Dawn Patrol

[Neil955i]

OK full disclosure, not quite a Stig-type 5:15 am excursion, but it was 6 am when I left and that's plenty early enough for me!  Discovered that an hour riding at 14c without the liner in my Dainese jacket was a bad call.  Note to self, next time take 5 mins to thread it back in.

That said, it was nice to get a ride in before the majority of the county were up and at it.  Empty roads and stunning early morning views of the local rolling countryside.  Stopped after 20 minutes or so for a shot of this lovely old footbridge near me.

[Neil955i]

These are just after I set off to prove the X-Town is sometimes clean!

[Stig / Major Tom]

Thank you for the photos Neil!
Yeah, made that mistake before....will know after 90 seconds, "this mesh needs the liner!"

So cool yesterday's ride, I  wisely put on the Japanese thermal shirt. With the mesh & liner > perfect😊

Glad you got out early. I cannot imagine being on my scooter any other time of day! Things are so fresh...cool, great colors and smells. Hardly any traffic. People are friendlier, cows curious, etc.
I'm usually home whilst ladies are still asleep, or jammied. So, no family time lost due to my hobby.

?? Did your 300 come with these City Grips?

Neil, keep dawn patrolling and posting pic, please.

As my old drill sergeant used to say, "let's GO ladies, we're burning daylight!" as he kicked a tin 55 gal trash can down the isle of bunks....
He was a sweetie. Couldn't ( or didn't) swear at us because many were Seventh Day Adventist... and we were headed for medic training, next. We might meet again....?

Thanks again, Neil!

Stig

[Ruffus]

@Neil, you got some places too, thanks
Watching more closely, saw your mirrors are pretty high up too.

[Neil955i]

Thanks Tom, but I don't think I'll ever rival your commitment to the pre-dawn outings!  For me it's just an occasional foray to remind me what it used to be like riding to work 

As for the CGs on my XT300 no they're not OEM, it came with the dreaded Kenda's.  I stuck them for nearly 2,000 miles then after a wet last Autumn (Fall) and a number of "moments" I bottled it and had them swapped out for City Grip 2's.  I even managed to sell the Kendas on to some poor unsuspecting fool, but that's a whole other story.

The other routine I ought to get into on my rides is to stop more often and take the damned photos.  As I was typing the bit about stunning views and rolling countryside I thought "you really ought to have some pics to back this up!!" Next time.  Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings Stig - nowhere near as Proustian in stream of consciousness terms as yours, but I appreciate your reading them!

[Neil955i]

Watching more closely, saw your mirrors are pretty high up too.

Yep, well spotted, they sit on top of some nice (eBay) alloy extenders to clear my shoulders!  As many have remarked, standard mirrors built for Asian frames, not the more generously proportioned European / American models!

[pa-outdoorsman]

Thanks for the great pics! That Xtown 300 is a sharp-looking scoot IMO.

[Neil955i]

Well thank you pa, I think so.  Just a pity the only colour scheme on offer in the UK when I bought it was matt grey!  I'd have far preferred gloss white  or Ducati red!

[Kansas kymco]

Well thank you pa, I think so.  Just a pity the only colour scheme on offer in the UK when I bought it was matt grey!  I'd have far preferred gloss white  or Ducati red!

Grey seems redundant in the UK.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Grey seems redundant in the UK.

The UK is so lush and green. Is it still true that one can stroll across otherwise private fields in the countryside?
 And do they still offer the hikers steps to get over fences, and gates?
I was only in the UK for 4 days. Back in the 60's.
My Paris American High School football team stayed in a London hotel, until we played a game against the Lakenheath airfield's team. Our prop plane landed on a grass strip in the countryside. Narrow lanes and crazies on the wrong side of the roads...are my memories.
You've a beautiful country - pics would be much appreciated !
Stig

Oh yes, "look right" was painted on the curbs in London intersections!

[Kansas kymco]

The UK is so lush and green. Is it still true that one can stroll across otherwise private fields in the countryside?
 And do they still offer the hikers steps to get over fences, and gates?
I was only in the UK for 4 days. Back in the 60's.
My Paris American High School football team stayed in a London hotel, until we played a game against the Lakenheath airfield's team. Our prop plane landed on a grass strip in the countryside. Narrow lanes and crazies on the wrong side of the roads...are my memories.
You've a beautiful country - pics would be much appreciated !
Stig

Oh yes, "look right" was painted on the curbs in London intersections!

Stig I was referring to gray rainy days not the landscape that is lush and green because of the rain.  Right now I would welcome some of those rainy days since we are having 105F degree heat.  The only ones welcoming the dry heat is the wheat farmers harvesting their crops.

The UK is a place I would like to visit but until then I will live vicariously through Neal's pictures.

[Neil955i]

Stig I was referring to gray rainy days not the landscape that is lush and green because of the rain.  Right now I would welcome some of those rainy days since we are having 105F degree heat.  The only ones welcoming the dry heat is the wheat farmers harvesting their crops.

The UK is a place I would like to visit but until then I will live vicariously through Neal's pictures.

Well then guys, here's a few more from my ride around the Welsh borders this morning!  First few are just for a taste of the rolling countryside which I missed capturing yesterday!  (I'll reply to your specific questions in a moment Stig 

[Neil955i]

Dunno about you guys, but I find attaching photos a real pain on here with this 1024 Mb limit.  My computer says just under that number but still it won't load?  Whats the story?!  Maybe I need a more professional compression tool than Paint 

[Neil955i]

Nice road down to the pit stop...

[Neil955i]

And here I take a well earned break for tea and a Bacon Barm with like-minded folks.  Got chatting to Tim, the guy on the Triumph Tiger 1050.  Bought it on Monday as his first bike after a 5-year lay off following his divorce....  Told him to keep it on "Wet" mode until he's got used to it!  Beast of a machine.

You can't see it too clearly in this shot, but the bike in front of the red Speed Triple is a Royal Enfield "Rat Bike" that looks like it's straight off the set of Mad Max!  Complete with bandages around the exhaust down pipe.  What is that fashion all about then?