I try to post motorcycle only things, but as I am the only real person that reads this I intend to post more non moto related stuff! until then, this is the new addition to the stable!!!!

It"s a 1982 Z1000J engine in a 1970's AMEN (AMerican ENgeneering) Saviour frame. She rides like a dream, when you get used to the handling of the plunger frame! In my excitement while riding her home I blew the head gasket, Braaaaping a 33 year old motor in + 40°c heat was not, in hindesight, the best idea! however this bike just demands to be ridden!

The Harley guys, here in France, get so confused! They come over all "wow man that bike is so cool, I didn't know harley made a four cylindre bike" when I say it's a Kawa motor, they get all funny!

Lots of   bikers on 'stock H-D's' thinking they are bad ass hells angels here, but just at the weekend!

What is it that the French think their food is so special!

I have lived in France for over 10 years.
I consider myself a Francophile ( soon to be a criminal offence in the UK if Farage(Faridge!) Gets into power! )

But why do the French think their food is the best? When my family arrived you could still go to a small restaurant or even better a relais routier and get the meal of your life for a few Francs

Now you have to pay a fortune for the blandest dish possible. The much maligned English dishes have a lot in common with French dishes, most are the same apart from their names. This was until the war and rationing, same dishes but shit or no ingredients.

Small farmers need the help of restaurateurs, but here in my little corner of France they serve up bland cheap  ingredients with at the highest profit margin and no imagination. If McDo threatens to come to town they all protest, but if one or two used the wealth of local ingredients without charging Michelin prices perhaps more tables would be full. France has forgotten or  is just resting on past Glories . Until they realise this McDonald's will be the winner.

I am freaking lazy blogger!

^^^^ and that is why if not yet dead, blogs are dying!

Not much to report, I have been building up more bike parts, so I will soon get cracking on the various bike projects.

I had a great couple or weeks or so with the kids/grandkid during my hol's. The first week I rode there (Surgeres 17700 )  and back on the sporty. I took a different route this time going the shortest but, longest way. What a ride! passing through some of the most beautiful areas of France the Aveyron, Lot, Dordogne, and the prettiest parts of the Charente.

I promise that if I can get my ar$e into gear I will post some pic's of  bike progress soon!

Ciao

It's been a long time.

Well spring arrived, cold and wet! Not much news on the bike front. I love the springtime but as a gardener it is a busy, stressful time. The garden I work at is beautiful, but too big for a lone gardener. I really could do with a full time assistant to get the best out of the garden. That's not gonna happen!

I have been slowly collecting the parts for the CB 650. It won't be long 'till I have everything for the rebuild.

A slight problem with the Suzy 125 ER, I took her out for a really hard blast along the tracks in the forest  behind the Chateau and exploded the fork seals. For a 125cc that bike shifts,  GrinScale 7!

I had a superb bike ride today. It is already too hot for riding in the afternoon but, today was slightly overcast with a beautiful soft breeze. I set off with nowhere in mind to go, this is the best thing about solo riding, I ended up in the hills above the town of Lodeve.

When you get up into what they call the "Arriere pays" or back country you can follow a myriad of small roads to hidden hillside villages. Best of all you will be unlucky if you have to share the road with more than a couple of other vehicles.

The roads wind through the 'Garigues' or southern scrub/woodland which is made up of evergreen oaks, olive trees interspersed with rosmarys, thymes, spanish brooms and much, much more. Then when you are least expecting, it all opens up to stunning views. I love this part of world (not so much Montpellier) !!!!!!

Stress.......................Relief!

At last since re-clothing the Sporty I had a weekend with a glimpse of sunshine, time to go for ride. First thing to do steal back my leather from my son, grrrrr! Dig out my riding boots, helmet and gloves, nearly ready. Fuel up, choke on, ignition on and chocs away. Then disaster.... A strong smell of fuel. Cut the engine and look for the misery. 

The fuel was not leaking, but flooding from the carb, damn, damn, damn ( I may have used stronger language!). An hour later the carb is back on the bike after a few squirts of carb cleaner a gentle blow through from the compressor and I am on my way.

All I can say after that is, the good people of Gignac must have thought a nutter had been let loose, they probably weren't wrong, as I rode past with the biggest, stupidest grin on my face.

Honda 550/650?

While I was on the train to Paris last week, the new project was being delivered to the shed. Having been told by the last owner it was a '77 CB 650 four, I was a little confused as Honda would not build the 650's until late the following year! The Honda 900 Bol d'or fuel tank that had been fitted didn't help either.
As it turns out from the frame numbers it is a CB650 and probably '79. She needs a fair amount of tidying and feteling but on the plus side she does start. This project won't get underway until the Autumn, but the price was too good to resist. What to do with her, I don't know. I was thinking of bulding a Café Racer, but I think I will just get her back to what she once was and enjoy throwing her round the twisty Cevennes roads, something that is almost impossible on a Harley with (legs way to far) forward controls.

Here she is, don't laugh.

Getting there........... Slowly

At last I got a wiggle on and re-clothed the Sporty, she has been naked since October. Still lots of work to do, as always. I don't think it will ever end! Next on the agenda: Change the handle bars to black 12" mini apes, remove the chrome saddle bag spacers and  chromed rear strut covers. Then that will be all work done until next winter (lower suspension front and back, 21" front wheel, replace the front mudgaurd with a fork brace and change the air breather cover and probably the seat ) A very BIG thank you to Julian at Garage Corbieres at Aniane for the paint