Modern Vespa

As I was driving up the bridge I saw around 10 -12 damaged cars scattered on the opposite side of the carriageway so at that stage it had only just started.
It seems that people didn't slow down or use their lights so they just kept crashing into each other when the distance closed.
At the last count it was 130 vehicles involved, 8 badly injured and 200 people affected.
By the time I got back over the 2nd bridge ( which we all rode over) the big one was full of emergency vehicles, wreckers, news crews and all kinds of debris.
It re opened around 5pm.

I also spent 1 1/2 hours parked on the M20 when a motorcyclist had a bad one after J9.
When I eventually came back the opposite way there was a Kawasaki GPZ750 totalled in the fast lane with no sign of a clean up or the rider.
The rider may have been a lady.

Bill X

I posted a Kent News page link over on the ride thread earlier - lots of local pics of the smash

Skok Diner Dash Sunday 1 September (Page 3)

I didn't say I actually liked it...

Its certainly no GTS, but I could see some of the thinking making it to production a few years down the line....

How can you say GTS and THAT in the same SENTENCE?!!!
Lol

Anyone fancy the Ride to the Wall Rememberance Ride on 5 Oct 2013, going to the National Arboretum in Staffordshire? There's a registration donation of £10 that goes to the charity to remember the fallen.
Haven't decided yet, but wondered if anyone else might be in. By all acounts, its quite a day...

http://www.rttw.org/what_is_rttw.php

I always think about doing the RTTW and I've always got something else on by the time I find out the date!

Tip of the day: if you're shopping for a new Apple product, take Mr Wonder with you and receive an 8% discount. He da Mac Daddy.

Relatedly, would anyone like a slightly ill 2004 G5 iMac?

Two brown DVLA Road Tax envelopes fell on the mat today - one for my GTS and one for Mrs BBs Fiat 500.
My GTS is £37 for the year, her Fiat is £30.
Pah! Where's the logic in that?!

*while quietly thinking...but I get a whole heap of smiles for that £37....*

£30 "road tax" plus £7 "entertainment tax"?

Note to self:
Take tax Disc to Scootech

It's Friday night an I'm watching Miss Marple.

My life is just crazy nuts.

Bill X

I'll have it!

Same for me with the GTS and my Bravo.

scooter well

Just returned from a quick trip to London to pick up the scooter from Scootech. All repaired (replacement header pipe) the bill was very reasonable. Then off to really nice cafe in Hackney called Dreyfus for coffee and brecky with Kitty, Bill and Genie. Bill was very reasonable. Eggs Leopold, yum yum the bill was also very reasonable!

Back up the M11 first trip with ear plugs - BLISS.

Went out fora very nice curry last night, but felt obliged to try and cycle off the calories today. 40 miles has just about finished me off.

Lovely morning
Lovely people
Lovely brekkie
Genie gave me lovely herbs
And a chequered sticker for my helmet
I look like a traffic cop from behind now- never a bad thing!
Bill was lovely
Weather was lovely
Oh and I had a l

Oops lovely surprise from brown-beret when I got in
I think my day has been lovely so far
Lovely
Kitty
X

See? I'nt that lovely?

You just need your name on the back and it really will look like trafpol.

Borrow a blue-light-onna-stick from one of their bikes.

Oh we have the same helmet. Same color.

Began the day with a refreshing ride up the M20/A2 this morning to take the BV in for its first service at Scootech. I was in such a good mood, even a fuckweapon in a 4x4 who cut me up couldn't taint my chipper demeanour.

I had a brief encounter with Doug, who was on his way to elsewhere. Shortly after, four of us decamped to Dreyfus for breakfast and copious lattes. The former Hackney police station across from Dreyfus is now up for sale - in the meantime it's got anti-squatter screens all over the windows. It's a Grade 2 listed building with no reserve price - project, anyone?

Kitty came back to Genie's afterwards to fawn over the many cats, all of whom received huge cuddles. Alita was favoured with a tummy rub that had her singing with joy. She (Kitty, not Alita) left with bags of herbs and tomatoes.

We spent the rest of the day doing mundane shopping tasks and looking at art.

I would love to decorate that old police station
A place I have many memories of, having spent a great deal of time in there over the last 25 years....
Some good, some bad (it used to have a brilliant canteen.....)
I was sad to see it all boarded up like that.
I adored my kitty cuddles at genie's.
They are all very cute
Kitty
X

i think we should form a Skok consortium and buy it. i'm handy with a black 'n decker. sling a few shelves up, couple of coats of bedsit beige and wait for the hipsters to queue up to live there.

Kitty I'm glad you're enjoying the herbs and tomatoes .... I can't think of anyone who would make better use of them

I'm sorry I missed you all this morning, but Birreh and I were very early. I burnt my mouth on some very hot coffee, which I hurriedly slung at Bill when I realised I was very, very late for my very important date.

Got back in at just before 6pm after riding all day absolutely aching! Glad you all had a nice time!

kitty, I have the same Nigella Saut Bucket... brings back memories of when I made one in a pottery class at high school!

Or an old skool 2 Tone fan

Goes with those cherry Docs Kitty

Which was kinda my thinking for Kitty's little scooter bag

Looks spot on in the kitchen Kitty, glad you like it

Brit hipsters seems vaguely oxymoronic somehow. Do you have your own hipsters or were you talking about American hipsters?

Or maybe "hipster" is something anyone can aspire to.

London has its own healthy hipster population.

Somebody tell me I am pretty...quick!

I spent Saturday afternoon strolling in Central Park.......

Hey all.

Really good to see you guys yesterday.
Hope the scoots are running sweet. Also nice to meet Waspman aswell albeit very briefly.

I'm at The Victory Show near Cosby in Leicestershire. In 35 minutes there's a tank battle, and I suspect the Germans will be the runners up.

And the Red Arrows just flew overhead!

Who won?

Thank you for greasing my pole Lawrence. It moves freely now.

Thank you also from Genie for putting her axe on your grinder and giving it a nice edge.

Seat bolster out now and studs in place. Thanks Syd. They fit perfectly.

Tried to polish it today but it kept raining. I like my BV a lot.

Are you enjoying New York Pepy ?

Birreh !

PS I wore the wrong kind of pants on an 8 mile run today and my inner thighs are as raw as liver. Ouch.

Split decision between the US and UK.

Boring how it always seems to turn out the same, time after time.

I guess you are not talking about soccer then...

Looks great. Reluctantly passed on that, but had to get my GTS front wheel balanced before next weeks Norfolk run after its weights dropped off somewhere, plus tick off a long domestic To Do list. One for next year then. Did get back to the Italian hotel near me today (where we had the Skok run in May) for 'Supercar Sunday'. Vroom vroom - phwoar look at that!

This past weekend was our little village's annual Asia Minor Festival. Music, dancing and lots of Souma for all our guests.

It was great fun as usual.

is last year's one, but you get the general idea.

Greetings from Majorca. Got here this morning at6pm on a ferry from Valencia. Left Portsmouth with my silver machine, last Tuesday . On the way to Portsmouth, I had to give paramedic help to a young guy on a Suzuki 650. He'd hit a BMW 4x4 on the A3, just after the Hindhead tunnel. I was first on the scene, to assess him and get him into a good recovery position. Broken left leg between the knee and ankle. Puncture wound but only minor bleeding. Complaints of back pain, so held him till I got further assistance, in shape of an off duty copper. The others on the highway brought some ambulances in, after 10 mins. After 40 minutes , I handed over to the experts and set off for my ferry. 2 miles down the road on the opposite side, another major crash, a transit upside down in trees and cars all over the road. This all on a perfectly straight road in good visibility ! Got on ferry to Santander. The only scoot amongst 200 touring bikes. I was going further than any of them.
Landed late the next day in Santander, took longer to disembark than expected. My first night stop was Burgos in the middle of the Cantabrian mountains. It took 3 hours and only 2 hours in daylight. The last mountain section was hairy and I nearly hit a deer which fortunately jumped away from me as I rounded a bend. Next night, Segovia, then on to Toledo. Both walled citadels. Then my longest day from Toledo to Valencia, , 420 Kim's at an average of 65 mph. All possible due to the magnificent empty well made highways you find all over Spain. What joy, but what a sore arse. Valencia, is a pleasant turn of the century city, with a dull 70s looking hinterland. However the ultra modern expo area was something like a set in Star Wars. They got elegant and futuristic shiny white buildings. We got brutal concrete Southbank and boxy Excel centre. Something is wrong somewhere. Got the overnight ferry to Majorca, ones now chilling for 3 days in the south east of Majorca in Puerto Petro. . Then ferry back to Barcelona, then Tarragona, Zaragoza, Burgos, Santander. Portsmouth. GTS doing splendidly, but at cruising at 70 mph in the heat notice some oil spillage from the top of my roller case. Checked the oil sump, but well within the limit. Maybe slightly overfilled and,over hot with a prolonged bit of motorway riding. Will post pics, if I can figure out how to. Gass. Silver machine GTS 250