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...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
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More Rain, Can Remain, Narrow Lane, Pasta Strain
The Batties are staying put in Skye thankfully. It's now time to start exploring the island so it must be time to ride. The weather is mixed, the scenery is good, and it's pasta for tea.
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.
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Latest Posts
More Rain, Can Remain, Narrow Lane, Pasta Strain
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Regarding our thoughts on Skye - there's more to come on that in later missives. And no, camping ain't cheap! Still, there's more on that later too.
Ian - I daresay some drivers either simply never check their mirrors (and are stone deaf) or they cannot possibly imagine why the vehicle behind is getting all angsty. They'll have their foot flat to the floor in that 1.6 litre naturally aspirated 60bhp van - that is trying to pull 2.5 tonnes. If they're flat out then surely you must be too!
21/10/2026 10:28:46 UTC
Review of the Honda CLR 125 City Fly - By Ren Withnell
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
A pass is a pass Type25Dude, but a motorcycle is a wibbly wobbly danger machine so if something ain't right it's best to get it fixed. What were your "minors"?
21/10/2026 10:13:16 UTC
Review of the Honda CLR 125 City Fly - By Ren Withnell
Type25dude said :-
Thanks, yes, he wasn't impressed with a few other things but the forks passed ok this time.
20/10/2026 22:13:00 UTC
More Rain, Can Remain, Narrow Lane, Pasta Strain
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Tongue is a gorgeous spot Ian and the walk over to Bettyhill is remarkable. Ed mentioned the clearances and there is much evidence along the way. A wild place for sure. The Tongue Hotel used to provide a wee dram in your room to warm you up when you returned from a day out on the hills.
Bugger, I'll have to go back.
Upt.
20/10/2026 19:02:25 UTC
More Rain, Can Remain, Narrow Lane, Pasta Strain
Ian Soady¹ said :-
It makes your recent French trip look positively idyllic.
Single track roads with passing places. Many years ago I went round whta is now called the NC500 although then was just northern Scotland and the only people who'd discovered it (almost) were Germans on hulking great flat twins. A colleague of mine at the time had a sister who was a nurse in Aberdeen and she said they had a regular crop of these folk in with various broken bits of their anatomy.
Anyway. I was heading north up the west coast after leaving Skye and overnighting at Kylesku. I came up behind a wheezing motorhome doing 20mph or so and naively expected it to pull over at the first passing place. Fat chance. At each successive passing place I got increasingly irate - blowing the horn, flashing the headlight etc - until eventually I took my life in my hands and managed to use a generous passing place to just squeeze past, riding off cursing the driver.
It wasn't till I'd gone another 20 miles or so and being puzzled by the road signs that I realised I'd missed my turning which I'd intended to take up to Durness and had ended up going south east on the continuation of the A838 down to near Larg. I didn't fancy retracing my wheeltracks so just accepted I'd not get to the furthest north point. As it happened, the A836 up to Toungue was a delight, and very quiet.
20/10/2026 15:35:46 UTC
More Rain, Can Remain, Narrow Lane, Pasta Strain
Upt'North ¹ said :-
We like the Lephin Ed, visited it a few times in May. We stayed on the road that goes off at the cafe up Glendale? The point was damn busy when we went, damn windy too and dry.....for a change.
I can confirm that it doesn't always rain in Portree, it was probably the best weather day we had.
So far your story is merely confirming that I can't think why we would bo back.
Camping ain't cheap is it?
Upt.
20/10/2026 11:34:13 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
It looks like you only need a few cc of fuel to get it going CrazyFrog. I figure if you're in or near the tent though you'll need some kind of fireproof base in case a few drips from the pipette escape.
19/10/2026 23:05:09 UTC
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That's most kind of you nab301. Fortunately for you I presently have no plans to return to The Emerald Isle... or do you really like to have splodges of oil on your driveway, make endless cups of tea, and see your biscuit collection decimated? You only need ask Ian or Bogger, or even Occasional Lurker what it's like to endure a visit from me.
You got me thinking now... Oyerland, rides on the correct side of the road, speaks the lingo (kind of), lots of green stuff, AND free clear plastic! What's not to like? Could I borrow your drill?
19/10/2026 23:02:32 UTC
Pretty Yport And Unfine Dining
nab301 said :-
Thanks for the update Ren , I only asked because I have a few sheets of perspex infact it may be Makrolon which is what you really need and is I think fairly indestructible.... If you're ever back on your neighbouring island I can donate some to the cause.
Nigel
19/10/2026 13:33:51 UTC
The Hot Water And Cooking Problem
CrazyFrog said :-
I just carry a small plastic pipette which I use to fill the channel round the base of the burner with petrol, light it and after 30 seconds or so there enough vapour in the main fuel tank for the burner to ignite. Simples. I've never had any big yellow flame flash either I'm happy to say!
17/10/2026 12:18:22 UTC
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Latest Repair-Chat
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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
Latest Chit-Chat
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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Scantily clad ladies sounds like a recipe for trouble.
I'm trying to think more lateral. How about investing in a fancy diagnostic tool for motorcycles and charging a fee to come and list your error codes and reset your service light? It won't make me a millionaire but I could make some pocket money.
21/10/2026 10:39:25 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Computers! No good will come of it. Scantily clad ladies you say? Hmmmmmm, pffffffftttttt.
I'm told by someone who knows that IT Security is where the serious money is, or was, I spose AI will probably take over there too?
I'd concentrate your efforts on getting a job with scantily clad ladies, sounds a lot more fun.
20/10/2026 11:18:52 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Back in 2005 I started my own little one man IT Support business Ian. The first 5-6 years was mostly setting printers up, connecting "aged" folks to that new fangled interweb thingy, updating software for small business, and rebuilding Mr X's computer because "someone" had been looking at scantily clad females on virused up websites. I started to get asked for websites and that's where it slowly moved over to coding.
It's an option. The landscape has changed somewhat in that most users are now on mobile devices that we no longer fix, just replace every 2-3 years. There's still plenty of small business and home users with questions, and some of them have the spare cash to just pay someone to figure things out rather than do it themselves.
Right now I'm asking the question - do I want more of the same? On the one hand I've 26 years in the trade and it'd be a shame to not leverage that experience. On the other hand - been there done that and now I'm sick to bleeding death of having to learn a new protocol, connection, coding language, software package etc etc etc. I'm reaching that age where Sharon's new fangled TV streaming thingy just bloody annoys me when it won't do what I want it to do. I know I'm more than capable of working it out, watching a video about it, asking AI for help, or just playing with it till it makes sense. I can't be arsed that's the point. I find it's easier to call Sharon's daughter and she'll make it all better, and then you realise you've become like your parents and grandparents were when I was young.
19/10/2026 23:23:09 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I have an acquaintance who makes a decent living fixing people's PCs etc at their homes (and over the phone). Mostly pretty trivial stuff, and I can't see AI taking that over - unless of course they use Claude or similar and ask it the questions! May be worth a thought? It would probably take a while to build up though.
Of course we should never trust a programmer with a screwdriver......
This isn't him but that's the sort of thing.
https://reddipc.co.uk/...
18/10/2026 17:06:52 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I've seen this Ian. It crossed my mind many times over the years to create a piece of software that I then sell and make my fortune. It seems that horse has left the stable. There's still plenty of developer jobs being listed but in the long term I believe these will greatly dwindle.
I don't yet know what's next. Back to development for the last hurrah? IT support? I looked at a medical motorcycle courier position part time this week. Go work for Uber eats for pocket money?
I'll think of something. I am open to ridiculous suggestions as long as they are hilarious ?
17/10/2026 22:51:13 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
On a completely different topic (and probably of little interest to many).
Ren was recently talking about his future employment options following his sad redundancy. It's probably worse than he thought (although good for lots). I discovered the other day that someone has used Claude AI to build fully working replicas of Adobe's software, eg Photoshop (which is all eye-wateringly expensive to rent - you can't buy it). Apparently this was done in a "clean room" environment ie didn't reengineer the compiled machine code but just examined the behaviour of the software. It took a small team a week. Adobe has spent decades employing hundreds of softawre engineers to do more or less the same thing. They'va also started producing Microsoft Office doppelganger apps (Word, Excel etc) although I haven't checked these out yet.
So the jobs of software engineers, system analysts, programmers etc will very shortly effectively be about as relevant as flint-knappers. I didn't see this coming but I suppose it was inevitable. What next I wonder. The link is to the home of this new stuff. I have tried out the pdf and photoshop applications and have to say they're faster than Adobe and as far as I can see pretty much complte. And as open source anyone can tweak and enhance them. I have no doubt this is already happening.
https://getartcraft.com/apps...
17/10/2026 14:33:47 UTC
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
Random Link - France, Germany And Belgium 2012 - Even More Pictures