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Spain! Here we come! Planning is one thing and especially in the current situation of heatwaves and firestorms. That written, we've planned an ambitious two week tour of northern Spain, As you can tell from the embedded map, it's a lot of kilometers to cover. Some days, the kilometermeter is above 300Km. It's a stretch and as we've booked accommodation ahead, it's likely a punishment we must suck up — and enjoy! Preparations Mrs G has been busy with bookings and administrations while Sherbert and I have been through their 20,000Km service. All's done except the coolant: I just didn't get around to it in time. We'll address that on our return if there's any cooling system left after baking on the Spanish plains. The highlight has to be experiencing the eclipse. We've not finalised on where to view it from and we'll seek local knowledge when we're in the area. We've a day to explore and may head further north and west with a pic...
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A catch up of sorts

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Not much blogging and much to blog about. We'll get to all that. Most bike-related news is: We're off to Spain for the August solar eclipse 2026 Daughter and wife are learning to ride—with bruises to prove it We added to the stable—and still love Arod
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Buy buy Arod Yes. I'm being realistic and listing Arod for sale. It's a wrench and after several rides recently, my wrist is in pieces. There's more than one reason for shifting to DCT and the weak left hand is near top of that list. It feels disingenuous to sell the STeed. That said, after reading The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, I understand the anticpation of knowing someone else will get more joy from him in a week than a month of Sundays keeping him locked away in the garage. Buy Arod - the video I used the new Insta360 Go3S in-helmet to make a quick ride video. Unfortuneately the audio doesn't work out so well with the visor up. It was a warm day and with the BikeQuip offering as much protection as it does, I couldn't keep the visor down long without suffocating. The Insta360 desktop editing app isn't the best I've played with and with an inexpert hand, I made best I could with what footage I had. Detials The ...
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Michelin Road W GT rear tyre size

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Sherbert will need new shoes shortly and I'm a fan of Michelin rubber. So, it's with some joy I read Michelin have created a tyre set for the Goldwing 2018+. The interesting part is that the rear tyre is suplied in two sidewall sizes or 55mm and 60mm. Especially so when the OEM Bridgestone tire has a specific size. Why? Here's what I found out. Options for Different Riding Styles and Priorities Goldwing riders have diverse preferences. Some prioritize a plush, comfortable ride for long-distance touring, while others might desire a slightly more engaging and responsive feel for spirited riding on twisty roads. Offering two sizes allows riders to choose a tire that better aligns with their typical riding style. The aspect ratio of a tyre is the second number in the size designation. In this case 55 or 60, which affects the tyre's profile and therefore the bike's handling. A lower aspect ratio (55) generally means a shorter sidewall. This can lead to: ...
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Sherbert drops again

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Sherbert spilled me and my pillion in Chamonix on May 4 last year and almost exactly a year ago today as I write. We were reversing a U-turn out of a dead end between two barrier-controlled carparks and I lost my footing in a culvert. Old news. Today Sherbert stumbled into a crater hidden by a small van ahead of us when pulling out of a service station. I was looking for traffic left and Sherbert was steering mid-right to join the opposite lane of traffic. The front wheel followed contours into the void, caught us off balance, and gravity sucked us down onto our left side. I put in a little effort to keep upright and know when to give up. It's around the time my back and knee threaten to break. The dashcan caught my verbal effort before the language turned blue. Self righting Helping Sherbert back upright was a doddle. I only forgot to pull the handbrake before lifting. It didn't matter and could in the future. Checking for damage and again it's the front engin...
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Review | Vantrue F1 motorcycle dash camera

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Sherbert enjoyed a Vantrue F1 dashcam install in September 2024. So, how's it turned out? Utility The Vantrue F1 is a dash cam and not a substitute for an action or vlogging camera. It does record every minute of your ride from the front and rea cameras. That offers a way to relay moments of your journey to loved ones and to enjoy recounting "that overtake" or "ijiot" driver doing something stupid. Once set up, you can forget the Vantrue F1 is aboard. It starts up when the ignition is turned on and stays on until the ignition is off or you turn it off. It's that simple. Video options Using the Vantrue app we can set how the video is recorded. This includes its resolution and whether to combine the front and rear cameras in one screen on playback. There are some other settings to modify and you'll learn of those by downloading and reading the Vantrue F1 manual PDF . Sound options Not having read and understood the manual, I accidentally d...
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Rear wheel removal and brake inspections

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After riding home from Dublin through storms, I reversed into the garage and prepared to put Sherbert on their centerstand. During my proven technique, The solution for GoldWing Centerstand weaklings , I thought I had left the parking brake on since Dublin! Perhaps the technique is so subconsciously ingrained now, I just couldn't recall if I'd pulled the lever on now or hadn't released it after parking. It was a moment. Assuming the worst and unable to prove the best outcome, it was necessary to dig into the parking brake calliper and check the pads. This means only one thing: it's back to Chris Dickinson's Cruiseman's Garage video tutorials . Removing the rear fender I've installed the Vantrue F1 Dashcam on the rear fender and I was uncertain how easily I'd be able to disconnect its cable. On removing the rear fender, I recalled I had wrapped insulation tape around the connector to save it from all the crus it was inevitably to wade in.  This compl...
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