Yet
even more, more previous news pages at Motoeuro HQ.
January
23rd 2006
We've had a couple of 2006 winter ride outs, but the
on-going news is that Moroeuro
2006 is well under way. Looks like everyone is
still up for it and thanks to Jock we have a plan.
Other news...... Steve
is coming up the NCL for Jock to have a wee look at
his bike pre-Scottish Bike Show. John has reached
almost 800 miles on his GS1200 and is loving every
mile. Thanks God for that ! With 3 bikes under his
belt in less than a year, we're all pleased. Jock's
Buell lightning long has a huge 300 miles on the clock
! Needs to get towards 700 - 1000 to be run-in properly.
Until then its easy with the right wrist ! Er....
Dave managed an oil and filer change on the Viffer.
Only took 2 hours. Bloody hell, bikes with fairings
are a real pain in the arse ! Meanwhile, there's no
real sign of Sparko on his GS1150. Family commitments
and work means that he has managed 600 miles on it
but not many miles out with the boys ! Hopefully this
will change in the near future when Spring starts
to arrive ?
December 13th 2005
Looks like John is coming down to NCL this weekend.
A good trip to start to run-in his new R1200GS, but
as the weather looks shite it's anyone's guess if
he'll make it. If so, who's up for a ride out on Sunday
? Escort John out of the country to Lauder and back
again ? Sounds like a no-brainer to me, especially
as both Jock and Spark will be itching to get out
- great excuse lads ?
   |
New
bikes EVERYWHERE....December 10th 2005.
Most of the lads have been visited early by
a fat bloke in a red suit singing "ho,ho,ho".
Obviously Wanker-Clauss missed Dave and gave
to the needy....MY ARSE. John, Spark, Jock and
Steve all have new bikes ! Just to rub it in,
Jock and John especially have brand-new machines.
Spark gets together with his lifelong love R1150GS,
while Stevie gets his first 'propper' bike -
Cagiva 750 Elefant. |
John picks up his R1200GS at bloody last, and Jock
goes for the bike he's always wanted - Buell Lightning
1200 ! So, all small bikes then ? Makes my Honda look
like a shopping- companion.
The
show must go on.....October 2005
For those who missed the NEC Bike Show (we know who
you are...) you missed a great weekend away ! Ha !
So there. Loads of bikes, babes, beer and free ride
outs if you remember to bring your all of your license...
Say no more. The new 1400 Kwak looks mental, but as
you would guess, BMW
stole the show for me with their fantastic stand.
KTM were about as clued-up as a dead kipper, with
no brochures, no prices, no idea about the KTM990
for 2006, and even no good tits to look at..... Asimo
the Honda Robot was entertaining for about 8 seconds,
he can talk, walk and even go up-stairs ! WOW ! So
can my fu**ing dog and she didn't cost £45m
to develop. Beer was nice though !
Elusive GS1200....
So much for BMW dealers being better, stronger and
faster than the usual wankers. 4-weeks later we're
still waiting for John's GS1200 to turn up. As it
happens, he is so busy with house renovations that
it's no big deal but still, come on Bee-Em what's
happened ??? We reported in earlier pages that 3rd
October was delivery day. Its the 19th today......Images
and full report due when it turns up. That'll be March
2006 then.
Organising the NEC visit....
For Christ sake. We've looked at trains, planes and
automobiles to get to the NEC for the Bike Show. Started
on this a month ago and still nowt is sorted ! Cant
get a cheap train (£75 return) as there are
no cheap seats on GNER's most 'popular' routes - what
a bunch of wankers. No-one really wants to drive 'cos
that means no beer... And who wants to ride down in
the cold and November rain ? Can't fu**ing wait.
Stacey has past his
bike test !
After only 2 or 3 lessons he's flew through and is
now on the road thanks to Direct Access. We'll be
looking forward to seeing him out on the KTM very
soon and with John's GS looming, perhaps a Borders
meet is on the cards very, very soon. Just Steve to
pass and we're off !
Zen and the art of passing
your test...
Steve's well and truly up for getting involved in
Motoeuro next year, his new huge column is all about
his introduction back into bikes and getting through
his test. Should be a laugh knowing Steve. The big
question is; what bike is he gonna buy.... Might surprise
us all !
RiDE Magazine - 8th
September 2005
 |
Motoeuro
gets into this months RiDE mag. If you're not
a keen mag buyer or live overseas. Then click
the link to download a PDF file of the actual
page we're on. Suppose it's no great feature,
but we're chuffed anyway so don't whiz on our
chips. We're hoping to get this website address
in next months mag, but we'll keep you informed
of any news... DOWNLOAD
THE PDF PAGE FROM RIDE MAGAZINE HERE. |
RiDER POWER 2005 - RiDE
Magazine - 8th September 2005
So, how did our bikes and kit do in the Rider
Power Survey 2005 ? Its not an industry report,
as RiDE Mag ask every reader to complete a monster
form about their bikes as honestly as possible. Build
quality, performance, etc. Each form is processed
and the results are part of this months mag....
Bikes:
VFR750 1994 -1997: Overall result 66 / 171 with 81.98%
SV1000 2003 - Now: Overall result 112 / 171 with 76.75%
Caopnord 2002 - Now: Overall result 113 / 171 with
76.67%
Transalp 1992 - Now: Overall result 144 / 171 with
73.44%
Bit unfair that Marks Trannie was bundled with the10
year-older Trannie 600, as there have been big improvements,
and Jocks SV was bundled with the SVS. But I guess
this is just a reader report.... If you didn’t
fill the form in, don’t complain !
Kit:
The jury is still out on Jocks Pilot tyres 'v' Daves
020's, they both score well. Mark and Jock's SHOEI
lids get heaps of praise, but John and Dave's AGV
Lids don’t get a mention as they are so crap.
Bike Dealers:
M&S Motorcycles In Newcastle came 6th out for
9 for best dealers in the North East. How ?
Come and join us, come
and join us...24th August 2005
And just where do I begin...? So much ahs happened
over the last few weeks, it's gone mad. To start off,
read the highlights of
the Big Trip 2005 by clicking here. John has managed
to get rid of the Wing, just too much work to be done.
He has replaced it with a fantastic Aprilia Caponord
which is the dogs bollox. With only 7k on the clock,
she's not even run-in yet. Speaking of new bikes,
Stacey who works with John, has got himself a KTM
950, nice slow introduction to bikes eh ? Bloody
hell ! With any luck Stacey will be past his test
and on the road well before the winter hits us. Looks
like they'll both will meet up with us in the Borders
for a Sunday blast ? Even Steve Harrison is up for
joining too !
 |
Friday
12th August 2005
After
our night ride to Cater Bar, I noticed a lovely
grinding noise from the back end of the Viffer.
Went down to M&S for a set of brake pads
- bloody £56. But got them down to £48
when I started to cry.
Poor Jock gets the dirty work as usual, replacing
brake pads is a simply job apparently. So simple
in fact all he had to do was take the exhaust
off and the back wheel to get to the callipers....
Ho hum eh ? Dave makes himself useful by making
tea...err....er.....
Right then. Piece of cake
to fit the little bastards eh ? Err, no. As
luck would have it Jock was at a loose end last
Friday so he offered to fit them. The front
were pads were changed, callipers cleaned in
no-time. Minta ! But the back was a different
story.... Wheel off, exhaust off just to get
to the calliper oh, for fu**'s sake !!!!
However, cheers to Jock I am all sorted - Rode
away home, first roundabout, brakes on ALMOST
OVER THE BARS ! Magic having brakes that work
eh? |
Monday 8th August 2005
Guess who's been looking at a GS1150 AND the new GS1200.....
yep, Mark. Keep you up to speed if he buys one, I
know he is skint, down to his last £12,000.....
Friday 5th August 2005
Mark lands of my doorstep armed with the most amazing
Polo Shirts. All done in Motoeuro logos and with the
list of countries on the back. Look great, and we've
all got our nick-names embroided on the front ! Great
reminder of the Big Trip 2005.
We're back ! Had a fantasic time,
but now I'm all depressed..... wanna do it agian.....
hate work..... Booooooooooo !!!!
Check out the 2005 page
- click here.
AH ! 2 working days
left to go !!!...... 30th June 2005
A minor crisis has hit MotoEuro
! Although Mark has his bike back from servicing,
he ordered hard panniers from M&S Motorcycles
as his Oxford stuff doesn't fit his new bike. M&S
kindly charged him £500 !! Only to find, with
two days to go, they cant get the brackets in. The
androids that work there keep repeating “Nowt
I can dee, mate” over and over again. He has
now ordered Givi luggage from Gericke’s who
will be getting them in tomorrow (Thursday) with any
luck. So, fitting MUST be done Thursday night / Friday
or Mark will have a bin-liner on his bike ! (Which
actually might cut down on the smell of his socks).
Dave, on the other hand, is having similar problems
with M&S. They have had my bike for 3 days to
fit new tyres and sprockets. 3 DAYS !!! To add insult,
I need to bed in the tyres ASAP and its raining. So,
nice slippy tyres in on greasy roads ? If you need
me please send all letters c/o Freeman Hospital, Newcastle.
Hot news...... 24th
June 2005
Brother John is cooking with Gas now that hes got
a new exhaust, just fitting the bastard is going to
be tricky as some of the fixing bolts are practically
welded on ! We wish you well, Sir. After £136
worth of servce, Daves VFR now gives bad vives from
6,000 RPM. Its back in at M&S for them to look
at her. Gulp ! Less than 2 weeks to go and the Viffer
gets the shakes ! HOT NEWS...... Looks like it's the
new sprocket giving me bad vibes. It doesn't like
the part-worn chain and rear sprocket so hence Le
Vibo Bike ! Booked in for 27th.....
Wing trouble - 2nd June
2005
John did get his Goldwing, and after a 250 mile trip
to Newcastle, it became evident that the bike wasn’t
in mint condition as thought. John managed to get
the price down but the bike needs some TLC before
she can start mile munching. An exhaust and new HT
leads plus a tune-up should bring her back to top
nick. Pity John is like me and hasn’t got the
time or the skills to pull it together. We keep out
fingers crossed that he will be running in August
when we will all meet up in Dundee for a weekend ride-out.
At the moment John is researching new parts.
WOOOHHAA
- Mark gets a new bike !! -
30th May 2005
Bloody hell ! With a Hornet only 2 months old, Spark
has got rid of it and got a brand new Transalp !!
BASTARD !!! I was thinking about one before I got
the Viffer as they are very good bikes and really
comfy for long trips.
Hum..... 27th May 2005
I would love to announce that we are all sorted but
alas, nope ! Still wondering how to get out the UK
! Thought about ferry to Amsterdam from Shields, but
at £230 return, its a bit steep. Ferry from
Hull I £150 one-way and then from Amsterdam
to Shields is £150 so £300 DOH ! We’re
thinking of riding to Dover as originally suggested,
but at about 400 miles on motorways, it anit gonna
be fun. We’re meeting up on June 2nd to chat
to get this sorted, Christ, can’t even get out
of the UK. God knows how we are going to get to Italy
!!
WOOOHHAA - John Gets
a BIKE !!!! - 16th May 2005
Can you belive it ? John has ALMOST got a bike !!!
Seen on Autotrader, this Goldwing 1200 has only 17,000
miles on her and she is mint ! Good news for John
and for Motoeuro - that’s ALL the boys with
bikes – FANTASTIC ! Well, except Grayson but
there lies another story.... Life doesn’t get
any better than this !! John collects his Bike on
Monday 23rd May from doon South and rides her to Newcastle
to stay with me and the missus. Tuesday he is off
home to Dundee ! I am so excited for him I could wet
myself :)
Spark PASSES !!! - 4th
May 2005
It doesn’t get any better than this ! Sparko
has passed his test on 4th May 2005, just before his
Birthday – what a gift eh ? He hasn't managed
to shake-off his ‘speeding’ tendencies,
as he still left the examiner behind and buggered
off down the central motorway into Newcastle ! The
test-jocky was stuck in traffic as Spark vanished.
Looking at a fail, as he was unable to complete the
test due to the examiner loosing him, Sparko managed
to talk the guy round and completed the last two manoeuvres
to fulfil the test criteria. SORTED ! Funny how a
shitty bit of paper can make all the difference isn’t
it ?
Spark
fails test - 12 April 2005
BASTARDS !!! Sparko has failed his test 1st time.
Real shame as we all wanted him to pass first-pop.
Never mind there is always next time, but with the
waiting list it'll be end of next month probably.
Sorry Sparko, but doing 60mph in a 30 zone doesn't
impress the test-jockies !!
Not long now ! - 10th
April 2005
Ohhhhh..... Not long to go !
Only 8 weeks-ish and we MUST get a move on with the
plans. Jock and I are going to get our luggage sorted
and have a fully-loaded trip to Northern Scotland
or the Lakes and beyond. Should be fun ! Watched the
first episode of LWR again last night, and kind of
thought we should start looking at ferries and accommodation.
DOH !! Roll-on July !
Cooking with gas ! -
10th April 2005
The big trip is not too far away now, last September
it was 9 months in the future but now its almost here
– only 3 months and the plans are really hotting
up. Well, sort of, our fabulous, bullet-proof, water-tight
plan is to make sure we have the ferry booked back
from Amsterdam to South Shields. There you go, whole
plan sorted ! Accommodation ? Bahhh, we’ll work
on that later ! Oh god.
Test cancelled - Bike
arrives ! - 16th March 2005
DOH ! It could only happen to Sparky ! The build up
to his test was a little cloak and dagger to say the
least, but in the end we knew it was on Wednesday
16th March. Trouble was, with winds of up to 45mph,
it was cancelled. Bugger. Just to rub salt into the
would, his first bike turned up on the same afternoon.
How bad is that then ? See the Bikes and the Boys
pages to view sparks bike.
Could be back on ! -
3rd March 2005
Ha ! Knew it ! After a couple of weeks back home with
work getting on his tits and the kids off school,
Spark is having second thoughts about his second thoughts
!!! Will keep ya posted on this one......
Errrr.... Spark might
not be going - 20th February 2005
After Spark’s Dad ran into trouble in Italy,
Spark hoofed it out there to bring Alan back to a
UK hospital. He was away for just over a week all-in-all
but found the time away from the kids too much for
him. So he is having second thoughts. Is the The big
trip is going to be too much ?
|
News: From the beginning - Winter
2004 |
 |
How
it all began.....
In our 20's, Jock (Geordie)
and I (Dave) loved our bikes. This was back
in 1988. All the usual stuff gets in the way
like women, cars and mortgages so we never really
got much biking done and we were usually pissed.
In 1994-ish, I bought Bike Magazine and MCI
(Motor Cycle International for those who remember)
and read up on the new shape VFR750 looking
like and NR750. I was hooked, it was the only
bike for me but at almost £8,000 that
was over 1 years salary.... |
Forward now to Winter 2004 when Geordie bought a brand
new SV1000 from Suzuki York, we rode down there 2-up
on his CBR1000 and I rode the CBR back to Northumberland.
I hadn't been on a bike for 9 years yet within half-a-mile
I was hooked again. By the time we got back it was
dark and very cold, I was knackered but didn't care
- I had to have another bike.
December 2004 was cold and snowy as Jock and I downed
more beer in the Adelphi Pub, Newcastle. We had planed
as kids to ride to Monte-Carlo yet it was now in the
depth of winter '04 we thought we would plan it for
real.
Mid-December saw me wondering down Westgate Road with
my Nephew, looking in the window of M&S and there
she was..... A shiny, red VFR750FV - 1997 model. I
had to have her and for £3,500 she was mine.
Luckily M&S must have been desperate for a sale
so I managed to negotiate a new exhaust and down pipes,
hugger, Scot-Oiler, road tax and a 4,000 mile service
for £3,000. TOP. Collected her Xmas Eve with
Jock and the rest, as they say, is history......
This website was created to share our experiences
and to catalogue our Big
Trip in 2005. We've been on loads ride
outs, from the Scottish Borders to Italy and it's
been great fun. If you're thinking of buying a bike
go for it - Ride safe and enjoy, most of all, go touring
in Europe you'll love it - If we can do it so can
you, honestly we're crap at organising anything.
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