Specs

On 24/07/2023 at 12:23, Renegade said:

21 years ago and I still look the same

Who was that guy I spoke to at the Moon Rally? Your grandfather? 

16 minutes ago, Buckster said:

If @zzzak ever leaves his house and stays at a hotel.

Probably true!

On 17/07/2023 at 19:41, Sir Fallsalot said:

I was expecting John Cleese to make an appearance LOL

 

I thought exactly the same.

28 minutes ago, Buckster said:

That is totally accurate.

Something told me that you might say that!

On 09/07/2023 at 21:00, Clive said:

i aint got clue what this thing is.  

Toilet for swimmers.

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

7 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

The roads around there looked amazing following the edge of the fjord in and out of tunnels as it carved its way along the steep sides of the mountains 

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!

12 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

not that i don't believe you but I'm going to test you now where is it then 

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.

9 hours ago, Pedro said:

Didn't feel like making many stops for pictures or stuff like that, so most of the pictures were taken on stops I did anyway to do something or enjoy the moment. I really just felt like spending a few hours on the bike and not much else, so after waiting a while for the rain to stop I left around 11:30 and took to the Douro to get a little bit inland before turning South. The rain that passed by the shore was in front of me and going the same direction, I did stop to buy a bottle of water and an espresso to give it time to get away from me, and that worked as the following kms I was riding on semi wet roads and getting a few drops, but no more. I was ok with that, but it highlighted that my last year's Mitas are not really confidence inspiring in the wet anymore, if they ever were.

The street scene in front of the supermarket where I stopped for the espresso and the water, the music... 

 

I am amazed sometimes, stopped to look at a small river that ends onto the Douro and saw a motorcycle specific parking, civilization! Tried to take no more than one space but the GS is a little wide in the hips:

 

Will come back here, it's a pretty place to ride over for lunch and it's close enough to home.

 

Next stop was a lookout over Serra de Montemuro, there are at least two Montemuro places in Portugal, but this one is quite special. It's by the Douro and hosts a lot of wildlife, it's also pretty will in weather as I saw a lot of signs warning to have tire chains and the use of snowplows, it must get really cold in the winter as those are not common signs in Portugal. It's also a very well maintained place, the weather didn't make for the prettiest of views though.

That valley there with the low clouds is where I'm headed:

Those clouds made for a little bit of a wet ride as I went through them, gave me a chance to test my new plastic rain overalls on top of the summer mesh jacket I'm wearing, I was dry and they passed the comfort / fitment test.

Further on, already on Serra da Estrela, Portugal's highest point, it was getting cooler again as I climbed so this time stopped to put a layer on, didn't bother with the rain stuff as I knew that not long in front I'd go down the other side and it was bound to be warm there.

Remembered to take a BOTM picture, in close proximity to the bike!!!

 

At 16:00, stopped for something to eat. It's a staple of the region, a sheep's cheese sandwich, the cheese here is probably the most famous in Portugal, strong and buttery and soft, it's delicious. It was 12ºC and wet outside, so I enjoyed a moment inside. Don't usually drink when on the bike, but can't have proper cheese without a taste of wine.

 

Exiting the shop I met a german biker, he and (I suppose) his wife on touring on two CB500Xs, he was looking for a place to buy a few bottles of beer to take to his hotel for the night, just down the street. I told him he was looking in the wrong shop for beer and also that he managed to find the only place in Portugal where it'll be wet through the night to stop, he seemed happy with it though.

Further on, and the 1993 meter peak breached the low clouds, made for welcome relief from the dampness:

 

The little road going down the valley behind my bike in the picture below is a gem, it's a shame only 2km of it are unpaved as I'd love if it went on for 200!

 

But before I got to the unpaved bit, I was faced with a herd of cows being moved from the top of the Serra where they graze wild to their field by two guys following them on a pickup. They said it would only take a few more minutes so I switched off the engine and coasted behind them enjoying the show instead of going past:

Suddenly a huge cow decided to pretend to be a goat and ran by the road on top of some big rocks, despite the shepherd's efforts for her to return to the road she went back home cross country style and dove to the right, made an easy job out of that rocky cliffside. It was most impressive to see a big animal like that have such agility.

 

Even managed to get a little of it on video as she went down the rocky cliffside and the shepherd gave up:

 

Further on, a stop on the beginning of the dirt bit to again adjust clothing and take off that layer I put on climbing the Serra before. Temperatures went from 12ºC to 25ºC in a few minutes, this Serra is part of the mountain range that separated coastal from continental climates, and it really feels like an extreme difference here.

 

An hour and something later, not enjoying the warm 27 or 28º at 18:15, on a water stop. The mountains behind me and the center of Portugal's dense forrest hills around me, it's not my favourite landscape but there are nice roads around. I was covering ground adequately in order to reach my destination before sunset while keeping off motorways.

 

Rode out of the forest and over the Tejo river, enjoyed that bit of the N18 riding briskly with no stops and then cruised the last few 40 or 50km onto my destination at a steady speed enjoying the low sun over yellow scorched grass and the Alentejo rolling hills. I love the smell of this place when you get where, it does smell intensely of earth (does that work in English?)

Didn't stop for a picture, took one on the go

 

Did stop for a picture for @yen_powell though, riding through the old part of town in Crato, an old historic town.

 

Made it to my hotel, where I have stayed a few times before over the last few years before sundown, it wouldn't bother me to ride at night, more so when it was still so warm, but night time isn't really clever here with the amount of wild boar around.

A short walk around town and by the time I sat for dinner, outside, it was still about 25ºC at 21:00. 

 

Tomorrow, I shall probably face some heat and some familiar roads.

 

Excellent and plenty of BOTM candidate photos there. 

21 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

Our room for the next 7 days not bad 

 

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

23 hours ago, Saul said:

That's bollocks Bob, may be below 50% now and falling but we still are ethnically Celtcs,  and who defines what a true Celt is and by what measure.    

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.

15 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

No problem with roaming on my phone as long as I don’t phone home when abroad it’s all inclusive but on the sea it’s a different matter as you have to use the ships Wi-Fi  nothing to do with the EU you are just fishing again lol 

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

5 hours ago, Marcel said:

If only I could figure it out on how to post it with my phone..

 

Shit. Couldn’t find it on YouTube. 

6 hours ago, Marcel said:

It's 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

On 31/05/2023 at 21:43, Pedro said:

First it's this, then it's that...

You're just coming up with excuses to go back and buy another GS, you know you want to 

Too expensive, and the local stealers are useless. 

2 hours ago, Pedro said:

They still sell them now, not too late.

Too tall. 

37 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

Ah yes , I can remember you saying that now.  I removed that guard on  mine

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. 
 

2 hours ago, XTreme said:

Probably too trail oriented for Alan I'd have thought.

I just looked at the Strom 800DE......230kgs! WTF?

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

2 hours ago, boboneleg said:

You're forgetting about the T700

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!

13 minutes ago, XTreme said:

TA is the nearest match for sure, but the power delivery being high up on the rev range is a bit odd for that type of bike.

A startling difference when the engine is worked. 
 

10 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

Kerb weight is a claimed 208kg 

Wet. About 195 without fuel. Felt extremely light. 

On 30/05/2023 at 15:31, Saul said:

Funnily enough I was talking to the salesman up at Damerells a couple of weeks ago about the new trans alp, vstrom, hornet and 8gs thingy.    He rated the Suzuki 800 twin motor over the Honda 750.   Reconned that despite  the figures on paper the Suzuki felt quicker than the Honda.   Not that, that is an indicator of the comparison between the bikes I found it interesting just the same as they have demonstrators of all four.  Probably say’s more about the salesman riding style or perhaps where the bigger commission lay.   I prefer the look of the Hondas personally but if it were my money it would be a new hornet or a 650 vstrom.    I like the new trans alp but that 650 strom is a proven icon to my mind.  Also I think that new Suzuki 8GS thing is just to weird looking for my liking.    

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?