Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
Spring has sprung, now we have a few months of warm pleasant rain to enjoy after the cold and miserable rain of winter.
What excitement and adventures will this year bring?
What's New?
Let The Chaos Commence
After the where's and why's it's time for a long ride from The Midlands to Belgium. It doesn't all go according to plan but relative to this lot's usual mayhem - it's a good start.
Bogger's Et Al's Polish Adventure
Title page for Bogger's trip to Poland. There's small bikes, big miles and "adults" who out to know better.
Dams And Delights
As the Dynamic Muppets start their return leg Portugal has more scenic delights in store. Ren is still facing going cold turkey without tea - poor poor Ren.
Etsuko
Sharon is enjoying her Z400 on a fulfilling and exciting level. Things don't always go the way you might hope though.
Excellence In Its Own Way
More Mountains! The Serra da Estrela provides a wiggly squiggly experience that's similar yet different to many other mountainous regions. The Dynamic Muppets get to ride and relish around.
Bogger's Delirium Tour
Would you travel 365 miles for a beer? Not many folks would but Bogger and his friend will. Ypres suffered terribly during The Great War - it suffers some more by enduring such visitations as this.
Lots Of Fun And Lots Of Sun
Upt' is enjoying the weather but keeps on asking "what could go wrong?". There's a sense of foreshadowing, or is he leading us a merry dance?
Street Fighter To Laid Back Tourer
Sharon continues the transformation of her sporty Z400 into a hobbit sized touring machine. Not everything goes perfectly but there's a happy ending.
Dull Roads And Strange Accommodation
There's plenty of scenery but the ride is not so interesting today. The accommodation is unexpected in both good and bad ways.
Wurz Ren Bin
Oh no! It's one of them excuse posts as Ren tries to wriggle his way out of his responsibilities. Actually it's been rather hectic at BAT Towers.
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Test Ride Review Of The Suzuki Inazuma 250 - By Ren Withnell
said :-
19/02/2025 12:07:48 UTC
Let The Chaos Commence
Upt'North ¹ said :-
"It's the hardship that makes the trip"?
You really are a strange lot.
Upt.
19/02/2025 08:44:50 UTC
Let The Chaos Commence
Bogger said :-
The plan,ha, is always to get to the campsite in good time.
Sadly it rarely happens. That's not to say that we don't enjoy each days riding, we do.
The days are long because we always choose inappropriate transport. But conversely That's part of the fun.
It's the hardship that makes the trip. I think ?
18/02/2025 20:29:31 UTC
Let The Chaos Commence
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I think Bogger's a wonderful chap.
18/02/2025 15:52:35 UTC
Let The Chaos Commence
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Are you sure you want me to ban him Upt'? If I did I'd have to write more of my drivel and therefore you'd have to read more of my drivel. Think about it boyo - the lesser of 2 evils.
18/02/2025 14:02:52 UTC
Let The Chaos Commence
Upt'North ¹ said :-
You crazy kids on ya girls bikes.
That's way tooooo long a day.
You're still not selling this campin malarkey very well me o'd mucka.
Campin in the wet next to a highway (?), meh.
Missing out on strong trappist ale, inexcusable.
Ban im Ed.
Upt.
18/02/2025 12:50:07 UTC
Dams And Delights
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Well - apart from nab301 it's like dealing with a bunch of delinquent juveniles in here!
That being said nab301 - a life without tea is no life at all.
16/02/2025 19:18:33 UTC
Dams And Delights
nab301 said :-
Ren , It all looks good with stunning scenery in places and presumably little traffic , think positive , no tea = less comfort breaks and more time for biking...
Nigel
15/02/2025 10:51:34 UTC
Dams And Delights
Bogger said :-
I don't quite get it Ren.
You go to a bar and get Tea? A bar is for beer not tea. I'll have to educate you.
Bogger
15/02/2025 08:46:46 UTC
Dams And Delights
Upt'North ¹ said :-
A horse as a bartender, novel.
And you were talking to it.....nayyyyyyy.
I know, I know.
Upt.
But 3 bags? I'd cut his oat rations.
14/02/2025 16:19:08 UTC
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Ian Soady¹ said :-
Oh, the paint is Paragon black enamel. Even though it's from a years-old tin it still goes on well - if a lttle thick - and gives a good durable gloss.
https://www.stationaryengineparts.com/Paragon-Paint-Products/...
19/02/2025 16:57:30 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Thanks both. I'm afraid I'm fully occupied making my own bits so am not really up to doing stuff for other people - but I would encourage them to buy a cheap lathe and have a go. Like this.....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176854329305...
19/02/2025 10:10:18 UTC
Glyn said :-
Nice job Ian. The spacers are, as per your comment, used to align the clip on bars. The pin locates in the handlebar on the top and the top yoke underneath. My latest job involves stripping and painting the tank. The finish is actually very good but there’s various rust tracking under the paint. It’s easier to see in the white than the red.
18/02/2025 15:21:03 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Looking good that Ian - can we contact you if we need something machining up then? And what did you use to paint the stand? I've had "sturdy and long lasting" finishes with Hammerite but not necessarily "good looking" finishes. It's probably due to my lack of care and attention to detail though.
18/02/2025 14:10:48 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I have a small (3.5") far eastern lathe in my shed that I bought second hand for around £250. It replaced an antique Granville - probably pre (second world) war machine that was OK for the odd spacer but no good for anything like precision. The one I have now is surprisingly accurate and precise and is let down by my lack of skill rather than its own inadequacies. The pic shows spacers I turned up for the Electra's centre stand out of a fiver's worth of mild steel. I could buy the top hat ones for about £8 each but the central one is unobtainable. Plus I could make them to the dimensions on my bike rather than some theoretical "correct" one.
If you weren't too bothered about original look you might be able to knock something like your spacers up on a simple lathe. It often pays to think about alternatives for this sort of thing - for example with your spacers I suspect the extended part locates the bars so they don't rotate. They probably don't actually need to be integral to the spacers....
I'd love a miller but have no space and to be truthful probably couldn't either use it effectively or justify its cost.
16/02/2025 12:54:53 UTC
Glyn said :-
So nice to know that there’s still guys in sheds being clever. Even more impressive that they’re moving with technology and machining up pieces like these (unobtainable) handlebar spacers for the TZR. A lathe would be welcome in my shed but a CAD machine well I can’t even imagine.
16/02/2025 10:50:11 UTC
Glyn said :-
You are reliably correct again Ed. After a little more research I find that it is a 125cc registered with a P prefix on the number plate that makes it 1997 ish. It’s a little along the style lines of the Yamaha 125 Dragstar which was probably the competition at the time.
12/02/2025 13:20:57 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Looking at the image again I might be seeing the remnants of an "L" plate behind the front mudguard? If so it will obviously be the 125 version.
12/02/2025 09:34:37 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
That, my friend, is a Honda CMX250 Rebel (or possibly the 125 version).
233cc (or 124) parallel twin with a 360 degree crank (pistons go up and down together, even firing sequence, bad balance). Based on the CD200 Benly motor which is a very strong motor. Single carburettor with a manifold. AND AND AND it's a 4 - FOUR stroke.
It is a WONDERFUL machine. After my little crash I couldn't bend my knee much so this was my first bike after the smash. I loved it dearly and would have another in a heartbeat... if I had the room.
12/02/2025 09:32:29 UTC
Glyn said :-
Out getting some steps in today and saw this in a ditch. I’m sure it’s a Honda of some sort but there was no decals or badges in sight. I don’t think I need this one although I was seriously tempted to find the owner for at least 5 minutes.
11/02/2025 19:43:53 UTC
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Rev. Mick! said :-
Or as he was Irish he did not get stuck on the roof!
18/02/2025 09:12:18 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
Oh yes, you meant there, he did not get stuck on the roof as he was not Irish!
I know exactly what you mean.
18/02/2025 08:43:47 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
We all should have a David at such moments.
The last roofer I employed got stuck up on the roof. I had to go up and rescue him. I kid you not!
He was sat up there like a fat pigeon.
He wasn't even Irish!
Upt.
14/02/2025 18:51:15 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
My niece's husband lives directly has big ladders and is a roofer. Result.
I built a roofing ladder, the day after Aowyn, I reconned that my chances of borrowing one that day was slim. I then went to Dingle to get bits I needed to seal roof till David could fix it. I then though that ladder is not long enough I'll have to tie the other half of the ladder to the bottom of the top half.
I said to herself, "You know Fitz this getting more like when they show what I am proposing as what is dangerous in those safety videos".
As I arrived back into the village was David on a very long ladder fixing my roof. I can't say I was not quite rejeved.
14/02/2025 14:36:13 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I've got a big ladder you can borrow Mick.
Let's hope the winter blows are behind us.
Upt.
14/02/2025 11:12:04 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
When I woke up I had a skylight that I did not have when I went to bed.(see photo ).
Somebody up the road had 2 slates go through the roof of the brand new car. Then the car was lifted up and deposited on top of their old car.
The church had no slates on one side etc.
My skylight was made by slates departing a neighbours roof.
13/02/2025 19:56:11 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
When I woke up I had a skylight that I did not have when I went to bed.(see photo ).
Somebody up the road had 2 slates go through the roof of the brand new car. Then the car was lifted up and deposited on top of their old car.
The church had no slates on one side etc.
My skylight was made by slates departing a neighbours roof.
13/02/2025 19:54:43 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Of course - you're on the edge of The Atlantic Rev. Mick! Storm Éowyn was force 12 hurricane on that side so you'd have really copped for it. I like a good storm, I find them fascinating. That being said I wouldn't want the roof ripped off my house and no electrickery for several weeks. It sounds pretty rough.
11/02/2025 11:21:27 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
You should have been out in the far West of County Kerry.
As I used to say to my father in Wales, "Yes Dad, but we take the sting out of it for you".
Some of my neighbours only just getting power back and in some cases water.
Actually we have Finnish and Swedish technicians helping under a EU wide agreement.
08/02/2025 10:49:43 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Drum roll, symbols!
27/01/2025 16:31:54 UTC
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