Specs

Toilet for swimmers.

Nice part of the world, but isn't that Aberdaron?

I was just north and kept going until I ran out of land. If I go again I intend to spend time exploring the southwest. In the wind and rain of course!

I was near there on the bike, but didn't visit. If I go back again it's on the list. I think we might have gone for a cruise up the fjord when I was at sea, killing time between phases of an exercise.

Excellent and plenty of BOTM candidate photos there.

How awful! I've just had a most severe attack of deja vu!!

I thought that Cornwall, much like a great deal of rural Wales, is overrun with Ingurlisch retirees? Not many of us true Celts left these days.

Like you say. Don't use it on the ship!

Shit. Couldn’t find it on YouTube.

Not live, only highlights.

Been watching the TT live on TV via my phone. Best £20 spent in quite a while. https://ttplus.iomttraces.com/browse

Too expensive, and the local stealers are useless.

Too tall.

Bloody hell! That simple? Bugger.

I met her briefly at the Overland Event in September 21 where she did her, I think, first presentation. She was sensational and had everyone entranced.

And fugly. The colours are hideous as is that tank/beak.

Tried it when it was first released. The lump sticking out of the right hand side of the engine (gearbox cover?) kept getting in the way of my right calf. Irritating so gave up on it. I went there ready to do a deal!

A startling difference when the engine is worked.

Wet. About 195 without fuel. Felt extremely light.

The Hornet is pretty much the un-faired lower version of the Transalp, same engine with slightly different mapping and gearing. I'd never buy a Suzuki again after the way that my Bandit rusted! Maybe they've improved by now to be fair - I think that someone should produce a stainless steel bike that wouldn't need cleaning and wouldn't rust! I want something with a fairing of sorts, fairly upright ergonomics, capable of handling dirt tracks, has the capacity to carry luggage, isn't too heavy and has the performance of a GS. OK skip the performance, but needs to be about 200kg and not too tall. Unicorn?

Karoo Street I think.

I think they were Metzeler something or other.

First things first. I didn't buy one! I did just over an hour's riding. M4 motorway from Cwmbran to Chepstow and back via Usk - a twisty road with some straight bits and a variety of surfaces. Bike's ergonomics were spot on for me. The pegs are set slightly further forward and lower than on the GS allowing for less bend in the legs giving greater comfort. The engine is a bit Jekyll and Hyde in as much as it will happily chug along in a high gear at low speed, and will pull away smoothly. The power seems to be delivered quite high in the rev range, so for overtakes it needs a couple of gears lower before it really gets going. That's when things get surprisingly interesting! Coming from the GS I missed the low end grunt, and the ease of quick overtakes in sixth gear if I felt lazy. The quick shifter and gearbox were great - no issues. Suspension was very plush, giving a comfortable ride even on poor surfaces, and the bike didn't get deflected by lumps and bumps keeping its line well. There was some dive on braking - good brakes - and under enthusiastic acceleration it tends to sit back and the front gets slightly light . Nothing wrong there, I'm just not that used to conventional suspension. I found the handling great. It was quite windy but it wasn't bothersome. The bike felt very planted at all speeds. The windscreen gave very similar wind protection to that on the GS. The seat ok, but I was only on it for an hour. It tended to sort of push me forward into the lowest bit of it and I'd have preferred to be sitting slightly further back. Different contouring would sort it, custom maybe. It's all subjective anyway! No problems flat footing. Wasn't too keen on the rally pegs as it felt as if my boots were glued to them, ok for off road maybe, but I like to move my feet around. The standard pegs with the rubber insert would be my choice. Standing up the sides of the tank got in the way because of the pegs being slightly forward. GS ergonomics much better in that respect. What else is there? Engine sounded ok especially when the throttle was wide open at higher revs. Plenty of videos on YouTube. All in all I liked it, and although it isn't in any way really in the same niche as the GS, I can quite happily see myself being happy with one. Why didn't I get one? Earliest delivery is in August. I've put my name on a list if there's someone cancelling an order. Some snaps and a quick video.

I could be mistaken. It seems that they have a new brewery down in Cardiff Bay. The company sold off most of the pubs and closed the old brewer during lockdown. At the time of the sell off there was talk of shifting brewing elsewhere.

Brains no more. Brewed in Ingurlund!