Pedro

A good one!

You did the last 20 miles at 40mph didn’t you?

Is this one half way from transforming from a camaro into a giant extra terrestrial robot?

New one looks Chinese! Which is good, they can make things the old planet killing way, quality!

You’re not?

I was tld today that Portuguese BMW dealers are also taking forever to get parts. My guy has a k1600 waiting for a thermostat for 3 weeks, and there’s an almost new R1200 at the main dealer waiting for a seal for two months. Don’t know why they need a seal to help fix the bike but that’s bmw.

A misfire when starting up a couple of times, probably an ignition coil. Had already ordered them to replace both next week if arrive when I go to change the rubber (accordion like thing in the shaft) and a couple of fork bushings. Relax Pete, not buying a Transalp

Stopped by my mechanic for a chat and a diagnosis yesterday, and took a couple of pictures. It’s very BMW oriented but still quite the variety A 69S is a very cool and a bit rare bike.

No, I mean 4c with the sun shining is a lot less grim than 4c with overcast or rain.

I love the TKC70, best road tire I had and properly confidence inspiring for going fast. The only thing that is different with the Rocks version is that there is no continuous strip along the centre of the rear tire, to improve traction a little. It’s quite a lot softer and less rugged for rocks than the Mitas though, and I found them quite less confidence inspiring off tarmac. was wondering if I would fit a set of those today, somehow fitting another set of Mitas to take them out with only a few thousand to then put another set for the trip sounds wrong

Seville is a no go if you don’t like heat, it’s probably the hottest city in Spain, I’ve ridden through there in October well into the night at over 30°C.

Is it at least sunny? Makes all the difference in those temperatures.

Thoughts on those tires so far, Bob?

Ugly Harley

I was quite looking forward to it, the proper English ride report...

Not really my cup of tea, but they sound harsh and mean when I see one on the street. Surely it'll be reliable now, hope you enjoy it. Are you still selling the Harley and keeping this one for all your riding?

At 12000 or 12500km into this tire, I think it's got 1 or maybe 2000km on still on the rear. Grip on the road is still very nice and confidence inspiring, they're a little skittish when riding faster and forgetting you're on mixed tires when breaking harder. I'm very happy with them, it's a top travel tire for a big trail. These tires invite me to have the bike dirty a lot more often than before. I will certainly have another set of these for going to Morocco next time, which might happen this year in late September to November, I'm completely sold on these tires. Don't want to set off to that with half worn tires though, so might have to fit something else in between, maybe try something new in between, I was given a good recommendation on the Pirelli STR but they look a bit gay and maybe not that great for such a heavy bike?

Maybe you can only use chinese oil on it?

I thought the same thing after looking at what I wrote, but decided to not delete all that work

It can't have been that hot!

So @XTreme: Viscosity is how thin or thick an oil is, like honey is thicker than olive oil when pouring out of a bottle. 10 would be olive oil, 60 would be honey. Weight in oils comes from a time when you couldn't engineer oils to be single weight, they would be a 10, a 20, etc, but all thicker cold than hot. Now they can engineer oils to act like a 10 when cold but act like a 30 or 40 or 50 when hot. The first number, 10W, means viscosity of 10 at W which means Winter, cold temperatures. A 10W30 and 10W40 will act the same at start up when the engine is cold at the same cold temperature. Usually, a motorcycle manual will allow for weather and ambient temperatures, meaning the manufacturer might adjust advisement that the same engine will make oil run hotter being raced hard on 40º Spain than going for a bimble on 15º England, hence they sometimes recommend a 10W40 for 5º/20º temperatures but 20W50 for 15º/40º ambient temperatures. If Honda says Loncin makes that engine to be used with 10W30 in all uses in all temperatures, I would respect that. No modern engine benefits from using thicker oils than recomended except in very extreme conditions, however, do check if Honda doesn't recommend 10W40 for warm temperatures. It's a light engine, with tight clearances and meant to run with little internal frictions to aid economy and performance, makes sense that it uses a light oil. Does not make sense that it doesn't want a fully synthetic oil, though.

Those are cork oaks. Their bark is pure cork, like for wine bottles and flooring isolation.

It is really scary, but not when you’re the one falling asleep, if you’re falling asleep it feels nice and cozy … until you wake up. That Tenere looks like it has a tale or two to tell! Looking forward to the rest of it.

I thought there was an ice cube at the top where the liquid surface is clear.

He knows shit! Nothing gets thicker with heat except you and him! will type properly later when not on the phone.