Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
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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
GB350S Or CB125F?
Due to comments on other posts Ren is focusing his thoughts on smaller capacity machinery. There's no right answer, it all depends dunnit.
Finally To The Gite
It's a much less stressful day's ride today. Good weather, a sensible mileage to cover, and no reason to rush. Fear not Ren will find a few things to gripe about.
Struggling Into France
It's time to go to France, alas there's far too much time to go to France. Ren is early, the trains are late, it's hot, and it's disorganised. Oh and Sharon's life flashes before her eyes - or was it a Transit van?
Honda GB350S Test Ride Review
Ren stumbles into a test ride of the Honda GB350S. Can he get his head around a new way of riding? It's all very different in the world of low revs and heavy flywheels.
A Dodgy Hip, A Mesh Seat Cover, And Pants
In trying to reduce leakage in the rain our brave and heroic half-wit Ren has got himself a cunning and devious plan. However this idea is causing him issues because he's getting old now and the newness has worn off.
Bedfordshire Is Not In France
And they're off to France! Well Bedfordshire today, but they will get to France eventually... hopefully... maybe?
The Last Day Of A Big Ride
It's Andy's last day of an epic trip. Save for some wind (no not that kind of wind) it seems all rather mundane somehow. Anyhow he's home and safe after over 4,500 miles.
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Hot In Honfleur
Ian Soady¹ said :-
When I was touring France, I can't remember an instance when I wanted to stop somewhere and couldn't find a decent hotel. I never (well almost never) booked in advance for this very reason.
I was almost caught out one very hot and sultry afternoon when I was looking for accommodation after about 250 miles and followed some signs to what I thought was a hotel. It turned out to be an old folks' home. As I walked into the entrance there was a serried row of geriatric faces slowly turning towards me. Mind you, probably appropriate these days.
One of the best was a little auberge in the Massif Centrale with an extremely comfortable bed, gorgeous table d'hôte with a constantly refilled wine glass and lovely fresh croissants for breakfast. All for less than €50. Probably more now. It was very hard to find and I rode past it a couple of times till I spotted the sign buroed in the roadside verge.
The link shows my Tiger from the bedroom window.
https://www.iansoady.org.uk/france%202007/images//DSCF0350.jpg...
04/09/2026 14:31:02 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
ROD¹ said :-
But, although the hotels are warm and dry, it leaves the problem of; when you see a nice place en route and want to stop, you still need to carry all of that gear.
The answer is surely to tow a trailer behind the bike. Place the gear into the trailer, lock it, then lock the bike and trailer together and you are free from the gear.
I will have a trailer for sale shortly ready to go, with greased suspension, new tyres, and new lights fitted last year and I have not used it since.
04/09/2026 12:49:02 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Shall I purchase carsandtravels.com ROD? Then we'll no longer be batties but catties.
I mentioned my solution to Sharon. She said rather than spending quarter of a million on trucks and caravans why not use the cash to stop in nice warm dry hotels? I can not deny her impeccable logic.
04/09/2026 08:54:41 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
ROD¹ said :-
You have convinced me Ren.
I have just put the bike up for sale, and I am now looking for a four wheel vehicle with air conditioning and a heater.
Now I am convinced that the car is the way forward there seems little point in reading these posts...
04/09/2026 07:37:13 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I think I have the solution.
HGV. Behind the cab affix a caravan. Behind the caravan a garage with both a car and a bike. Keep warm and dry in the caravan. Use the car for everyday stuff and the bike for playtime.
Now I can barely drive a small fiat panda safely. What I require is a driver for the HGV. The driver could also double up as a chef, cleaner, and general dogsbody.
Would anyone out there be willing to fund this? I'd estimate 250,000 for the rig and about 75,000 annually for wages and running costs. Don't worry Sharon and I will cover food expenses for ourselves.
04/09/2026 07:35:17 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
There really is no doubt at all that motorcycling is hard work.
Want to nip to the shop? Add 10 minutes for getting your kit on and off, plus you're limited to a fairly small amount of shopping.
Out and about with friends? You can't talk to each other unless you get into fiddly coms systems. Group riding is not without it's complications as we know.
Out for a meal? Restauranteurs don't appreciate the dripping waterproofs and pile of kit beside their nice tables.
Camping? You're limited to smaller tents filled with wet kit. Cooking and cleaning stuff needs to be as small as possible. Nowhere to dry anything out or warm up. Overloaded saddle bags and boxes.
Out for a walk? You're either carrying your kit or trying to secure it to the bike such that when it rains it's not getting soaked.
I'm sure you all can think of many more problems. And yet here we are, making transportation as difficult as possible for ourselves. One has to hope motorcycling is sufficiently fun and engaging to compensate for all the above as well as the additional risks.
I'm slowly convincing myself to just use the car from now on...
04/09/2026 06:41:53 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
nab301 said :-
Ren getting grumpy? no fear of that , you've been grumpy for as long as I can remember! As for falafel , what did deep fried chickpeas with added herbs and spices ever do to you...
I'm with you on the hot weather , bikes are generally great when on the move but you can't beat cars if you're going to spend a lot of time on foot at your destination which looks great judging by the photos.
Nigel
03/09/2026 15:38:57 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Too many people Ian! I think I'm getting old and grumpy see.
Fear not Bogger, there's bound to be rain on the next trip (in fact I can guarantee it, I'm looking at it from the tent right now). How do you keep an idiot in suspense? All be revealed.
01/09/2026 18:34:12 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
Bogger said :-
I think that you really enjoy being pampered. Hard, rough camping biker?
Yeah my a**e. You like the good life too much pal.
The next story from you boyo needs real hardship and suffering please. Bike breakdowns, getting soaked and frozen. We want mental and physical exhaustion. Getting lost, running out of fuel. You get the drift man.
Air conditioned cars for Gods sake!
Bogger
01/09/2026 16:30:46 UTC
Hot In Honfleur
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Having fun as usual then.....
In my experience the restaurants clustered round harbours and the like are generally overpriced and not particularly good. It's better to explore the side streets. It's a long time since we were in Honfleur but I seem to remember a cheap little place up the hill from the big church (which itself is worth a look).
French sundays? Love 'em. They do know how to live don't they?
I think we ate at the pictured restaurant in Pont Audemer on our trip in 2004. It does look very familiar. Mind you, there are a lot that look like that.
Oh, the music festival? It's an annual event - la fête de la musique. Apparently it covers the whole of France. I'd never heard of it till a couple of years ago when we stumbled across it in Malestroit. Brilliant - musicians of all types on every street corner. And free!
01/09/2026 14:48:18 UTC
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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
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Idly browsing my local auction house's offerings I came across a "vintage" Avo Mk 8 multimeter. I rmember using these nearly 60 years ago as an apprentice. A low bid secured it for just over £12. It doesn't work but I'm sure I can fix that. Or can I?
No pic (obviously) but here's the link.
https://www.lilybidsauctionhouse.com/catalogue/lot/482979564e1c213be831d1848eb58...
05/08/2026 09:53:30 UTC
nab301 said :-
Glyn , looking forward to seeing and hopefully hearing the fruits of your labours , will you be stripping the engine?
Nigel
26/06/2026 14:53:36 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Ooooh eeeee ouch! I'm glad you didn't post your gory sliced digit Glyn (Flyn). You can show us when it's healed a little and we can imagine the rest. As for the heat... Enough already but it won't be long until I'm griping about the rain/cold dagnammit. The nights are already drawing in.
26/06/2026 09:57:29 UTC
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Occasional Lurker said :-
Ren,you are spot on with your guess / deduction, of Blackpool Honda ... The parts department have been good at their job, courteous, and friendly ... These things keep me coming back ...
I'm sure you remember the 1989 GB500 ... That was sold recently, at the H&H auction, at the National Motorcycle Museum ... It reached a whisker over my reserve, and I was glad to get the space back from under the stairs ..!!
Now I can get the Hoover out ... My housekeeping regime has been somewhat neglected for the last thirteen years ..!!
Who knows, if the new GB is a tempting prospect, I can see me asking for a test ride .... Just think ... I might just be saying ..... Yes, I've had one of the originals you know.... Regards, Tony
04/09/2026 21:48:19 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That is a juicy little nugget Occasional Lurker, which Honda dealer was this? Knowing your location I'd guess Blackpool, possibly Manchester?
The whole purpose of waterproof pants is to ward off rain while making your legs exceedingly sweaty, rendering you as wet as if it was raining.
Keep up the good work folks!
04/09/2026 20:08:38 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ay up. Say that to someone in Germany. They just look up. Try it, it tickled me.
Now in Soest, Germany. Haven't seen much of it yet, we'll be out in the town shortly. I can report categorically that Belgium and Belgium drivers are blummin lovely....Germans, not so much.
About 260 miles today on busy major routes, as in, busy, busy, busy. No mirrors were harmed during filterin.
On the ride down the M1 The B did 160 miles on 12 Litres of go juice. Haven't worked that out.
Put the Berghaus overtrousers on today Ed, they're magic! It didn't rain.
I know.
Upt and Er'Indoors. She doesn't like filterin.
04/09/2026 17:07:27 UTC
Occasional Lurker said :-
Just a little "nugget" of news that may well be of interest to anybody who holds "old-fashioned" characteristics of motorcycle design, rather close to their hearts ...
A couple of weeks ago, I had cause to call into a Honda dealer, for the collection of a couple of parts I'd ordered, ( tarmac damage ... don't ask ...) On the way out, I managed to find a member of the sales team, and asked, "Just when are we going to hear some concrete news of the much anticipated new GB500? ...
With a smile, the reply came ... "Not long now Sir. I can confirm that ALL Honda dealers have been notified recently" ... He then tapped his keyboard, and the said notification appeared before my very eyes..!!! The new GB500 is to be formally announced, for the European market, at the next EICMA show, on November 5th, in Italy ...
So, in eight weeks, we,ll have an end to the rumors, and rather poor computer renderings, of "mashed-up" GB350's...
I for one, can't wait ... Regards, Tony
04/09/2026 09:13:44 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Ahhh The Upt' report is in. 3 days to go from Wooler to Le Shuttle? That sounds very civilised, nice and chill.
Sharon and I are just a little farther north, where the weather is proving "troublesome". I'm sure his Boggerness will be pleased to hear this.
04/09/2026 06:48:32 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I can report we've had some fun. Although the Dartford crossing in a biblical storm wasn't fun, or indeed forecast.....pffffffftttttt.
If it's Thursday we'll be in Tournai in Belgium land. We got on an earlier train so arrived in good time, Bon Secours Blonde has been consumed. We had overnight stopovers in Elton, Cambs and Brabourne, Kent. Seems like we've been away three weeks not three days.
I can confirm for Bogger that Bon Secours Blonde should be tried.
Onto German land tomorrow, weather seems iffy at the mo but today has been all good. Except the pretty strong westerly across northern France and into Belgique.
Upt and Er'Indoors.
03/09/2026 17:47:00 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes and no. It depends what sort of fun we're talking about.....
It is taking a depressinglylong time but the physio says it's normal. He made me try a few days without the knee support but I think that made it worse. Still, I'm keeping busy in the shed with my gear and brake conversion on the Herald.
03/09/2026 10:13:15 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Is the knee stopping you from having fun Ian?
02/09/2026 21:28:55 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Have fun for those of us who can't at the moment.
01/09/2026 11:13:20 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Ooh exciting! Europe is calling?
31/08/2026 19:05:29 UTC
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