Gas up - Let's Go!

Parents,,,,,, ???? Alive I'd say. If ever there was a case for compulsory euthenasia, here it is.

A recycle deal with Lego ???

I was in there yesterday - they do still have one, it's in Black (do they come in any other colour?)

I though I was the only heartless realist, fed up with the radio and TV already. I'm sick to death of these tearspouting morons on the TV & Radio, WTF are these people on? get a life, the sun will still come up tomorrow. I know there are those that think he was a god, king of pop, a musical genius - but to be honest I don't have a single recording of his, I never found any of his music entertaining, or in fact ground breaking. With the exception of Thriller which I remember as being the first album with true stereo (the footsteps walking across the room - that was quite cool), but that is more down to the production than any musical talent. He was accused of child abuse (Ok this is a genericl term, but it covers most bases), pleaded his innocence then paid up. out-of-court with a gagging order! Yes, if I had nothing to hide that's what I'd do........ Oh no sorry, I'd stand up there and prove these people wrong. He was then charged, and went to court, but where in the UAS could you find a person who doesn't think the sun shines out of his ass ?? and he even got to choose his jury members WTF is that all about?? OJ got off with murder - enough said about that then. Circus trials just aren't worth the paper they are written on. I for one couldn't care less about his passing, what really gets on my goat is now I have to retire into my own little world or be subjetc to the "he was great" "we all miss him" crap and the perpetual looping of his output on the Radio....... At this time in my life I am actually thankfull to Apple and the growth of large capacity MP3 palyers........

Fish Pie (sorry - way in the left field this one!)

fags

I think it's the red one, just behind the lightbulbs. Or I have I misunderstood ?

Oh. You've done it now.

First thing, Do you believe your 'friend'? is thier observation that good ? or are they just winding you up? Was the officer actually turning the camera, or simply adjusting his rear view mirror, lipping his visor down (it's a sunny day after all) ? It would be more likely, if Mr Plod was interested in you, that he'd turn around, pull you in and give you his 'safety talk' and you would at least get the opportunity to give an explanation for your actions (this is the point where you never try to be cleaver, be open and honest), before getting properly shafted. I wouldn't worry about it, just remember to dress yourself properly in future!!!

J&L (Carlisle) did have one in a few months back, not sure if it's still there - maybe worth a call first -> 01228 596826

This wasn't by chance the 'man on the train' video that's been doing the rounds was it ?

Have a look on fleabagbay, there are a few sellers who put together full bike sets.

Some guest house near Bayonne -> Miranda De Douro (Portugal) -> Ijmuiden (Amsterdam), left France at 06:00, arrived in Ijmuiden at 13:00 the following day - stopped and fell over!. Stupidest thing I ever did. Paris is very pleasant at 04:00 in the morning though......

She sure is thorough. Me, I soak it with nice cold water, squirt it all over with muc-off, then squirt nice cold water over it again. Somtimes, if there are lots of flies, then I might give it a rub all over with a sponge (one of those that looks like it's in pair of fishnets). It either gets a run around the block to flush the water out, or a blast with the airline to blow the water out. Job done. I don't subscribe to this "don't use a pressure washer" - if it can't take a domestic pressure wash, then it's not really going to hold out with wagon spray/heavy rain hitting it at 70mph. So the dirt bike get pressure wash, muc-off and pressure wash (no spongey rub). I also have a XJR that is a pain in the arse to clean - so I only take it out on nice days! The rest of the time the XT gets to play.

On a 125, A roads are as boring as Motorways/Dual Carriageway are on a bigger bike, forget this direct route and take the long way. OK, so you realy aren't going far by most standards (a commute to some!) but as you say, it's your first 'real' trip so make it a happy one. Try to find a reasons to de-tour, to see something - or just for the pure hell of it!! I often get asked this advice from first time overlanders, I guess the advice is the same no matter what the destination. Think the ride through, day by day and put everything you would normally use in a pile (kinda think about getting up, brushing your teeth, washing, getting dressed, eating, crapping, etc etc). The look at what you have and see where you can double up (do you really need 3 teeshirts and 3 pairs of jeans for that 3 day trip ??). When you've reduced the pile a bit try to pack it all on the bike. When it doesn't fit, lay it all out on the floor (so you can see it all) and look again at what you really don't need. Rather than taking a bottle of shower gel and a bottle of shampoo, get a small bottle and put enough shampoo in it for the trip, and take a bar of soap instead. It's all about thinking about what you need against what you live with day-to-day. Consider the weather, and how it will change. make sure your M'cycle gear is adaptive without the need to have loads of different stuff. Leather is fine, but you need to keep it dry in the rain. Goretex is great if you have quality gear - it can be crap if it has a fault!! Don't get bored - like I say, take an interesting route, stay clear of traffic as best you can, if you feel your backside getting stiff/numb then stop, have a coffee/tea/coke/mars bar etc etc take a few pictures, get back on the bike and ride a bit more. You can keep alert (if you feel you're getting tired) by commentry riding, (read out the road hazards as you see then, speak out the risks and the action you are going to take), this will keep your mind awake, and you'll improve your riding at the same time. City riding is just one aspect of being on a motorcycle, open road is way better. You'll have other stuff to contend with too, overtakes, bends, junctions, rain, hail, fog, wind you name it - it's out there.... Wind -> the key is to reduce speed a bit and adjust your road possition to account for where the wind is going to blow you. On a 125 you are going to have the added hazard of idiots in cars trying to pass you in YOUR safety space. Keep an eye out for this and defend your road where you can, but don't do it at the expense of safety. Alays be prepaired to give up possition for safety - you'll live longer! Watch out for gaps in the hendges, junctions, walls, houses where the wind will pick up - remember that you are provided protection from side winds when going past these so don't let it catch you out when the gap appears. Have a test ride with the bike fully loaded, cover 10 of so miles, then put the bike away for the night. Next morning when you get on it it won't feel so heavy. Rememebr the extra weight as it's going to affect your performance, don't be half way past a truck when you remember you've not got the power to get past in time to get out of the way of the oncoming car. Happy riding, take your time and enjoy the ride.

Have a look on Ebay, there are a few sellers - some even do complete sets for named bikes. Usual search strings; SS, Stainless Steel Bolts, or search by you bike model, make etc. Once you find one you'll probably find they have an ebay shop where you can order what you want.

What ?? A girlie on a bike, and no smooth Foamy titterings ?? Has the sun affected him ?? PS - Welcome along fabgal. I was at Hartside yesterday (along with 1.2 million others!) and there were a few girlies on bikes. Always good to see. stay safe.

Why not make a trip of it ?? Ferry to Bilbao/Santander then a ride either through, or in the foothills of the Pyrenees. From Bilboa to Valencia give yourself two days, it's do-able in one without any problem but the ferry doesn't dock till lunchtime - it's upto you. The traffic around Valencia is at best, rammed!! Take a bit of care with your filtering, although drivers in spain don't try to wipe you out in the same way 9/10 of them do here (apart from Bilboa, but mostly they aren't spanish!) I guess it depends on how much time you have. I rode through the southern foothills of the Pyrenees last year, over to Barcelona, then down the coast to Costa del Sol and Gibraltar. Came back home straight through the interior and Madrid. It's a great run. Have a read at the "Keep up with my travels" link below. Don't bother with the French AutoRoutes, mind numbingly boring. France is great if you are traveling in it, crap if you are just transiting.

Great piece of kit. Although,,, You do have to be patient and keep it properly adjusted, otherwise it's either oil slick, or bone dry!! This time of year consider a mix of red and blue oil (about 60/30 (blue/red)) as the blue is just that little bit runny, but the red is too thick on it's own. I use it on my Tenere, and I have 14,000 miles on the chain from new with no visible wear, and the wheel has only gone back one notch, so loads of life left. In the same time I've gone through a rear tyre and a set of cush rubbers.... If you consider that you can double the life of your drivechain, then the scottoiler pays for itself. There are other oilers on the market, I've seen 'dump' type oilers that deposit a set amount of oil onto your chain with the activation of a plunger, these are great if you ride off-road as you can effectivly 'wash' your chain with a couple of 'dumps'. I had a mate who tried an electronic one, can't remember what make, but it was rubbish. One good thing, the scottoil wshes off your rims/tyres much easier than any tinned product.

Sorry for taking so long to put a reply up. Yes, I agree.

Welcome. The Tenere has traveled the world more times than any other bike. What about BMUU I hear? well that's only come true since Ewan & Charlie put it at the front of peoples minds. I'm not knocking then they've done a great job at bringing adventure motorcycling to the mainstream. These bikes (I've the new one, but I also have a TTR which closely resembles your bike) are just perfect, everywhere you go you'll find someone who can fix it (should something happen), spares are everywhere, you can do just about any repair at the roadside, they are comfortable (when you've broken your backside into the seat!), and if you make a small addition like a sheepskin you can ride them all day. Pay? nooooooo. There are people up and down the country who will be more than happy to help. Overlanders are the most open, helpfull friendly group of people you will ever meet. Most travel alone so really any opportunity to 'hang out' with someone of a similar mindset is almost mandatory!! There is resorce available, firts try here: www.horizonsunlimited.com Every question you can think of will be answerwed, by those doing it, done it, plannin it or just dreaming. They won't make it! To go into the unknown you need a bike that will ride towns, open road, smooth, rough, dirt, pot holes, rivers, you-name-it type roads/paths/tracks/goat'n sheet tracks. You need a bike that you can fix yourself, or at least enough to limp to the next town or village, and most importantly it needs to look like crap - that way it will still be there when you go back to it! Don't get me wrong, outside of the UK people admire guys on motorcycles, and mostly just want to have a look (where as here the little tw@ts would rather take it home) and talk to you, but if you hav an old bike it reduces the risk massivly. By all means make sure it's top notch mechanically, you'll need to modify it to get your luggage on - so make that descision early on. Hard or soft luggage ?? plastic or alloy?? etc etc. You don't need to go all BMUU and have 100 litres of crap, you'll be suprised how little you actually need on the road, and how you can use the same tool for many different jobs..... I have a tyre lever with a hammer head on the other end with a 22mm socket attached to it!! three tools in one. Just think outside of the box a little and you'll be suprised. If you've not done any off-road riding before then I'd advise you get out on the green lanes and have a go - if you don'r like it, or struggle, now is the time to deal with it. Route - have you any ideas? north or south of the Caspian Sea ?? You've loads to think about apart from the bike (which will get you there anyway), visa's jabs, routes, carnet's, spares, fuel, insurance, getting back, safety, the list goes on and on. The more you get sorted up front, the less time you worry about it on the road. Fame!!!!! I have my 15 minutes at last......... Destination Dakar...... 2011...........

Nickwax glove proofer like this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NIKWAX-GLOVE-PROOF-W...%3A1%7C294%3A24 Works really well, doesn't harden leather and leaves a 'grippy' surface. I have a pair of HG gloves, the Sypatex ones and they are crap (always go Goretex if you can), but really warm, I normally give them a going over with the nickwax and it keeps the wet out.

Well, now here;s a question. and here's one answer : edit: Don't know why it's so small, I must have been effign around with the picture on the site at some point, oh well.

I'll go with that, but I assumed there might be corners, or traffic