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If only I had a van!

I may go to Morocco again, this time with a different take on things and to revisit the desert with a better understanding of myself and the bike. I'd like to go somewhere new on the motorcycle too, that would mean Spain or France or the Nurburgring or Italy, the Via del Sale. Thing is I don't like crowds. A summer week to go somewhere sunny in Portugal would be very much appreciated, too. What I do plan on doing is taking a few short trips, go somewhere specific and return the same day or with a single overnight stay. I have been meaning to do this often since I started riding but somehow quick trips seem to never really have the pull to get the bike going.

So then, what’s on the cards for you lot in 2023? I’ve nothing set in stone but a trip north to Alcaniz for the Zombie Chopper Festival at the start of May is a possibility, meeting mates from the UK.

The way things are shaping up in the world my only plan is to try and survive the year!

One of the last places you'd ever want to ride a motorcycle is Midwestern USA. Flat, hot weather, lots of bugs, high humidity - sounds like paradise eh? My wife had just purchased her bike and wanted to ride on it in Ohio. Problem is, we live about 1,400 miles west of there. She flew to Ohio for work and was going to stay over and meet me there. I had to ride, I left Colorado at 0300 and headed east with plans to stay over night in Missouri at my bud Todd's house. First stop for fuel was in eastern Colorado at sun up . Guy in the background had the right idea; bike in the back of a pickup ...

A few of my favourite pictures of my bike from the Morocco ride report, decided to take a look to find a submission for BOTM The free standing bike on soft sand Dirtroad with an amazing scenery and deep gorges down below Crossing an oued with soft sand sections, my personal win regarding conquering terrain on this bike. It's a crop of the original picture. Fast dirt / sand road with camels, just love this picture The Erg Chebbi dunes behind the bike, to me the early morning light makes this look like a picture taken in Mars

Tea Bags come from Albox!

All a bit unformed at the moment but off to a mates place for a weeks skiing the port du soleil end of Jan, a bit unfit to ski all day everyday so went back to the gym today.. painful!! Back to Spain after that for sunshine riding and I still haven't visited the spaghetti western place which I really want to see. April I'm taking a small group from Blighty to the Alps, must get on with the planning for that, booked the ferry.. yep that's all I've done Badly want to ride back to beautiful Scotland and see my bro at the same time so summer time ish for that one. Hopefully my BSA will turn up at some point so that'll be fun/disappointing, might even go on that .. unlikely. Morocco is definitely on the cards but as there's already other things booked for the beginning of the year it's looking more autumn time, although a friend is suggesting we leave the men behind and ride Arizona in the autumn which I wouldn't sniff at if that happens I'll still be dipping my toe into Morocco but maybe just a short one. And sometime in-between I'll have to ride the Himalayan back to Blighty for its MOT. Got very boring house renovation stuff to deal with, putting furniture on the spots everyone needs to step around to avoid going through the floor isn't as great a solution as it sounds So sick of this dreary weather, it'd take more than a daylight bulb to rectify this misery I know this is a banned topic but FUCKING BREXIT!

yeh you could bring back more tea bags from Bazza

you do fuck all any way

Nephew can do his second part of his test in June so can then get a 400cc bike... going to do few days away up north , Bangers and Cash auction van action on my own before that though .

Much riding proposed, looking to change my job, get fitter and improve my health. Lots of singing and thinking of doing some sort of advanced riding course so that I can volunteer for the blood bikers. All general goals granted but I am sure more will come into focus as it gets closer.

When my choir met Pele. Before my time with them but it does make me smile. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0ds6b2z?fbclid=IwAR2oiM5ULyGlmAyPwV9-zd5cBHf72Y58lU89Dk9msSWxKjQF35lLrDYL0kA

We've got a week booked in the Massif Centrale at the end of January to do some snow shoeing and tobogganing, if there's any snow there! Friends coming over for a few days at the end of Feb. Got an appointment with the Urologist in mid-Feb to see about an operation. What I do after that depends a lot on the recovery time. Nephew's 30th birthday at the beginning of April, so we should be going to the UK for that for a few days. My boys are talking about coming here for a holiday May/June time. Mandy has to take the first 2 weeks in August as holiday because they shut the factory down, so we'll see about going somewhere on holiday then. I guess that we'll see what else occurs to fill the gaps!

Made it to my hotel in Indianapolis where I'll meet up with friends Clint and Sunday. Hotel bar was packed, but I managed to get a stool at the bar and a couple of cold beers down my neck while I waited on Clint to pick me up for dinner....

I am for sure going to the UK in September 2023!! Miss the Green and Pleasant Lands!!

Duc pics from North Carolina are favorites as well as my buddy took them had a really nice camera / lens and could take good pics...

I have about a billion pics from over the years, but here's a few of my favorites. Sitting in the rain in the desert of Nevada waiting on a crash to clear so we can continue and a pic from my first MX race on a thumper - a converted XR400R

Todd's charcuterie board that crossed the US with me. Fuggin' huge since he said he couldn't find one big enough. 2" thick X 30 inches long, black walnut, cherry and a purpleheart racing strip in the middle. Weighs ton. ":Culley" is Todd's last name so I routed that in for fun. It's slathered in cutting board oil as I knew I'd be riding in rain and I didn't wanna get it wet.

yeh you got tarts like @busabeast playing... say no more

"Yeah, but do you have any extra fuel tanks for my old bike?" I ask. "A few... look up"

"But where's all the cool shit?" I ask. "Down the the hall. through the parts bins and open the wooden door" comes the reply

Up at 0300 again and ready to roll. I'm headed west to Omaha, Nebraska today and leaving early in an effort to beat the 100F+ / 39C heat

Out for beers and dinner with some of my bud's that live in Chicago. Brian, Joe and Alex - great guys that I don't get to see nearly enough....

Rode Ohio's famed Route 555 - lots of curves, hills and blind crests. Sweet new pavement, too!

Amazing how green it is here - not brown like Colorado . Not a lot out here though - just old farms that are no longer in use.

Ohio has loads of Federal style homes built during the American Civil War (1860's) that sit empty near old farms. Would love to buy one and fix it up as I really like the style of the homes ...

Stopped at the brother in law's "farm". 200 acres and he doesn't grow anything on it. Has a nice tractor to mow with though...

Mr Slowly complained he got a text from the medical centre telling him that losing just 5% of his bodyweight will help him live longer. I say oh I don't have a text. He replies "BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT A FAT BASTARD" I say but neither are you, they must still have you marked down in a high percentile from when you were playing front row rugby. He's not amused. As if post Christmas people don't feel bad enough about all the crap they've shoved down their gobs the GP practice is sending out "you're a fatty" texts

Aside from the humidity, riding in Ohio isn't all that bad. Lots of abandoned buildings to see and decent roads. Plus, the weather has improved . Pretty cool old sandstone house and chimney from another house that is no longer there ...

Completed the final leg to Ohio the next day and rode some of the Devil's Highway ..

Shit day out, so I watched Clint feed dogs and played his guitars all afternoon. Not a bad day really....

I was going to ride around Indy for the day, but the rains caught up with me. So I Uber'ed over to Clint's house. His dog had just had puppies so he was on nurse duty - feedings every hour...

Lots of rallys.

Have one scheduled in June with the wife on the GoldThing; Home to Lake Tahoe, San Francisco and then up the coast before heading east to Salt Lake CIty and back home. Another week long ride just around Colorado with friends Dave and Debbie (GS1200 guy) An eastern trek from here to Chicago, Indy, Ohio and then south to Tennessee and Alabama (Barber Museum) and then back home via Texas. If there's no snow and I'm able to get out, I'd like to do the MotoGP again in Austin, Texas in April. A little early to be riding around here so it'll be a last minute decision. Might try again for Jasper, Canada again in August.

Again....we seriously need to book you and appointment to a sex therapist and get to the bottom of this fantasy you're having ....

No but I don't go these Harley rally where everyone is sleeping in tents like you do...God only knows what kind of shit goes on after dark in those tents..

Enjoyed this report Bob, great idea to. Inspired me to do one for Fowey River from source to see.

Zzzak.

Walking back out through the parts dept was amazing too. Loads of pistons, cranks and other crap for vintage restorations.

So why did I even go to Iowa? Baxter's Cycle Shop in Marne, Iowa, that's why. "Your British Bike Superstore" I dunno about the "superstore" portion of their claim, but they have tons of cool shit. Mostly used, vintage and refurbished bikes...

A great man while a football star and a greater man after stopping playing football, it's a rare thing but he managed to be a great symbol for his country's greatness.

Passed through Indy again...

Next day and it's time to head west again. Raging storms across Kansas again so I plan a northernly route through Chicago and Nebraska. But first, breakfast at a truck stop ... again. There is little else to eat out here. It's either fast food or this. And this is cheap and fast ....

Rode through torrential rains and a couple of tornados across Kansas - always a good time. But I made it to Todd's house 800 miles later and a warm garage...

I ate at only the best restaurants across the plains. Taco Bell ...

From Malmesbury I headed east on the B4042, about a mile down the road is an old mill which is now posh housing and next to it is the first bridge I'd crossed today that had a plaque informing you of the name of the river ................ From there I dropped down to the village of Little Somerford where I rode down Mill Lane. I had to park up here and walk past Kingsmead Mill to get to an estate bridge across the fields .................... Once I'd walked back to the bike I had another coffee from my flask to warm up and then set off for Dauntsey. By the bridge at Dauntsey was a strange covered corkscrew affair driven by the river but I have no idea what it's used for .................. and then I rode down to the B4069 to Christian Malford to take a photo of the last bridge of the day ....................... to be continued at a later date

Happy New Year everyone. I hope 2023 is a good year for you, well balanced with a healthy amount of smiles and adventures.