Pedro

With the sort of intelligent cornering ABS and throttle management on bikes today and becoming more available each year, I honestly do not think that is an issue on the road. It won't cut power like a hard rev limiter does. I also think most bikes will have a BMW ABS style button which you just press and disconnect the whole thing, too many bikes being meant to be used for off the road things make it easy for bike manufacturers to do it, although certainly some won't. I am sure I do not want to buy a bike that monitors and records what I do in a way that can easily be presented to the authorities, or one that is speed limited in any way. There will be a massive industry of guys mapping these systems out of bikes and cars, and this might in turn present the manufacturers with liability in case they aren't able to ensure their systems' unbreachability (is this a word?). My dad's car has a little sign inside on the dashboard that indicates the current speed limit, based on sign recognition or might even be GPS assisted, it works surprisingly well. Having said that, there are multiple speed traps placed right after lower speed signs in Portugal, these systems won't save you from this as you would need to jump on the brakes to go from a 120 to an 80 in 50 meters, we are nowhere near the speed monitoring you guys have in the UK or France, though. And lastly, you know he's not a car guy when you hear "your 10 year old Ford Escort"

I like that road, nice surface, tight and twisty and plenty of dips and bumps, just great! How did you find the scooter on a fun road after a proper ride?

Nice aircraft exhibit, and what a diverse group of bikes!

He also said he ruined his pants doing it...

Working from my phone from home, I can't even understand the effort to build a house using chopped down trees by yourself or as a couple using only hand tools. Building that trying to make it before winter, while sourcing food as well. And then you still make it with enough quality that it endures more than a century of harsh winters? Regarding the road below: YES!

I think people are really leaving it to the last moment before switching to my bike...

The dude wasn't really a poster child for the arian race, though... Jew, Romany, and Ginger, you would have had it bad in Germany back then Pete!

Looks like the only one having fun is Pete, does that mean anything...?

And to me a fast big scooter must be about as comfortable doing normal legallish motorway speeds as a nice touring motorcycle, no?

A few months ago I was at a bike shop here in Lisbon, belonging to a well known good racebike mechanic and builder, and noticed what I thought was strange. It was a big T-max with no fairing on, and you’re right, it does look quite motorcycle like. That one had a front fork and wheel+brake out of a Ducati, and the engine was being put together like a proper race engine, polished and friction treated everything… because apparently the current trend in Lisbon is streetracing with scooters, and that specific one was doing over 200kmh before the engine improvements.

Only one discerning person so far, appreciated the glint on my bike's rotor, and the subtle sunset light over the plains of the Ribatejo ...

Leave the man alone, he's riding 800 miles a day in less than 10ºc, it's misery!

I voted for the Harley, a few minutes ago, it was me

In Portugal a brit is bife (or bifa for a woman) I think it originates from beefeater, roast beef, or beef steak, which is what you were mostly order on holiday here. I don't think it's meant as an insult, though.

I looked it up, it's racial for all mediterraneans, and it might be from the common spanish name Diego like a couple of sources say, but wikipedia says this: The term may have originated following British or American encounters with Portuguese and Spanish sailors. "Diego" is the Portuguese nickname for any deckhand. After transforming into "dago" in English and becoming a common term for Spanish and Portuguese people, the slur expanded in usage to then refer to Italians and Italian immigrants, another Mediterranean and Latin ethnic group.

OK, but what does it really stand for?

I crossed paths with someone riding a bike similar to that one before, I find most people on scooters don't wave back to me Nice road to get to know a bike, I like the views

What's a dago, really? Is it all southern europeans?

Perfect looking dirt roads, love that!

I don’t know, might be the hardcore riding?

It works exactly that way, except you take shit pictures and people don’t really want to vote for a GS. Plus Michelle takes some amazing backdrop pictures too…

I meant that having a nice bike but not doing anything with it would just generate ugly pictures

Considering a motorcycle isn’t really going to do things worthy of an award by itself, location and getting it in a pretty picture is really the point, isn’t it?

Nothing like a couple of problems to make you appreciate when things happen normally