Pedro

I care about them, an old BMW is a cozy place to be, specially in the winter. Maria's treasured E30 that I now use to go grocery shopping when it's not raining: And my brother's beasty, only 30% of it is still E30, though ?

Once or twice a year I attend a meeting with sales guys from all over Spain, around 12 guys from different areas. You can imagine the conversations at dinner, and these are educated guys that do like each other, but even then their rivalry shows in the most interesting things, like who makes the best olive oil, the best sardines, the best whatever... One of them told me, a couple years ago, that kids from the same grade from all over Spain learnt history from 31 or 41 different history manuals. Each one deleting Spain's feats as a country and finding a way to make their own area more important.

Seems a problematic place to have a chain and a spinning compressor, right inside your core when you're in full tuck ...

Agreed, but it's your choice to keep a nice moped on the boat, or a moped disguised as Travis Pastrana's super cross bike : Normal guy with a cool moped vs annoying hipster

Scotland fans come to Porto for soccer, huge amounts of beer and singing England fans come to Porto for soccer, huge amounts of been and police escorts back to catch an early flight home

How do you like them, mechanically, Bob? To me, they look great but aren't the kind of thing I'd want to ride except to look cool going for a coffee.

Humanity is doomed, hipsters ran out of Harley 883, BMW K75 and modern Triumph twins?

A nice E30 is a quality thing. Word!

I'm not one for bike meetings or social stuff, but given our different backgrounds it would be cool to meet for a proper meal and a drink or two. Obviously we are not in the ideal climate for planning get togethers but still, I'd be up for a meet in Pete's area. Ideally something like meeting in the morning, a snack, a short ride around, clean up and dinner. I suggest Pete's area because if this is game Pete's wife's presence is mandatory in my book, she's a great lady although not present on the internets. So, have at it.

Nice think with carburated thumpers or twins is that when they are set up and valves put to spec and carbs synchronized you can really tell the difference and it seems everything in the world is right! That's how it felt in my Hondas and BMWs, don't know about KLRs ?

I expect Spain to be similar, in Portugal there are 4 or 5 bikes that hold value well: XT600E or XT660R, DTR125, any version of CBR600, any version BMW GS, Suzuki GSX750R, Hornet 600, any Africa Twin . These, except the Suzuki, were the top sellers of their generation, in a country where minimum wage would be (and is) less than half of the UK, buying a CRB600 was seen as buying a quality item that would last, like buying an oldschool Mercedes of sorts*. *Except the DTR125, all those guys wanted was to put a motocross exhaust and wheelie to high heaven in front of high schools ?

All you need is to get someone to put a euro spec head on that engine to liven it up, or enjoy it as it is forever!

What problems did the 690 have, Bob?

See, everyone thinks you're just a sad twat but sometimes you just surprise people with little gems of coolness. I hope it's not an auto ?

My daily diesel VW Golf, that time. I think I was 21 and my brother 16. We did in again, to Norway but not the Nordkap, in an Astra. Then turned to more track dedicated cars and stuck just to the Nurburgring

You bet! My and little brother drove to the Nordkap, and then on the way south stayed at the Nurburgring for almost a week. Poor car!

I've never bothered with filming on the bike but you do get some nice moments like you have done here. I'm not one for hairpin roads but the Trolls road is something, spectacular views from the bottom and from the top. I was there in a car in nice weather ?, driving from Portugal. Do you not bother with a tent and just count on finding huts? I ask because I'm not one for camping a lot but the cost of Scandinavia is such that hotels are mostly out of the picture, but I like traveling light on luggage.

That is not an ok thing to do, @Specs

the 501 is a proper race bike engine, though, I wouldn't want that. The 701 is a posh 690 with nicer rear suspension, which is fine by me.

That 701 looks like a proper quality bike in person.

If buying new, I would agree, but there's something to be said for saving 6 or 7k on a second bike dedicated for once or twice a year offroad touring and buying a big tank TTR or XTE, or even KTM 690R

This is just the internet and we're friends so don't share my opinion, but design doesn't matter for shit if quality control and metal quality doesn't back it up.

Well, the swingarms look great ... really!

I’m half drunk and about to call my brother, who went to school with AJP’s owner’s son if there are deals to be made. are you sure?

I would want none of that except in a warm Range Rover