XTreme

If I got another bike it would be a CRF250L.......different type of bike obviously, and used for a different purpose.

Incredible! Dilemma for me is that I fancy changing the Strom........but I've got this nagging doubt in the back of my mind that I'll be making the same mistake that I did with my two previous Stroms. After both of them went I kept thinking it was a bad decision.

.........so there's hope it may last until Xmas! I just saw this on FB......2004 V-Strom 650. That's in kms so that's about 125K miles. No engine work needed and he has only replaced the clutch fairly recently.......as a precaution. He bought it in 2012 with 30K kms on it......and he's never even checked the valves! In fact, I've seen 650's with even higher miles with no engine work done. As for the 1000's I've seen one over 400K kms......over 250K miles. They're bloated, ugly, budget parts bin specials......but the motors are as tough as it gets!

I came across this on YouTube and it's given me quite a few pointers on how to make my vids more interesting. I don't think any of us have the sort of pro equipment this guy has.......but there's a whole lot more to it than just the video quality. Take a look and see what you think!

Well when @Earache's riding season comes to an end, the rest of you are going to have to step up to the plate with Ride Reports! Or we're going to look like a bunch of fucking Casuals on here!

Just download a video editing program @Tym......I use THIS!

Wife announced she wants to go to the shops tomorrow!

Pics and/or Vid or it never happened Ray!

In principle.......I wouldn't rule out getting another Beemer! But I'm not so sure about the G650GS because of the motors being built in China by Loncin. If it was the original Rotax then I'd be fine with it.....but the Chinese connection worries me a bit. Thinking about it......one of the Twins may be a better option......like the F650/700/750/850GS. They're all lighter than the Strom and with a lower COG. But the main factor for me is that as far as I'm aware there's no Chinese connection with these motors. Unless anybody knows any different?

What about these......the carriages look like something out of an old movie?

Amazing shots Eric......is that some sort of retro or vintage train?

Supposed to rain itself out today, and weekend looks clear with manageable temperatures at last. Not sure if the wife is going to drag me to the shops tomorrow (I'm not mentioning it just in case) but Sunday I'll be out. Hopefully to that remote abandoned village in the Sierra de Segura that's been on hold for the last couple of months due to the heat! What are you guys up to?

Literally anything which can remotely be construed as Adventure or Trail is now stupid money......and yet the overwhelming majority of them never leave the tarmac! Also.....it really is stretching the boundaries when things like a Tracer or NC750X are marketed as adventure bikes when they have 17" front wheels.

If a decent low mileage Tenere turned up then I'd be very interested in one Ray. But you know what it's like here......usually high miles and cheaping out on maintenance.

I'd put my money on fucking lazy Dago myself!

Would you believe that the Dealer is closed on Saturdays?

Well.....it's cat amongst pigeons time. Another dealer came back with a good price for the Strom.......not as good as Rafa's......but not too far off it. And it ain't against a fucking Beemer! I've said that I'll go and see him Saturday morning in Granada.

I know the dealer (Rafa) very well......bought from him before. He's a very proactive workaholic and always wants to do business........that's a fucking rarity here. He should be on display in a museum actually. Anyway......he gave me an incredible price on the Strom (€3.5K which was what I paid for it 15 months ago from another dealer) as he knows the standard of my bikes. And knowing Rafa he's probably got another punter lined up for it so he'll sell it the same day at €4500. It helps that he's a Suzuki main dealer as well. Due to the post-Covid boom there's virtually no trail/adventure bikes available for under €5K now. So I'd only have to pay €1.7K to get the Beeemer......which is pretty tempting. But ultimately I couldn't do it. As ugly and bulky as the Strom is........I can trust it with my life. I couldn't with a Beemer. A quick look at 650GS forums and FB groups confirmed that. I can't go from a bike that'll last a lifetime to a bike that'll last a lunchtime!

No reports within the last week. Last one was March 2017.....I didn't feel it though. https://cadenaser.com/emisora/2017/03/03/radio_baza/1488536042_219200.html

You're gonna be climbing up the walls when your season ends Eric. But I expect you're used to it by now! But at least you'll be able to keep seeing pics of @Pedro's disgusting food!

It's a bad state of affairs Chris! I won't get into the Brexit thing as we have a rule here of no politics.......but I don't think anybody's in any doubt where I stand on it. I'm somewhat shielded from the fallout of everything because I work for myself.......and the internet keeps running regardless of Brexit, Covid etc. In your position, and many other Brits in Europe including my sons in NL and Poland, life has thrown something at us that we could never have foreseen.

Superb Eric.......and there's even some Dark Motorcycling in there too! Those mining ruins look pretty unusual too. What sort of mileage are you going to be doing in total?