Pedro

Come on Pete, it’s only spinach

Bloody hell, it's not worth going through that unless you're escaping war in search of a better life.

Thought of this report after Bob's weekend camping in a muddy field one. December 2019, although the weather is shit, I've just spent a week jonesing for riding my bike, so although the weather promises to be shity, I go out maintaining my ritual of going out for lunch on the bike on saturdays when I'm home. I usually ride in jeans, but needed to test the suit pants to see how they still fit so the bad weather gave me the perfect reason to. No pictures on the road, cause it was wet and I didn't feel like taking gloves off in the rain. I know it doesn't compare to Bob's weekend camping in a muddy field, but I have standards to have a good time. Above is my usual sport for going for coffee on the bike, I'm all alone today, below is how it usually looks: After that, went to lunch on my favorite hilltop restaurant, had some nice typical scrambled eggs (too difficult to explain what's special about them) while the weather turned to shit outside. Made my way back closer to home, and stopped by my other favorite place: Stopped by the supermarket for some dinner supplies, as I had friends for dinner that evening, but when I got home I came across this filthy bike from wet country roads, this is farm country so there's lots of muck on the road: Pants straight to the washer! Time to get a fire on, and cook a nice simple dinner, a puttanesca with added spinach for health Bike was washed the week after, as it pestered my thoughts daily

I have a nice comfy dry car for going places under those conditions. Comfort isn't a bad thing, otherwise we'd all be riding in shitty suspensionless chinese bikes. I do enjoy a passing rain storm while on a trip, but I wouldn't go on a trip in mid december when I would find is nasty weather.

That's some serious Blair Witch stuff going outside that tent, congrats for you guys enjoying camping in a muddy field in the middle of a storm!

@XTreme, I'm amazed you're taking your bike off tarmac

I'm curious about the T7, Bob, as a touring bike with knobbies on. I think it would complement the GS perfectly as a touring bike that you can take proper liberties with when using it off-road, post your opinions on it later on.

My lovely 2003 XR400, out enjoying Ribatejo's summer, And the GS: Ericeira: Algarve, near Santa Clara Dam: near Faro: Mertola:

@Tym, don't try one, don't give it a chance to prove you wrong. Prejudices are only good if they're solid, once you open an exception for a Himalayan, who know what might come next.

Welcome, that's a cool bike. There are a couple of places that fly gliders in Portugal, but as far as I know only a couple. In the south, the small airfield with light aircrafts thing is quite popular, although I suppose you burn money on them.

Proper fright I caught, I wasn't used to dogs and was left to fend off two huge Rottweilers while holding a mug of tea! Bless her, 14 is quite a nice age. Mine probably won't live as long.

I don't suppose you remember, but on July 2012 I posted a report in which, riding the XR in the woods, I found an abandoned puppy and took him home. He was barely one month old, very sick and had a serious case of scabies, left to die in a heatwave. This is him after a couple of weeks at home: And this is him now, spoiled and 8 years old, having survived serious liver surgery last year: He's the man! ?

so, you're just a tease!

Don't mind Tym, he's just being himself

Suspension looking nice and fresh, congrats. I bet you get a lot more trouble from those bearing in the UK than we do here in drier countries.

I think it was hurricane Leslie, but might be mistaken

No idea what you mean. I don't know what you lot are on about chicken and onions not mixing, almost caramelized onions mix with every kind of meat or vegetable. Anyway, I had no complaints, so there!

I have seen a few near Lisbon where I go on my short weekend coffee rides, there's a dealer somewhere there and in Porto as well. However, I can't imagine that it's a bike very suited to the fast traffic of a big city like Lisbon during the week.

Kidney stones are a bitch. Once, after a night of regional white wine I woke up thinking I was going for a quiet early morning piss and then back to bed, and half an hour later I was at the hospital's door on my knees, puking and crying like a little girl. Drugs felt great 20 minutes later, though. Can't imagine how it must hurt if the stones are too big.

I don't know why, Tim, but KLRs never really had a following in Europe, Yamaha's XT quite the opposite. I do like the idea of the Himalayan, and it is an Indian bike, I bet it makes a whole lot more sense there than in the states.

I do love the concept and idea of a chopper, but isn't a 400 kind of small for one?

I have been on the bike often, can't seem to spend a day in Azambuja without getting on the bike to go to the hills for a coffee. It's not a long ride but settles my head and calms me. Pictures of these roads to come, soon enough as I'm bored out of mind.

Offroad reports from the UK always seem so cold and wet and unpleasant. Good on you for not letting it get to you, I'm more of a warm weather offroader, people here don't like it because of the dust but since I ride alone it doesn't really bother me.

Well, @XTreme, it´s not going to ride itself

So, July last year and it's hot in Ribatejo, I didn't feel like going for a long ride so decided to test the R1200 off-road properly. Took the windshield off, and went for a bimble around some of the local sandy dirt roads and farm tracks I had gotten to explore already on the XR. With the Heidenaus on it's quite a capable bike, although it doesn't like sand nor mud. Between the two I prefer sand, and there is really not much chance of mud in July here. Passing through a local farm with horses, they got scared so I didn't stop next to them. Using my old phone for pictures here, it struggled with light, dark, dust, basically everything Us Late lunch snack by the Tejo river The beast, back home, I love it Now for something different, I had company over for dinner, and started to cook early. Hope this isn't too Martha Stewart for you, but a man should cook something. Had some chicken bit marinating on olive oil and spices, and proceeded to put some heat into them. A couple of onions, thickly cut As soon as the onions soften a bit, throw some white wine and water on it, Let it boil for a bit, then close and put heat on minimum After a while, stir it a little, and let it on low heat till it reduces more. About 45 minutes later, job jobbed, enjoy. Boom: