MooN

I just got back from having my first ever motorcycle MOT in 30 years. talk about fucking money for nothing. 50€ ( that's two full tanks of fuel) for 15 minutes, during which tme, apart from the pollution control, the bloke chaecked exactly what I check every time before I ride, tyre pressures, lights, indicators, brake function, chain lube and tension, + visul check of genreal state. he could obviously fine nothing wrong with any of it, but couldn't resist the comment, tyre pressures were down by 100g (that' about 0.001bar) and that he found the chain a bit tight. I managed to refrain from punching him in the face and telling him to fuck off, and suggested that as i had last checked the tyre pressures yesterday afternoon when the ambient temp was 38° and that it was curently only 14° that that was perfectly normal, not to mention any discrepency between manometers... The chain tension IS a little over tight because the machine runs better that way when not loaded and that I prefer it like that and have always done so. I have never yet found an mot controller who did not find it neccessary to try and justify their fee by making spurious comments on details that have no bearing on the result of the test. Still, next one in 3 years, by which time I expect they will have changed the rules to include a rolling road test for horse power, a sonometer test, and probably reflectivity of number plate or some other crackpot scheme that will have absolutely no impact other than financial ( cos they'l be able to justify the price increase by the cost of the equippement) on any law abiding rider and even less on the criminal element who didn't obey the previous rules and wil simply ignore any new one s and not pay for an mot. Wankers.

Today i will mostly be hiding from the heat, the past week has been stupid hot and yesterday was 38°c by 10:30 and didn't drop below 25 overnight. I cant even ride to work cos just the thought of having to put a helmet, jacket and gloves on is enough to bring on a sweat. Storms forcast tonight and tomorrow so at least it might get cool enough to sleep…

I didn't know you could vaccinate against pneumonia!

Today i am mostly hiding in the shade. its currently 34°c outside and we’re on an orange weather alert for storms ( which is a shame cos there’s a concert in the park in Chablis tonight but i expect it will get rained off.

brings a whole new meaning to the phrase to "come in a jiffy..."

lesser bikes clearly don't weigh that much...

well thats why I don't leave mine in gear, cos I just know I'll ride the bloody thing straing into the wall if I do . This bike won't start if it's in gear so I guess that particular stupidity is less likely than with previous bikes.

one of my fvorite loops south, truncated becuase I didn't leave home till gone 3 for verious reasons and wanted to be back in taime to accompany Mrs and the girls to the village 14th July party. 260 ish km took the back roads to Planchez, then did the sempiternel "planchez - Chateau Chinon" which I prefer in the other direction but still a cracking road. Fuelled at Chateau Chinon and had to spend 5 minutes cleaning spilt deisel of my boots, the forcourt of the filling station was fucking swimming in it! shan't be going there again. My original plan had been to cut across country from there to Glux en Glenne before turning north to Moulins Engilbert but given the time and the fact that i fancied some faster curves rather than the tight twisties I'd had up to then, I elected to take the more majour road westwards to Chatillon en Bazois and turn north from there back via corbigny, Bazoches, Vezelay and chatel Censoir. took a couple of pics on the way somewhere between Auxerre and planchez in the Morvan, a rare straight line through the woods Chastellux sur Cure middle of nowhere on an unamed road in the morvan forest , a memorial to 15 allied airmen who died in a mid air colision whilst parachuting arms to the local resistance cell (camille) the 18th july '44. aparrently they managed to parachute in numerous arms between July and september 44 including a jeep and two British 57mm field guns! Chauteau d'Aunay, nothe the two artillery pieces... I wonder if they're the same two 52mm field guns? got home in time to shower before trotting down to the square and pretend to be an actual human being for a couple of hours...

14th July National holiday and party day here today. village BBQ and music in the square last night followed by HUGE firework display in Auxerre at 23h00. I was out on me bike all afternoon yesterday and another couple of hours today. first time in what seems like ages that we've had decent weather for riding.

I never leave my bike in gear ( & only have a side stand) I wonder if I should be learning from other people mistakes...?

I have decided to identify as transparent… with the pronouns “who” and “where” …

Jumpnstar it and go for a ride, happened to me from time to time in the tralp but it nearly alwys came good for another season or so…

“ I was brought here by my friend Sir Cumstance” and we met with Sir Tiff Hyde… and his daughter… Miss Tiff-Hyde… i could play this all day…

I messaged Tango this afternnoon and got a message back, he's fine, just busy with life n stuff, no worries, ( other than that the frogs are busy voting the national front into power and that we're laying money on which one of us will be escorted off the premesis first... )

We need before and after pics Yam, just so’s we can criticise you work

Too bleedin hot for cycling to wrok today, itd be ok this morning but forcast is 30 ish this evening with theeat of storms… so that’s a no!

I rode to work and back on a bicycle today!

I've got his phone number somewhere. try a PM first Bob, if that doesn' solicite a response I'll try by phone if you like. He might just be "doing other stuff"

it is the "fete de la Musique" this weekend in France, it happens every year on 21st June so loads of free concerts and bands all over the shop. a mate of mine was playing in a pub in auxerre with his group "The Biten Boys" ( which, when pronounced in French is "Les Bites en bois" which I will leave you to translate for yourselves... so Mrs Moon and N°1 daughter went there for the evening while I drove to Paris, wandered around the 12th arrondissement for a couple of hours and then slept for 2more ours in the car in an underground car park before driving home. I should maybe mention that, during this time, the twins were at a Doja Cat concert at the Accor Arena Bercy... I have gained do many hero points by driving them there and back and waiting around that it was worth it Also, everybody should drive to and from Paris for an evening from time to time, simply to remind them how lucky they are to NOT live there and have to deal with the fucking parisians on a regular basis. Yesterday I hid inside from the apalling weather, but today I will be out on the bike I reckon.

well I enjoy the competition...

I am obviously very out of touch with all this, but dabbled on the peripheries in my misspent youth. I was a member of an MCC in the east of England, ( still in touch and still an honorary member) not a back patch cub, not an MC. I would concur with all that Buck says here, but would maybe water down a little the MCC warnings, BUT my experience is 30yrs old so things may have changed.

s'funny, The best man out our wedding had been "master at arms" for the Satans Slaves back in the day. I knew him and still do) in a later reincarnation...

you lost me...

Well Pete was always after ride reports, so I will post this one despite his loss. I am also half convinced that he was somehow responsable for the deluge of biblical proportions that hitus in the last couple of hours of the ride home A pentecost weekend ride with the usual suspects, not many ^pics as the group is not easy to persuade to actually stop. Lunch stop on saturday, at St Amour, about half way between here and there and in my old stamping ground between on the eastern edge of the Saone plain North of Bourg en Bresse. We were staying two nights in a hotel (read "dive") in a place called Vezeronce, south of Amberieu en Bugey and the Rhone. BY the time we'd done with ethe aperitifs the sun was well and truly set Up and out early on sunday morning and the first stop had us already at about 1300metres altitude oelooking the lake towards aix en provence what seemed like almost endless haipins, made more exciting by the presence of cyslists, joggers (Mad I tell you!) and the odd kamikaze camping car who seem simply incapable of logical thought., took us all the way back down and around the lake for coffee where we were able to watch ( and generally criticise) people trying to back their boats trailers down the ramp into the water. we ended up for lunch at a wee restaurant in the mountain village of Corbel, outside seating only and by God what a view from the table! special foodie interlude for Pedro: Pasta stuffed with fish, and lightly breaded... That evening we had a posh restaurant planned cos the hotel restaurant was closed ( I mean lets face it why be open on a bank holiday weekend when the town is heaving with tourists all dying for a feed...?) so I got to eat Caillete de canard with peas and fresh Origan Dos de cabillaud (Cod) roasted, white asparagus and broccoli purée with candied lemon: followed by Baba au Rhum but with Chartreuse liqeur in place of the rum. All so very civilised and not a burger or a basket of chips in sight! I fucking sulked at the prices though, 44€ for a bottle of Mercurey, 8€ for a glass of chartreuse to chase the coffee and the totalwas about the double of what we habitually pay for a meal out, around 50€ a head! I'd rather have a steak- frites and a beer for 20€ thanks! monday AM we were away at 9 and it was my turn to lead, I'd planned a route taking us across the Dombes wetlands to the saone, a coffee stop in Chatillon sur Chalaronne allowed me to pick up Bucks message about Pete) Unable to react fully as my head was in navigation mode and keeping the nutters in check and to a timetable takes all my powers of concentration. We crossed the Saone and A quick blat up the RCEA for 25km (Route Centre Europe Atlantique) which is always risky with a group as this is considered the most dangerous road in France, if not in europe) but the portionfrom the Saone westwards is dual carriageway limited to 110km/h so it does allow you to cover some ground and is the only main road runing east/west ( which is why it carries ALL east / west HGV traffic) . Stopped in Cluny for Lunch which was burger and chips ( YAY!) and as we were waiting for coffee, it hit me, like a slap in the face with a wet fish, I struggled to get my head back in the right place to carry on leading the group. As we left Cluny, heading forAutun, the weather began to suit my mood and we were clearly riding into the heart of a dark place. The storm chased us all the way to Autun where I had to stop toallow my knees to stretch for a minute or two because I knew I couldn't make it all the way to avallon ( over 2hours) in one hit from Cluny and between the two Autun is the only place where there's a café still open. This allowed storm Pete to catch us ( I am more than half convinced that Pete, who would of course "have been there, weather permitting..." , Haddecided "I'll wet that French cunt!" so I've named it storm Pete. the last 2 hours of ride were a bloody nightmare, hammering rain that punched so hard it was like hailstones, lightning strikes both sides of the road and thunder you could hear over the wind and engine noise. by the time I got home I was soaked quite literally to the skin. Idon't believe any "waterproof" gear would have stood up to that and I have not ridden in such apalling conditions for at least 20 odd years. my riding gear is still not dry and I have only managed to dry out my helmet by dint of half an hour with a hair dryer, after having been on the radiator all day. The storm we rode through made national news that evening. Thanks Pete.

I came across DSUK almost as it was morphing into maximum bikes I think,back in 2005, having made my life in France I was looking for an English speaking bike forum and had signed up to about 8 I think with the intention of seeing what I liked or not. Max bikes felt so much more like what I was used to in a local bike club, I stayed. Over the years I have been more or less active according to personal circumstances and available time. People on here have offered support through some difficult times, and definately some huge laughs and fascinating conversations amongst the inane banter that is the backdrop to it all. Much as it pains me to admit it. Pete has been the motor in the machine, and though others have had a hand in steering, or oiling the wheels, or applying the brakes, or filling the tank, when the motor is no longer in the frame the rest will struggle to keep the machine alive, no matter how good they are. Thanks for the ride Pete. ( you spicky ginger welsh twat)