Pedro

I think it's natural that you try to keep your loved ones out of motorcycles and inside cars with airbags. Do as I say and not as I do?

Reversing a 250kg bike uphill, or 350 is the same, you plan ahead. Obviously a proper big bike likes a reverse gear, but if you ride a heavy bike without you plan ahead. Parking and reversing uphill isn't the point, though, it's the "nobody can handle a heavy bike" thing

Not to be the sensitive kind, but is he the kind of dude that likes being "If I can take him to this level" kind of guy?

Well, they’re not manageable for you then, but they are indeed for plenty of people. I never test rode any of them because I try to not ride bikes I don’t plan on buying but both felt perfectly ok stopped.

They feel perfectly manageable in real life, even when stopped.

Triumphs aren’t shit in Portugal, Triumph as a brand is Two main Triumph dealers in Portugal, both currently useless in everything from buying a bike to servicing it, to buying parts. Nothing against the brand but here they are not well represented. On top of it, they’re more snobbish than anything.

Had the same from a portuguese online shop. Confirmed the order with a 3 day delivery time, then two days later claimed it would take them three days more, then then three days later informed they had no stock delivery date, and tried to give me a refund in form of a credit on a different set, asked for a refund and took them three weeks. I think online tyre shops are a scam, at least here anyway. I’ve been buying tyres for 20 years, cars and bikes, from the same two shops and wouldn’t change unless for a specific unavailable product.

This bike is a guilty pleasure for me, I really like the looks and feel it would be really cool to ride, except for two things which are that exhaust being not nice for warm weather in jeans, and it being a Triumph, Triumph is shit in Portugal and I don't want one.

From the smile and weird beard I want to say Cat Stevens, but I'm terrible with faces and music stuff.

Yes

That's a sweet road!

No, but he's also a brit and a motorsport success

I have, I wasn't prepared for tales of Gwyneth Paltrow's vagina scents OK, @XTreme, here you go, who is this working as a motorcycle messenger?

@XTreme, your dream motorcycle trip would be to East Germany?

Having never ridden an R18 or a big Harley, I would go for the Harley every time, provided it's not one of these modern ones with the "already custom" rear end with the chopped fender and weird side placed rear light and plate. Same as I wouldn't go for Harley if choosing between one and a GS or KTM or Tenere, horses for courses.

I was thinking that you wouldn't like to play football on your leg, @boboneleg, but to each his own

It's George Clooney, I know because I saw a picture of him on a scooter a while ago with his hot wife in the back, and he had a Harley helmet, and there you go, there must not be two guys on scooters with harley helmets

Two that don't really translate into english: "Teso que nem um carapau" Translated "Hard like a mackerel", fish, specially smaller fish get stiff after a few hours from being dead. Somehow being hard or stiff like a dead mackerel is what you are when you're broke and have no money. So you would say something like "I would invite you for a beer but I'm stiff like a mackerel" My favourite: "armado em carapau de corrida" Translated into "acting like (or pretending to be) a racing mackerel", obviously a racing mackerel is not a thing. When you're acting like you're the man, the best there is, playing yourself up, when in fact you are shit, you are acting like a racing mackerel.

George Lazenby One of my least favourite Bonds

I know, I know!

I loved that. Thanks for sharing.

Sadly that is a tendency on even the most moderate of parties in the most moderate of countries. Power corrupts, and giving it back is a bitch regardless of how it is obtained.

I had a kidney stone once, it was hell for a couple of hours until pain killers arrived. Good luck with it, @yen_powell I love seeing that, English villages always look so quaint