InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

What are the benefits of the SanDisk Eye-Fi SD card over the standard SanDisk SD card? On the face of it, not that much.   I bought this one as a gadget. It was at the very right price but still more costly than the standard 4GB card.   The card doesn't give the full 4gb as it contains a little software that is installed on the PC. Firstly, I installed it on our Acer Aspire One notebook. It's most likely the computer we would take with us on a trip as it only has a 10.1" LED screen and is very compact.   The software loads really easily and there are basically three steps:  1 - Stick the card in its own USB reader in a slot. 2 - Install the Eye-Fi Center and follow the instructions to set it up for your wifi. 3 - Put the card in a camera and take a pic..... It took about 10 minutes to load and about half a minute to recognise the card in the camera and then a small window appears in the bottom right of the screen and it loads the pix.   In the...

Macro Messing , originally uploaded by InvictaMoto .   Playing with the Samsung S85 Compact. Initially I was playing with the newly bought SanDisk Eye-Fi card. But sitting in the living room there are a limited things to take, so I wondered how the macro element worked. Choosing the flower icon puts the camera in macro mode and it focusing pretty closely to a few everyday objects. The camera is 8.2MP. Almost anti-diluvian by today's double figure MP ratings! Samsung S85 8.2MP Compact Camera   Another couple of photos taken in macro mode....         

Three new secure bike parking sites are to be provided for riders in Buxton, at the heart of the beautiful Peak District. Derbyshire County Council have announced that hoops will be in place within the month on 'The Viaduct' near the main shopping precinct. They've also confirmed that a site on The Crescent, at the other end of the shopping area is to be similarly equipped and a drop kerb and secure installations are to go in at the Train station too. This is the essence of what local MAG activists can achieve. Sean Buckley and all at Peak and District MAG should take a bow for sticking at it for the 16 month campaign. Other great news is that the work of Leicester MAG has led the City Council to consider trials of bikes in bus lanes. The announcement comes after Ian Underwood and the team at Leicester MAG submitted written and oral evidence to the transport scrutiny committee. Activists in Coventry continue their campaign for the same opportunity, but have enlisted the...

Going through a box at Mum's today as part of the clear out, I found this badge. I have searched high and low for it for a number of years, then forget, then search again! All the time it was in a box tucked away in her house with a load of other stuff. It was given to me when I was an adorable kid at the football (soccer my US chums!) who stood behind the goal at Boundary Park with my Aunt Linda and her friend Anne. My Dad however used to sit in the stand with his friends. It is a little battered but I was given it before my brother was born in 1960! The back is a "bat shape" as it was intended to fit in a lapel button hole,  that seem to have been consigned to sartorial history in the modern era.

Although we will be holding events throughout the year to celebrate our 40th, Blackpool MAG are hosting the Official Birthday Party over the weekend of our actual Birthday 28th-30th June and tickets are available here now. http://north-west-region.mag-uk.org/products.htm But if you can't make it one of our events this celebrate MAG's 40th birthday with a fantastic retro t-shirt. Be proud to be 40!  Life's just beginning! Grey or black Only £10 and ladies fit V-neck only £13 - Follow the link, but note the image of the female v-neck shirt is yet to be updated... http://www.wycombemag.co.uk/shop/all-departments/mag-40th-anniversary Paddy Tyson

One of the MAG groups has produced a special limited edition t-shirt to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Motorcycle Action Group. http://www.wycombemag.co.uk/shop/all-departments/mag-40th-anniversary

Today, I managed to get out for the first ride of the year.  It wasn't until the afternoon and the sun was still up but it was very cold. According to the car thermometer it was 5°C outside, but once on the move the cold cut through my jeans as if I was riding in just my underwear! It was also the first time I could wear my new Shoei helmet.  First impressions are that it is light and much quieter than I have been used to over the last few years.  Once I work out how to control the air flow at lower speeds to stop it steaming up it will be perfect.  My glasses fit perfectly without any pressure on the lining. I can't wait for the better weather. Allons-y! I have been toying with a new bike.  But what to get?  But, as soon as I get on the GS and go for a ride I wonder how I could ever consider selling it. It's not been used since the end of December. I always worry after freezing weather and snow that it will not start, maybe just hear that clic...

Just before Christmas we reported that the EU Council of Ministers (The National Governments) decided to exempt bikes from the new Super MoT and downgrade the proposals from a Regulation, to a Directive, which would give each country a little leeway in what they introduced. The Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) of MEPs who are the leading committee on this subject, revealed in early meetings that they however, seem happy to believe the statistics the Commission put forward about safety and emissions improvements, even though the research was done by the private company (DEKRA) that wants to provide the testing facilities should it all become law. To that end, they now wish to fight the Council, keep the proposal as a Regulation and include bikes again. The DEKRA figures claim that 8% of bike accidents are caused by component failure which wouldn't happen if the bikes had regular testing. This is at odds with all other studies, which the Commission and most MEPs see...

I bought this at the Destinations travel show at the weekend. I suffer badly when there are mosquitos about. The number of hours sleep lost hunting for them in hotel and apartments all across Europe are almost incalculable. One mozzie is all it takes. Claire is often in the same room and not a nibble, but I am simply fast food to the damned useless creatures. Even the satisfaction of killing it doesn't make up for the days of irritation from the bite and the huge red bites on exposed skin. It is reputed to be the best non-deet on the market. This is all natural and safe for all the family. Some years ago in Finland the product called Johnson's "Off!" was available and it was very effective. Walking around the lakes with it on was like having a force field with the damned mozzies leaving me alone. The Johnson's product is not available in the UK, but an alternative called Autan is, and it is good but not 100% perfect. Here's hoping that...

I don't like to spend money too quickly, but with the sale on and stocks dwindling, rather than weeks to make up my mind I had days.  Painstaking research into which model to buy after I had decided to get the Shoei. It comes with the Pinlock posts on the visor and the insert itself. The inserts usually cost about £25. On top of that it also has the wind reducing skirt that fits in the chin piece. I was tempted by a website offering the XR1100 at £199.99 but it had to come from Italy and although it claimed to be postage free, I had severe doubts that I'd ever see it,  or that matter, my money again. The UK has a testing system that gives products a British Standard, although since successive governments sold out to Brussels, we have an ECE standard for motorcycle helmets that is actually lower than our BSI standards. There is also another test called SHARP and the Qwest gets 5* out of a possible 5* - http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/shoei-qwest What struck m...

FEMA (the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations) had their first full meeting of 2013 last weekend in Germany, and I'm pleased to announce that MAG continues its involvement at the centre of riders' rights in Europe with the election of Pat Van Alst as FEMA's Director of Finance. Pat already acts as Finance Officer for MAG UK and has an excellent track record, but his nomination and successful election to the FEMA Board of Directors cements MAG's commitment to FEMA. Pat had the whole-hearted backing of our own National Committee. It's pure coincidence that he rides an ST1100 Pan European! FEMA's current President, Gerard Livett, another MAG UK member and former regional Rep for London, has been in the post for 4 years, but has decided that he should step down. When Gerard was elected to the Presidency he did so on the platform of wishing to protect and enhance motorcycling and he has certainly done that, along with all of the team based perm...

That is the question. My Nitro N700V is getting to the point where the trim around the padding that runs from ear to ear around the rear of the helmet has started to crack and drop off leaving the foam underneath exposed. Structurally it's perfectly safe but it is getting on for 9 or 10 years old..... The other option is the expensive white elephant known as the Schuberth C2, that I bought just a few days short of six years ago at the bike show in London. Although a great helmet I have never been able to fit the Cardo kit to it, even with the extra long boom that Cardo sent me to test. I'll keep it, but I need something to replace the Nitro for everyday use and provide the same sort of comfort and fit as the Schuey. Over the years I have had both Arai and Shoei helmets, the Arai I had was a Freddie Spencer replica (remember him?) and the Shoei was a GRV in Eddie Lawson colours. I determined that I am actually a Shoei head shape. The current Arai models in the shop...