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Had to go and get a replacement headlight bulb this morning for the Yamaha so turned up at an official Yamaha dealership, all swanky marketing stuff and a full range of new bikes. I thought to myself “I’m going to pay for all this bling”……….. but no, I spoke to the salesman in my bestest Spanish, he checked to see if they had any in stock and gave me one………for free! I thought he was joking at first but it seems he was happy that I’d made an effort to speak Spanish rather than just shout in English Happy days.

All four of them.

I think i might be making a U turn on that decision and giving up drinking all together not good this morning

Fortunately, he's a tough kid...built like his Dad. He's got a coupla broken ribs & a fractured collar bone. So grateful he's fixable. Looking forward to seeing him next week.

2024 was a hard year for us here, we lost the founder of motorcycleriders.net and of other forums from the past where many of us met, of course I'm talking about Pete, to this day I keep expecting to see his posts appear. People have come and gone, I'm sure we will see some people return as the weather improves but I would like to thank everyone who has stuck around, except for @Six30, I was hoping that fucktard would flounce. I especially want to thank @boboneleg and @Pedro for stepping up and undertaking the work of the forum with me, we would not have kept going without you two. When Pete passed I really didn't expect the forum to survive beyond a couple or so months but here we are. Pete wanted this place to be an alternative to social media and I think we have kept that ethos going, a sort of virtual riders club of like minded misfits which is really what riding motorcycles is about even if they never leave the van. So here is to 2025, lets make this our year, loads of ride reports, a few van reports and plenty more of the usual bollocks. As for me, I will be styling and profiling on the magnificent Harley that I know you all secretly lust after, my pictures and reports will no doubt have people, especially ladies, flocking to the forum. For me the highlights of the year have been keeping the place going as well as Marcels epic melt down and flounce, looking forward, I will be doing a lot of miles in the coming year to various rallies as well as manning a stand at the Scottish Motorcycle Show in March, so you lucky people are in for a treat with all my pictures and reports. So what are your memories from 2024 and what have you got planned for 2025?

I just started riding a couple of years ago, even though I have my bike license since 2002. I couldn't afford to own a motorcycle before so that's the reason I've only got the Honda CB500F. Other than that I had a chinese pocket bike . Thanks to my feather weight it could get to 50Kph!

The Arai XD-5 I bought last month finally showed up today at the shop. This thing is freakin' huge! Much more rounded looking than the previous XD-4. Guess we'll see if it's any better once riding season rolls around.....

Good health and a happy new year to you all.

…I’m on the edge of my seat … Actually in bed because I’m too old and can’t be arsed to stay up another 45 mins. I’ll get woken up in a couple of hrs anyway when my son staggers in and doesn’t turn the lights on as he tries not to wake us up and then falls over the dog toys scattered around everywhere.

Mother in law staying with us at the moment. She’s stepped on the puppy 3 bloody times so far. He’s laying in front of the fire minding his own business and she seems unable to get from one side of the room to the other without treading on the poor thing. Thankfully she’s back the US on Thursday. I should be more tolerant but it’s bloody hard at times.

Yes it is mine

I don’t often take photos whilst I’m out, this is the only reasonable one I could find, taken beside the river Test.

Knocked up a saw mount on the XR this morning Covered it with a plastic bag with a helmet bag on top for the trip up to Merthyr as it's bloody foggy as hell and a bit damp First tree cleared Rode around this one last time and thought since i'm here just cut it Forgot to take a before on this one it was overhead you had to duck under And the folding saw destroyer now destroyed Then onto this lot My little saw made short work of it all The gulley repairs i done back in the summer held up well to the storms we had. Those two rock in the middle of the stream have been washed there right in the path of the line you need to get up the bank, too bloody heavy for me to move shows the power a stream has in flood I wanted to check out a lane that runs from the end of this one over to Aberdare as i'd had reports of it being washed out, when i got to the top of the hill i was amazed how good the weather was the whole of the valleys were submerged in a thick fog all day but it was blue sky's and warm on the hills Photo taken about 15:30 as the sun was starting to go down Last one before heading down into it to go home

Out for a couple of hours this morning, principally a breakfast run. Some lovely scenery, cracking roads and hardly any traffic. What’s not to like eh? I’m very lucky to be living here.

F*ck me , doesn't the twat of a mechanic know how much work you put into painting those wheels ........

I can remember the first 3 but not the hand written one which you think i should considering it was on my birthday. A bit of info to bore you of my woes read it or skip it it's up to you. The first SP30 i was on my way to work and was always late so i'd had a final warning about it, that day i was even later than normal, so gets the bike out fits my brain under seat (wont be needing that) and off i zoom, Usual ridiculous speed though the country lanes to Beddau and came out of the mini roundabout in Beddau on the back wheel, not a showing off wheelie but a come on i'm fucking late throttle twist wheelie, while the front wheel was in there air i noticed a traffic cop passing me in the opposite direction, no problem loosing him here i thought, then i came up behind two cars a little bit further on and thought don't panic just take them after the bend on the down hill straight, i was just about to go when i spotted another traffic cop parked in the junction half way down so just decided to follow the cars in front. As i passed the copper sure enough he pulled out behind me and followed me for about a quarter of a mile before pulling me over. After i politely asked him what the problem was he replied with whats the speed limit along here, to which i replied 50 he said no its 30, after a little chat back and fore i asked why he had singled me out as the two cars in front of me were pulling away from me yet i was the one that got stopped just seems a bit unfair, his reply was, well Mr jones they didn't come out of Beddau roundabout like a fucking idiot did they, to which i replied ok what am i having, work was ok when i explained but i just said i got stopped and showed them the producer and not the fixed penalty LOL. The first SP50 was on the M5 heading to Bridgwater for work, different company though. They had a motor control center ready to leave the workshop and was missing a few door handles so they asked me to pick them up so they could be fitted before it left. A paid ride to Burnham on Sea and back seemed a good idea especially when i worked out i'd have around £45 expenses after paying for fuel. I set off along the the M4 from Cardiff only to join the motorway right behind two lorries with a police escort and they wouldn't let anyone pass, i was stuck at 50-60mph all the way to the M5 exit after the old Severn bridge. When i got on the M5 the road was clear so the brain went under the seat headlight on full beam and ran the bike through the gears like i was on a drag strip heading down the long hill before junction 20 i went through a fog bank and when i wiped my visor i could see what looked like a traffic car in the distance, looked at the speedo it was showing more than twice the speed limit so i though i'd better slow down and closed the throttle, it was a copper and i rolled past him about 75mph and was pulled in straight away. Sat in the traffic car i had to hide my giggling because it was a proper good cop bad cop routine, the one was saying your getting something you didn't even have the courtesy to slow down as you passed us and the other was saying you'll be alright he's having a bad day, this went on for a bit with the one pointing out everything i was doing wrong and the other reassuring me when his back was turned, then i thought i was in more trouble when he asked me what my reg was as he couldn't see it the number plate was so small, i thought he was being sarcastic but after i told him the reg nothing more was said about it. They booked me for 98mph. After being released i picked the handles up and had a gentle ride back. I was supposed to go to court but it was in Bristol so i just pleaded guilty through the post and got a £78 fine and the usual 3 points The second SP50 was on the M4, me and the wife were coming home from a rally i think it was the Crazy Buzzards beach party near Torquay and i was 3 figure cruising again all the way up the M5 and along the M4 when i passed under a bridge just before Newport tunnels i caught in the corner of my eye a traffic car tucked away on top of it so i slowed down to the speed limit fucker pulled me over by Cardiff gate which was about 10 miles from where i spotted him he then said i was going over 100 mph because he had to do over 120 to catch me up anyway after me explaining to him if i was doing over 100mph he would never had caught me up because i was turning off at the next Junction which i wish i had done now. Anyhow cant remember the speed we agreed on and left with my new fixed penalty which was a good job as my points had started to run out LOL All of the above was done on my VFR750 fantastic bike to ride made 120mph feel like 70mph needless to say i put it in for my first new bike the 93 Africa Twin to try and cut my speed and never thought about that type of bike again.

New toy

My worse nightmare She only has right to be here for 3 months, currently in month 2. On day 91 im going to be straight on to immigration to dob her in.

Fuck me a grown up post form you, thats rare. Seriously though thank you for the effort you put into this place, along with the Angry Pirate and Petulant Portuguese you are all doing Pete proud. I thought of several things to say about Pete, but in essence it is simply this, I found him interesting, liked him and genuinely miss his take on life. I wish the silly Welsh Twat didn't die. It must be some sort of self flagellation as to why I keep coming here but it is still the first site `i check. everyday. I have thought long and hard about why I like it here and it is obviously the savage humour and the irreverence for practically everything. Can't get that many places, we collectively just have to convince more people that they actually want that in their lives if we want the place to grow. Not entirely sure that is possible What I want to do biking wise. Don't want a third bike, would like something different to learn about and play with but can't bear the thought of parting with either of my bikes. Bit of a weird circular thought process that spins around in my head. I want to make some longer trips around the UK, perhaps even Ireland but wether I actually do it rather than pontificate about it will be seen. Collectively did 7500 miles last year, want to do more this. I want to do some longer ride reports and make a few Youtube video reports. I have another teenager who wants me to teach her to ride, so looking forward to doing that. I have got a lot of singing planned with my group and have plans to form a quartet. I am going to kick my choir into touch, to many wealthy retired blow ins wanting to sing Hamilton and Lion King songs for my liking. I have nothing in common with them. I don't know if I care enough to join another Choir, only couple that suit me and what I like are Mousehole Male Voice or Red River Singers but they are just to far west for regular practice/concerts for me. 50 and 40 miles each way. Much as I genuinely enjoy my job I am going to have to at least give up a few shifts or maybe find something else, working overnight is playing havoc with my health. Fuck knows what else I could do, I don't want to or can afford to retire . I know boring diatribe that probably no one will read but the question was asked

I want to thank the three Stooges... ehhhmm Kings, I mean Kings @Buckster, @boboneleg and @Pedro for all their work of keeping the doors of this place open! I still have a lot to learn to get at y'all twatness level but I might get there once I get used to your constant insults to each other . For 2025 I hope I'll be able to ride more and further and share with you the experience (I'll need to get used to stop every 10/20km to take some pictures ). But then again, almost no one likes Hondas around here so I might not need to stop to take pictures. (This is my way of complaining that no one votes on my pictures on the BOTM). In more seriousness, I've been thinking of upgrading, but I need to see and try some bikes that I like. I'll also need to see the running costs of these options before I take the step forward. Regarding Pete, I can't say much because I barely knew him, but he was always nice to me.

BOTM is a focus for all sorts of banter and whinging, I think you are doing a good job with it. Some people enjoy the moaning and negativity, it's their form of entertainment, don't hand them a victory that will diminish the forum as a whole. British humour can be dark and destructive.

Happy New Year

Happy New year everyone!

Happy New Year

yep Happy new year people and ride safe

Been out on the Beta all afternoon doing the local lanes photos you've all seen before but i'll put them up anyway, it was a bit windy on the hills hard enough to ride the ruts without the wind blowing me off course I came down here on the XR with the chainsaw yesterday clearing some fallen trees only right i go up it today, i'm so unfit at the moment when i got to the end which is only about 200 yards i was breathing like a guy who smokes 40 a day with one lung went down a lane to Stanley town and onto Penrhys golf course lane Further along looking towards Porth Short Video from here looking into the Rhondda Fawr Valley I switched valleys to go up to Miriam's bench haven't been here for a while and it hasn't improved, the golf course lane i came from is the other side of the valley Another short video from here looking into the Rhondda Fach Valley and blowing a Hooley had a play through the forestry at the end of the lane Onto the ford in Ynysybwl i decided not to go through and went this way and over the foot bridge i think it would have been easier to go through the ford took the lane from the Jampot down and had the opportunity to try out the new silky saw It worked much better than i thought a hand saw should but bloody hard work with all the bike gear on some of those branches were more like trunks from here i headed home via Eglwysilan mountain. I'm aching like hell now really need to work on my fitness Route map

This is why you need to clean your bike thoroughly if you've been messing about in mud. My bike was jet washed on the way home from Saturdays ride but I got it up on the bench yesterday and found all this living behind the front sprocket ..........

Ah fuck it I can’t be bothered. I’ve used my weekly quota of brain power today just trying to fathom out what it is I’ve done wrong to piss my missus off. I have the feeling it was breathing.

pulling crackers earlier... i read out one of the jokes but made my own up.. whats the difference between a ferrari and a dead prostitute ? theres no ferrari in my garage. shes's still going on to the mrs that she should take the unpulled crackers back to the shop and complain

I just had 15 minutes of the mother in law trying to tell me jokes she had printed out from somewhere the wife and kids abandoned me and i had to fend for myself feeling

You twats!

Alright I will attempt to explain in simple terms, although I doubt you will read it. Most choirs sing in harmony, in simple terms they all sing the same song to a slightly different set of notes or tune. Normally 4 parts/groups/gangs/ collections of voices in a male voice choir. Basses, Baritones, 2nd Tenors and Top Tenors. They mostly sing different notes in the same song mostly together, although they often start and stop singing at different times in the same song to create harmony/dynamics and range. The bod waving his hands at the front is controlling this, as well as the dynamics (volume) and Tempo (speed). It's a very difficult thing to do. Now are you any the wiser?

My Grandad hanged himself on Christmas day ... but out of respect for tradition , we didn't take him down until the 6th of January.

He definitely could have gotten TOTY as well for sure. Showing his groin, and dying? come on!

only two people nominated and one of them is going to lose to a dead guy

Shed all sorted now.

Some pictures in daylight and from a non-phone camera.

Some of mine that I took photos of.

Great idea for a thread. Haven’t got many photos of my bikes pre phone cams but there are a few.

If I’d have known it would annoy people I’d have posted photos of it ages ago …

One for @boboneleg