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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.
Everyone Has Their Troubles
A long, cold and moist ride today for Bogger and Pete. Turns out their host isn't having the best of days either. Fear not there's still beer and smiles.
Prologue, Rain, Lost, And Hot
Another short winter break in Shropshire. This time Much Wenlock provides the location and the weather does what winter weather does. It'll be fine, hopefully.
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Honley Venturer RX-3 First Look
nab301 said :-
Ren, I don't think it's just Chinese brands , forgetting chassis/ suspension parts modern cars for example can have up to 30 modules /computers and complex wiring harnesses which I can't see being available later in the life of the vehicle if required .
A friend of mine has a GS550 Suzuki which I just realised is nearly fifty years old and running well, I won't be around to see but will any of the current crop of bikes be around in Fifty years time?
Nigel
04/06/2026 16:06:34 UTC
A Cave, A Gratin, And Tired
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes indeed. Very impressive.
04/06/2026 09:57:35 UTC
A Cave, A Gratin, And Tired
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That's a blummin huge hole in the rock that. I'm guessing the road goes through it?
04/06/2026 08:26:18 UTC
Honley Venturer RX-3 First Look
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I googled Honley nab301 - according to the government records the business was wrapped up in 2022. It was my understanding the company were bringing in branded chinese bikes as I have seen the same bike with a different name on it. I can only guess that it somehow didn't work out I'm afraid.
And this is what concerns me with the Chinese brands. Imagine Company X is making a bike, a perfectly good motorcycle. They're selling it to anyone and everyone who then rebrands the bike as a Mutt, a Honley, a Benelli, a Keeway, a Hero, a QJ, an ABC and a XYZ... This muddies the water. One brand goes bust leaving shops with end of line stock. Another messes up their customer service and parts.
If it were sold as "Company X" we would become familiar with the brand and in time grow to trust the brand. It is obvious the Chinese (and Indians etc etc etc) are clearly not stupid and I suspect we'll see a reduction and convergence of the multitude of brands into a few strong and eventually trusted brands.
04/06/2026 08:25:22 UTC
A Cave, A Gratin, And Tired
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Thanks Andy. I don't think you were too far away from the Mas d'Azil which actually has a road going through a cave system. Quite spectacular. This isn't a very good photo - scanned for a 35mm print - but gives an idea of the size. My Commando is to the right of the pic and that looks like a moped or scoot exiting the cave. Possibly on the wrong side of the road.....
03/06/2026 16:41:19 UTC
Honley Venturer RX-3 First Look
nab301 said :-
Ren , whatever happened to Honley ? I take it they're not around anymore . Were they a joint venture between a UK dealer and a Chinese manufacturer?
Nigel
03/06/2026 13:03:31 UTC
Brief Ride On A Honda Innova 125 - By Ren Withnell
Uncle Johnse said :-
The two sets of wheels are very different.
I've not tried to fit wave wheels on an innova, but when the two bikes are parked side by side you can see that they won't fit.
That said, there are many geniuses out there who can make anything fit with machining and spacers etc.
I just think that it would be a pain to do especially when there are the correctly fitting ones available from places like Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines,Thailand etc.
I have brought back cast wheels for Honda C90s from the far east in the past so more recent models are well catered for.
02/06/2026 12:20:34 UTC
Honley Venturer RX-3 First Look
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Teehee! Initially I'm disgruntled when folks try free advertising on here without any context or input otherwise. However I ought to be pleased to know BAT is popular enough to warrant the efforts. Anyhoo I've removed the link and other details because I'm a big old meanie.
You wouldn't believe how many emails I get offering to improve my rankings and increase my profits (what profits?).
Upt'. Maps? you're a big boy now and I know you have access to Google maps. You just like to moan and grumble doncha. As for getting money out of me - quite right - no chance. If however anyone fancies giving me money in return for an advertising banner or two I'm open to offers.
01/06/2026 13:10:32 UTC
Honley Venturer RX-3 First Look
Upt'North ¹ said :-
We might even get maps Ian.
Pffffffftttttt.
Money from Ed? They don't know who they are dealing with!
Upt and laughing me big woolly socks off.
01/06/2026 12:22:08 UTC
Honley Venturer RX-3 First Look
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Obviously an expert here Ren, better pay attention (or better still pay him some money(!)
01/06/2026 12:18:28 UTC
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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
Glyn said :-
Just to add my bit, I remember 3 star petrol ( that had to be mixed with oil in my bantam ) was three shillings and six pence a gallon! I’m so old I cant be arsed to do the conversion to this modern day numeration stuff. What was wrong with 12 pence in a shilling, a florin, a half crown, 10 Bob etc? I would add that my first wage packet was for £4 per week out of which was deducted 10 shillings and 3d for whatever the government needed it for. Hopefully it was better spent back then. I’ve just spent a week in Munich and either the authorities have more money or they’re spending it more wisely. Not a single pothole to be seen anywhere.
09/05/2026 10:58:06 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
A pound a gallon!!!! Robbery!!! Mind you ROD that's back when a pound was the average annual wage.
Let me think. When I started riding I can still picture the sign at Gilsons Garage, £1.65 per gallon. And it was a pound for a can of pop in the club.
Today it's £1.52 per litre or £6.90 per gallon. I'm paying over bloody £3 for a bottle of cola. On my straw poll cola is a bit cheaper or petrol is more expensive these days, but not all that much!
09/05/2026 06:18:33 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
I was about to respond but I thought Ian would trump me with lower prices for a pint.
My pints when first going decimal were 12p for special mild or special bitter.
I also seem to remember a conversation where people were saying that they would stop driving when fuel reached £1.00 per gallon!
I hope things improve with your knee Ian.
The doctors advice to strengthen surrounding muscles sounds good.
08/05/2026 12:03:11 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
20p a pint? Extortion. My first pint was in the High Force Hotel after a school walking club hike from High Cup Nick, passing the crashed Wellington(?) bomber up on the high fells and fording the Tees just above the waterfall. We must have been mad as any slip would have seeen us doing a Professor Moriarty. I remember the beer as being 1/9d (one shilling and ninepence) or about 9p in new money.
You lot don't know you're born although it's more recent in your memories than in mine.
In other news, visited a physio yesterday who confirmed I have a torn meniscus in my kne. Basically not much can be done other than exercise to strengthen surrounding muscles, and time. Maybe up to a couple of months of the latter....
Surgery is no longer recommended.
08/05/2026 10:15:18 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Goodness me you're REALLY old Upt'! When I were an 18 year old yoof my night out was a fiver. £2 of petrol into the H100A (2 stroke, this is what put me off 2 strokes). 2 quids worth of juice would see me right for a full week's riding. A whole £1 to get into Maxime's Rock Night in Wigan, leaving the remaining £2 for 2 cans of Coca Cola. I'd spend the evening failing to gain the affections of various "rock chicks" then ride home through the cold and the rain.
It was this time in my life I gave up drinking. The nights I was sober and failing with the girls were much more fun than the nights I got drunk while still failing with the girls. Sleeping in a warm bed sober is so much nicer than trying to sleep on Wigan Bus Station with a hangover.
Right - I have reviewed Ian's words and images re compressing the string. Now armed with the diagram and a better comprehension I can see the problem. This all leads me to be thankful I live in a time where we have hard rubber cush drives, it's a wonder anyone from the 40s and 50s has and fingers left!
08/05/2026 08:15:07 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Made me think....yes I know....I shouldn't.
I'm sure the first pint of beer I bought in the late seventies was about 20p in new money. It would have been in Talke Working Mens Club in North Staffordshire, it had a great snooker room underneath the main building. Happy days, I was probably running a Gilera Trial 50 and petrol was 17 new pennies a litre.
Upt.
07/05/2026 17:19:34 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Show off. Don't come on this ere forum for the aged flaunting your wealth. It's tough being a pensioner you know. I remember when you could go to the flicks, catch a PMT bus there and back and have a bag of tripe and chips in proper newspaper for 10 bob. Maybe even play around on the back seat of the bus too!
Tell that to the kids today and they won't believe you.
07/05/2026 17:11:24 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
What ya gonna do with the £3.64 that you could steal from my account Upt'?
07/05/2026 15:32:10 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ed, of course I'll oblige. You deserve it.
Please post you bank account and credit card details including your security and pin's and I'll get right onto it. You're welcome.
No what should I spend it all on?
Upt and Sincere.
07/05/2026 10:19:34 UTC
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Upt'North ¹ said :-
I know many cars are the same but roadside changes are sometimes a thing of the good'ol days. Although the lights were yellow and didn't actually illuminate anything. I seem to remember Cibie did a replacement unit in't day.
I've got no experience of the Bosch replacements so fingers crossed.
04/06/2026 16:27:30 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
So much plastic!
04/06/2026 16:23:40 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
The good news is the lights work and all back together. One broken/lost plastic fastener. I'll take it.
Pffffffftttttt. Upt.
04/06/2026 16:22:02 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
If we head for the tunnel of excitement Ed there will be a stop. The last time we rode North from France to Wooler we stopped in Cambridgeshire....Elton I think. When we went from Portsmouth we stopped in Leicestershire on the way down. My brothers is an option in Derbyshire. But it's family innit!
We have ridden from Staffordshire to Northern France in a day, it's doable but a bit of a jaunt for two ageing two wheelers.
Changing the headlight bulbs in the STrom today, blummin nightmare. Decided it's better done in the garage than at the side of the road somewhere. Long life Bosch replacements going in. Now where does that screw go?
Upt and looking despairingly at a lot of bits of Suzuki.
04/06/2026 13:24:18 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It's a drag down to that there "daaan saaaf" from Manchester Up't so it'll be a real drag from Wooler! Her Ladyship and myself will be making that drag in the not too distant future - but after that we'll be barely covering 200 miles let alone 1,000.
May I recommend doing what we're doing? Rather than going to "daaan saaaf" in one long dull wet cold miserable day - do it over a couple of days. That way you can extend the misery! Sorry - I mean that way you can have a nice break on the way down and on the way back - thereby breaking the misery into 2 less miserable days.
04/06/2026 08:31:02 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Ed, if, and it's a big if, we do venture that way then it'll probably be through the tunnel. The Newcastle-upon-the-Tyne ferry is blummin expensive and usually pretty busy to book it late. We can't travel over water without a butler. I'm hoping Bogger can enlighten me.
I did a Google, it said about 1600 km from Calais which sounds OK. There was a map and everything. Just sayin.
I'm sure the ferry was about £1100 two years ago. With man maths you can make sense of it but I'm not sure man maths is always that accurate. But then you've got the M1, M25, M2 scenario.....we may stop at home.
Pffffffftttttt.
Upt.
03/06/2026 14:45:52 UTC
nab301 said :-
Glyn thanks for sending me down an Aprilia rabbit hole with talk of Rotax kart engine modifications ( not sure if they're interchangeable) , pneumatic power valves and power bands that start at 8k and finish at 10k . I fear the Aprilia may be less flexible than your knee currently is...
Nigel
03/06/2026 12:55:25 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That's why we need him to go Ian.
03/06/2026 11:31:46 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Never mind the scenery - what's the food and wine like?
03/06/2026 10:06:31 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I shall quietly ignore all this 2 stroke nonsense...
I had to google The High Tatras in Slovakia. Google maps suggests it's a thousand miles from Calais although I suspect you'd cross farther north Upt'. Do-able, probably similar kinds of distances as your previous Sicilian trip. I know nothing at all of the area. As such it's your duty to go there so you can inform me and our readership what the area is actually like.
I've had a cursory look via street view - it looks lovely. It also looks far less developed and less touristy than that which I'm used to. Yes I think you should go. Oh poop - if it all goes wrong he's gonna blame me innit.
03/06/2026 08:18:30 UTC
Random Link - The Ferry Home