun.com/original-garbage-run Brace yourself for all sorts of odd posts of the prep the run and the aftermath!

So July last year I put these on: I have gotten a weird feeling from the first time I put them on, a lack of feeling on the front end while transitioning into corners sometimes. Also, a couple of slides when I don't think the same would have happened with the previous tires. Now, with more or less 10.000km I am half sorry to say they are still looking pretty good for wear: Half sorry, because even though it is the first tire I trust more after 10000km than I've trusted in the first half of it's life it still feels pretty shit to me. No trust most times. It is stable at proper higher speeds but terrible in "iffy" tarmac, nice at proper lean (to me) but horrible transitioning into the lean itself. Can't wait to put the TKC70 again and hope this was just a shitty tire that I can't gel with and not my suspension giving me grief Next month I'll be riding from the north to the south on country twisty roads with Sofia, am fighting the urge to change them before that just to avoid putting up with them. It's a 1200km to 1500km trip and they would "probably" be shot by the end of it anyway...

Me too

The depressing part for me has been not being able to ride, events cancelled like the Dragon Rally and not being able to meet up with mates on a weekend for some bikes, bullshit and camping. Of course , all this pales away completely when you think of what some peeps have had to endure. Imagine a close realtive dying and you can't even go to their funeral

There ya go Pete, Austin in a more relaxed mood , trail riding in Wales back in the day....................

it really is a shame that the French don't have the same reaction of hilarity to innuendo and bum jokes cos the scope in their maritime terminology is even more extensive than ours... I just have to snigger quietly to myself at my own smutty "carry on up the canal" jokes ?

Very true Caroline! That's why, even if I could afford to give up work, I wouldn't do it. I'm someone that always needs a challenge and something to focus on......so stopping work wouldn't be a good idea!

I just threw up in my mouth.

He’s 73 now. Well Pete he’s a self contained person who doesn’t like other people, even if he joined he’d last less than 5 minutes before deciding we were all deficient in one way or another and a waste of his time. Not something any of us could disagree with ? He’s content to play his guitar n ride his bike. Lucky git.

Father with barely contained hooligan tendencies so educated in the ways of the ill fated. Happy to report I never witnessed any curtain staining but then washing machines were a thing by then werent they? ?

Always welcome. Grew up in Alaska, so Canoodians dont bother me, eh?

The new exhaust is on Bagheera and I think it looks great. Sounds good too. On top of all that, the weight difference was also substantial. ? Here is the before. ...and After with the new shiny exhaust ? Took a pic in the tent as I knew the minute he got out he would be all dirty, and sure enough it was raining....lol. He does clean up very nice still.

My bikes are chit butt the tyres never are. Never skimp on rubbers, you can trust planned parenthood on that.

tyres are what keeps us in contact with the road and there is nothing more soul destroying then lack of trust in our tyres. I vote for a change! Life is better when we are happy!!

Well, no one died. That's a plus, considering there were 15 of us riding down to get dirty in Baja. Great weather, great friends, and only one "rescue". a good example of the idjits, AKA Agalos, having lunch in San Felipe. Ever seen the commercial where cowboys are herding cats? Well, that is pretty much how these rides go. Fortunately, there is tequila!! Hell, we may even get around to riding bikes....

Cheap clickbait title alert just to announce that I've ordered this on e-Bay! The phone has to be positioned on the handlebars now, and I've found that when I get on bumpy roads the weight of my 6.8 incher caused it to droop. Only plastic supporting it you see......but this one is aluminium and matches the bike's handlebars! €27.99 on e-Bay and should be here early next week!

Tug, deck hand, cockpit, who came up with this chit, oh ya, sailors.

Winter did me more damage, and today isnt helping. Never was locked down as such, people wore masks around here, and they shitdown businesses i never went too. Then the gooberment bought me new boots new helmet and i have more to spend... Ready to party,my best guess is this summer is going to be nuts. Everywhere there is a summer that is.

Rick is my proxy, we have met in person and I infected him with special man love.

I’m feel kinda sorry for them (so long as their crazy isnt directed at me) cos when you get into your 60’s you should be doing what makes you happy and a lot of folk still don’t seem to have worked out what that is. As far as I can see it’s all a bit of a waste. Without wanting to get too heavy Ive met a lot of people who’ve done what they were supposed to do (rather than what they want to do) their whole lives and then discovered there’s no reward, that was it, you had one go and you spent it that way. I don’t think they even know why they’re angry just a general feeling they’ve been done. Which in a way they have!

Yeah, but i keep hoping Bruce turns it around....

For a load of beer-swilling fat old blokes the sky's the limit!

Whining is the new mantra, and not just for the old. I've been fortunate to hang with older people that still have a zest for life. I attribute it to the motorcycle. During helmet time, i reflect on my addiction to it, and to what i do with it, and i think it is that overall "pioneer" trait that keeps you young. I crack up when someone asks me how old i am and their reaction when i say "64". Riding keeps you mentally alert, which keeps you younger (at least in your head). Humans need to have something that drives them forward. When that is taken away, they sit around and whine. I grew up in Alaska, state motto "The Last Frontier". I watched Star Trek, which searched for new frontiers. I've always wanted to see what was over that next hill. I think that is what kept me positive in life. We need that "thing" to keep us interested.

Well said Rick! Have you noticed how many guys around our age (I'm 66) are such miserable, boring fuckers? It's like the life force has been drained from them somehow......all they ever do is fucking moan. About everything! I look around and wonder WTF has happened to my generation?

Wellll, we did have a rescue on our first full day in Baja, at Mike's Sky Ranch. He is fine. The other group of riders had one, as well. But, you are jumping ahead of my story ?. You put old men on heavy bikes trying to relive their youth and sometimes we fall. However, as one of our favorite stickers says "But, did you die?", and the answer is "no"

At the risk of incurring the wrath of others, i would say that i havent really changed much about what i do on a daily basis. Have worked in the office the entire time, albeit behind locked doors to keep the public out. At first finding food was a headache (oh, poor me), but there was ways around it. I never stopped riding, whether it be to work, or just out and about. Riding has always been a more singular event for me, only joining a local club in the last few years. Most of those members still continued to get together on weekends and go ride some place. For us, the destination wasnt that big a deal, it was the route. I've taken a couple of longer trips over the past twelve months, with a week in Baja being the most recent. We've followed the local rules with regards to Covid, but we've found that state by state those have been all over the board. The US's response to this outbreak has been right down the two party line. So, no, fortunately, i havent lost my shit, but there have been a few times where panic almost took over. I guess being 64 and more interested in a good life, over a long life, has helped.

We left on a Friday, coming back the following Saturday. 8 days, with a rest day in the middle, where we spent two days at Bahia de Los Angeles.

and he is a gimp.

There are pills for that now ?

I have another question, why arnt these people with opinions on the perfect forum starting their own forums?

A slightly cross, exasperated sounding teacher I think. But he did do a superb talk on the best way to record your travels, his teaching credentials made it all very easy to follow to the extent I might even have a go ?

My monies are on the cat ?

Perfect "Canadian dialect", impressive.

I might just take you up on that offer some time!

Come on down and we will show you Baja! (and some curvy pavement in SoCal)

Looks super fun, I would really like to drive down the West Coast some day. I don't have far to go in Canada, maybe I'll go to the top and drive back down, then to Baja. ?

I wouldn't thank him that just means your the odd one in here

He did a lovely talk on the Armchair Adventure Festival a couple of weeks back. I was struck by what a gentle sounding guy he was. Ive never heard anyone say anything about him that isn’t nice.

I go away for a while and all hell breaks loose. The forum seems fine the way it was to me. Personally I think it's people getting stressed out by the lockdowns and covid crap.

First up was the great bike shuffle. We had four riders flying in from Ohio, Carolina, Missouri and Connecticut. Since you really cant check a motorcycle in your carryon, it was time to round up the extra bikes. Dennis had his son's GS, Gary had a spare GS (the 1250 that i had just sold him because it was too pretty to beat up offroad. oh, well). I had Flames (Bruce's favorite bike) and a KTM 950, which was almost in running condition. ahhh, new shoes but, first, there must be bling. There is a local riding "club" known as the Flying Monkey Adventure Riders, who could be considered nuttier than AGALOS, but they are still young so you have to cut them some slack. Anyways, one of the riders is a graphics artist, or artist period. We needed a trip sticker, so Tristan came thru: