Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
What's New?
The Surprising River Seine
The River Seine is not at all that which Ren expected, which is a good thing for once. Save for the exceedingly hot weather and questionable pricing it all turns out rather well.
No Rain, Hip Pain, A Train, Rice Grain, Heavy Rain
The Batties are off to Skye! Today though they barely make it to Scotland. Ren expands his culinary expertise, forgets something, and looks happy as always.
A Honda C90 Weekend
Bogger is up to his usual antics. That means miles, food, booze, breakdowns, and chaos in all it's forms. This time The New Forest endures his presence when the whole place is already on fire.
Hot And Simple Normandy
Sharon is in her element, Ren is at risk of melting as a heat wave hits Normandy. There's a little motorcycling and a lot of pool time, plus some sweating.
Prologue - Skye AKA Bogger's Curse
Excuses and complaining... that is all Ren has to offer. A truncated trip, the risk of bad weather, and bad timing. Awww poor poor Ren.
Skye AKA Bogger's Curse
Title page for a hit-n-miss trip to Skye
Walking, Eating, Drinking, And Riding (The Next Day)
Covering 2 days Bogger manages a little walk, an inordinate amount of dining, some alcohol, and a long ride (once sober). Contrary to Bogger's modus operandi all this is achieved without any disasters. Go figure.
Hot In Honfleur
It's hot, it's busy, and it's all a bit odd. In spite of all this and some confusing food Ren might possibly at risk of almost having an OK day?
From Bad, To Worse, To Awful
Bogger has an almost new SH350. And some friends, mostly on litre plus bikes. And a long ride ahead. There's buffoonery, worries, and finally good old incompetence to ensure Bogger has the best of times.
Acharacle Debacle
Title page for Bogger's curious weekend away in The Highlands
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Latest Posts
Honda CB 125 F Test Ride Review
ROD¹ said :-
There are not any street lights, but they do have the smaller 30mph reminders.
I have a problem with speed limits without good reason. Don't get me started on 30 & 40mph which have been reduced to 20!!!
Even my wife says they are ridiculous, and she is riding a 8.5 bhp 125.
30/09/2026 22:37:04 UTC
Honda CB 125 F Test Ride Review
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
A question for you ROD given your recent event - does the stretch between the 2 villages have street lights or regular "30" reminder roundels? I'm noticing a lot of VERY poor speed signage and it drives me bonkers. I have zero problems with following speed limits as long as I know what they blummin' well are.
30/09/2026 21:09:26 UTC
Honda CB 125 F Test Ride Review
ROD¹ said :-
Ren, I think the creeping speed limitations are all over the county now.
I can remember roads which had a 60mph limit dropping to 50mph around 20 years ago, and last year it dropped to 40mph. Same road, no new buildings, nothing has changed.
I recently attended a speed awareness course for travelling at 40mph in a 30mph zone.
The road was until recently a 60mph road between two villages. As this stretch of road is only 2 miles long they probably thought they would save on road signage and keep it at 30mph all the way through the two villages.
I think this is a classic case of boiling the frog!!
30/09/2026 20:48:42 UTC
Honda CB 125 F Test Ride Review
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
You should visit Cheshire ROD, most of the main country roads there are now 40 and 50 zones, the only 60s left are the empty narrow back lanes where you can't achieve 60.
30/09/2026 20:11:25 UTC
The Surprising River Seine
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Well folks there's a lot more grumbling about prices coming in some exciting future posts!
Yeah - the physical cost of a brew is pennies, I know I drink enough of the stuff at home. It's rent it's heating it's lighting it's staff etc etc. However... the cafe we usually go in is £1.50 for a brew - someone somewhere is making something extra.
Sharon and I keep promising to take a flask with us - and when we do it's quite nice - sometimes. Drinking hot tea from a flask sat beside the bikes in a layby with a lovely vista and the twitty birds is nice. However drinking hot tea while in the pouring rain huddled under a bus shelter on a questionable industrial estate lacks any kind of charm if I'm honest.
How much would I charge nab301? £12.50 per cup because I'll be there and they'll be paying for the pleasure of my sparkling company. I'm gonna have to pay them to come to my cafe aren't I...
30/09/2026 20:08:14 UTC
Honda CB 125 F Test Ride Review
ROD¹ said :-
That's great advice from Ren on achieving good fuel economy. Just make sure he is in the 10 mile tailback while you employ this technique.
30/09/2026 17:44:21 UTC
The Surprising River Seine
ROD¹ said :-
nab301, I always tell my wife that you are not paying for a drink and a sandwich, you are paying to sit down at their tables.
Cup of tea : tea bags 1p water next to nothing and a splash of milk.
The cost you pay are establishment costs rent rates power staff ect.
30/09/2026 15:55:01 UTC
The Surprising River Seine
nab301 said :-
Realistically Ren , if you tot up all the spiralling costs of running a public facing business , Staff , premises(rent/mortgage) energy , insurance and raw materials , I don't know how any cafes actually survive. Most in my part of the world are just breaking even but have nothing in reserve to reinvest in the business . How much would you sell a tea/ coffee for if you were behind the counter!
Nigel
30/09/2026 15:21:25 UTC
Honda CB 125 F Test Ride Review
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Try limiting your speed to 40mph max and being gentle wit the throttle Martin - I bet you won't be far off Honda's figures.
29/09/2026 21:11:44 UTC
The Surprising River Seine
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Your tip Upt' - Sharon came up with the same idea while we were there! Great minds think alike, fools seldom differ. We did have access to a freezer but on our camping tours well that might not be the case.
nab301 - when collecting Sharon's bike this very afternoon from St Helens the cafe we normally visit was just shutting up so we went to one around the corner we've never been to before. At... £3.95 for a BLEEPing cup of tea we will not be returning ever again. It's a cafe on a normal street in a very ordinary part of St Helens - not a Royal Cafe in Monaco or a executive club in London. The world has gone MAD!!
29/09/2026 21:10:49 UTC
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Latest Repair-Chat
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Shocking news Upt'!! I work on the principle of lubricating the chain often which means most of the dirt ends up on the back wheel. Admittedly even someone as scummy as myself has to clean the back wheel from time to time otherwise the wheel becomes heavier!
30/09/2026 07:48:54 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Don't think of me badly Ed.....I've just cleaned me chain.
Not a euphemism. It wasn't half crappy.
29/09/2026 12:55:00 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Glyn, I know that the Repair - Chat page is not the same without the ability to post a picture, but how is the Aprilia coming along?
28/09/2026 22:20:12 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ian , I never had an AVO but I remember a biking neighbour back in the 70's had one , or rather his father had which was useful for fault finding on his electric start Yamaha 200 (combined alternator / dynamo electric start)
BTW , I recently purchased a cheap digital meter from Lidl which has a capacitance check feature that works as you describe.
Nigel
08/08/2026 18:08:12 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I thought there may be some people who remembered AVOs here given the demographics. Sadly mine didn't come with the leather case although does have the original heavy cardboard box together with instruction manual. I've sorted out the overload button which just needed a hard press to reseat it and it now measures voltages correctly. I'll pick up a D battery later today and will order the 15 volt one - there's a seller on ebay.
It's so beautifully made inside and as you say Jeff the rolls-royce of meters and I look forward to using it in earnest.
I too have forsworn kickstarts given my knee issues - saw a physio yesterday who said I was progressing well. Three months with ongoing - although lessening - doesn't feel like good progress to me but heigh-ho.
06/08/2026 14:03:31 UTC
kiwiJeff said :-
Ian your mention of AVO8 certainly bought back memories. Like Glyn I used one through the 70s and early 80s as a radio technician working on communications valve radios. They were the Rolls Royce of multimeters. Using one balanced at the top of an equipment rack was a challenge though, they were heavy! Did the meter come in a stitched leather carry bag with a carry strap? Riding through our winter on the Bandit although while you are overheating in Europe we are having an unusually cold winter? Turned around on one of my favorite roads when I reached a sign that said next 12 kms is ice and grit! We use grit instead of salt on icy roads here which while our vehicles don't rust like yours due to the salt causing rust the grit doesn't melt so becomes a hazard on the bike for some time after the ice is gone! Ren you have my sympathies with your aching hip, my titanium hip aches in the cold my theory is the metal gets cold and affects the surrounding tissue so causing pain. The hip and the arthritic ankle mean I'll never use a kick starter on a bike again! I have to get the missus to help me roll the Bandit onto the centre stand these days! Getting old is a privilege but comes with it's challenges! Ride safe everyone through your summer, we are off to China for a month to have a look at where everything we use these days is made! Regards Jeff
06/08/2026 11:14:26 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I had to google U2 Battery, apparently it's what I would know as a D Cell? If I recall that's the big 'uns that were in the Ever Ready bicycle lights when I were a lad. Several weeks worth of pocket money for a pack of 2 D cells into the bicycle light that would be bright for 20 minutes, then dim for maybe half an hour, then dead. Today you fit a AAA into an LED light that'll blind drivers for several weeks. Kids these days, don't know how lucky they are(n't).
06/08/2026 08:27:11 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Nostalgia's not what it was.... As Glyn says, the 10A current measuring is a bonus - my digital meter has this but it's a bit of a faff. The AVO is a beautifully made bit of kit. I've found out why it doesn't work - the overload button has been activated and won't stay down It should be a simple repair or if necessary bypass it. When I hold it down it works for voltage (and I assume current). The batteries for measuring resistance have of course disintegrated. One is just an ordinary U2 - the other is special but replacements are available.
One use of an analogue ohm-meter is to check capacitors. Connect one way and the needle should make a slight kick and drop back to zero. Connect the other way and the kick should be repeated. This won't work on a digital meter.
I do have an old analogue job but it won't zero any more so when I get the AVO fixed that will be retired.
05/08/2026 13:08:16 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I would be Glyn but have a look at Chit-Chat. Due to "unforseen circumstances" I've had to remove the ability to upload images :(
Why do you want the old mulitimeter Ian? Nostalgia I presume.
05/08/2026 12:03:12 UTC
Glyn said :-
I used an Avo8 daily for at least 5 years back in the early 70’s. It was forcibly removed from me and replaced with a Fluke digital which I hated for a while. One of the plus’s of the Avo was the current measurement, even a 10Amp setting if I remember correctly. This was very useful then and would be so today.
The surgeon that repaired my finger may not have done me a favour, it’s been that painful since, I’ve often thought it would have been better to have removed the top. Are you ready for that picture of it now Ed?
903306...
05/08/2026 11:13:01 UTC
Latest Chit-Chat
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Upt'North ¹ (via ren@bikesandtravels.com) said :-
Ooo er miss's.
Can you tell the new Shoei inner from the old.
Thankfully it happened at Dunkirk on the way home.
Upt.
30/09/2026 21:24:46 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Right you 'orroble rabble! Upt' has sent me a piccy to put on this ere chit chat. He assures me it's his and I can use it so I have worked out a way to do this - if you send me the piccy. Yes yes yes it is a right old FAFF and a pain in the rear end but these things are sent to test me. ren@bikesandtravels :)
30/09/2026 20:14:38 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Yes I'd enjoy hearing about Upt's exploits! I'm hoping to bring another of Andy Grey's Facebook notes onto these pages too in a while.
26/09/2026 18:52:17 UTC
nab301 said :-
Upt , glad to hear you made it back , despite your potentially Libellous ( or is it Slanderous ?) statement! Looking forward to the in depth write up...
Nigel
25/09/2026 15:15:29 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The base model Z500 is £5,700 and has 44bhp.
KTM 390 various models under 5k! Plenty of power, not sure about reliability.
Innumerable Chinese models or all shapes and sizes. It seems the quality and backup is always improving and could be a good option.
So yes you're right it's a lot for 28bhp. I figure it'll come down to what a buyer is looking for in a bike. Anyhow it ain't here yet... it might be 5k, it might be a right lemon to ride, it might be the best thing since sliced bread.
25/09/2026 08:59:11 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
What else can you get for £5,500 Tony? Tell ya what I'll go have a look now I've asked that question.
I'll be back...
25/09/2026 08:42:39 UTC
Ocassional Lurker said :-
Yesterday "Visordown" , (Apparently MCN, I've been been informed), have reported price of the new CB500 in India ... The Visordown site then transposed that price to what some may think is a fair approximation of around £5,500, when it's sold in this country as a GB500 ...
That sounds somewhat pricey for 28 horse power... No matter how much torque they claim ...
Anyway, not too long to wait now... Tony
24/09/2026 09:39:31 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
21 days away Ed but about 14 or 15 riding days....I think. So not really that many miles per day.
From memory I would say the highest mileage per day would be approaching 300 but one or two days were probably not much over 100 miles. I try to follow our other leader....Bogger's guidance. Always enjoy a beer o'clock before slipping into dinner mode.
I think I'll write it up Ed with a picture or ten.
Upt.
23/09/2026 22:59:55 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It's a broad church Upt' covering all aspects of life as a motorcycle rider. That appears to include Bogger's peculiar choice in second hand clothing and minimal advice on Linux for yours truly.
3604.3 miles - over how many days? Sounds like a lot that does.
23/09/2026 16:50:31 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Just checked in as we're back home in Sunny Warm North Northumberland to find this very site has turned into "Fashion and Computers Weekly for Tight Arses".
If anyone is interested 3604.3 miles and B wants a wash.
Upt.
23/09/2026 10:48:16 UTC
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