Welcome To Bikes And Travels...
...It's about bikes... and travels... mostly on bikes!
What's New?
Heading North In The Rain
It's wet, it's cold and Andy is just getting on with the business of travelling. There's not a lot to see, just a few notes from the day - and a beer.
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
There's something new in Lincolnshire today - DRY! Contain your excitement folks, Ren has found a cheap cafe and there's an awful lot of flat.
The Art Of Doing Something That Is Nothing
Bogger has many plans for the day, alas the temptation of food and beer is more alluring. It's a chill day but that's fine, I'm sure there's more chaos to come.
Easy Home And Epilogue
An easy ride home today - and a few notes from Ren regarding ashes, Wales and... The Ikea Effect? Maybe Ren needs (another) holiday.
Good Weather, Good Scenery, Bad Surfaces
It's time for Andy to start the return leg of his big trip. It's all sunshine and hot weather, the views are still good too. The roads... well they're not quite as good. You can't have everything can you.
Feet Forward, Food, And Friends
It's a much more relaxed day for Bogger and Pete. There's a handful of miles to ride, people to meet, food to eat, and of course the odd beer.
Mooching Around The Mach Loop
The Dynamic Muppets take on the Mach Loop! OK, it's far less impressive than it sounds. There's some countryside, a cafe, and all the things you'd expect.
To The Most Southern Tip Of Europe
Andy reaches the final destination of this trip. "You can see Africa from 'ere".
Haulin' Ass
It's gonna be a long long long ride for Bogger and Pete today. Our brave heroic riders are up to the task and it all seems rather easy overall. Hopefully the digs at the end of the ride will allow their asses to rest comfortably.
Bothering The Locals And "Hills"
The Dynamic Muppets are bothering the good people of Lincolnshire as well as bringing the house prices down. There's tea and cake and sweeties too, hills, and spooky stuff.
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Latest Posts
Z400 First Impressions
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Hey Ben - this is a bit of a shock for Sharon. I'll add a link to Sharon's blog below and if you look back you can see the details etc of the crash.
Essentially Dec 1st 2024 Sharon was rear ended at a roundabout. As such the insurance company recovered the bike that day and that was the last we saw of the bike. From the scant details we received - yes the end of the exhaust was damaged along with the number plate, rear light etc etc. We did consider purchasing the damaged bike back but what we COULD NOT get from the insurance company was how bad the damage was. My concern was that the rear subframe may have been bent and that would put it beyond any economical repair.
Between Sharon's solicitors, the third party's insurance and legal team and uncle Tom Cobbly and all - they are STILL cocking around with sorting out a final settlement. They are a bunch of charlatans.
https://bikesandtravels.com/biker.aspx?ride=508...
14/03/2026 17:54:42 UTC
Z400 First Impressions
Upt'North ¹ said :-
This a post from Sharon Ben, I'm sure Sharon or Ed will be along soon to fill in the details.
I would like to continue to wax lyrical about how I and Etsuko rode off into the sunset to adventures new as I begin to bond even further with this bike and my new luggage set up. Alas it hurts me to say that myself and Etsuko have parted company. We were forced apart rather suddenly.
It was December 1st and was rather mild for the time of year. It was decided that a break was needed for Ren from sorting out his late mother's house so a day's riding was in order. One minute I was riding along and the next thing I knew there was this tremendous noise all around me, a fleeting view of a car's windscreen and then a car's wheel coming towards me.
I was flat on my belly on the floor. Etsuko was further up the road battered and broken on her side. We had been rear ended with some force. The recovery vehicle took Etsuko away. An ambulance finally arrived and I was taken away to A&E.
Upt.
14/03/2026 15:44:44 UTC
Z400 First Impressions
Ben said :-
I now own this z400 and it is amazing,I’ve done some modifications of my own(put standard lowering links back on),full akrapovic headers,chain n sprockets ect,random question but when this bike was in your possession,did the end can have the damage to the carbon tip?,as since I’ve bought it in July 2025 it’s had damage and been registered as a category N
14/03/2026 09:56:20 UTC
Heading North In The Rain
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I've felt that unexpected Spanish plain cold Andy, around the same time of year too. It can be blummin chilly.
13/03/2026 23:17:29 UTC
Heading North In The Rain
nab301 said :-
Almost too much choice on the menu !..
Nigel.
13/03/2026 12:58:16 UTC
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I struggle to imagine anyone being jealous of my lifestyle...
11/03/2026 07:46:35 UTC
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nidger, when you're right, you're right.
Upt.
09/03/2026 16:14:20 UTC
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
nab301 said :-
Ren don't listen to them they're only jealous of the nomadic lifestyle that you live...Upt is definitely suffering from cabin fever! The sooner he gets out on his bike the better.
Nigel
09/03/2026 15:29:25 UTC
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Yes I can understand the sequence is always out of kilter. There's a reason for that. I try to get at least one new page on the site weekly. However our trips and those contributed by others such as Bogger don't end sequentially, get written up sequentially, and therefore I don't publish them sequentially. This I am sure leads to confusion not only to you the dear reader but also myself.
You'll note at the bottom of each story is a selection of links (unless the story only merits one page) and that's where you can follow the sequence of each tale. PS if anyone's thinking of contributing I'm happy with one page stories. I tend to write quite wordy pages, Andy Grey's posts are written on his mobile while on his trip so they're more like notes. You might only want to write a summary of a 4 week tour of eastern Europe and that's fine too! We like pictures though, we love piccies.
Yes they make Wagon Wheels still Upt'. However either I've grown a lot or they're a lot smaller than I recall. Probably both. No, no tanning was undertaken, it was a bit too cool for that. Sharon didn't have her bikini anyhow.
09/03/2026 14:50:40 UTC
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
Upt'North ¹ said :-
You're my hero Ed. You really know how to treat a girl, an out of date Wagon Wheel and tea from a chipped mug. You should write a book.
"Days out for less than a fiver". Perhaps a periodical, I'd subscribe in a jiffy.
Do they still make Wagon Wheels, I'll bet they're smaller.
Did you get a tan?
Upt.
09/03/2026 12:26:26 UTC
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Latest Repair-Chat
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Glyn said :-
I rarely use horns myself, usually because, when an incident occurs, I’m so glad to have survived or the incident has passed and what’s the point. I prefer to use the barrage of expletives that cant be heard by the perpetrator. This method has served me well enough for years.
15/03/2026 17:12:00 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Most horns these days are switched on the earth path. I think the theory is that there's less current in it. However, I've wired the horns on the B'Zuki with the switch in the live side as that was convenient. If I'd been feeling posh I'd have added a relay but hopefully am not using the horns that much.
15/03/2026 17:06:26 UTC
Glyn said :-
That is exactly it Up’t. In the Triumph this permanent feed comes through black wires. I’m very old school where black was usually negative. I remember that Vauxhall cars started using black wires for positive 12v feeds which blew up many after market radio cassettes players.
15/03/2026 17:03:22 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I think the horns on my Strom are wired in the same way Glyn. I think what you are saying is that they are basically always live and operating the switch completes the circuit. Or some'at like that.
Upt.
15/03/2026 16:52:53 UTC
Glyn said :-
Got it! It was the new horns. I’m afraid you folks didn’t have a chance to help me as it was on of those “man made faults” that, obviously, don’t comply with the usual rules of repair. I had (wrongly) assumed that the switch button on the handlebars was providing the plus 12v to the horns via the brown wires. I even checked it on the multimeter and found it switched on and off when the button was pressed. Therefore, I also assumed the black wires to the horn were the negatives and so earthed them to the frame. The truth is that the (earthed by me) black wires actually carried the plus 12v and the browns went off to the switch… pay attention young Glyn, assume nothing, Idiot boy!!
That “shunting the broken fuse with a 12v bulb” is a brilliant hack Ian, it saved the lives of several more 30Amp blade fuses.
15/03/2026 16:41:43 UTC
Glyn said :-
I don’t have any time today to check it out. However, if I remember rightly, the battery plus connects directly to the alternator without going through a fuse. I took a quick look at the wiring diagram which revealed that the horns, lights etc are switched through their earth return and not in the plus 12v feed. The old horns had 2 wire connectors whilst the new have a single with the earth being the body. This could hold the answer to the problem although, I suspect, the horns would have blasted loudly rather than the fuse rupture. It seems to me that switching the earths only permits the use of less fuses. When you have a fuse for everything, it’s much easier to trace a fault. The Triumph 30Amp fuse puts plus 12volts all around various electrical circuits not just one.
15/03/2026 14:46:23 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I can't remember if it has been running at all Glyn. If so I would be suspecting the lead short issue. If it hasn't then could be any of Upt's suggestions. I find it useful to replace the fuse with a bulb and progressively disconnect things till the bulb goes out. But rereading your last point, it would be as well to check the alternator for a short. None of the 3 leads coming out of it should show a connection to earth.
15/03/2026 12:49:47 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Alternator, reg/rec or a positive lead touching the frame would be favourite.
I hate electrotrickery.
Upt.
15/03/2026 12:36:54 UTC
Glyn said :-
The new battery arrived for the Triumph and so I was eager to start it and perform the full checks before presenting it for the MOT test. Battery duly connected and ignition key turned, CRACK!! The 30Amp main fuse blew instantly. It could be anywhere and manner of things as it’s all been apart over the last month. A resistance reading shows 12 Ohms to earth from the fuse to earth. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be but that seems a little low. I’m doing some thinking about it at the moment but the only electrical thing I did was to remove and clean the alternator and replace the twin horns.
15/03/2026 10:57:32 UTC
Glyn said :-
There was still some small pieces of the silicon liner in the tank so I’m hoping that the Kreem liner will hold it in place. It seems I may have wasted £49 if I only intended to coat and prevent further rusting. The inside of the tank was in a terrible state when I started.
13/03/2026 16:11:41 UTC
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Glyn said :-
If you don’t have an ammeter you could always put a 12v bulb in series with one of the cables “DONT TURN ANYTHING ON” and see if the bulb lights up. If it does, regardless of how dimly, then there is a current drain.
15/03/2026 17:07:24 UTC
Glyn said :-
Is the 12 volt battery (in this case) a standard lead acid unit or something far more fancy? As Ian says, there must be some small leakage current if it drains when left. I would expect a standard lead acid battery to remain charged for weeks without going flat. Perhaps the security locking system works off of it.
15/03/2026 16:58:11 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I wonder whether there is a parasitic drain on the 12 volt battery, perhaps connected (pun intended) by its being somehow feeding into the electric drive system? I don't know whether it would be possible to temporarily put an ammeter in the main battery connection and see if that shows anything amiss?
14/03/2026 10:01:14 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Nidger, we have a mild hybrid Hyundai 48V. This certainly struggles after a couple of weeks of lay up. The Toyota has got the 1.5 litre HEV 177V set up. They both have 12V running batteries. From the interwebthingymabob it would seem that lots of hybrids struggle on lay ups and I'm hoping that a trickle charge to Er'Indoors Toyota will make all the difference as and when a longer period of none use occurs. Manufacturers will only tell you that regular use is required.
I am also hoping that our use of fewer but longer runs may negate the need for extra charging but time will tell. We seldom do journeys of less than 15 miles each way.
My opinion so far is that the Hyundai uses an over complicated, clunky and probably unnecessary 48V system to achieve mid 50's mpg; the Toyota which we've only had a week makes better use of the larger volt system, it's better thought out with EV only use and potentially achievable 70 mpg plus.
I wouldn't run either without a manufacturer's warranty, 5 years for the Hyundai and 10 for the Toyota.
Upt.
13/03/2026 23:39:12 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
I think 20bhp would be a bit low for Ren, especially as Sharon is going for bigger and more powerful bikes.
And of course it is not a Honda.
13/03/2026 22:02:59 UTC
nab301 said :-
Rod , did you sell it to Ren, he's been without two bikes for far too long now !
Nigel
13/03/2026 17:17:54 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Someone once said that "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result".
I have just sold the Royal Enfield HNTR.
Some of you will remember, I have been here before.
Same reason as selling the Suzuki Inazuma, 20 bhp just restricts my riding.
Although having two bikes is nice, I only really need one.
Wait; what do I know. I am clearly insane!!
13/03/2026 16:54:29 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
I think, being a bloated plutocrat, he has 2 cars Nigel......
13/03/2026 15:38:30 UTC
nab301 said :-
Upt , your post sent me down a few rabbit holes on mild hybrids, including some sort of a regen button if the 12v battery discharges after lay up. what does the car manufacturer suggest in terms of the " 12v static battery life" ? It would be interesting to know what the acceptable parasitic drain is. I know that the optimate literature states a max of 5 amps through the obd port but also the optimate email mentions Toyota while you mention Hyundai! Afaik Toyota hybrids like the prius don't have a 12v battery.
Nigel
13/03/2026 13:47:01 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
I believe it's a 60 amp battery Glyn. I just want to eliminate the seemingly regular issue with HEV cars of the 12V battery being borderline for extended rest periods. If we had to leave it on charge through the optimate for a day or more upon our return then it would be fine.
Our Hyundai Mild Hybrid 48V is a little temperamental and after 2 weeks or so whilst it will start all the menu's, of which there are many, reset and leave you scratching your head to reset the same.
Thanks for the 5 amp information, you're a very helpful chap. I'll buy you a drink later.
Upt.
11/03/2026 16:49:31 UTC
Random Link - Replacing The Chain And Sprockets Fazer 600 - By Ren WIthnell