InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

Some photos of the various Lancaster crash sites. These were taken on my phone. I have others taken on the Sony Cybershot and they will appear later when I get home and download them all.

The jeans arrived on Saturday and I tried them on immediately. I didn't want any surprises when I go to the Netherlands later this week for the MotoGP at Assen.  The denim feels quite thick and the Kevlar material covers all around from waist to knee. There's also a lining that stops the jeans sticking but also stops the Kevlar from abrading the skin. BGA also supply hard armour for knee and hips. I had some D30 armour from another make and that fits really well and is less obvious. The 42L pair, a big lad like me really needs,  are very slim fit on the legs. Usually makers just up all the dimensions and the results are flapping legs like a circus bigtop! Where I would suggest some upping needs to be done is the "rise". The distance between crotch and waistband.  I feel in the event of a slide that whilst the Kevlar might stop abrasive damage the hipster waistband might prove problematic. I guess I am used to my ordinary denim jeans that come up to my wai...

The routes my brother plans down to the minutest details with places to eat, fuel up and see sights have been in the TomTom 410 for weeks if not months. With 2 and a bit days to go there's a change!  I have spent a good hour on MyRouteApp trying to get it to change the first waypoint from the ferry terminal to the Shuttle terminal in France! It kept coming up to say that it couldn't plan a route as there were no roads! Finally it worked. Now I have to get it from the phone to the unit.  My phone needs to be connected to the TomTom by bluetooth tethering. It needs to be done now as once we set the wheels in France it cuts off.  It's a very stupid idea. So I have to sort it before I set off at 7am (at the latest) on Thursday!

After the disappointment of finding that  Birra Moretti  is about as Italian as me, I decided to read the labels on the beers on the shelf at Waitrose. The Czech beers Budweiser and Staropramen were brewed in Czech Republic. I do like these and Pilsner Urquell. However. Today I decided to renew my acquaintance with Estrella Galicia. Last drunk last month in Spain. Luckily, it's brewed in Spain. Who'd a thought it!!!!

It's getting closer. This time on Thursday I expect the Three Amigos will be in the first hotel on the trip. Our usual modus operandi is to get to the GP circuit and go Friday and Saturday for practice, Sunday for race day. This year my brother Woodie has planned some stops on the way to some of the Dambusters sites.  So we'll only be at the circuit for the qualifying and sprint race on Saturday, and all day Sunday. I have to say that this year I am less excited to see the MotoGP class as Moto 2 and 3 are more exciting. I guess it will be exciting when we get there!! The bike is ready. I have the Shad panniers fitted and waterproofs and spare gloves packed in a Tesco bag in the left one. Currently the right is empty.  In the top box I have a bag that fits snuggly with all my gear in. When I pack it. I have made a start.  The debate is what to wear riding to the north of the Netherlands.  Summer gear and waterproofs? Or all season jacket and trousers? The weather is ...

At least today. So hot that we got out Reggie's paddling pool for him to cool down in the water.

Today I have been looking at the France 2020 Atlas to work out where we can stop overnight on the way down. Does anyone else use a ruler to give a rough idea of distances? Just me? The inside cover has the overview of the whole country showing the pages. I use that to roughly work out the stops with the ruler. I have been using this atlas as well. It shows lots of Aires and campsites on the pages. It's okay and easier to handle than the bigger AA atlas. Allowing for the time when we  arrive in France plus some shopping for us and Reggie at Picard, I think that the first overnight stop might be Formerie where we have stayed before. It's about 170kms from the port. It's a small Camping-Car Park Aire with only six pitches. Each with electric hook-up. I'll probably have to reserve a pitch in advance. From there the Google Maps non-toll route goes in a familiar direction to Dreux and then diverts around Orléans and to the non-toll A77 towards Vichy and Millau on the non-toll...

Apparently this Italian beer is authentic.  Except it's not brewed in Italy at all. It's brewed in the UK. It clearly says it on the label. It's therefore imitation Italian beer. As authentic as the $25 Rollex watches you can buy from the knock off guys all over Europe. It's also another beer 🍺 from the stable of Heineken. Aren't they Dutch?

I was looking on the Resort Condominiums International ( RCI.Com ) site to see if there was anything we could drive to and that was pet friendly.   I have owned a timeshare in Tenerife since 1994.  It was very cheap at the time. Of course annual maintenance goes up every year so not using it hurts!  Across Europe there were a few places but as we plan to travel in October that really ruled out Finland and Sweden, although maybe one day we can take Molly the Moho over that way. Purely as I don't know much about the weather there. There were a number of others in Austria and Hungary. One of the Hungarian places I have been before with my ex-partner. We went on our motorcycles and stayed near Heviz and Lake Balaton.  I ruled out Austria as the size of the dog was restricted to 10kg!  Reggie is around 17.5kg. It's another place I have visited quite often especially when I lived in Brno and was only 75 miles or so from Vienna. So that left three p...

Max as I am going to call the unit, is very easy to use.  The gazetteer is a lot like using Google Maps and I have tested it finding places we have been to in the past and several we are going to soon. It works pretty well. Once the dimensions of the Moho are entered and "camper" entered it should ensure we no longer get sent down any rabbit holes. I need to try it for some trips I am planning later this year and it gives three options before it chooses the one they meets your criteria. Fast. Scenic. Whatever. It didn't come with a case so I had a tour through Amazon and bought one. A perfect fit.

Just over a month until what will probably be our next trip away from home for a weekend away. We have never been to one of the outside shows before but we have seen them on the vloggers' YouTube channels. As we are new to this we decided that we'd go for the weekend Friday to Sunday and pay a little more to have a pitch with EHU as well.  We have solar and the battery is newish, but whether it would last over two days is anyone's guess.  We have plenty of gas. It's at the Norfolk Showground.  I was thinking that rather than "brave" the terrible traffic around the Dartford Crossing on a Friday, that maybe we look for a Caravan Club certificated location (CL) and go up on Thursday afternoon when the traffic may well be lighter.   Although looking at the FAQ for the event there's a £5 charge to stay on the showground Thursday night. Something to investigate. Another consideration is that the UK school holidays begin the week before and so there will be loads...

They are out bright and early. Some tough away games at the start of the season with Villa, Spurs and Manchester City the first three! The full list is there: https://www.arsenal.com/news/arsenals-202425-premier-league-fixture-list

Although when I lived in Brno I made several trips to Slovakia I made only one for football games. Slovan Bratislava were the biggest, and probably still are, football club in Slovakia. I had the misfortune to be invited by several of my students, from the school I was teaching at, to go with them. The game was March 1993. I have even found it on the Internet. Our club was then called BOBY Brno. We picked up coaches, actually Karosa city buses, for the trip down south east and across the border from the Czech Republic.  The former Czech and Slovak Federal Republic had split into two separate countries only two and a half months earlier on December 31st 1992. I missed it as I went home to England for Christmas!!!😁😁😁 The BOBY owner put on the buses, free if they had won the week before, otherwise we paid. The pickup was always outside the Janáček National Theatre in the city centre.  The often ignored rules were no smoking and no alcohol on the bus. Neither rule lasted much l...

What a great game of David versus Goliath. In the end it could have become Three Little Pigs with Belgium the Wolf. But it didn't. Slovakia scored early and then managed pretty well against the onslaught that never really came. Belgium had two "goals" chalked off by VAR, and quite rightly too!  ITV's Guy Mowbray must have had his Belgium flag pants on.  One was offside, and easier than many Premier League decisions where the forward is a hairsbreadth offside. The other was less clear but was handball in the build-up.  Guy thought it was accidental. It doesn't matter.  Most "fouls" are accidental unless you are a psychopath! Anyway. 🇸🇰 1-0 🇧🇪

I finally got a little fed up with the Ohrex and the very complicated and less than the Google Maps type planning and routing. The Ohrex works very well for a price of £69.99. Free map updates included. So earlier in the year I started to look around at an alternative. I watched a few vloggers that have had either the Garmin or TomTom. In the end I am pretty experienced with TomTom products. I have a Rider 410 that I use on the motorcycle. So after a lot of research, and price checking I found a TomTom Camper Max at a very reduced price. This cost £267.99. The basic kit only comes with the screen/dash mount, cable and fast charge "cigarette" lighter plug.  The premium kit includes the disc to mount it to the dash and a carry case. I already have the disc in the Moho. Out of the box it came about 50% charged and once started it takes the user step by step through the setup. This includes Bluetooth and WiFi connections. The Bluetooth connection allows "on the go" traf...

Second half...

I blogged earlier in the week about these and that I had ordered a pair of black stretch Kevlar lined jeans from Bikers Gear Australia. According to eBay they were due to be delivered either Saturday 15th or Monday 17th. On Saturday I got a message, through eBay, to say that my size was out of stock. I could wait a week or have a refund. I had ordered a size probably a little larger than I needed as in my experience they come up smaller than others allegedly the same size. I replied immediately to say that I would take a size smaller due to the above reason... Not heard back yet. Let's see what Monday brings... Waiting a week would cut it very fine for my Assen MotoGP trip. I'd like to wear them in a few times before heading off on a 400 mile ride. Nothing worse than untried gear!

After Jo's and a chat with Cal and Ian, and as it was still sunny, I had a ride into Rye and then back through Appledore and Brenzett to get home. I was a little "ring rusty" but soon got back into the swing of it. The bike handles like it's on rails. The Michelin Pilot Road 5 tyres are getting on a bit but they are superb. Road holding is incredible. They look as though they have plenty of tread left and the Assen trip coming up should be okay. To keep my hand-in maybe I need to take her to the bike night tomorrow at Haugelands and to the British Bike Night at Sellindge on Thursday?

The fixtures for the upcoming National League season aren't published for another month or so.  Seems odd as the Premier League have theirs released on June 18th. So whilst we wait this is a map of the locations of all the clubs in the 5th tier of English Football next season.

A short run out to Jo's Cafe just off the A259 at Brookland in Kent. Just three of us! It was the first time I had been out since April 5th!  Once the bike started, third press on the button, the FI light flashed on and off. The engine light also on. I sprayed the exhaust valve with WD40. On the third engine stop start it cleared. Vera Strom ran perfectly after that. I saw another V-Strom parked up and went over next to it. I thought I had taken a photo but my phone thought otherwise. Luckily when Ian arrived he took one. I didn't spot the owner. In the past I organised a meeting for local V-Strom Club and was pretty much Billy No-Mates. The Meldrews seem to be going the same way. Attendance once a month is very low. After breakfast I took a couple that the phone did take! After this I took a longer way around to put some miles under the rubber.

The championships started tonight in Munich with the host nation, Germany, playing Scotland. There's always the question on whether England fans (therefore English) would support Scotland tonight. One of the online betting companies found in a poll that 61% of English would support Scotland, where only 35% of Scots would support England. That level of parochialism is pretty pathetic. So to reciprocate I am hoping Germany batter the Sweaties. Update Germany 5-1 Scotland  Even the Scotland goal was scored by the Germans!!! Shame eh? 🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪

I use Facebook and Instagram. I keep getting things sent to me on Threads that I didn't install. So today I installed it. I uninstalled it in less than five minutes. It's like the written version of diahorea. Every post was from an idiot wanting to have people tell them how marvellous they are ...  What the absolute f*ck.

It seems I am the epitome of the weekend fair weather rider. This Tuesday the 11th June was ride to work day. I don't have a work to go to. What the day did do was inspire me to get out and clean the bike. I had already done it last week with the MukJunkie cleaner I had bought for the motorhome and car. I checked Fuelly and the last time Vera was out was on April 5th ...I know this as I  filled the tank expecting to be going the Vimy Memorial the week after. This is recorded in the Fuelly app. Yesterday clean the wheels with a very astringent cleaner that needed rubber gloves! Washed off quickly! Today. Check pressures. I use the VonHaus pump. It is capable of pumping the motorhome tyres to their suggested 72psi so should cope with motorcycle 🏍️ tyres at 42psi for the rear and 36psi for the front. The built-in digital gauge has been pretty accurate and so when it showed 28.5psi in the rear and 23.5psi in the front I was a little alarmed.  It's a lot to lose in about 70 days ...

My brother Neill and I stopped here in September 2022 when we were on the way to Aragón for the MotoGP.  We had come over the Somport Pass. Then station was still fenced off and the builders were still working on it. Skip forward to late May 2024. It's mostly finished. The main central portion is opened as a hotel.  The ends of the main building, that might have been storage, are still in need of major repo work. The facades are cleaned but inside they still look derelict. We checked out the aire. It's not free, and with hindsight after the terrible journey down very narrow lanes in France, we should have stayed there! Plenty of free spaces and they have electric hook-up. We did park up in the town where we could get a coffee. The same bakery/café where Neill and I went before. This time we had chocolate and churros. It was the only place open... And not dog friendly. From there we took the Somport Tunnel. It was getting too late in the day to tempt us over the Pass in a 2.8m ...

After the six and a half hours to get from home to Meriden in the east Midlands due to heavy and ridiculous traffic, road closures and road working we have decided that getting to Yorkshire on a Friday afternoon is simply the act of lunatics!  I have therefore cancelled the Caravan Club sites. As we are more than 2 weeks before arrival, we get the £20 deposit back for all three nights.  That will help my MasterCard a little! The same two week rule applies to the other site. I emailed them to cancel as well. Not heard from them as yet.... Let's hope that we have made the right decision. The inspiration for the trip are the books written by David J Gatward. 

I bought some of this a while ago to clean Molly the Motorhome.  I also used it on Vera Strom last week. As she had plenty of ingrained dirt and chain oil fling off on the back wheel, I used it neat. It's done a really good job. It's supposed to be mixed with water to 1 part MukJunkie to 9 parts water for ordinary dirty vehicles. I used a bit to clean the bird shit off the car as well. Mix into a garden spray bottle (as above) and spray onto the van or car. Leave it a few minutes and rinse off. I tend to use a soft brush designed for car cleaning to work it into the dirt. I usually hose the vehicle first before applying MukJunkie. The van and Vera both spotless.  (The photo added using the Blogger app later as Blogit app failed again to add a photo!)

A post simply to see if the Blogit app that I have been using on and off since around 2019 will upload photos.  It did yesterday when I blogged a couple of greyhound photos from my volunteering job. At last. Then when I tried to add a photo to the Bikers Gear Australia blog. It didn't work. So I am now thinking about whether the problem lies with the folder on the phone where the photo is saved that's the problem ... These and the greyhounds are in the "Camera" folder. The jeans in the other thread are the  "Screenshot" folder 📂.

All the paperwork arrived today from the insurance companies for both the bikes.  Everything looks on order and I have copied the certificate of insurance for both and they are in the wallets I have with me in trips away. The originals are filed away.

My visit today to my retirement volunteering job at Kent Greyhound Rescue. We have been successful lately and the number of dogs in the foster has dropped. Recently the dogs coming in have been given names punning on actors' names. The black dog is "Dog Johnson". The lurcher puppy is "Dustin Woofman". The retired greyhounds can't be called by their racing names and so the kennels make them up.