Pedro

So, had a while to spare in the afternoon, and between calls went and took the drain plug from my XR400R's carb, to see the state of things inside. Nothing looks as dirt bike cool as a 80 or 90's Honda, I think. Looked like moss inside, the bottom was sort of crusty but the walls of it looked like the greenish yellow was a part of it. This is was was encrusted in the bottom. Looking more normal, but I ended up getting rid of the smaller bits of it still in this picture. Washed it using the petrol that I used to flush the carb and a toothbrush. The fuel coming out had a few particles but looked ok to me. Nothing that my phone might be able to pic up on pictures. I gave up kicking and kicking since it wasn't making any of the "about to start" sounds it usually makes. Then resorted to pushing it up my driveway, which is the same height as a full flight of stairs, and bump starting it down. The first time it started, in third gear with the tick over quite high and helped by the slippery ground and new front tire I almost ended up on the wall It manages to run for a while on choke, but can't get it off choke without stalling. I feel it's not running well either, sounds harsh and spluttery. A few more tries and I did get her to start on the kick a few times, but not for long. Pushed it up that drive more times than I feel comfortable counting I did think of getting it out on the street, there's a loooong way down from my door, ideal for bump starting it a few times and put some heat into the engine, but if it ends up not running I can never push it back up that far and steep. So, after a while I though that the little black adjuster that helps adjust tickover might have been too high, ended up on no adjust, so just put in 1 or 2 turns on that. Then foolishly tried to start her a few times with fuel on reserve, and fuel closed. Eventually it ran for maybe 30 seconds to a minute, on choke, but just dies like it runs out of fuel, accelerator does nothing to help it keep going. The phone started ringing and I came inside. Will try again tomorrow.

You still made the same comment as a joke to your daughter though, so surely you get how wadding about in mud up to your ankles under the rain looks like a weird kind of enjoyment.

I think we should have a section for bimble reports, found this interesting but it's really not worthy of a ride report, to me ride reports should be about more than just a few pictures of a location, but here you go anyway. Anyway, out for lunch at my favourite cafe for a burger, and I spotted an historic location on google maps right next a road I like going past. I had noticed the Portuguese flag marking the spot but never occurred to me to go see how to get there. Turns out it's Castro de Pragança, Pragança being the tiny place where it is. A Castro is something I can't really translate adequately but it's usually ruins of really old settlements or fortifications. After a little research this one was found in 1893, and dates back to end of the Neolithic. It was occupied or used through the Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages, and then used by Romans. It amazes me how I never noticed this, although to be fair you do have to look for it and once there you're free to roam around but there's nothing more than a few ruins of really old rocks marking where building used to be. Still found it interesting, and it's always cool to stand on something so old. From the top looking at the hill, you can see my usual road to return home after a coffee. And the Castro itself: The place, being empty, I felt tempted to ride up the gravel path right to the top. Fortunately I didn't because I would have felt like a proper twat now at home finding out I had trampled over a place with 3 to 4000 years. This was right after lunch, after riding up there and taking a little dirt road shortcut to make things interesting, then down and went on a little longer detour via some very typical farmlands. The culture this area is mostly known for is Pears, home of the Pera Rocha which is Portugal's most known kind of Pear. Pear trees don't really grow to his form naturally but they are repeatedly trimmed for easier fruit picking and more productivity, ending up with an odd sort of look to them, now in bloom: Weather was perfect, 14º up in the hill, 17 to 19º at the bottom, just perfect. Coming back home I noticed there's a lot more animals in the fields, taking advantage of green grass that's about to start turn dry in a few weeks. Plenty of horses grazing and running around, a few herds of sheep and goats with some very happy to be out guard dogs taking in the afternoon sun almost like they know it's going to be too hot in 2 months time. I took no more pictures because all the yellow and blue flowers waving in the breeze meant I was maybe about to have a little bit of an allergy attack. Stopped by the supermarket for fruit and vegetables, and indeed started getting watery eyes but just in time to arrive home.

Nice signals for tourists, basically, you can choose between going left and going right, life is like a box of chocolates...

Farmlands north of Lisbon near the coast.

Sorry, I will correct my statement: that looks like a horrible time to me

Poor horse, that seems like a miserable time!

Safer that way

Sitting outside with a coffee and calling clients enjoying a chill morning with little wind. Will take the opportunity of little wind to treat my tree against aphids. This is a lovely work / countryside balance when it works. Then later will get on the bike and go out for lunch, this time in what looks like a success judging by the blue skies. It's going to get hot in the weekend, 31º isn't that normal for this time of year yet, 20º and perfect today so quite a big difference.

They used to say Chinese bike manufacturers copied Europeans and Japanese in styling, but look at this shit and tell me it doesn't look Chinese, in a bad way, like it's really trying to be something it doesn't know what it is.

That V shaped thing on the back where the light is looks kind of odd. It's a very cool bike though.

Pretty cool, look forward to see how they end up.

If it does live inside my walls, maybe I do. I'm ok with them keeping at a distance though.

It's not leaking after I tapped it lightly a few times. Tomorrow I'll get to it in the afternoon when I feel like smelling like gasoline.

The ride was shit, turned into rain 5 minutes in and ended up having lunch at home. At home I did exactly that as I remembered this one time many years ago when I took the bowl off for changing the jets. A few taps fixed the leaking problem, however with all the fussing I fucked up the magic procedure to start the bike so it didn't and I left it for tomorrow. Also took apart a compost box in my garden as there are suspicions it might have been converted to a snake nest. There are a lot of small lizards and stuff like that living in the wild bush that is my garden, and they slither around when I'm around, but after a few more or less big snakes were seen I have become a little skittish of grabbing into grasses. Snakes here are mostly non venomous and eat rodents, but they are very aggressive and will make for painful encounters.

Frustrated with myself and my mechanical incompetence. I've got a XR400 pissing fluid down the carb's little escape tube instead of starting, fuel all over, even resorted to pushing it up the ramp to bump start it going down. I'm clueless. Considering selling the thing as I haven't ridden it more than 2 or 3 times in the last 3 years. Will take the GS and go for lunch up in the hills.

That's very interesting, let us know when it's done.

all balls racing

A shop lost in time:

If Pete got his way, perfect bike/topcase proportions…

Correction, lost count

Did they name a Harley after a burger?

We have an issue with them, similarly maybe how the Scots or Irish might have an issue with the English. Towards Portuguese, they think they’re superior, but they think they’re superior to anyone else, same as the French. Who likes the French? Not fair really, the company I work for isn’t even Spanish owned or managed, it’s that company in itself that’s too complicated and dramatic.

I don’t dig it one bit.

Not my kind of bike really, and it’s a properly tiny bike, but heard a few go by on full throttle and it must be one of the coolest sounding motorcycles made today.