Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
What's New?
Bogger Back To Base
Just a few notes for His Boggerness on the final ride home. It's been a crazy, fun and yet somehow relaxing adventure. Go figure!
Much Wenlock - Charming, Dry, And Cold
It's an easy and pleasant day in and around Much Wenlock for The Dynamic Muppets. It might even have been romantic if it weren't for Ren, the mean old grumpy curmudgeon.
A Cave, A Gratin, And Tired
Andy is making his way back up through central France now. The day is uneventful save for the quiche that's not a quiche and the GS1250 is "having a moment".
Last Day Of Fun In France
It's a lovely start to Bogger's last day in France. Malestroit is pretty and interesting, the museum is fascinating, and there's food aplenty. Shame the ferry crossing is not up to scratch.
Drawing You In
Our resident cynic Ren is bemoaning the tactics of salesfolk. It's a trap - IT'S A TRAP!! Anyone would think shops have to sell things to make a profit.
Not Much To Report, Save For More Wonderous Views
All in all it's a fairly uneventful day on the road for Andy as he makes his way homeward bound. The scenery is good, the accommodation too, although the big GS has a "moment".
A Day Of Classic And Vintage Vehicles
A rest day for Bogger? Hardly. There's classic and vintage and fast motorcycles and cars. There's posh places and new friends. Food and booze too much as you'd expect.
Anaerobic Gasket Maker
Anaerobic Gasket Maker?!? What the deuce is that? Well between Ren's mumblings and memories you might find just the merest hint of useful information. Maybe...
Cracks, Vultures, And Cow Jams
Andy is having a fascinating ride through Spain today. Cows that won't "moooooove", gaps in the scenery, gaps in the tarmac, and he's trying his hand at geology.
Skeggy Epilogue
In the final reckoning was the trip to Skeg-Vegas a rip-roaring failure or and majestic success? Neither - but you already knew that. Still, here's Ren's tuppence on the issue at hand.
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Latest Posts
Kawasaki Z 250 SL Review
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Much as I love my Hondas I can't help but feel Honda weren't targeting fuel economy with the GB350, they were targeting Enfield's success in the market. They inadvertently stumbled across great fuel economy in the process. Whatever the reason it's to the benefit of folks who enjoy riding at sensible speeds and not spending a fortune.
For eons motorcycles in the UK have been playthings for most buyers. If you're only covering 100 miles on sunny weekends then fuel economy is not a concern. If you're in the much rarer group of commuters clocking 10-15 thousand miles per year it starts to become noticeable.
I will be interested to see other running costs on the GB350. Tyres, servicing, how long do clutches last, that kind of thing.
21/06/2026 05:57:14 UTC
Kawasaki Z 250 SL Review
Martin said :-
Hi Ren,
Yes the thing about the GB350 is it gives just about 125 fuel economy while having the speed of the higher power (and more expensive 125s). As I mentioned I commuted on a GS 125 for seven years and I did like the bike but needed to thrash the bike to keep up with A road traffic but then it was embarrassingly slow uphill (I was about 14st). Again the Z250SL was much more powerful than the 125 but would not pull below 3000 rpm which meant much gear changing. As you identified there is no cush drive on the Zed which meant that it was snatchy coming back onto power. I did ride around that to a degree but found it irritating. I found the GS125 gave 100 mpg on my commute of 10 miles each way. At legal speeds the Z250 was giving about 90 mpg though I had retired by then and so this tended to be on longer runs. I think if Kawasaki had either fitted a cush drive or their belt drive to the Zed then it would have been pleasanter to ride. One of the reviews I have read for the GB350 mentioned achieving over 100 mpg at motorway speeds on a regular basis, this together with the high torque of the long stroke engine at low rpm seems very attractive to me. I am thinking that the greater flexibility of the engine will make riding more relaxing though top speed will be down by at least 15 mph compared to the Zed. I can happily live with that as I normally stick to speed limits anyway. Although the Royal Enfield 350 is similar in many ways to the Honda GB350 I think its performance is closer to 125 levels and I dont think it could quite match the Honda on fuel economy. I have long felt that bike manufacturers have paid too little attention to fuel economy so I was pleased to see that Honda had brought out the GB350.
20/06/2026 17:47:38 UTC
Why I Like Being A Pillion
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It's an old post this Matt Jackson! The legend that was the pillion Sharon is now the legend rider Sharon. She still enjoys taking a ride on the back of my bike though. Sometimes if she's tired or just wants to chill she'll hop on and enjoy being lady muck for an hour.
20/06/2026 07:39:57 UTC
Kawasaki Z 250 SL Review
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Hi Martin good to hear from you.
Considering the Z250SL has the same rolling chassis as the Z125 I can see how it can fit in as a "between" bike. It is essentially a 125 with more power. I hope it serves your son well.
I keep on looking at the GB350 but I'll wait for a while to see if there's any longevity issues. It's a good looking bike and while it's not powerful I'm told it's torquey and fun to ride. I think I need a test ride...
20/06/2026 07:35:08 UTC
Biker Code Nonsense
ROD¹ said :-
So, after what seems like weeks of rain we have some sun.
I decided yesterday to have a ride to the Peak District, and set of around 10:00.
Around 40 miles into the ride I got a tyre pressure warning and the tyre pressure decreased slowly until the bike became unmanageable. As I was on the M1, I was hoping to get to a service area, or at least a junction so I pulled onto the hard shoulder and with the puncture being slow and not wanting to spend too much time on the hard shoulder I pumped up the tyre and continued.
After another stop to pump up the tyre I finally exit the motorway and loose all pressure. I have not had a puncture for some time and on opening the required tools I find that the tyre worms have dried out. I insert two very dry tyre worms ( the rubber glue tube contained only air ) and proceeded to pump up the tyre again, keeping my fingers crossed that it would hold up.
I proceeded around the Leicester ring road and although loosing pressure for the first mile or so it then stabilised.
At this point I am returning to home, and riding slowly.
I make several stops to inflate the tyre and apply more tyre worms before finally getting home.
Over 30 - 40 motorcycles passed while I was inflating tyres and repairing the puncture.
Not one stopped to help.
Maybe it's the bike? BMW. Maybe it's cuz I'm an old biker?
19/06/2026 21:24:59 UTC
Why I Like Being A Pillion
Matt Jackson. said :-
Absolute legend ;-) yes you’re a biker. Regardless to if your riding up front or not. Biking is all about the experience. And the incredible after burn (as I call it) the relaxation, the conversation you wouldn’t normally have because your in heaven in the mind. The patience and enjoying the feeling. There’s nothing quite like it on this planet, you’ll always be a biker chick pillion or otherwise the second you get on that bike. Because it’s just unrivalled that no one in a car will ever understand. What an amazing post, and well done. ??
19/06/2026 20:19:21 UTC
Kawasaki Z 250 SL Review
Martin said :-
Hi Ren and Sharon,
Just a quick update on my Z250SL.Having had my bike for 9 years from new I have now passed my bike on to my son who has started his own motorcycle training school. The bike had a very easy life with me doing just less than 7k miles in 8 years. I still liked the Z250 but my son needed a middle size bike for A2 training so I passed it on to a good cause. The bike is now working for a living as it is an ideal step up from the 125s used for CBT before moving on to greater things. I was interested to learn that the Z250 SL has no cush drive, one of the less satisfactory points I found with the bike was that it felt snatchy when coming back onto power from the overrun. I found the old Kawasaki GPZ 305 very good from that point of view with the belt drive. I am now considering a Honda GB350S single as a replacement as I have been impressed by the reviews it has received, particularly the economy and long stroke power delivery. I look forward to reading riders impressions in these pages as I know fuel economy is an important factor in your community.
18/06/2026 22:18:49 UTC
Long Term Review of the Honda SLR 650 - By Ren Withnell
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It's perfectly possible Ian, admittedly the SLR wasn't a big seller but the chances of me seeing your old bike in Bolton are slim.
18/06/2026 18:47:19 UTC
Bogger Back To Base
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Looking forward to the next one.
18/06/2026 16:54:09 UTC
Long Term Review of the Honda SLR 650 - By Ren Withnell
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I remember my SLR650 fondly, and looking at the MoT history see it still seems to be around. Maybe it's the black one you saw Ren?
18/06/2026 15:02:10 UTC
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Latest Repair-Chat
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Upt'North ¹ said :-
Looking good fella, like Ren, I have little sense of style and taste but the brown and black bike did look a little daft.
Looking forward to your ride report.
Upt.
11/06/2026 10:06:12 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Looking smart Ian - although I personally have no issue with a brown seat but then I have no style either.
10/06/2026 16:20:46 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
This was it before. Why anyone would give it a seat that colour beats me.
10/06/2026 11:56:16 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Looks much better with the seat dyed black. A good £15 worth. Also given the side panels a couple of coats of gloss lacquer as for some reason they were finished in matt black.
10/06/2026 11:55:42 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Oh, the indicator is dangling because its fixing bolt holds the seat on: I've removed that for dying it black and didn't bother tightening up the bolt.
08/06/2026 12:59:48 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Of course Ren. This pic shows how I do it by getting the sprocket, swinging arm spindle and wheel spindle all in line. It's actually a pretty poor design as they will probably only get that far in use under extreme compression but best to set the slack at that point. The previous pic shows it with the wheel off the deck ie at max extension.
Knee still painful although very clowly improving so I hope to be out and about on either (or both) the B'Zuki outfit and the Herald.
08/06/2026 10:00:11 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
If anybody wants any I can recommend these folks.
Upt.
https://vehicleclips.co.uk/products/suzuki-plastic-clips-for-bike-atv-quad-fende...
08/06/2026 09:12:13 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That chain looks slack Ian, I hope you're going to adjust that once you've had your break. The near side rear indicator is pointing skywards too.
Otherwise - cool! I look forward to hearing about how it rides and I hope it suits you.
08/06/2026 08:22:06 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Now the little Hearald has come home I've started to get to grips with it. Plus points: it looks very nice (although I'm going to dye the tan seat black as it is a bit hipsterish for me); most things are in pristine condition with just a bit of light surface rust here and there. General construction looks good, welds on the frame are tidy but not beautiful. Nuts and bolts undo with only light application of correct sized spanners (and it's the first bike I've come across with 16mm A/F nuts) instead of needing penetrating oil and heat. The chain was scrap being very rusty and having seized links. It has had replacement Battlax tyres fitted at some time in its 3,000 km life as they're dated 2019 ie 3 years after the bike was registered. From the state of the chain - which was an O ring type so also probably not original fitment - I suspect the bike has been laid up somewhere with a cover not quite protecting everything.
It start readily and sounds good.
I've fitted a new chain and replaced the original rear suspension units, which are universally derided by experienced owners although looking very pretty, with secondhand units from a Yamaha YS125. They fit perfectly and actually move a bit when I put some weight on the back......
I've just finished fitting a battery charging connector so think I deserve a break.......
07/06/2026 13:59:55 UTC
nab301 said :-
I can (possibly mistakenly!) remember in the 70's, petrol (post decimalisation) being 30p per gallon ,my Yamaha 80 (yes it was a two stroke) could be filled for 50p , 1.5 gallon tank but when I search I'm told that petrol prices at the time were around 90p per gallon... it was however a time of shortages, queues, abusive customers , (working part time in a filling station, no different from today I guess) and exponential price rises but still a lot cheaper than todays €1.90 per litre / €8.62 per gallon.
Nigel
09/05/2026 17:28:34 UTC
Latest Chit-Chat
Go To Chit-Chat
ROD¹ said :-
Yes, I heard from a motorcyclist a few days ago. He ran various Suzuki hyabusas from 2002 and was refused renewal on this bike just under two years ago at the age of 81.
He sold the bike and got a 400cc scooter, but it did not go well. He missed the riding experience of the big bike, and has given up biking. He still really misses the bike.
I have been wondering about this scenario as I am also reasonably healthy, getting old,(am old)and love larger capacity bikes.
If I was to move to Spain I believe that the bike is insured, not the rider. Could I still ride at over 80 in Spain, or is there an age restriction like vans insured for any driver in this country, eg over 25?
21/06/2026 10:06:03 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I agree it's not cheap but when I compare it with £500 and upwards for an annual policy (quotes via comparison sites) it looks like a bargain.
I'd never previously considered the shuttle but have been treated very shabbily by Brittany ferries. Briefly, I originally booked a crossing for last year but knew we'd probably have to defer due to various health issues so chose a flexi ticket. Defer we did a couple of times but when I tried to do that again a couple of weeks ago I was told I couldn't. The small print said there was a 12 month limit for rescheduling. All I could get was a 50% refund.
Had I known this I would have amended the booking earlier to remove expensive options like cabin etc so the hit would have been much less than the £300 or so we actually lost. So I've gone from a Brittany enthusiast to a wouldn't touch them with a bargepole sceptic. I still remember when I boycotted them for some years after they banned motorcycles over a certain age. Ostensibly because they were ridden by hell's angels......
The shuttle actually may make a lot of sense but we'll see. Haven't booked anything yet.
21/06/2026 10:01:30 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I am reading this with interest, the whole insurance thing sets me on edge with the ducking and diving, dodging and weaving. So far it seems a good policy Ian and while £35 isn't "cheap" for 2 weeks I'd say it's manageable.
One of my occasional friends is 82 and just been informed by his motorcycle insurance that they will not be offering to renew his policy when it expires. He's not made a claim this century, just got older. Yikes!!
21/06/2026 06:05:22 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
As far as vehicle cover is concerned, I rely on Britannia for which the policy covers me (and wife) in any vehicle whether driven by us or not, throughout UK and EU. I've used it a couple of times for bikes in the UK and they've been great, sending out a proper bike transport vehicle (except once when a dirty great low loader arrived which was a bit of overkill for the B'Zuki).....
20/06/2026 14:20:20 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
This the AI answer....
Personal Travel Insurance HighlightsThe core travel policy provides comprehensive protection for the rider and pillion:Medical Emergency: Up to £10,000,000 per person, which includes hospital stays, ambulance costs, and emergency repatriation.Cancellation & Curtailment: Up to £5,000 per person for unused and non-recoverable costs if you must cancel or cut short your trip.Baggage & Personal Items: Up to £2,500 per person (with sub-limits of £350 for a single article and £500 for total valuables).COVID-19: The policy includes specific coverage for coronavirus-related claims.Motorbike Cover DetailsWhen selecting the combined Motor Breakdown Cover, specific details and vehicle protections apply:Roadside Assistance & Recovery: RAC provides roadside repairs or recovery of your motorcycle to a local garage in Europe.Repatriation: If the motorbike cannot be repaired in time for your return, the policy covers the transport of the vehicle and passengers back to the UK.Legal & Licence Requirements: To be fully covered, you must hold the correct, valid driving licence for your engine size, wear an appropriate helmet, and ensure the bike is in a legal and roadworthy condition.Full details regarding the policy’s geographic limits, excess fees, and claims numbers are available via the Eurotunnel
20/06/2026 13:12:41 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Second link:
https://www.iansoady.org.uk/pdf_documents/Eurotunnel-Travel-Insurance-IPID-May-2...
20/06/2026 10:08:25 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I've downloaded the policy documets and T&Cs and can see no mention of motorcycles in either. There is a list of sports and activities which are excluded although motorcycling is again not mentioned. Of course it's only if you make a claim that you'd find out...
I've put a copy of them on a web page. First link below.
https://www.iansoady.org.uk/pdf_documents/shuttle%20travel%20insurance%20T%26C.p...
20/06/2026 10:07:59 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
That's interesting Ian, it would be good to see the actual policy document rather than the dashboard page though. If you take it out and get to see one please post it for a perusal. I haven't taken a yearly policy out yet because any trip abroad, if it happens will be in August or later.
It's only the health cover that I'm actually that interested in, the rest is just handy I spose as a just in case.
Ta me duck.
Upt.
19/06/2026 18:50:03 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
We had a little chat about travel insurance and cover for motorcycling a while ago. For various reasons I'm considering using the shuttle for a short trip to France in the autumn (not on the bike). I was surprised to find that they offer short trip insurance, and for us for a couple of weeks this would be only £35. There aren't any health restrictions and they're happy to cover people up to age 85 - both of which usually costs a fortune even if available.
More germane to the previous conversation, there is no mention of motorcycles in the policy document so one can only assume there is no restriction. Unless I'm missing something. Which I often am.......
You have to go through the booking process to get the price, but obviously not actually paying yet!
https://www.leshuttle.com/uk-en/travelling-with-us/before-you-go/insurance/polic...
19/06/2026 13:54:00 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Rod, my point above.
Who will have the knowledge to fix these things?
Mechanics change parts these days, or entire assemblies, paints shops are only interested in Insurance work.
05/06/2026 11:04:15 UTC
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