¡InvictaMoto!

It was inevitable. Hardly any riding since Aragón and Bromley, I have slipped down the table! It's not going to get any better when I have to enter the end of October mileages. Maybe I can get out this week, but I doubt it.

It seems after the farce that is UK politics we have a third Prime Minister since July. Hurrah. So they, the Conservative & Unionist Party, held a long and exhausting and pretty boring selection process that mostly pissed off the UK population and chose Liz Truss over Rishi Sunak . Liz Truss then tried to implement the things she said she would. The shit and fan interfaced.  The low lifes in the money markets saw an opportunity to make a buck or two (million) and the Tories pissed their pants and forced her out. So now we had a two horse race between the runner-up, Rishi, and third place last time, Penny . It appears no one wants to put their hat in the ring.... Then the spectre of Boris Johnson looms over the weekend.  Then Sunday night,  Bojo drops out and we are back to two horses ... Rishi suddenly gets 2/3rds of the votes and is the new leader and new PM tomorrow.

One photo. Two things bought for the Van  The Milenco pedal box to stop would-be thieves is superb. It's very heavy duty and fits easily. The rubber floor though is there to stop the original floor from getting worn or even dirty when dirty boots get in. It does that bit really well. It's also supposed to be non slip and that's where it falls down. It still slides under foot though. I am going to have to stick it down with double sided carpet tape.

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) claims that the Greater Cambridge  Partnership (GCP) proposals to charge motorcycles to enter a Sustainable  Travel Zone are based on misinformation and prejudice.  GCP launched its  Making Connections consultation on 17th October.  Included in the  consultations are plans to charge all motorised vehicles, including  motorcycles, a flat rate of £5 per day to enter what is being billed as  a Sustainable Travel Zone. MAG activists in Cambridge caught wind of the plans to consult on a  sustainable travel zone weeks before the consultation launch.  They  quickly found that the proposal was to charge motorcycles the same £5  charge as cars.  Approaches were made to open dialogue with GCP, which  they ignored.  A Freedom of Information (FOI) request showed that a formal presentation  delivered to Cambridgeshire County Council listed reasons to charge  motorcycles, including t...

After this year when my trip to Vimy was cancelled when P&O closed down operations, I am hoping that 2023 will be more successful.  I have the offer of a free crossing that I can take but not for the 2023 memorial! This year it will be Easter Sunday. I have posted it as an event on the Meldrews' FB page but I doubt there will be many takers. Nearer the time I will check out ferry or Eurotunnel fares.

These have been in the wardrobe for years. I bought them but couldn't get my fat feet in them. To be more accurate, my ankles didn't bend sufficiently like a contortionist to get them on. It was only when reviewing some posts that had been recently viewed reminded me. http://invictamoto.blogspot.com/2017/12/spada-pilgrim-grande-wp-boots.html I dug them out and with the laces very loose I managed to get them on...

Yep. It was Meldrews' Sunday. Today we were back at the original Kent Centre meeting place on the A20 near Smeeth. The Blue and White Café. Cal was there already and no other bikes when I arrived. I squeezed in on the hardstanding behind an Audi that needed two car lengths to park! The café was packed with "normals" and just us two bikers. It seems from being a transport café for truckers and bikers it's attracting Joe Normal and family. Anyway. I had the half breakfast which gets one of everything for the Full English. Very good and now included coffee or tea.  The M20 past this section was closed southbound and so the A20 was very heavy.  As we sat and ate and chatted ambulances and police cars went southwards with blue lights and sirens. With the M20 closed it meant this is the only route for them. Response times must have been through the roof!! There seemed to be a lot of them close together. Had there been an incident? In the course of an hour maybe ...

The Milenco Levelling Block arrived. Singular.  Block! I posted earlier in September about ordering but due to not reading the ad properly I ended up with one. What use would one be? So I had to go back on eBay and "buy again", except the seller had sold out. So the hunt to buy a matching one began. Eventually found another seller and ordered one.  So now I have two the same! A salutary reminder to read ads properly!!!  

The MAG Southeast region AGM will be on Sunday 22nd January. So you have plenty of notice.! It will be at:- Hy Arts Hall, Williams Field, Marshall Gardens , Hadlow, Kent TN11 0EH. Doors 11-30 am and starts at 12 noon sharp. Please bring your current membership card if you wish to speak or vote. All posts are up for re-election. If you wish to stand for office  you must have been a member for a minimum of  6 months prior to the AGM (as will your proposer and seconder). Any enquiries or if you have an item you would like to be included in the agenda please contact me at  smallett@mag-uk.org We have been very active during the last 12 months and our last 3 events are 'Mag's at the Nag's 11' on Oct 14th, North Kent MAG + publicity tent at the  'Lord of Lydden' races 22&23 Oct  and Brighton MAG publicity tent at the South of England bike show , Ardingly on Oct 30th.

  The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) has explained why motorcyclists need  an influential role in the autonomous vehicle (AV) safety debate. Responding to a consultation on a self-driving vehicle safety standard,  MAG rejects subjectivity in favour of rigorous real-world measurement. The Government announced plans in August to roll out self-driving  vehicles on UK roads by 2025, with trials on motorways starting in 2023.    A consultation asking for views on a proposed safety standard for self-driving vehicles closes on Friday 14th October. Recognising that  self-driving technology cannot be 100% safe, the bar suggested is that  self-driving vehicles should be as safe as a ‘competent and careful’ human driver. MAG’s consultation response rejects the proposed standard, saying that  it is far too subjective.  It calls for a far more complex and rigorous  measurement backed with removal of licences and models that fail to  achieve ...

A first crossing for us to the Isle of Wight...

We have had the Van back for a few days now ready for a long weekend run to Cheddar and Glastonbury. The HUD isn't an expensive one as I really only needed something to show my speed when we are abroad. Having to constantly convert miles into kilometres can be a PITA. This little unit is stuck to the dashboard on the right of the instrument binacle. There's a long cable to hide. Currently on top of the dashboard. I might see if I can hide it elsewhere!! So far so good. It found the satellites and on a short drive looked accurate comparing it to the Boxer speedometer. The instructions are printed in a font sized about 2px so I need my glasses and a magnifying glass to see how to get in to display Kms.