Motobiker

Top of the morning to ye!! 7am and blue skies, no dew - everything is bone dry. Coffee made and waiting for 8 and the local Lidl to open to go buy breakfast. Croissants and so on. I think we will head for the Dingle peninsula today, zumo tells me it’s a 38 mile ride, so nothing too intense - a very easy and relaxing day in store (famous last words) and see where we end up. view from the tent of the mountains peeping through the trees.

We had a day out, (escaping the rain in the Eifel) and went to the ossuary, I was trying to explain to the lads what (from memory) happened at the battle of Verdun) it wasn’t a battle in any kind of a traditional sense. It was about killing as many french soldiers as possible - there was no other aim. There are areas that are so polluted with ordnance they can never in our lifetime be farmed. And everywhere there are bodies or parts of bodies… the graveyard and ossuary are one thing, but the entire area of the battle is and will remain one huge mass grave.

Now at Killarney and we’re going to stay here until Thursday morning, came over Mills gap and it’s pass, that’s the road from kenmare north into the national park, which was really nice. But obviously a Sunday so a lot of trippers. Normal workday tomorrow onwards so should be much better. Probably Dingle peninsula tomorrow, Ring of Kerry on Tuesday and Ring of Beara on Wednesday. Back of an envelope plan. More photos from tomorrow as today was mostly about getting here. One of the lads got to stand in the Atlantic!! Exciting. Anyway 18:45. Tents are up and shortly a walk to the pub/carvery along the road. We’re a little way out of Killarney. Quiet campsite, set back from the “ring of Kerry road” - I’m tired. 551 road miles from my front door, a lot of the roads today have been quite nadgery, narrow lanes with grass up the middle. It’s been fun. Despite the damp start.

We’re here having a break and taking in the view. Bantry then onto Killarney where we will be staying a few days.

Yes, county cork. No internet till today. Current heading west in the wild Atlantic way. Sun is shining and it’s lovely. Some rather nadgery roads, my abs engaged, which was quite exciting.

I found one with great reviews at the old railway station, which is very close by the docks. It’s very still tonight so the crossing should be smooth, hopefully. Then a mad dash to Kinsale.

The ride down was alright, a little bit of rain to start with but once into mid Wales the sun came out and it became rather warm. Now at our overnight stop at Spittal. Huge place all to ourselves relaxed start in the morning load up and ride into Fishguard for a big breakfast before getting ready to board at midday. Looks to be dry tomorrow and a 30% chance of light rain on Sunday.

I think there is a confusion between bikes designed and built in china using all Chinese materials. And bikes assembled in china on behalf of larger manufacturers using materials supplied or specified by them. The two are worlds apart.

I guess he means it’s Chinese shite because the G series bikes are assembled in China, assembled to BMWS specifications. Obviously.

Odd review this as they seem to be implying this is a whole new bike, but it isn't. it has some very slight updates on the 2020 version, not an evolution, more of the same bike as the 2020/21 version with a few tweaks here and there that nobody would really notice. Theres not even a stand-out new colour version.

There are a lot of complaints about the rear shock on the Africa Twin, including my variant. But, it seems fine to me. On road. Certainly not a pressing issue to replace it. Ask me again in a couple of years. I’ll probably go for something familiar like a Wilbers, made to measure and like everyone else rave about how the bike is transformed. Because of course it will be, swapping from a tired budget OEM to one made by specialists. but right now it’s nowhere on my priority list. In fact nothing is, aside from paying off the loan early.

Just a few days to go and we're about set. just 3 of us this year. The "Birthday Boys" as we all share the same birthday. (funnily enough) So, Ireland.. Easy enough to get to and without any of the complications involved in crossing to Mainland Europe. Only two bits of documentation required. A passenger Locator form to be filled in 72 hours (or less) before arrival in Ireland. And proof of full vaccination. And that's it. No passport, just proof of ID - a UK driving license. very civilised. No Covid tests needed either before departure or after arrival in either direction. Which, not only removes a major hassle - it also removes any risk of being denied re-entry to the UK if bad luck strikes and we pick up the virus while away. Weather forecast looks positive for the start, at least. This weekend. My dog is being collected at (or before) 10am on Friday and I will be setting off shortly after that, Meeting one of the guys at Burton on Trent and then another (who isn't crossing with us) near Cannock. Number 3 is still unsure about arrival times, so will turn up when he's good and ready. Then a bit of Motorway to near Telford after which, onto normal roads south and west into mid and south west Wales (via Elan) to our overnight digs at a place called Spittal, midway between Haverfordwest and Fishguard. An old police house that is a roofless ruin on streetview. But has since been restored and looks really quite nice. Relaxed start on Saturday morning, into Fishguard for a big breakfast and then over to the Docks for check-in and boarding at midday. Once across we will be having a 130 mile dash to Cork, via Waterford and then stopping overnight just outside the little town of Kinsale, which marks the southern start of the Wild Atlantic way coastal route. Our back of an envelope plan is to spend a few days in Kerry, based just outside Killarney and explore as well as following the route, Then head north, again following the route as far as Connemara, before wending our way east to Dublin and the return ferry to Holyhead. If we have rain, and that's practically certain and it looks like a day will be a washout, then we'll have a day off from riding and head into town. find a nice pub at some point and get pissed. (has to be done) And that's about it with the pre-plan, I'll post further on here as the days pass and internet connections allow.

How appropriate is that!!

heading into Italy.

The Wrekin, River Severn and my old GS.

A road.

There be dragons in Switzerland, they forgot their teeth.

Its the same engine as is in the NC750. But retuned to be rather more 'exuberant' - the standard engine is very good, but a little dull. it is after all a commuter/easy going tourer or a step-up from a learner for the easily intimidated. They changed it quite a bit for this bike and have further enhanced it for this year. chain drive, standard gear box. huge cavern under the seat. Its totally unique, no other maker produces anything like it aside from Chinese small capacity copies. The dealer has a tester but I thought it safer not to ask for a go. Im rather afraid I might like it, but its far too soon to be changing bikes.

Excellent. I have to admit, when I was at the dealership last week having my bike serviced ready for Ireland, I was quite taken by this 750cc scooter.. well, I say scooter. It's actually a standard motorcycle wearing different clothes. DCT obviously. It won the 2019 Gibralter rally!! Beating KTM, BMW, Huskie and the rest... https://tinyurl.com/ty6d9djp

Scooters are where it’s at. The in thing, made to be ridden not transported by van to some picturesque location within a mile of your front door so you can pretend to be something worth paying even the slightest amount of attention to. And that. given the title of this thread I’m surprised it’s not overpopulated with wishful thinking posts about that very brief moment in time he actually encountered a real live vagina. In the delivery room. you have to wonder though… did the midwife turn round and slap his mother? something to ponder.

4.. or were you flattering me?

when I was a teenager, 13/14 I was given a radio with a short wave band and used to really enjoy listening to these stations from (to me) exotic locations. Radio Moscow, Voice of America. Radio China. My favourite was definitely Radio Tirana. As their rhetoric was anti EVERYONE. I loved it when they described the hell of living in the UK. But, the most interesting stations were the 'Number Stations; and the most recognisable of all of them. The Lincolnshire Poacher. Apparently it was supposed to be broadcast from Cyprus and was sending coded messages to spies on the other side of the wall/curtain. so weird though.

Gogs, Gwyddels and Saes. I shall feel right at home. I work with adult men with profound learning difficulties, mental health disabilities and associated violent challenging behaviours. who are deemed to be safe enough to live in the community. But need 24hr care and support. I do nights. Put like that they do sound bad, but the behaviours only happen in the home environment, they are extremely well behaved when outside. They have spent most of their lives in mental institutions, this is supposed to be a step towards full independence, but the reality is they will need this level of support for life.

The excitement is getting to me, we had a fun night where one of the guys, unknown to us, seemed to think it would be a really spiffing idea to throw his bedding out of his bedroom window and then was complaining that he couldn't sleep without his quilt, which at the time was draped over the recycling bin and being enjoyed by a cat!! Sorted him out and then calm was restored until 3am when one of the others woke up and decided he really wanted to go to the Co-op and buy chocolate and despite owning 17 watches didn't know the time, He can't actually read a watch. He was getting quite agitated so, I made him some hot chocolate - laced with valium. (not really - but oh lord, I was tempted) Being threatened with the now familiar line: "I'll put you in hospital" over the inability to buy a milky way at 3 o'clock in the morning. (sigh) And then was banging on about going to Amsterdam to look at the ladies in the red windows for the millionth time, and me, for the millionth time telling him that we're not allowed into Amsterdam because of the virus. no planes. which makes me a liar. (obviously) so fists were raised, again. And so it goes on. I love my job, really I do. I've never been to Pembrokeshire, so its playing on my mind a bit, there is a ferry from Pembroke but the sailing times weren't much use to us, lunchtime is far more civilised!!

Difficult night, God knows why I put Pembroke Dock!! We’re sailing from Fishguard!!! Saturday lunchtime.