Happy Hall... errrr... Merry Christmas

Unless Santa finds his keys fast, he is, for sure, going to borrow my bike so, I'll wish you all to  Merry Christmas, with all the best in the world for family and friends. Ride safe!

Random Spotting: Mclaren 650S spider

I'd fancy something like this... sun, wind, sound... it's even in the right colour! Merry Christmas?

The helmet intercom "novel"

Over a month has passed since I ordered a set of two helmet intercoms... the seller did everything he said he would do, the Netherlands post office got the package and did its job, the postal services in my country do have the information that the package is here... somewhere, this is, stuck somewhere in the customs service... they think so, at least. 

A complaint was made to the postal services a week ago, still waiting for the answer, anyway, since the customs seem to think those things can be turned into a doomsday-end-of-all-life-on-earth device, I'll be seating on my ass for quite some more time.

Givi E52 Maxia Tech

Backpacks were ok for solo riding and commuting but, even running the risk of messing up the looks, I had to get extra luggage capacity for a upcoming Europe trip.

So, I got a good deal in a Italian online store (AccessoriMotoStore) and bought the E52 Maxia case, the E95S backrest, the monorack M7 plate and the monorack arms for the CBF by barely the same price I'd get only the case in the local dealers.

Although Givi is Italian and not Swedish, fitting instructions were as good as you could possibly get, and everything pretty much felt into place.

Still lacking the taller windscreen and, maybe, side bags to be able to pack everything for the road trip in July.

Dunlop Roadsmart II

The front Battlax BT021 was worn to the limiters (specially the left side), probably this one was still the OEM front tire.

After some considerations, reading of reviews and conversations with other bikers, my choice felt on the Dunlop Roadsmart II with a price tag of 125€.
At the first ride, the tire felt pretty dependable and a lot more "grippier" than the older one (even considering the fact that the new tire is still greasy and the old one had better days).

At this time, ridden under rain and in a daily basis, I must say this seems to have been a fine choice. Although the Battlax is a little less expensive, the Roadsmart II seems/fells better all around.

Ride to Work - CBF Portugal

The Ride to Work day started in the USA in 1992 and it quickly became a word event. Since 2008 the event takes place at the third Monday of June and, this year, the CBF Portugal forum asks for a picture in the vicinity of everyone's work place.
Anyone can join the Ride to Work -CBF Portugal event on the CBF Portugal facebook page and share a picture of there ride... CBF or not, they are not picky, as long as it is a motorcycle.

2014 Honda PCX 125 - walk around

So many bills so little time...

How, I ask, how can anyone keep a clear head with so many bills? Never mind that now... I still have a ride home to clear my mind.

Maintenance manual for the Honda CBF600S/N

Maintenance manual for the CBF600S/N from 2007 to 2011 (PGM-FI engine) available for download here. Enjoy.

Presenting... Glória

The Honda CBF600S was bought in Setember of the past year with almost 16k kilometres on the clock is my first ever motorbike. As far as i can tell, it has proved to be a good "two wheel" school, but not without flaws. In my opinion, it is a heavy machine for a first motorbike but also with enough power to let you envoy without over doing it, brakes are at par and have the additional aid of the ABS system, the suspension (never changed anything in the setting) is on the comfort side which helps on the crater spilled urban tarmac. Longer country road rides should be done with a higher wind shield fitted, something to come along soon, seat comfort could be better, but the CBF seems to be built as a short to mid range motorcycle.

And from the night...

A pumpkin headed rider came... something in the likes of that at least.

After some reading, talking and test-riding, a CBF showed up at a local dealer, pretty mint state, price was good and so I decided that the CBR600RR detuned 599cc engine should be mine to take care.

Riding a geared motorcycle wasn't without issues, the weight was quite overwhelming at the beginning, there is no way I'll ever be as swift and agile as Royal Jordanian is in traffic, nor as racy as Baron von Grumble (the list goes on, I couldn't name them all), but I did learn a lot from them and from Roadcraft Nottingham and his tutorials, and I am still learning.

In the beginning there was... night!

Since I remember, I've always been a car enthusiast and, in spite of having a motorcycle licence, always drove a car for everything (work, vacations...), by the beginning of  last year, a two wheeler came into play.

Everything started over the need to bring down the fuel bill, avoid parking fees and fines. Soon after getting the Honda PCX came the realization that, riding, even under pouring rain, made time spent in traffic much shorter... sort of a time travelling machine that didn't took me "back to the future" but made me save a lot of time in those six months that I rode it almost everyday.

Somewhere along the way I had a epiphany, and riding stopped been a need and became an enjoyable thing... I could see the starlit sky at night by just looking up, you can't do that inside a car, can you?