Pondboy's BMW F650GS News

Thursday November 18th
Last month I went up to the Motorcycle show at NEC and wandered around looking at the new metal. Have to say, that I rather liked the new MT-01, although, if there was one bike there that I really fell for it was the new Ducati 1000 sport. A modern version of the original 750 which was my first big bike. It looked gorgeous and I am sure it will go better than it looks.

Charlie Boorman's GS1150 look like it had seen some tough going and survived. The Chopper with the 210mm front wheel was just outrageous. (Apologies for the smudged images. Tsk,tsk.)

Overall, I didn't feel there were any good reasons to dump Mellow Yellow for another bike, although I am sure that in another years time a second hand GS1200 will seem like the bike to get. I just have to make sure I don't go out for any test rides before then.

Wednesday 1st December
Just finished another pond, so a web building I will go.

I have been elected as Chairman of my local pub's Xmas committee (cos I have a van big enough to collect a Christmas tree). Took Mellow Yellow out to our local Xmas tree barn to look at the trees and had a very curious tree man asking how I planned on getting one home. :)

While surfing away today, I checked out Mike Werners bike blog as ever and found a link to an amazing photoblog put together by a French couple Merritt and Pierre who have ridden F650GS's up and down Africa, South America and now seem to be doing North America. Cool or what. They have a very good site with lots of great pictures and one hell of a story.

Sunday 12th December
I managed to get out for another 50 mile thrash yesterday. Cold but clear with a little fog still in some places in the Thames valley. I did my usual jump on the bike and go in the opposite direction from the previous ride, then just wound round some roads I haven't used for a while before redlining it back into Henley and home. Bliss. Got back and it looks like a new set of tyres will be needed very soon. I'll only just reach the 4,000 mile mark before the rear goes slick in the centre. Tsk.

A big Happy Birthday to Mike Werner today. Great blog. Keep it coming, and have a good Dakar adventure.

Thursday 16th December
Met up with some of the Reading UKGSer's last night for to talk bolloks in the Pack Saddle. Clive, Tim and Paul turned up and NeilF was there in spirit if not in body. Got on the bike early and had a nice ride around in the dark before I got there. Top stuff.

Tuesday 29th December
Well, I had a spiffing Christmas. Spend the day up in Barnes with Pondgirls brother and his family. Very Christmassy. After a huge lunch we settled down to watch Love Actually on his mammoth Plasma Flat screen TV and I blubbered like a goodun through at least half of it.

PG got me an Oxford Tankbag and it now looks very likely that a new make of GPS will be donated to me to Beta test early in the New Year. All in all, I think that this is a signal to commit to my proposed "Ride round the Coast of Britain".

I have mapped just over 4,000 miles of roads, visiting each of the 168 RNLI boathouses on the mainland. At around 230 miles per day, I reckon on 16 days in the saddle. I'll be posting my proposed daily routes on a dedicated page shortly, so when the time comes to make the trip, if anyone wants to join in for a bit of the ride, they will know where I'll be going.

In the meantime. All the best to Mike Werner (see Blogs link) who is off to follow the Dakar for a while with a mate, before looning around in the desert on their own.

I hope everyone has a safe 2005 and wears a BIG GRIN every time they are on a bike.