Pedro

Do you think it’s too long to maintain interest?

Since then, Craig tells the story oh how he went to school with Sirfallsalot and how one time “Fred” attended one of his talks

Thinking about it, might just go for a little ride around town if the weather is good in the weekend, while the circulation is open in the mornings. Make an "urban" video, lol

I have never ridden a Vespa, but I have ridden a couple of Gileras, less premium and more plasticky but with little wheels as well, and you do feel vulnerable on top of it.

I bet he'll make you wait a little just to sweat you out and think about life, but you won't be really abandoned

I debated internally if I should, still wet streets before making it to Sofia's garage, and the bike was hardly properly clean. Still more presentable than the muddy mess it was before washing, though. Went on a tour of Ericeira's cobbled streets and blue and white houses just for you but ran out of battery on the camera just exiting the washing station. I might invest in a more modern GoPro with stabilization and better batteries if I get into this.

I got half drooled on, half bullied, still terrifying at the time If the borders are open and it's all good, we'll make a weekend of it in 2021.

Finally posted the video:

and made a video: At the end, while there is a bit of an @XTreme moment happening, Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" was actually playing in my Spotify in my helmet I visited that convent twice in two weeks, once with great weather and no camera battery, and this time with camera filming but the weather like you see here.

Next year it´ll all be better and we'll meet for a ride, Pete. Maybe not, but it doesn't help the mood at all if we're pessimistic.

I actually met Maria when she was living with a previous boyfriend in Germany, and he was a chief mechanic for X-Raid, who belong to the BMW family, and build (at the time) the X5 that raced the Dakar. I love race cars and proper rally cars aren't an exception.

Don't mind these old farts, Michelle

If you still want to race in Africa, there are now a couple of rallies that do just so. Still the Dakar is an event I used to really look forward to it after Christmas and watch it on TV every day after dinner, and properly cried when Fabrizio died the day after his interview. It's not the same now, the bikes aren't the same, it seems like an endless baja race instead of the desert race it once was. I'm sure this modern pace isn't easy on the riders and they're still heroes but it just doesn't "smell" the same on tv, used to smell like Africa. Still, my favourite Dakar clip, not motorcycles though:

Hello and welcome!

The Dominator for me as well, couldn’t get a more wintery picture if you tried.

Now starting to enjoy my new pass time of editing my riding videos, with some portuguese sparkly wine

Forgot to say, this will end at around the same time on Sunday

You do cheer me up. Hitchcocks's Motorcycles? You already knew they would keep you in suspense. I ended the ride feeling a lot better than before, forgot to mention.

Guys, Although some members are either snow locked in, or covid locked in, we still have a few submissions for Bike Of The Month December edition. Please look below and cast your vote accordingly, this is the bike that will be in the banner as we start 2021, for the better or for the worse. @boboneleg's Yamaha Tenere 700 visiting grounded jets on a moody UK @Grasshopper's Ride's black Royal Enfiel Himalayan, "Bagheera", out enjoying winter in Canada @MooN's Triumph Tiger 800, out on a motorcycling fix in France @Pedro's BMW R1200GSA out wine shopping in Portugal @Sir Fallsalot's Honda NX650 Dominator, indeed dominating winter in the UK @Skippy's white Royal Enfield Himalayan on an offroad ride in Spain @Tym's Kawasaki KLR, taking team green to a new level in the US @XTreme's BMW G650GS out spreading rugged individualism in Spain

Shall we submit this one, @MooN?

Feeling quite depressed in the morning, even with Sofia's and the puppies' best efforts to cheer me up. After lunch went for a end of year ride... Might look like an adventure, but this is right at the end of a short dirt road that led to a fort, turns out it was closed so I took this picture as I was changing the gopro's position. Also, this is just before it started to rain, and then later on really rain, all on video so I'll see how it turns out.

Anyone riding out today that might take a good picture, or are we all set on the submission front?

I can't say I didn't have a good 2020. In the first half of the year, external markets closing or stopping meant my suppliers only had Portugal as a sales resource, so that made it easy for me to sell a lot easier than normal, and a lot more too. By July it all changed though, and it's been shit ever since, with a promise of carrying on like that at least until summertime. I have lightened some expenses and hope to carry on, I can adjust my personal earnings to the flow of things now, so just rolling with the punches. I also rode the bike a lot more than normal, did two big trips, top to bottom of Portugal on small roads, stopping for swimming pools and nice dinners (opinions vary). I got to know my bike better, and got to know my own small country a lot better than before, and appreciate it more than before. I am ending the year in a deep low, though, I'm feeling quite depressed. I'm quite sad and lacking energy to do anything. I could have taken the bike through southern Portugal as the weather hasn't been too bad, but quite simply didn't. Next 4 days will be of full lockdown so definitely no riding. Will stay in Sofia's until monday and take it from there. For next year, though, I see some motorcycle touring in Portugal at least. I see work being frustrating, and I see me and Sofia trying to start a guided tour company, very slowly at first. If that sells a couple of tours in 2021 it'll be a success as it's all so uncertain. I would also like to think that if the pandemic is half dealt with, and the situation in Spain and Morocco improves, I would like to go on a bigger trip. Painful as it will surely be going back to Tangier, I miss the place and the riding.

Have a great day @Tym!

Thank you. They’re Dainese riding jeans, aramid reinforced in places with soft plastic knee insert pads. I’m aware they’re not the best protection you can have.