On the Road Again!

I bought the Alaska Sheepskin Buttpads for the BMW 1150GS about 18 years ago. I opted for a pair for the front and rear seats. We used them for a few years on trips all over Europe. Buttpad for V-Strom (Clicking the labels below shows how long ago!) They took some of the pain from the seats over long distances. Over time and changes of bike to the Triumph Explorer and the Rocket III, I mislaid the main strap that holds it onto the seat.   The front strap is elastic and it has perished. To replace that will need a new piece being stitched on. The elastic will be easy but the sheepskin might be too thick for regular needles. As for the main strap. I checked on the firm's website and they sell replacements with the "male" buckles. The butt pad has two "female" parts of the buckle. So I have ordered two. One lot of postage so get two and save the hassle when changing bikes! https://alaskaleather.com/products/replacement-strap?variant=985732636 With Vera's new se...

After a pretty heavy butt cheek battering in Spain, and especially on the last two days either side of the ferry, I decided to try a new sheepskin approach.  One of the guys we chatted with on the quay at Santander and on the ferry, and his wife, two-up on a KLX1000 Kawasaki, said they had bought sheepskins off eBay from a company in Yorkshire. They looked a lot shaggier than the Alaska Leather ones that I bought for Claire and me way back in 2004. So I bought one. The jury is out.  It is a rectangle, with an anti-slip underside and a thick elastic to pass under the seat.  I think my arse cheeks need to recover before I can feel any benefit. The suppliers are www.sheepskinseats.net  and are available via eBay as well as direct.

Back to work on the train today and for the rest of the week. The bike's in the garage with the best part of a full tank, the tank bag harness fitted and the tank bag in place. The oil at the top of the window, so it just needs a clean to get most of the dead flies off! I re-fitted the Alaska sheepskin "buttpads" to both seats. Claire reckons hers had helped with bum numbness and I have to admit the jury is out on mine. They have another chance to prove themselves! I'm feeling a bit restless, Steve and Bobbie came home yesterday and stayed with us en-route home and we had look at their photos on the digital cameras. They've been to the Dolimites and went over the Grossglockner and the Stelvio over the week. I have both on the plan for the next fortnight. At least today, the webcam for the Stelvio shows the snow of last week to have gone, but it's still very misty and cold looking. As usual Steve took me over all the mods he has done to his FJR1300. As well ...

There’s a saying about the best-laid plans of mice and men… I have no idea from the mouse’s perspective, but planning this trip seems to have taken longer than my usual time, and from the human angle! It turned out to be more than poring over maps, both paper and electronic (MS Autoroute and www.viamichelin.co.uk ). Firstly, it was to be a weekend dash to join the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the Czech Suzuki Owners Club, with friends and fellow club members. Then it became a long weekend to accommodate my wife, Claire, on the trip and then a full blown week and the trip grew and grew. A week before the off, she found she had a business meeting with her company’s partners in Paris. The meeting date? The same day we were to begin our holiday! Plans changed again. Another days holiday booked for me and a change to the Shuttle booking. Luckily the fare was flexible and I was able to change without charge. And so… Tuesday 25th May My plan was to be away early and to ...