Pedro

And the quad lock also has a vibration dampener now, to help with the possible camera damage. It's expensive but I think it's worth it.

I am very happy with the quad lock I have on my bike. Attaching the phone on and off is very quick, super secure, and to top it it is really tiny and doesn't become a nuisance when the phone isn't there. I would have no other system.

I have taken off tires to fit more 50/50 ones for going to Morocco, but eventually I never bring myself to fit back a tire with 2 or 3 thousand kms left in it.

As old as you I think He's ok now, looks younger than he did 10 years ago while getting more annoying with each passing year! The thing with epilepsy appearing as an adult is that it is a lot more difficult to diagnose, and the only real way to confirm a diagnosis is to have the medication work, which in itself is a trial and error method since the smallest of dosage change or even the drug's lab affects how it works, for about a year or so he went through a tough time, and then while the dosage was being adjusted to the current level he went through a very intense side effect in mood, with fits of rage and depression in a very short period, I mean minutes or hours not days. But now it's like nothing is wrong as long as the pills are taken. In the words of his doctor: "deal with it, whatever is wrong with him now is not treatable " Thing is, the heart attack made him stop smoking, and the epilepsy drugs mean he is ok but can't drink because alcohol affects the treatment, so his health problems have forced him to be healthier.

I didn’t buy them to skimp, was excited to try some more sporty tires but turns out they don’t fit me.

Looking good!

There are plenty of things more soul destroying than lack of trust in tires. Wasting tires, I hate wasting tires!

Being the odd one here is no bad thing. I meant it with sarcasm, though, because of the "he's the most normal and he's portuguese"

That sounds like quite an introduction into touring. Way to go! I do hope Portugal doesn't go the same way as you are saying is happening to the UK. I am tired of humanity and just want everything to myself, is it too much to ask? Oh @XTreme, this reminded me of that Australian couple from an old forum, maybe DSUK who left the UK after living there for a few years, to travel around Europe on a pair of Honda Transalps before flying back home to Australia. What where their names? They came to visit and me on their trip, and me my brother had dinner with them, and then took them to Porto at night by car, to show them how the town they spent most of that same day trying to navigate their way out off on the bikes looked like if you knew your way around

The UK has been an example so far, indeed.

We've been having the same "English keeping the vaccines to themselves" story over the last couple of days, but then again if we decide to not administer their vaccine how is it their fault? I do have to ask, does an "official invitation from the government" come signed by Mr. Macron or Mr. Castex?

So July last year I put these on: I have gotten a weird feeling from the first time I put them on, a lack of feeling on the front end while transitioning into corners sometimes. Also, a couple of slides when I don't think the same would have happened with the previous tires. Now, with more or less 10.000km I am half sorry to say they are still looking pretty good for wear: Half sorry, because even though it is the first tire I trust more after 10000km than I've trusted in the first half of it's life it still feels pretty shit to me. No trust most times. It is stable at proper higher speeds but terrible in "iffy" tarmac, nice at proper lean (to me) but horrible transitioning into the lean itself. Can't wait to put the TKC70 again and hope this was just a shitty tire that I can't gel with and not my suspension giving me grief Next month I'll be riding from the north to the south on country twisty roads with Sofia, am fighting the urge to change them before that just to avoid putting up with them. It's a 1200km to 1500km trip and they would "probably" be shot by the end of it anyway...

Portugal is such a Paris whore that they almost interrupted a Champions League match to announce that Almost!

I pay 120 or 130€ for third part insurance. Would be paying around 900 to 1100€ for self party insurance if I could still get it, which I can´t. But I deem it not worth it. My insurance record is not the best as of late, though. I've almost totaled my car two times over the last second and third year on february, both times my fault. Covid did that for me, prevented me from driving on 2021's February while sleep impaired. Regardless of myself, motorcycle insurance in Portugal is a joke. You buy any bike and unless it's a new bike on finance you will not get a quote for fully comprehensive insurance.

I think I'll have my shot next year. My dad has had a heart attack and recently diagnosed with old man's epilepsy, so he should be well in front of his age group, which is the same as most of you, yet he hasn't been contacted yet I'll be happy if I'm allowed to Morocco this year still, though. I'm worryingly looking forward to it.

Thank you?

That does look very similar, but I think the ones here are a lot bigger. Hence me thinking it was a cockatoo and not a parakeet. I don't know. They are cool, though.

When I started with this post I thought LeJog would be some kind of french bicycle race Why don't you just get on your bikes with a destination 100 or 200km away, and then figure out where to go next? You'd be to your own (non) schedule and no goals except finding your own pace. If you end up at your destination at 1PM and wish to carry on you just do it, that's the way to travel. I mention this because I've never had such a good time on a bike as following this model. You get on with a goal that is easy to reach and once there you either find a place to sleep and enjoy the rest of the day, or find another goal and another place to sleep. With today's smartphones and easy browsing and bookings it is so easy to do. Plus, you'll enjoy each other a whole lot more. Just a suggestion! How long have you been on motorcycles? I hope it doesn't come across as sexist but it's not everyday you hear about a man starting on motorcycles because of a woman, I love that!

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