Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

You'll feel it that's for sure. What bike?

I've done the trip lots of times in the car but we usually break it up into 2 or 3 days. I've not seen much police activity in thousands of miles out there. Not sure about the visor but you're not necessarily going to want tint the whole time are you. Filter if you want just not between/around police cars, true though that French bikers filter less. They are very unlikely to pull you over helmet reflectors and I've never seen French friends bothering with it.

Good luck with it anyway, it's more of a chore than a pleasure though and you're probably going to be more worried about your neck than your arse as you'll have lost all feeling below the waist by Nice if your seat doesn't suit you.

Easter traffic as well.

I always buy cheap lids, and the main difference I can see is that a cheap lid tends to have fewer niceties. I've a cheap Bullitt copy and it fogs up like crazy because there are no vents in it. I tried the actual Bullitt on and no fogging at all because it's covered in vents. Both felt about as safe in terms of impact protection (insomuch as you can tell by repeatedly headbutting the shop wall before the sales staff drag you out) but the Bullitt definitely felt like it was built to last.

It's not the most practical bike for it... Yamaha MT07

I've had the comfort seat (much better padding etc) for about 3.5k miles so i'm okay with the seat. Also, the tank is only about 140 miles so will have regular stops. I've fitted a "touring" screen as well, which takes a lot of the pressure off over 60mph.

It's definitely not going to be fun but, with the Easter weekend, it was over £250 to take the car on the Eurotunnel or £50 for the bike (return)

It's a "working" holiday, helping with my parents new place so i'm not expecting it to be fun...

On the fence about the tinted visor. I love having it when it's sunny but, as you say, i might not need it all the time. Maybe i'll bring the clear as well. Will have panniers with me.

Quickest I've ever been in France was averaging 110mph over 400 miles. That was pre speed cameras and includes a fuel stop, the police used to hang out behind the bridges now you see them around the tolls mostly.

They also have a system that will pick up on speeding traffic and broadcast the number plate on huge boards with a message telling you to slow down. Puts the wind up you but it's not followed up by a ticket.

Have a good look at the rules for priority from the right. There are situations where the driver on the right can and will exercise his priority and for those of us used to the English rules it's terrifying.

I usually tour with 2 visors but change them once a day in the morning. If it's overcast I'll go with shades/glasses under clear, sunny I'll go tinted and maybe end up riding visor up with glasses on. If you have a pillion it's easy to change glasses on the go, if you're not in a group you can pull over and change them.

If I were you I'd stick with clear visor and dark glasses. Take the tinted for trips when you're down there. You'll need to clean whatever visor you're wearing and the screen too if you look through it, the car collects a lot of flies on that trip.

If you put some luggage on the tank you can rest your chest on it, it keeps the wind off and takes the strain off your arms. Also consider one of the clip on throttle things that lets you keep the throttle open with your palm, it gets boring gripping that throttle all day.

On subject of long rides, touring, I may be doin a mental ride in May, Aberdeen to Bournemouth and back via Leicester Milton Keynes Bath and Liverpool (all the correct towns, not necessarily in the right order). I'm thinking of the Kriega US30 tail pack and a large tank bag. It'll be on the street triple so also considering a clip on screen to go on the fly screen for motorways. Anyone seen any universal screens that are any good? Cheers

I can see fine in the dark, it does not go as clear in cold and dark as normal lense, but no issue seeing. If riding in dark only I'd just swap to clear lens I have.

@Chak I got an MT revenge just cos it had a 5 star sharp rating and was less than £50. It's fine apart from the graphics. I really want to strip it and paint it. Anyone know the best way to do this btw? Sand it? Does it affect its strength? It's comfy enough but is pretty deafening. But I haven't got anything to compare it to.

Edit your map......;)

Yes visors are ignored, filtering is fine and cars will make you space. Some bikes use hazard warning lights.

Might be near versailles if you want a stop and a kip.

Map is not my street.... just somewhere near.

I think i'm going to take both visors.

When my KTM got nicked from outside my house last Summer I was wondering if it was some chancer kids that did it for fun or something a bit more 'organised'.

On Friday I got a call from the police about the bike - it's been found dumped in Wandsworth. He also told me about this :

http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/business-news/business/exclusive-video-smash-and-grab-robbers-steal-40k-worth-of-jewellery-from-knightsbridge-store-watches-of-switzerland/11447.article

Quite glad I didn't get into a debate with the the thieves as they stole the bike...

...Probably needed 40 grand's worth of tomfoolery to keep up the service schedule at a KTM dealer...

They were lucky to make a clean getaway without having another bike for spares.

That would be less suitable all year round for me, could be good for a summer lid though.

I've always toured with just a dark visor but frequently regretted it. Descending the mountain to Cannes in the dark with a bug-caked black visor is not much fun.
I loved those runs to the SOF though. If you can do 2 days, you can have a lot more fun and get stuck into the twisties south of Lyon to the coast (route Napoleon etc...)

Tank bag is an excellent idea as Airhead mentioned. On speeding, I've never had a problem on the Peage or RNs despite some truly egregious infractions. Make sure to slow right down for the little towns and villages. Oh the CRS do not find wheelies clever. Not at all.

Cheers.

2 days is out of the question unfortunately. I have a jobs list....!

I'll have a set of these bags:

Which will be plenty for a couple of days...

Once the place is ship shape, i'll have use of it whenever i like which will be amazing for long weekends with the motorbike or car & pedal bike in future.

For the Mods amongst you.

I love Vespas but find that bloody awful. Incidentally, I had to replace my clutch cable today as it snapped on my last ride. What a messy job that is. Grease and oil everywhere. It's amazing that you can put a litre of oil in a Vespa but it somehow leaks three litres over the next week. Like a sieve...

I think the steering column needs a bottle opener for full retro cheese waffle.

It is too late for a mod scooter gs all the way.

Also gulf colours.......

I work around the corner from Infinity so went in with a vague idea about the xr1100, which turns out is now the NXR. I've got a carbon downhill full face that I thought was light. Wrong, holy shit, this helmet is....well...fucking beautiful!

I'm biased slightly but have been wearing Shoei products for coming up on twenty years (only 3 helmets in that time too) and they are fantastic. Best visor system bar none and excellent fit and finish. Currently have an X-spirit, I think?

First was a Nobby Ueda rep bought second hand of a bloke that worked at the same courier company as me. The fucking animal had smoked fags stuck through the chin vent and left a little burn mark on the rubber there. Fifty quid. Loved that helmet. Landed on my head after endoing into the back of a stationary car and fucked it totally.

In a curious twist of fate I gave it to a Mexican bloke in LA back in 02 to seal the deal on selling an RV as he liked the blue iridium visor.

I was reading up on this because I want to respray a Nexx. You need to remove all the fittings and rubbers, sand back the clear coat (not all the paint), layer plenty of base coat if you're doing any new design and make sure to mask off the inside completely, because if any paint touches the EPS lining it can kill it. Lots of tutorials on YouTube

After quite a bloody long time my Thruxton is once again on the road. Just in time for the nice weather :-)

Bit of helmet customisation tonight:

With flash:

Back:

Other side:

:)