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Ain't got the nerve to steel a bike. I did pinch a Kit Kat from the corner shop once.

Is it wrong that I saw that and my first thought was "But his car wouldn't leave tracks like that"? Yeah, I'm a lot of fun at parties...

Is buck getting rid of bodies again. https://uk.yahoo.com/news/fire-tears-historic-jenners-building-133149749.html

Not so much funny but interesting for some ....

......but could I live with a bike that has less power than my scoot.

I may wash the car today....I am sure that under the grey coating it is red.

Quite mild here today, if it carries to tomorrow ill be getting the bike out.

I've seen a map like that before, it's hard to imagine that those states are bigger than our country. On the other hand the population of Colorado is 5.8 million whereas UK is 67.3 million .

I have no idea. Most state borders have rivers or mountains defining them. That square area must be the random lines that were sold / stolen way back when. Nothing there except the town of Amarillo - I have a bike trip scheduled to go there in late April - if I can get the bike out. I shall endeavor to find out why it is shaped like that.

Feckin freezing riding into work this morning

So Marcel is going in......what can go wrong?

is he .... permission to go in sir

no ..that cunt is to drunk

no... he's still having his tantrum

This just went live......it's the Spanish equivalent of the JFilters site that went out last week: Fabricante de Filtros de Aire

Not the greatest choice of brand name to sell in the UK

Probably just a photo of someone else's bike, you pay up front and get feck all.

I believe this is the reason Clive!

Oh yeah, we have lots of 200 miles long stretches of road with no services, really gotta plan out your fuel stops. Not much of anything out there. And it gets worse into Utah, Wyoming and Montana. Have been on trips where others have run out of fuel as their bikes don't have very good range.

Just wondered, with the rest of its border being irregular, then it turns to dead straight and almost a square.

Irrespective of the power I wouldn't want to live with one.

Seem OK today, although I have not done anything yet...

Another week.......and more shit on the way.

Who would steal a POS like that?

Wouldn't be the first time.

It does sound exceedingly cheap.....looks (from the photo) in decent nick. As the saying goes "seems to be too good too be true"

has it sent you a pm giving you a severe drunken warning ?

Maybe @Six30 would be up for riding a Benda?

The drawing on the traffic signs matches that neck, too:

That often makes me think.......see so many on Marketplace...no V5 Me....never lost a log book/V5 in my motoring life....

Just started it up......first time since Xmas Day. Fired as soon as I hit the starter, then ran it for about 15 minutes to let it get up to temperature. When will I be back out? Well I'm slowly recovering from this flu, but the weather forecast for the next couple of weeks is pretty brutal. So it may be a while!

Could be worth a look but why no V5?

How's the flu recovery Clive?

I did like the ones Derbi did a few years ago, the Mulhacen 659, using a Yamaha designed 660 single. They tried to make it look less classic scrambler and more modern dirt track, I once tried one out but ended up not buying, Maria was the prospective owner and she found the whole thing a little intimidating. It was a fun bike to ride around town, though. If it was for me alone I would probably ended up buying a XTZ660 Tenere with that same engine, even though it probably felt slower.

packing now .

Even more then the other one??!!!! Not fair... so many kids without a motorcycle...

My God!!!!! Some dealers dont manage that much!

Motorbike rental is part of the tour for those that prefer it. More flexible option.

Or you could go the whole 'hog' , this is what my mate Keith Noble had when we were 16

Spares aren't a problem you can buy practically anything for then from Germany, you used to be able (haven't checked recently) to buy modern fuel injection kits to fit to the old aircooled twins, as well as upgraded alternators and many other bits. Granted probably not from BMW themselves but there is no end of specialist support for these bikes. It's all about money and how you measure the practicality of running a 30 or 40 year old aircooled twin and how much you really want to do it.

02nd December, Friday, woke up at dawn as soon as the sun cast sufficient light to hit me while still in bed, it's a lovely way to wake up also because here there is no TV, and very little internet to get distracted so you are forced to sleep early taking full advantage of the desert night silence. The previous night I talked a little with the hotel owner, and he told me about an oasis about 6 or 8km into the desert reachable only through proper sand dunes. Some hotels and tour guides have a few tents there and do overnight stays, there is no showers and limited use of water to prevent contamination of the excellent water quality they have there. It takes 1 to 1,5 hours to walk there with camels but only 15 minutes with quads. The silence of the desert night there must be deafening, I am eager to try that, and from what Hassan told me watching the stars there is amazing, extra amazing only though, because right on the edge of the dunes where I was staying you already get more of a clear picture of the universe than anywhere else I've been to. I was tempted to stay another couple of nights, on the night of the 02nd they had no other occupants other than maybe some surprise visitors but then on the 03rd they would be getting a 50 people group, if I were to stay that meant two more nights, and honestly I was worried that might push me too much into December and bad weather. Since I had been getting very lucky with the weather, I made a plan to visit again and next time go on the proper desert on foot or quads, now it's time to go back on the road. Waking up with the Saharan dawn, you can also appreciate desert style insulation on those doors : Bike packed up before breakfast, And again my favourite msmen and coffee for breakfast, while leisurely allowing the sun to rise a little and kill off some of that sand chill that seems to hit you right in the bones. The desert cold feels different than normal cold, during the previous days it got up about 15 and 18º in the afternoon and all the other tourists were freezing as soon as it got near sunset. Considering a group consisting of two Canadians, one Germans, two Swiss, some having flown directly from snow covered locations all exclaimed through an almost hearable teeth rattle that they didn't expect to feel so cold, there must be some truth to that. It does feel colder here. By 08:45 or 9, I rode off with a satisfying wheelspin, now feeling very confident with my surrounding terrain. My newly found confidence made me feel ecstatic and almost unwilling to leave the area, but it was the right thing to do as too much of that confidence would surely end up with an unpleasant event reminding me I am no Stephane Peterhansel. I decided to take only tarmac roads from here on, the bike having had a pretty good workout already, and also I realized that my luggage is the source of most of the unpleasant rattles I hear when riding on corrugations and proper offroad, I did not feel like carrying a broken luggage case in duct taped plastic bags. Next visit to the desert I will be carrying a different luggage arrangement if indeed the plan is to take more offroad pistes. My eyes were definitely teared up when leaving, it's a special location and I WILL return, I get a very similar feeling here than I used to get at the Nurburgring, both being motorsport locations and both with their own very special ways of biting back if you think you got things covered. After Rissani I stop as soon as the landscape becomes spectacular, and one last time try to find a fossil to take home. After 10 minutes looking I give up, say my farewells to Erg Chebbi and move on. I had a big day ahead, and from then on almost didn't stop through the day. I was headed southwest and planned on going past Zagora, to Tata an then Guelmim. Look it up on google maps, it's interesting terrain of wide open landscapes and mountains. No plan where to sleep, that would be tended to by mid afternoon depending on where I got to, riding at night with this cold wasn't on the plans. Acacia trees start to dot the landscape, and it definitely feels like Africa now. Stopped to have a sip of water, and ended up taking my knife to the plastic water bottle to cut it in half and provide three skinny dogs with some refreshment. They were cautious of me but as soon as I walked to a safe distance they slurped it down, no more water with me now, but I knew there would be plenty of towns ahead. Tissint is a pretty location, I remember that on a previous trip I was also surprised at how much water there was there. Stopped just enough to get a couple of pictures, and made way, this was a day for covering distance. Went past Zagora with just one stop to fuel up the bike, and rode on making it to Tata at around 16:00. I had passed by where before me and Maria had reached to stay for the night, but that was riding at much more of a leisurely pace, now I had a conundrum, either ride on and get cold in one or one and a half hours, or stay here and relax. Tata has an authentic vibe to it, no tourists, no Europeans either it seemed, and no touts. In fact nobody seemed to give a shit about me except for kids who always wave at a big motorcycle, so I stayed. Stopped on town entrance to eat something, a croissant and some yogurt, and check on booking.com and arrange for shelter. Don't know how to name that sweet by the croissant on the picture, but if you're ever in Morocco do ask for them by pointing, they're very cinnamony inside and absolutely decadent. I found a comfy and cheap place to stay, in a one single person bed bedroom, something I haven't seen in ages anywhere, but it had just been renovated and had amazing water pressure in the hot shower, something you really value after staying in the desert. By 17:30 I go to the bar to get a bottle of water and notice people are watching the world cup and drinking beer, not being my first choice on a regular day I promptly order a Heineken, and the bar tender is a little shocked at how fast a thirsty portuguese downs a beer in one go, don't think he ever saw that I have another by the very cold pool, good showers and cold beers after a long day on the bike are undervalued in Europe, but that beer too was quick to disappear and I went ahead and explored Tata, at 2€ each Heineken, alcohol in Morocco isn't a cheap pastime. Tata is now one of my favourite towns to stay for a night in Morocco, absolutely no tourist arrassment. Come with me while I take you for a walk around town into the night, have dinner consisting of some amazing skewers shared with little cats and a hungry dog, and end up drinking expressos while watching football on tv. Proper Motul motorcycle oil on sale, good stuff and all those 4 stroke scooters are safe! It's not a big town, but walking around felt good after today's ride. I made it back feeling quite cold and was happy to get to bed. Slept great that night. I knew that the next day would be packed with amazing scenery and big skies...

What I will say is you might want to describe the deep puddle bit some more for Pete he has no concept of that. Sounds like you had a great adventure Pedro