Pedro

With the Ducatis you will not have the option for normal cruise control, which is a little strange since they could probably charge more. This is the kind of technology that improves a lot with each update, though.

A few kms from where my parents live there's this residential area where I suspect someone released a pair of some sort of tropical bird. A cockatoo of sorts or similar, they must have taken to the place and now there are a lot of them around, it's a crappy picture but it's there. Sounds like a rainforest sometimes

There were two or three cars with people having lunch near where I stopped, restaurants being closed people that work on the road stop in places like that, but still picnic areas in the countryside would only be busy in weekends. Traffic is absolutely normal, though, we are unlocking progressively. Will still be restricted on the weekend and easter period, though. Thank you, I did miss it too. What I miss more is more wide open spaces, the summer as well That is very typical of rivers in northern Portugal, on the other side you can have your horizons restricted in places like these, beautiful as they are they are not a match for big views as far as I'm concerned.

The Tamega River flows from it's origin in Galicia through Portugal in Chaves to end up in the Douro River about 40km from Porto. Having made the trip up the Douro a few times, and having had a few coffees in Entre os Rios ("Between the Rivers"), I have never been to the Tamega near where it joins the Douro, so today I did. This ride only covers the last 30 or so km before the Tamega ends. Work was pestering me so left a little later than I wanted, and very annoyed so didn't feel like taking the gopro nor stopping for pictures a lot. Honestly I don't think you missed out on much, it was pretty uninspiring. It was amazing weather to be riding, a few lovely spots to stop, but overall pretty uninspiring roads. First stop, to answer a work call that tried hard to ruin my day. Stopped on a dam access road with a nice view. After a little more I started looking for a place to have my light lunch, and found the perfect location. When I planned on going for a ride today, I wanted to stop someplace with a majestic view and mountains, it wasn't to be but I loved this: Before I ate I had another call, which sort of put me in a better mood and helped my spirits, I enjoyed lunch better that way. Birds singing, great weather to ride, could have been better with a nicer sandwich but you can't have everything. I was really missing having a nice expresso after lunch, but cafes are still closed, and the places serving takeaway I spotted open weren't inviting enough to risk contact with the people outside. So braved on without my expresso. A few kms further on I was riding on a quite bad old cobblestone road and decided it was a nice chance to adjust my suspension a little, so stopped in front of this great old farm house to do it. It reads: They did not pass! To the brave defenders of the old romanic bridge, who under the command of Captain António Serpa Pinto, of Soalhães and Canaveses (a local), managed to heroically hold back the charge of the french invaders on the 31th of March and 01st of April 1809, saving the populace of the Douro from the curses of war. Signed: the peoples of the region A little closer to home stopped by a cafe by the Douro with just one person outside to see if they were serving my expresso, but had no luck. As I was hanging up the phone a duck came to say hello. From there, a quick 15 or 20km on the motorway and I'm home. Funny thing that shows how different fuel mileage on my bike is when riding on small roads and motorways. Last ride was a 300km motorway ride with the sidecases at 130 to 140 average. Fuelled up just a little before arriving home, and today the autonomy indicated 400km as I was leaving home with an almost full to the brim tank. At around 75km into this ride it was showing 525km, and now 150 into the tank it's back at 400km

A little earlier, stopped for a work call.

Don’t go leaving too, @Bruce

It did have garlic, @Catteeclan

You couldn’t get that insurance on your bike here in Portugal unless to act as a financing warranty, regardless of price.

I meant to write hinky

That’s all relative. What does your insurance cover?

I honestly am very sorry to have caused or contributed to all this.

Don't these pictures look kinky? Like they're twisted or pictures of pictures?

We should send an e-mail to Rotax and ask for an explanation I'll be in my mechanic's workshop next year, he's bound to have a couple of these engines apart there, I'll see if there are rice grains inside

I absolutely do not want to be a moderator ever again, last time I deleted someone's account after they logged in for the first time and opened a thread saying hello

I would be interested in seeing a similar test between different chinese manufacturers, I bet we would see an amazing difference between makers. From that sample it looks like China is trying to solve their trash problem by exporting it hidden inside engines

The distance mustn't be easy if what ails Allie is so painful. Hope it goes well.

Omelette made with fresh farm eggs, with onions and mushroom filling, served with raw spinach

Two questions: What are bobble-hats? police? What is fly tipping?

a couple of them still carry on, portuguese car stuff, I simply moved on and lost interest but they did carry on. The others were also Pete's from back when, can't really say why but to me they just (over time) turned into a battleground of repetitive inside jokes

I, for one, think we are headed in the same direction as before in forums from a few years ago. All threads are fusing into the same conversation, with the same jokes and banter regardless of topic. Makes a real mess of it when you show up and see all threads discussing the same things, I've had two people comment this to me, take it as you will. In my small experience of different forums, only 4 or 5, this is the most clicky ever as even welcome threads turn into inside jokes in a few posts. Consider how many members register, and how many post a single "hello" and introduce themselves.

Take 1 or 2 thousand km off your recommended oil change regimen to make you happy, but the engine is fine enough with that. Good quality is good enough, you and me aren't hard on engines.

There might be a troll or two, or three, but there are no keyboard warriors here I think

Ok, there’s no meeting!

The meeting might be over the phone