What have you done today

[Barbel Mick]

Thanks Dave. 

[UK_Vstrom650]

Happy Birthday for yesterday Mick.
Will be good to hear how you get on with the heated gloves as I may buy some...

[Barbel Mick]

Thank you. I'll report back asap. 
I do hear good reports about having heated gloves over heated grips & I have been contemplating which to go for since I got this bike, now I don't have to. 
I thought the heated grips (Oxford) on the 650 were great though. 

[MilozFolly]

Booked the tunnel for 20th of May. Something to look forward to and to force me to at least loosely plan something. Vosges and black forest I think 

[Joe Rocket]

You won't like it MilozFolly!

Over the past few years I've had the toil of driving across France to visit one son in Strasbourg and one daughter near Friebourg. My cross France route on quiet country roads means I have to put up with a Hotel stop along the way. Through the Voges and Alsace has horrible climbs up winding roads where you can't see off one side and on the other little towns and villages below across valleys....totally disorientating! Colmar is crammed with folk (not in May) because of it's beautiful buildings and river. Strasbourg worse with 'bateaux mouches' to boot. You'll have to avoid trams in both cities and worse, Friebourg has open gutters in the streets! The Black Forest, well let me tell you that cake is enormous and almost impossible to eat in one sitting. Flammekuche, just a very thin pizza and you'll get fed up with susages too. Can you fit snow chains to your bike tyres? Awful prospect if you ask me. 

To be honest it's a fabulous area to explore, great roads (outside of school holidays), food is great and fuel cheaper in Germany too. Oh, did I mention my daughter was a tour guide for Strasbourg, Colmar, Friebourg, Basel and the Black Forest?

Get planning and enjoy! 

[MilozFolly]

Oooh Colmar bookmarked. Looks stunning.

[2112]

It's very nice, full of character and brim full of cracking restaurants & bars. Well worth a visit 

[2112]

Today, we got a text to say our New Zealand currency had arrived and was available for collection. It's remarkably cheerful & colourful and makes our notes look positively dull in comparison. Currently about 2:1 conversion factor (we got 2.13 NZ to £1 at Ramsdens). I'm starting to get excited now as we're flying on Friday.

I also received a £70 bottle of wine ( 2018 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir) from an unknown person? Very kind indeed, but no sender details?

[Upt North]

M.F.
We had an overnight in Freudenstadt this year, nice enough place and well situated for your travels I would have thought if you're passing through or stopping.
Upt.

[Upt North]

Just bought some replacement cheek pads ont'line for Er'Indoors helmet of safety.
Saw that Bargain Biker Brands are closing due to ill health. We've used them before and they seem to have some decent offers at the moment.
Just in case you've got some wonga burning a hole in your sky rocket.
Funny NZ money not accepted.
Upt.

[MilozFolly]

Thanks Upt.  I'll be passing straight by there on the b500 so will add it to the list. I'm bound to be either hungry or thirsty or both 

[2112]

All packed up and ready to head off to New Zealand tomorrow ! We have 2 nights in Singapore on the way there and then 2 nights in Dubai on the way back to break up the flights a bit. Looking forward to it but I'll be happier when I'm actually there... We're doing both North & South Islands with trips to the Franz Joseph Glacier, Hobbiton and a couple of vineyards as some of the highlights along the way. Back in a months time...

[Asmith61]

Not jealous at all 

Hope you both have a great time enjoy you have earned it 

[Rixington43]

Loaded the car up and sodded off on the first ski trip of the year.
2 days driving to get out of the way then slidey fun times and wine.

[Joe Rocket]

Hmmmm....... Raclette and Tartiflette washed down with a crisp Savoie white!

Enjoy. 

[The Doctor 46]

Today I went out to fit a headlight protector on my bike as I noticed a couple of very small stone marks last time I washed it and realised that a few quid spent now could save a big hit to my wallet in the future.

I haven't ridden since early December last year because of a holiday with friends where I broke my foot. I thought I should ride slow because I would be a bit rusty but guess what, I felt like it was the end off summer after many thousand miles of regular riding. I loved it and found that my motorbike boots offered the same protection as the boot given to me by the hospital.

Will I be going out again for a longer ride tomorrow? You bet! 

[Pete O Tube]

After a crap few days in Lanzarote that resulted in a doctor's call out I ended the week at the local Honda dealer with an order for a new CB1000 Hornet SP.

[Barbel Mick]

Today was the first day I've been out & tried them.
The first thing to say is at 6° & the gloves set on medium my whole hands were warm enough, not hot, but never got cold either. (I didn't try the high setting as I'd have had to stop to do it  Even the thumb, which I found still got cold with heated grips, was warm enough.
I ran them from a 'large' Keis battery that I stuck into the inside pocket of my jacket. But what a bloody faff trying to keep each leg of the 'y' lead from the battery/controller down the sleeves of the outer jacket when putting it on. If I needed to use them every day (commuting?) then I'd have to sort some sort of fixing for the leads inside the sleeves, or, I'd use heated grips & some bar muffs? But for once/twice a week use, I suppose it's not too bad.
Overall, heated gloves are excellent for keeping the whole hand warm (hot if you wanted) & you could swap from bike to bike by just re-fitting the feed wire, or have the wiring on multiple bikes if required.
A few minutes extra required to get dressed but is that too much to stay comfortable.
Today at 6° with the heated jacket on low & the heated gloves on medium I never felt cold at all.
I'll keep wearing them, but just need to figure out how to run & hold the feed wires in the sleeves ........ open to suggestions from regular users. 

[Rixington43]

Disclaimer; This is not my bike and the friend who owns it had a nasty fall down some fire escape stairs so hasn't been able to ride, or really walk, since it last went out. Last ridden Nov 29th on very salty roads. This weekends tinker was resurrecting a Gladius which had seized solid. Side stand wouldn't retract, all 3 brakes were bound on and there was an unlocated oil leak when running.
3hrs with the cleaning products, tiny wire brushes etc and we had her back to life. All brake pistons pushed back OK, pads came up useable with aggressive wire brushing and somehow, by an act of witchcraft, the chain only had one slightly stiff link which was the joining one. It was a very new chain so only really surface corrosion on side plates, no blown x-rings fortunately.
The oil leak was diagnosed as the salt corrosion having eaten a pin prick hole in the oil filter housing so, since it needed a service anyway, a free recovery.
Apart from all the curry and wine they now owe me for labour rates 🤣

* Being a Suzuki, it did however start first push and run like a sewing machine.

[Froglodyte]

Good job, Rix!