Specs

Of course!

Cwmbran.

Yes, but I don't trust it. Being German it's sure to bite me in the arse when least expected. Once warned, beware! Test ride on the Transalp on Tuesday morning.

Not so far off the mark! Used to nick my father’s C50 to go down to the pub with my mate on the back. We were fifteen and eventually got caught and made an appearance in juvenile court. I had endorsements before I even had a licence!

Too true. Riding home just felt that everything was off with the bike. Noisy engine, some other noise that turned out to be my visor, bike wandering, and on and on. A simple case of paranoia I imagine but at least it makes me feel better about a change!

UPDATE Picking bike up this morning. Apparently fault on throttle assembly- two historical ones, not current. Also fault on exhaust flap valve, three Exup type thing, and a couple of slightly corroded connections that they cleaned up. Said if it happens again they’d need to change the throttle assembly. Doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence. My brother is going to run me down to collect it in the next hour or so.

Strangely enough I've been watching his trip and thought that for someone who is supposedly reasonably well travelled it was a bit odd that he wasn't switched on to the cash thing. I still have my Euros that I didn't have to change as I didn't get there!

I quite like the dark colours. No matt black option though.

LATEST!!! Apparently the bike has been fixed. The guy I spoke with had no idea what the techies have done and that he'd find out and let me know. Perhaps I'll never find out. Told him I wanted the bike returned here as covered by the extended warranty breakdown cover. It'll probably be another week as he said a different department deals with that. I'm out on the lash tomorrow afternoon, so I told him tomorrow morning or Thursday would have to do. I'm not holding my breath about anything M & P related here.

No

Hmmmmm. And it fits. Probably test ride next week.

Did the 11 Plus (of sorts) three times. Once when we lived in North Wales and we moved on my birthday. Had to do it again in Cardiff, then when I went to secondary school, much of the catchment area didn’t have the 11 Plus, so I had to sit the school’s own exam for streaming kids. Mellow at Cardiff National Eisteddfod, 1978

Pissed yourself again?

Alan

I think it's called Cardiff Bay Motorrad, but it's M & P really. One not particularly big workshop to cover all the different franchises there. About six I think. Crazy. Was told that there's a six week wait for a service! Check their reviews. Almost all the servicing ones are bad, and all the sales ones are good because every salesman likes to be your chum and take your money. Then comes the servicing!

Bike is still at the stealers. They said they'd have look at it last Tuesday, but then said Thursday. Wasn't happy so spoke with BMW Motorrad people who reckoned it should have been looked at within 48 hrs. Then spoke with BMW UK Complaints who rang the stealer to ask what was going on. Apparently there have been a couple of recalls so all places busy everywhere. They would have taken the bike elsewhere for me but under the circumstances I didn't think there was much point. They looked at mine on Thursday and apparently managed to clear the fault but as their computer was down ( how many times have I heard that old carrot?) they can't do any more until Tuesday. Something with the engine but the useless twat at the other end of the phone didn't know what. He'd muttered about throttle tubes the week before ffs. Thunderoad, or whatever they're called these days, sent me a text on Friday to say that they've received their demo TA so as soon as I get mine back I need a test ride. Completely disillusioned with BMW - well the local shithead dealer anyway. Their reviews are dreadful and as soon as I get my bike back, they will get a lot worse.

I forget what it was but it tasted ok and was on tap.

On my last day we met up with a load of other for an extended lunch and then a walk. A quiet night as I had to leave reasonably early the following day to get the boat back from Roscoff to Plymouth. More wind and rain forecast. Great! The lunch place at Melrand was a bit like a geriatric convention so I felt right at home! Liked the coffee so took this to remember the brand Past the local fire station The old Breton flag Lovely river In the trees there 's a water wheel, turning, although I don't know if the mill was still functioning. Not sure what this was about. Seemed old. Roscoff waiting to board. The guy in front of me on a Guzzi was the same on that was two places behind me at Plymouth on the way out, and that we'd met at Caceres Camping on our second night! Small world. A gloomy Plymouth Sound with a gloomier RFA Fort Victoria. An old shipmate knew that I'd be on the ferry so came down with a mate to say Hi. Nearly missed him, just heard someone call my name as I rode past. A pleasant surprise. Then it was off into the twilight wind and from Avonmouth rain until I arrived home at about 2330 to a small flood from a rotten hot water header tank in the airing cupboard , but that's another story. Just under 3k miles travelled.

My mate's cooker was knackered. We went to Pontivy where a got a cheap replacement, but it had been fitted with jets for mains gas rather than butane so I was roped into changing them over. Then it was another visit to the lake for a walk and a couple of pints. Bloody strong stuff as we both felt half pissed after two. A ride report about changing cooker jets! Guemene Sur Scorff street view Outside my mate's place At the lake before hitting the bar: foreign goose.

Yes maybe. There were loads of them along the main routes either walking or cycling. Forgot to mention them!

I left the following morning in cold fog. Bliss! Just a motorway run to Bayonne only stopping for fuel. Wasn't impressed with the hotel as the bar and restaurant were closed and I ended up walking a few miles to a McDonald, but enjoyed the walk. The following day it was raining off and on all day so head down, pay the tolls and get to Brittany as quickly as possible. Fuel and snack stops Rain forecast along the coast road so headed inland I was dragged kicking and screaming to a bar by a lake run by Brits. Ended up being a late one. Made a friend.

The ride to the next place somewhere between Santiago de Compostela and Fisterra wasn't as pleasant as the roads I'd ridden in the last few days. Traffic was pretty heavy and the scenery was more urban in nature. I only stopped briefly for coffee and doughnut and to check my phone. The room I'd found was only €40 for two nights! Cheapest stop of the whole trip. Downstairs there was a small supermarket with a bar- restaurant attached, and all run by the same family. The following day I'd planned to ride over to Fisterra to see the sea but it rained! I had a wander around the village or hamlet more like, and pent the rest of the time enjoying being cool, reading and dozing. My mate who has a house in Brittany contacted me and asked if I was popping over. This set me to thinking. I had no plan so rather than wander Europe aimlessly I decided to head up to his place. Stop for setting the Garmin Some photos of the village The bar Must have rained recently Trees breaking up the rocks Someone must have a wood burner There were several of these traditional grain stores about, some in use, and others seemed to be more of an ornamental thing. Horreo Local church and graveyard I've no idea what this is, but it looked interesting. Some sort of dead plant maybe. A modern take on the idea

The Bruce Springsteen room at the Rock Star Hotel. Bed was huge.

Not a fan. Could well be. It was the 221 for a while. All great though!