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Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Another hot day with another simple ride, this time to The Alabaster Coast. There's a nice seaside town, and some not so nice dining in this episode.
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Cooking ought to be easy, even when on a motorcycle camping trip. Ren seems to find only the cons and none of the pros to various concise cooking equipment.
More Rain, No Butane, Close To Insane
Hey guess what? Ren is having a bad day, alas it's not as bad as most readers will hope. Most of his issues are entirely self inflicted but that won't stop him from blaming Bogger. Don't worry he'll be fine, Sharon is hiding the utensils.
Blood And Rain, Finger Pain, Improving Terrain
A short and simple if a little wet ride up to Callander is followed by a (not very) long and tiresome walk into Callander. No pain no gain Ren! There's new friends too.
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
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Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The original screen extension was a piece of perspex but that was eons ago nab301. It snapped off along a busy road. I've since had a tupperware lid with the sealing edges removed. That too eventually split. As you can see I now am running a full lid, hopefully the additional structure keeps things together.
16/10/2026 20:08:23 UTC
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
nab301 said :-
I feel a bit queasy just reading about consuming raw meat....
Is that a new tupperware lid you have as a screen extension, I always thought you had a clear piece of perspex attached...
Nigel
16/10/2026 16:36:30 UTC
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I remember having pig in the Pyrenees many years ago, it squealed when I cut into it. A good vet could have had it up and running in no time.
Glad you're enjoying a little misery Ed, not our Sharon though. Poor girl.
Upt.
16/10/2026 16:24:21 UTC
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Bogger said :-
All cooked meat in France is practically raw. De la viande tres bien Ciute s'il te plait. Merci
Bogger
16/10/2026 14:19:26 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I still have not found a website/video that properly explains how these petrol stoves work. It would appear the "generator" as seen in all the petrol stoves I've come across - gets hot. This at least heats the petrol if not actually turns the petrol into a vapour. Liquid petrol doesn't burn (do NOT try to test this - it's complicated) only petrol fumes burn. So I guess the nice blue flame is vapour/fumes and yellow flame is liquid fuel turning into fumes outside the generator/stove.
What do I know, I'm a nidiot.
16/10/2026 13:26:50 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I think the preheating is because - like the paraffin Primus type stoves - it actually needs vaporised fuel to burn properly otherwise you get the yellow flames. When I used the paraffin primus, if I didn't have any meths I'd just pump it (cold) till a bit of liquid paraffin dripped down into the warming annulus then put a bit of paper in there to act as a wick (you can't set light to liquid paraffin) and used that for preheating. I found that if I tightened the pressure release valve down this would create enough pressure to initiate the proper burn after a few minutes and after letting it stabilise I could pump up to full pressure.
I must watch your youtube link.
16/10/2026 12:19:26 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
You got me all excited there CrazyFrog and I went to do some research.
The first thing is you apparently need to preheat the stove. Some folks suggest simply warming the base with your hand is sufficient but ideally you're supposed to pour a small amount of alcohol/meths around the base and burn it. Secondly they can be prone to the big yellow flame flash as per the Coleman. I'll add a link to what is an admittedly rather long video but this chap explains his ups and downs with his.
It still seems petrol stoves are "complicated" at best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmnjvoTL2C0&t=985s...
16/10/2026 08:57:46 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Crazy Frog said :-
I have one of these which I bought for £12.50 in 1983. Money well spent as it's still going strong, and has never had any sort of blockage in the jet either. Packs up reall small, and replacement fuel us, always available in the bikes tank. Perfect
https://amzn.eu/d/0ihOTfkg...
15/10/2026 08:35:09 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Bogger said :-
I also have a Coleman petrol stove. In fact I have two. I now never use them. Too much of a faff.
For years I used a home made (bottoms off beer cans) hobo stove. It worked well but took ages to cook anything, or boil water. So that also got ditched. It also used a lot of fuel (meths), comparatively speaking.
So I went over to a gas stove. Great, but balancing pots and pans on top was an issue. So I've now ditched those.
In my opinion, by far the best cooking set up is a Trangia, with a gas burner.
I'd watched mates over the years cooking with a Trangia, both meths and gas versions. I'd not really taken that much notice in all fairness. I managed, only eighteen months ago, to procure a Non stick Trangia 25 complete cooking kit.
Having used it on many a biking holiday the penny has dropped and I have seen the light. I now 'get' how good and well designed they are. I don't use the meths burner I purchased a cheap Trangia compatible gas burner.
I also dug deep and bought a protective case for it to stop it getting damaged/dented. Due to the design, gas consumption is very low. So low in fact that two medium gas cannisters will last me for two weeks.
I paid next to nothing for the original, hardly used Trangia 25 kit. £3.00, yes three pounds. With the gas burner and case the total price is £47.00.
Knowing what I know now I would happily go out and buy a brand new Trangia kit, burner and case, knowing that the cost would be around £200.00. It's that good.
Bogger
13/10/2026 23:22:05 UTC
More Rain, No Butane, Close To Insane
Richard B said :-
Hi Ren, yes Luss campsite was very good. Really clean, modern shower blocks etc, nice flat pitches and at a great price. Petrol pumps just around the corner and a great little "hole in the wall" hot food cafe.
13/10/2026 20:15:04 UTC
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Upt'North ¹ said :-
Cleaned me back wheel now too Ed. You are right, dirt is heavy. The chain was sprayed most days and required no adjustment. The old Suzuki chain fell apart going to Sicily and back. Cheap budget crap.
01/10/2026 09:07:25 UTC
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
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Ian Soady¹ said :-
I did Upt' except for your apparent confusion between umlauts and circumflex......
This side of the channel we usually spell it droll of course.
16/10/2026 10:00:39 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I resemble that remark.
Did you know that "Drôle" is a French adjective. I bet Ian did.
Pffffffftttttt.
Upt and drôle'ish apparently.
15/10/2026 14:47:47 UTC
nab301 said :-
Very Drole Upt !
Nigel
15/10/2026 13:56:54 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Was the child's name "Henry"?
I'm here all week.
14/10/2026 16:11:21 UTC
nab301 said :-
I've found Miele to be excellent also. A while back I had a new electric hedge trimmer with 10 minutes use go boom with a ball of blue flame coming out of the motor, I prefer two stroke hedge trimmers now !
Years ago I remember a neighbour recalling how their young child thought they would help their mother who had been vacuuming , the child managed to switch on the vacuum cleaner and placed the nozzle in the toilet bowl... It wasn't a composting toilet , luckily the child was unharmed but the vacuum didn't survive!.
Nigel
13/10/2026 11:51:47 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Sounds like pretty poor design from an "engineer led" company. If there's flexure there should be some support like a sleeve or it should be constrained so the flex moves further away from a pinch point.
We still have a Miele that we bought about 30 years go and it still works fine although neither of us is very keen on using it........
12/10/2026 14:37:15 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Old age I'm afraid Ian, not me, well OK me too. It's where the flex turns through 90° to enter the handle. The vacuum is over 20 years old and Er'Indoors does like to vacuum. I renewed the motor and seals in the spring, a cable is £15 so it'll have a new one, I'll ring "Manchester Vacs" in the morning. I noticed a clip has lost a lug too, so hopefully they'll have one handy off an old machine. They're very good. I can verify that Dyson's are a pain to take apart, they're obviously meant for a visiting engineer to visit but then they don't offer support for older machines. Their service/recondition visits were well priced but is irrelevant if they don't fix the old stuff.
Upt.
11/10/2026 13:21:15 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
That's OK, Mr Dyson's taken his profit and skedaddled off to Monaco or wherever with it. He'll expect you to buy a new one. I did see a report somewhere that Dysons were appliance repairers' favourites as people thought that as they'd already spent a fortune on them they were worth spending more repairing them.
How on earth did you manage to break a wire in the cable?
11/10/2026 12:34:58 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
This could go on Chit Chat or repairs. Or Dyson repairs.com. Here goes.
Vacuum cleaner is intermittent she says.
Give it ere I says.
BANG! What the!
Another blummin job.
I need a cup of tea first to steady me nerves, the flame came out of a pin hole in the flex. There'll be a broken wire in there. At least I'm not paying £4 for a cup of tea.
Upt and shakey.....6 sugars please.
10/10/2026 13:25:15 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
My Caberg helmet is 11 or possibly 12 years old. It is showing its age now, and it has had minor repairs. My wife has been telling me to change it for the last two years, but it's a very comfortable helmet, and new helmets have kept up with inflation where my income hasn't.
My wife also has a Caberg helmet but has found it uncomfortable, and purchased another helmet last year.
The helmet she purchased was only £99 and I had never heard of the brand. It has all of the safety specs and she finds it comfortable.
Looking around the fittings visor ect it all looks good. I am starting to question if expensive helmets are really worth the extra money?
08/10/2026 12:09:57 UTC
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