TTFN? (well, maybe not!)

[Ruffus]

@Neil, think his mother already told me, he got into the bay for "borrowing" a Beemer from somebody.

[Neil955i]

Known as TWOC'ing here in the UK - Taking Without Owner's Consent!

[Neil955i]

When we were in Paris my parents went to the Rover factory to pick up Dad's new Range Rover single cab. Sand tan with khaki canvases. They took him on a course to teach him to use all of its abilities. Washed it and presented it to them after a lunch. Picked them up at the airport in a Rover sedan.

Stig

That version sounds like what we call a Land Rover Defender.  Always yearned for one, but completely impractical as a sole family vehicle!

[Stig / Major Tom]

That version sounds like what we call a Land Rover Defender.  Always yearned for one, but completely impractical as a sole family vehicle!

Absolutely correct , "Land Rover"....not the one with leather seats! I misspoke.

As for the incident in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (western suburb of Paris):
Having stayed too long at the Fête des Loges (amusement fair), and missed the last bus, Kevin P. and I were walking home @2:00AM. While I was looking at the cool Adidas soccer cleats in a shop window (I distinctly recall this!)- Kevin crossed the square and climbed on a big old motorcycle (probably some kind of Peugeot) parked amidst many others in front of the train station.....and got it started!
He rolled up to me and said, "you ride me home and bring it back and then walk home". I lived within walking distance - Kevin lived several miles distant.
Stupid at 15 & not much smarter now, I climbed on and managed to get it into gear. I made it about 2 blocks before 2 navy blue (black?) Peugeot police cars with blue lights flashing blocked my path.
Chuck de Gaulle was to speak in the town square in front of the train station the next day. Assassination attempts on him were a popular pastime by his former military officers at this time - and the square was 'staked out',  with police on rooftops, etc. Watching for bombs to be placed, and rude American kids, etc.
Gendarmes handcuffed and shoved us into back seats. I spent the night re-breathing this loud detective's Gitanes' (perhaps the worst smelling excuse for tobacco)...and staring at his scary 3-fingered hand as he pounded it on his desk. JAG office sent a translator the next morning.
To sum up : In the movie Steve McQueen played me; Dustin Hoffman was Kevin. (Kevin did manage to escape - but was eaten by the natives in French Guiana)
And...I still have a coconut as a center piece on our dining room table.

Stig

[Neil955i]

Bet you tell that story far better than your Mother Stig!  So, like being on the set of The Day of the Jackal eh?

[Kansas kymco]

Welcome back,  your 300 is probably newer then 90% of my collection LOL.

[Neil955i]

Welcome back,  your 300 is probably newer then 90% of my collection LOL.

True and if I'm absolutely honest, none of the new Burgman colour offerings here in the UK really float my boat so when the time comes, I'll be looking for a 2018-20 version!

[Stig / Major Tom]

True and if I'm absolutely honest, none of the new Burgman colour offerings here in the UK really float my boat so when the time comes, I'll be looking for a 2018-20 version!

I did my Burgman deal over the phone and emails with a distant dealer. They actually had both colors avail. that year (2014?) with a special internet pricing. All black and half silver & black. They trucked it to me and I did the paperwork and $ with their driver/notary. Then we had to call to find out why the ABS light was on when I started it. "Scooter has to be going 10-15 mph before it goes off."
Both colors that year were matte, though.
Anyway - i knew my wife hates black so I went with the two color bike. My choice would have been white.
I do miss its ride -sometimes....: there is a stretch of highway nearby which was recently repaved - and is absolutely butter smooth for several miles. I mean so smooth you think something is the matter, since it's so quiet! I found myself going 85mph on that Burgman one morning. Very relaxed - esp. after I lowered the RPM's by @900rpm with a set of Dr P sliders.
Stig

[Neil955i]

I did my Burgman deal over the phone and emails with a distant dealer. They actually had both colors avail. that year (2014?) with a special internet pricing. All black and half silver & black. They trucked it to me and I did the paperwork and $ with their driver/notary. Then we had to call to find out why the ABS light was on when I started it. "Scooter has to be going 10-15 mph before it goes off."
Both colors that year were matte, though.
Anyway - i knew my wife hates black so I went with the two color bike. My choice would have been white.
I do miss its ride -sometimes....: there is a stretch of highway nearby which was recently repaved - and is absolutely butter smooth for several miles. I mean so smooth you think something is the matter, since it's so quiet! I found myself going 85mph on that Burgman one morning. Very relaxed - esp. after I lowered the RPM's by @900rpm with a set of Dr P sliders.
Stig

Yep! The 2018-20 model years here were gloss white, that’d be my preference. One day.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Yep! The 2018-20 model years here were gloss white, that’d be my preference. One day.

Oh my!
The 2020 Burgman 200 were offered in white here.
Stig

[Neil955i]

Oh my!
The 2020 Burgman 200 were offered in white here.
Stig

This year's 400s here are dark silver, dull grey and matt black  (or to quote them:  Metallic Matt Sword Silver, Solid Iron Grey & Metallic Matt Black No.2)  Is it just me or do most bike manufacturers today show little imagination in their use of the colour palette? Honourable exceptions being BMW, Honda & Kawasaki

[rjs987]

I would agree on the Honda and Kawasaki colors being a bit more interesting for variety than even BMW. And even maybe Suzuki depending on model year.
It seems even Kymco CAN offer color choices outside the USA. The 2022 AK is offered in 4 colors, 2 boring and 2 more interesting. But dealers still seem to gravitate to the boring colors when there is a choice... or maybe it's Kymco, or other makers, that make more of the boring colors and make it harder for dealers to get the more interesting colors.

[Kansas kymco]

Kymco is capable of making some bright colors my orange Xiciting is proof of that. 

[Ruffus]

Hmmh,
here in Italy my not so favourable dealer told me, he would have / has to order one year / 10 month in advance. So he orders colors which he knows would sell. Since here in Europe seems to be cool to drive/ ride a dark or metal grey vehicle, he orders that.
Colorful motorcycles and scooters are dead capital.

[Neil955i]

Hmmh,
here in Italy my not so favourable dealer told me, he would have / has to order one year / 10 month in advance. So he orders colors which he knows would sell. Since here in Europe seems to be cool to drive/ ride a dark or metal grey vehicle, he orders that.
Colorful motorcycles and scooters are dead capital.

Hey that's interesting Ruffus.  As I suspected, I'm in a minority!