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No, it’s Portuguese for

You mean that with the deletion of Marcel's thread my masterly takedown of creationism has been lost forever? Took me ages to nick all that science shit off Richard Dawkins and make out that I understood it...

No.....not the bike! Obviously I have no idea how to do shit like that. I'm talking about the reservoirs, because we've had years of very little rain. And there's now a serious drought situation. Now I'm not one who normally looks for more rain, but every year the price of straw for the horses has been going up. We used to pay around €400 for a year's worth......but last it was €1200 and we had to have it brought in from Albacete. Which is about 150 miles away. So an increase in rainfall and the filling of the reservoirs is critical.....not just here, but throughout Spain. So off I went to check the current situation. Luckily, the weather was great......around 20c! So it was perfect conditions! The approached into Castril.......and the wall of the Dam. This is The Style! I was amazed when I saw the levels in Castril because when I came here last Summer it was very low indeed. This is probably the highest I've seen it in 5 years! It's nowhere near it's highest, but the water line has gone up a lot. Two car loads of a Spanish family then turned up......three generations of them. So I ended up having to take a load of group photos of them. They weren't from Andalucia because they were speaking Spanish in a grammatically correct way rather than slurring words and leaving out letters in words. Lovely people......couple of hot girls in their 20's with them. I wanted to get a photo with those two, but I couldn't very well tell the rest of the family to get out of the way! Then it was on to San Clemente.......the levels there had risen a bit but nothing like the scale it had in Castril. Most of the land you see here was underwater when I came here in 2005...... Had to get the obligatory shot on the bridge.....obviously destined to be BOTM for April. Bike ran great as usual.......these rural roads are the perfect place for it. And it actually made me think......"Why am I considering selling it?" Well there we are! I got out and did something......and in doing so, I made a positive contribution to the forum! Some of you lot should try it sometime!

Went for a bimble round the Clay Country today, cold and dry but Twas a joy to be out and about on my own. The Blue Bells were out on my walk this morning and saw the Ugly Boat.

This dude is really digging it

Since I’ve been on here for over a week, I thought it was probably about time I posted something vaguely bike-related by way of introduction. My first biking experience was when I was 13 or 14, herding cows on a friend’s farm with an old 125 of some description. As much as I would have loved a bike at 17, a car was the only practical option for a gigging bass-player, so my biking career was put on hold for the next 20+ years. My wife and I actually took our tests together and spent a year or so happily tootling around on a couple of ZZR600s until I got bored by the gutlessness of the thing and switched up to a ZZR1200. I absolutely loved that bike and covered a lot of miles on it, especially after I started using it for all my European business trips. I hate the hassle of flying, and of having to rush back to the airport when the meeting you’ve been sitting in all day is just starting to get interesting. On the bike I can do as I please – just turn up at the Channel Tunnel vaguely at the booked time and pay a bit extra if I’m much too early or too late. I don’t think I’ve ever had to wait more than 45 minutes for a crossing. The furthest I’ve ever ridden in a day was on that bike - from Basel to Harrogate, which seemed like a good idea at breakfast in the hotel when I decided to see if I could get home in time for tea. By Cambridge the novelty had very much worn off, and by the time I hit Yorkshire I was properly fed up with the whole idiotic enterprise. With road closures and diversions it ended up being just shy of 1,000 miles. I hung on to the 1200 as long as was practical, but in the end it started to get too unreliable. Roadside repairs are one thing and I certainly did my fair share of those, but when bits started falling off it on the motorway I realised it had to go. The final straw was when it caught fire on the E19 around Antwerp. I’m still not quite sure what happened next. I’d hired an Electra Glide in California a couple of years earlier, and no description I gave anybody of the experience ever rose above the excremental: the engine was shit, the gearbox was shit, the brakes were shit, the handling was shit. It was like the Rickenbacker bass – iconic, but fundamentally a turd. And yet… there is something about that engine that gets under your skin. And so it was that when the mighty 1200 had to go, a faecal-brown Electra Glide is what I replaced it with. I had taken the new Fat Boy out for a spin first and liked it far better, but I didn’t fancy riding an un-faired bike across Europe on a regular basis. The first thing that struck me about it (other than the size) was just how comfortable it was - perfect for those long European trips. Sadly, the first thing that struck my wife about it was its overt homosexuality. I endured months of goading before things finally came to a head when I took it on a trip to Germany. No sooner had I got onto the A1 for the long slog south than I discovered that she had replaced everything on my iPod with The Village People. Let's just say that cruising though Mainz with ‘YMCA’ blaring out of the stereo is not exactly the most heterosexual I’ve ever felt. It also introduced me to another new experience, which was being overtaken by cars – even really crappy ones. Something clearly had to be done, so I replaced it with a K1600GT. Now that was an astonishing bike in almost every respect – silky smooth, incredibly comfortable, totally unflappable in the corners thanks to its fancy front suspension and obscenely quick – but as strange as it sounds it didn’t excite me. The ZZR and the Harley both had character – they were a more visceral experience that left you in no doubt that you were riding them, whereas the BMW was refined to the point that it felt like I was just gliding down the road on a magic carpet, completely detached from the sensation of riding. It took me a good while to realise that it wasn’t the bike for me, at which point I switched to the R1200GSA that I still have now. So, that’s my biking history in a nutshell. Well – almost. On holiday in France about ten years ago I conducted a spectacularly self-destructive experiment with the local cider and then went onto Ebay in a state of totally diminished responsibility. I awoke the next morning to a flurry of emails congratulating me on being the proud owner of a life-size Dalek, an aquarium with an assortment of mechanical fish, an industrial quantity of plastic dinosaurs, and a Honda ST1300A. I bought it as a barely-running restoration project, and after ten years it is now a non-running reminder of the dangers of Ebaying under the influence. Every now and then a couple of bike enthusiast down the road come to look at it over a mug of tea, so with any luck I’ll get shot of the damn thing before much longer…

I feel it. That degenerate moose-fucker had better get back here tomorrow afternoon and sort his shit out or I’ll be the next one to flounce…

Just got home from a manic day with my youngest. Not moaning I enjoy her company but it’s been busy. First off I taxed her bike this morning so it’s road legal now, £25 for a 125. Adjusted the back brake, Mirrors, checked the oil and tyre pressures then left it out front. Got the Hornet out as we had errands to run. First off to Dameralls via a fuel stop to get the spare key for Chloe’s CB125F. She was grumpy as she wanted us to use her bike for the Dameralls run but a 40 mile round trip for the pair of us on duel carriage ways on a 125 didn’t appeal Had a mooch around Dameralls but it was chaos as they were having a major bike reshuffle. The Dear Maid did think it would be good if I got a new red NT1100 and to be honest I can see the attraction. Funds don’t allow so it will remain a wish. Got the key blank £13 which I thought was okay for a Honda part. Then headed back to St Austell to get the thing cut, which took seconds and cost a fiver. Cheapest vehicle key I have got in recent years After the key cutting Costa was the next call to sweeten grumpy boots up. After this faff we had to go to Holmbush Post Office to get a postal order and post off my other daughters driving licence application. The nearest office to Fowey FFS. Normally you can do the payment online but because she hasn’t got a birth certificate which was replaced by her adoption certificate you have to send a cheque or postal order to Swansea. Of course my bank has stopped issuing cheque books for my convenience. Bloody lash up but that is the way it works. £51 and out of there. After that back home to swop bikes. Now we headed down to Golant for Chloe’s first ever riding lesson, in fact the first time ever she has been on the business end of a motorcycle. Before you ask it is a private lane where her grandmother lives. Made some good progress I thought. Taught her lots of basics but she has mastered clutch control and braking. A small step but she did very well, the first step is always the hardest. After about 45 minutes she was frazzled plus we had to head back to Fowey as she had a dentist appointment. All good and she was hungry again so I bought her an ice cream from Game of Cones and a tea. Holidaymaker prices it was a £10 FFS. Finally while I was finishing my tea Chloe gets on the bike and says ‘now the bikes legal I can drive you up the hill’. I pointed out she was 16 with no licence and no insurance. Also she doesn’t know how to change gear yet. ‘Oh’ was the reply but I gave her credit for trying. Anyway it was a good if expensive day but I am absolutely knackered. Apparently she wants her next lesson on Thursday as the is the next break in the weather. I don’t mind we get on well but I have told her the goodie runs won’t happen every time.

Just finished my new wheel spacers for the dog turned these Into these

I set off this morning on my usual route north of Narbonne and across past the Abbaye Fontfroide. Like last week the wind was howling again. It was partly sunny, but the wind also had a pretty keen edge to it, keeping the temperature in single figures (C) on the way up there. I'd decided to head through Termenes Villerouge and on to the Château d'Arques, which is on the same road. It is an interesting road, winding though the western edge of the Corbieres, but as the road climbed the temperature dropped a bit, showing 7C at one point, but not really getting above 8.5C. The wind wasn't helping either. Fortunately, before I'd set off I had opted to put my winter jacket on, but only had bike jeans and summer gloves to go with it. Anyway, some of the views towards the Pyrénées were stunning. Unfortunately there wasn't really anywhere to stop on that road to get any pictures. Coming out of Arques village I spotted the Château. I went along to the carpark, but the Château was shielded from view by trees, so I headed back towards the village to get a shot of it across the fields. I decided to carry on a bit further along that road, as I'd seen on the map that the D14 was on the left only a few more km's along the road and that road went through an old Roman Spa place and then through to more recent spa town of Rennes-les-Bains. It's quite a picturesque town, in a valley between some pretty high cliffs, but there wasn't really anywhere decent to stop, so I pressed on. The D14 loops back around and would take me past the Château Peyrepertuse and Château Quéribus, which is a interesting road. So, as I made my way along there I came to the village of Cubières-sur-Cinoble. Just before getting into the village I spotted a signpost for a road off to my right, which said Gorges-de-Galamus 2km. The gorge was already on my radar as somewhere I wanted to visit and, being this close, it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss! Unfortunately, the photos that I got really don't do the place justice! A lot of the road there is pretty much single track, which has been carved into the cliff face! It twists and turns, following the face of the cliff, with occasional passing places. The wind was howling down the gorge, which made the drops over the low wall alongside the road pretty interesting! There was a café and parking area where the gorge opened out a bit, so I thought that I'd take the opportunity to stretch my legs and have a look back along the gorge. After my short stop I put home into the sat-nav, but the routes shown were dropping down to Perpignan and back to Narbonne via the motorway or the RN, neither of which appealed. So I decided to head back up the gorge and get back onto the D14, which was the route that is had originally planned on using. The trip back up the gorge was equally as exciting as the trip down, with gusts of wind really moving the bike around! Back on the D14 the road was really nice, winding its way through the hills and villages. I stopped for a pee and a coffee from my flask just under the Château Peyrepertuse. A small group of bikes came past and slowed to make sure that I was OK. So I gave them the thumbs up. The rest of the journey back went pretty well, but the wind was still taking some of the pleasure out of the ride, and I'd realised that I was feeling pretty cold in my hands and feet, so it was definitely time to get back and warm up. I don't know the distance, but I'd estimate it was around 220-230km and I was out for just short of 5 hours.

The boys first shopping trip to tesco. His sister is infatuated with him, never wanting to leave his side and always the 1st to want to help feed or change him. He's also gluttonous, he's now drinking his milk like it's going out of fashion

enjoy

This is the style …

It’s time to cast off next stop Cherbourg see you losers next weekend

No, a kit car built by a GP in his garage. I had to resolve a load of idiosyncrasies on it when I bought it from him 12 years ago. Still not fixed, I looked at it, got head down in the footwell to work out how to get the dash off, decided my back hurt then went out on my Indian instead. Maybe next w/end …

Going out to dinner with a couple of friends tonight, it looks like rain tonight so on´t want to take Maria's soft top as the top soaks up, decided to take the 320 even if it's in need of a proper service. Who needs brakes anyway? so just for @Saul: One main beam bulb was out, so got two and just fitted in 10 minutes, two Osram bulbs for 5€ Then checked the stoplights since I had a warning on the onboard "computer", as soon as I pressed them the warning went out, will look into it. Marvel in the sound of a rotting exhaust And since it'll be parked outside for a while, also turned the alarm on, which surprised me by working perfectly after many years switched off! There you go, happy motoring out to dinner!

I've been past the Château Quéribus a few times, but never took the road up to it, so I thought that it would be a nice little run on the new bike. I headed around the Narbonne northern ring road as usual and took my normal route up and across past the Abbaye Fontfroide. It was slightly cloudy when I set off, but it was blowing a hoolie! On the road past Fontfroide I was getting knocked about by the wind and I did seriously consider calling it a day and head back home, but I decided to persevere and carried on. I turned off that road at Thézan-des-Corbières and headed west. The wind was now behind me, so it wasn't so much of a problem then. I was trying to get tuned into the new bike, which rides and handles quite different to the Scrambler. I noticed also that the Michelin Anakee's on it don't tramline like the Dunlops did on the Scrambler. The ride is also more plush on this bike, but it holds its line pretty well through the twisties. My route took me through Durban-Corbières, Villeneuve-les-Corbières and Tuchan, so I passed by the Château d'Aguilar before turning off and heading up the gorge near Padern and then on to Cucugnan, where the turning up to the Château Quéribus is. The road twists up the side of the hills there before you reach the road that takes you up to the castle carpark. The road up to the carpark is pretty narrow and there's a couple of nice, tight hairpins up there. The carpark was not too busy, so I stopped for a couple of pictures and then went down the same access road. I stopped at the junction of the main road for a coffee from my flask that I'd taken with me. The wind was howling across there and I ended up wearing more coffee than I drank. I was fearful of the bike getting blown over too, so I decided to just head back by the same route and save further exploration for some less windy days! I was pleased how the bike felt and performed. I was starting to get tuned into it by the return journey.

Sofia is sort of nuts and I would keep clear if I were you. @Sofia?

I had the same feeling too. Had a dump, feel much better now.

Well it's mostly a shake down run ,manage 260 km...I tried to go inland thinking it would get warmer..but the temp kept dropping so I turned around...sweet spot was about 15 km inland ...when I left the temp was 13 c ...kept climing till it reached my destination to 20c..I was sweating by then...bike ran great..the puig windscreen is a big improvement..running at 130 kmh visor up and hardly any buffering....here's a few pic....one for Six30 to do magic on and tracks of a monster moose..just for reference..I wear and 11 size boot..

Today marks this forum's 4th birthday! As I've said in the past, I only started it as somewhere different to go when we were all locked down at the start of the Pandemic. I never expected it to last once we got mobility again......but amazingly we're still here. During that time we've built a solid reputation as established Internet troublemakers! And we've also built a place where the very dregs of the motorcycle world can behave in a way that would get them banned on any respectable forum. Besides the usual morons from the past we've actually managed to attract a few more......which is what we have to do if we want to survive in this era of Social Media. So if you've got mates that do forums then call them in so the likes of Buck, Six, Busa, and Marcel can call them cunts and nonces!

So your junking the barge and buying a Honda then

That's the first time anybody's said that to Marcel!

No, it’s worse.

It's called a spanner over here Scott, which is kind of ironic as Pete is a bit of a spanner

Packed and ready to hit the road

Yes but its at least a foot and a half away from his shorter stump

Yeah, seems like this syndrome has had the better of him lately...

Just before Christmas we had our lab inspection from SO15, and when they were evaluating our procedures for dealing with unauthorised site access one of them who clearly didn't know much about huskies said "It's good that the dog comes into the office with you - she looks as though she'd scare most people off." Oh yeah - absolutely. Apex predator, that one...

Considering that I should really still be down in Charmouth for another couple of days, this hasn't been a bad way to spend a Thursday at all. My eldest has been keen to learn some basic lathe skills for a while now, so after putting in a solid seven minutes work this morning I shut the laptop and took him off to make a few pens out of the acrylic blanks we picked up in Axminster last week. He's learned how to turn a basic taper with the top slide and make a mandrel out of some scrap aluminium and a bit of leftover threaded rod (damn site cheaper than paying £60 for the one in the shop) and has made a couple of pretty decent pens to give to his mates next week. Not bad for a first attempt!

After fitting the rear suspension back on last night I took the dog out for a test ride today i was going to go out last night but it bloody pissed down, went up over my mountain as there's a good range of different terrain up there. I noticed the difference as soon as i pulled off the bike now glided over small bumps on the road hardly noticing them at all, with the old shock fitted they felt quite harsh and the front of the bike didn't feel so loose either, it's a bit hard to explain but for a long time now the front has felt very light like there's no resistance at all just didn't feel quite right, well that's now gone. When i get onto the mountain track i was instantly surprised how good the bike felt on the rough surface, the suspension just soaked it all up even the front seems to be working better. I was heading east as the sky wasn't looking too good coming from the west and was following me a the whole time i was out There was a lot of water about and the ground was still quite slippery the suspension didn't do anything to help that I stopped to take a photo here on a nice leafy lane Only to have the bike roll off the stand it's a bit steeper than the photo shows. When I got on the bike i found the fall had twisted the front end a bit I had to stop at the next big rock to straighten it out and then the next post to knock it back as i'd gone too far on the rock. Look at the weather behind me that's the way i'm heading when i get up this hill onto Manmoel mountain road. And this is what i'm trying to stay n front of This is looking into the Ebbw valley towards Aberbeeg. There's no bent on that road it's straight the curve is due to the panoramic photo I wanted to check out a track off Manmoel mountain road to see if its still ridable i went down and took some photos for my records on the way back up last time i was here this was all enclosed in tree's I got as far as Brynmawr when the heavens opened and out came a hail storm so i took shelter under a bridge until the hail stopped but got off the bike the wrong side and when cocking my leg over it got caught and me and the bike ended up on the road luckily the car coming seen me in time and stopped, what a bloody old plonker. After that i decided to head home as there was no sign of the weather behind me getting better and i was heading further away from home so would be out in it longer when i turned back. Ended up going down the Ebbw Valley i haven't been through here in a while in the old days it was a nightmare but there's a bypass now so a much more pleasant ride. I got caught in a few showers on the way back but they were not heavy so got home only slightly moist. I have a little bit of fine tuning to do with the shock and then it's see how long it lasts.

Anyway, all you guys who can go out on rides for a few hours, a day or for a weekend......Good for you!

To keep up the tediousity, if that is even a word, I have been tarting up my 45 year old picknick bench. I should have binned it years ago but my Dad made it so I keep repairing it because it reminds me of him. Bit like Triggers broom it will last forever. Oh and painted the gate as well, much to the youngest disgust, who demanded to know why I painted it orange then stormed off before I could answer. Fucking psycho.

It's a Chinky! I knew it would happen eventually!

Now i can really bore the fuck out of him and its all in one place

Yeh but Busa's going to give him riding lessons! He'll be ready for the Dakar after that.

Who do you think these would suit

Very different indeed………rarely cold during winter, sweltering hot during July and August and far less abandoned stuff.………and no @XTreme

I had one of those, i'm too old for this shit days today, I had a good ride but i twatted my left foot then twatted my right knee and then came home early with a migraine totally exhausted, i was just a passenger on the ride home, got home around 3 had a shower and went to bed, didn't feel hungover when i got up but sure last night had something to do with it. Only photos i took were these

Well, that took longer than I expected! My eldest did his work experience placement in our lab last year, and we took this photograph for his journal of him working on some novel biological weapons in one of our gloveboxes. It’s taken his Placement Liaison Officer at the school a full 12 months to come back and say “Err… are you sure this was safe?” Yes, quite sure - there’s nothing that dangerous about fluorescent paint powder. Still, nice to know they're on the ball...

This is the coolest coffee cup ever ….

See !! I told you he was trying to get a shag ..........

Top man

just seen that the ulez protesters have started putting bat boxes over the ulez cameras , bats are protected by law and cant be touched even if the boxes dont have bats in them and are empty Genius.