Baldbloke

Very true. She’s stood by me through some tricky times so I’d be loath to upset her by being unreasonable. My other bikes are travel limiting to me too. 200 miles is a big trip on the Thunderbird Sport, and I’m glad to get off the sports bike after 50 miles. The Guzzi is sofa comfy with zero discomfort after a number of miles. Proper old fashioned deep seat with room to move.

Fair enough! I’ve been known to go too far on occasion.

Good point about the State Pension. The ‘mansion’ will cover itself as long as the wind turbine behaves and keeps generating income. I’d aim to do the trip quicker than in 2 years, although Chris may wish to not be in such a hurry. It’s really about my wife, job, Covid, health and the encouragement to get my arse into gear. Social issues??

1. Been lucky there. 2. Absolutely. 3. Spot on! So are some of the Jordanian women. Tourists covered that mutual need[emoji1303] 4. Yes, saw 46 C in Eilat.

Thank you for the reminder! Probably better than cash in the bank if you get to use it.

I like your thinking. Maybe I should try for an unpaid sabbatical effort, although I can’t see them being too impressed[emoji3]

The age of the bike is not an issue and it’s actually more repairable than a fuel injected ECU operated more modern bike. Carburettors and points can usually get you home and are more bodgeable than a circuit board. Supposedly Boorman and McGregor has backup bikes and a full crew in case of mishaps. I have done 600 mile daily trips on good roads on my old Guzzi. She sits comfortably at 85 and will top 120 if asked as well as returning 50 mpg + at the lower speed. I do have more modern 25 year old bikes but would be more concerned at their reliability. We did get invited to a Kibbutz but were deemed a bad materialistic (bikes) influence to the workers and asked to leave. But I did like the Israelis and still keep in contact with a couple. Your experience in israel will be something you’d always remember. Can’t remember which Kibbutz it was[emoji1312]

I’d love to, but (rather like many others on this forum) have worked from a young age outside, and know that I may struggle to do the things I can presently do by the time a worthwhile NHS pension kicks in. Because of my ignorance through not filling in the appropriate paperwork or being able to prove working in NZ, Australia, France and Germany -to name a few, I am short of 9 years of U.K. state pension. Totally my fault, and the belief that I’d live forever, and that my Dad was wrong.[emoji3]

I have been told that by my friends[emoji1303]

Following on from my last post and talking about coincidences, one of the doctors I occasionally drive in an out of hour capacity in his youth guided tourists around the Middle East in a truck within a year of me doing the same thing, also as a guide, but on motorcycles. We both had similar scary experiences too🤣

Bit of a quandary at the moment. When I was a youngster in my 20s I used to guide tourists (by motorcycle) around the Middle East and sometimes over the Atlas Mountains (Morocco) and down through the Western Sahara towards Senegal. I lived abroad as a kid, went to boarding school from six, and was chucked out of Rannoch school in the highlands by 15. At 17 I worked my way around NZ and Aus, and couldn’t settle for a while after that, hence why I did a fair bit of travel. Motorbikes were my thing, and still are. 43 years ago I was travelling alone and having gone through the then shithole of the former Yugoslavia (having met up with an old friend who was then working in Belgrade) I decided I would go down to meet other friends in Athens. However, in Northern Greece another bike traveller stopped when he noticed my U.K. plates. He was off to Australia, and because my pockets were flush with cash from doing a stint in a German stone quarry, I said I’d go along with him for a while. We had a great time but got stuck in Israel as the surrounding Arab countries wouldn’t let us out of Israel and into their countries with our own transport. You could only leave Israel by foot or by public transport as a tourist and only if you’d been sensible enough to not have your passport stamped on initial entry into Israel. We did try a few very dodgy but unsuccessful entries in spite of this issue. I left my friend shortly afterwards as my bike was needing a rebuild having done 25,000 miles in less than 7 months. Chris went back to a Greek island and then onto Syria, but then went onto Cape Town in South Africa rather than his original destination of Australia. Pretty unheard of in those days doing a solo trip down the east side of conflict raging Africa. Crossing the Namibian Desert and with 600 mile fuel un-availability being the least of it. Within a year of doing that remarkable trip on a large road bike he completed North and South America too. Chris Donaldson’s book on this is called ‘Going the wrong way.’ Within the first couple of chapters you’ll realise that this chap is truthful, honest and doesn’t embellish his story in spite of it often sounding like fiction. I highly recommend it if you’re into travel or just to read an exciting book! I’m Jeff in the book as in my immature youth hated my given Christian name. He’s now been back in touch and wants to complete his original wish of travelling to Australia on the exact same bike he travelled on through Africa, the Americas and Russia. His bike is a slightly modified 1978 Moto Guzzi Le Mans. His travelling companion this time, lost his bottle in the Middle East and has returned home. He now wants me to join him on my equally ancient Moto Guzzi. The trouble is, I’m 63, married and have a well paid secure job so would lose it and any chance at building a pension. I’d also have to cover the cost of running my home in my absence, my travel costs, as well as trying to keep the long suffering wife happy, by trying to fly her out to wherever we were for occasion visits. I know I’ll regret not doing this and in spite of needing another new hip and other arthritic bollocks know this is something that’ll top up my life experiences with which to look back on when I can no longer function as presently. What would you do[emoji848]

Will Alder grow in warmer Central France?

Was down from the NE of Scotland to London on my oldest 42 year old bike and visited Ace Cafe and the centre of the city. Nice to know you can breeze through on an old timer while giving a finger to these charges. A number of years ago being totally oblivious to these charges I went through a similar place along the bus lane wondering why everyone was queuing in the snow. Must have been lucky in my hire car as never got anything unpleasant in the post.

What about a compromise like a secondhand VW Tiguan? Not too shabby on the 4WD and a diesel will do 45/50 mpg with a bit of performance. They started making them in 2008 so something reasonable should be available. Mine occasionally drags logs in as well.Remember that whether you’re young, or not, a commercial vehicle will sting you for insurance compared to a car.

Good point on the controls for multiple heat/wind etc. although I have plenty of ways to use up our generation and heat, it still requires manual input to either turn valves or throw switches to get the best out of it. I should have also said previously that the biomass boiler and associated install has been 100% reliable over the last 8 years,- unlike the temperamental wind turbine[emoji849]

With modern LEDs your electric bill for lights alone will be minimal. Probably best to have solar roof pipes that directly feed into your hot water immersion tank to save on heating water, as the subsidy for electric isn’t really worth the effort nowadays.

Like Drax, where they import wood for fuel from abroad using boats and marine diesel? Sounds a bit like electric cars with diesel generators.

Totally hopeless and wouldn’t have gone there without the payback. Most things Green have a lot to answer for, and few would entertain going Green with the hassle unless they were incentivised.

Wasn’t involved in that crock of shit, but yes, I got in trouble from my wife when I shouted at Geldof and the other well meaning idiots on the telly. I was more involved in West Africa where necessary items (pipe work, pumps and medical stuff) were sent directly. That was largely a waste of time too as the Customs men needed their cut (cash or essential items from the containers) and the the locals would soon lose or break anything that was installed. Corruption, greed and darwinism in action. The Chinese and Indians understand this and that’s why they’re successful businessmen, in a small part, in that continent.

Whenever I get a rattle can waved in my face I always ask what the representing CEO gets paid. As a result the Salvation Army, or local food banks are my usual go to. Both are largely run by volunteers or not paid excessively. Most people are clueless when it comes to 3rd world country charities. In the past I’ve been physically involved in aid to Africa and know exactly how funds and goods are wasted. You can guarantee that the organisers wages, and the governmental bribes and logistical costs and bribes of getting that aid into these countries uses up the best of the funds. Whenever I see TV adverts asking for donations my cynical side thinks of who the real beneficiaries are.

20kW turbine, but actually spikes at up to 25kW, although I have had it detuned slightly to save the thermistors regularly blowing and to hopefully allow the inverters and wind box to last for the 20 year subsidy contract. Produces below what was initially at point of sale promised (of course) @ around 50,000 kW annually. So although I’ve covered the initial investment, there’s annual servicing costs. @ around £1500, plus breakdown costs now that the warranty is out. Additionally I have just paid out a further 20k for a new front end and all new brushless motors which should hopefully give a few years service. After all, there’s another 13 years of potential subsidy at an increasing rate that is linked to RPI. I also took the company to arbitration early on for breach of contract and general dishonesty and eventually got paid a further 16k and had a rebuild of the turbine. So, stressful and costly, but can pay off.

Used to be nothing to stop you retaining either the log stoves or even a back up oil boiler. That is as long as you were adequately proficient in drawing a diagram to prove neither was naughtily bumping up the subsidy meter-age.

We used the correct MCS installer, followed his advice (in 2013 supposedly it wasn’t allowed to fit a RHI boiler unable to fully heat the property) and then applied only to be told the boiler was too big for domestic RHI……Complained to relevant overseeing body (think it was DECC) and eventually got back a tough shit letter explaining that domestic consumers didn’t need a boiler of that size to heat a seven bedroomed house, as they’d retrospectively decided on a 40 or 45kW limit. Ours was 60kW, and no, you couldn’t just get 2/3rds of the subsidy cap.Being a little pissed off at blowing 25k, without a chance of the promised incentive I invested a further £91k and installed a wind turbine as a domestic consumer in 2014. This gave me tax free income on all subsidy as well as a reduction in vat for the install (5%), all without giving the Inland Revenue a leg to stand on over tax after the DECC ruling. The biomass has actually now saved me 8 years of oil, except last year when I couldn’t be arsed cutting and oil was for buttons. It still works perfectly and the wind turbine has now already all but covered itself. Especially if you remember you can actually use all and any of the generated electric and still get the subsidy for what you use. I even have a multitude of electric immersions in my 4000 litre biomass accumulater/buffer tank, plus a hot tub all to make sure I get value. Would I ever get involved in other Green incentives, or knowingly install a biomass boiler without a subsidy back up? It worked for me because I’m bloody minded and don’t like being screwed over, but otherwise probably not.🤣 I should also add that I have access to timber (for the effort of dropping, dragging and logging - although I have in the past paid for 48 odd tons over the last eight years (when it was about £420 per wood lorry) through the former Forestry Commission.

Our biomass is about 20 metres from the house. An insulated hot feed and return (two pipes within one insulated casing) run underground to a room within the house where there’s a timer and splitters to run the radiators and then a feed off of that going through a coil within the hot water tank. Ours is slightly more involved as I retained the oil boiler in case heating oil prices makes cutting logs or feeding pellets not worth the effort. Such a year was last year when I fired up the biomass only twice. This year I’m going to have to get cutting[emoji2]